Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Nessa
The Barr-Hopper wedding was in full swing, and all Nessa could think about was banging the minister.
“You’re a professional,” she castigated herself as Archie worked with his security team near the nefarious oleander, pointing to various stations. “Stop leading with your libido.”
In all of her imaginings about her career in weddings, she’d never prepared herself for possibly falling for the minister . In Nessa’s mind, all men of the cloth were old, with visible nose hair and ears twice the size of their Bibles. They were sweet and smart, with a measured, contemplative demeanor she found a bit unsettling, as if they knew she lived a naughty life and someday, she’d have to repent.
Raised Jewish and Catholic, with very little exposure to either structured religion, she thought of clergy with a vague sense of comfort that they existed, along with unease that she might not be right with whatever deity they represented.
Her libido never, ever had intruded into these thoughts.
Sure, she’d read Sierra Simone’s romance book, Priest . Like, who hadn’t? It came out during Nessa’s senior year of high school and anyone with a phone and a reading app could devour it.
Sleeping with Matt was nothing like what Father Tyler Bell did. Her body flushed at the memory of naked Matt under the sheets, his head between her legs, that magic tongue, and the only mercy called for between them was her begging for more.
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned...
“ — father?”
Nessa shot two inches off the ground, startled to find Kayla, one of the bridesmaids, looking expectantly at Nessa. Her blonde hair was a cascade of perfect Old Hollywood waves, brown eyes buried under mink lash extensions so thick, long, and curled they could double as a snow plow in a pinch.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Have you seen Emily’s father?”
A quick mental scan forced Nessa back to the present. “Um, over by the patio. Is everything okay?”
Kayla’s eyebrow twitched, one corner of her mouth turning up with a weird smirk. “Just need some pictures.” She looked over Nessa’s shoulder and shook her head. “And have you seen the minister? Wow. I wouldn’t mind dropping to my knees in prayer before that guy.”
Nessa just blinked. Kayla turned away and headed toward Mr. Barr.
Nessa’s fingernails left neat little half moons in her palms.
You’re a professional , she told herself. Don’t mix business with —
With what? Pleasure? She wasn’t in a relationship with Matt. He could screw Kayla all he wanted. Or even that other bridesmaid, Jenna, the one flirting with him yesterday.
He’d picked Nessa up at an animal rescue fundraiser, right? Getting hit on at the marriages he performed was probably par for the course.
Kayla made a beeline from Mr. Barr over to where Matt stood, on the sidelines, next to the offending oleander plant. She touched his elbow and Nessa tensed up.
Oh, he definitely got all the bridesmaid booty he could handle.
That’s all Nessa was. A conquest. A one-night stand. She'd bet he went to all these events and canvassed the place, picking a target, turning on the charm. Hot, but unassuming minister doing God’s work with his body, using workout videos to make people feel good about their bodies.
Doing the Lord’s work while pumping hard in bed.
How could she have been taken in by it all?
“I am a fool,” she groaned, a weight lifting in her chest. She was one of many. The guy might be phenomenal in bed, focused on health and fitness in an admirable way, great at small talk and putting people at ease, but that didn’t make him… perfect, did it?
Oh, no.
Matt wasn’t a stalker. Wasn’t anything more than a dude who liked to live it up. Sure, he was fantastic at weddings. Good looking, Harvard grad school graduate, a pleasant, charming ministerial addition to special wedding days – he was the perfect clergy for your perfect day.
The full package.
And he had a full package, too.
Nessa couldn’t do this. She had to fight it. He wasn’t her type.
Okay, so he was. Totally her type. But now was not the time for entanglements. That one-night stand needed to remain a one-night stand. Nothing more.
The organist began with an instrumental, the first notes Nessa’s warning that she had five minutes before the ceremony began. Ranney was in the back with the bride, and as Kayla stepped away from Matt, her smartphone in hand, she winked at him.
He just glanced toward the groom, who looked suitably nervous.
Archie caught her eye and gave her a nod, and soon, she went into autopilot. No sick dog. Mrs. Barr’s broken ankle was immobilized. The groom hadn’t been caught in the backseat of his BMW banging the maid of honor (Marquelle-Doran wedding), the father of the bride wasn’t drunk and puking into the altar fountain while screaming obscenities at the stepfather (Harris-Quintana wedding), and so far, a piece of jet fuselage hadn’t fallen from the sky and destroyed the dance floor (Ng-Mouri wedding).
All was well. So far.
Maybe.
The wedding processional began, guests rising, the groom watching the end of the aisle like a hawk, and suddenly, a wave of emotion bowled Nessa over. It happened every time, every wedding, and she asked Katie once:
“Does that ever go away? Do you just get so used to weddings that it stops happening? Like working in an ice cream shop and eventually you hate ice cream?”
Katie’s answer was so simple and pure:
“No.”
Emily was stunning, smiling broadly and centered, eyes on Jake or her dad as she walked toward her future. Matt stood next to Jake, beaming at the bride, but his eyes cut over to Nessa for just long enough to make the wave of happiness turn up a notch, into a fiery, electromagnetic burst.
Then he looked away, smile deepening, his whole being exuding pure love aimed at the happy couple.
Archie said something in the earpiece, a message meant for someone else, the sound tearing her out of the moment as Matt began the ceremony. The opening words were traditional and simple, but then he said the words “love at first sight,” and Nessa nearly turned off the earpiece.
“Emily and Jake are fortunate to have found love in the blink of an eye,” he said as she struggled to do her job, scan the wedding, pick up on irregularities and stop them before they became obstacles.
But... nothing was out of order.
Not one single guest.
Not a stray flower.
Nothing was going wrong.
“Not everyone believes in love at first sight, but Jake and Emily know it to be real. I confess,” he said with a chuckle the audience mirrored, nervous faces turning happy, “I believe in it, too.”
When his gaze caught Nessa’s for another quick glance, she nearly burst into flame.
“Love that pure is real. It’s enduring. It lasts across time and space, because I believe soulmates exist. I truly do. Jake and Emily are proof of that. Finding yours is God’s greatest gift. Now, most people would say that children are His greatest gift to mankind.”
A mother wrangling a whiny toddler in the fourth row made a snorting sound.
“Children are a blessing, indeed. Emily and Jake told me before the wedding that they hope to have a family. Their children will be an outgrowth of the connection between these two souls. Love takes many forms, and...”
Nessa forced herself to look away, pretending to pick imaginary lint off her navy blue dress as his words washed over her. She turned and went into the kitchen, heart thumping.
Two young women from the catering staff stood watching at the window, ready for cocktail hour to begin as soon as the ceremony ended. They wore white tuxedo shirts with French blue ties, and they looked utterly starstruck.
"Did you hear that?" one of them whispered. "He believes in love at first sight."
"I hope he gets his first sight of me," her friend giggled.
That kitchen window, as it turned out, was an excellent place to keep an eye on the proceedings in the courtyard beyond, a kind of scenic wedding overlook. An hour later, when the dinner was being served to the seated guests, she was still standing there, only half watching as the steaming plates of bouillabaisse were set down, the wine glasses were filled with crisp Sancerre, and laughter floated across the space. It was a good party.
"I've been looking for you," Matt said at her shoulder, and she jumped. Still in his ministerial stole, he looked official. Mature. Deep and intense, as if he carried a spirit with him that judged Nessa.
"If you're not a real minister, that was a very good imitation," she told him, though she smiled. "The black robe was very impressive."
"Oh, I'm the real deal," he smiled. "The robe is an individual choice in our church, but I think people like it for ceremonies. If you'd opened my closet, you'd have seen a few in there."
"That would have avoided some confusion, for sure. Or maybe not–God's Gift?"
The dimples appeared. "I can explain that."
"Do you really believe in love at first sight?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them, but they couldn't be unsaid. There was a brief silence.
"I do. Maybe not in a definitive, no-questions-asked kind of way, but I believe in an instant sense of… belonging, or recognition. Something more than just physical attraction. It's hard to talk about seriously because it's such a romantic trope. What I do believe in is having a soulmate. I believe mine is out there somewhere. She could be right around the corner, right now."
"Oh." This was not a conversation she'd ever had with a man before, and she was finding it hard to get her breath, much less think of something intelligent to contribute. "Do you think everyone has one–a soulmate?"
"I'm not sure about that," he answered slowly. "I think there are a lot of people who never look, for a lot of different reasons. But some people find it. I've seen it."
"For yourself?"
"No. But my parents have it, so I grew up with it. And Marcus found it."
"Marcus? Your..?"
"Yep. My roommate." His smile spread into a grin. "He met Lily on a plane, believe it or not. She's a lawyer, litigation. Their careers are nothing alike, but they support each other one hundred percent. You'll have to meet them–you'll love them."
At that, she froze. "Not likely. Listen, I should circulate, I've been standing in this one place for too long–"
"Why is that not likely? They get to Boston every once in a while. We can all have dinner–"
"I don't think so."
"Why not? Is it because I'm a minister?"
"No!"
"The videos, then?"
"No. But it would be unprofessional. We have a rule about not dating clients."
"Well, that's not a problem, then. I'm not a client."
"You're… client adjacent."
"Nessa." Those eyes pulled her in, warm and blue, framed by thick eyebrows and a look that made her feel seen. Really seen.
A look that made her feel like she belonged with him.
“Nessa,” he began again. “I normally don’t push like this, but I feel a connection to you I haven’t felt with anyone before. And I hear you saying no, but at the same time, I feel you saying yes. I’m all about consent, so if you want me to leave you alone, I will. I absolutely will. Just say no again.”
That’s it. That was all she had to do. Make these feelings go away, end this strange ambiguity in her.
Just say no .
Ranney waved from across the courtyard, pointing toward a cluster of tables. Her phone buzzed.
"I - I have to work. I'll–maybe I'll see you later."
Walking away quickly, she headed down a hallway that she remembered led to a bathroom. She checked her phone to read the message from her mom:
Centerpieces are perfect. Your idea is outstanding.
Five minutes locked in there alone would allow her to get her composure back and carry on. Turning on the tap, she ran cold water over her wrists and stared at herself in the mirror.
She looked nothing like the girlfriend of a minister, right? Those girls wore tiny stud earrings and no makeup. They were sweet to everyone, no exceptions, all the time. They drank ginger ale, not Tito's and soda. Wait–did ministers even have girlfriends? Maybe they skipped that and went straight to wives. The whole idea was ridiculous. Liv was right. One-night stands were always a mistake.
Right?
God's gift, indeed. Lifting a guest towel from the stack, she dried her hands, then pulled the door open. No one in the hall. The coast was clear.
Peeking back into the kitchen, she saw that waitstaff was preparing to bring out dessert; big serving bowls of chocolate mousse sat on the island, along with smaller bowls of whipped cream. It would be served family style, as the French do, of course. Matt was no longer in the room, but Lesley and her assistant were sitting at the table, eating their dinner.
"Join us!" Lesley called, waving her in.
"I'll be right back. I just want to check the front entry. Some people will probably leave when dinner's over."
The house was deserted, although the band could be heard faintly, even from inside. Making her rounds quickly, she determined that all was well and started back, thinking of the bouillabaisse she would be eating soon. Not that she was hungry.
"Nessa."
"Oh my God , will you stop doing that?" One hand went over her pounding heart as she swung around to find him behind her.
"Sorry. I'm heading out and I just wanted to say, could we start over? Not that I want to forget what's already happened, because I don't. It's all I can think about. You’re all I can think about. I haven’t done that before.”
“There is no way you were a virgin that night.”
“Hah. No. I’ve done that before. I mean a one-night stand.”
Kayla shot through her thoughts.
“I’m sure you get all the bridesmaid booty you want.”
“Bridesmaid what ?”
“Hot guy like you, with this sincere minister thing going on? Love at first sight and soulmates? You collect plenty of phone numbers.”
“That’s definitely not who I am. Have I given you a reason to think that?”
“No,” she had to admit. “But I barely know you.”
“Let’s fix that, then. Let me take you out to a proper dinner. Get to know you a little better before I make you a second cup of coffee."
How could she not smile at that? But given the circumstances, how could she say yes? But on the other hand (yes, that made three), how could she say no?
As it turned out, she didn't have to say anything at all, because suddenly he was kissing her and she was kissing him back. Open mouthed, full contact, knowing each other's bodies well enough to feel free and familiar but not so well that the electricity was less.
In the open front hall of a client's home, during an event that she was responsible for. With the minister. She had now completely lost her mind.
But right at this moment, she just… didn't care.
Then a door clicked shut somewhere nearby and they jumped apart, which was when she realized that getting caught here would have professional consequences for him, too. As for her, the very last thing she wanted was to be the butt of some future joke told at a Wedding Protectors staff meeting.
Remember Nessa? She had so much promise, what a bright future, but then she got caught making out with the minister and we had to let her go.
Wonder what she's doing now?
Forcing her hands to his chest, she pushed gently. Matt stepped back instantly, then looked around.
“I can’t be caught kissing the minister at work. Do you have any idea what this could mean if any Wedding Protectors staff saw us?”
“I’m sorry.” But he didn’t look sorry. Not one bit. He looked pretty damn happy.
“Matt!” A high-pitched woman’s voice called his name, though they both looked around frantically to find the source. Suddenly, Kayla rounded a corner, halting at the sight of Nessa, her face turning catty and brutal. “Oh. You.” She gave Nessa a dismissive smile, then turned to Matt. “I wanted to talk about getting coffee on Tuesday. Did we say nine, or ten?”
Her eyes cut to Nessa.
Not Matt.
Nessa.
“Bye,” Nessa said to Matt, nodding toward Kayla. “I have work to do.”
And she sure did.
Mostly on herself.