in0 by Unknown Read Free Book Online

much in there.
    “What,” I said when I found my phone.
    “Hey,” Mario’s voice said. “Don’t take it out on me. I’m just calling to make sure you remember you’ve got a wedding. Hair and makeup for the whole bridal party at nine. Bride, mother of bride, matron of honor, three bridesmaids. The wedding starts at two, so don’t be late.”
    I kicked my way out of the covers. “You know, a little sympathy would go a long way.”
    Mario paused, never a good sign. “Sophia was really upset,” he said finally. “I’m worried about her.”
    “Excuse me?” I said.
    “You were a little rough on her, don’t you think?” I shut my eyes. “Ohmigod. Is everyone else taking her side, too?”
    “We’re just trying to see both sides, Bella. You and Craig were already separated when they started dating.”
    “Oh, stop. Everybody always says that.” I pushed myself out of bed and started aiming for the coffeemaker. “We have no Summer Blowout
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    idea how long it was really going on. I mean, why else would Craig have left me?”
    “Bottom line, you should feel lucky. Craig’s an idiot.” Of course, I was out of coffee filters. I pulled off a hunk of paper towel from the roll and tried to fold it into a cone. “So what,” I said. “He was my idiot.” I opened my freezer and grabbed the coffee and started shaking it on top of the paper towel. Then I added tap water and pushed the On button.
    I opened the refrigerator next and grabbed a tube of Sephora Fresh Gloss, which had a clean, minty scent that worked well with my toothpaste. I was amazed at how many women didn’t know enough to keep their lip gloss in the refrigerator. Not only does it keep it from melting in the summer, but it lasts longer that way.
    The cool sensation on my lips was almost enough to make me feel human again. A quick fix in a life where there are no others.
    I traded the lip gloss for a yogurt and managed to find a clean spoon.
    “Love happens, Bella,” Mario said into the phone that was still attached to my ear.
    “ Love happens? What kind of bullshit is that?” I took a spoonful of yogurt, then spit it into the sink and rinsed out my mouth. Belatedly, I looked for the expiration date, which was covered with a price sticker. Why did everything always have to be so complicated?
    “Bella?”
    I poured some coffee and took a gulp to get rid of the sour yogurt taste. “Yeah, I’m here. It’s the Harborside Inn, right?
    What’s the bridal party’s name?”

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    C L A I R E C O O K
    “Right, the Harborside. They’ve got the wedding suite. I’m not sure about the name. The bride’s father came by the salon.
    Twice. The first time he said it, it sounded like Psilocybin, and the second time like Silly Siren. But he paid for everything up front, in cash no less, so we’re good to go.”
    “Silly Siren?”
    IF THE BRIDE DIDN’T STOP dry heaving, I was seriously going to burn her with the curling iron. Of course, this might be her best shot at being a hot bride. She had baby fine hair and a fishlike mouth, and the cords of her neck stuck out every time she started up again.
    “She always does this,” one of her bridesmaids said. “You should have seen her before the engagement party.” I’d already finished doing airbrush makeup and hair on the matron of honor, who looked like an older version of the bride, minus the dry heaves, as well as the three bridesmaids.
    Now they were throwing things all over the bridal suite and getting dressed in cornflower blue tea-length taffeta bubble dresses with shirred bodices and empire waists that didn’t do much for any of their body types.
    Normally, I would have done the mother of the bride next, but she was huddled in a corner, and she waved me off when I approached her. So I figured I’d get the bride out of the way and then go back to her.
    As if things weren’t crazy enough, there were two wild little kids in shorts and striped polo shirts running around screaming. And on top of