She kept her hands in her lap and stared at the table as if it were covered in worms.
Parker looked in my direction, and I froze. He waved me over. I took a breath and headed out there to get this over and done with.
I plastered on the best smile I could muster even though I wanted nothing more than to flee the room and the scent of Rachel’s cloying designer perfume.
“Good morning, guys,” I said, coming up to their table. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Parker smiled up at me. “Rachel hasn’t ever been here, so I thought I would introduce her to your fantastic menu.”
“That’s too kind,” I said. God, I wanted to throw up with all the sweetness on my tongue.
Tony brought over two menus and gave me a look. I clenched my jaw at him and he got the hint.
I slid into the booth across from them. “It’s cute that you two sit on the same side of the booth,” I said innocently. It was downright weird.
Parker kicked me from under the table and gave me a look that said, “Leave it alone.”
I complied.
“So, Rachel, tell me about the proposal,” I said, trying to change the subject.
Her face lit up more than I’d ever seen it do before. She never turned down the opportunity to be the center of attention—at least that’s what I’d gathered from the limited times I’d been around her. Taking her in small doses was the only way I could handle the gold-digger.
“Well, Parker got this table outside for dinner, but I immediately switched it because—hello!—my hair. It’s way too windy by the pier. Anyway, we had the most expensive bottle of champagne in the place, which tasted a little too fruity at first, but then after a glass, I got used to it. Though, I wouldn’t recommend getting that one again. Unless we were with my friends or something and needed to impress them. So, after that, we went out on the pier. Parker told me that you were the one to pick out the white roses. I mean, I wouldn’t expect you to know that red roses are more appropriate…. But then we went out on the pier, and the twinkly lights were so cute! Then he dropped down on one knee and proposed.” She thrust her left hand in my direction and I had to sit back against the cushion.
The ring was the largest I’d ever seen in real life.
I was light-headed from her speech. She barely took a breath in between sentences. And how did Parker not see what a brat he was marrying? She had complained about everything, but with a smile on her face. I glanced at Parker, and his eyes were only for her. I must have been the strange one if I was the only one who could see right through her. But I knew I wasn’t.
“Wow, that’s beautiful,” I said.
“I know, right?” Rachel giggled. “Parker really knows what I like.”
Tony was staring at us from the kitchen and without either of them seeing he twirled his finger close to his head in a “crazy” gesture.
I slid out from the booth. “Let me make you something.”
“Are you sure you can’t sit for a little longer?” Parker asked.
“I really should finish my prep work,” I said, needing to be as far away from them as possible before I showed them how I really felt.
I took their order—well, Parker’s order. Rachel wanted two hard-boiled eggs and a water. That was more of a side than a meal, but I didn’t push it. I supposed with all the money he was spending on rings and not-the-correct-color roses, she made up for that by not ordering real food.
Parker must have thought I was some sort of heifer the way I ate when we were together. It made sense that she looked that way, but I’d rather shave a few years off my life and put a few pounds on my body than not enjoy good food and drinks.
“Coming right up,” I said.
I pushed through the kitchen doors and Tony pounced on me. “You’re letting your best friend marry that girl?”
I brushed passed him. “That’s his decision, not mine.”
“Sienna,” Tony said, lowering his voice. “He’s your best friend. You have to tell him he’s making a big mistake. She may be hot, but she’s just as big of a brat as you described, if not worse.”
“He’s a grown man, Tony,” I said, cracking two eggs onto the grill for Parker. “Will you please do something useful and put two slices of rye in the toaster?”
Tony did as I asked. “I’ll drop it—”
“I’d like that,” I said, interrupting him. Heat whipped through my body. I tried to ignore the feeling, but I continued to dwell on how wrong Parker and Rachel were together. And now I had someone agreeing with me.