Page 31 of The Wedding Crush

It was supposed to be easy.

But now, they’re not coming, and I’m stuck.

No, I can’t do this.

Swallowing, I glance at my phone on the desk beside my laptop. “Maybe, I should check on them. You know, see if they need any help changing the tire. Dante might not remember how to use the—”

“Don’t worry. Roadside assistance is on the way now.”

“Right.”

Out of objections, and at her mercy, I decide shutting up and taking her lead is my best course of action. Speak when spoken to. Listen and take notes.

I suck in a lungful of air.

But just as I reach for the Mute button, Avery tilts her head, stealing my attention.

“I realize this isn’t ideal,” she says. “However, we’ll get through my meeting agenda much faster than anticipated. I’ll run everything we discuss by Morgan and Dante later.”

Faster is better.

“Silver lining,” I say.

Avery starts to speak again, then she seems to reconsider. She lowers her chin briefly. “I always say that.”

It’s whisper-soft. Almost like us having anything in common gives her pause, too.

“Great minds,” I muse.

That’s the ticket. Just keep it short. One-to-two-word responses only.

Again, she stares at me like I’m a Rorschach inkblot, unsure of what she’s looking at.

Whatever it is must be off-putting because a meeting agenda overtakes my screen. As she explains that she’d reconsidered canceling this meeting due to our wedding date time constraints, my attention drifts to the bullet points. To the words “logistics” and “timeline,” before I come to a halt, my attention climbing back to the top.

“Icebreaker?” I ask.

For ten minutes?

All niceties, any hints of attraction, gone, Avery straightens, posture ramrod straight.

“Listen, I know you don’t like me, but I’m a professional.” Her tone takes on an impatient lilt. “Please don’t disagree because your actions say otherwise that I’m some flighty, immature woman who plans flowery weddings, and couldn’t possibly understand your protectiveness following your family’s grief and your uncoupling.”

Her full lips press together, pursing.

“Now, I have a short agenda prepared, and several meetings on my calendar following this one, so if it’s all the same to you…”

“Of course.”

I feel myself disengaging from the conversation when the document on the screen is replaced by a new one with a single world in large, bold black font at its center.

“Now, you mentioned the icebreaker. Since we’ll be working together to bring this wedding to life for our families and businesses, I feel that it’s pertinent for us to find some middle ground. So, I’ve reserved ten minutes for us to work through any lingering grievances that might be in the way of doing so. Here’s how it’s going to go…”

Over the following two minutes, she explains that she’ll set a timer for ten minutes—no more, no less—during which we’ll take turns asking anything on our hearts as fast and as honest as possible to clear our slates. Then, after she reiterates how much she values order and structure, and will protect it for the sake of her best friend and my brother, a clock appears in the top left corner of the screen.

The way she says, “I’ll go first. Ready?” it feels like,I can be a professional for the sake of our loved ones, can you?

I lift my chin and nod.

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