by Haley Travis
Her bottom lip quivered, her eyes becoming glassy with tears. “I, um...”
“Shh,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around her. Whispering into her ear, I said, “I just noticed that the photographer is locked on us.”
She tilted her chin up, then something changed in her eyes. “Okay, then let’s give him a shot,” she whispered. Stretching up, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. This was nothing like the pre-wedding kisses, or even that surprisingly steamy ceremony kiss. Her lips parted, her back arched, and she let something go – giving herself to me. Clutching the bare skin across her back, I returned the kiss as we leaned into each other.
The way her delicate fingers trailed along the back of my neck made my heart lurch, and having her tiny, sexy body pressed against mine was nearly more than I could process. Every primal force in my being screamed at me to whisk her away now, take her hot and fast until she cried out for me to never stop.
We had kissed a few times now, and each time the heat between us seemed to grow. But in this instant, I genuinely felt that she wanted me as desperately as I wanted her. Eight million dollars, my inner voice reminded me. I released her gently, kissing her softly one more time.
“I’m sorry,” she gasped, looking horrified. “Something just came over me.”
“It’s a very romantic day,” I said, taking her hand gently. “We’re absolutely soaking in romance.” That made her giggle. “If we accidentally go with the flow here and there, it’ll just help sell the show.”
She laughed louder, the high, sweet sound like birds chirping. “Right. Well, let’s give them a great show, as long as it involves some food, or I’m going to pass out!”
M I A
<<< 24 >>>
HUGE PARTY
Thank goodness for Zachary. While everyone wandered in, taking their time to be seated, a server set a glass of orange juice, cheese, and crackers in front of me.
“Zachary said that you must eat something immediately, and it’s an order.”
“Thank you,” I laughed, drinking the juice immediately, then nibbling a few bites. My stomach was tight, and I knew I had to do another lap around the room, but this blissful moment off my feet was wonderful.
I’d read about brides saying their wedding day was a blur, and I couldn’t quite understand what they meant. But I’d been surrounded by people all day since being woken by the hair and makeup team. By the time Rayanne and Lauren arrived, I’d had a very gentle facial, a manicure, a coffee, and a protein drink.
By the time all three of us had been glammed up, with a round of mimosas at some point, I was already wondering how I would make it through the whole day.
Everything had been going beautifully, but it was a lot to take in. Jacob’s elderly relatives fawned and gushed over me, and my own friends were almost afraid to touch me. My normally rowdy artsy buddies were using quieter, calmer voices around me. Their polite little embraces had a tenth of the strength of their usual bear hugs that rattled my teeth.
I’m sure that most of it was because I was in a lavish dress, and they were afraid to mess me up, but I sincerely hoped that this new version of me wouldn’t cause any sort of rift. I was the same person, maybe a little glossier. Just because I lived in a penthouse in the sky didn’t mean that I didn’t have my feet on the ground the rest of the time.
Once all of this hoopla was over, I’d be sure to go out with them and spend some time in our usual hangouts, to get back in touch. I’d been out of commission for a while since I was saving every penny for a new apartment. But now I could be the one to buy a round of drinks.
There was a little voice in my head warning me about changing too much too fast, but this was not the day for self-reflection. Today I just had to get through everything with a smile.
Jacob came over and stole a piece of cheese. “Special snacks? Aren’t you a spoiled little princess.”
“One of Zachary’s missions is to keep me hydrated, fed, and functional,” I laughed. “I have to say, he’s incredibly handy to have around. He even picked my nail polish color this morning.” I waggled my fingers at him.
“Pink.”
I poked him in the chest with one finger. “Pale earthy dusty rose.”
“That’s what I said. Pink.”
I laughed while he ate a cracker. “I guess we’ll let you take care of money and math, and I’ll take care of color choices and art. Fair enough?”
“Done,” he said. “Are you up for another round of socializing?”
I stood up, and he followed, taking my hand. “You’ve been doing an amazing job,” he whispered in my ear. “Everyone adores you, and my mother is basking in all of the attention.”
“I did spread the word to her gossipy best friend that the wedding planner was her suggestion, and she chose the venue. So really, everything is all thanks to her.”
Jacob grinned. “Brilliant. Well done.”
“Zachary won’t know, and she’s happy.”
“Also,” he said, leading me to the back of the room to a table full of his aunts and uncles, “I don’t know anything about decorations, but everyone has been raving, and saying this is the loveliest wedding they’ve ever been to. Your indie folks have done a stellar job.”
“That was part of the beauty of them telling me what was best. They know what’s in season, what blends well. I let them drive the bus and just hung on for the ride. But remember,” I laughed, “Everything good is your mother’s doing.”
“Well done, Mia. Really.”
I didn’t have time to explain how crucial it was to have Rosalind like me. I could tell from our first meeting that she obviously adored Jacob. But I didn’t realize how differently she treated her two sons. She seemed far less relaxed and loving around George, and actually snipped at him a few times as if he were an idiot.
Trying to imagine what it would be like to grow up in such a tense environment almost made me pity him. Jacob appeared oblivious, but he was busy constantly circling among his family and guests.
Although we had spread the word that it was a casual affair, his people showed up in the most expensive yet understated attire I’d ever seen. Simple dresses that would likely cost me a month’s rent, adorned with a single string of diamonds or pearls. Hair freshly coiffed, yet in a low key elegant style. It was easy for the men to just wear their perfectly tailored dark suits, each of which may have cost as much as a car to one of my musician buddies.
The pride I felt for my own friends was unfathomable. Each of them had begged, borrowed, dug up something simple yet fancy, and looked like the most polished versions of themselves. Lauren and Rayanne looked stunning, and tried to mingle a bit with Jacob’s family, but mostly stuck to our friends.
Our usually drunk guitarist buddy Cricket stayed sober for the entire evening, and looked impossibly stylish in his jet black suit and slicked back bright blue hair. He was so charming when he greeted Rosalind that she actually giggled.
I was extremely relieved that my seating arrangements had obviously worked. Everyone remembered a few conversations from our cocktail party, and once the wine was flowing freely, were actually having fun learning about each other's worlds. The artists were making jokes about corporate life, and the rich people were asking endless questions about the real life of musicians and theatre people.
The atmosphere was much more relaxed than I had anticipated, and I almost couldn’t believe that we had pulled it off.
Zachary was in the corner, and I went over to check in. “Hey,” I said, “Everything is going brilliantly. You can finally chill out.”
“Are you kidding? We still have dinner, toasts, dancing, the cake…”
“But at this point none of that matters. We could order pizza and I could play songs from my phone.”
He stared at me, then suddenly grinned from ear to ear. “My sweet little do-it-yourselfer. Zero drama, going with the flow. Oh, how I wish all brides could be just like you.”
“If you like, I could g
et upset that the wine is too delicious, or one of the flowers is ragged on one edge. I could throw my phone at something.”
He laughed, looking relaxed for the first time today. “Get out of here you little scamp. Wait.” He stared at my face. “Don’t forget to do a little powder and freshen your lipstick. Did you eat?”
“Yes, thank you. I had my juice and kindergarten snack a few minutes ago.”
“You keep nibbling and drinking non-alcoholic things all night long or I swear I’ll spank you. And not in the fun way. Get going.”
“Yes, sir,” I laughed, going back to my place at the table and managing to swallow the last of the cheese and crackers before the plate was cleared.
Lauren had been taking care of my clutch all day, and I found it on her chair. Walking quickly behind a crowd of Jacob’s family, I heard Rosalind’s voice, shrill and obviously tipsy, demanding everyone’s full attention.
“Jacob has always been a good boy, because he worked at being a good boy. He took care of his toys, read his books over and over. He never allowed himself to be bored. That’s the thing with kids these days, they must be immediately entertained at all times.”
I managed to turn the corner before she cackled, “You’d never see George with a book. If he gets bored for ten seconds he’ll start smashing something.”
I almost felt sorry for him, until Rosalind added, “It’s likely because he’s not as tall. They say the taller you are, the more successful you’ll be. So perhaps greedy, spoiled little Georgie didn’t even bother trying.”
Hurrying to the washroom, I needed to put that out of my mind and focus on the rest of the evening. I checked my face carefully before the next round of photos, adding a fresh layer of lipstick. Not having worn very much makeup over the past few years, I’d have to remember how darker lipstick truly made my eyes pop. This stuff was magical.
As I went through the hallway back to the main room, George was there as if waiting for me. This was the first time I’d run into him alone, and I took a good look at him.
Jacob was positively gorgeous, classically handsome, tall, proud shouldered, fit, and ridiculously clever. He was the obvious choice for head of the family company.
His brother looked like someone had taken a photo of Jacob, then shrunk it about seven percent, squashed it a bit vertically, and darkened everything. He was medium height, slightly out of shape, and had those dark, mean eyes that seem to come from feeling inferior and afraid. I could easily guess that he had been second fiddle his entire life.
“Hey there, new little sister,” he drawled strangely. I wasn’t sure how he was able to scowl through a cheesy fake grin. “You’ve pulled it off, apparently.” There was something odd about him, then I noticed the flask that he was tucking back into his suit pocket, and that he smelled strongly of scotch.
“Yeah,” I said casually. “I think everyone’s been having a nice time.”
“You certainly have. From coffee shop girl to fancy corporate wife in just a few weeks. You must have whiplash from the sudden social climbing.”
I had no idea what to say to that. Outwardly, I’m sure that’s what it looked like to a lot of people. “You can’t stop love,” I said lamely.
He laughed harshly. “The higher you climb, the harder you fall. Especially if you’re not used to the heights, little girl.”
“Luckily I have a wonderful man who loves me, and only wants to show me the view,” I snapped, flouncing by him. I don’t think I’d ever flounced in my life, but realized that I could blame the impossibly fancy dress for such a dramatic flourish.
Quickly walking back to my place at the table, Jacob instantly read the tension on my face. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
“We’ll talk about your mother oversharing and your tipsy brother being catty some other time,” I said, plastering a huge fake grin on my face.
He nodded cautiously, watching my eyes. “Whatever you like.”
I sat down close beside him and winked. “Just keep saying that through our whole marriage, and we’ll get along just fine.”
The dinner service, the cutting of the cake, the silly table games to determine who won the centerpiece – everything was running like a perfectly wound expensive Swiss watch.
I finally allowed myself to have a glass of wine, and nibble at a piece of cake. Zachary himself slipped another small plate of fruit and cheese in front of me, along with a huge glass of water. “Keep snacking,” he whispered. “All of this socializing in one day isn’t natural. You need energy.”
“Thanks. Nice to know I’m still being babysat.”
“Honey, I haven’t lost a bride yet, so don’t you dare be my first. Water and blood sugar. Do as you’re told. And your flats are in a little bag under your chair. Change your shoes before your feet give out completely.”
I’d never been so pampered, and adored the way Jacob pointedly laughed at me about my special treatment. I still couldn’t believe that I enjoyed the way he laughed at me. It was nice, but strange.
Then Lauren and Rayanne came over, looking worried. “Hey,” Lauren said. “Not sure if we should point it out, but George is officially becoming the drunk guy at the wedding.”
I followed her finger. “Dammit.”
“Yeah. He’s been asking everyone really weird questions about how long you’ve been together and stuff. I told him a few details, but I don’t think he believed me. He’s just being really sketchy.”
Jacob was listening intently. “He always gets odd and paranoid when he hits the booze,” he said to them apologetically. “I’ll see if Asher can me help settle him down.”
“Sorry,” Rayanne said, “I know family can be hard.”
Jacob headed for the other end of the room, and Lauren followed at a discreet distance while Rayanne stayed with me.
“Do you need anything?” she asked.
“I’m great, thanks.” Then I laughed. “Although it’s weird to have so many people checking on me.”
She laughed. “Yeah. I’ve seen you on your feet working for over fourteen hours straight. This is nothing, except for the endless chit chat about yourself instead of the menu.”
“Precisely.”
Her head turned to the back as we heard a murmur in the crowd, then a door shut almost loud enough to be a slam. In a few minutes Lauren came rushing back to us.
“I’ll be quick before jacob knows that I was spying. His brother is seriously drunk, and being a total ass. He’s pissed off that their mom didn’t have a background check done on Mia. Jacob dragged him outside, so I don’t think anyone else heard George ranting about how Mia is an actress, she’s not real, and she’s too poor to understand their lifestyle and their family. Poor Jacob is trying really hard to calm him down and not punch him in the face, I think.”
Rayanne gave my hand a squeeze. “Oh, Mia, I’m so sorry.”
I shrugged. “There was bound to be some sort of family stress.”
Jacob came back looking remarkably calm, as Rayanne and Lauren backed away a little.
“Is everything okay?” I asked lightly.
“Yes. George is in a cab home. Don’t worry about it.” He looked into my eyes, clearly seeing my concern. Reaching out to cup my face in his hand, his thumb ran along my cheekbone so softly it made me feel floaty.
The girls took another step back, and I caught Rayanne’s grin. “The toasts are starting in a minute, but we’ll give you two a second.”
I slid over to murmur in Jacob’s ear, “Are you okay?”
He nodded, his fingers trailing down my back. “Now that I’m back here with you, yes.” I could see that he truly meant it. I adored knowing that being with me made him feel better.
It was a monumental relief that Jacob had picked Asher instead of George to be the best man, so that nobody noticed he was missing when the toasts began.
Asher stood up and raised a glass. “Friends and family, I’m honored to congratulate this adorable couple. For those of you who don’t know h
im very well yet, Jacob is a solid guy. He’s honest, loyal, and always there to lend a hand. However, his life lacked a little sparkle.” Everyone laughed as he turned to me. “Then along came Mia, the sweet artsy girl, and suddenly Jacob is relaxed and smiling all the time. I’m hardly an expert in love, but I’m fairly certain that whoever compliments your life perfectly and makes you calm and happy is definitely the one. Thank you for joining our world Mia. Congratulations to the happy couple!”
