Piece of Cake: The Wedding

by Gun Brooke

  “Your room.” Not even looking at Harrison or Jasmine, she strode past the three of them toward Kendal’s room. There she waited with obvious impatience while Kendal fished the key out of her pearl-embroidered clutch.

  Inside, Kendal knew she had to stand her ground. “I was actually coming to see you, but you beat me to it. We need to call this charade off. Marriage should be about love, friendship, loyalty, and—”

  “I agree. You should be on the lookout for the woman of your dreams and not waste three years on someone else’s career rescue.” Holly flicked a hand through the air as if her until-now-so-all-important career was suddenly nothing.

  “And you?”

  “I—I’ll go home to Scotland. To Edinburgh. With a bit of luck, I’ll regain my position at the firm I started out in. They always said they’d take me back no matter when.”

  “Selling sewing machines?” Kendal could hardly believe her ears. “You’re ready to throw away your career as CEO here in East Quay and go back to that little hole-in-the-wall company where you worked eighteen-some years ago? That’s insane.”

  “It’s an honest living,” Holly said through her teeth. “It beats fretting over the humiliation of being deported or, for that matter, of entering a loveless marriage to a much-younger woman who’s bound to end up hating me for wasting three years of her youth.”

  “But you said this would be a marriage of friendship, at the very least. You didn’t seem to have many misgivings on my part before.”

  “Because you seemed eager to help me out. You made most of the plans, and I honestly thought you enjoyed working with the wedding planner.”

  Kendal had enjoyed it. In fact, some days she’d been so wrapped up in the fantasy of winning Holly’s love that she’d literally bounced up the stairs to the wedding planner’s office.

  “I agreed to this to help you. I enjoy working with you, and it seemed like such a waste for you to lose your position and all you’ve achieved because of an oversight when it comes to your visa status.” Kendal’s voice sank. “I didn’t want you to have to leave. It just wouldn’t be the same.”

  “Same as what?” Holly asked huskily. She still stood just inside the door, as if walking farther into the room would somehow trap her.

  Kendal shrugged but also felt her cheeks go warm. “The thought of you not being there just didn’t seem right.” She begged to higher entities that Holly wouldn’t demand she elaborate.

  “I admit that I enjoy my job so much partly because I work well with you, and also because you manage to grease the cogs while working with the rest of the staff. You make my life so much easier, and I’d hate, absolutely loathe, robbing you of three years. It’s insanity.”

  “And I figure I can’t marry you under false pretenses and risk resenting you later on. Looks like we agree. Again.” As her heart slowly cracked and shattered into a multitude of pieces, Kendal knew her heart had suffered irreparable damage. Letting Holly go after listening to the woman she adored list reason after reason for not marrying her was by far the most painful experience of her life.

  “What do you mean by ‘false pretenses’?” Holly had been folding her arms across her chest but now let go and moved her hands to her hips.

  This wasn’t good. Trust Holly to home in on the one thing Kendal shouldn’t have let slip. “Pretending I could do it, when in fact, it’s impossible. I just can’t.” Kendal stepped back. She couldn’t face Holly. No doubt, she radiated contempt the way she sometimes did when a business contact underestimated her.

  “Because you suddenly realized what you’d be giving up. How tied down you’d be and what a performance you’d have to put on the first year at least, before immigration left me, no, us alone.”

  Her voice sounded stark now, almost as it did when Holly dressed down an employee for incompetence. She was criticizing Kendal for doing what Holly had intended—only for slightly different reasons.

  Kendal rounded on Holly. “What are your true reasons for calling off the wedding—other than your altruistic nonsense of standing in the way of me finding my own true love?”

  Holly had stepped closer and now flinched. “I have no other reason. That’s it.”

  “That doesn’t make sense.” Kendal shook her head. “You sound like you want to leave me at the altar because you care too much.”

  “In a sense that’s true. I care about you—your happiness. I’d be made of stone if I didn’t! We’ve been together almost twenty-four seven for the past few weeks. I know I have a reputation for being a stone-cold bitch at times, but never toward you. I think you can agree with that much at least.” Holly opened and closed her hands repeatedly, and Kendal wondered if she was aware of her gesture.

  “Our time together outside of work, despite those horrible interviews by immigration, have been great. I’ve enjoyed myself, and, well, I’ve wondered what it would be like to live by your side and learn more about the private Holly McAllister.” Her voice softening, Kendal saw some of the tension leave Holly’s eyes.

  “I found much of the courtship, such as it was, memorable too. You’re not the only one trying to look into the future, as impossible as that is. Your sister told me you’re a catch, and that’s just putting it mildly. You’re just not my catch. I have to learn to live with that fact.”

  “Wait…what? Wait.” Kendal held up a hand. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I…” Holly looked trapped. The woman who could stare down a room full of businessmen and women who ate assistants like Kendal for an hors d’oeuvre, now looked like she was ready to bolt.

  “You said you think I’m a catch. That’s nice of you, but at no time during our engagement have you ever seemed to find me the least bit attractive.” Kendal knew she was heading for deep waters, but as she was opting out of this wedding scam, all she could do was tread water and demand the truth.

  “Of course you’re attractive. Do you think I’m blind or, worse, stupid? You’re an amazingly beautiful woman. More important, you’re kind, funny, and caring.” Holly gripped the back of the chair next to her. “And of course sexy as hell.”

  This last part nearly sent Kendal to her knees. “What?” she whispered.

  “I can’t be the first person to tell you that? I see how both men and women look at you.”

  Kendal had to sit down. “If I’m all that…why…why haven’t you…?”

  Holly chuckled mirthlessly. “Why haven’t I tried to bed you?” She shook her head in what had to be dismay. “What kind of person would that make me? You’re doing me this tremendous favor so my life can go on unhindered, and you wonder why I don’t take advantage of your body as well as your entire life for the next three years. You can’t think very much of me if you imagine I’d do something like that.” Holly dug her fingers into the upholstery.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t see it that way. You have to realize this is shocking for me to hear. I was dead sure you could see me only as your assistant. Don’t get me wrong. You’ve been kind and friendly, I’ve no complaints, but you’re a good actress since you could hide what you really thought so well.”

  “What are you saying? Do you imply you would’ve wanted me to come on to you?” Holly pursed her lips. “I can’t imagine why you would.”

  “No, I wouldn’t have thought you’d come on to me just like that, even if I’d known you found me the least bit attractive. But I thought you were indifferent to me, and that made me realize I couldn’t go on with this. It’s one thing to help you fool immigration and save your career. That’s fine. But to live with a woman who doesn’t care enough to even find me attractive or appealing in any way…that thought made it impossible for me to go on. So when you wanted to call off the wedding, no matter your reasons, I’d already made that decision too.”

  “Why would it matter so much to you what I think?” Holly slowly let go of the backrest before her and rounded the chair. Her shantung silk dress whispered around her legs, and the sound made Kendall shiver.

 
; “It’s not vanity.” Kendal tried to explain without revealing how she truly felt. “It’s not that I need to know from everyone around me if they find me appealing. It’s—I mean, it’s—” She stopped talking and looked down at her flowers. “You’re such a strong woman. You put the fear of God in everyone you meet, and your word is law at the office to a degree where people grab themselves by the hair and perform impossible tasks just to please you. When you tell me you find me attractive, kind, and what not, it’s scary. It actually means something, as you’re also such a private woman. Not to mention hot and sexy as hell.” Kendal wanted to slap her hand over her mouth to force the last sentence back through her vocal cords.

  “Fearsome, hot, and sexy?” Now Holly smiled faintly. Her intricately done blond hair glistened under the ceiling light and sent sparkles into her hazel eyes.

  “Yes. Actually.”

  “And that’s what you think of me. Honestly?” Holly took a few steps closer, making Kendal have to tip her head back to meet her gaze.

  “Honestly.”

  “Am I the only one who thinks this is a surreal conversation to have on your wedding day?” Holly rubbed the back of her neck.

  “I suppose most people getting married are already aware of each other’s, uhm, allure.”

  Holly smiled that faint, certainly enticing, smile of hers again. “Yes.”

  Kendal had to be on an equal footing with Holly and stood on slightly unsteady legs. Holly stepped closer and placed a hand on her hip. “Easy. You’re dizzy, aren’t you?”

  “A little bit. Talk about wedding jitters. I might become the type of bride, or former bride in our case, that faints well before the wedding.” Kendal tried to laugh at her own lame joke, but the concern in Holly’s gaze prevented it. Instead, Holly cupped her cheek and looked intently at her.

  “Don’t faint on me now. That’s an order.”

  “Okay.” Kendal blinked to get the blurriness out of her eyes. “There. Better.”

  Holly didn’t answer, but instead she slid her hand to the back of Kendal’s neck and held her gently. Without further hesitation, she pressed her lips to Kendal’s. The kiss was firm and almost relentless, but she didn’t deepen it. Instead, Holly explored Kendal’s mouth by gently giving her short little kisses from one side to the other.

  Kendal could hardly breathe. The flowery scent of Holly’s perfume filled her senses and permeated her skin where it lingered. She raised her arms slowly and wrapped them around Holly’s waist. She didn’t quite dare pull Holly closer, but she had to hold on to something, or she might just faint after all.

  “Mmm. Even better than I imagined,” Holly murmured dreamily as she let go of Kendal and took a step back.

  “Imagined?” Kendal asked huskily.

  “What? Oh. Yes.” Holly’s cheekbones turned the loveliest shade of pink. “I admit I may have indulged in a fantasy or two.”

  Holly had fantasized about her? Kendal pinched herself to keep from gasping out loud. “Glad I’m not the only one.” Of course she spoke before thinking, as usual. Kendal shifted restlessly as Holly’s gaze kept her prisoner.

  “Me too.” Holly tilted her head the way Kendal had learned meant she was contemplating how to phrase something. “Now that we both recognize our mutual attraction, do you think we can manage to live together for at least three years?”

  *

  Holly’s stomach did a few flips before she dared to draw a new breath. She hadn’t tipped her hand completely when it came to how she truly felt about Kendal. After their kisses, at least she knew Kendal wasn’t indifferent to her. The way Kendal had wrapped her arms around her waist proved that. The careful, but oh-so-sweet way Kendal had returned the kisses confirmed it as well.

  “You mean we can go through with our plans because we know we’re physically…interested? Or compatible?” Kendal still held on to Holly, but her eyes were full of questions.

  “Before, we only knew we worked well together and shared a certain companionship. I’ve trusted you with more information, private and work-related, than anyone else. Now…now we have yet another thing in common. That can suggest the next three years can be better than if we didn’t share this attraction.” Holly tried to explain but felt she did a poor job of it. Judging from the frown between Kendal’s eyebrows, she agreed.

  “And you would get your way when it comes to immigration.” Kendal let go of Holly but didn’t step away. “What would we be exactly? Fuck buddies?”

  Flinching at the unexpectedly crude word, Holly looked away for a moment. “Our initial agreement was to enter this marriage from a professional standpoint and as friends. If that’s what you’d rather do—”

  “We were both calling this wedding off, remember? Only moments ago we’d both realized how crazy this is, and I don’t know about your reason, but mine is still valid if you think you can tempt me with a three-year relationship where I’m supposed to put out as well.”

  “Kendal! Please.” Holly couldn’t believe this was how Kendal saw her.

  “Why do you think I agreed to marry you for your immigration status purposes in the first place?” Kendal tilted her head. “Take a guess.”

  “Because you’re…you’re kind. We work well together and have built the East Coast office from nothing. I figured you wouldn’t want to see that in someone else’s hands if I had to resign.” Holly couldn’t imagine anything else.

  “That’s part of it, yes. Anything else come to mind?” This new Kendal, a woman with something resembling disdain in her eyes, spoke in a short, cropped manner.

  “I still maintain that your kind heart is the biggest part of it.” Holly’s hands trembled so badly now, she had to clasp them behind her.

  “I care about you,” Kendal said stiffly. “I care, and that’s probably more than you bargained for. I wish I could be more like you and turn my emotions on and off.”

  “More like me?” Holly’s heart slowed its pace, and she became cold.

  “Yes.”

  “Let me get this straight. You say you care about me, yet you…” The lump forming at the base of her throat made it hard to swallow. “Yet you don’t see the difference between not allowing anyone at work to see my true emotions for business reasons and not feeling the emotions at all.” Kendal’s words stung more than Holly thought possible. She certainly hadn’t anticipated those words coming from her good-natured assistant.

  Kendal blanched. “Hey, I didn’t mean you were unfeeling in any way—”

  “That’s interesting, since that’s exactly what you said. Turn feelings off. That’s the definition of ‘unfeeling’—not feeling anything.” Holly was back in CEO mode and hated it, but it was the only way she knew to deal with such pain.

  “I do care,” Kendal whispered.

  “Heaven help me if you stopped ‘caring.’”

  “Please, Holly. Don’t go all business tycoon on me.” Kendal placed a trembling hand on Holly’s upper arm. “Please.”

  If Kendal had sounded at all disdainful, Holly would have hissed a few well-placed venomous words, but seeing tears form at the inner corners of Kendal’s eyes changed everything. So, Kendal clearly cared enough to act entirely out of character, which, strangely enough, made Holly think Kendal was being truthful. “All right. Let’s stop being so damn sensitive. Both of us. So you care. What does that even mean?”

  Kendal gripped Holly’s arm a little tighter. “That I care more about you than is advisable, since you’re my boss.”

  Now this was different altogether. “Does this caring coincide with the attraction?” Holly loosened her clasped hands and patted Kendal’s cold hand.

  “It does.” Swallowing hard, Kendal studied her nails.

  “Oh, Kendal, we’re such fools.” Holly sighed and pulled Kendal down to sit next to her on the loveseat. “I care about you. Of course I do. I could never have asked you to marry me if I didn’t think the world of you. And no, before you jump to conclusions, I didn’t mean just as your boss. As your siste
r said, you’re a catch. If you care the least bit about me, that’s more than I ever thought possible. You’re so friendly to every person you meet that it’s not easy to determine if you consider me a stranger.”

  Kendal smiled wistfully. “I can’t have done a good job of making the woman I was supposed to marry feel special if you think that.” She cupped Holly’s cheek. “Perhaps I was so anxious you’d notice how alluring I find you, I overcompensated.”

  “Alluring?” Holly’s heart picked up speed and gradually returned to a more normal rhythm. “You expect me to believe you found me so enticing you decided to remain completely aloof in your friendly way so I wouldn’t notice? Even after I asked you to marry me?”

  “You didn’t ask me to marry you.” Kendal didn’t waver. “You asked me to help you out with an immigration dilemma. That’s a big difference.”

  Holly drew a few deep breaths. “Yes. Of course.”

  “So after a minor panic attack I accepted because, not only do I find you entirely gorgeous, but I truly wanted to help you.”

  “And now you’ve changed your mind.”

  “I have.”

  “Because?”

  Kendal jutted her chin out, apparently not about to sugarcoat anything. “I changed my mind, not because my sister was on my case again, but because you might end up breaking my heart.”

  Holly hadn’t seen that one coming. She tried to fathom the enormity of Kendal’s words, wondering if she was reading too much into them. “I had no idea I wielded such power,” she said huskily.

  “And if that’s the case? Does that make me selfish? Weak?” Kendal raised her chin in a clear challenge.

  “No. No, it doesn’t. It makes you human—and smart.” Holly knew all about protecting one’s innermost secrets and feelings. As an ambitious woman set on making it in the international world of business, she had to cut corners and occasionally debate whether to sell her soul to the devil to reach a financial goal. She’d forged ahead through this hoax wedding since it benefitted her and only realized belatedly, but not too late, she hoped, how she’d toyed with someone else’s life.