“No worries,” she said, smile still in place. “I’m here to help with hair and makeup. Robért and I usually take care of the small bridal parties. I actually went to cosmetology school before I went back for hotel management.”
“Okay, great, then you can take care of Lucie and Ro—”
“Oh, no,” the woman said as she set up her station next to Vanessa’s vanity. “I’m good, but Robért’s a pro, so he gets the bride. But don’t worry, it won’t take much to make you stunning.”
Wonderful. Tension was making itself known in the base of her skull. It would only be a matter of time before it spread to the backs of her eyes and through her temples. Grabbing four ibuprofen from her purse, she watched Jilli plug in her curler, flat iron, and dryer, then organize enough cosmetics to make up Tammy Faye Baker for fifty years.
When she thought about it, Vanessa wasn’t even sure why she felt a level of agitation with the manager. She’d always been very pleasant and helpful, but there was something about her…
Jillian stood behind Vanessa in front of the large mirror and got to work brushing through her hair and sectioning it with clips. Behind them, Robért and Lucie were busy chatting away, laughing and going over wedding details. And somewhere in another area of the resort, Jackson was… She sighed. She wished she knew how to finish that thought.
“Jackie’s pretty upset.”
It took Vanessa a second to realize Jillian had spoken and another to realize whom she was talking about. Jackie. A nickname. Holy shit.
“You two dated.” It wasn’t a question. It was a damn good guess, one that explained why the sweet woman bothered her. She was competition.
“A couple of years ago.” Jillian glanced at her in the mirror and then refocused on her task of curling the bottom sections of hair. “We weren’t serious or anything. More like a friends-with-benefits thing. In fact, in all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen Jax get serious about anyone.”
Ouch. That smacked of truth with a hint of he warned you sprinkled on top.
“Until you.”
Vanessa’s eyes snapped up to the mirror. “I’m sorry?” Hell, now she was apologizing in the form of a question. She sounded like a broken record.
“He tried finding you yesterday, and then when you didn’t show up for the rehearsal he came over.” This time when she smiled, it was more sympathetic in nature. “No need to throw darts with your eyes, sweetie. He came over to talk to me and my husband.” She held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger with the wedding band on it.
“Ugh, I’m sorry— Shit! There I go again.” She released a frustrated huff and pushed in on her temples where the pain was settling in. “If I never have to say that word again, it’ll be too soon.”
Jillian chuckled and grabbed another section of curls to straighten. “Don’t worry about it. I can understand why you’d be a bit territorial about him.” Chocolate brown eyes met her gaze, all hints of play falling away. “He’s a really great guy. I know you’re upset with him, and truthfully, you have the right. But he’s not normally a dishonest person, and I think you should at least give him the opportunity to make it right.”
“I appreciate your concern, Jillian, but there’s nothing to correct. Even his lie aside, Jackson and I made an agreement for three days with no strings. It was fun, but now it’s over. And I’d rather not talk about it anymore.”
The woman gave her shoulder a light squeeze as if to say, I understand, then finished Vanessa’s hair and makeup in silence, leaving her to her thoughts that had no intentions of following Jillian’s example.
Jackson Maris seemed to be a permanent fixture in her mind. What was that saying Fritz always had? I’d rather have a bottle in front o’ me than a frontal lobotomy. At this point, if it would rid her of the memories of the past week, Vanessa would take either.
Eventually, Robért and Jillian finished with their hair and makeup and packed their things up.
“O-kay,” Robért said at the door, “I’m going to check on things, but Jillian will be right outside if you need anything. The next time I see you, it’ll be to collect you for the ceremony, so get dressed, have some champagne, and relax.”
Lucie hugged the planner. “Thank you so much, Robért.”
Once the door closed, Vanessa turned to study Lucie in her wedding gown. “You look like Cinderella, Lucie.”
The strapless Grecian-style sheath flowed to the floor like a chiffon waterfall. Intricate beading trimmed the sweetheart neckline and the sweep train added a princess touch. Her dark brown hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders with an aqua hibiscus hair comb holding one side back. Robért had done an excellent job with her makeup, using subtle tones to accentuate Lucie’s natural beauty and highlighting her dove gray eyes.
“Really?” Lucie asked.