J.C., have had bad blood since Princeton.”
Jessica nodded, then gave Brooks a knowing look. “But Cam will definitely want to sit near Margaret Story, right?” She turned to Kate. “Do you ever remember hearing about a thing between Jax Rousseau and Cort Ambler?”
“Cort?” Kate pursed her lips. “I don’t think so.”
Jess nodded, knowingly, moving Cort’s tiny place card away from the Rousseaus. “I do.” She paused a second, looking at where she had Etienne and Stratton side by side at one of the two head tables that included the English and Winslow siblings. “Be honest. Will Stratton be okay sitting next to Etienne?” Jessica asked Valeria.
Val gave Kate a dubious look. Stratton English and Etienne Rousseau had learned to tolerate each other for Kate’s sake, but they certainly weren’t the best of friends.
“They’re total pains in the ass,” lamented Val, grimacing at the tiny place cards.
“Amen,” said Kate, raising her hand for a high-five, which Valeria slapped on cue.
Jessica blew out an exasperated breath, sitting back from the table and throwing her hands in the air. “I give up.”
Brooks’ head was positively spinning. As the oldest child of the twenty-three kids born on Blueberry Lane between 1980-1991, he’d been largely insulated from the drama.
“Okay. Wait,” said Brooks, leaning over his sister’s shoulder and moving the place cards around like puzzle pieces. “J.C., Jax, and Mad Rousseau with Dash and Slone Ambler at one table. Alice, Betsy, Pris, and Jane Story with Bree and Cort Ambler at another. Make sure Cam asks Margaret to be his date, so she can sit with me, Pres, Chris, and Kate at one head table. And you and Alex join Barrett, Fitz, Stratton, and Weston at the other. Done.”
Silence reigned as the three woman looked down at the diagram in amazement.
“Holy cow!” cried Jessica, leaping up and throwing her arms around her brother’s neck. “You are the best !”
“You really are,” said Kate, staring at the poster board in awe.
“Whoot! Go Brooks!” said Valeria, raising her hand for another high-five. After he slapped her palm gently, she looked up at him thoughtfully. “So, now that that’s done, we need the dirt. Who was the hottie who bid on you at the auction last Saturday night?”
Damn it! Why had he solved the seating problem so quickly? Now they were all focused on him . He leaned back from his sister.
“Yeah, Brooks,” said Jessica in a sing-song voice. “Who was the hottie?”
“Uh, well…she’s my mechanic,” he said, opting for the truth.
They all stared at him with wide-eyes, as though waiting for the punchline.
“I’m serious,” he said. “She’s my mechanic.”
“Your… mechanic ? Okay. Well, that’s a new one. Does she work under your hood ?” asked Valeria, enunciating each word carefully before winking at him.
Brooks frowned at her suggestive tone, which made Kate English giggle. “I think it’s kind of cute that you call her your ‘mechanic.’”
“No, I don’t call her that.”
Valeria grinned at him. “But it’s sweet that you think of her that way. Someone who’s giving you a tune up. That’s a very healthy role to play in a new relationship, you know.”
“But, we’re not in—”
“Your mechanic .” Jessica shook her head, grinning at him. “It is sweet, Val. You’re right. I can’t wait to get to know her better!”
“No, it’s not…” he started saying, but they’d all turned back to the seating chart, deciding which group should sit at which table and how far away they needed to be to keep the peace.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Brooks decided to escape while it was still possible. He headed out of the room quietly, turning back at the last minute. “Jess, just a reminder…I’m leaving tomorrow for that cruise. I’ll be gone for a couple of weeks.”
“You have an appointment with Dr. Dryer this afternoon. Don’t forget.”
Brooks huffed
Jessica nodded, then gave Brooks a knowing look. “But Cam will definitely want to sit near Margaret Story, right?” She turned to Kate. “Do you ever remember hearing about a thing between Jax Rousseau and Cort Ambler?”
“Cort?” Kate pursed her lips. “I don’t think so.”
Jess nodded, knowingly, moving Cort’s tiny place card away from the Rousseaus. “I do.” She paused a second, looking at where she had Etienne and Stratton side by side at one of the two head tables that included the English and Winslow siblings. “Be honest. Will Stratton be okay sitting next to Etienne?” Jessica asked Valeria.
Val gave Kate a dubious look. Stratton English and Etienne Rousseau had learned to tolerate each other for Kate’s sake, but they certainly weren’t the best of friends.
“They’re total pains in the ass,” lamented Val, grimacing at the tiny place cards.
“Amen,” said Kate, raising her hand for a high-five, which Valeria slapped on cue.
Jessica blew out an exasperated breath, sitting back from the table and throwing her hands in the air. “I give up.”
Brooks’ head was positively spinning. As the oldest child of the twenty-three kids born on Blueberry Lane between 1980-1991, he’d been largely insulated from the drama.
“Okay. Wait,” said Brooks, leaning over his sister’s shoulder and moving the place cards around like puzzle pieces. “J.C., Jax, and Mad Rousseau with Dash and Slone Ambler at one table. Alice, Betsy, Pris, and Jane Story with Bree and Cort Ambler at another. Make sure Cam asks Margaret to be his date, so she can sit with me, Pres, Chris, and Kate at one head table. And you and Alex join Barrett, Fitz, Stratton, and Weston at the other. Done.”
Silence reigned as the three woman looked down at the diagram in amazement.
“Holy cow!” cried Jessica, leaping up and throwing her arms around her brother’s neck. “You are the best !”
“You really are,” said Kate, staring at the poster board in awe.
“Whoot! Go Brooks!” said Valeria, raising her hand for another high-five. After he slapped her palm gently, she looked up at him thoughtfully. “So, now that that’s done, we need the dirt. Who was the hottie who bid on you at the auction last Saturday night?”
Damn it! Why had he solved the seating problem so quickly? Now they were all focused on him . He leaned back from his sister.
“Yeah, Brooks,” said Jessica in a sing-song voice. “Who was the hottie?”
“Uh, well…she’s my mechanic,” he said, opting for the truth.
They all stared at him with wide-eyes, as though waiting for the punchline.
“I’m serious,” he said. “She’s my mechanic.”
“Your… mechanic ? Okay. Well, that’s a new one. Does she work under your hood ?” asked Valeria, enunciating each word carefully before winking at him.
Brooks frowned at her suggestive tone, which made Kate English giggle. “I think it’s kind of cute that you call her your ‘mechanic.’”
“No, I don’t call her that.”
Valeria grinned at him. “But it’s sweet that you think of her that way. Someone who’s giving you a tune up. That’s a very healthy role to play in a new relationship, you know.”
“But, we’re not in—”
“Your mechanic .” Jessica shook her head, grinning at him. “It is sweet, Val. You’re right. I can’t wait to get to know her better!”
“No, it’s not…” he started saying, but they’d all turned back to the seating chart, deciding which group should sit at which table and how far away they needed to be to keep the peace.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Brooks decided to escape while it was still possible. He headed out of the room quietly, turning back at the last minute. “Jess, just a reminder…I’m leaving tomorrow for that cruise. I’ll be gone for a couple of weeks.”
“You have an appointment with Dr. Dryer this afternoon. Don’t forget.”
Brooks huffed
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