Page 28 of Marrying My Moth Lady

“You will feel better after a session with the hairstylist and makeup artist,” Rash whispers to Amber a little too intimately—judging by the distance Rebecca’s eyebrows jump.

“Rash, why don’t you trail behind Amber and Rebecca? You can guard the door against the paparazzi. We’ll sign the marriage certificate in Amber’s room once I get the remaining paperwork from Eli.”

“You can’t see Amber gussied up! It’s bad luck,” Rebecca scolds us, wrinkling her olive-green dress by jamming her fists upon her hips.

“I’ll blindfold him,” Rash says with an evil chuckle.

A thoroughly confused Rebecca leads the happy couple out of my office under a pile of bags. Her gaze begs me for an explanation three times before she steps over the threshold. I cast a reassuring smile, as believable as a campy horror film’srubber monster. Once the door clicks behind the trio, I fire texts on the MOTH SIBLING thread.

Me: Minor hiccup. Rash and Amber are in the bridal dressing area with Millie’s dress and stuff.

Matthew: I thought the plan was for them to drop her stuff and disappear so Mills could emerge as Amber.

Me: Hairstylist and Makeup Artist will be there too. I’m not convinced it’s okay for Amber and Rash to see Millie, let alone two strangers.

Matthew: Not happening. Should we abort?

My heart stutters. I clutch the buttons of my shirt in distress. My intestines roar. No. I can’t let Millie slip through my fingers. I’d trade all the money in the world to be with her…and she doesn’t know it yet. This wedding must proceed, or I’ll lose her. My fingers shake over the phone screen as I decide how I word my confession…but Millie responds first.

Millie: Who has my flower crown?

Me: I do.

No wonder Rebecca lumped me in with the scary couple. I wore Millie’s flowered crown during our whole exchange! She thought I was adorned for the wedding. Am I so unapproachable that she wouldn’t ask? I review the exchange and recall Rash’s finger over his lips. I assumed he was silencing her from asking about his frightening presence…but it must have been about the crown! How is a guy with an F-bomb tattooed across his face more socially savvy than me?

He punked me.

Laughter spills from my lips and bounces off my office walls. I send a selfie to the Moth siblings, wearing said crown,to expand my curt response. Millie sends laughing and heart emojis.

Matthew: Cute, but not your color.

Millie: We can play who wore it better after we save the forest. I have the veil and plan to fix my hair myself. I don’t trust strangers with my signature style—makeup, too. Tell Amber to enjoy the pampering before she rides off into the sunset.

Me: You’re the sweetest to give your wedding day girly stuff to her.

Millie: It’s her wedding day too.

Matthew: Good idea. Keep her happy, so she doesn’t blow our cover.

Millie: You worry too much. Wearing the veil will help me walk through the building.

Me: I can’t wait to see you.

Millie: Me too! I’ve been so lonely without you. My applecart will right itself when we’re together at the altar. I don’t care who’s watching with us…all I’ll see is you.

Matthew: Don’t start that shit on this thread! Make your own.

Millie and I send ‘LANGUAGE’ at the same time. I chuckle at my phone. My chest glows with the warmth Millie brings. No doubt about it. Before Millie, only the promise of long periods of isolation would make me this happy. I’m about to pull off the only heist I’ll attempt in my life, putting my girl’s life in danger, and possibly killing my career, with everyone in this town filling the seats—plus my parents. Being in the spotlight should tangle my guts and spin my head. Instead, I’m giggling like a schoolgirl over my crush.

“I know that face,” Eli says from my open doorway. “That’s the face of a man in love.”

I jump in my seat and knock my computer mouse onto the floor with a clatter. He hitches up his dress pants by the large belt buckle that was assigned to hold them up. As I scramble under my desk to detangle the mouse from my network of cables, his feet approach the desk. The bottom of his pants rides up as he sits in the guest chair that held Amber minutes ago.

“I am in love, sir,” I reply as I sit up straight. I’m not lying. My heart beats for Millie and the vows I recite at the altar will ring with truth. “It’s my wedding day.”

“So it is,” Eli says with an eyebrow raised. “Our girl could charm a snake to do her bidding.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to saylike she’s trained you, but I bite back my remark for Millie. Signing this paperwork will start the snowball rolling down the mountain to safety. Once this meeting is over, the snowball will pick up mass as we sign the marriage certificate with Rash and Amber. More snow will collect as we march down the aisle. The final avalanche is the ceremony, burying this fiasco in our past. I can’t wait to tell our children about our wild wedding.

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