Page 129 of No Rings Attached
The suspicious gazes swung to Celia. Voices of the other bridesmaids, minus Jenna, murmured amongst themselves, agreeing with me and Sally.
“I would never—” Celia protested, but Mom cut her off.
“Oh, now Ellie. There’s nothing to be done about it right now. We just need you to fix this mess.” Mom patted Celia’s arm. “Maybe we should just go to lunch and let Ellie try to fix things with Sally.”
Celia sniffed. “Okay.”
Everyone left, leaving Sally and me to clean up the mess of dresses and try to locate a dress, any dress, similar to what the other bridesmaids were wearing, and have it shipped here in time.
I messaged Drew and told him I wasn’t going to make it back to the office. After an hour, the headache set in and I was ready to admit it didn’t look like we could fix this mistake in time.
Had Celia intentionally sabotaged me so I wouldn’t be in her wedding?
We arrived at the Axe-Hole about fifteen minutes early. It smelled of sawdust and beer. The thunk of axes against wood was comforting in a primal way, though it did nothing to quiet the tension buzzing in my veins after Boutique Gate, as Drew and I were calling it.
“Drew.” A man greeted him and waved as he approached us.
“Hey man.” Drew gave him a one-armed hug. “Ellie, this is Josh, Nora’s cousin.”
“Thank you so much for opening tonight for my sister,” I shook his hand.
“We don’t often get a wedding party in here. I was hoping to speak to your sister about everyone’s skill level. Do you know if anyone has done this before?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Is that a problem?”
“Not really. I’ve asked a few of my staff to come in for safety reasons and demonstrations. Before we begin, I’ll need everyone to sign waivers. There’s also the matter of the contract. Your sister never came by to sign it and drop off the payment.”
Josh gave me the total, including the extra for the additional employees on staff. Seething, I dug out my phone to call Celia.
Only to be brushed off and told she’d be there soon.
Most of the wedding party had already arrived by then, and when the waivers were signed, Josh explained that the staff would show them what to do once we got started.
Twenty minutes later, still no Celia.
I texted my sister.
Ellie: Where are you? We can’t start until the bill is paid.
Celia: I told you we’re on our way. If he can’t wait a few more minutes, pay for it and I’ll pay you back.
Drew purchased a round of drinks for everyone as they waited at the bar for my sister to show up.
Her blatant inconsideration was ridiculous. They’d opened up just for her event.
After another fifteen minutes, I approached Josh, mortified. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s taking her so long.”
Josh glanced at his watch, then at his staff members who were clearly getting agitated. He sighed. “Look, I’ll tell you what. Your sister’s guests were here on time and they’ve been patient. I’ll start the event now to be fair to them. But—” he raised his voice so several guests could hear, “—there’s going to be a late fee added to the bride’s bill, plus the extra time for my staff. And I’ll need payment from your sister before anyone leaves tonight. This is a business, not a favor.”
Relief and shame warred in my chest. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, but his expression softened slightly. “Just make sure she knows I’m serious about that payment.”
I nodded and after he left asked John and Angie if they wanted to join us.
When it was my turn, I gripped the axe-handle and second-guessed all my life choices. The staff had demonstrated the various methods of holding the axe and how to throw it, but my nerves still fluttered with unease. “Why do I feel like this is the start of a true-crime documentary?” I muttered, staring at the wooden target.
Angie laughed beside me. “Relax, it’s just like throwing a really heavy dart.”
