Page 36 of Honey Bun
Noted.“Okay. Buffet or served?”
She glanced at Joel. “He’s probably more for served, but I think… we should let people choose what they want and all the fixings.”
“I’m good with that,” Joel said.
I glanced at him and saw Arman’s profile. My body melted to be near Arman. I quickly turned to Kendal. “So buffet?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I want people to feel good, and despite my upbringing, we need an open bar.”
The fact that she was sure of herself was good. It was easier to give people what they wanted when I didn’t have to pretend I could read minds. “Okay. What colors are you thinking? Or do you have a theme?”
She smiled and glanced up. “Have fun. Fall in love, and let your heart decide, like I did.”
So she was a sweetheart-type bride. I took a stab at the answer I needed. “That’s a good message. I needed to hear that. Do you want reds and pinks?”
She shook her head but then beamed at me. “Yellows always make me happy, like sunshine and daylight and springtime. I want yellow roses and daisies.”
Yellow was definitely an optimistic color, and it suited her. Arman brushed against me, and goose bumps grew from his touch.
I ached to kiss him and forget everything, but I said, “So yellow to… gray? We’d need a—”
She showed me a picture on her phone. “This is awesome. Yellow, greens, and this almost-purple blue is gorgeous. Look at this one. I’m pinning it.”
Kendal was amazing. I smiled almost as brightly as she did. “Keep pinning. That was going to be your homework. One last question—indoor or outdoor venue?”
She put her phone down, and her lips pressed together as if she needed to think. “I’ll pin away, and I’d like a garden or outdoor if possible. Where I’m from, there’s a lot of nature, which is what I miss the most.”
Gardens near trees were possible. And if I could see the trees from Central Park, there had to be a grander place for weddings. “I’ll get places together so we can go on tours.”
Someone from the area would have an easier time with fast ideas, but I could scout around.
Arman squeezed my shoulder. “Got everything you need?”
“Yeah. This gives me a good starting point.” I turned to Kendal. “Send me an email if you think of anything else.”
“That sounds great. Thank you so much for helping with this. You can’t even imagine how thrilled I am.”
We gathered our belongings, and Arman took care of the check. “Well, I guess I have to steal Maddie away,” he said, squeezing my shoulder.
I glanced at him and let out a small sigh. He was incredible. We said our goodbyes and walked out of the restaurant together. Kendal and Joel turned left, and Arman and I turned right, toward the office. We walked in step down the street.
“I’m glad you’re helping,” Arman said. “The royal theme for the company party was great, and everyone was amazed at your level of detail.”
I glanced at his profile as we headed down the avenue, and I relaxed my shoulders. He was the best guy I’d ever meet. I took his hand. “That’s good to hear. Look, about the wedding. I need to know the budget you’re approving.”
“He’s my brother. I don’t have a limit. The last wedding I went to cost the father, like, two hundred grand.” He squeezed my palm. “Whatever they want is fine. So, do you want to go grab a drink?”
I rolled my eyes and made a funny face. “Technically, you don’t grab drinks unless you want to spill a glass.”
He laughed at my horrible attempt at a joke. “There’s the Maddie I remember.”
We crossed the street together. As we made it to the entrance of Central Park, Cyrus waved and walked toward us. I let go of Arman’s hand. “Looks like your brother is looking for you.”
Arman hugged his brother and gave him a shoulder slap. Caring without pretense was one of the many traits Arman had that made him perfect. He would be a great father and husband, given how attentive he was toward people he loved. I blinked as that thought hit me out of nowhere.
He asked, “Cyrus, what’s going on?”
Cyrus said, “Too much. Leah is ignoring me.”
