The Paid Bridesmaid(53)
When we got through the lobby doors, I noticed the curious looks from the different staff members and guests as Camden held up both his arms and yelled, “Made it!”
I didn’t get a chance to laugh because Mandy was waiting near the front desk, looking serious. I made my way over to her. “What’s going on?”
“She’s drunk. The concierge is helping me get her room key. I know I could go ask that wedding planner, but then Sadie would find out and I want her to have this one night where she doesn’t have to worry.”
“Where is Brandy?” I asked.
“In the hallway on the fourth floor. She raided a mini-bar restock trolley. I’m so sorry. I was watching her and then she said she wanted to go for a walk and I believed her and—”
I put my hands on Mandy’s shoulders. “You didn’t do anything wrong and this isn’t your fault. Camden and I will go get her to her room while you grab the key. Meet us there.”
She nodded, wiping away tears from her eyes. I wished there were a way to make Brandy see the damage she was doing to her family, how much her addiction hurt the people she claimed to love.
Camden had come up behind me and gave Mandy his room number and full name. “You tell the concierge to bill all of the expenses to me. I don’t want Dan or Sadie to know about this.”
That made my heart flutter in my chest. If I hadn’t been attracted to him before . . . this would have pushed me over the edge. “We have to go to the fourth floor,” I said, telling my surging hormones to behave.
I tried to fill him in on how bad things had been with Brandy during the events this week, and how I’d taken it as my personal responsibility to try to keep her sober for Sadie’s sake.
“That’s not your job,” he told me as we walked out of the elevator.
Only, it was. And I wasn’t doing so hot.
We came around the corner and found Brandy surrounded by mini-bottles of alcohol. I glanced at them. Rum, vodka, tequila, whiskey—it was like she was trying to host a United Nations summit in her stomach. At some point her liver was going to declare its independence and flee her body in order to save itself.
I berated myself for my mental unkindness, but gallows humor had often been my go-to when I felt this stressed and upset. I knew alcoholism was a disease and that I should be more patient with her. “Come on,” I said to Camden, “We’ve got to get her up.”
Camden reached down and hefted her up easily, getting her into a standing position. It was so nice having an extra set of hands to help me. Somebody else who was willing to shoulder the burden. I was really grateful for Mandy and her personal connection to the situation, but having Camden here to help was making a world of difference.
He put one of her arms around his shoulders and I got on her other side, doing the same thing. We supported her weight between us, with him bearing most of it.
“This is why I like hanging out with you, Rachel. Nothing but nonstop excitement.”
I told him to hush as we walked back toward the elevators.
“Are you trying to tell me I don’t look good on this white horse?”
“Yes, and all that humility is very becoming,” I said. His words reminded me of Krista’s comments earlier about him being a knight in shining armor and made me suspicious that she might be having conversations with him behind my back.
Brandy decided to join the conversation. “Hey! What’s happening!” Her words were slurred, but it was easy enough to make them out.
“We’re taking you back to your room,” I told her. “You were passed out in a hallway.”
“I’m not drunk!” she yelled. “Do you hear me? I’m not drunk!”
“Yep,” Camden said. “We hear you loud and angry.”
She seemed to realize who I was, because she shifted from anger to glee and said, “Hi there, alcohol warden! I broke out of jail!”
The elevator arrived and we maneuvered her into it. I let out a deep sigh instead of responding to her jab. This whole situation just sucked.
Brandy wiggled against us, trying to break free but lacking the strength. “I don’t need your help.”
I let out a yelp as she stepped down hard on my foot. “Ow! This must be what it feels like to be the mother of an ungrateful child.”
Camden appeared concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. But at this point I’m worried that a smaller Brandy is going to come out of her mouth and try to bite my head off.”
He grinned. “I always appreciate a good sci-fi reference.”
Mandy was waiting for us at the door. Her relief at seeing us was evident, and she quickly opened the door. “In here.”
“Mandy! How ya doing?” Brandy asked as we helped her into the room.
“I can’t believe you’ve been drinking,” her sister snapped back.
“Only liquor, I promise.” Then Brandy laughed hysterically as we helped her over to the bed. She slid out of our grasp, collapsing on top of the blanket.
“What now?” Camden whispered to me and I shrugged.
Mandy overheard us. “I need to go back to my tent and grab my thyroid medication. I’m planning on staying here tonight to keep an eye on her. I’ll make sure she gets to the sunrise yoga thing tomorrow morning.”
“I can help,” I offered.