Chocolate for Two (19 page)

I shook my head. “What type of food do they serve?”

They both laughed and exchanged a knowing look. “It’s not just a restaurant, my dear, it’s a
club
,” Mrs. McIntyre said.

“Oh, you mean like a country club?”

“Something like that,” Mrs. Worthington said.

I tried to nod knowingly, but I had no idea what she meant. The only time I’d ever been to a real “country club” was for other people’s weddings, McKenna’s included.
Oh, how I wish Mackie were here to help me navigate these awkward waters
.

How was it that I was the one who lived and worked in New York, but they were making
me
feel like a country bumpkin?

Mercifully the waiter appeared to take our order, which temporarily stopped the bleeding. I opted for the Belgian waffle, hoping a mound of sweet whipped cream might soothe my anxiety.

After he left, Mrs. McIntyre turned to me with a look of concern.

“Waverly, what happened to your engagement ring?”

I froze. How had she already noticed that? My hand was currently in my lap.

“Um…” I struggled to reply.

I wanted to tell the truth. I really, really did.

They both raised their eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

Tell the truth, Waverly!

You can do it!

“Um…it’s getting sized,” I said quietly.

Jake’s mom put her hands together. “Oh, thank goodness, you had me scared for a moment there.”

“Me too,” Mrs. Worthington said. “It’s never a good story when a woman stops wearing her ring
before
the wedding. After? Well that’s another story.” She laughed, and I wondered what
that meant. She wore an enormous ring on her left hand, but I couldn’t tell if it was a wedding ring or just a big chunk of gold.

I had no idea what to say next, so I took a huge sip of my water and forced a smile. “Would you excuse me for a moment? I just want to run to the ladies’ room.” I stood up and gently placed my napkin on my seat, hoping that was the proper etiquette.

On the way to the restroom, I pulled out my phone and sent Andie a quick text.

Wake up! I need you.

“I need to get out of here,” Andie whispered.

“You can’t leave me,” I whispered back.

“She’s exactly like my mom.”

“Really?”

“
Yes
. And if you hadn’t noticed, I’m finally living three thousand miles away from my mom, yet it’s like she’s right here with me.”

“How do you think
I
feel? Do you
see
what I’m wearing right now? I look like a swan.” I held my arms out.

Andie and I were huddled in an enormous dressing room at a place called Mark Ingram Atelier on Fifty-fifth and Park. An
atelier
, for God’s sake. I had no business being in an
atelier.
Jake’s mom and Mrs. Worthington were waiting for me to try on yet another ornate dress they’d selected. Each one seemed more elaborate (and expensive) than the one before, and further away from the simple design I’d imagined wearing. In my head I’d pictured something similar to a silky nightgown with spaghetti straps—only a bit more graceful.

These dresses were hardly that.

Epaulettes with bows.

Buttons wrapped in lace.

Embroidered butterflies.

Poufy hoopskirts covered in tulle and taffeta.

Miles of trains.

The entire store was like a Disney wardrobe chest, with everything probably sewn by tiny fairies.

“I should have brought a flask in my purse,” Andie said.

I laughed. “Shhh, they’ll hear you.”

She shrugged. “Maybe they need to. They suck.”

“Andie!” I whispered.

“What? I’m just speaking the truth. Who picks out wedding dresses without first asking the bride what
she
wants? It’s just rude.”

I sighed. “I know. But it’s Jake’s mom, and this is clearly important to her, so I’m sort of walking a tightrope here. And to be fair, she did ask. I just told her I’d be up for anything because I thought it would be easier that way.”

“And bringing along his ex-girlfriend’s mother? That’s crazy-inappropriate.”

I bit my lip. “I know, but they’re best friends. And Jake swears she harbors no hope of their getting back together. He really likes her, actually.”

She crossed her hands in front of her chest. “You’re a better person than I am. If I were you, I’d be giving someone a piece of my mind about now.”

“I just don’t want to rock the boat. In a few months she’s going to be my mother-in-law, and I really want to begin our relationship on the right foot.
You’re
the one who told me this wasn’t a business merger, remember?”

“I know, I know.” She nodded toward the dressing room door. “Let’s just get this over with so we can get out of here. I’m starving and cranky.”

“You’re still coming to the show tonight, right? And dinner?” I made a hopeful face.

She sighed. “Yes, yes, I’m still coming. But I need a snack soon, or I’m not going to make it.”

“You know how eternally grateful I am, right?”

“I know. You totally owe me for this.”

I nodded. “Big-time.”

I poked my head outside the dressing room. “Mrs. McIntyre?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Um, do you think we could get something to eat?”

She jumped up. “Of course! I’ll run out and get us some snacks. What would you like? Sandwiches? Cookies? Chips? Fruit? I’m happy to get anything you like.” Her eyes shone with enthusiasm.

I looked at Andie and raised my eyebrows. “You heard that? What do you want?”

“Food,” she said.

I laughed and looked back at Jake’s mom. “Anything will do, thanks so much.”

She reached for her purse. “I’ll be right back. Bee, you’ll hold down the fort here?”

Bee gave the thumbs-up sign. “Will do.”

Mrs. McIntyre trotted away. Just as I was about to shut the dressing room door, Bee stood up and walked over to me.

“Waverly, dear?”

“Yes?”

She smiled. “I just want you to know how much I appreciate how truly gracious you’ve been to me since we met. I know it must be awkward, given my daughter’s history with Jake.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but I was so stunned that what came out was…nothing.

She put her hand on my shoulder. “You’re a class act, and Jake is lucky to have you.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Mrs. Worthington.”

She winked. “Please,
please
, call me Bee. All my friends call me Bee. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pee out some of the coffee I’ve been drinking before it’s too late and I cause a scene.”

I laughed as she darted out of the room. When she was gone I shut the dressing room door and looked at Andie.

“You get what I’m dealing with here?”

She shrugged. “Okay, maybe I was wrong about her.”

“Which one?”

She shrugged again. “Both.”

Several fancy bridal boutiques, an expensive dinner, and one Broadway show later, I was finally alone in my apartment. I felt like I’d put in two full days at
Love, Wendy
, plus a couple at Waverly’s Honey Shop, maybe with a red-eye flight in between—all while feeling slightly on edge.

I was exhausted.

Thank God the day was over.

Jake’s mom and Bee were flying back to Florida early the next afternoon. They were meeting up with Bee’s friend for brunch the next morning, and then getting their nails done at some expensive salon I’d never heard of, so I was off the hook as hostess.

I opened the hamper and pulled off my dress, the only one I’d worn all day that cost less than a small car. I’d lost track of how many wedding gowns I’d tried on, but at some point in the late
afternoon Mrs. McIntyre and Bee had both squealed with delight at one of them. Andie and I both knew it wasn’t my style, but they were clearly thrilled, and it was pretty enough. I simply couldn’t face the idea of trying on another embroidered taffeta-lace-tulle powder-puff of a dress, so I decided to go with it. I didn’t even look at the price tag before Mrs. McIntyre rushed off to pay for it. To be honest, I was afraid to know.

I changed into a tank top and shorts, then shuffled into the bathroom. I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and could see the strain of the day on my face.

First the wedding venue.

Now the dress.

How had I let this happen?

I thought about what Jake’s dad had said at the engagement party.

I know Ava can be a bit much sometimes, but her heart is in the right place.

I closed my eyes and focused on that.

She means well, Waverly. You know she does.

There was no getting around it—she was now a part of my life. I wanted to impress her. I wanted her to like me. I wanted our relationship to be a good one, even if I wasn’t her first choice for her son, even though I would never be…Holly.

I just wished I knew how to make all that happen without letting her take over our lives.

I wanted to try to sort it all out in my mind, but exhaustion trumped thought, and I had barely finished brushing my teeth before I fell asleep.

Courtney came back Monday for a second interview. The plan was for her to go over the technical details of the job with Paige, then have a casual lunch with Tasha and Beth. I had morning meetings at NBC, but I dropped by the office in the afternoon to see how everything had gone.

I walked through the door with a hopeful expression on my face. “Well?”

Beth and Tasha were sitting at the conference room table, and Paige was in her office. When they saw me, all three of them dropped what they were doing and converged in the reception area.

“Love her,” Tasha said.

Beth nodded. “Me too. She’s just like you guys.”

Paige waddled over. “Just like what guys?”

Beth pointed to me and then to Paige. “
You
guys.”

I looked at her. “In what way?”

“I mean, she’s older, but you wouldn’t know it. She’s like the kind of person we could hang out with after work, you know?”

Paige and I looked at each other. “I will try to take that as a compliment,” I said with a laugh.

Tasha nodded. “Oh, it definitely is.”

“Plus she’s super smart. You can just tell,” Beth said.

Paige interlaced her fingers over her belly. “She was even more impressive today than when we first met her. She really knows her stuff. I could learn a few things from her.”

I was beyond relieved. “So I should offer her the job?”

“Yes!” Tasha and Beth said at the same time.

I looked at Paige. “Yes?”

She nodded and smiled. “Without question.”

I exhaled. “Great. I’ll call her tonight.”

A couple hours later my phone rang as I was leaving my apartment. I felt tempted to answer it, but I was about to go for a run, and I’d learned from experience that if I stalled my momentum before I’d even
started
my workout, there was a good chance it would never get going again. So I shut the door behind me, then trotted down the stairs and jogged toward the hill. Jake was coming over later, so as I passed by Grimaldi’s famous pizzeria, I decided we should have dinner there after I called Courtney. It was definitely an evening to celebrate.