Chapter 11 Several Layers
SEVERAL LAYERS
“Ididn’t know you were coming today.”
Meredith tried to hide her exasperation over Clay’s statement.
“I said it in my email to you and your mother. You said email was better than texts.”
He stared at her and went back to stocking the bar for the wedding that would happen in four hours.
This was one of those affairs where the customers had rented the barn and were bringing in their own caterers, but would pay for the bar.
She’d talked to the bride a few times this week to see if there was anything she could do and if she could be on site for the wedding for assistance.
The bride was thrilled to have her, but she’d stay out of the way and not confuse the issue. To her, she wanted to see how it was all handled and take a few pictures.
“Your texts are almost like emails,” he said. “A text should be a brief summary of information, not a damn book.”
Her lips scrunched, she bit her tongue, then sucked in air through her nose. It’s not as if she hadn’t been told that in the past.
“Did you read my email?”
“Nope,” he said. “If you’re sending it to me and my mother, then that means she is reading it too.”
She moved in closer to the bar. She’d thought after she’d gotten drunk in front of him and he’d taken care of her, that he’d be a little nicer.
Instead, he was almost more of a jerk.
“Then why put you on it?”
“Because I’m your boss,” he said, then dropped his head back to what he was doing.
She had to remember that.
Not that she could forget it with the way she was dreaming of him nonstop.
That maybe when she was passed out on his couch, he’d been looking at her in wonder. A tender smile on his lips. A longing in his eyes.
What was wrong with her?
Clay would do none of those things!
She’d never been attracted to the “rough around the edges” type in appearance.
And sure the hell not someone who barely looked at her when she talked.
She liked a guy that smiled and she wasn’t sure Clay Ridgeway had done anything more than smirk at her with a sarcastic word.
“Fine,” she said. “Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed or do you just not like happy ever after?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Happy ever after doesn’t exist.”
She burst out laughing. “You’re joking, right? You hold weddings here. And even if you didn’t, your parents have been married for years. Don’t tell me they aren’t happy.”
She’d never seen Clay’s parents arguing when she’d been here as a kid. And she was here a lot.
Maybe Callum wasn’t sweet and tender, touching his wife and pulling her in for a hug. Not like her father was with her mother.
But Clay’s father was always helping. Getting things for his wife, asking her opinion, the two of them talking about the serious issues in life, not about what movie to watch that night.
She was smart enough to know there were several layers to happy ever after. Fun and games, candlelight dinners, and big diamond rings weren’t the only route to take.
Maybe her parents showed her that in life and she wanted it, but she’d learned that men like that didn’t work out. At least with her.
There was something to be said about stability and a man that you could count on. One that was going to catch you when you fall.
Like Clay had been doing to her since she was a kid.
Or caring for you when you weren’t at your best.
Like Clay did to her the other week.
Maybe she was looking at relationships all wrong.
But why the hell was she thinking of a relationship and Clay in the same thought when he not only couldn’t read her messages, but didn’t want to look at her?
Did she have a booger sticking out of her nose?
Gum in her hair?
Dirt on her face?
“My mother is a happy person, I guess. She’s no nonsense.”
“So,” she said. “Nothing wrong with that. Your father is too. Doesn’t he smile?”
Clay laughed. The first time she’d seen him laugh.
Oh crap.
She was in trouble.
His eyes crinkled at the corner, his skin wrinkling like a man who spent a lot of his life outdoors in the sun.
His lips that were always firm and in place, spread, showing his straight white teeth.
“I don’t think of my father smiling,” he said.
She pointed her finger. “You’ve got a dimple.”
His smile dropped quickly. “Forget you saw that.”
“Nope,” she said. “I can’t.” That would just be added to her dreams now.
“So, what are you doing here today? Just observing?”
“If you read my email, you’d know that. Yes.
I talked to the bride and she liked the idea of me being here though I’ll be out of the way.
I want to take some pictures, which I’ll do now.
Then when those she hired get here too. I want to have references of how things can get done if people just rent the barn and not our services. ”
He nodded. “That’s good.”
“I know what I’m doing,” she said.
“I never said otherwise.”
“Even though you don’t know what I’m going to do?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.
He stared her down again, then shrugged.
“Are you wearing that or do you want a shirt?”
She looked down at her jeans and sneakers. She had a yellow cotton shirt on. Why would he think she’d wear this for someone’s wedding?
“I’m going to change before they get here,” she said. “What shirt did you think I’d wear?”
“A Ridgeway one like mine,” he said. He had a red shirt on with his logo in the corner.
“Are you working the bar today?”
“Yes,” he said. “Me and my father. He likes doing it.”
“But you don’t?”
Clay shrugged. “I don’t mind it.”
“You hate talking to people.”
He snorted. “There isn’t much to talk about. They want a drink and I give it to them. Or they talk about the hard cider. I don’t mind those things. Not even sports.”
“You just don’t want to talk about what color napkin to have with linens?”
“God, no,” he said.
She heaved out a breath. “I’m putting a dress on.”
“Not heels, right?”
The horrified look on his face had her stomping to the bar and baring her teeth. “I won’t trip.”
“You better not,” he said.
He squinted his eyes. Not mean this time. Almost light. “Are you picking on me?”
His lips twitched just a smidge. As if he was fighting not to laugh.
Could he actually be flirting with her again?
Nah.
He didn’t answer her, but shrugged. “Most of the setup is done,” he said. “My mother will be here soon to talk to the caterers.”
“I know,” she said. “I talked to Brooke last night. She’s going to show me what she does so I know the next time. My understanding is you’re paying me so she can phase out of this.”
“Yes,” he said. “She needs a break. She works too hard. All this is for my parents to cut back, not that they have much, but with Reenie I’ve seen a bit.”
“You know, you’re not as hard as you want everyone to think you are,” she said.
“Don’t bet on it.”
She’d said that to him before and he replied just the same. So much for him warming up.
She walked away from him.
This was the first time she’d seen him since she’d made a fool of herself drinking his cider too fast. Maybe she thought he’d be nicer, but instead he was almost more dismissive of her.
She didn’t know why she was trying to figure him out and told herself to not put the effort in.
She was here to do a job, not make friends with her boss.
When she was finished with the pictures, the caterers pulled up. She showed them the kitchen, answered as many questions as she could. She had to get Clay for a few things and he went to get his mother.
It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know where things were located. Shouldn’t he know that?
Brooke came rushing in. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the time.”
“No worries,” she said. “I should have been more prepared for them.”
“We’re early,” the guy said, as he was unloading trays of food from his van. “We wanted to get the buffet table set. Does anyone know where the bride wants it?”
“I do,” Meredith said. She was proud to have that information because she thought enough to ask those things.
She and Clay set the table up. More like he did it and yelled at her to get out of the way so she didn’t drop it on her foot.
“Anything else you need me to do?” he asked.
“Go take some friendly pills,” she said, crossing her arms. “You’re going to scare people away and they won’t want to come back.”
He rolled his eyes, shook his head, and moved back to the bar.
“Just ignore my son,” Brooke said. “He gets like this before each event. He’s always nervous it won’t succeed the way he wants. He’s got so much invested in this now.” Brooke lowered her voice. “He’s always been so hard on himself proving he could do it.”
It gave her another insight to the man.
“We are all like that,” she said.
Brooke turned her head to see Clay behind the bar. “Not like Clay. He wants to do things his way.”
She snorted. “So I’m learning.”
Brooke rubbed her arm. “Don’t take his moodiness to heart. He’s always struggled to express himself. Just like his father. Probably why the two of them butted heads so much. But under his gruff demeanor is a heart of gold.”
“I’m sure he has one,” she said.
“And you don’t want to talk about it,” Brooke said. “I know. I just remember the little girl who got her feelings hurt when someone picked on you. You’ve grown though.”
“I like to think I’m stronger. I can give it back just fine.”
She was doing a good job of it to Clay so far in her mind.
“Good for you. My son needs someone to be that way with him. He’ll respect you more for it.”
She wasn’t so sure of that.
“Why don’t you tell me everything you’d normally do. You’re not staying for the entire day, are you?”
“Goodness, no,” Brooke said. “Not for a wedding like this. And Clay will be here.”
“Does he always work a wedding or event?”
“He mans the bar most times. Callum helps. My other sons too if they can. I think Ash will be here. Blaze rarely is, he’s just too busy at the hospital.”
She knew from Gale the careers of all of the Ridgeway men now. Ash was a fireman, Blaze an ER doctor.
“It’s great they help each other out.”
“We tried to instill that value into our children.”
Slowly more people showed up to check on the venue and make sure everything was in place. The tables and decorations were set up the night before. It was going to be a quaint and cozy wedding of around fifty people.
A good one to get her feet wet.
“Have you thought of having a place for the bride and groom to get ready on the property?”
“It’d be nice, but there isn’t any place close by. Not unless we rehabbed the upstairs,” Brooke said. “Even then it’s just a small area with the stairs going into a room off the kitchen.”
“Just a thought,” she said.
“Most are brought here by limo and then enter the front or back door.”
Screens were set up to block the bride from view so she could stand behind them and not be seen until it was her time to walk down.
She moved over to them now and watched as the florist put up the flowers as directed. She had it all down on paper to ensure it was done properly.
The time flew by without her realizing. She moved so much that she was covered in sweat.
Dang it, the last thing she wanted to do was put a dress on over a sweaty body!
“When are you going to change?” Clay said. “The guests will probably be here in thirty minutes.”
“I should. I need to sit and cool off. I didn’t think I’d get this hot and I don’t want to stink. I’ll wash up in the bathroom.”
“No,” he said. “Go to my place and shower.”
“What?” she squeaked out.
“It’s not as if you haven’t been there before.” He pulled his phone out. “I’m going to unlock the door now. Just go down and clean up and change. It’s not a big deal.”
“You want me in your house without you using your bathroom?”
“I want you to not look like a sweaty mess in front of clients,” he said, smirking. “Or be standing in the bathroom like a homeless person giving yourself a whore’s bath.”
Her mouth opened wide. “If I wasn’t so rushed and thinking the same as you, I’d be insulted.”
“No reason to be insulted if it’s what you wanted anyway.”
“Your delivery could have been better,” she said.
“This is as good as it gets,” he said. “Go. There isn’t much time and I know you’ll be mad if you miss something.”
If she didn’t agree with him, she’d be annoyed, but Meredith was relieved that she could clean up and that he was nice enough to offer it.
No, he wasn’t nice about it. But it was considerate.
Or maybe it was as Brooke said. He wanted nothing to fail and his wedding planner looking like she was half-assing things wouldn’t help any.