Falling for the Bridesmaid

by Sophie Pembroke

  ‘Not looking forward to it?’ he asked, already pretty sure of the answer.

  ‘Henry’s a family friend, and his mother made his fiancée make me one of her bridesmaids too, which she probably hates me for.’ Violet sighed. ‘I want to go for him, and Mum and Dad will be there, probably Daisy and Seb too... It’s just...’

  ‘You don’t want to face all the people. And the cameras.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  Tom considered. There was a chance Violet might never forgive him for what he was about to do. On the other hand, if he could convince her of the truth—that it was the act of a friend, that he honestly had no ulterior motive for this...maybe it could bring them closer.

  Maybe, one day, Violet would learn to trust him.

  He lifted the phone to his ear again.

  ‘Sherry, if it’s okay with you and Rick, I’m going to accompany Violet. As her date, not a reporter on this occasion!’

  ‘Well,’ Sherry said, sounding taken aback, ‘that sounds lovely. I’m sure we’ll all have a delightful day.’

  ‘Me too.’ Although, judging by the shocked glare on Violet’s face, only if he lived that long. ‘See you later, Sherry.’

  Silence reined in the motionless car for a long, long moment.

  Then Violet said, ‘You are never answering my phone again.’

  * * *

  What was he thinking? Well, actually, Violet was pretty sure she knew exactly what he was thinking—what a perfect way to further his career by sneaking into a society wedding under the guise of being her date. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t got used to being used for her name and family over the years, but this one really did take the biscuit.

  ‘I meant what I said,’ Tom told her, his expression deceptively earnest. ‘I’m not going to the wedding as a journalist.’

  ‘No, you said you were going as my date. Aren’t you supposed to ask a girl before declaring something a date?’ Because if he’d asked she could have said no. And she almost certainly would have. Probably.

  ‘Well, it was kind of a spur of the moment decision. Much like this road trip.’ He shot her a sideways glance she pretended not to see. ‘Is it such a bad idea?’

  ‘Yes!’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because...oh, so many reasons. Because you’re not my boyfriend; you’re the guy who’s here to research and write about me and my family. Because you’re always, always a reporter, no matter how much you pretend you’re taking a day off. Journalists don’t do off-duty.’

  ‘Okay, answer me this one question honestly.’ Violet stared out of the windscreen at the road as he talked. Because she needed to concentrate on driving, not because she was ignoring him. Really. Even if the car wasn’t moving. ‘Will the wedding be more or less fun with me there to keep you company?’

  Damn him. Violet bit the inside of her cheek to keep from answering. Even with Daisy and her parents there, it would be better with Tom. Because Daisy and Seb would be all loved-up again, and so would Mum and Dad probably, and everyone would start telling stories about their own weddings or engagements or romantic moments...and, for once, she wouldn’t have to sit there as sorry single Violet whose heart had been betrayed and broken by the only man she’d ever loved.

  ‘Violet? More or less fun?’ Tom pressed.

  ‘More.’ The word came out begrudgingly.

  ‘Great! Then it’s all settled.’ Tom beamed at her and Violet almost missed her chance to move forward two metres.

  Settled wasn’t the word she’d use at all. In fact, things felt more unsettled than ever to Violet.

  ‘So, how many times will you have been a bridesmaid this year, after this one?’ Tom asked.

  Violet tried to pretend her cheeks weren’t getting warm. ‘Three, including Mum and Dad’s renewal. And you know what they say...’

  ‘No idea, actually,’ Tom said cheerfully.

  ‘Three times the bridesmaid, never the bride,’ Violet quoted. ‘Of course, this is actually the sixteenth time I’ve been a bridesmaid, so I think we’re long past worrying about that.’ Not that that would stop everyone there thinking it, or whispering it behind her back, she was sure.

  Tom let out a low whistle. ‘Sixteen. That’s, wow. A lot.’

  ‘Yeah. Most of them were as kids—you know, family friends or people who just wanted cute, famous twin girls to walk down the aisle with them or to make sure Rick and Sherry were photographed at their wedding. You know how it goes.’

  ‘Yeah, I guess.’

  ‘I’ve only done it five or six times since I left university. Mostly for friends.’ Why was she still talking about this? He couldn’t possibly care.

  ‘Still, it’s a good job you look so great in bridesmaid dresses,’ Tom said with a grin.

  No pretending she wasn’t blushing this time. But thinking about bridesmaid dresses just made her remember the one she was wearing when she’d met him, and what had followed next.

  Still not her finest moment.

  ‘Did you check that traffic report?’ she asked, eager for a change of subject.

  Tom pulled out his own phone and jabbed at the screen for a while. ‘Okay, it looks like this carries on for the next couple of junctions. Then we should be clear.’

  Violet sighed. ‘So, after the gig it is. There’s no way we’ll make it before at this rate.’ They’d been cutting it close as it was. And by the time the gig was over she was going to be exhausted, even if things went well.

  ‘Want me to see if I can find us rooms at a hotel somewhere near the arena?’ Tom asked, as if he’d read her mind. It was kind of disconcerting.

  She bit her lip. Did she? It would mean a whole night away with Tom Buckley, plus the drive home tomorrow. He was bound to use that to his advantage, even if she was slightly reassured by his use of the plural ‘rooms’. But was that more dangerous than driving home exhausted? No. Of course it wasn’t.

  She sighed. ‘Yeah, I guess so.’

  They inched forward another few metres as Tom frowned at his phone screen. Eventually he gave a little cheer of triumph, and tucked his phone away again.

  ‘Got something?’

  ‘Nothing near the arena,’ Tom said, ‘but I got us two rooms right on the front, in some hotel with an old-fashioned name. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the ocean in Britain.’

  ‘It’s the sea here,’ Violet corrected him. ‘And the British seaside is an institution, I suppose. You should see it.’

  A broad smile split Tom’s face. ‘Great! Only thing I can’t figure out is why one of the rooms was half the price of the other.’

  Violet could guess. Not all of those old seaside hotels were in the best of repair these days. ‘Well, tell you what, you can take that room and find out. Okay?’

  Tom’s smile didn’t even fade an iota. ‘Whatever you say, boss.’

  Violet turned her attention back to the traffic ahead of her. She had a feeling it was going to be a very long night.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  THE CONCERT HAD to be well underway by the time Violet swung her little car into the car park nearest to the arena. Tom had exercised discretion as the better part of valour and avoided asking too many questions for the latter part of the journey, as Violet’s expression grew stony and set as the traffic worsened.

  He almost pitied Jake Collins, the mood she was in. But only almost.

  ‘You can definitely get us in there, yes?’ Violet asked, switching off the engine and lights. At high summer, the sun was still going down but it still felt late.

  ‘It’s done.’ Tom stretched his legs out of the door, feeling his back pop as he arched it. ‘There should be passes waiting for us at the door.’ He didn’t mention exactly how much favour currency he’d exchanged for that privilege.

  Violet stalked off in what he presumed was the direction of the arena and he hurried to catch her up, pausing only briefly to admire the look of her determined walk and her behind in tight blue jeans.

  As he’d promised, they were wave
d through backstage without any noticeable delays. From the amused look one of the security guards gave Violet, Tom had a feeling that she could probably have talked her way in there without him anyway. She had a very famous face, after all. Not to mention the rest of her.

  Violet paused for a moment in the empty corridor backstage as they approached the star dressing room. The sound of Olivia’s latest hit echoed around the hallways. Tom stood beside her as she leant against the cool painted wall.

  ‘You ready for this?’ he asked, his voice low, relying on his close proximity to ensure he was heard.

  ‘No.’ She gave him a wobbly smile. ‘But I’m going to do it anyway.’

  God, you had to admire that kind of spirit. That kind of grit. The woman he’d thought she was when they met wouldn’t have been afraid, and the one he’d come to know in his first days at Huntingdon Hall wouldn’t have dared. But this Violet—the woman he was beginning to think of as his Violet, without any justification—she was braver than either of those other women he’d thought he knew.

  She was magnificent.

  ‘I’ll be right here,’ Tom promised. ‘But you won’t need me.’

  Her smile firmed up a little at that, and something in his chest grew warmer. Was it his heart? It had been so long he could hardly tell.

  Slowly, Tom leant forward to press a kiss against her forehead, but she tilted her head up to look at him and then...well, it was only natural for him to place that kiss on her lips, right?

  ‘Yeah? Well, you tell them not to call me again until we’re talking about top billing, okay? My girl headlines or nothing at all.’

  The terse voice cut through what Tom thought was pretty much a perfect moment. Violet jerked back, putting unwelcome inches between them, and Tom bit back a growl of frustration.

  ‘Mr Collins,’ Violet said, in what Tom recognised as a dangerously sweet voice. Shaking off the kiss fog that had filled his brain, he tried to focus on what was happening in front of him. How much had the agent seen?

  Jake Collins blinked, then jabbed at the screen of his smartphone and slipped it into his pocket. ‘Miss Huntingdon-Cross. What a...surprise. And Mr Buckley, correct? Now, what can I do for you two lovebirds?’

  Damn. That answered the question of whether Jake had noticed them kissing. Violet’s cheeks grew a little pink and Tom cursed his lack of impulse control. Couldn’t he have waited to kiss the girl after she’d taken care of business?

  ‘I won’t take more than a moment of your time, Mr Collins,’ Violet continued smoothly, ignoring Jake’s amused look and raised eyebrows. Tom stayed a few steps away to the side, close enough to see everything, but not so close that Jake Collins would be able to turn things round and try to deal with him instead. This was Violet’s rodeo.

  ‘We’re actually in the middle of a pretty big gig here right now, in case you haven’t noticed.’ Jake’s gaze flicked over to Tom. ‘I realise you may have had other distractions to deal with.’

  Again, Violet ignored the innuendo, so Tom resisted the urge to land a punch on the manager’s face. Just.

  ‘Trust me, Mr Collins, I’m here on business,’ Violet said crisply. ‘Olivia hasn’t signed the revised rider yet. You may not be aware but the contract for her to appear at the Benefit Concert is void without the signed rider.’ Jake’s mouth twitched up at that. Of course he was aware. But Violet kept talking. ‘Since I couldn’t get hold of you by phone or email, I thought the simplest thing would be to come down here in person with the rider.’ She pulled a folder out of her bag and handed it over.

  Jake didn’t even open it. ‘Obviously you realise that Olivia needs to sign this? And she’s a little busy right now.’ As if to punctuate his statement, Olivia hit the high note of her latest single and the walls around them vibrated with the sound.

  ‘We can wait.’ Violet smiled patiently and Tom brought his hand to his mouth to hide his own grin.

  With a sigh, Jake flipped open the cover of the folder and glared at the paper inside. ‘This isn’t what I agreed with your sister.’

  ‘That is the standard rider that every other act appearing in the concert has signed, plus a couple of the more reasonable requests from Olivia’s original list,’ Violet said. ‘If it isn’t acceptable to you, or to Olivia, I need you to tell me now. We have just over a week until the concert and if I need to find a replacement I need to do it immediately. I’m sure you understand.’

  Tom glanced down at Violet’s hands, resting at her sides, and noticed they were trembling, just slightly. Jake wouldn’t have noticed, he was sure. No one who wasn’t looking, or who didn’t know Violet, would. She sounded completely in control of the moment, of the man even.

  Only Tom knew she was terrified.

  Had she been scared that night at the airport? He hadn’t known to look for the signs, then. Had just assumed that she was the cocky, self-assured celebrity kid he was expecting.

  Now he knew her better. And cared for her all the more for it.

  ‘You really think you could find an act of the same calibre as Olivia in a week?’ Jake shook his head and laughed.

  ‘It’s not the calibre I’d be worried about,’ Violet shot back. ‘The same level of fame may be a problem, but I could call a dozen better acts and have them on the stage in moments.’ Tom winced at the sting in her words.

  ‘Of course, the real problem would be the fans,’ Jake threw back. ‘Because, whatever you think of her talent, Olivia is the one they want to see. I’d like to see you fill that concert without her.’

  Violet nodded, her face solemn. ‘And I’m sure Olivia would hate to let down her fans. Which is why, if she’s not planning to appear, it would be best to know now. So I can put out an official statement apologising to her fans on Olivia’s behalf. I’m sure they’ll understand when I explain that we were unable to divert enough money from the charity account to satisfy her. Especially when that information comes in a paragraph after a detailed description of all the good causes that money is used to support.’ She looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘Maybe I’ll get Dad to put out the statement. After all, it’s his concert, and his charities. We could include a list of all the acts who waived their fee for the concert altogether for comparison. What do you think?’

  It was more or less the same threat Jake had made himself, but with more teeth. If Olivia pulled out now, Violet would eviscerate her reputation. Jake didn’t want a diva on his books—even if that was what he had. He needed Olivia to appear wholesome and loving and giving, so the kids’ mums would let their pre-teens buy her music.

  Jake Collins glared at Violet for a long moment before flicking his gaze over to Tom. With a ‘What can you do?’ smile, Tom shrugged.

  ‘Fine.’ Jake snapped the word out as he flicked the folder closed again. ‘I’ll get her to sign it tonight and courier it to you tomorrow.’

  ‘Perfect.’ Violet’s smile was sharp, with a hint of teeth. ‘And if it’s not with me by Monday, I’ll issue that press release.’ She held out a hand, which Jake took, obviously reluctantly. ‘I’m so glad we were able to clear this up. I hope the rest of the tour goes well.’

  Jake Collins turned on his heel and stalked away down the corridor without so much as a goodbye. Tom watched him go, aware Violet was doing the same. Then, once he’d disappeared around the corner, Tom let out a long breath.

  ‘You did it,’ he said.

  ‘I really, really did.’ Violet’s eyes were wide, her expression stunned. ‘I did it, all by myself.’

  Tom grinned. ‘So what now?’

  The shock faded from Violet’s face, replaced by elation. ‘Now we celebrate!’

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE HOTEL BAR was mostly deserted, but Violet managed to scare up a barman to fetch them some drinks, while Tom carried their bags in from the car and got them checked in. She was glad of the few minutes alone; it gave her a chance to process everything that had happened since they’d arrived in Brighton. And somehow the confrontation with Jake Co
llins was fading in her memory, compared to the brief, soft, mesmerising kiss she’d shared with Tom beforehand.

  But all too soon Tom was back and Violet found herself trying very hard not to stare at his mouth. Why had he kissed her? And was he planning on doing it again?

  And if he wasn’t, would she?

  ‘Here’s to beating that scumbag at his own game.’ Tom raised his pint to Violet’s glass of wine, and she dutifully chinked them together.

  ‘You don’t think I went too far?’ Violet asked. After all, it was one thing to stop Jake Collins from trying to ruin her concert, another to behave just as badly to get her own way.

  Tom shook his head. ‘Trust me, I’ve seen too far. That was just far enough. Your sister would be proud.’

  ‘Except we’re not going to tell her about this, right?’ Violet said. ‘And it’s definitely not going in your book.’

  ‘But it’s such a great story!’ Tom protested.

  ‘About me,’ Violet replied. ‘A story about me. And the book is supposed to be about the band, in case you’ve forgotten.’

  ‘And your family. Your dad has been very specific about that.’

  Violet rolled her eyes. ‘I have no idea why. Him and Mum, yeah, I get. People want to read about their epic romance. And okay, maybe a tiny section on Daisy marrying into the aristocracy, or looking at all the work Rose has done with the band. But what is there to write about me except a sex scandal I’d much rather no one ever mentioned again?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Tom said. ‘That’s what I’ve been trying to find out.’

  ‘By asking a thousand questions.’

  ‘That you don’t answer.’ Tom raised his eyebrows. ‘Why is that?’

  God, he was unstoppable. ‘I answered every question you asked me at lunch the other day. I told you everything you could possibly want to know.’

  ‘About one bad experience with a guy eight years ago, yeah,’ Tom said. ‘But what about who you are now? What’s happened in your life since? Your entire existence can’t revolve around one bad sex tape, Violet.’