Page 28 of The Wedding Crush

Nothing’s going to change that.

He’ll still be a beautiful, pompous, self-important suit who thinks his opinion matters more than that of others. Schoolyard games or not, we’ll continue to clash. More importantly, he’ll still be the other half of the dream team, who I’ll be working alongside in a spectacularly uncomfortable professional capacity.

Those are the facts.

It certainly doesn’t matter that I haven’t dated since I lost Justin, and Stefano’s the first guy who’s jumpstarted my…lower regions?

Damn.

I slide the tip of my fingernail between my teeth, tapping gently as I considermaybemy aversion to this man isn’t as cut and dried as I’d thought. And now we’re going to be stuck together almost three months, representing a wedding that could explode my business onto the event-planning scene.

We’ve got to keep it on the up and up.

Period.

But…

“Ugh.Okay, please don’t make me regret this.” I cringe, bracing myself for the backlash. “But what did Stefano say to Dante about me?”

At this point, this is no longer a want. Ineedto know what this man thinks about me.

“Shame, shame, shame, I know your name.” Morgan feigns disappointment, but secretly, I know she’s loving every second of torturing me.

“Yeah, yeah, what did he say?”

“In my book? Just know this is certified proof you’re crushing hard on Stefano Fortemani, and the feeling is mutual.”

Heat curls down my spine.

For the next five minutes, I cling to the phone like Morgan’s words are my lifeblood.

Not only did she eavesdrop from the pantry where she could hear Dante chatting in the kitchen, but she took notes for my benefit.

I make a mental note to thank her when I can breathe.

Truly, this is the stuff on which lifelong friendships are built.

“Short story, long, their conversation was a brotherly one,” Morgan segues, then gives me highlights that aid in my conclusion that it was about—shocker—dating and sex, the running theme of Stefano’s new single life. Apparently, with his ex-wife debuting her new boyfriend, then seeing me watch him at dinner, somehow, he realized that maybe he wants to dip his toe back in the dating waters, too.

Lucky me.

All of which make him sound annoyingly more adorable and endearing than I’ll ever admit.

I perk up, antsy for the rest.

But here’s where I gasped and almost choked.

After Stefano told Dante he wasn’t sure it was the best idea for us to team up because I’m, and I quote, “young, naive, and need more life experience.” Which, to that I say, spend a week in my shoes. Still, Dante advised him to stay open to any relationship with me. Open, as in, even if I end up being just a friend, he should use our upcoming working relationship and wedding-planning interactions to get reacquainted with a woman who isn’t his ex-wife (i.e., hello, my name is guinea pig!).

Now, obviously, he didn’t say this to me, otherwise he’d live to regret it. But does he really think this is cool?

“He really said all that?” I ask, still reeling.

“Yes, but…” Morgan prefaces, and I suspect a silver lining caveat is loading. “It’s all lip service. That man wants you, Avery.”

I feel myself clamming up as I slide down the wall into a puddle of conflicting and frankly confusing emotions.

So, I’m immature and unexperienced, but I’m qualified to be the friend who reintroduces him to women?

---