Chapter 7
Caveman Behavior
MARI
Champagne was a beautiful, beautiful thing. Especially the expensive kind that flowed freely at celebrity engagement parties where the hosts didn’t care how much anything cost as long as it was perfect.
And damn it, this party was perfect.
I took another sip from my flute, surveying the rooftop terrace of the Grand Palmer Hotel. Fairy lights twinkled overhead against the Chicago skyline, creating a glow that made everyone look airbrushed. The white peonies and hydrangeas in the centerpieces had been my idea.
“Ms. Landry,” a server approached with a fresh tray of champagne. “Would you like another?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” I said, swapping my empty glass for a full one.
Four—or was it five?—glasses in, and the warm buzz of alcohol had softened the edges of my anxiety.
Tonight was the night. After two months of competing with Hudson to impress Lia and Manny, they were finally going to announce their decision.
One of us would plan their actual wedding, and the other would slink away in defeat. And given how this party had turned out, I had no idea which way they were leaning.
“Easy on the champagne,” a familiar voice said behind me. “We still have the announcement to get through.”
I turned to find Hudson watching me, looking unfairly handsome in a tailored dark green suit. As always, his dark hair was perfectly styled, not a strand out of place. The man was walking perfection, and I hated him for it.
Except I wasn’t sure I hated him anymore, and that was a serious problem. It was also one of the reasons I was drinking more than Anica would’ve approved of.
“I’m celebrating our success,” I replied, raising my glass. “This party is magnificent.”
“It turned out well,” he conceded, his gaze scanning the space. “The hydrangeas were the right choice.”
“Thank you.” I grinned. “Have you seen the happy couple? They were at the bar a minute ago.”
“They’re making the rounds. I suspect the announcement will come after dinner.”
“You nervous?” I couldn’t help asking, studying his impassive face.
“Why would I be nervous?” He adjusted his already perfect cuffs.
“Because you are going to lose to me.”
“Am I?” He winked at me. “Or is it the opposite?”
“Yup,” I said, taking another sip of champagne. “But you know what? It was surprisingly fun competing with you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Compliment?”
“Must be the champagne talking.”
“It would appear so.”
We stood in companionable silence, watching the guests mingle. Movie stars, musicians, and various celebrities filled the terrace, all here to celebrate Lia and Manny’s engagement. The fact that Hudson and I had pulled this off without major incident felt like a miracle.
“You look nice, by the way,” Hudson said suddenly, not looking at me.
I nearly choked on my champagne. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard me.”
I looked down at my dark pink gown with its subtle shimmer and strategically placed cutouts. I didn’t just look nice; I looked downright fuckable.
Before I could respond, a server appeared with the announcement that dinner was being served. We moved toward our table near the back.
The dinner was perfect, which wasn’t surprising considering Manny’s best restaurant had provided the food.
By the time dessert was served, I was on glass number six (or seven?) and feeling wonderfully warm and relaxed.
Hudson kept giving me concerned glances from across the table, but I ignored him.
I deserved to enjoy myself. We’d worked our asses off for this party.
As the last of the dessert plates were cleared, Lia stood, tapping her glass with a spoon. The crowd fell silent.
“Manny and I want to thank you all for coming tonight. Your love and support mean everything to us as we begin this journey together.”
Manny stood beside her, his arm slipping around her waist. “We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make tonight possible, especially our incredible planners, Mari Landry and Hudson Gable.”
A smattering of applause followed as heads turned in our direction. I smiled and raised my glass slightly, while Hudson gave a dignified nod.
“Please enjoy the live music and the dance floor, and of course, please eat more food. Mari, Hudson, if you two could join us on the east balcony in about fifteen minutes, we’d like to speak with you.”
My heart skipped a beat as I exchanged a glance with Hudson. This was it. The moment of truth.
“Fifteen minutes. Don’t be late,” Manny added with a wink.
As the couple moved back to mingling with their guests, I turned to Hudson.
“Well, that sounded menacing.”
“It certainly did.”
“I’m thinking one of us is about to become the wedding planner to the hottest celebrity couple in Chicago, and the other is going to slink away in shame.” I drained the rest of my champagne.
“No one’s slinking anywhere. Whatever happens, we both did excellent work here.”
I blinked at him. “That’s... surprisingly gracious of you.”
“I can be gracious when the situation calls for it.”
“I guess so.”
He just gave me that almost-smile again and checked his watch. “We should head to the balcony.”
I followed him through the crowd, pausing only to grab another glass of champagne from a passing server. Hudson gave me a look but said nothing. The east balcony was smaller than the main terrace, offering a more intimate space with a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan.
Lia and Manny were already waiting, champagne glasses in hand and matching smiles on their faces.
“There you are!” Lia exclaimed, coming forward to air-kiss my cheeks. “The party is absolutely magical. You two outdid yourselves.”
“We’re so pleased you’re happy with it,” Hudson said.
“Happy doesn’t begin to cover it,” Manny added, clapping Hudson on the shoulder. “Everyone’s talking about how our wedding is going to be the event of the season if this party has anything to say about it.”
“Well, that’s what we aim for,” I said, feeling a pleasant buzz from both the champagne and the praise. “Event of the season, minimum. Celestial event would be better.”
Lia laughed. “Love the energy, Mari. And Hudson, your attention to detail is unmatched. Which brings us to why we asked you here.”
I held my breath, my heart racing in my chest. Hudson stood beside me, annoyingly calm.
“After watching you both work these past two months,” Manny began, “we’ve made our decision about who will plan our wedding.”
Lia beamed. “We want you both.”
There was a moment of silence as the words sank in.
“I’m sorry, what?” I finally managed.
“Both of us?” Hudson asked at the same time.
“Yes!” Lia clapped her hands together. “We’ve seen how amazing the results are when you collaborate. This party is proof. Hudson, you bring structure and strategy, and Mari, you bring creativity and spontaneity. Together, you’re the perfect team.”
“We don’t want to choose between you. We want the best of both worlds,” Manny added.
I blinked rapidly, trying to process through my tipsy brain. I looked at Hudson, who appeared equally stunned.
“But we’re competitors,” I pointed out. “We work for different companies.”
“We understand that,” Lia said. “But we’re hoping you can put that aside for our wedding. Create a collaboration agreement or whatever you need to make it work. We’ll pay you both your full rates.”
“Full rates? As in, neither of us has to discount?”
“Money isn’t our concern,” Manny said with a wave of his hand. “Creating our dream wedding is. And we believe that requires both of you.”
Hudson cleared his throat. “This is... unexpected. But intriguing.”
I stared at him. “Intriguing?”
“Would you prefer I say no?” he asked.
“No, I just—” I stopped, realizing I didn’t actually want to say no either. “It’s unexpected, like you said.”
“We don’t need an answer tonight,” Lia assured us. “Take a few days to think about it. But we really hope you’ll say yes.”
After a few more minutes of discussion and effusive praise about the party, Lia and Manny excused themselves to return to their guests, leaving Hudson and me alone on the balcony.
I leaned against the railing, the cool night air brushing my flushed cheeks. “So. What just happened?”
Hudson moved to stand beside me, looking out at the lake. “What do you think?”
“I think I need another drink,” I said honestly.
“I think you’ve had plenty,” he countered, but his tone was gentle rather than judgmental.
“Probably.” I turned to face him. “Could we actually do this? Work together without killing each other?”
“We managed with this party.”
“This was two months. The wedding is a lot farther away and much more involved.”
“True.” He studied me for a moment. “But it’s a win for us both, isn’t it? The exposure from a wedding this high-profile would get you your bank loan for sure, and...”
“Your parents would be impressed,” I finished for him. “Especially with the Modern Wedding feature you have coming up.”
Something flashed across his face, but it was gone so quickly I thought I might have imagined it. Maybe I did have too many drinks.
“We should discuss this when you’re more... clear-headed,” he suggested.
“I’m perfectly clear-headed,” I protested, though the way the city lights were slightly blurring suggested otherwise. “I’ve had a few drinks. I’m not incapacitated.”
“How many is ‘a few’?”
I waved my hand. “I lost count. But I know my limits.”
“Clearly,” he said as I wobbled in my heels.
“Don’t get judgy, Gable. It’s a party. I’m celebrating.”
“What exactly are you celebrating? We haven’t agreed on anything yet.”
I raised my empty glass. “I’m celebrating not losing to you. And you didn’t lose to me. It’s a win-win, like you said.”
“Like I said.”
“It really is the best way to look at it. Now, I say we rejoin the party and continue this discussion tomorrow. When I’m ‘clear-headed’ enough for your standards.”
I pushed off the railing and immediately regretted it as the world tilted. Hudson’s hand shot out to steady me, his grip firm on my bare arm.