Free The Bridesmaid's Checklist: Laura's Wedding (BCL Book 1) by K.T. Castle Page B

Wanna bail on them?” he whispered in my ear. His hot breath made me shiver.
    I wasn’t falling for this. I wasn’t twenty anymore.
    “Shut up,” I playfully pushed him back. I really didn’t know how he did it. One moment I was ready to choke him, and the next I found him adorable. He was a dangerous charmer.
    He gave me one of his alluring smiles, took one step toward me, and entrancingly kissed my cheek. I think he understood I wasn’t playing any games tonight. Besides, he had that beautiful blonde with him, and she looked like a handful.
    “Do you mind helping me fix this stupid tie?” he asked, slathering on the charm.
    He was shameless.
    “You were doing all right a minute ago with that girl in the corner who’s staring at us,” I reminded him.
    “Mindy? Oh, no. She’s crappy at it, babe. Could you please do it for me?”
    That name caught my attention. Mindy. Had he mentioned that name before? I wasn’t sure, but it sounded so familiar.
    It didn’t really matter. I had to get back to my friends and he had to get back to his.
    How could I get rid of him without been a total bitch?
    “Here, give me a minute,” I said, reaching for the hem of my dress and turning a bit so I didn’t face possible observers of our little conversation. I lifted it up to reach for my cellphone, which was safely tucked in the black lace garter on my left thigh.
    I heard Josh giving a series of forced breaths. It wasn’t really my intention to tease him at all; I just needed my phone to help him fix his tie. How-to videos and all. Only after I’d grabbed my phone did I realize reaching for it and showing a bit of leg may not have been the best idea if I wanted to get away.
    I stepped back and hid my iPhone’s screen from him. I needed a minute to complete the task, and he needed a minute to calm himself down.
    “Here,” I said. “I found a video on YouTube that explains it all for you. I’m sure you can manage.”
    He kept looking at me like a starving animal. I was positive I didn’t want to be alone with him right now, so I gave him as guilt-free of a smile as I could manage, turned around, and left.

Chapter 10
    I went to the restroom for a minute to myself. It was still difficult to accept that things sometimes didn’t go as planned.
    After getting here early and arranging everything that had been completely wrong, I went home, got ready for the party, and came back to a place set up exactly as planned. Everything was perfect, from the flower decor to the buffet tables, the band, the waiters, and even the guests. It was a major relief, even if Laura wasn’t happy with me and believed I wasn’t as responsible as she’d expected. That, I could handle, but not what happened next.
    I’d planned and explained to everyone the order of events and how everything should go. Even still, no one seemed to care. At exactly 6:00 pm, I was supposed to open the floor for speeches by welcoming everyone, followed by Laura and Eddie thanking all their guests for their presence. Then, some family and friends were to say their congratulations to the couple.
    Needless is to say, it didn’t happen like that. At all.
    For several minutes, I tried to get Laura and Edward to join me on the main floor to start the celebration, and they completely ignored me. Apparently, they still resented the fact that I ‘wasn’t there early to help out with the party’s details.’
    It was until Denise went to the band and grabbed the microphone that the welcoming started, only then Laura and Edward decided to follow the program. That was how Denise took my place as the event’s host. In a way, I was grateful to her for standing up and taking that pressure off my shoulders, but a little part of me still resented her.
    Her welcoming words were really fantastic, to be honest, and she looked gorgeous. So in control of the situation. She smiled and maintained her charisma throughout the speech. It was so easy for her to handle an audience