"Be nice to him," Shelby hisses when she walks away and flips the bird behind her head. I roll my lips because Deborah looks like she’s about to throttle them all.
"Why can’t you three just get along?" She smiles as she says it, but she hisses it out. "This is a fucking catastrophe." She waves at someone she knows. "We need to get some food and drinks served."
"Already on that," Shelby says. "I’ve got Bennett tending bar."
"I can help him." Again, my mouth gets me in trouble before my head tells me to shut the fuck up.
"Are you sure?" Presley looks at me. "You don’t have to."
"It’s more than okay." I smile as my stomach dips and then rises again. "Just show me where the bar is."
"I will," Presley says. "You." She points at Shelby. "Get those guys." She points at Jake, Frankie, and Chris. "To pass around some finger foods." Then she points at her mother. "You stay freaking calm and mingle."
"What the hell am I supposed to say is happening?" Deborah asks, the whole time smiling.
"You’ll think of something," Shelby says. "You always do."
"Come with me," Presley says, motioning with her head. I follow her to the big doors that were half open, and I step in and stop walking the minute I take it all in. The exposed beams have tuille hanging from it. Long wooden tables are set up everywhere with brown folding chairs and cream-colored cushions. Cream-colored runners on all the tables with glass vases with floating candles in each of them. A big dance floor is in the middle with big lanterns hanging from the ceiling with green vines all around it.
"It’s so romantic," I say, putting my hand to my stomach.
"Thank you," she says. "They left it up to us, so we hope they love it." I look at her, shocked and surprised that they didn’t have a say in this. "The bar is over there." She points at the long wooden bar in the back corner. "I’ll go and tell them that they can come and get drinks," she says, looking down and then up. "Are you sure you’re okay doing this?"
"What, you never had the ex-girlfriend show up to a wedding?" I joke, and she laughs now.
"Not that I know of, and if they did, no one said anything," Presley replies. "It’s good to see you."
"It’s good to see you, too." I point at the bar. "I’m going to go and tend the bar."
She nods at me as she rushes back out the doors that we came in, and when I get close to the bar, Bennett turns around and stops when he sees me. "Well, well well," he says, trying to hide his smile. "Fancy seeing you here."
I walk around the bar, chuckling. "It’s not that weird," I say to him, and his eyebrows pinch together. "Okay, fine, it’s weird as fuck, but I’m here, and I might as well help."
He puts his arm around my shoulder, just like he did the first time he met me. "It’s good to see you," he admits, and I wrap my arm around his waist. "Shocking but good to see you." I throw my head back and laugh.
"It’s good seeing you, too," I say as I look over and see people now trickling into the space. "It looks like the party is starting."
"Well, let’s hope the bride and groom get here soon," he says, and I want to ask him what he’s talking about, but I don’t have time when ten people head straight for us. "Think you can keep up with me?"
I shake my head. "You forgot that I used to work at my cousin's bar." I look around to see where everything is kept. "This is going to be a piece of cake." I lean on the bar. "Bet you I can serve five people before you."
"Oh." He points at me. "It’s on." He slips off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves, and I can’t help but slap my hands together and laugh.
I turn toward the people in front of the bar and start serving them. It takes me a couple of minutes to see that the bottles are placed alphabetically, which Bennett doesn’t seem to get, and when I serve the tenth person, he’s still serving his fourth.
I look around to see that the room is almost filled up as the bridesmaids all stand by the door, looking for the bride. I walk up to Bennett. "Can I ask what is going on?" I turn to look at everyone mingling.
"Bride’s face swelled up," he shares, and I can’t help the way my mouth opens in shock, and my eyes are probably the size of saucers. "She was allergic to something."