Chapter 4 The Stealer of Apartments, Disturber of Peace & Ruiner of Relaxing Baths #3
“Then that something would be wrong. I don’t make that offer to just anyone I meet off the streets, you know. It’s a coveted honor.”
“Then I’ll gladly pass that honor to someone else.”
Bailey looked flabbergasted. “Ads. This is inexcusable behavior.”
Phoenix temporarily abandoned his stare-down with Addie and focused on his two potential new friends, holding out his hand. “And you are Bailey…?”
“Bailey Vicks.” Bailey’s cheeks pinked. “Addie’s former cousin bestie and business partner.”
The blond smiled, taking his hand next. “Maxine Whitlock … but everyone calls me Max—or Maxi. Addie’s sister and business partner.”
Phoenix caught sight of East and Nai returning, his sister’s face now red and splotchy with tear remnants running down her cheeks.
Protective Brother Mode Activated.
East caught his concerned gaze and mouthed a silent Help me, looking as if someone had kicked him between the legs.
“What’s up, Nai?” Phoenix took a small, hesitant step closer. “Everything okay?”
“No! Everything is not okay!” Like a flipped switch, his little sister went from soppy sadness to fired up and ready to throttle someone.
“If I ever get my hands on that low-life, money-swindling, no-good rat-bastard wedding planner, I’ll fit him with a pair of cement shoes and drop him in the deep end of the Hudson! ”
“That’s … very Godfather of you. And why have you suddenly taken an interest in the Mafia?”
Nai shot a helpless look to Easton, who held her hand tightly, giving her a supportive nod.
“Because evidently the man we hired to plan the biggest day of our lives is nothing but a con artist. Despite assuring me that he had everything handled, I called the hotel to double-check that they actually did have black tablecloths, and do you know what they told me?”
“That they didn’t?”
She scoffed. “I fucking wish! They had no idea what I was talking about because they only have one event scheduled for that night, and it isn’t our wedding!”
Phoenix blinked, confused. “I thought you booked the place months ago.”
East nodded grimly. “So did we … and the venue isn’t the only problem.”
Naiomi wiped her nose on the hem of Easton’s shirt. “Earlier today, I called Carter, sure he could clear up this misunderstanding, but he didn’t answer. So then I followed my gut and I called and left messages with everyone—the florist, the caterer. Everyone. And do you know what they told me?”
Phoenix was starting to get it. “They had no record of—”
“None … but it wasn’t until I called the bakery that I found out that they’ve had another client with the same problem. We were scammed. All those checks I wrote for Carter to give as deposits, and not a damn one went to those businesses. He pocketed all that money and now he’s missing in action.”
“Fuck.”
“I feel so stupid.” Naiomi groaned. “Why didn’t I question things more? When the advertisement said that they handle all of the little things, I should’ve known it was too good to be true.”
Easton hauled her in for a hug. “We’ll figure something out, babe. We’ll make sure you still get the wedding of your dreams.”
“With what money? We’ve been saving up for this for over a year and a half.
I know you’re my gorgeous rock star, but you’re not getting that kind of money yet, and I’m earning a teacher’s salary with a shit-ton of student loans thanks to the doctoral program.
We’re still living paycheck to paycheck.
Anything extra went to the wedding fund—which now has a big fat zero in it—and we’re getting married in a month! ”
“Babe, you know I don’t need a big wedding to marry you. Hell, we can do it down at the courthouse. All that matters is that I see my ring on your finger, and yours on mine.”
Naiomi stared up at East with hearts twinkling in her eyes as she rose onto her toes and kissed him. “That’s why I love you, East. But…”
“You’ve been planning this for a long time.” His friend nodded understandingly.
And he wasn’t wrong. Naiomi had been planning her wedding day since they’d been kids, putting all her ideas and her entire wish list into a pink-and-white scrapbook that she’d squirreled away beneath her bed. Once upon a time, he’d hid it, and she’d cried as if their dog Sandy had died.
“We’ll figure something out,” Phoenix heard himself say. “You’ll still get married in a month, and it’ll be the wedding of your dreams.”
His sister and best friend glanced his way, Easton giving him a what-the-fuck look.
“How are you going to make that happen?” Nai sniffled. “Even if we found vendors able to do something so last minute, they won’t be able to do it for free, or for what little we’d be able to pull together.”
Phoenix glanced left to see Addie deep in conversation with Bailey and Maxi. Bailey’s hands moved animatedly as they spoke and Maxi nodded emphatically. Only Addie looked apprehensive, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
“We can help you,” Bailey announced with a dramatic turn, instantly commandeering everyone’s attention.
“What?” Phoenix asked. “How?”
“We’re co-owners of Happily Ever Forever. Maxi runs the Happy Match portion of the company. I’m the marketing and PR brains, and Addie handles the Ever Forever events.”
Silence hung heavy in the air until …
“You have got to be fucking kidding me?” Naiomi squealed, the sound piercing Phoenix’s eardrums, and jumped excitedly in a very unlike-Nai way. “Tell me you’re fucking kidding me. You three are Happily Ever Forever?”
Addie shifted on her feet. “Yes…?”
Her hesitant answer put Phoenix on alert, but his sister, ignoring her new friend’s awkwardness, pulled his neighbor into a breath-stealing hug. “This is fucking kismet! I can’t believe it!”
“Uh, Nai?” Phoenix nudged his chin toward Addie’s look of discomfort. “Maybe let her breathe a second.”
“Oh. Sorry.” She pulled back but still smiled from ear to ear.
“Sorry, but I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that my brother’s building cr— Uh, that I’ve run into none other than the Adalyn Whitlock.
I’ve followed HEF’s event portfolio from your very first one.
You are rock stars in the world of happily ever afters! ”
Addie smiled. “That would be us.”
“Happily ever afters, huh?” Phoenix asked curiously. “And that means that you—”
“Are known to match people with their perfect soulmates,” Naiomi interjected with a look toward Maxi, then Addie. “And then design, plan, and pull off the most magical, spell-binding, and perfect vow-exchanging ceremonies. Your talents are seriously a gift from the gods.”
Addie coughed, seemingly choking on thin air. Bailey and Maxi patted her back from either side, both smiling.
“We are pretty damn good at what we do,” Bailey said with a smile. “So what do you say?”
Naiomi’s wide smile slowly dimmed. “You heard about the lack of money, right? We sank everything we had into a con artist. There’s no way I could afford to hire wedding rock stars like you, much less pay for the wedding itself.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Bailey waved off the concern. “We’ll use the event to add to our portfolio, and we have contacts and favors we can call in.”
“It does feel like this is a sign,” Nai agreed, tears in her eyes. “We needed a miracle, and then here you are, trying to avoid my brother at a meet-n-greet.”
All eyes turned toward his sparkly little redhead, who seemed a significant shade paler than she had been a few moments ago. Her gaze went from her sister to her cousin, and then bounced off him before landing on a hopeful Naiomi.
“Then I guess we should set up a meeting to see how we can help,” Addie suggested with a small, nervous smile. “How does tomorrow sound?”
“Yes!” Naiomi yanked the trio into a group hug. “Oh, wait. I have a meeting with my PhD advisor tomorrow, and I already rescheduled it twice. If I do it a third time, they probably won’t give me my degree out of spite. East?”
“Tomorrow?” East yanked out his phone and checked his schedule. “Tomorrow I’m volunteering at the youth music school.”
“How about I take the meeting instead?” Phoenix heard himself suggest.
Both Nai’s and Addie’s heads whipped toward him, the latter with a look of horror on her face, solidifying his impulsive plan.
“I’m sorry, what?” Addie asked.
“You’d do that for me?” Nai asked, getting teary.
“I happen to have some free time.” Phoenix smiled. “Besides, there isn’t a page of your wedding book that I didn’t read growing up. I know what you want for your wedding day better than what I’d want for mine.”
“Thank you so much, big brother.” Nai threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“This isn’t…” Addie stopped, thinking. “… I don’t usually plan vow exchanges without at least one person who’ll be exchanging the vows.”
“But you can, right?” Nai asked hopefully.
“Between the band and East’s music school start-up at the youth center and my job and school, our schedules are so chaotic right now and in no way match up.
I don’t know how I’ll be able to pull off regular meetings.
But Phoenix is right. He’s heard me talk about my wedding since I was six. ”
Addie looked poised to argue, but after small nudges from Maxi and Bailey, she smiled. “Sure. No. That’s fine. We’ll see what we can do and pivot if needed.”
“Great!” Phoenix clapped his hands, more than a little excited. “Expect me at your office bright and early. What time? Seven? Eight?”
Addie snorted. “Let’s aim for nine. I’m sure you’ll have a long night tonight partying with all your … fans.”
Easton slipped over to his side as Nai talked animatedly with Addie and the others. “Not that I don’t appreciate the assist, but I hope like hell you know what you’re doing, and you don’t end up screwed in the not-fun way.”
Screwed? Nah.
Phoenix actually felt like he’d just won the fucking Fated lottery.