Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Around three, I answered a knock and was surprised to find Lucky on the porch, holding two pink bakery boxes. “Hi! What a nice surprise,” I said, as I stepped back and held the door open. “Come in.”
He handed me the boxes on the way in and kissed my cheek before saying, “I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop off some snacks. I thought things might be hectic over here, so maybe you wouldn’t have a chance to eat. There are savory tarts and mini sandwiches in the bigger box. I got a bunch of cookies too, because they looked delicious.”
“You went to Mr. Chen’s! I love that place.”
“I remember. I was visiting my friend Ana-Sophia at the diner and thought of you when I saw it across the street.”
“Thanks, that was really thoughtful.”
He followed me into the living room, where Owen was playing with blocks and Lark and Dylan were cuddling. After everyone exchanged greetings, Lucky said, “It’s so calm. I expected chaos.”
“Yeah, everything’s totally under control,” I said. “The brides finished getting massages a little while ago and are relaxing in their room with a bottle of champagne. The rest of us are just hanging out. We probably have a couple of hours until things start getting busy.”
As soon as Owen saw Lucky, he raced over and grabbed the leg of his jeans. “Hey there, buddy,” Lucky said with a smile, as he picked him up.
Lucky had brought enough food for twenty people. We all moved into the kitchen and grabbed some plates, and I cut up half an egg and cheese tart for the baby and put him in his high chair. Then I texted the rest of my housemates to let them know about the snacks, and Eliot and Kel came downstairs and joined us.
A few minutes later, as we sat around the table eating and chatting, Lark whipped his head around and asked, “Does anybody else hear that?”
A tapping sound was faint but getting louder. I looked out the window at the sudden downpour and blurted, “How is it raining? The forecast said there was only a ten percent chance of rain today, and it was barely overcast when we were out on the patio!”
Dylan checked the weather app on his phone and frowned. “Yesterday’s ten percent chance was upgraded to a hundred percent through ten o’clock tonight. This is definitely a problem.”
Lucky asked, “Can the wedding be moved into the living room?”
I shook my head and explained, “It might still work for the reception, because the guests could spread out all over the house. But there’s no way sixty people would fit comfortably into one room for the ceremony, even if we took out the furniture.”
My optimistic brother said, “Okay, so the rain isn’t ideal. But it could be worse, right?”
A moment later, there was a faint boom somewhere in the distance, and the lights went out. I picked up Owen automatically, even though he seemed oblivious to the fact that it was suddenly much darker, and Lark exclaimed, “I cursed Yo-Jo’s wedding day by saying things could be worse!”
I muttered, mostly to myself, “Maybe lightning hit a transformer or something. I wonder if it’s city-wide.”
The pink Victorian wasn’t exactly brightly lit at the best of times. That was the thing about being hemmed in on both sides by other houses—there were only windows front and back, and with overcast skies, they weren’t letting in very much light. “We need to find some candles or something,” I said. “It’s depressing in here, and that’s the last thing Yolanda and JoJo need.”
Eliot told us, “There are some battery-operated lanterns in the garage,” and he and Kel went to get them while Lark turned on the light on his phone.
The brides joined us a minute later. They were holding hands and dressed in bathrobes, and JoJo’s blonde hair was up in curlers. As she dropped onto a kitchen chair, JoJo said, “Well, shit.”
While we tried to come up with some ideas on how to salvage the wedding ceremony, Lucky messaged someone. Once he got a reply, he turned to the couple and said, “I’m sorry all of this is happening on your wedding day. But if it keeps raining and the power doesn’t come back in time for the ceremony, I might have a solution.” He pulled up a photo on his phone and showed it to the couple as he asked, “Would you like to get married here? I just checked with a friend of mine, and the power’s still on in that part of town. Also, this house has a huge, empty room on the top floor, so you’d have plenty of space for your guests.”
I leaned over to take a look and recognized his landlord’s Spanish-style mansion. “It’s beautiful,” Yolanda said. Then she brushed her fingers across JoJo’s cheek as she asked her, “What do you think?”