Page 51 of Party Favors

T MINUS 8 DAYS AND COUNTING UNTIL THE WEDDING!!! MOM SEND

With a growing sense of dread, I knew the next question he was going to ask me. Sure enough, he said, “What wedding are you counting down to?”

Oh, how could I say this without him questioning my sanity? It was very hard explaining to someone who had only a passing familiarity with something you were over-the-top invested in.

“The Monterran royal family. Princess Chiara is getting married next week, and like I told you, it’s our Super Bowl. We’re getting up at four thirty in the morning to watch it.”

That was okay, right? It didn’t sound too bizarre?

I was about to ask him something about his life, to steer him away from getting deeper into this minefield. He already knew I was weird about it—I just didn’t think he understood to what extent.

He beat me to the punch, though, and asked a question first. “Do you have a good relationship with your mom?”

I took another bite of the tortellini dish before I answered. “I love my mom. But I think she wishes I was a different person. I always feel like I’m not measuring up to who she wants me to be.”

He let out a small sigh. “I know how that feels.”

Max’s phone rang and he picked it up to glance at the screen. One of his many female admirers? “Speaking of intrusive family members, it’s my cousin Sunny. She knows I haven’t checked my voice mail in ten years, so she’ll keep calling until I pick up. Excuse me a second. Hello?”

I ate my pasta and watched as his face dropped.

“It’s okay. Breathe. What do you mean? What did she say? What did you say? I can’t understand you when you’re crying. How soon?”

Then his eyes flicked over to me.

“I think I know someone who can help. Let me call you back.”

He hung up and with a very somber expression said, “I hate to have to do this, but Everly, I need to ask you for a favor.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Again, there was very little that I would refuse this man. I already knew I was going to say yes regardless of what he needed.

I’d even plan a wedding for him.

“Sunny and her husband, Todd, are about to have a baby. She wasn’t planning on having a baby shower because my aunt, her mom, passed away a few years ago and she said she couldn’t imagine having one without her.”

“I’m so sorry. That must be so hard.” Max had mentioned his cousin before—she was the one insisting that he get out of his apartment. Without thinking, I reached over to squeeze his hand. I left it there for a beat too long, convincing myself that this was something friends did to comfort one another and it wasn’t at all about wanting to feel his warm skin against my fingers.

“It has been. Todd’s family are very wealthy, old school, and traditional, and his mother expects that there will be a baby shower for her friends. She spoke to Todd about it, but he didn’t communicate it well to Sunny and my cousin found out this afternoon when she and Todd went over for a family brunch that his family expects someone to throw her a shower in three weeks. Invitations have already been sent, as apparently Todd agreed to have it at his parents’ place.”

At my surprised look, he added, “I love the guy, but Todd can be a little absent-minded. He works in biotechnology and only partially pays attention to the real-life stuff going on around him. It is entirelybelievable that his family would have made plans that he’d somehow agreed to without realizing it.”

I slipped into planning mode. “What will her budget be?”

“Todd’s got a trust fund. I don’t think money will be a concern.”

The wordsunlimited budgetdanced through my head, making me feel tingly. It was one of the reasons I had moved to New York City. To be in charge of events on a scale unimaginable anywhere else. But I had the Origin Telecom conference coming up, followed by the birthday party. I wasn’t sure I could add on an event for the week after that one. “I have a lot of last-minute things going on right now.”

I glanced down at my dress and asked myself what Kat would do if she were in this situation. I could see from the expression on his face that he expected me to say no, and I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

It would be the smart thing to do, but not the right thing.

“But I’d love to help out,” I said.

His face broke into the most glorious smile. It was payment enough for going without sleep for the next three weeks.

“Are you sure?”

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