Fool for You (Southern Bride 7)

I stared at my followers. Eight-hundred thousand and some change. Feeling dizzy, I backed up and dropped down onto the sofa, not even caring about my gown.

“Oh my gosh. Sandra Bullock followed me! Sandra! Bullock!” I shouted.

“Bitch, please, you should see some of the people following you now and all the blue checkmarks next to their names. My girl is getting famous! I wonder who else will want you to do their wedding? Just remember, I come first above all those bitches.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head as I let out a disbelieving laugh. “This is crazy! I have so many messages!”

“Excuse me, but I’m still pissed you didn’t tell me.”

“It’s called an NDA, Hail. I had to sign one. I couldn’t tell anyone I was working on her wedding. We even used fake names at all the venues. There were three photographers there. One, a wedding photographer I arranged, and two others were from the media, but I didn’t know which magazine or news outlet they were from.”

“Well, now you do! You’re famous, Emme!”

I rolled my eyes and stood. “What I am is nervous. I haven’t heard from Landon. I think he might be mad at me.”

“That’s crazy. I saw him earlier today at our folks’ place. He was picking up his tux since it was still at the house.”

With a sigh of relief, I felt some of the tension in my body slip away. “I was afraid the longer he thought about this, the more pissed he would be.”

Hailey huffed. “As much as he’s been complaining, I think he’s looking forward to seeing how much money he can bring in. I heard Noah and him placing bets on it earlier.”

I smiled. “I’ve been so busy the last week and a half, I haven’t had time to really see Landon.”

With a disbelieving snort she asked, “Uh-huh. Is that what we’re calling it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Be honest. You were afraid to see him because you’ve finally opened your eyes to what’s really happening between the two of you.”

“Don’t be crazy, Hailey. As a matter of fact, I have a date next week.”

“What? With who?”

“Bryce Reynolds. We went to high school with him. I ran into him at Starbucks. He’s an assistant baseball coach at Baylor now.”

“Bryce Reynolds? He was a manwhore, Emmerson.”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “That was in high school. He seems like a nice guy. It’s just dinner anyway.”

It was almost as if I could hear Hailey’s thoughts coming through the phone.

“There are a million reasons why it would never work between me and Landon, Hailey.”

“Really? Name one.”

I tried. I actually tried to think of one…and couldn’t.

“I thought so. You can deny it all you want, Emme, but sooner or later you’re both going to pop, and when you do…the sparks are going to fly!”

I glanced at the clock. “Landon will be here soon, and I’ve still got to get ready. Just trust me when I say I was in a weird place, but I’m okay now. I do not have romantic feelings for Landon, and I know he doesn’t have them for me.”

God, even I didn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth.

“I have a feeling you’re going to be eating crow sooner than you think.”

I needed to end this call so I could get my head in the right place before Landon got here. “See you later tonight, Hail.”

“Bye-bye.” There was that sing-song voice again. Was there a bit of sarcasm in there too? I decided to ignore it as I made my way into my bathroom to give myself one more look over.

My black ALYCE Paris dress fit like a glove. It was gorgeous with its off-the-shoulder cap sleeves and stunning bead work. It had a Queen Anne neckline with a tight bodice that showcased my curvy figure perfectly. I wasn’t stick thin, but I did have an athletic body, and I loved how sexy this dress made me feel.

Turning to look at my back, I grinned. The V-cut back had more beautiful beading, and showed just enough skin to give it a naughty feel while still keeping it classy. The A-line skirt had layers of chiffon with a slightly longer train in the back. My silver high heels added the perfect touch.

While most of the other committee members would likely be wearing their expensive designer gowns and Jimmy Choo shoes, I didn’t make that kind of money. And honestly, I couldn’t see paying seven-hundred dollars for a pair of shoes, only to be scared to death I would damage them. So my silver Jessica Simpson embellished stiletto pumps were perfect for me. Less than a hundred bucks and stunningly beautiful.

The doorbell rang, and I checked my hair quickly. I had pulled it back into a low, tight bun. The diamond earrings Landon had bought me for my twenty-first birthday hung from my ears. I pressed my red lips together once more and then made my way to the front door.