Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 133682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“So good,” Charlotte echoes.
“Do you want to have some at your shower this weekend?” I ask.
She winces. “I need to talk to you about that. Since it’s co-ed, Brady’s coming. We had to invite him.”
My smile vanishes. But I’m not entirely surprised he’ll be there. “It’s no big deal.”
But in the back of my mind I’m picturing Brady sauntering around Wilder’s home with Iris. The last time I saw the caterer, her mouth was opened wide. It’s going to be so hard to unsee that image every time I offer her a canape.
“Really, it’s fine,” I say, since my sister is looking at me like for real? And besides I have a fake boyfriend for this very purpose—so it looks like I’ve moved the fuck on.
“But Iris isn’t coming,” Charlotte quickly adds. “Why should I invite Brady’s new girlfriend anyway? She’s coming to the wedding. I don’t need to invite everyone to the shower,” Charlotte says, all badass and supportive at the same time, like she is.
Still, I don’t want to be treated with kid gloves. I definitely don’t want her to think I can’t handle my emotions. I’ve got those fuckers mastered and have for a long time.
“I can handle seeing Brady, no problem,” I say breezily.
Charlotte flashes me a big smile. “Especially since you’ll be with your new guy. I’m so excited you’re hosting it together. And so, so grateful. Tell Wilder thank you!”
My gut churns with guilt. She’s totally on my side, and I haven’t even told her that this thing with the best man isn’t real.
“I will,” I say, then I redirect her attention to the chocolates. As we sample some more, she tells me about an idea for the shower, then we order the hot cocoa truffles as favors. When we’re done, we say goodbye to Elodie, then Charlotte asks if I want to join her for some Christmas shopping.
“Is that a trick question?” I ask, arching a brow. She knows shopping and I are tight.
“Oh good! I told Leo I’d be home kind of late because I had a feeling I could twist your arm.”
“You know me so well. And I’ll do some of my shopping too,” I say.
“To Fillmore Street,” she says, naming my favorite place to exercise my credit card.
I stick out my arm. “Go ahead. Twist it twice.”
We take off for my personal shopping heaven. The block is home to a cute card, puzzle, and tchotchke shop called Effing Stuff, my friend Rachel’s jewelry store where I used to work, some cute boutiques, and my favorite vintage clothing shop in the city. I can snag Christmas gifts for all my friends as well as for family there.
Ten minutes later, I head into Effing Stuff to track down an I Hate Everything mug for Cousin Troy while Charlotte finds some irreverent coasters for our mom, so we head to the counter together. As I’m swiping my phone screen so I can tap pay, the woman at the counter says, “You’re both all set.”
Confused, I turn to Charlotte. “Did you sneak attack pay?”
But my sister looks just as confused as I am. “I didn’t.”
The clerk offers a smile. “Everything’s covered. Wilder Blaine called and said you can get whatever you want.”
What? How? When? I can’t even speak as questions ping-pong in my head. Finally, several seconds later, I form words. “He did?”
I can’t believe it.
The clerk nods. “He said you’d be Christmas shopping and that it would all be covered. And everything for your sister too.”
Charlotte spins around, delight in her eyes. “That’s some plus one.”
I’m too shocked to say anything but, “yes, it is.” Because this is nicer than anything a real boyfriend has ever done for me.
And it doesn’t stop. When we head into Better With Pockets so I can pick up something for Everly, the man at the register says the same thing.
When I go to An Open Book to buy some books for Josie, everything has been covered there too.
When we pop into Bling and Baubles, Rachel grins and says, “You can have anything you want. Plus, free gift wrap.”
For some reason, that last part makes me laugh the hardest. Maybe because Wilder even included gift-wrapping in his sneak attack shopping spree.
When I stop in the vintage shop to pick up a jacket that Maeve has been eyeing, the same song plays over again at the register.
As we leave, I ask, “How did he even know where we were going?”
But then I realize what must have happened right as Charlotte says, “Leo.”
Charlotte told Leo, then he must have mentioned it to Wilder, and then Wilder went ahead and covered our entire Christmas shopping trip.
Talk about thoughtful.
When we’re done, and laden with gold and silver bags, stuffed with beautifully wrapped gifts, I feel a little bit like I’m in another world. Shocked by what the man did. But also, I feel…frothy.