“We’re all former Miss Southwoods,” said Waverly.
“Except for Erin,” Kenzie interjected with a snarky laugh that came out as a snort, but Maggie kicked her under the table. “Ouch.”
“Are y’all going to finally take her out of here?” Tiffani asked, coming from the back of the kitchen after one of her long breaks.
Maggie leaned forward to see the counter and the register where Tiffani stood. “I am here to help you.”
“Oh yeah, me and all of the busy customers we have today?”
The tiara squad, as Erin noted, giggled. Waverly tapped Maggie on the shoulder. “Don’t be like me. I let social media send me into hiding.” When Waverly had to give up her crown, she was photographed in ugly-cry mode and the photo went viral for months. “You need to get ahead of this.” She squeezed Maggie’s shoulder. “Trust me.”
“I don’t have...”
“Don’t say you don’t have anything to wear,” exclaimed Lexi. “We’ll run down the street and grab something from the boutique and head out.”
A bus with tinted windows pulled up in front of the bakery. The doors opened, and Maggie recognized the girls from British Ravens’s class as they stepped down and trotted into the bakery. Once her eyes adjusted from the outside glare, Maggie registered who all stood in the dining area. “Tiara squad!”
Erin and Maggie stayed at the table while the res
t of the girls hugged out their reunion. “You need to go,” said Erin. “Forget the trust fund. Forget what you and Caden have together. Just finish what you started with this pageant. Do it for yourself.”
Maggie’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Her argument over the cakes dwarfed compared to how Caden might flip now after reading what was going on in the social media world. According to him he wanted to preserve his mother’s legacy and not tarnish it with the trouble his brothers and cousin had already caused and might cause in the future. He wanted the SSGBP to not fall under the shadows that had besmirched other, larger pageants. And here she was, with social media shadowing her with trouble—trouble that could taint his mother’s legacy if she were the center of attention.
After the former beauty queens were all caught up, everyone turned to Maggie and waited. Outside, the girls wandered off the bus to play with the pig and the baby.
“Well, ladies,” Maggie said with a huff, “looks like I’ll need to return Caden’s car anyway. I might as well get this thing over with.” Her heart ached. This little scandal was surely going to put the nail in the coffin of their fake engagement. What better way to find an out for him and explain to everyone in the world about their breakup? As a piece of her slowly died inside, her sister and friends all cheered, unknowing how in love Maggie was with Caden. Too bad she realized it once it was too late.
“Road trip!”
* * *
Saturday morning when the pageant festivities began, Maggie was still a no-show. Based on the way some of Maggie’s associates summed up their relationships with the socialite, once she was done with a person, she was done. Caden recalled how Maggie had wanted just one night with him, and she meant it. They’d wasted eleven years in between, but that was what she wanted. But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t resent her for not showing up today, at least for his mom. Had she arrived, the seat beside him would have been occupied by her rather than his fussing mother.
“Mom, seriously,” Caden said, swatting the helpful hands of his mother. “I’m going to need you to stop. I can tie my own tie.”
Kit pulled her hands back and set them in her lap. “I’m sorry. I just can’t help myself. You look so handsome.”
Mother and son sat at a table welcoming everyone to the entertainment center at the Brutti Hotel. Guests had already begun arriving and filling in the seats. Monitors set up in the corner captured people entering the building. A red carpet celebrity section was set up outside, where Heath and Spike interviewed men and women, making sure to ask the men who they were wearing rather than the women and making the men give a spin. Their idea of turning the tables on men seemed to put people in a good mood. Smiles spread everywhere.
Everything he and Maggie planned had come to fruition. In the banquet hall, dozens of tables were set up for dinner tonight. Behind the curtain was a table filled with delicious-smelling finger foods. Artwork hung on the walls for guests to admire on their way to the seats or if they wanted to congregate in the grand hall. Another thing to admire was the masterpiece made up by Vonna Carres, of The Cupcakery. The talented baker personally brought down over a thousand cupcakes and even had them set up on a giant-size tiara that was made out of wood, painted silver and framed with tiny lights under each cupcake to make it sparkle. It was more than he could have imagined. The only thing he hadn’t prepared for was this day coming without Maggie by his side.
“Maggie did a great job,” said Kit. She was dressed in an off-white satin skirt and navy blue top with a gardenia behind her ear. “Have you seen her today?”
“I haven’t seen her yet today,” Caden answered honestly.
The last thing Caden wanted to do was disappoint his mother. Last night at the family dinner, he explained Maggie’s absence by saying she was getting things ready for the pageant. Chase and Jason had their comments, which EJ took care of by manhandling them into the living room.
Today was a different story. Caden smiled through the disappointment. After reading the comments said about her, he wondered if she was willing to show her face around here. He thought she was different—as in, he assumed, with her confidence, Maggie wouldn’t care what other people thought about her.
So what if Maggie had a crush on him when they first met? The feeling had been mutual. That’s how they’d hooked up in the first place. But he understood why Maggie wouldn’t want to show her face around here today.
What he didn’t like was being completely ignored. Caden’s ego took a blow. A few of the business partners Caden and Maggie worked with came through the doors, laughing at the ordeal Heath and Spike had put them through.
Caden rose and extended his hands. “Sorry about that,” he apologized.
“It’s all in good fun,” said one of them from the back. He said something else, but his words were drowned out by a cheerful screaming. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“Glad you could come.”