Two Bar Mitzvahs (No Weddings #3)(25)

“Excuse me?” I blinked, certain I’d misheard.

“You have a knack for picking the best people. You don’t want us distracted by good looks alone, do you?”

I grumbled a string of obscenities under my breath. “I think I’m gonna be busy. I’m planning a guys’ night in my head as we speak.”

Kiki groaned. “Caaade. We need your help.”

I leaned back and crossed my arms. “I’m confident your combined logic will trump your collective libidos.”

Kristen put her beer on the table. “Any tips? Or are you gonna let us fly blind here?”

“Call the modeling agencies. Have them email you their portfolio of sports models. Tell them what qualifications you’re looking for, and they’ll filter on their end first.”

Kendall grabbed her pen and jotted down a note. “I’ll do that. How many will we need?”

I scanned the email to confirm the headcount. “Mom’s invited two hundred guests. Twelve should cover it, but we should hire fifteen to be safe.”

The last unresolved issue glared at me, the cursor blinking in front of it like a ticking time bomb. “Last item: Madison emailed this morning.” Even though she knew damn well I didn’t want to work with her directly. “She mandated we meet this week at her club for a sampling of the menu, linen, and setting choices, among other things.” The tone in the email had been hard-edged Madison. She was becoming an ex-girlfriend version of “Jekyll & Hyde.”

Kristen tilted her head at my dread-filled monotone. “There’s nothing unusual about that. It’s done all the time in the industry.”

I clenched my jaw. “She made the stipulation that I come alone.”

Hannah tightened her grip on my thigh, but a split second later relaxed her hold.

Kiki scowled. “Sounds more like a hostage exchange than a highbrow tasting.”

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I replied, instructing her that I don’t work alone. And that Hannah is more than our resident baker, she’s involved in anything we do with food. So we both go. Or no one goes.”

“Good.” Kendall shot a venomous glare at my laptop, as if she was sending her irritation through the Internet back to Madison.

I glanced at Hannah. “That’s not all. There’s no way I’m going into a room with Madison, with only me and Hannah there. Who else wants to go to the taste testing?”

Kiki’s arm shot up. “I’m so there.”

Kendall nodded. “Count me in.”

“Wouldn’t miss being there for the world. We’ll all go together.” Kristen’s eyes narrowed. “Speaking of our suspect. Any new surprises?”

Kiki shook her head. Kendall did too.

Hannah frowned. “You know, I hadn’t put it together until now, but I had a large weekly supply order not show. When I called, they said the delivery had been deleted. He apologized, wrote it off as a computer glitch, and delivered my shipment the following morning.”

I glanced at her. “You need to do the same with your vendors that we did with Invitation Only’s. Let’s not leave anything to chance.”

Her expression hardened. “I have a great relationship with the sales reps of all my vendors. I’ll ask that if anyone contacts them on my behalf, to try and find out who it is. If it is Madison, and she’s messing with my livelihood, this ‘baker’ is going to pull the rug out from under her country club ass.”

I grinned, so damned proud of her. “Agreed. Proof first. Then karma can have at her.”





11


All About the Guys


Think you can handle another night without me?



Another night without Hannah? No. I read her text as Ben and Kristen’s husband, Jason, taunted each other at the pool table in my basement.



Having serious withdrawals.



Balls clacked together and two were dropped into pockets as Mase shouted, “Oh, you dog!”



Addicted, huh? Need a fix?



I blew out a slow breath.



Always.



“Cade. C’mon. You’re up man.”



Always addicted or always needing a fix?



I smiled.



Both.



My phone was snatched out of my hand. Mase got up in my face. “Guys night. No girls. Say good-bye to Hannah.” He held my phone in front of me, not moving. I shoved him back a step and grabbed it.



Gotta go. Guys are calling party foul on the phone use. Enjoy your slumber party.



A muffled knock sounded out above, and Ben jogged toward the stairs. “Pizza’s here!”

Starving, because I’d worked straight through lunch without realizing it, I laid my phone on the bar and followed Ben upstairs. I grabbed four plates and napkins while Ben paid the delivery guy.

As we headed back down into the basement, Ben glanced over his shoulder at me. “The other night Hannah mentioned Madison was trying to mess with you. Everything cool there?”

I shrugged. “Who the hell knows? No major catastrophe yet, but we had three separate vendors who thought we’d canceled or changed orders: two with Invitation Only and one with Hannah’s bakery.”