Page 17 of My Ex-Best Men (Ex Marks the Spot #4)

***Claire***

I walked next to Sophia and thought about pushing her into one of the blackhead plants.

She was so busy cackling at my predicament that she probably wouldn’t have noticed she was no longer standing for a solid thirty seconds.

She was having too good of a time at my expense.

We were heading to a dress fitting for the bridal party and while the bride should’ve been more concerned about her dress, she was instead completely focused on me telling her every detail about my morning. For the third time.

“I’m not telling you again. You’re supposed to be supportive and give me ideas about how to fix this.

” I pouted and crossed my arms. When a passing car honked I looked down and saw my cleavage was pushed about as high as the heavens.

Groaning, I let my arms fall back to my sides and glared at Sophia.

“Uncle Sal is on my shit list, too. He’s trying his best to make me look like a sex worker. ”

Rolling her eyes, Sophia finally caught her breath and wiped her eyes.

Her mascara was ruined and I made a note to make sure she had waterproof for the wedding day.

“He’s trying to make you look your age. Every time he comes home from visiting you, he acts more and more traumatized by your wardrobe.

This last visit he described things as dire and in need of Jesus. ”

“There’s nothing wrong with my wardrobe. I dress like a professional.” I sputtered. “A business professional.”

Up ahead I saw a group of women standing around in a parking lot and knew we’d almost reached our destination.

Shine was an overpriced dress shop that happened to get Sophia’s business because her wedding planner’s sister owned it.

I’d had quite the time getting them to ship my dress to me in London so I could have a seamstress work on it for me.

I had a feeling it was because of who the wedding planner was.

“What was Will doing during all of this? I can’t imagine how awkward he was.

” Sophia stopped, her focus fully on me.

“And tell me just one more time about how Anthony pushed you against a wall and fingerbanged you. Since you might’ve broken my future husband’s dick this morning, I need the lady spank bank material. ”

“Okay, first of all, don’t say lady spank bank. Gross. Second of all, I didn’t break Jake’s penis. He’s fine…. Probably. And third of all, don’t say fingerbang.” I could feel my face flushing. “And don’t say anything about any of this to anyone. But especially don’t say anything about it to Mad-”

“Madeline!” Sophia grinned over my shoulder and squeezed my hand. “Hi! You two remember each other, of course!”

I squeezed her hand a little tighter. “Of course. Good to see you again, Madeline.”

Madeline Moore was the last person I wanted to spend my week with.

She might’ve been an amazing wedding planner but she was still the mean girl who’d been determined to stake her claim on Will in high school.

No one had ever known that Will and I were together but Madeline must’ve had some sort of sixth sense because she’d hated me.

When she hadn’t been able to force Will into going out with her, she’d turned her attention on Sophia and struck up a friendship that left me wanting to pull my hair out.

Madeline had never managed to edge me out of Sophia’s life but she’d managed to get her claws in deep enough that it’d been natural for Soph to choose her as the wedding planner.

Madeline batted her lashes at me and gave me a smile that was more nose curl than anything. “Were you able to get things sorted with your dress, Claire? I heard that it was too small. Hopefully you were able to find someone to sort that out for you?”

Having the dress shipped to me finally two sizes too small had been diabolical but it had Madeline written all over it.

Luckily, I knew a seamstress who worked miracles.

“Oh, yeah, I found someone. I can’t imagine if I’d waited until arriving home to work out my dress alterations.

If I hadn’t found out the store ordered the wrong size so early, I might’ve been walking down the aisle in my underwear. ”

Sophia frowned. “You didn’t mention the dress came in the wrong size. You should’ve said something and I would’ve made them fix it, C.”

“Oh, I think our friend here just got her sizes mixed up. Those European sizes are just so different.” Madeline leaned in like she was sharing a secret. “Or maybe you remember being a smaller size? We’ve all been there!”

Bless her heart, Sophia came to my rescue just like she always did. “Madeline, don’t be silly. Claire knows her sizes. As does her Uncle Sal, because look at this body! It’s no wonder she’s got men lining up to be her date to the wedding.”

I cut my eyes at her. “Soph, let’s go ahead and get your dress on. I’m dying to see it on you. The pictures just don’t cut it. I need to see you glowing in person.”

“Don’t say glowing! One hint of that word and my parents are going to assume I’m pregnant.

That’s the last thing I need. They’re already emotional enough as it is.

” Wrapping her arm around my waist, Sophia led me past Madeline and towards the rest of the waiting women.

“Let me introduce you to everyone else and then we’ll get this over with so we can get to the food. I’m starving!”

I knew a few of the other bridesmaids but only by name.

There was Lizzie Crowder and Katelyn Banks, both women who worked with Sophia at the realtor office she managed.

I knew Fiona James and Kinsley Hendrix in passing from college.

The only other bridesmaid was Madeline. I was the maid of honor but I had a feeling Madeline had made a play for the title, since she was actually present for everything Soph might’ve needed.

It was hard not to feel like a bad best friend while watching Madeline swan around the bridal shop, meeting every one of Sophia’s needs before she had them.

She had been present through all the planning and preparation, not just as a planner but as a friend.

I’d been an ocean away, working all the time so I could leave for my one-week vacation without falling behind.

I’d planned the week before the wedding and I’d tried my best to take care of Sophia, but I was starting to doubt myself.

Especially with all the drama I’d already caused.

All I wanted in the world was to make things perfect for Sophia and in the face of Madeline’s stomach-turning perfection, I felt like I was coming up short.

That just meant I had to make sure everything else went perfectly. I could do it. I was a Type A woman who suffered from imposter syndrome. That meant I had an anal level of drive to be the best at anything I did. I’d use that for Sophia’s benefit.

After leaving the dress shop, we all headed back to the hotel for a bruncheon I’d planned.

I’d been so explicit in my directions to the hotel manager and wedding coordinator, but I was still nervous up until the second I saw that they’d set up the venue perfectly.

On the eastern patio overlooking the ocean, the hotel staff had set up a beautiful table in Soph’s wedding colors, piled high with delicious looking food.

Mimosas were bottomless, of course, and the atmosphere was fun with a playlist of Sophia’s favorite dance songs playing in the background.

Sophia looked at me with real tears in her eyes and hugged me tight. “You even had them cut the french toast crust off for me!”

Madeline frowned at me over Soph’s shoulder and turned up her nose. “It’s a little buggy out here, isn’t it?”