Page 9 of Take the Wheel

Ari sighed, rubbing her temple while scrolling through her contacts. There was no one else. No one she trusted to pull this off anyway. She needed someone who could walk in there like they belonged but also wouldn’t ask why Ari kept disappearing.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming message.

I hope you’re not stressing your lack of date. Get some sleep. It’ll all work out.

Ari blinked at the words. Nancy knew she was stressed out and was being sweet. She wasn’t paid to be sweet. It was just from the goodness of her heart.

Ari smiled and reread the message.

It’ll all work out.

The lightbulb went off. Ari’s stomach flipped.

She needed someone to accompany her to the wedding, someone with a cool head and a comforting presence. And she already had her.

If she could talk her into it.

Eight

Nancy surfaced from sleep to the sharp rap of knuckles against the door. She groaned, pressing her face into the pillow for a moment before peeling her eyes open. She checked the time on her phone. Too early for housekeeping.

She pushed herself up onto one elbow, her brain still sluggish. More knocking. Whoever it was, they weren’t going away. She sighed and dragged herself up.

She opened the door to find Ari standing there, bright-eyed and suspiciously awake for this hour. She wore an oversized cashmere sweater in the perfect shade of soft cream, the kind that draped just so. Her wide-leg trousers were impossibly well-tailored—relaxed yet precise, skimming over her frame like they’d been cut specifically for her (because they probably had). On her feet, buttery leather loafers, understated but undeniably designer. The only visible jewellery was a slim gold bangle at her wrist, deceptively simple, the kind of thing that cost more than most people’s rent. Even her hair, pulled into a deliberately loose bun, was effortlessly chic.

Nancy became abruptly aware of the fact that she was wearing nothing but her pyjama top.Eyes on the Fries wasemblazoned across the front in bold. She tried not to look overtly embarrassed.

‘You’re up early.’

‘And you’re not dressed,’ Ari said, stepping past her without waiting for an invitation. She barely glanced at the roombefore perching on the edge of the desk. ‘I expected you to be the kind of person who sleeps in her clothes just to save time in the morning,’ she said dryly.

‘You think I just go back in the box when I’m not driving you like bloody Chauffeur Barbie?’ Nancy muttered, pulling the door shut. She wasn’t ready for this, any of it.

Ari being in this room made her vaguely unsettled in her own space. The room was fine for her, but with Ari in it, it suddenly felt tiny.

‘Fair point,’ Ari said, crossing her legs. ‘OK. Look. I’m here with an offer.’

Nancy, in the middle of covering her PJs with a hotel robe, knew immediately she wasn’t going to like it. ‘I might sit down for this,’ she said, tightening the belt.

‘Not a bad idea.’ Ari grinned, then shifted, leaning forward slightly. ‘So. I need a date for this wedding.’

Nancy stared at her with zero understanding of why she was telling her something she already knew. ‘Yes…’

‘And I realised…’ Ari gave a nervous little laugh. ‘IrealisedI already had an option under my nose.’

It took Nancy much longer than it should have to click. ‘Oh. Wait. No. Not…’

Ari nodded. ‘Yes. You.’ She put her hands up. ‘Ijustneed someone to stand next to me at this thing. That’s all. And you have to hang around waiting for me in Scotland anyway, so…’

Nancy stood. ‘Why onearthwould you…’

‘Because you’re here. Because you’re capable. Because I think you clean up well.’ Ari tilted her head. ‘And because I trust you not to make it weird.’

Nancy exhaled slowly. ‘I feel like I should be flattered, but mostly, I just feel cornered.’

‘It’s a simple arrangement,’ Ari said, spreading her hands. ‘You get a weekend in a very expensive location and the satisfaction of knowing you’ve done a good deed.’

Nancy gave her a look. ‘How is it a good deed?’

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