Safari Island Shifters: The Complete Collection(19)
Living so frugally wasn’t fun, but when it had a purpose she didn’t feel so bad. Now, everything was slipping away from her. Lily didn’t want to bring down Addison’s big day by dragging her work with her, but Mr. Angelsen had left her no choice. She was going to try to finish it all up in one night.
“Something wrong?” Max asked, nudging her. “You’re very quiet. That’s not the Lily I remember.”
She sighed. “I have to work while I’m here and my boss is being a real jerk to me.”
“That’s terrible,” Max said. “Could you refresh my memory on what you do? Sorry, it’s been a while.”
“I work for an accountant. I have an accounting and finance degree, but I do secretary work for my boss mostly.”
Max frowned. “Why don’t you do any accounting yourself? That’s like hiring a world class chef and asking him to do the dishes all day.”
“I know. This is the first time he’s asking me to do a big project. I’m hoping after this he’ll start letting me do more.”
“I bet you get paid a lot.”
Lily laughed. “I do. How’d you guess?”
“I make a lot of money too. Not that you would guess by my uniform.” Max tipped his hat at her and winked. “I may look like an airport butler, but they pay me like I’m a VP of public relations. When it’s hard to find good help, people will pay. I bet your boss needs you more than you know.”
“Thanks. I didn’t think of it that way before.” They pulled to a stop near her bus to the resort. She stuck out her hand and slipped a tip into Max’s hand. “Seriously, thank you. You made me feel better, and it was a nice way to start my vacation.”
Max put the money back in her hand and shook his head. “No need to tip me. You’re doing us all a big favor. If this wedding goes off without a hitch, it’s going to be huge for us. Can’t wait to see what you ladies have up your sleeves.”
With another tip of his hat, Max was off to help more travelers. Lily watched him wistfully. That was more like the Max she’d met when she first came to Safari Island. She reminisced about her last trip on the bus to the hotel. Max and Finn had both seemed so cool when she first met them, but she’d been incredibly disappointed after their date. Finn was going to be a groomsman in the wedding. Maybe they were both being more chill now that they would be forced to deal with her. Better to stay on her good side since she was so important to the wedding. As long as they kept it civil, she would have an easy trip.
At least that was what she hoped until she saw Addison’s face at Safari Resort. Her face was puffy and her eyes were red, like she’d been crying. So not like Addison.
Lily left her bags at the door and ran to hug her best friend. “Addison, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” The curvy blonde gave her a big smile. “I’m just being silly. I’m so happy you’re here! Sorry you have to stay at the hotel. There’s just no room in Chet’s bachelor pad for us all.”
“No problem. I’m not going to mind having room service for the next ten days.” Lily held Addison at arm’s length. Leave it Addison to worry about someone else’s comfort when she was hurting. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, really. Just another fight with the wedding planner.”
“Montgomery Venzil? I thought he was a total sweetheart.”
Addison bit her lip. “He is. Mostly. We don’t agree on everything, and I’m being very sensitive. This is an important day for me and I didn’t think I’d be dealing with so much outside influence.”
“I get it. Don’t worry, I’m here now. If he tries any of that BS, I’ll slap him back in place for you.”
“Thank you.” Addison hugged her again. “I don’t know how I’ve gotten through this so far without you. And I’m sorry I couldn’t schedule this cake testing any other day.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t get jetlag like you do. I’m ready to go taste some delicious designer cake.”
She told the bellhop where to leave her bags and they left for the restaurant. Most of the wedding planning had taken place already, but Chet and Addison hadn’t been able to decide on a few things. Chet was leaving the cake choice up to Addison and Lily. He wasn’t a big cake eater and had picked his top four favorites already. He would be happy either way they picked, but Addison wanted to get it just right. They were flying in a lot of family for the wedding and she wanted to be sure they got the best wedding cake ever.
When they arrived at the small restaurant in Safari Town, Venzil was waiting for them. He looked exactly like he did in the magazines: purple hair piled high on top of his head, bright makeup, and an even brighter outfit. Today he was wearing a lime green pinstripe suit and was carrying a glittery cupcake purse. His love of outrageous designs, eye for detail, and work ethic made him the most sought-after event planner in the world. Lily had been excited when she’d heard she would get to meet him. Now, she wasn’t sure. Anyone who made Addison cry wasn’t cool in her book.
Venzil hugged Lily as soon as she was in reach. “You must be the maid of honor. I’m Montgomery Venzil, but you can call me Gummy. Lily, right?”
She extricated herself from his grasp. “Yes. Nice to meet you. I didn’t know you were meeting us.”