Page 52 of The Wedding Crush
“Come on, Pollyanna… You’re making fun of my suits again when you’re carrying around that gigantic pink flower-power planner in this digital age?”
We both shake our heads.
We’re both shocked to be enjoying this exchange more than we could’ve imagined.
“You laugh but analog doesn’t run out of battery or overheat in the sun.” Avery holds up her hands in mock surrender. A permanent smile is etched on her face as she seems to regroup. “All jokes aside, I’m happy. This has been weighing on me since yesterday.”
“Me too.”
Avery radiates with relief as she segues to how full her heart was watching me talk with Ace. Naturally, we fall into a full-blownCarsconversation before she recaps the dress-shopping shenanigans, and how much she loves the tight relationship my family shares. In the same way, her mother, Ace, and the Sister Circle keep her lifted and light.
Not some new man.
Sometime after she details the ins and outs of her flourishing business and a Hollywood glamor wedding she’s currently planning. I realize that there’s a great chance I’m enamored with Avery Ellis. Whether I’m ready or not, I want to know this woman who loves her friends fiercely, forgives easily, and smiles through chaotic days.
The air settles for all of five seconds.
Then Avery pops back up, leaning close to her screen.
“But there’s something you should know about me.” In her background, her phone rings, and she silences it before centering her attention on me again. “I’m super competitive, so if you really want to prove how cool we are, wemusthave the best pairs entrance dance at the ceremony.”
Only slightly concerned what other requests Morgan gave Avery yesterday, I lean in, too.
“Say less.”
If we’re forgingwhatevertogether, it’s got to be the best.
Avery slaps her hands on her desk, her face beaming before she can’t contain it any longer.
Her infectious laugh sets the tone for the rest of the meeting. She tells me Ace can’t stop talking about me, and that he’s named one of his cars Stefano, which makes my whole heart ache. Then we make plans to meet next Saturday at my place in the city—hers is a little tight and has toys bursting from its seams. We’ll lay the groundwork, pick a song while wine-tasting for the wedding menu, and practice our dance before the Champagne Sip.
Yes, yet another wedding festivity that Avery’s added to our calendar since we last spoke.
The first weekend in August, the wedding party will meet at a champagne bar, as sort of a mixer, to get to know each other before they’re—not Avery and me—thrown into the dancing deep end to choreograph a show-stopping routine.
All in all, I’m excited about the turn our whatever is taking.
I love how talkative and free, comfortable she is with me. I love that we’re about to make up some silly, lighthearted dance. More than that, I love that, during this singular meeting, I’ve felt more like myself than I have in nearly a year.
*
When Morgan andDante finally enter the ChatVideo room, Avery shares the agenda on her screen.
Agenda
Project completions from last week
This week’s projects (10–8 months items)
Bride and groom additional requests
Questions
As Avery speaks, the PowerPoint page turns to a checklist of last week’s projects. All business, she checks off choose a date, wedding style, venue selection, assembling a team of wedding pros, and select a fairy-tale wedding dress.
Avery and Morgan break out into squeals and happy clapping.
Dante and I share an exhausted glance.
