InHap*pily Ever After (Incidental Happenstance)

by DeSalvo, Kim

  Just four more days, she thought, and I can work on making my own happily ever after. She had dubbed Tia’s romance her “InHappily Ever After,” and the thought now gave her heart pause. The thought of the wedding thrilled her; but she was apprehensive about seeing Bo, and it reminded her that she’d never have an InHappily ever after of her own. Even though Tia had told her that Bo wasn’t bringing a date, and had even laughed at the idea that he had a thing going with Joi, Lexi was still saddened about the way she’d royally screwed up her relationship with him. At some point over the weekend she knew that she was going to need to at least clear the air with him, but no matter how many times she’d tried to picture it in her mind, she still had no idea how to even approach the conversation. She had no doubt that they would both handle things with all the appropriate pomp and circumstance, but Lexi hoped deep in her heart that they could fix things between them; or at least make amends. Either way, she couldn’t help but look at this weekend as her last hurrah; at least where InHap was concerned. She took a deep breath and reached into her bag, fingering the custom drum sticks she’d gotten Bo for his birthday. We’ll always have London, they read.

  Lexi hoped that the sun and fun of the weekend would also help her burn the dark spot from her heart—she hated once more having to carry a secret that threatened to make things difficult for her best friend. She had decided from the start that she could never tell Tia the real reason Ryan had thrown away their relationship—could never allow her to know that it was because he couldn’t handle the daunting depth of Dylan’s shadow and the fact that he’d never be able to give Lexi the life her best friend was getting. People would ask, she knew, and she really didn’t have a good answer. She’d just have to tell them she didn’t want to talk about it. Almost as much as she wanted this weekend to get started, a part of her looked forward to it being over, and she hated herself for that.

  She took a deep cleansing breath as the car turned onto the frontage road that led to the little airport and pushed the thoughts from her mind. Her demons were her own, and she planned to keep them that way. Ah well, she was going to enjoy the hell out of this weekend, and now that it was finally here, she couldn’t wait to get it started.

  She saw the small group standing around the tarmac as the car pulled up, and she hopped out to hug Tia’s parents and grandparents. “So, what’s the final prediction?” she asked with a smile.

  Danielle grinned. “I’m going with Hawaii, and Will’s thinking St. Lucia. How about you?”

  “I’m going to go with Aruba,” Lexi said. “I’m definitely thinking Caribbean—or maybe I’m just hoping, because I really want some palm trees and crystal blue water.” She turned to Tia’s grandparents, Russ and Loretta. “Do you have a guess?”

  “I haven’t even tried,” Loretta said. “I’m still trying to get over the fact that I’m getting on an airplane! Seventy-three years I’ve been on this earth,” she said, “and my feet have never left the ground. I thought I’d keep it that way, but I wouldn’t miss this wedding for the world.”

  They all looked up anxiously as the small jet touched down and taxied up the runway toward them. Lexi bounced restlessly on the balls of her feet as she grinned at Tia’s parents and shared in their mounting excitement. When the plane came to a stop, the steps came down and Ty stepped through the open doorway.

  “You folks need a ride?” he asked excitedly.

  “Ty!” Lexi exclaimed, dropping her bag and running over to hug him. “It’s so good to see you!”

  Tommy hopped out next and then Angelo, both pulling Lexi into friendly hugs. “Thought we’d stretch our legs for a few before the second part of the trip,” Angelo remarked, pushing his palms toward the sky and stepping up on the balls of his feet.

  Lexi looked to the stairs once again, hoping, but Bo did not appear.

  “Ah, Bo went out yesterday with Dyl and T,” he said, interpreting her look.

  “I thought he might,” she said with a forced smile and she wrapped her arm around Ty’s waist and turned to introduce the boys. “Ty Waters, Tommy Fletcher and Angelo Isely,” she said, indicating each man in turn, “these are Tia’s grandparents, Russ and Loretta. You remember Will and Danielle.”

  They exchanged greetings and turned as they heard the clatter of feet on the steps once more. “Good morning,” a petite brunette in a flight uniform said brightly, “and welcome aboard. My name is Leigh, and I’ll be taking care of you today.” She held a plastic tote in one hand, and a box of storage bags and markers in the other. “As you know, I’ll need to collect your cell phones before you board; just a formality; they’ll be returned to you when you head for home.”

  They’d already been told that this would happen, and had their devices in their hands, in bags already labeled with their names. Each of the guests introduced themselves to Leigh, and handed over their phones before stepping onto the plane.

  The jet was opulent—that was the only word Lexi could conjure as she took in the interior of the Gulfstream. There were several plush leather chairs and long couches along the sides to accommodate groups of people. Tables of heavily polished dark wood shone like glass, and a well-appointed bar was set up just inside the door. She heard the low whistles of Tia’s parents as their eyes swept the interior of the aircraft.

  “Well, it sure ain’t United,” Will said. “This is some serious first class!”

  “If you’ll all take your seats,” Leigh informed them, “we’ve been given clearance for take-off. I wish I could tell you where we’re going, but they haven’t shared that information with me just yet. Once we get in the air, I have champagne for all of you—I understand this is a celebration!”

  The excitement on the plane was palpable—the champagne flowed freely, they nibbled on hors d’oeuvres, and the group enjoyed getting to know one another. The layout of the plane made it easy—all the chairs swiveled so that they could all be involved in conversation, and the chatter never stopped. The boys turned on their natural charms, and Lexi felt all the stress slide from her body as she enjoyed the company of some of her favorite people in the world. They were just over two hours into their flight when Loretta exclaimed, “We’re over water!”

  They all turned to the windows and peered out. Sure enough, there was nothing but blue below them, with tiny whitecaps that could only be waves.

  “So we are leaving the country, it seems,” Will said. “I can’t wait to get another stamp on my passport—but really, I can’t wait to find out where we’re going.”

  “Oh!” Lexi exclaimed. “I’m so hoping for palm trees, turquoise water, and warm sand! Now that’s a perfect setting for the wedding of the year.”

  Danielle smiled wide. “I still can’t believe my baby’s getting married—and in such grand fashion—I’m positively giddy!”

  Will laughed and put his arm around her. “You don’t think that maybe the champagne has anything to do with that, do you?” he asked rhetorically.

  “Oh, maybe,” she answered, “but who cares? I am just loving life right now. Here we are, on a beautiful private jet, sipping Moet, heading for an unknown tropical destination—who wouldn’t be at least a little bit giddy?”

  “Here’s to that!” Angelo offered, holding up his glass. They toasted the happy couple, and watched the window for the arrival of what they hoped would be a lush island rising up from the ocean.

  “Welcome to the Islands of the Bahamas!” Leigh said as the plane touched down. They’d watched in anticipation from the windows as the island came into view—the indescribable colors of the Caribbean Sea swirling below them and the palm trees taking shape. “You can just keep your seats—immigration will come aboard and clear you all, and then there’s a van that’ll take you the rest of the way,” she explained.

  “Where exactly is our final destination?” Will asked.

  “I honestly don’t know,” Leigh answered, “but I sure wish I was joining you. Along with the rest of the world, I’ll be watching the TV, hoping t
o catch a glimpse of the wedding—I imagine it’ll be spectacular. Could you please give my best wishes to the happy couple? Not like they’ll care, but it’s kind of cool only having two degrees of separation between me and Dylan Miller.”

  The van dropped them at a long pier that jutted out into the ocean, dotted on both sides with spectacular vessels. Several Bahamian men in white suits rushed over to take their bags, and led them down the pier to the end, where the most amazing yacht of them all was docked. “No way!” Lexi whispered to Ty. “Is that for us?”

  Tommy shook his head. “Leave it to Dyl to make sure his guests arrive in style.”

  Sure enough, they were led up the ramp into what could only be described as complete and utter luxury. It was almost unbelievable—absolutely no detail was spared. There were three decks, and as they wandered around the incredible spaces, it was hard to believe they were on a boat. They made their way up to the top deck, where a group of people were already chatting and nibbling from platters of fresh fruits, shrimp cocktails, and other culinary delights.

  “Hello there!” A beautiful blonde woman with a heavy Australian accent broke from the group and rushed over to them. Lexi guessed that she must be Dylan’s mother; she could see the resemblance immediately. She headed straight for the boys and pulled them into a warm group embrace as the rest of the group turned to welcome them. Lexi hadn’t expected to feel such a rush of emotion, but her heart soared when she saw Dylan’s friends from Northampton waving frantically and making their way over for hugs and hellos. They all gushed over introductions and raised their crystal glasses in toasts as the boat pulled away from the dock and made its way out to sea.

  They had barely left the port when a local band fired up some pure Caribbean music and they were dancing within minutes; laughing and changing partners as the mainland grew smaller and smaller in the distance. It was nearly an hour before they approached another, smaller island, and the yacht glided effortlessly up to the pier. They hung over the deck railing to read the sign that greeted them: “La Bienvenida a Isla Lujoso.” Below that, in smaller letters, it read, “A. Granger, Proprietor.”

  “I should have known!” Ty mused. “Why didn’t I think of it?” He knew that Granger had his own freaking island, and that he and Dylan were good friends—why hadn’t he guessed that the secret location of the wedding might be here?

  By the time they made their way down to disembark, Tia and Dylan were jogging down the pier hand in hand to greet them, with a woman balancing a tray of fruity tropical drinks following behind them. Cameras on floating rafts were on either side of the pier, capturing the reactions of the first group to arrive.

  “Welcome to my wedding in paradise!” Tia exclaimed, rushing to hug everyone and welcome them to the island. “It’s so amazing here, I can’t wait to show you!”

  “It’s just breathtaking!” Danielle gushed, taking in the scenery. A powdery beach sprawled off to the left of the main pier; dotted with cabanas, palapas and colorful beach chairs. Tropical flowers burst from artistic pots, and lush foliage rose up over rolling hills in the background. To the right, a number of smaller piers jutted out over the turquoise water, playing host to jet skis, kayaks, paddle boats, small sailboats, and several other vessels. Many of the piers featured little gazebos at the ends, overlooking the sea, and Lexi tried to gauge in which direction the sunset would light up the sky. In the distance they could see the rise of a few buildings, thatched roofs that blended beautifully with the surrounding landscape. There was a feeling of seclusion and privacy here, and they were all excited to see more.

  “Come and have a tour!” Tia exclaimed. “Paradise is the only word for it—I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect place for my wedding!” Dylan pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly.

  The place was nothing short of spectacular. Tony met them on the main plaza; a huge open-air deck that would play host to the wedding reception, and took everyone on the grand tour. “Everything on the island was designed to blend into the natural environment,” he said, “and the entire resort is self-sustaining and ecofriendly. It has its own desalination plant on the far side of the island to provide pure water, solar panels to generate electricity, and gardens to provide all the flowers and organic fruits and vegetables. The workers are all locals, and have their own comfortable living quarters on the other side of the island. They’re paid a fair wage, and are sequestered here for the duration of any stay to assure the anonymity of the guests; plus there’s uncompromised security—cameras all over the island are monitored constantly so anyone can stay here and maintain total privacy.” He smiled. “At least that’s the plan. This is the first test of the whole place, really.” A cameraman wearing a Travel Channel shirt recorded Tony’s words as well as the reactions of the guests.

  “Every part of the wedding is Tony’s gift to us,” Dylan explained. “He’s planning to open this place next month to paying guests, and wanted to do a test run to make sure everything’s working the way he wants it to before he starts taking exorbitant amounts of money from people.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s a little more to it than that,” Tony added, waving off the looks of amazement from the little tour group. “This is a business venture, too, and I’m going to get a lot more out of it than I put in. I consider it a personal favor to me that Dylan and Tia agreed to have their wedding here. It’s obviously the event of the year, and I get first dibs on all the pictures and videos for my show and a magazine where I hold a majority interest. Then, when the Travel Channel approached me and wanted to do a show about the island, I knew I couldn’t do it with paying guests, but that it would be a lot more interesting if there were actually people here. This is a big deal—the fact that they’re letting me film some of the wedding—which will keep their fans happy and still let them have a private celebration; plus the fact that Dylan and his new bride are the very first ones to stay here; it will make this a sought-after destination for a long time to come. Dylan and Tia maintain control not only of their wedding, but of any images or videos that go out. Everybody wins.”

  “Everyone but me,” a voice behind them said as Tony turned toward the main building.

  “Jessa!” Lexi exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the tiny woman and lifting her off the ground.

  “About time you got here, Lex, I need another strong woman to help me control this asshole,” she teased, pointing at Tony. “The man doesn’t want to do anything but work, and he thinks I’m at his beck and call. Tia’s hopeless—no help whatsoever. Now that you’re here, I can finally relax a little bit. Where’d you get those frosty drinks?”

  Tony looked surprised, just for a moment, before he got the joke. “I’m a task master?” he laughed. “I can’t even keep up with you! Really,” he said, turning to Dylan, “how do you put up with her? She’s bossier than all my ex-wives put together.” He shook his head at Jessa, but in the same motion, waved to an employee behind the desk who rushed to get Jessa one of the frozen concoctions.

  Tony led them then through the main building, well-appointed with marble, chandeliers, and comfortable seating, glaring once more at Jessa before continuing. “Now if I can pick up where I left off before I was so rudely interrupted…” Jessa scratched her cheek very deliberately with her middle finger, making a face at Tony before graciously thanking the stunning woman who’d appeared with a pina colada. “The Wi-Fi can be turned on or off, depending on the guests’ preferences, but there’s a hard-wired computer in here and phone communication with the main islands. Dylan and Tia have opted not to allow the use of cell phones to make sure there aren’t any breaches of the location before the wedding.”

  They walked out a set of French doors back onto the huge wooden deck; where the beach and Caribbean Sea greeted them.

  “Well, that concludes my tour,” Tony said, smiling. “I really hope you all enjoy your stay here, and remember—you’re kind of my test audience. I want to know if there’s anything that isn’t perfect—any little thing at all�
�so I can make sure everything’s in working order before I open next month. It’s great to have all the rooms full so that everything can be put to the test, and I want to know if there’s not enough hot water for the showers, if doors squeak, if your towels aren’t the softest ones you’ve ever used—seriously, anything. It’ll really help me a lot.”

  He lifted his hand and spun his index finger in a circle, and four Bahamian men appeared within seconds. “These gentlemen will show you to your rooms,” he said, “and will bring your bags up right away so you have a chance to freshen up. Feel free to explore the island at your leisure; there are some brochures in your rooms that tell about the many amenities of the resort, and you’re free to use all of them. You can ask any of the staff if you have questions; in fact, I encourage you to. They’ve all been trained, of course, but it would be great practice for them to interact with the guests.

  “We’ve set up a spot on the beach under one of the cabanas to do some preliminary interviews for the Travel Channel show. It’s completely voluntary, of course, but I sure would appreciate if you’d consider it…you can go as couples, if you want to. Since it’s a small group tonight, we’re going to have a barbeque on the beach in a few hours. Until then, they’ll be setting up a little buffet here in just a bit. I hope you enjoy your accommodations, and I’ll see you all back here for lunch.”

  As Tia and Dylan’s families waited for everyone to gather on the comfortable deck, Jessa breezed through with a notepad and a pen, scribbling notes and then tucking the end of pen in the corner of her mouth. She was in her business mode, and didn’t stop to make small talk; telling Lexi and Tia she’d be done in about a half hour. She orchestrated the placement of silver trays laden with fresh tropical fruits, cold salads, fresh breads, and deserts, and then buzzed out with a look of concentration on her face.