Excerpt from Tony’s Tiara by Berengaria Brown

Copyright © Berengaria Brown, 2019

They were still lying in each other’s arms and Josh was thinking they should shower, when Tony’s cell phone rang. Immediately he knew it would be about Sharon’s wedding. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, but no one else would be calling this early.

Tony scrabbled on the nightstand and answered his cell phone, hitting the speaker function. “Yes?”

Sharon’s hysterical voice came clearly from the phone. “We’re all at the beautician and I’ve forgotten my tiara.”

“Huh?”

“My tiara. The beautician can’t style my hair without my tiara. You have to bring me my tiara.”

“Oh. Okay. Sure. Where is it?”

“Back in town. More than two hours away. In my apartment. I forgot my tiara.” Sharon’s voice had a distinctly anguished tinge to it. Josh looked at Tony worriedly. How would he cope with this latest melodrama?

But Tony handled it like a professional. Josh was incredibly proud of him. “Send someone here to my hotel room with your apartment keys while I have a shower and get dressed. Now tell me, exactly where is your tiara? Which room is it in?”

Josh climbed out of bed and jumped into the shower while Tony continued to talk to Sharon. One of them needed to be dressed when whoever it was got here with Sharon’s apartment keys. He’d need to gas up the car as well, after all the running around yesterday to collect the drunk groomsmen. Hmm. He’d better wear his suit. Who knew if there’d be time to change? He wouldn’t put the jacket on, but the rest of the clothes, definitely.

When he came out of the bathroom, Tony had a pile of clean underwear on the bed. “I’ll wear my jeans and a tee shirt but take the attendant’s clothes with me in case we’re late.” Tony ducked into the bathroom and turned the water on, then stuck his head around the door. “What about the shoes? Which shoes should I wear?”

“I’d wear the nice ones.”

“Okay.”

A pounding on the hotel room door made Josh race to open it. One of the bridesmaids was there, Sharon’s keys in her hand and a terrified look on her face. “The beautician is going to do Sharon’s hair so the tiara goes on last. If you can’t find it, buy another one. Don’t come back without a tiara.” The bridesmaid fled.

Josh stared at her departing back. “Yeah. Good advice.”