Save the Date(87)

“Your services?” I frowned at my brother. “What are you—” I remembered, all at once. “No.”

“Yes!” J.J. said, grinning widely. “DJJJ is here to help. I am a professional, after all.”

“Jameison, you’re a DJ?” Jenny asked, smiling at him, and J.J. inclined his head modestly.

“You only played one party,” I reminded him. One summer when he was in college, J.J. had gone through a brief phase of wanting to be a DJ. It had not turned out well, either for him or for Eloise Robert’s sweet sixteen. “And they kicked you out halfway through.”

“I’ll have you know that I frequently pick the Pirate bus music,” J.J. said, drawing himself up to his full height. “And you know I make a mean playlist.” I was aware of this; J.J. usually made us personalized mixes for Christmas and claimed that the gift of music was the most precious present of all.

I glanced down at the phone in my hand and realized I didn’t have time to keep arguing this point, and that, frankly, someone volunteering to take over the music sounded pretty good to me. “Fine,” I said, and J.J. threw a celebratory fist in the air.

“You’ve never made me a playlist, Jameison,” Jenny said, her voice flirtatious.

J.J. took a step closer to her, a smile on his face, which I took as my cue to leave. I knew I needed to get in the shower, but I’d also never gotten my bagel this morning and was feeling seriously hungry. I hurried down to the kitchen and saw only a lone blueberry left. I sighed and picked it up, and had just turned to head back upstairs when someone called me.

“Charlotte?” I turned around to see Rodney’s Aunt Liz standing in the doorway of the family room. “Could I have a moment?” Aunt Liz was beautifully dressed, as usual, in a pale orange suit, complete with brooch and scarf, but I wasn’t sure if this was what she was going to be wearing to the wedding, or if this was just her pre-wedding breakfast outfit. “You look very nice.”

“Oh, this?” Liz asked, casting a dismissive eye down at her outfit, which pretty much answered my question. “Well—thank you, dear. And you’re . . .” She looked at me, and a small, worried frown appeared on her face as she took in my sneakers and jeans.

“I haven’t gotten ready yet,” I said quickly, and Liz nodded, looking relieved.

“I’m sorry to bother you about this. But I didn’t want to hassle Linnea or Rodney, not on their wedding day. . . .”

“I’m sure that whatever it is, I can handle it.”

“Good,” she said with a nod. “Because I need you to change the seating plan. I’m far, far too close to Jimmy.” She practically spat out the name, like it pained her to even say it.

“Um . . . I’m pretty sure Linnie took that into consideration when she was making it. . . .”

“It needs to be fixed,” she said, and the sweet older lady was now totally gone, replaced with someone who was steely and all business. “Otherwise, I know Jimmy. There will be a scene, and that’s the last thing I want at my nephew’s wedding.”

“Okay,” I said quickly, since Liz was looking scarier by the minute. “I’ll get it taken care of.”

“Oh, good,” she said with a sweet smile.

I gave her a nod and left the family room, realizing that I now really needed to hurry and get in the shower ASAP. I also didn’t know how I was going to fix the seating plan—especially after the General had redone all the place cards for us. I pulled out my phone to text Bill as I walked toward the stairs.

Me

Hey—having an issue with two of the relatives

on the groom’s side. Can you make sure Jimmy and Liz are seated as FAR away from each other as possible??

Before I’d even reached the second-floor landing, Bill had texted me back.

Bill

On it

I smiled as I looked down at it, incredibly relieved in that moment that he was here, that he was on my side and helping out with this.

Me

Thanks so much. You’re the best

A second after I’d sent it, I realized what I’d done and looked in horror as the little DELIVERED appeared under it, letting me know that there was no taking this back. But hopefully it was fine and Bill wouldn’t read too much into it. Because I didn’t mean anything, really—just that I was happy he was helping all of us. With the wedding. That he was the best wedding coordinator’s assistant, that was all I had meant.

Deciding I didn’t have time to be overanalyzing my text message mistakes, I hurried up to the second floor, which now was bustling and busy—I could hear a hair dryer going and the sound of water running in the bathroom. General Daniels, wearing a sharp dark-gray suit, was crossing the landing toward the guest room, his tie undone but looped around his neck. He gave me a nod, then headed into his guest room, pulling the door closed behind him.

I hurried up to the third floor, where things were about the same—I could hear hair dryers and music coming from behind the door of Linnie’s room and J.J. and Mike talking behind their door. Priya was standing in the doorway of Mike’s room, wearing her bridesmaids’ dress with a hoodie over it, laughing with Jenny K., who was still in sweatpants.

“Hey, Charlie,” Jenny said, smiling at me. “Did you get champagne? They just opened a bottle in Linnie’s room.”