Page 9 of Deal Breaker
Using the strategy I’d suggested, we got back on the right road and finally arrived at the Resort Office. Jodie parked, and we got out and went inside.
“Evening, ladies. Welcome to Holiday Springs!” The receptionist appeared perky, and I wondered whether she’d just started her shift or was about to head home. “How can I help you?”
Autumn stepped forward, a wad of paperwork in her hand. “We’re here for the Ashurst and Smith wedding? We’re booked into a cabin…” She shuffled the mountains of paper until she found what she was looking for. “Lakeview 35?”
“Ah, you’re the rest of the party. Mr. Coady said there would be other people arriving, although he didn’t know what time.” She glanced up at the clock. “He said it might be late.”
Max was already here? And we were sharing a cabin? I glared at Autumn for omitting that piece of important information.
“Yeah, we, um, got lost.” Autumn gave Jodie the side eye.
“Easily done if you’ve never been here before.” The receptionist kept up her positive attitude as she got the keys to the cabin. “There’s parking out front of the cabin, and if you follow the road you came in on, it’s on the righthand side. Enjoy your stay, ladies. I’m sure the wedding will be lovely.” She beamed so broadly, her bloodstream had to contain at least 40 percent sugar.
We got to the cabin without any further incident or argument. If only the rest of the journey had been such a breeze. The three of us stood outside the cabin, hands on hips.
“Well, it’s certainly…” I paused, searching for the right word to describe the building in front of us.
“Rustic?” chipped in Jodie.
She hit the nail on the head. While the outside looked like a traditional cedar cabin, once we got inside everything was wood-paneled, with varnished pine everywhere. In design terms, it could have come out of Sweden in the 70s. It was as if the year 2000 had never happened. We explored the three bedrooms. Max had already commandeered one of the doubles. I tried to stop staring at the contents of his bag, which had already been strewn across the bed: he had good taste in boxers. His dress suit hung from the back of the door.
“You and Jodie can share the twin,” Autumn decided.
“Why do you get the other double?” Jodie and I spoke at the same time.
“Because I called dibs.” She grinned. “I also sorted out all the arrangements, so I deserve it.”
Jodie and I rolled our eyes at each other.
“Can we eat soon? I’m starving.” I called as I went into the smaller twin room. Small didn’t even begin to describe it. Jodie and I would practically be sleeping on top of each other.
“I’ll go and check out the restaurant,” said Autumn. “See if I can find Max, to let him know we’ve arrived.”
Before Jodie or I could say we’d go with her, she’d disappeared. While Jodie unpacked, I went out onto the porch and perched on the edge of the table to check out the surrounding area. From my vantage point, I could see the sandy beach and the lake at its edge. Had it been high summer, it would have been glorious. Despite the beauty of the surroundings, I didn’t want to explore them too much right now; it was freezing out here. I pulled my coat around me, wishing I had gloves as well. Who thought that a wedding in November was a good idea? Glad most of the ceremony and reception would be indoors, I hated to think what would happen if we had to have official photographs taken outside. No one wants a blue bride as a memory.
My thoughts turned to Max. I hadn’t seen him in a little while. The last time was on a night out with Autumn, where we exchanged precisely four words. The how-are-you-fine conversation had been cut short by Autumn dragging me away to meet the friend of her date. You can guess how that turned out, given I was at the wedding without a plus one.
“Soph, do you want a drink?” Jodie banged on the window and waved a bottle of wine at me. She’d had the forethought to pack a couple, in case we needed them. And right now, I needed something to warm me up.
The moment I got back inside, Jodie pressed a glass into my hand. “We might as well enjoy ourselves tonight, now we’re finally here.”
“I think I’ll finish unpacking first.” I went into our tiny room. Shrugging off my coat, I quickly pulled out my dress for the wedding and hung it up, thinking how well it complemented Max’s cravat. Brianna’s choice of accent color appeared to be deep red, almost the exact same as my dress. It was almost as if I should have been part of the wedding party.
As Max’s date.
I shook my head. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking like that.
A door banged, signaling Autumn’s return. I’d half expected her to message from the restaurant, telling us to come and join her. I definitely needed food soon.
“Look what I’ve got!” Autumn brandished a bottle of tequila.
“Where the hell did you get that?” Jodie asked.
“I’ve been chatting to anextremelyhot bartender, who is going to hand deliver three pizzas for us, even though he’s not supposed to.” Autumn’s persuasive skills were legendary, although I didn’t want to think about how she’d gotten the bartender to agree to do something he wasn’t meant to. Some things were better left unknown. Her triumphant grin was enough to light up the entire room, as she rifled through the cupboards in the kitchen area for shot glasses. “We aren’t to tell anyone, or he’ll likely get fired.”
I drained the glass of wine Jodie had given me in double-quick time. A voice in my head whispered that getting drunk the night before Brianna’s wedding wasn’t the smartest idea. As usual, I ignored it. I was here to have fun, and that was exactly what I was going to do.
An hour later, my stomach growled noisily, breaking into our game of truth or dare. So far, Autumn had been dared to go outside and flash her boobs, Jodie had left one of her bras in Max’s bag, and I was sitting there smugly without so much as a dare to my name. Right until Autumn sprang a truth question I’d been dreading.
