opportunity to show her how he felt, especially with a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"Jeff?"
He’d forgotten about Marianne.
"Are you coming?"
He watched for a minute as Troy slid into the seat across from Eva and her face transformed into a smile. Jealousy burned inside, but there was also something else. Resignation. He’d missed his opportunity, and it no longer mattered. The other man made her happy. Eva was smiling and laughing, and no matter how he felt about her, Jeff didn’t do that for her. He let out a sigh and turned around.
"Yes," he said to Marianne. "I’m coming."
CHAPTER NINE
Eva needed coffee. Lots of coffee. After a long night with more tossing and turning than actual sleeping, she was going to need mega doses of caffeine to keep herself going and the in-room coffee maker wasn’t going to cut it. Especially since she’d finished off those packets hours earlier when she’d finally given up on the idea of getting any sleep at all.
It didn’t matter what she did; every thought was haunted by Jeff and how terribly wrong she’d read the situation with him. She probably should have trusted her first instinct, she thought not for the first time. Everything about him was wrong for her. He liked horses; she was pretty sure they were going to attack her. He was big and muscly; she preferred her men svelte and slim. He was rough around the edges; she’d always gone for a highly polished man. He…made her feel something inside she’d never thought possible.
She grabbed her portfolio full of her to-do lists and left her room behind in search of more coffee. After pushing the elevator button for the lobby, she leaned her head against the wall and slowly counted to ten. She had to get him out of her head. It didn’t matter what he made her feel; he didn’t feel the same way. That was made clear the night before when he couldn’t even be bothered to show up for dinner.
The elevator was mercifully empty, allowing Eva a few more moments of peace. Facing anyone without an appropriate amount of caffeine was a recipe for disaster, especially when her emotions were so jagged.
"I'm glad I found you," Carmen said to her the moment she stepped into the lobby. And then to herself, "I feel like I say that all the time." She shook her head and Eva laughed.
"I know the feeling," Eva said. "What's up?"
Carmen grabbed Eva by the crook of the arm and led her through the room. "I think something’s wrong with Andi."
Eva's internal alarm went off but she let the other woman continue.
"She's not eating and she’s actually complaining about the food, sending things back, even. She never does that and Bruno is not pleased."
Eva groaned. She'd forgotten all about the issue over the wedding menu. She flipped her clipboard open and put an asterisk next to that item on her list. She'd go talk to Bruno right away.
"Bruno did say something about that," Eva said. "I'll talk to her and get it sorted out."
"It's not just the food, Eva. She's crying all the time and freaking out over the smallest things. I've never seen her like this. Not even when she's here planning the biggest events."
Eva stopped and gave Carmen her biggest, most reassuring smile. "You've also never seen Andi preparing for her own wedding," she said. "All while dealing with her family, which can be challenging, to say the least." Carmen nodded in agreement. "And without Colin," Eva added. "Has he arrived yet?"
Carmen smiled and nodded. "Yes. Thank goodness. He got here last night and I thought Andi might explode with emotion."
"Let me guess," Eva said. "She cried?"
Carmen raised her eyebrow. "You probably think I'm crazy," she said. "But I just have a feeling that something isn't right, and I think of you girls as more than just guests or business partners. You're friends. And I hate to see my friends unhappy."
"I get it," Eva said. And she did. Was Andi really unhappy? Sure, she'd seemed to be stressed out and maybe
"Jeff?"
He’d forgotten about Marianne.
"Are you coming?"
He watched for a minute as Troy slid into the seat across from Eva and her face transformed into a smile. Jealousy burned inside, but there was also something else. Resignation. He’d missed his opportunity, and it no longer mattered. The other man made her happy. Eva was smiling and laughing, and no matter how he felt about her, Jeff didn’t do that for her. He let out a sigh and turned around.
"Yes," he said to Marianne. "I’m coming."
CHAPTER NINE
Eva needed coffee. Lots of coffee. After a long night with more tossing and turning than actual sleeping, she was going to need mega doses of caffeine to keep herself going and the in-room coffee maker wasn’t going to cut it. Especially since she’d finished off those packets hours earlier when she’d finally given up on the idea of getting any sleep at all.
It didn’t matter what she did; every thought was haunted by Jeff and how terribly wrong she’d read the situation with him. She probably should have trusted her first instinct, she thought not for the first time. Everything about him was wrong for her. He liked horses; she was pretty sure they were going to attack her. He was big and muscly; she preferred her men svelte and slim. He was rough around the edges; she’d always gone for a highly polished man. He…made her feel something inside she’d never thought possible.
She grabbed her portfolio full of her to-do lists and left her room behind in search of more coffee. After pushing the elevator button for the lobby, she leaned her head against the wall and slowly counted to ten. She had to get him out of her head. It didn’t matter what he made her feel; he didn’t feel the same way. That was made clear the night before when he couldn’t even be bothered to show up for dinner.
The elevator was mercifully empty, allowing Eva a few more moments of peace. Facing anyone without an appropriate amount of caffeine was a recipe for disaster, especially when her emotions were so jagged.
"I'm glad I found you," Carmen said to her the moment she stepped into the lobby. And then to herself, "I feel like I say that all the time." She shook her head and Eva laughed.
"I know the feeling," Eva said. "What's up?"
Carmen grabbed Eva by the crook of the arm and led her through the room. "I think something’s wrong with Andi."
Eva's internal alarm went off but she let the other woman continue.
"She's not eating and she’s actually complaining about the food, sending things back, even. She never does that and Bruno is not pleased."
Eva groaned. She'd forgotten all about the issue over the wedding menu. She flipped her clipboard open and put an asterisk next to that item on her list. She'd go talk to Bruno right away.
"Bruno did say something about that," Eva said. "I'll talk to her and get it sorted out."
"It's not just the food, Eva. She's crying all the time and freaking out over the smallest things. I've never seen her like this. Not even when she's here planning the biggest events."
Eva stopped and gave Carmen her biggest, most reassuring smile. "You've also never seen Andi preparing for her own wedding," she said. "All while dealing with her family, which can be challenging, to say the least." Carmen nodded in agreement. "And without Colin," Eva added. "Has he arrived yet?"
Carmen smiled and nodded. "Yes. Thank goodness. He got here last night and I thought Andi might explode with emotion."
"Let me guess," Eva said. "She cried?"
Carmen raised her eyebrow. "You probably think I'm crazy," she said. "But I just have a feeling that something isn't right, and I think of you girls as more than just guests or business partners. You're friends. And I hate to see my friends unhappy."
"I get it," Eva said. And she did. Was Andi really unhappy? Sure, she'd seemed to be stressed out and maybe
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