Page 550 of Manhattan Bossholes

32

JAMES

Iwasn’t usually a party kind of guy but even I had to admit that this one was next level.

Of course, it helped that the party in question was my wedding reception.

Bernie’s Hamptons home and grounds had been transformed into a fairy tale, and the place was so satin-draped and flower-filled that I barely recognized it. She, my mom, and Natalie had worked with the event planners for almost a year to craft it. Natalie had tried to rope me into helping work on it during the early planning phases, but I left it all up to her. The day was about bringing to life her vision, her dreams, and I was just happy to let her run with it.

All I cared about was saying, “I do.”

I glanced at the happy faces surrounding me in the tent from my position at our head table. It felt like it was the first time Natalie and I had been left alone all night. We were in the final hours of the reception, and everyone was feeling good thanks to the bottomless champagne and pumping music. As usual, Bernie had been the queen of the dance floor, closely followed by Christopher and Julia. I had a feeling that they’d been taking notes the whole day, because the way they slow danced together made it clear that there was another wedding on the horizon. Although after Christopher’s big blowout wedding to Amanda, I guessed that the pair would opt for something a little more intimate for their celebration.

Natalie reached over and threaded her fingers through mine, giving me a little smile. Holy fuck, my new wife was so beautiful.

When she’d appeared at the end of the aisle with her arm looped over Christopher’s, I’d had to fight hard to keep the tears from flowing down my cheeks. Seeing them together wasn’t a surprise—we’d discussed it at length—but their joyful expressions as he walked her down the aisle made me emotional in a way I hadn’t anticipated. It reminded me that my family was now hers.

Then seeing her up close? Unreal. Her beautiful face shifted from teary-eyed to laughing to a combination of both expressions as she approached. It was almost impossible to keep from sweeping her in my arms and kissing her the minute we joined hands in front of the officiant. The top-secret gown she’d designed was more incredible than I’d imagined, and suited her perfectly. A strapless column of white with a black sash at the waist and the hint of dark beading glinting along the bottom. Branson wasn’t going to recreate her dress, but it would serve as the calling card for the type of bride the line catered to.

I watched Natalie watching the fun on the dance floor. Steph forcing Brendan to help her lead a raucous Electric Slide with the entire design crew dancing along behind her.

“Rhea’s got some moves.” Natalie laughed.

“And Lavonte is basically a professional out there,” I added. “Why don’t you go join them?”

She shook her head. “I’m pretty tired. And it’s nice just to just watch everyone coming together.”

Our table attendant walked up with an oversized bottle of champagne. “May I top you off?”

“Oh, no more for me.” I groaned, reaching out to place my hand over the top of my flute. “I can only imagine the hangover to come if I keep going. Nat? You’ve barely touched yours. Have some.”

She smiled at me and then at the server. “Okay, sure. But let me dump what’s in the glass; it’s probably warm by now.” She spilled the contents in the ice bucket in front of her, then held out her glass to him.

“So, about our honeymoon,” Natalie said as she nestled in closer to me. “Are you finally going to tell me where we’re going? Because we’re leaving in…” she flipped her wrist to check the time on the delicate Patek Phillipe watch I’d given her as a wedding gift, “under twelve hours. Just spill it already, Branson.”

I laughed at her. “I’m really enjoying torturing you by keeping the secret, Branson. And by the way, I know you hacked into my email to try to figure it out.”

Her eyes went wide in mock horror. “I did not! How dare you accuse me of that!”

“I know everything. Haven’t you figured that out by now? I’m an observer. Nothing gets by me,” I gloated.

Natalie’s expression shifted to dubious. “Oh, is that a fact?”

“It is.”

She pursed her lips together and nodded, glancing back at the dance floor. “Huh. Well, I’ll have you know that you’re wrong. There’s something pretty major that you’ve missed today.”

“Please. If you’re talking about the Beyonce lyrics hidden in the frosting on the groom’s cake, uh, yeah, noted. And I’ll have you know that I now fully believe that girls do run the world.”

Natalie threw her head back, laughing. “Damn it, I wasn’t going to cop to that until we were on the beach in…well, wherever it is you’re taking me.”

I gave her a steely-eyed look. “Who said we’re going to a beach?”

“Crap.” She slapped the table in frustration. “I thought I’d trip you up.”

“See? I don’t miss a thing.”

“So you keep saying. But you’re wrong.”