Page 45 of Nothing to the Wedding

And it helped that they’d already signed on their dotted line.On the very couch she was touching, as it happened.No waiting.No take backs.

“What if Jane wants you to go ahead and do it anyway?Without her?Would put a damper on the rest of the day.”

“Z and I party all the time.If it sucks, it sucks, at least there’ll be food and music.”

Toria laughed.“Which we know for sure because Jane was in charge of those.”The woman didn’t know how to let anyone down.“When are they bringing the dresses?”

“In the morning,” she said.“They wanted to do it today, but if those dresses were in the building, you know Jane would’ve wanted to go down and check them.”And that would blast apart our plans.“We did a final fitting last week but have a team of seamstresses coming with the gowns.Just in case.”

“The cakes?”

“Knox and Jane will do theirs here.Z and I at Crimson, if there’s an appetite for it.There’s a posse of photographers and videographers coming.They’ll be tightly controlled.Super tightly tight.”

“Yeah, any kind of -ographers are always easy for you to find.Don’t think you have to book them, they just show up.”

“It’s two of everything, I don’t want Jane to feel like she’s taking anything from me and Z.”

“You don’t care.”

“I know I don’t care, but this is Jane.”

“And she feels guilty for everything.Their marriage license?”

“Knox took care of that.Got her to sign it in with a bunch of paperwork for the houses, the cars, the assets.We considered doing it here, in the morning, but Knox decided against cutting it so fine.I’ve talked to that man more in the last six months than I probably will for the next six years.”

“It’s nice that you’re partners in crime.You make quite the team.”

If they could stop locking horns so often, maybe.“Tell me that tomorrow if this all goes to shit.”

“It won’t, relax.Jane’s wanted to get married since before she was even born.Now she gets to do it standing next to the man she loves and her best friend.You gave her free rein with the wedding.Told her to choose whichever she preferred, she’s made all the decisions.This is her dream wedding.”

“Yeah, but she’s not spending tonight with Knox.You didn’t notice how she got this look of worry every time he came up at the club?”

“Guy’s frazzled and what’s he supposed to do?Jane went on and on at you that you weren’t allowed to see Zairn tonight.Can you imagine how she’d react to the wedding news if she’d woken up with Knox?We want this to be perfect for her, right?That means no seeing the groom before the wedding.”

“Yes,” she said with a certain exhale.“Perfect.It will be perfect, you’re right.”

“She’ll thank us in the long run.”

Jane organized everything, the day would go off without a hitch.If they’d read their surprise loving friend correctly anyway.

“Right, Jane’s fine, she’s sleeping.You can keep an eye on her, can’t you?I’m going out.”

“Out?”Toria asked.“It’s like three in the morning.”

“I’m the Crimson Empress, this is early evening for me.I’ve hardly broken a sweat.”

“Oh, yeah?You got plans?”

“Nothing concrete.”Tossing back a sly smile, she crept toward the door.“I’ll find something to do.”

“Something?Or someone?You promised Jane you wouldn’t see Zairn tonight.”

“And I absolutely promise that I won’t.”Twirling as she moved, she crossed her heart to Toria then snagged her purse from the table by the door.“Don’t wait up!”

Out was maybe a slight misrepresentation.She was going out of the suite she shared with Toria and Jane, but not out of the building.Nope, she was going up.

THIRTEEN