Page 2 of Blue Hawaiian
Until he frowned at her. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
Indignation flared up inside of her, bringing a warm flush to her cheeks. “I’m Gabi’s maid of honor. Of course, I’m supposed to be here.”
“I meant, your plane. Marc told me you were arriving at noon.”
She winced as the implication hit her. Connor hadn’t wanted to run into her. She shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d been the one to block her after they broke up.
“You were hoping you’d miss me?” she said. “Fat chance, seeing as how I’ll be in Maui all week.”
He let out his breath. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
His weak-ass apology didn’t cut it. “You want to talk long days? I’ve been up since 3:00 a.m., Chicago time.”
“It’s not a competition.”
“Who says? You had one crappy flight, while I’veliterallybeen to hell and back.”
His shoulders slumped in defeat. “Jess…”
“What?”
“I’m probably the last person you want to see right now. But I’m exhausted, and I’m sure you are, too. For tonight, can we try to be civil?”
He had no business telling her how to behave. But after the day she’d had, arguing with him would only worsen her mood.
Since they were stuck in line together, she had two options: ignore him completely or strike a temporary truce. The second option was more appealing. Even though she hadn’t forgiven him for ghosting her after their breakup, she and Connor had a long history together. They’d once been good friends, bonded by all the summers their families had spent vacationing up at Big Bear Lake.
She blew out a resigned breath. “Okay. That works for me.” She waited to see if he’d turn away, but his eyes were still fixed on her. “What? I know I look like shit.”
“It’s just…” A wry smile played across his lips. “What’s the deal with your shirt?”
Damn, if his smile didn’t pierce her defensive armor. Because the shirt in question was beyond tacky—a tight pink, scoop-neck tee, emblazoned with “I Heart L.A.” in glittery purple letters. It wasn’t the shirt she’d been wearing when she left Chicago, but alothad happened in the past twenty hours.
She placed her hands on her hips, striking a cocky pose. If she kept things light between them, she might not feel as vulnerable. “Not everyone can pull off this look, you know. It takes a certain level of audacity.”
“That it does.” His eyes gleamed with amusement. “But I’m not sure Gabi would approve.”
“True. It’s hardly in keeping with her wedding aesthetic. Which means I won’t be posting it on Instagram anytime soon. I’m already in enough trouble, seeing as how I’m arriving criminally late and don’t have my luggage.”
“Even your dress for the big day?”
Jess shivered, not wanting to imagine how her sister would react if one of those custom-made dresses went missing. “Gabi brought them with her. The garment bag probably flew first class.”
“I would have thought you’d get VIP treatment. Didn’t you say you’re the maid of honor?”
She snorted. “I’m thesecond-stringmaid of honor.” Though she could joke about it, the title stung. She had assumed she’d be Gabi’s first choice, but her sister hadn’t thought Jess could handle all the responsibility.
Connor regarded her with a sly expression. “What happened to Gabi’s first-round draft pick? Did she flee the country?”
“You’re not wrong.” She shouldn’t be making light of the situation, but she couldn’t resist. As kids, she and Connor had often joked about Gabi’s demanding personality.
“Wait. Seriously?” He started laughing. “I realize Gabi’s high-maintenance, but that seems like an extreme reaction.”
“Just stop.” A hint of a grin crossed her face. “It wasn’t because of Gabi. Her friend Carly took a job working for Doctors Without Borders two months ago. She’s stationed in a remote village in Nepal.”
Fortunately for Jess, Carly had done most of the groundwork as maid of honor. But Gabi had still been reluctant to hand over the position to Jess. Which made her feel even guiltier about missing her first official day of duty.
The clerk called the next person in line, and Jess and Connor inched forward. “I take it the airline lost your luggage, too?” she asked.
