Page 18 of Our Big White Lie
Because I’m not getting married for real this time.
I shook those thoughts away, gave her the glass, and sat down so we could join in the game of Risk.
As we played, though, my mind wasn’t on the game. Not like it usually would be.
It unsettled me a little how much I had to remind myself that whenever I talked about my relationship with Ava—about our engagement and wedding—I was lying. I loved Ava, of course, and everything I said about us living together and being best friends since forever—that was all true.
But the parts about segueing into a relationship, and then an engagement? How natural it was to be partners because it felt like we had been for all this time?
It felt too easy to say all of that andmeanit.
You’re so cute. You’re so sweet.
Everyone thinks we’re together because they’ve thought all along we should be.
Are we the clueless ones?
Uneasiness coiled in the pit of my stomach. Was this all a mistake? Was it going to blow up in my face? Were we missing something that was right in front of us? What if we were ruining it without even realizing it?
I let my gaze linger on Ava, who was talking with my mom and brother as my dad pondered his next move on the board.
What if this backfires somehow and I lose you?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ava
Afew days after New Year’s, Mom came with Tori and me to tour some potential venues—a hotel, a community center, and a restaurant with an upstairs banquet hall
First stop was the hotel. I was dubious walking in because it was one of the chains, and I’d been to a few events and conferences in places like this. They were lackluster to say the least. Mediocre food, painfully dim lighting, ugly carpets. Aside from the really high-end places—which this was not—they weren’t exactly what I’d call a dream venue for a wedding.
This place was available for the dates we were considering, though, and it wasn’t super expensive, plus they offered discounted rates for any guests who booked rooms. So… it was worth at least coming down and taking a look.
The lobby didn’t inspire much confidence. It was as bland and pastel as most mid-range hotel lobbies, though it was clean and had lots of natural light pouring in through windows and skylights. There was nothing wrong with it—it was just kind of generic and meh.
“Tori and Ava?” A tall white woman with red hair approached us, and when we confirmed who we were, she extended her hand. “I’m Sarah, the property’s eventcoordinator.” She shook hands with all three of us. “Let’s go have a look at the ballroom, shall we?”
As she led us down a long hallway, she gave us a few details. “One level of the garage can be cordoned off for private event parking—there’s a small upcharge for that, but your guests won’t be charged to park. This will also give them access to the event wing without needing to go through the lobby.”
Tori and I exchanged looks and gave each other“sounds good”shrugs.
Sarah continued, “We have in-house catering available for everything except your wedding cake. The menu can be customized to be as big or small and as high-end as you’d like. For your ceremony and reception, our staff will set up seating and tables for both, with decorations, place settings, and centerpieces according to your instructions. There is also an outdoor courtyard that most couples like to use for their photos.” She grimaced. “It’s a little sad right now because everything’s still trimmed back for winter, but it should be more colorful and vibrant by your date.”
We nodded along as she spoke. So far, so good.
“And here is the ballroom you’ll be using for both your ceremony and reception.” She pushed open a set of double doors, and…
This was not the bland, uninspired setting I was used to for conferences. Huge, sparkling chandeliers bathed the whole room in warm light. The walls were a soft gray with glowing sconces every few feet. It was brighter than most conference venues, but it wasn’t the stark, blanched lighting that made everything feel corporate. It was… quite pretty, actually, especially if I imagined it with some flowers and decorations.
“This is really nice.” Tori gazed wide-eyed around the room. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.”
“I know, right?” I said. “It’s a lot bigger, too.”
“Good, because I don’t want to spend the whole reception with everyone stuffed into a tiny room.”
I laughed, and so did she, and I kind of… stared. The warm light picked out the lightest highlights in her blonde hair and added a faintly sun-kissed look to her complexion. And her eyes were?—
I pulled my gaze away from Tori and cleared my throat. “There was something on the website about a dancefloor?”
