Page 105 of Better Than the Movies
“Which book?’ I glanced out the window as we passed McDonald’s.
He cleared his throat, and when I turned, my head, he gave me a look. “Thatbook.”
That made me smile. “Of course. Like it’s brown-bag fodder.Thatbook.”
He started talking about the Bridgerton book, and I forgot about everything else in the world as he waxed poetic about how great a setting a pirate ship was. He and I discussed it right up until he was turning off the car in the parking lot.
“We should probably go in, I guess?” I glanced at the event center through the windshield and was nervous for the first time since I’d been waiting for Michael to pick me up.
“That’s how these things work.” He pulled out the keys and said, “Let’s do this?”
I swiped gloss over my lips and opened the door. “Let’s do this.”
When we got inside, Michael handed the security person our tickets, and the big bald dude looked at me with bored eyes. “Purse?”
I shook my head and pointed to the front of my dress. “Pockets.”
His eyebrows went up. “Nice. You kids have a good night.”
“You too.”
We headed into Ballroom C, and the second we walked through the doors, it was like entering a different world. No, it wasn’t magical. It was a brightly colored, way-too-loud wedding reception world. The theme was Mardi Gras, which basically just meant that everything was a jarring purple, yellow, or green color.
“Hey—there’s Wesley. Over by the papier-mâché baby.”
I followed Michael’s gaze and yes, there was an enormous papier-mâché baby sitting atop an even bigger papier-mâché cake. My eyes scanned the crowd for Joss, but I didn’t see her anywhere. My stomach flittered a little bit as Michael led me toward Wes.
Stop it, Liz.
I took a deep breath, put my hands in my delightful pockets, and walked across the room, concentrating on not stumbling in my heels. “We Are Young” by fun. was blaring, and it still felt like it always had—as if the band was trying to convince us of something.
“That is onehugebaby,” I said, smiling as we got closer.
“Right? Bizarre.” Michael grinned up at it, and I was looking at him when a voice yelled,
“Mrs. Potato Head!”
I looked past the baby and there was Adam. I reallydidlike Wes’s friends. I said, “Hey.”
“Don’t call her that anymore; her face is normal again.”
I rolled my eyes at Noah, who was standing behind him. “Gee, thanks.”
“I could’ve saidalmostnormal; you should be grateful.”
That made me smile. “And I am. Thanks for the kindness.”
“You’re welcome.”
“A Louisville tie?” I rolled my eyes at his ridiculous sports tie that was covered in red cardinals and big, obnoxiousLs and said, “That’s, um… unconventional.”
“But dope, yes?” He ran a hand over it and said, “Cardinal-chic.”
“That tie is awful,” Laney said. She’d just exited the dance floor with Ashley. “It’s like you lost a bet or something.”
“Liz likes it.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Adam said, looking at me with a question on his face. “Do you?”
