Page 47 of Fauxmance

I heard an unmistakable scoff. "As if you could. I planned this wedding down to the last detail. You're my MOH, and I love you. There's no way you could ruin anything."

My eyes grew misty, and I sniffed.

"Are you crying right now?" she asked.

"What? No," I said. "Of course not."

"Good," she said. "Okay, so I get Sean. But I'm still shocked about the Hayden thing. Whydidn't you tell me you're seeing him?"

I decided to take a page from Hayden's playbook and repeated the exact words he'd used earlier.

"It's new," I said honestly. "Verynew."

Jasmine flushed, and a second later, she emerged from the stall. She still had the bag on, which basically had holes for her arms, the dress bunched up and held in by sheer material, and a drawstring to keep everything in place. All that white material made her look a bit like a marshmallow, but the garters and lace stockings she had on were a tad scandalous. End result? She looked absolutely hilarious.

Walking to the sink, she thoroughly washed her hands, dried them on a towel, and then straightened. She turned to me, hands on hips, and stared me down as I tried to keep a straight face.

"I don't know Hayden well," she said finally, "but Cole's told me some stories. He sounds like a player, Magnolia. Supposedly, he tours with a rock band. Cole says he has fun with the groupies, but there's never been anything serious."

I shrugged. "Who says I'm looking for serious?"

Jasmine forced a laugh. "Are you kidding? You, baby sister, are the definition of serious. I've known you your whole life. You're a straight-A, never-skip-school, wears-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of girl."

"So?" I said.

"So," she repeated, "word on the street is Hayden Davenport likes to play with girls, but he has a reputation of breaking hearts. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Okay, I could appreciate that, but—

"He's Cole's best friend," I said.And he helped keep me calm and distracted while we were in that elevator, I mentally added. "He must not be that bad."

Jas fluffed her hair, making sure not a single curl was out of place. "He may not be that good either."

With a sniff, I said, "I'll be the judge of that, thank you. Hayden's a good guy at heart. I like him."

"Apparently, a lot of people do," she said. "He is a Davenport."

"People can be more than their names or their pasts, sis."

Jasmine hummed. "Just be careful."

"I will," I said, gesturing to her outfit. "By the way, you look like a sexy puff pastry."

Her eyes lit up like Christmas morning. "Do you really think so?"

I nodded.

"Could you take a photo or two?"

Of course, we ended up taking more than two pictures. By the time we left that bathroom, I had at least 10 of Jas looking part-Michelin Man, part-pin-up model. It was all very tastefully done and would be a great memory. As Jas strode off to find Cole, the reception was in full swing. Everyone was chatting or getting drinks, and I made a beeline to the snack table. I hadn'teaten anything and couldn't wait to get something in my stomach.

Grabbing a plate and napkin, I used the tongs to get a cucumber sandwich, two small empanadas, some saladand a pinafore. Mom and Jas had spared no expense on the food. We'd all wanted to make sure there were dishes that actually tasted good for the guests. I knew whatever I ate it would be tasty. I cut a piece of the empanada with my fork and savored the buttery taste as it hit my tongue.

"Enjoying yourself?"

I nearly choked but managed to swallow at the last minute. As I looked to the owner of that voice, I saw a woman watching me from a few feet away. Steel gray hair, pulled back from her face, ice blue eyes, a strongnoseand a no-nonsense expression. Her gaze was shrewd, and her emerald dress had excellent tailoring. It also matched the fascinator she'd worn with a pair of white pearl earrings. I didn't know who she was. But it was clear she was someone important.

"Yes, I am," I said a beat too late. "Are you?"

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