Bliss, Inc. (Indigo Love Spectrum)

by Chamein Canton

  “I’ll have him back Sunday evening.”

  “Good.” She walked upstairs.

  Paige kicked her shoes off and fell onto her bed fully clothed. She heard the car doors slam and the sound of the car as it drove away.

  Her phone rang. She was too tired to answer it but too curious not to.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Paige. Were you sleeping?”

  The sound of Matthew’s voice perked her up. “No. I’m just a little tired.”

  “Long day?”

  “Longer than I thought it would be. How was your day?”

  “Not bad. I’m happy the weekend’s here.”

  “You’re ready for the ball?”

  “Yes I’ll be there with bells on.”

  “I like to hear that.” She yawned. “Listen, I’d better let you get some rest. We have a big night coming up.”

  “I’m ready. Good night, hon.”

  “Good night.”

  Paige managed to get out of her clothes before she fell asleep in her slip.

  CHAPTER 18

  Fully rested Paige baked a little more than a dozen or so scones and packaged them in a bakery box and then, with the beverage service in the back seat, she stopped at Dunkin Donuts and picked up two decaffeinated Boxes O’ Joe on her way to Alison’s house. When she pulled onto Alison’s street she could see that Stuart and Deidre were already there.

  “Good morning, guys,” she said as she got out of the Land Rover.

  Stuart hurried over to get the bakery boxes from her. “Hey, boss lady. I see you’ve been busy.”

  “I had to be. There’s nothing like a morning wedding to wake you up.”

  Deidre was pacing.

  “Good grief.” Paige muttered. “Deidre, come over here and make yourself useful.”

  “I’m sorry, Paige.”

  “It’s no big deal. I need you to take the coffee out.”

  She took the boxes off the back seat.

  Paige took the beverage service. “Okay everyone, let’s look lively.”

  They walked to the door, where Alison’s parents met them.

  “Good morning, parents of the bride. Are you ready for the big day?”

  “Paige, I can’t believe it’s here already.” Maria wiped her eyes.

  Paige put her arms around her. “I know, but she’s going to be a beautiful bride and you’re gaining a handsome son-in-law.” Paige couldn’t help flashing ahead a few months when she’d be losing her own son to college. She took a deep breath to stay centered and on task.

  “You’re right. It’s a happy day,” Maria agreed.

  “How are you, Louis?”

  “I’m keeping it together.” He winked.

  “Good.”

  Alison’s cousin Pam tapped Paige on the shoulder. “Alison is upstairs and ready for you. It’s the second door on the left.”

  “Thanks.”

  After Deidre left the coffee on the table Paige poured it into two different pots, one for the bridal party and the other for her special bridal tray. Once Paige made sure the bridal tray was perfect, Stuart and Deidre finished setting up the bridal party table. Soon Alison’s party was milling around upstairs.

  Paige put her tray down for a moment and then clapped her hands. “Okay, ladies!”

  The talking died down.

  “If you would please follow me.” Paige led them to the room where Stuart and Deidre set up breakfast.

  “Okay, ladies, please enjoy the semi-continental breakfast. The coffee is decaf so there’s less of a need to run to the bathroom before or worse, during, the ceremony.”

  They laughed.

  “If you want tea either Stuart or Deidre can put a pot of water on for you.”

  “Once you’ve eaten I need you to get dressed. I can see that Barbara has taken care of everyone’s hair and Tony has done the makeup. Please remember that you are to step into your dress. Please don’t pull it over your head.”

  Pam raised her hand. “Paige?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can I ask you where you got these scones? They’re delicious.”

  “As the baker, I will take the compliment.”

  She looked surprised. “You made these?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did. Just call it nervous energy.”

  “You have to plan my wedding. I don’t have the groom yet, but when I do you are the first one I’m going to call.” Pam grinned.

  “Thanks, Pam. In the meantime, ladies, I have divided you up into two groups.

  “Lauren, Lucy, Nell, Phyllis, and Alexis, your dresses are in Alison’s room. Each dress bag has your name on it. You can take your breakfast with you.”

  The first group filed out.

  “All right, that leaves Tina, Rose, Joanne, Susan, and Pam. You’re in Evan’s room.”

  The second group filed out. Paige looked at her watch. It was nearly nine o’clock and the photographer would be arriving around ten, give or take a couple of minutes.

  Maria met Paige in the upstairs hallway.

  “How on earth did you get them to quiet down, Paige?”

  “I fed them.”

  She laughed.

  “Shall we go inside and see how your daughter is doing?”

  “I’d love nothing more.”

  They entered the room. Barbara had finished Alison’s hair and was in the process of putting her headpiece on. Her mother got choked up. “Oh, darling, you look so beautiful.”

  She smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

  The two of them were getting emotional.

  “Okay now, let’s not cry. Remember your makeup, Alison.”

  They both laughed.

  A few minutes Paige helped her get into her gown. The slightly off-white gown complemented her skin tone and brunette hair.

  “You look exquisite.”

  “Thanks, Paige.”

  “Paige, we have a problem,” Paige heard through the door.

  Alison was alarmed. “What kind of problem?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’s something simple,” Alison’s mother reassured her daughter.

  “Just concentrate on how beautiful you look and I’ll be right back.” Paige stepped into the hallway.

  “Both Susan and Lauren’s hems came out,” Pam explained.

  “Okay, that’s not a problem. Follow me, please.”

  They went down the hall to another room. Paige took her phone out. “Stuart?”

  “Yes, Paige?”

  “Please have Deidre come upstairs with my footstool and sewing kit. They’re in my car.”

  “Will do.”

  A couple of minutes later Paige had her footstool and sewing kit. She repaired the loose hems with white Velcro in a jiffy.

  “There you go.”

  “Oh, wow, that’s a smart idea. I never thought to use Velcro,” Pam said.

  “It’s the easiest thing in the world, especially since I can’t sew to save my life. I can do buttons and zippers and maybe a few patches, but that’s it.”

  Paige’s team kept everything on time and on schedule. By the time the photographer finished taking pictures it was time to hand the wedding over to Stuart and Deidre, whether Deidre liked it or not. Paige wanted to spend a little time decompressing before the limo showed up.

  * * *

  Adriana called Sinclair and Iris for Paige. Sinclair lived in Manhattan so it wasn’t a problem for him at all. Iris lived in the Bronx, so getting there wasn’t a problem for her either. The car picked Paige up at twelve-thirty and a little over an hour later Paige arrived at the Kleins, dress and overnight bag in tow.

  Paige was surprised when Jennifer answered the door.

  “Hi, Paige, come on in.”

  “Thanks, Jennifer.”

  Raymond, the driver, followed Paige in. “Where would you like me to put these, Ms. Klein?”

  “Just put them in my room, Raymond. Thank you.”

  “So how are you, Jennifer?”

  “I’m good.
I’m very excited about tonight and my dress.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Let’s go to the kitchen. Charles made some coffee and cookies.”

  “Nice. Where is Charles?”

  “He went to the tailor to pick up my father’s tuxedo.”

  “Is the coffee decaf?” Paige asked.

  “Oh, yes. Who wants to make a million bathroom trips?”

  “Right.”

  Paige followed her into a state-of-the-art kitchen. She was floored by all the amenities. “This is beautiful.”

  “Thanks. My parents had it renovated about a year ago.”

  “It’s certainly cutting edge.”

  Jennifer got a couple of mugs from the cabinet. The cream and sugar were already on the table next to the cookies. She poured the coffee.

  “Thanks.” Paige noticed that Jennifer seemed more relaxed. “Are your parents home?”

  “No, Mom had an appointment with Harry Winston. They’ll be back in a while.”

  Paige fixed her coffee and took a few sips. “So, Jennifer, where are you and Michael planning to live after the wedding? If you don’t mind my asking.”

  “I don’t mind. We’re closing on a two bedroom loft in SoHo in a couple of weeks. Michael’s moving in first, so all I will have to do is move my things in a little at a time. Once we’re back from honeymooning in Greece our little nest will be ready.”

  “You’ve got it all figured out.”

  “Pretty much. Eventually I’d like to open an art gallery in SoHo to showcase new artists. I was an art history major at Sarah Lawrence.”

  “I didn’t know you went to Sarah Lawrence.”

  “I loved it there.”

  “The college years are a great time in life for a lot of people.”

  “Where did you and Siobhan go to school?”

  “Siobhan went to F.I.T. and enrolled in a few summer programs at the Parsons School of Design. As for me, I got my undergraduate degree in political science from Harvard and then I went to Harvard Law School.”

  “You’re a lawyer?” She was genuinely shocked.

  “Yes. Your parents didn’t tell you?”

  “They didn’t say a word. So you passed the bar and all that?”

  “I’m happy to say I passed the bar on the first try, and although I don’t really practice on a regular basis, I keep my bar association dues current.”

  “That’s amazing.” She sipped her coffee. “I guess your parents were really proud of both of you.”

  “They were happy about it. Both of us went to school on partial academic scholarships, so they were very happy about that. My son Max is going to Cornell in the fall on a partial academic scholarship, too, which is a relief to me and his dad.”

  “Wow. Is your son close to his father?”

  “Yes. We got divorced ages ago, but we’re friendly because we’re parents.”

  “Has he remarried? If you don’t mind my asking.”

  “I don’t. Joshua got married about six or seven years ago, and before you ask, I am not crazy about the wife. But it’s not my life.”

  “As long as she treats your son well, right?”

  “You’ve got that right.”

  Jennifer got quiet. “So Max is an only child?”

  “Yes. My ex-husband is an only child, too.”

  “You have only one sister, right?”

  “Right.”

  “It must have been nice growing up with a sibling. I always wanted a brother or sister.” Jennifer had longing in her voice.

  “Your parents didn’t want more children?”

  “I think they did, but it turned out that my mother wasn’t able to have any more children after me.”

  “You know, I never really think about how lucky I am to have a sister. We had our bad times growing up, and she can be a royal pain in the butt, but she’s my sister and I love her.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “Have you and Michael talked about kids?”

  “Yes. We’d like to have at least two. Michael, like his big brother, is pretty good with kids.”

  “Oh, that’s good.” She paused cautiously. “Has Matthew talked about kids?”

  Jennifer thought for a minute. “To tell you the truth I don’t know. I just assume he wants kids. He is a teacher.”

  “That’s true.”

  The doorbell rang. Jennifer jumped up. “That must be them.”

  “Who?”

  “You’ll see. Come on.”

  Jennifer pulled Paige into the living room, then got the door. A group of four women dressed in white walked in.

  “Okay, Paige, our relaxation team is here.”

  “Our what?”

  “Our relaxation team. These ladies are going to give us an afternoon of rest and massage.” She handed Paige a plush terrycloth robe. “Put this on and they’ll get started.”

  Paige didn’t say another word. She was a little achy after her morning at the Ramirez place, so an afternoon of pampering was just the ticket.

  * * *

  A few hours before the ball, Matthew arrived at his parents’ place decked out in his new tuxedo. After he said hello to his mother and father he went to his brother’s room.

  “I hate bow ties,” Michael muttered out loud as he struggled with neckwear.

  Matthew watched from the door for a moment. “Some things never change, do they?” He asked as he walked in.

  “I hate these things. I wanted to wear a regular tie but Mom wouldn’t hear of it.”

  “I bet you’re really looking forward to closing on your place so you’ll have fewer prying eyes and comments to deal with.”

  “The closing can’t happen soon enough for me.”

  Matthew walked over to him. “Turn around.” He tied his brother’s tie perfectly. “There you go.”

  Michael looked in the mirror. “Thanks. It’s funny, you haven’t been to one of these things in eons and you can still tie these things perfectly. Why is that?”

  Matthew thought for a moment. “I guess it’s because Grandpa taught me when I was about six years old.”

  “I wish I remembered him more.”

  “He died a couple of days after your seventh birthday.”

  “The one thing I do remember is the smell of his pipe tobacco.”

  “Grandpa loved to sit on the terrace with a good book, a cup of coffee, and his pipe.”

  “Did he like going to these things?”

  “He looked at it as a necessary evil. He pressed a lot of flesh and twisted a lot of arms to raise money for his favorite causes. He used to say it was like shooting fish in a barrel.”

  “It was rich guilt at work.”

  “The only thing he didn’t like was the food. That reminds me, shall we have a couple of Dagwood sandwiches before we leave?”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  The two headed for the kitchen.

  Matthew looked around while Michael went straight for the refrigerator.

  “I guess it’s Berta’s night off.”

  Michael grabbed some packages of cold cuts and placed them on the counter. “Yep, she’s off until tomorrow morning.”

  Berta was the family’s longtime cook. A native of the West Indies, she’d been with the family since Matthew was eight years old. Matthew had hoped there were a few leftovers around, but once he caught sight of the empty fridge he realized he was out of luck.

  Michael opened the bread. “Dig in, brother. I know you like rubber chicken even less than me.”

  Matthew made his sandwich. Their mother walked into the kitchen.

  “It’s just like old times seeing the two of you making Dagwood sandwiches before a formal dinner.”

  “We wouldn’t have to if they just hired Berta to run the kitchen at these events.”

  Margaret laughed. “You’re right about that. She’s such a talented chef, and she can make any cuisine.”

  “You should talk to them about it, Mom,” Michael said as he
took a bite.

  “Maybe I will.” She walked over to Michael. “How about letting me have a bite?”

  Michael was surprised, but he handed her his megasandwich. When Margaret actually got her mouth around it to take a bite, both Michael and Matthew laughed.

  “I didn’t know you had it in you, Mom,” Matthew remarked.

  She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I don’t like rubber chicken any more than you do.”

  Michael put his arm around her. “I guess it runs in the family.”

  Margaret turned to look at her two boys. “Look at my handsome sons. There is going to be quite a bit of iodine rubbed in tonight.”

  “I’m engaged, Mother, which means I’m off the market. I found the love of my life.”

  “True. However, that’s not the case for you, Matthew. You still have your pick of the cream of the crop.”

  Matthew clenched his teeth. “Please, Mom, I’m going to this bloody thing and that’s enough. Please don’t turn it into Love Connection.”

  Michael snickered.

  “I can’t help it, Matt. You’re quite a catch, and you’re still single. Surely there will be someone there who tickles your fancy.”

  Michael cleared his throat.

  “What’s wrong with you, Mike?”

  Matthew shot Michael a very dirty look.

  “Nothing. I think a poppy seed went down the way. It tickled the back of my throat.”

  “Oh. Make sure you gargle and floss again. You never know with those little seeds.”

  “I will, Mom.”

  “Anyway, have a good time tonight, Matthew, and just keep an open mind.”

  Matthew kissed her cheek lightly so as not to mess up her makeup. “I promise to have a good time. Anything beyond that I can’t do.”

  “Margaret!”

  “Oh, dear. Your father and those cufflinks. I’m coming, sweetheart!” She quickly left the kitchen.

  Matthew walked over to the door to make sure she was out of earshot. “What the hell was that? Why did you clear your throat?”

  “I actually had a couple of poppy seeds stuck in there. What did you think I was doing?”

  “Well, it was timed perfectly with her bachelor speech. I thought you were trying to dime me out.”

  “Dime you out? Good grief, Matthew, you even sound like a teenager.”

  “Very funny.”

  “So how do you plan to avoid the assault of women tonight? Or should I say assault of family matriarchs.”