Simon: She seems to like you the way you are.

Jamie: But if books are important to her, I feel like I need to try.

Simon: So ask her what she likes to read, then read those books.

Jamie: But I want her to think I know books.

Simon: I’m not helping you pretend to be something you’re not.

Jamie: Not what I’m asking. Can you just tell me a book to read? One she might think is impressive?

Simon: I don’t know her, Jamie. I have no idea what books she likes.

Jamie: She was talking about this one book. Something historical. About cathedrals, maybe?

Simon: Pillars of the Earth?

Jamie: Yes! That’s it.

Simon: Ken Follett. Great book.

Jamie: If that’s what she likes, what else could I read?

Simon: Look up Ariana Franklin. And Bernard Cornwell. You should also read everything Khaled Hosseini has ever written. If Lane’s a big reader, she’s probably read them.

Jamie: Got it. Thanks.

Chapter 7

The “Macarena.”

I’d heard a lot of crazy requests in three years of event management but walking down the aisle at your wedding while doing the Macarena?

I stared at Evie, the bride-to-be, her face all aglow with excitement. She was serious. Actually, legitimately, for real serious. Was it possible I’d misunderstood? “We’re not talking about the reception, right? During the actual ceremony, that’s the song you want playing?”

“I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s such a significant part of our history. It’s our song, our dance, our happy-couple music. It’s the perfect song to usher me right into my future husband’s arms.”

My pencil froze over my notepad. She’d really just said that sentence out loud. The “Macarena” was the perfect song to usher her into her future husband’s arms. I dug deep to find my business-professional face before I looked up. I could make it through this without laughing. I could.

“Okay. The ‘Macarena’ it is. Is anyone giving you away?”

“Giving me away?”

“A father, maybe? An uncle?”

Evie blinked.

“Walking you down the aisle. The symbolic ‘giving away’?”

“Oh, right. That. My father’s dead, and I don’t have any uncles, so I’m dancing down the aisle on my own. That’s not a problem, is it?”

“Definitely not. Your wedding, your dreams. We’re just here to make it happen.” It was a canned line. Not even a good one. But it was a great fallback when brides started to get weird about their plans. Rule number one of successful event execution? Offer your own opinion as infrequently as possible. Preferably never. Because if you have no opinion, nothing is ever your idea and thus can never be your fault.