Bridesmaid Lotto (USA Today bestselling author)

Chapter 4

"Thank you," I said. I knew he was probably paid to say it, but it made me feel better anyway.

He opened the car door and held my hand to help me into the car. I wondered if it was wrong to wish that he was my date for the evening, being the gentleman that he was. But that dream quickly faded when I spent the next half hour sitting alone in the backseat in silence.

I almost asked him to stop the car and turn around about eight million times.

"It's not a big deal," I kept whispering to myself. "Relax, enjoy yourself. Just have a good time." As we got closer, I closed my eyes and chanted in my head. "Calm down. It doesn't mean anything."

By the time we reached the party, I was surprisingly calm and almost had myself convinced that I could do this. I could make a grand entrance into a spectacular party and look confident all at the same time.

But as the driver opened my door, hoards of photographers, all jostling to get a closer look, surrounded us. I felt like I was in a fishbowl with a million people gathered around, just watching to see if I would sink or swim.

I decided I was going to swim.

I grabbed onto the driver's hand and flashed the most elegant, gracious, oh-gosh-I-don't-deserve-all-this smile that I could muster. I guess the phrase is true, fake it 'til you make it.

Another guy held out his arm to me as the driver closed the door behind me and whisked the car away. He as handsome as any guy as I'd ever seen. They had to have hired models to walk us down the red carpet.

"Miss McMaster," the crowd kept yelling, all vying to get my attention for what seemed like millions of continuous flashes. I put my best, most sincere looking fake smile out there and tried not to think at all. I knew if my brain started spinning too much, I would definitely end up tripping. So I held tight to my escort and just kept moving.

What seemed like an eternity later, the doors to the building finally opened, seemingly on their own, and we waltzed through as they closed quietly behind us. The atmosphere was the polar opposite of the mad house outside. It was completely peaceful and the lights were dim. Soft music was just audible in the background.

"This way Miss," my escort said, and led me down a long hallway.

I loved the sound my new shoes made clicking along in the hollow halls. I'd made it through the paparazzi hurdle and my nervousness was starting to fade a little. I was almost beginning to feel like I could actually belong there. Not one person had looked at me like I was an alien yet. Amazing.

Once again, the scenery did a three sixty when we entered the main hall where the party was being held. My escort and I posed for a couple more, much less invasive pictures. Sort of like at the prom.

A few steps further and a soothing male voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please turn your attention to the front entrance as our fourth Bridesmaid, Miss Josephine McMaster, is now arriving."

All heads turned toward me. It was a miracle that I hadn't been scratching my nose or fidgeting with my dress. I smiled graciously and nodded in a few directions. Hushed whispers followed me as my escort guided me to the front of the room where the other Bridesmaids were already waiting.

Each of the girls was absolutely gorgeous. Any one of them could have made it big in the modeling world. They were all also in designer gowns, though I thought mine was the nicest.

I spotted Emma VanHorn in the center, the lady in red, between us girls and the men that I assumed must be the groomsmen, though sadly, Jake Hall was nowhere to be seen.