Page 20 of Love Me Not
“Auditions start at three thirty. The latest you can show up is four.”
The boys exchanged a look that said I would not be seeing them on Tuesday. Up to them. Collins had to know that the two activities would overlap, so if he wanted them to join the play, he needed to make some compromises.
Looking up, I caught a glimpse of the clock above the door. “Go ahead and take those with you. I appreciate you wanting to join, but if you can’t make it on Tuesday, don’t worry about it. No harm done.”
“We’ll be there,” Burke said. Aiden didn’t look so confident.
I felt the same as Aiden. “Then I’ll see you in the auditorium next week.”
Chapter Six
I couldn’t decide if he was a miracle man or a menace, but Trey Collins had more sway with these kids than I expected. Not that the boys were officially in the club. When the choice came down to us or the team, there was no chance they’d pick us.
But they’d taken a bigger step than any players in the past, and I had to give him credit for that.
“Hey, lady,” said Donna as I stepped into Megan’s apartment. “About time you got here.”
We were making a night of it, which required packing a bag. “I had to do laundry to have something to pack.”
She scoffed. “You had all week to do laundry and you waited until today? Why am I not surprised.”
This was one downside to your friends knowing you too well. “I was busy the rest of the week.” Without a word, she stared with one perfectly shaped brow arched high. “Fine, I put it off until today. Is everyone else here?”
“Pretty much. Head to the kitchen for a drink, and I’ll put your bag in the bedroom.”
Spotting Josie and Megan at the counter, I took Donna’s suggestion and strolled that way. As I joined them, Megan handed me a wineglass full of orange juice.
“Mimosa?” I asked. Not a typical drink for an evening event, but when something was perfect, you didn’t restrict it to brunch alone.
“Yes, ma’am,” the bride replied, far more relaxed than I expected.
Megan was a boss, whether on the ball field or in the library, but she could also be anxious around big events, and this one certainly qualified. The wedding venue, called Hickamore House, would host both the ceremony and the reception, and came with the use of a gorgeous old renovated home. That’s where the bridal party would spend the night after the rehearsal dinner tomorrow, and where the couple would spend their wedding night before flying off for their honeymoon the next morning.
“Is everything good for the weekend?” I asked.
Megan shrugged. “As far as I know, yeah. Becca has been in charge of everything, and what she isn’t handling, Amanda is taking care of.”
Amanda was Becca’s boss and the owner of Three Rivers Events. I supposed when you put your wedding in the hands of people you truly trusted, you could be completely hands off. But there should have been some nerves floating to the surface. The woman was about to say ’til death do us part.
That was kind of a big deal.
“Oh, Miriam is here,” Megan said, trotting over to give her boss a welcome hug.
This did not add up. “Am I crazy or is she acting weird?”
Without hesitating, Josie said, “She’s on her fifth mimosa.”
Holy crap. “Please tell me you’ve fed her today.”
“During lunch she said she was too nervous to eat. Since then I’ve seen her toss back exactly two canapes.”
Could you even have a bachelorette party if the bachelorette was asleep by seven? We would soon find out.
Surveying the array of snacks spread across the kitchen island, I debated whether to start healthy and go for a handful of nuts, or to say the heck with it and grab a cupcake.
“Hey, Linds,” Becca said, joining us in the kitchen. “How is school?”
“Same old same old.” I hadn’t told anyone about the threat to the drama club. There wasn’t anything they could do, and I saw no point in tanking the mood when this was Megan’s moment in the spotlight. “How is Jacob doing? I’ve only seen him a couple of times in the teachers’ lounge.”