Chapter 19 #3
“Yeah,” I said, patting my bag. My dress, heels, and makeup case were packed inside. “But I need somewhere to change.”
Unlike myself, the guys were already dressed for the evening.
Oliver wore a deep burgundy suit, no tie, with the top few buttons of his black dress shirt left undone.
It was the kind of outfit most men couldn’t pull off, but looked stylish and cool on the few who could, and he easily fell into the second category.
JJ, on the other hand, had opted for a more classic look, a black suit and tie combo, and its slim fit made his already broad shoulders look massive.
Of the three, Xander was the only one not wearing a suit.
He was sporting dress pants, a white button-down, and navy blue suspenders with a matching bow tie.
“Not a problem. Stella does too,” Oliver said. “Once we check into the hotel, you’ll have plenty of time to get ready.”
“Okay, cool. And speaking of Stella.” I retrieved the small, white box I’d wrapped her present in and handed it over. “This is for you.”
He pulled off the lid, and his eyes lit up. “Wow. Felicity, these are perfect.”
Xander leaned over and peered inside the box. “What’s that for?”
“Stella’s and my anniversary.” Oliver lifted the necklace out of the tissue paper to inspect it. “She’s going to love this,” he told me. “Felicity, you rock. How much do I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, waving off Oliver’s attempt to dig his wallet out of his pocket.
A few weeks ago I would have been more than happy to let him pay me, but now the money wasn’t important.
“You’re helping me with Alec. Besides, without your suggestion, I never would’ve started my own jewelry business, so clearly I’m the one who owes you. ”
Oliver’s answering smile was so big, it was as if I’d told him I’d won a Nobel Peace Prize. “That’s awesome! How’s everything going?”
“Well, I’m not operational yet, but I want to start out small and only sell a couple of designs. Once I get the hang of things, I plan to offer more options and maybe even do custom orders. Fingers crossed people like my stuff.”
“You’re going to make a killing,” he assured me. “And by the way, I still expect a bill. There’s no way I’m not paying you.”
Before I could decline a second time, Oliver knocked on the glass separating us from the driver. Then we were on the move, disappearing down the street before my mom realized I was gone.
***
“Pretty sure that bathtub is larger than my bed,” I said when Stella flipped on the light. Oliver had rented a suite for the evening, and everything about the room was over the top, bathroom included. “There should be a sign: No lifeguard on duty. Bathe at your own risk.”
Stella laughed. “Believe it or not, I’ve seen larger.”
“For real?” Why anyone needed such a huge bathtub was beyond me. Unless, of course, they were hosting a swim meet or playing the world’s largest game of Marco Polo.
She nodded and claimed a spot next to the sink, unzipping her toiletry bag before dumping its contents out on the marble countertop. A package of face towelettes, a toothbrush, and a tube of Colgate fell out, along with travel-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
“Do you need to shower?” I asked. After a six-hour flight from New York, I was willing to bet she felt grimy.
“You don’t mind, do you? I’m going to rinse off, and then we can do our makeup together.”
Twenty minutes later, we both had changed into our dresses and were standing in front of the mirror, me with a stick of eyeliner and Stella with a mascara wand.
I was trying to make my wings even, but my fingers were shaking, and the left side looked more like a heart-monitor line than the crisp edge I was going for.
Some strange screamo band called the Sensible Grenade was blaring from Stella’s phone, but when I heaved a sigh and tossed the liner onto the counter, she hit Pause. “You okay?”
“I’m nervous,” I admitted.
What if Alec won’t accept my apology? Or maybe he’s already moved on? My thoughts were spiraling, each new scenario I imagined worse than the last. Oh God, what if he refuses to talk to me at all?
“Don’t be.” Stella set down her mascara and smiled at me in the mirror. “You two will work things out.”
I drew my bottom lip in between my teeth. “You sure? I was pretty horrible to him.”
She touched my shoulder. “I promise.”
“But…” I hesitated, not sure I wanted an answer to the question I was about to ask. If Alec had confided in anyone about how things ended between us, my guess was that he’d chosen Stella. “He told you what happened, right?”
Her smile faded. “Yeah.”
“And…you don’t hate me?”
“Well, it’s not like I’m happy with the way you treated him,” she said, placing a hand on her hip.
My throat tightened, but then she sighed.
“That being said, I know Alec isn’t an open book.
Sometimes misunderstandings happen, and people say stuff they don’t mean.
What matters is that you’re sorry, because he needs you, Felicity. You’re good for him.”
My cheeks warmed at the compliment, but I frowned. “How can you be so sure? You hardly know me.”
“Because I know Alec, and I’ve never seen him smile the way he did that night around the bonfire,” she explained. “What’s more, he’s been completely miserable since Seattle.”
I wanted to argue with her, but a knock at the door interrupted us.
Oliver was standing at the edge of the bathroom, and he quickly settled into a comfortable position against the doorframe.
As he looked at Stella, the corners of his mouth turned up into a dimpled smile.
It was so different from the slick, arrogant grin he wore for the media that I almost didn’t recognize him.
“You look beautiful,” he told his girlfriend. Then, remembering they weren’t alone, he glanced at me. “You too, Felicity. Nice dress.”
I glanced down at my masquerade gown, smoothing out the fabric that was now stain free. “Thanks,” I said. It was the only dress I owned fancy enough for the occasion, and wearing it felt poetic, considering this might be the last time I ever saw Alec.
“So, you girls ready?”
“Give us two minutes,” Stella answered. “I’m just going to help Felicity fix her makeup, and then we’ll be right out.”
“Two minutes it is,” he said and backed out of the room.
When he was gone, Stella picked up my eyeliner and gently tugged me toward her.
“Close your eyes,” she instructed. Two seconds later, I felt the gentle brush of her hand on my cheek and the tip of the charcoal pencil against my lid.
“I know you’re scared to talk to Alec, but it’s going to be all right.
He’s hurting right now, and believe it or not, that’s a good thing.
If he wasn’t, it would mean he didn’t care about you.
People don’t agonize over someone who hasn’t touched their heart. ”
She had a point, and it helped ease the churning of my stomach. “Thanks, Stella.”
“No problem. Okay, you can open up.” She took a step back and inspected her handiwork. “There! Alec won’t know what hit him.”
I glanced at the mirror. Somehow Stella had managed fix the squiggly line above my eye.
All right, I thought, sucking in a deep breath. You can do this, Felicity.
It was time to crash Vanessa Williams’s wedding.