by Claire Adams
When we arrived, we were the only two customers in the store. I supposed not many people were looking for tuxes on a random Tuesday afternoon.
“Welcome, welcome,” said a gentleman with a strong Italian accent. “I’m Nico, the owner of this establishment. How can I help you lovely couple today?”
“We’re not a couple,” Sienna said, shaking Nico’s hand. “I’m his best man.”
Nico furrowed his thick, unruly eyebrows. “You’re the best man?”
Sienna bumped me in the arm. “See? I’m not the only one who thinks it's weird.”
“All right, all right, I get it.” I shook hands with Nico. “I’m getting married in two months, and I need a tux.”
Nico nodded. “We have a selection of tuxedos to be rented in the basement.”
“I’m not looking for one to rent,” I clarified. I had enough money to afford to have one fitted to my body and one that someone else hadn’t worn.
“Very well, sir,” Nico said. “Let’s find out your measurements and then we can discuss customization.”
At the far end of the store, there was a raised platform in front of a full-length mirror. Sienna leaned against one of the nearby racks.
“My dear,” Nico said. “Let me get you a chair.”
“I’m fine,” she said, waving her hand. “We’ve been sitting for a while. I’ll let you know if I need to sit down.”
He looked at her as if he was trying to figure out if she was being polite or testing him. But he didn’t press the issue.
Nico got very familiar with my body while taking measurements. Sienna made several faces when Nico measured my inseam. It was the only time men didn’t fuss over someone getting intimate with their crotch. There was a man-code for a suit and tux fittings that we all had to suck up and deal with.
Nico brought me a sample to try on to get the correct length and fit for the pieces. Since Sienna was there, Nico suggested I go into the dressing room to try them on. He didn’t know that Sienna wouldn’t care about seeing me in my underwear, but after his reaction to having a girl as a best man, I decided to placate him.
Nico truly had an eye for this. The jacket, shirt, and pants fit almost perfectly.
I came out into the main space, and Nico was nowhere to be found.
“He had to take a phone call,” Sienna explained. She handed me an untied bow tie. “He wanted me to give you this.”
Even though my suits were expensive, I always opted for the tied bow tie; I never cared to learn since they were incredibly uncomfortable for me. I knew Rachel wanted to be traditional, though, so I agreed to it.
“You’re looking at that as if it's about to bite you,” she said.
“I don’t know how to tie this,” I admitted. “I’ll just wait for Nico to get back.”
Sienna stepped onto the platform. “It’s a good thing I did theater in high school and have experience with many types of dress. Let me.”
I lifted the collar of the shirt and wrapped the tie around my neck.
Sienna stood inches away from me. “It’s strange to be doing this,” she admitted, her hands tugged on the fabric of the bow tie as she worked.
“What do you mean?”
She took a breath and shrugged. “Did you ever think I’d be getting you ready for your wedding day to someone else?”
To someone else? Had she thought of us being together at some point?
It had crossed my mind in the past, too, actually—especially when we had come so close to dating after high school. In the summer before college, Sienna and I had taken a weekend-long road trip. After the drive, I’d felt something different between us and I could have sworn she’d felt the same. The last night of the trip, we slept in the car since I gambled away our money at a small casino where the legal age was eighteen. It had started to rain, allowing us to create our own little cocoon.
We’d been alone together before, but the tension in the air was unlike anything I’d experienced with her. We were so close to kissing, but I was the one who ended it. I didn’t want to ever lose Sienna, and if we crossed that line, our friendship would be at risk. Even after gambling away our money, I didn’t feel right about gambling with us.
That night had been a turning point in our relationship down the friends-only path. But I did reminisce about it sometimes, especially in between my own relationships. That “what-if” lingered in my mind until I could distract it with another girl.
“You were always going to be a part of my wedding somehow,” I said. “I had debated on making you a flower girl.”
She popped me in the arm, hard.
“Ow,” I said chuckling.
She was smiling, though. That rambunctious woman.
“Did you think I wouldn’t want you there?”
“No, but I didn’t think I would be in the wedding party. At least not on your side of it.”
It took a lot for Sienna to open up to people, especially other women. Which was why her other closest friend was Tony. It would have been a miracle if Sienna had become good friends with anyone I considered marrying, so I knew she would never end up a bridesmaid at my wedding.
Sienna finished with the tie and smoothed the edges against my chest. She took a step back off the platform as I smoothed my collar down over the tie. I tore my eyes away from her and glanced at myself in the mirror. Even without the proper shoes on, the suit was perfect. I knew I’d made the right choice to come here. Maybe I could take Sienna out to lunch to thank her for agreeing to come out with me.
Nico came back into the room. “So sorry about that.” He clapped his hands together. “Parker, this tux fits well, yes?”
“Yes,” I said.
“What do you think?” he asked Sienna.
She didn’t take her eyes off me when she answered. “He looks great, Nico.”
Nico nodded, humbled by her response.
I couldn’t help but smile either. Sienna didn’t compliment often, so when she did, it really meant something. And that felt really good to hear.
Chapter Six
Sienna
“So, how was the tux shopping yesterday?” Tony asked me just as he finished setting up the dining room.
“It was fine,” I said, slicing thick pieces of Texas toast for the french toast special of the day.
“Did he get felt up?” Tony asked.
I dropped the knife and turned to him. “What is that about? It seems almost barbaric. I felt violated watching it happen.”
Tony laughed and rinsed his rag in the sink. “It’s a rite of passage to dress like a penguin.”
I laughed and dropped the bread slices into the egg batter and placed them on a tray. “Well, I have a feeling I’ll feel just as violated when we go to find my dress tomorrow.”
“I highly doubt that. You might mess up your hair changing, but no one is going to be adjusting your manhood to do it.”
“Very true.”
“What color tie did you choose?”
“Black bow tie, typical for the tux.”
“Not for Parker, for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You are the best man, after all. Doesn’t that include a tie?”
I grabbed the spatula next to me and smacked him with it. He jumped out of the way, narrowly missing my next shot.
The bell on the front door jingled and we both turned to see Parker and Rachel coming in the front door.
“What the hell?” I said and moved away from the pass-through.
“That’s her?” Tony said.
Tony rarely interacted with Parker outside of the diner, and Rachel never came into Sunny Daes, so they’d never had the opportunity to meet.
“Yeah,” I said, washing my hands. I normally didn’t care what I looked like around Parker, but I didn’t want to see Rachel’s condescending face when she saw how I dressed at the diner. I got food on my body all day long; who would dress nice?
“Damn,” Tony said.
I warned hi
m again with the spatula. He left the kitchen to greet them. While they were all distracted, I looked into the dining room. Rachel was way overdressed for my establishment. She wore a white and yellow sun dress with tall cork heels, so she was just shy of Parker’s height. She walked with Tony and Parker over to the table. She made Tony move them a few times until she was settled by the window. She took Parker’s hand and dragged him down to sit on the same side of the booth as her. Did she think this was that bad of a neighborhood that she needed protection?
She kept her hands in her lap and stared at the table as if it were covered in worms.
Parker looked in my direction, and I froze. He waved me over. I took a breath and headed out there to get this over and done with.
I plastered on the best smile I could muster even though I wanted nothing more than to flee the room and the scent of Rachel’s cloying designer perfume.
“Good morning, guys,” I said, coming up to their table. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Parker smiled up at me. “Rachel hasn’t ever been here, so I thought I would introduce her to your fantastic menu.”
“That’s too kind,” I said. God, I wanted to throw up with all the sweetness on my tongue.
Tony brought over two menus and gave me a look. I clenched my jaw at him and he got the hint.
I slid into the booth across from them. “It’s cute that you two sit on the same side of the booth,” I said innocently. It was downright weird.
Parker kicked me from under the table and gave me a look that said, “Leave it alone.”
I complied.
“So, Rachel, tell me about the proposal,” I said, trying to change the subject.
Her face lit up more than I’d ever seen it do before. She never turned down the opportunity to be the center of attention—at least that’s what I’d gathered from the limited times I’d been around her. Taking her in small doses was the only way I could handle the gold-digger.
“Well, Parker got this table outside for dinner, but I immediately switched it because—hello!—my hair. It’s way too windy by the pier. Anyway, we had the most expensive bottle of champagne in the place, which tasted a little too fruity at first, but then after a glass, I got used to it. Though, I wouldn’t recommend getting that one again. Unless we were with my friends or something and needed to impress them. So, after that, we went out on the pier. Parker told me that you were the one to pick out the white roses. I mean, I wouldn’t expect you to know that red roses are more appropriate…. But then we went out on the pier, and the twinkly lights were so cute! Then he dropped down on one knee and proposed.” She thrust her left hand in my direction and I had to sit back against the cushion.
The ring was the largest I’d ever seen in real life.
I was light-headed from her speech. She barely took a breath in between sentences. And how did Parker not see what a brat he was marrying? She had complained about everything, but with a smile on her face. I glanced at Parker, and his eyes were only for her. I must have been the strange one if I was the only one who could see right through her. But I knew I wasn’t.
“Wow, that’s beautiful,” I said.
“I know, right?” Rachel giggled. “Parker really knows what I like.”
Tony was staring at us from the kitchen and without either of them seeing he twirled his finger close to his head in a “crazy” gesture.
I slid out from the booth. “Let me make you something.”
“Are you sure you can’t sit for a little longer?” Parker asked.
“I really should finish my prep work,” I said, needing to be as far away from them as possible before I showed them how I really felt.
I took their order—well, Parker’s order. Rachel wanted two hard-boiled eggs and a water. That was more of a side than a meal, but I didn’t push it. I supposed with all the money he was spending on rings and not-the-correct-color roses, she made up for that by not ordering real food.
Parker must have thought I was some sort of heifer the way I ate when we were together. It made sense that she looked that way, but I’d rather shave a few years off my life and put a few pounds on my body than not enjoy good food and drinks.
“Coming right up,” I said.
I pushed through the kitchen doors and Tony pounced on me. “You’re letting your best friend marry that girl?”
I brushed passed him. “That’s his decision, not mine.”
“Sienna,” Tony said, lowering his voice. “He’s your best friend. You have to tell him he’s making a big mistake. She may be hot, but she’s just as big of a brat as you described, if not worse.”
“He’s a grown man, Tony,” I said, cracking two eggs onto the grill for Parker. “Will you please do something useful and put two slices of rye in the toaster?”
Tony did as I asked. “I’ll drop it—”
“I’d like that,” I said, interrupting him. Heat whipped through my body. I tried to ignore the feeling, but I continued to dwell on how wrong Parker and Rachel were together. And now I had someone agreeing with me.
Tony came to my side and I glanced over at him. “I’ll drop it if you think she won’t hurt Parker. I know you, Sienna. You don’t make friends with people who aren’t worth it. Parker is worth it to you, and you should tell him how much of a mistake he’s making.”
“It won’t make a difference,” I said. “He made his decision.”
“Bullshit,” Tony said.
I glared at him and grabbed the spatula from where I’d thrown it before. He didn’t flinch, but this wasn’t the time for playful spatula smacking. I scooped the eggs from the grill and plated them. The toast popped up, and I smeared a layer of butter on it. I grabbed more than enough bacon from the other side of the grill that was keeping the crunchy slices warm and added them to the plate.
Tony put two hard-boiled eggs in a bowl and handed them to me.
I started for the door then turned to face him. “I’ll think about what you said.” Then I left the kitchen.
I pasted on a smile once more and went to their table. They were deep in conversation and I could see Rachel pushing Parker’s hand away from her under the table. My stomach lurched. Wouldn’t someone who wanted to marry my best friend not mind him touching her?
I shook the thoughts away. It was none of my business. I was biased, as far as Parker was concerned. Of course, I wanted the best for him, but he was able to make that decision for himself, right?
“Here is your meal,” I said, putting the food in front of them. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Actually, yes,” Rachel said, pursing her bright red lips.
“Anything.”
“I’m going to take a vacation for the next two weeks, and I wanted to ask if you would help Parker with some of the planning while I’m gone.”
What bride took a vacation before her wedding? And she didn’t work, anyway. “A vacation.”
“Yes.”
My gaze darted between them. “A vacation from…?”
“Sienna would love to help,” Parker said quickly.
His eyes widened in a “shut up” expression.
I sighed. “Sure, I’ll help out in any way I can.”
Rachel clapped her hands together. “Great. Thanks so much.”
I left the table and them to their meal.
On the way back to the kitchen, I couldn’t wrap my mind about what Rachel had said. She was leaving Parker to do all of the planning, yet she had been the one to force him to move up the wedding. That didn’t sit right with me. My throat tightened thinking of what Parker was getting himself into. I already knew she was a gold-digger, but how was it not obvious to him, especially now? There was no other explanation than she didn’t give a shit about this wedding and she just wanted the formality taken care of before she could live the lifestyle she always dreamed. Heat flashed behind my eyes. I should say something, but was it too late?
Two other customers came into the diner, so I focused on making the
m their meals. I felt Tony’s gaze on me each time he entered the kitchen, but he knew not to push me about this. At least not until I figured out what I was going to do.
After finishing up with the new customers, I went out to Parker’s table. It took all of my strength not to fling myself across the table and strangle Rachel. She had dollar signs in her eyes and couldn’t see the amazing man she had sitting next to her.
I cleaned up their plates. “Hope your meal was good,” I spoke mostly to Parker. I wasn’t sure there were varying degrees of hard-boiled eggs, but she didn’t complain, so I supposed I’d pleased the queen.
“It was, thanks.”
Parker had a running tab at Sunny Daes, so I didn’t bother giving him a check. He did slip a fifty dollar bill into my hands before he kissed my cheek.
“I’ll be in touch soon about the planning,” he said.
“Okay,” I said, unable to take my eyes off Rachel.
She scooted out of the booth and stood up, smoothing down her flowing skirt. “Have fun, you two. I’m sure you’ll do great.” She leaned closer to me and gave me air kisses on each cheek then walked past me.
Was this chick for real?
I must have had a look on my face because Parker squeezed my arm. “Be nice.”
I looked up at him. “I’m always nice.”
Rachel stood by the door and cleared her throat. Parker jogged over to her and held the door. She exited the diner, and he quickly turned around and flipped me off with a wide grin on his face.
I matched his grin. Even though I knew Rachel was bad news, my best friend was, unfortunately, blissfully unaware of it.
Chapter Seven
Parker
The traffic getting to the airport was horrendous. Rachel had chosen a midday flight. I wished she would have let me handle the reservations. The best times to travel were either really early in the morning or after rush hour. It was something I told her a bunch of times, but for some reason, it never stuck with her. She decided to go with a time that was convenient for her and the rest of the people within a fifty-mile radius.
