Bridesmaid Undercover: An incredibly steamy, hilarious, friends to lovers, love triangle romantic comedy

EVERLY

To: Everly Plum

From: Maple Baker

Subject: RE: Polly x Ken Wedding

Hi Everly,

It’s so nice to e-meet you. I’m sorry it took me a second to get back to you. I finally got settled into my apartment and was able to take a breath from the quick transition I had to make. I would love to meet up whenever you have availability. I have normal hours at the zoo. I kind of lucked out, and I don’t work on the weekends either, so, pretty available.

Let me know when and where works for you, and I’ll be there. I really appreciate you doing this for me. It means a lot to give Polly the best experience ever.

Talk soon,

MapleCopyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

To: Everly Plum

From: Hardy Hopper

Subject: FWD: There is still time…

Want to gain some points with Syrup? Check this out, from JP Cane. And because I care about your involvement in successfully saving the animals, I added your email to the newsletter list…

Dear friend,

The flamingos still need your help. With every day that goes by the habitat of the Chilean Flamingo is destroyed. With your simple donation of $5 or more, you can help save the flamingos and their natural environment. Help us save these majestic birds and the fragile ecosystem they live in.

Donate Here.

Thank you for being a friend of the flamingos.

JP Cane

The doorto The Bean opens and my breath stills as I look up to see who it is.

Could it be her?

When a mother pushing a stroller comes into view, I bring my attention back to my iPad where I’m tapping away on an email.

God, I’m nervous.

Very nervous.

So nervous that I haven’t touched my mocha since I sat down.

I know comparison is the greatest thief of joy, but this is it: I’m going to meet the girl Hardy is lusting after.

Maple Baker seemed very charming in her email. Then again, it was just an email, so she could be a raging bitch who disguises herself well through the screen of a computer.

Or she could be the sweetest, kindest human I ever met, which would be why Hardy wants to try something again with her.

Not to mention, when I caught a glimpse of her at the zoo, I tried to not look too stunned, but oh my God, she was gorgeous. At least from what I could see. After all, there was a man without a nose next to me, covered in fake ketchup blood, which was incredibly distracting. This meeting will be more intimate, and I can tell the moment she says hello, jealousy is going to eclipse me. My dream of ever having anything with Hardy will be completely and utterly trashed. For some reason, a small part of me, a very small part of me, has hope that there’s still a chance.

Maybe it’s the emails that are giving me hope, or maybe it’s the fact that I think I deserve so much better than a Tomothy. Either way, I’m still hanging on to a shred of hope, and I don’t want that shred to be destroyed the minute she walks through the door.

The bell jingles with another visitor and my eyes shoot up, only for my heart to stutter in my chest as a beautiful blond walks through the door. Yup, that’s her. Decked out in a pair of leggings and a crewneck sweatshirt that says San Francisco Zoo, she is so beautiful. Clear, smooth skin, full lips, bright blue eyes with long dark lashes…she is everything I am not when I look in the mirror.

She glances around for a moment and then when her eyes land on me, she offers me a large smile. Nalgene water bottle in hand, she walks up to my table.

“Please tell me you’re Everly,” she says on a wince. “Or else I just smiled like a fool at a complete stranger.”

Ugh, she’s even personable.

I chuckle, standing up as I hold my hand out. “I’m Everly. It’s so nice to meet you, Maple.”

She takes my hand in hers and shakes it. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

We both take a seat. “Do you want me to grab you a drink?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “Coffee at this hour means I’ll never get to sleep, plus I’m headed to the gym after this. I, uh, I joined the one around the corner from my apartment, and it seems very intimidating.”

“Which one?” I ask.

“Bay City.”

“Oh, I know which one you’re talking about. I’ve been there a few times when I was meeting with a bride who was a personal trainer. It’s a wonderful gym, but I know why you might feel intimidated. Lots of weight equipment, lots of men claiming their areas.”

“Yes,” she says demurely. “That was my fear when I joined, but I also really like using the weightlifting machines, and it’s right around the corner from where I live, so hopefully I can make it work.”

“I’m sure you will. Just put your headphones on and get to work.”

She smiles, and it lights up her face beautifully. “That’s the plan. Plus, Polly thinks it’ll be a great way to meet someone.”

“Oh?” I ask. “Are you looking to date?”

“Not really, but you know how friends are when they’re in love: They want you to be in love too.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you mean,” I say. “My boss, Maggie, has recently fallen in love and she’s all about trying to hook me up with someone. Apparently, there’s a brother of a groom from a wedding she just did who she wants me to meet.”

“Is he your type?”

“No idea.” I sigh. “But you know how friends are— they think they know what you want when in reality, they couldn’t be more wrong.” Or sisters for that matter…

Freaking Tomothy.

“I had that happen,” Maple says as she brings her legs up and sits cross-legged on her chair. “A friend back in Denver tried to hook me up with her boyfriend’s friend. Turned out this guy was obsessed with collecting napkins his dates used, and that tipped me over the edge.”

“Oh my God.” I cringe. “I just had a date like that the other night with a guy named Tomothy that my sister set up. It was so terrible.” I lean in and whisper, “He said the vagina was too complicated for him.”

“Oof, that’s a big no.”

We chuckle and it’s such a sweet sound, the perfect little laugh that anyone could fall in love with. In all honesty, I can see why Hardy wants to try to get back together with Maple. She’s so…easy to talk to and soft-spoken, but she also doesn’t shy away from conversation. She seems like she’d be able to soothe the animals she works with using just her voice. Not to mention, her smile, her laugh, her freaking gorgeous eyes…

Yup, I don’t stand a chance.

Why on earth would Hardy even look my way when he has someone like Maple right in front of him, especially given their history?

He wouldn’t.

“Well, I guess we should probably talk about Polly and the wedding,” Maple says.

“We should, yes,” I reply as I flip open my notebook, ready to take notes.

“I first want to say,” she starts, “that I’m embarrassed that I have to ask for help, but I’m not going to let my pride hold me back. I’m just not good at this, and since there are no other bridesmaids and the moms are busy planning the wedding, I feel much better that you offer this service.”

“Of course,” I say. “It’s my absolute pleasure. I love doing this kind of stuff. I love weddings, and I want you and Polly to have the best time. I think sometimes, as we move through the process of a wedding, we forget that it isn’t just about the bride and the groom—well, it mainly is—but it’s also about those last moments you have with your friends before you’re married, or those last moments with your family, and I think those moments should be cherished. Bridal showers and bachelorette parties offer us the opportunities to almost have that last hurrah before everything changes…if that makes sense.”

“You know, I never looked at it that way,” Maple says. “You’re completely right.”

“And that’s why I’m here, to make sure you enjoy these planning weeks with Polly but also give her a beautiful party celebrating her and Ken.”

Maple smiles. “I can see why Polly was excited about hiring you. You put me at ease right away.”

“Just doing my job,” I say with a wink. “Now, would you like to discuss the bridal shower?”

“I’d love to. I don’t really have any ideas. If I was left to my own devices, I would probably have a flamingo-themed party and leave it at that.”

I chuckle. “I’m not opposed to that idea, but I think flamingo themes can get cheesy very quickly. We could do classy flamingo. So we can pull colors from the bird like pinks and salmons, add in some tropical plants with monstera and palm leaves. Perhaps sprinkle in a touch of gold here and there. There’s a curtain of bamboo we can rent. Let me pull up a picture.” I tap away on my iPad and bring it up. Maple smiles at the picture. “We can rent a few of these at a cheaper cost and use them as the backdrop for central picture-taking locations, the food table, and gift area. We also have these beautiful woven wicker chairs that might be fun for the bride and groom to sit in⁠—”

“Bride and groom?” Maple asks.

“Oh yes, did Polly not tell you? They want a joint party.”

“Hmm, she didn’t,” Maple says, worrying her lip. “Does that mean the best man will be there?”

I catch the way she asks with a wince, as if she’s afraid of my answer. Hell, I know exactly what’s going on in her mind right now:

Please say no.

Please say no.

Unfortunately for Maple…

“Yes, he’ll be there.”

Her shoulders sag as she glances off to the right.

“Is that going to be okay?” I ask.

She bites her lip and then looks shyly at me. “This is going to be really awkward, and I’m sorry that I’m dragging you into this, but the best man and I used to date.”

“Ah, I see,” I say, my ears on full alert for anything she might say. “And from the look in your eyes, I’m going to assume things didn’t end so well?”

“No, they did,” she says. “I mean, I was kind of angry at the time, but I understood why we had to go our separate ways. That doesn’t mean I was happy with it.”

“I can understand that,” I say. “Relationships can be very complicated, especially when there’s a friend group involved.”

“Yeah, this one was very complicated.” Her eyes meet mine. “Have you met Hardy?”

Yes.

And I think he’s perfect.

And wonderful.

And I’m so jealous that he wants you.

“I have,” I say. “He was the one who introduced me to Polly. He and Hudson invested in Magical Moments by Maggie. That’s one of the reasons we’ll be able to meet at a storefront next time, and not a coffee house.”

“I see,” Maple says. “I haven’t really been in touch, and whenever Polly talks about him, I tell her to stop. I don’t want to hear it. So I guess I’m out of the loop on what he’s been doing on the business side.”

I nod and consider telling her what he’s done. How he’s left his dad’s company and started a new one with his brother, Jude, and the Cane brothers. How he’s focused on helping, on what he loves best, rather than how he can make his father the next buck. But it doesn’t feel like it’s my business. That seems like something he needs to tell her, which will inevitably make her fall for him all over again, because how could she not?

Sigh.

“Well, perhaps you should catch up,” I suggest, hating the thought.

She shakes her head. “Oh no, I don’t want to be doing that. I just want to get through these wedding activities and then move on with my life.” Her eyes meet mine again. “I hope that doesn’t sound too cruel.”

“Not at all,” I say. “I can understand not wanting to be around someone you used to date, especially if it was serious. Was it?”

It lasted three years, Everly, of course it was serious.

“Um, I don’t know,” she says, which surprises me.

I half expected her to say that there was a ring involved but she never accepted. Going into this, I was thinking that to each other, they were the ones that got away. The timing was off, but the love was right.

But not knowing if it was serious, that’s…that’s new information.

“I know that might sound weird,” she says. “But with Hardy, it was just…fun. You know? We had a conversation our senior year about our plans and what we were going to do about continuing our relationship, but before that conversation, we were just enjoying life. Studying, partying with our friends, it was simple…very simple before it got complicated.”

“I see,” I say. “I’m sorry if that was too much of a personal question—I just want to make sure I completely understand the situation.”

“No, not too personal at all. I’m open to talking about it.” She shrugs. “I just think I’m a different person now than I was then. What I might have thought was serious back then is probably not serious at all in the grand scheme of things.”

“I totally get that. I’ve had some of those moments and I’ve seen them play out at events too. Sure, you want the event to be amazing, but when you look at the bigger picture, if the centerpieces were off, is that really going to dampen your outlook on life? Not really.”

She chuckles. “I don’t know, Polly’s mom might think differently.”

“Ooo, well, I’m glad I’m not a part of the wedding planning. I think working with you will be fun.”

“I agree,” Maple says with a smile. “I think this will be a great partnership.”

Yes…it will. I look at the beautiful, smart woman across from me, the one I can’t help but like, despite my jealousy. A great partnership indeed.

“I’m surprised you’re talking to me,” Ember says over the phone as I grab my dinner from the microwave and take a seat at my bistro table, alone once again. I’m surprised I’m talking to her as well after what she put me through, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

“The only reason I called is because I need some advice and I know you’ll tell it to me straight.”

“I pride myself on that,” she quips.

“As long as you don’t pride yourself on setting people up, that’s all that matters.”

“For the record,” she says, an edge to her voice, “Trevor told me Tomothy was a cool dude, so I thought that was a sign of approval. After speaking with my husband, I’ve come to find that cool dude could mean a variety of things. I also learned to not ask him questions while he’s playing Overcooked because he doesn’t pay attention—he’s too busy chopping and making sure he doesn’t burn the rice.”

“Uh, okay. Not sure what you’re talking about there, but we’re moving on because the last thing I want to do is talk about Tomothy.”

“Don’t blame you. On the way out of the restaurant, he spat a loogie and then examined it. Got on the ground and everything. The dude is not a winner.”

“Disgusting,” I say. “And moving on. I’m calling you because I’m in a bit of a predicament.”

“Does this have to do with Hardy Hopper and your insane crush?”

“Sort of,” I say, feeling my cheeks stain with embarrassment as I dip my fork into my pot roast. “I met Maple today, his ex.”

“Really? What was she like?”

“Perfect,” I say. “And I don’t say that in a mean way. She just is. She’s perfect. She has a very sweet disposition, soft-spoken voice, she’s stunning, and she’s so smart. She can hold a great conversation, is very humble, and seems like she’s a great friend. She’s the whole package.”

“Are we upset about that?”

“I mean, does it suck? Yes, but also hard to hate someone who was really nice to talk to.”

“That’s annoying. If she was awful, this would have been easier.”

“I don’t know,” I say before taking a bite of my pot roast. “I would have hated seeing Hardy go after someone who is awful or rude. That’s not who I could see him with, but I could see him with Maple. I see why he wants to try to get back with her. It was obvious from the first five minutes I spent with her.”

“Okay, so then what’s the dilemma?”

“Well.” I cross one leg over the other. “She was very adamant about not being around Hardy and not wanting to speak to him. She confessed that they were together and that they went their separate ways. She was a little upset about how it ended, but now she’s a different person and she just doesn’t want to go down that road again. She also said she wasn’t sure how serious it was between them. So now I feel like I’m in this weird position because a part of me is like…yay! She wants nothing to do with him, let’s get Hardy to move on and move on to me. But the other part is thinking, did I just hear what I wanted to hear because I still want that chance with him?”

“Ahh, I see. Well, did she say anything about having feelings for him?”

“No, not really. She was very disinterested.”

“So then, tell him that.”

I nod even though she can’t see me. “And after, should I ask him out?”

“Oh my God, Everly. No!”

“Why not?” I ask on a pout.

“Because the man is pining after another girl. Can we move past this, please? Do I need to set you up with another Tomothy?”

“No, for the love of God, please don’t.” I push my food around with my fork, taking in the emptiness of my apartment and how I wish there was someone else here with me, sharing these microwaved meals and enjoying the peace of the night. “I just think if she’s not interested⁠—”

“But you don’t really know that after one conversation. I think you need to give it a chance, see how she reacts when she sees him after years apart—that could stir up feelings.”

“Why are you on his side?” I ask.

“I’m not on his side. I’m trying to help you avoid heartache. I don’t want you pining after a man who’s interested in someone else. You’re to do two jobs where Hardy and Maple are concerned. Fulfill your responsibilities as a bridesmaid for hire because, first and foremost, Maggie and the company will always come first. And then you’re to be the middleman for Hardy until he can handle it himself. That’s it. Nothing else. I love you, Everly, but that’s all it could ever be, and you need to remember that.”

I sigh sadly, knowing she’s has a point.

“I hate that you’re right.”

“I know. It sucks, but I think that’s the best approach. And remember what I said, put yourself out there, try to date someone else. Get your mind off him.”

“Yeah, sure,” I say. “That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

“But it’s what you needed to hear. He wants someone else. I hate to be harsh about it, but you…you don’t want to be me, Everly. You saw what happened to me in college, when I was going after someone else who wasn’t interested. It didn’t end well for me, and I don’t want you to get hurt. Trust me on this, please.”

I think back to when Ember was in college. I was still in high school, but I remember her freshman year and the emotional torment she went through over a boy she thought was interested in her, but in fact was just using her to get close to her friend. It was a terrible situation that brought her back home. Luckily, she met Trevor after that, and he showed her what it truly meant to be loved, but it was a tough situation for her, so I get why she doesn’t want me to go through something along the same lines.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll push him aside and try to find someone else to focus my attention on.”

“Thank you,” she says softly. And then after a few seconds, she says, “Want to know more detail about Tomothy’s loogie?”

“Good night,” I say into the phone and then hang up.