Page 67 of His Hot Mess

We sure showed that yearbook committee.

Thinking about marriage reminded me there was one more reason I needed to show up tonight—one I didn’t even talk to Graydon about, but that I knew was probably the real reason he wanted me to go. Tomorrow was Graydon and Lucy’s rehearsal dinner, and the next night, the wedding. As best man, I needed to be able to be around Sadie—the maid of honor—in a professional, civil capacity. I needed to practice saying hello and keeping my distance.

Without hiding.

I could hear the music thumping from her shop before I even got close to the storefront. It was the only thing open on this block and light spilled from the big display window onto the street. Outside, a couple huddled against the wall next to the door, the woman giggling.

The man lifted his head as I approached, clearing my throat loudly to announce my presence.

“Is that Chris?!” came the woman’s voice. It was Lucy.

“Damn,” said Graydon.

“I don’t want to hear it,” I grumbled.

“You look sonice,Chris!” Lucy exclaimed, giving me a once-over.

“Aren’t you afraid to mess that suit up ahead of tomorrow?” Graydon asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be wearing a tux to your wedding, asshole,” I said. “Besides, I have more than one suit. Somewhere.”

Graydon grinned. “You do look sharp. I’m impressed. Why don’t you go say hi to Sadie?”

“If you can find her,” Lucy said. “It’s kind of packed in there.”

I wanted to hide out there. Even if it meant putting up with Graydon and Lucy’s lovey-dovey snuggling. If I stood in the right place, I could probably see most of the shop from the window.

I could say I was here and it wouldn’t be a lie.

But I could feel Graydon’s eyes on my back. I could practically hear him.

Stop being a chicken-shit, Chris.

Or was that me?

I yanked the door open and stepped inside.

It was warm with all the bodies, the lights glowing, though not so dark I couldn’t take in the whole place. It was artfully lit, with lamps in every corner highlighting the vintage wall hangings. Mannequins at the front of the store stood with their hands on their hips, seeming to appraise me as I walked by.

The place looked amazing. Just like I’d envisioned it when I was doing up the drawings, and just like the shop in Sadie’s treasured photo, except cozier. With the exposed beams over-head, giant built-in shelving, and broad plank flooring underfoot, it felt like just what I was going for.

I needed to talk to Dean—to put my stupid feelings aside and congratulate him on pulling it off perfectly.

And I needed to see Sadie.

Suddenly, it’s all I wanted to do. I wanted to see her reaction. Did she love how it turned out? Was it everything she’d wanted?

Had she forgiven me for abandoning her?

I scanned the room looking for both Dean and Sadie but couldn’t spot either of them. A sudden spike of jealousy stabbed through me. What if they were together? Together-together. In the back.

I began to elbow my way through the crowd, suddenly desperate to prove my fears wrong.

Despite the irrational fear hammering in my chest, I forced myself to calm down, to walk leisurely, and not shove people out of the way to get back there.

Whowereall these people? I recognized some of them—Cat and Jake were over there chatting with Alfred Jones and his wife. Graydon had met Lucy building Alfred’s new place over on Emerald Lake and Alfred was Cat’s old boss back in New York.

I spotted Graydon’s sister Casey going through the racks of clothes with an almost feverish excitement, her son Sam draped on a chair at the end of the aisle next to her, looking like he’d rather be in math class.

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