Chapter 62
Maddie
“Do you like these?” I held up the color samples in my hand. Sophie grabbed them from me and ran her fingers across the mango and cream silk squares.
“Yeah, but it’s kinda bland. Maybe use this one.” She leaned forward and lifted a powder blue sample. “Try this one. It looks really pretty together.”
I smiled, took them from her hands, and placed them in my pretend wedding planning book.
Sophie was helping me plan my imaginary dream wedding, but in the process, I was actually noting everything she liked and planning hers.
I pretty much had all the details down, from flowers to the menu and now the colors.
It was amazing how easy it was to pull the details from her by simply pretending to plan my own.
She thought I was a little crazy, but she was my best friend and loved me. So if I wanted her to help plan a fictitious wedding she would do it, no questions asked.
“So does Carlos know you’re already planning your wedding? Sophie grinned at me.
I playfully rolled my eyes. “No, but it doesn’t matter. Men don’t need to know all the details, they just need to show up the day of.”
“You are too much.” Sophie laughed at me then leaned against the base of the sofa. Her hands moved across her small belly, causing her to smile. She loved that baby already; it was all over her face.
“Hey, he basically asked me to marry him anyway.” I shrugged and Sophie tilted her head to the side and peered at me.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Stay with me long enough to get out the game basically translates to Maddie, marry me.”
“Oh my God, you’re turning into one of those crazy women,” Sophie said through a laugh.
“So what? You have to speak things into existence.”
“You’re doing a little more than speaking it into existence.” Sophie nodded at the pile of samples that surrounded me where I sat cross-legged in the center of Trooper’s living room.
“Speak, plan, it’s kinda the same thing.”
“Well, you’ve planned the perfect wedding. It’s going to be amazing and I can’t wait to see it all play out.”
I nodded and smiled, trying to keep my cool.
Little did she know, she would be seeing it play out in two days.
Picking a color scheme was the last step.
Now that I had it, I was heading straight to the wedding planner Trooper had allowed me to hire, who promised to have it all pulled together in forty-eight hours or less.
It was amazing what money could do and Trooper had basically given me no limits.
He simply said, get it done no matter what it cost.
“Well, you’ll be right there beside me when it does,” I said calmly before collecting my samples.
After I had everything back in my bag, I stood and tossed it on the sofa before extending my hands to Sophie to help her up.
“I’d better be, because as far as I know, I’m your best and only friend.”
“Sheesh, just make my life seem pathetic.” I rolled my eyes and Sophie laughed.
“Don’t look at it like that. It’s a good thing. Our circle is small but mighty. I’m all you need, boo.”
“True, but you still made me sound pathetic as hell.”
Sophie threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. “You sort of are, but I’m pathetic too, so we can be pathetic together.”
“Don’t try to clean it up.”
Sophie laughed and hugged me tighter. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“No. I actually have somewhere to be in like forty-five minutes, so I have to go.”
I prayed she just rolled with it and didn’t start playing twenty questions with me.
“Maddie, no. Trooper will be gone all day. I’m bored.”
“Oh, so you don’t really want my company, you’re just bored.”
Sophie grinned like a child. “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”
Pointing my finger at her, I lifted my bag and pulled it up over my shoulder. “Liar, but I really can’t stay. I can come back later though, if you want.”
“Fine, but bring something sweet. Oh, go by Underwest and get donuts.”
“Seriously?” I asked with an exasperated sigh. She had been inhaling those things lately.
“Yes, seriously. You’re bailing on me, so bring me donuts as an apology.”
“Okay, deal, but don’t blame me when you gain like a hundred pounds during this pregnancy.”
Sophie laughed as she walked me to the door. “I will absolutely blame you and you’ll let me. That’s what best friends are for.”
“You’re pushing it, but I’m in a hurry, so I’ll give you that. Call in your order and I’ll pick it up on my way back.”
“See, I knew you loved me.”
“Whatever. Bye, boo. I’ll see you in a few hours.” I kissed her on the cheek before leaving. Hopefully things went as planned.
“So do you think you can make it work?” I sat on one side of the table while Lucy Cho sat across from me. She was a flawless, beautiful woman . She just looked like money, in a natural way.
Her thick curly hair was pinned back from her face, showcasing her peanut butter complexion. She was the perfect blend of both of her heritages, mixed with Black and Asian—thin lips and slanted eyes on an almond shaped face with a cute button nose centered on her face.
She always looked so serious, which I attributed to always being about her business. The main reason I’d chosen her, aside from her promising to get the job done and make it the most beautiful wedding ever.
“I can definitely make it work,” she said as she flipped through the pages of the wedding book sitting in front of her.
“In two days?” I questioned.
She glanced at me as if I had somehow offended her. “Sweetheart, I assure you I can get it done. I have everything I need. The day of, I’ll need access to the apartment four hours prior and my people will handle everything.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Trooper was putting all of this in my hands and I wanted to make it work. It was my best friend’s surprise wedding. Not only was I keeping a huge secret from her, I needed this to be perfect. Hearing a guarantee made me feel relieved.
“Great. I’ll let Mr. Carter know.”
“Wonderful. I’ll be in touch if I have any questions, but looks like I have everything I need.”
For the first time since I’d met her, she actually smiled. I pushed my chair back and stood and she did the same. She moved my way and extended a hand, which I shook, then she led the way out of the conference room to the lobby where we said our goodbyes and I left.
I immediately called Trooper to let him know everything was a go.
“What up, Maddie?”
“You owe me big time is what’s up,” I said with a grin as I unlocked my doors and pulled the handle to get in.
With a slight chuckle, he responded, “Word, well you can get that as long as you’re calling to tell me you got everything handled.”
“I am and I do. In less than forty-eight hours, you will be watching my bestie walk down a mock aisle to say I do. Well, maybe, if she says yes.” I smirked. His plan was to ask her to marry him, and when she said yes, he’d tell her it was happening right then.
“Shit, I ain’t worried about that. She’ll say yes. As soon as she sees that expensive ass diamond you made me buy, she better.”
“I didn’t make you buy anything. I just offered suggestions.”
“What the fuck ever. If I recall, it was Trooper, you have to get this one. It’s perfect and exactly what she wants.”
I burst out laughing. remembering the conversation.
“Maybe, but you’ll thank me later.”
“We’ll see, but I appreciate you doing all this. I’m nervous as fuck though.”
“Big bad Trooper is nervous?” I teased.
“Hell yeah, man. You know how she is. I damn near had to threaten her to move in. She might tell my ass no, then I’m gon’ have to hold her hostage until she agrees. If she already lives with me, that’s not really kidnapping, is it?”
“Yes, actually it is if you hold her against her will.”
“Damn. Oh well, she better say yes then.”
“She will, but I have to go. Your future wife wants Underwest.” I rolled my eyes just thinking about it and he laughed.
“Damn, she still on that?”
“Yes, and I’m so over it, but I love her, so I’m going.”
“Ay, what my baby wants she gets. I have to go but I appreciate you, Maddie. Real shit.”
“You’re welcome, and I’m banking this favor, just so you know.”
“Aight, bet.”
I ended the call and headed to Underwest. I planned on chilling with Sophie until Trooper got home, then hopefully going home to climb into bed with Carlos. He’d left before I was up to handle business, so I was hoping it would be an early night for him.