Page 6 of Love and Loathing
The elevator dinged at the lobby, and he headed for the front desk. Guests were already pouring into the greenhouse. A line formed out the greenhouse door, past the fountain, and nearly to the hotel door. No way Hannah and Phil knew this many people, but the Hayeses and Beaumonts were high-society people, and they’d make the best of their wedding. He had no doubt Hannah would expect it to show up in the papers or a magazine or a blog.
He stopped at the front desk.
“Mr. Young, how can I help you?” the young man at the desk asked.
“Have you seen Charlie Beaumont?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe I know Charlie Beaumont, sir.”
A tall brunette in a gray suit stepped out of a back office. “It’s all right, Dylan. I can take care of Mr. Young.”
The young man stepped aside as the woman gave him a thorough look over. Alex clenched his teeth. She reached out a hand, and he shook it. She had a good strong grip, one that made him worry he might not be able to get away.
“My name’s Paige, I’m the wedding planner,” she said. “You’re looking for the brother of the bride?”
He barely extracted his hand. “Yes.”
“Mr. Beaumont came down about an hour ago and went into the greenhouse while the cameras were being set up—I didn’t see him leave, so he probably decided to take his seat and avoid the line.” She brushed her hair back on one side.
Alex frowned. Why had he done that? They’d planned to meet before the ceremony started, and now he couldn’t even get him to answer his phone. “All right, thank you.”
“If you’d like …” She bit her lip. “I could get you in past the line.”
Alex felt a headache coming on. “Not necessary, but thank you.”
She lifted a card to him, and out of reflex he took it. “Well, if you need anything—and I mean anything—you can call me at this number. I’d be happy to be of service.”
He set his jaw and turned his back on her, making his way through the foyer. Was she kidding? He stepped outside into the freezing air and took a deep breath, puffing out steam. A trash can stood by the door, and he threw the card away. People wanted to know why he was single? That was why.
He looked through the swinging glass doors and into the lobby. Apparently, he’d been spotted. Several guests in line were staring and pointing at him already. He couldn’t get in that line, so he’d just have to find someplace to wait until he could walk in. Besides, he needed a breather from this day.
Across the foyer, beyond the fountain, he eyed the doors to the banquet hall/ballroom where Hannah and Phil would have their reception. Feeling the chill of the air, he hurried back inside, went around the line of nosy guests, skirted the fountain, and rushed to the double doors. He made a quick glance over his shoulder to be sure no one had seen him, especially Paige, then ducked inside.
* * *
As the greenhouse filled with guests, Jessie and Caroline stood at the back of the room, along with a guy named Charlie they’d made friends with when they’d first started setting up the cameras.
“You can barely see the cameras,” Charlie said. He grinned from ear to ear, and dimples appeared in his cheeks.
“Jessie’s really good at this,” Caroline said. “The finished video will be amazing.”
Charlie stared at Caroline, stars in his green eyes. “I don’t doubt it.”
Caroline blushed and glanced down.
He turned toward her, blocking Jessie out.
Jessie chuckled. She was the topic of conversation, but neither of them was looking at her, talking to her, including her. It was adorable in a really strange, this-kind-of-thing-only-happens-in-movies way. But if movie magic was going to happen, it made sense it would happen to Caroline.
Charlie had come in when they’d first started setting up the cameras, and Jessie could’ve sworn that when he’d seen Caroline the world had somehow slowed down. And he caught Caroline’s eye too. Not hard to do—the guy was handsome, in a golden retriever kind of way. Tall, leanly built, in a suit that fit him perfectly, with honey-hued locks and, again, those dimples. The guy was adorable. He’d crossed the room to Caroline and introduced himself immediately. Then he’d insisted on staying and helping. Jessie figured he must work for the hotel, but he’dstayedfor Caroline.
“Okay,” Jessie said, peeking around Charlie toward her sister, “well, I’m going to go film the banquet hall before the ceremony starts.”
Caroline looked up at Charlie through her lashes. “Okay.”
“We’ll hold the fort here,” Charlie said.
Jessie scrunched her brow. At least they could hear her talking. She threw up her arms, then headed for the exit. A few moments of weaving through guests coming in, she made her way around the fountain and to the banquet hall. The door was slowly swinging closed when she reached it, so she grabbed it by the frame and ducked inside.
