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“What?” Aura asked.

“Another surprise.”

“You’ve lost control of your wedding.”

“I have complete control.”

“You rented a castle and handed strangers the authority to make your relatives compete for unidentified prizes.”

“When you say it like that, it sounds irresponsible.”

“It sounds like the beginning of a murder mystery.”

Aura smiled. “I’m interested again.”

Bliss’s colorist began removing the first set of foils near the sink. “We’ll rinse in about ten minutes.”

“Perfect.” Bliss looked at me again. “Some events require partners.”

I held up one hand. “If you paired Ryan and me for every contest, I will ruin your highlights before they’re rinsed.”

“I didn’t control the pairings.”

“You created the entire schedule.”

“The coordinator created the teams based on wedding-party positions.”

“That sounds suspiciously like you controlled the pairings with additional steps.”

Aura reached for her champagne. “She’s been manipulating us through vendors for eleven months.”

Bliss looked offended. “I want the people I love to enjoy my wedding.”

“You want us to reenact summer camp in formalwear,” Aura said.

“The games happen before the formal events.”

“Good. I was worried the lawn competition might interfere with my slit.”

I picked up the champagne flute waiting at the empty station. “How much time are Ryan and I expected to spend together?”

Bliss hesitated.

“Give me the number.”

“Several hours.”

“Per day?”

“Maybe.”

Aura drank from her glass. “You should’ve waited until after her roots were finished to reveal this.”

“I’m fine.”

Bliss searched my expression. “You are?”

“Yes. Ryan and I know how to work together.”