“Me too Jessie, I’m here too.” Sarah, Mark’s, niece announced.
“And look how pretty both of you are. Let’s go see who else is here.”
“My Mommy is here.” Sarah tugged on her hand to lead her into the living room.
Jessie held her breath until she had time to survey the room. Luck had been with her. Mrs. Taylor must still have her old-fashioned vapors.
“There you are.” Her mother pulled her into the room. “Sit here, the place of honor.”
God, please don’t let them have a bunch of mindless games to play. Jessie hated those things. Even going with her friends to the male strippers at Pandora’s would be better.
Well duh, that was a no brainer.
“What’s funny?” Her mother gave her a strange look.
Dragging her mind away from the slick dancers she could be enjoying, she grinned at her mother. “Just thinking. You did invite Katie and Joey didn’t you?”
Her mother fisted her hands on her hips, “I’m not a dork. Of course, I invited your best friends.”
“I never said you were a dork.”
“Come. Sit.”
Jessie let herself be pushed into the place of honor and reconciled herself to a night of family torture.
It seemed days had passed instead of just a couple hours before the last of the guests trailed out of the apartment. Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. It truly hadn’t been as terrible as she’d thought.
There’d only been the one game. Mostly everyone chatted about the upcoming wedding. She’d even gotten to know some of Mark’s family better. What a relief not to have his mother present.
A knock on the door rattled over the now silent room. Someone must have forgotten something.
Jessie pulled the door open and encountered Mark’s mother.
“May I come in?”
She must have been staring, “Oh, I’m sorry.” Jessie stepped back to allow the woman to enter.
“You’ve missed the shower.”
That stopped her. She threw a disgusted look over her shoulder. “Good. We need to talk.”
Apprehension tightened in her gut. Talking was not good. Did Mark know his mother was here? Somehow, Jessie doubted it.
Jessie led the way to the living room. Streamers, plates and other evidence of the party still scattered. Mark’s mother glanced around in disdain. She wasn’t sure if the woman’s look was from the clutter or the tiny apartment compared to her own large condo.
“Where’s your mother?”
“Why?” Things were not getting any better.
“She needs to be here too.”
“Mama walked my aunt and her granddaughter to the train.” Jessie shifted on the couch waiting for the proverbial hatchet to drop.
And it did.
“How much?”
No way, Jessie had to have heard wrong. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me young lady, your kind always does.”
“My kind?” Lava bubbled in the pit of her stomach.
“Hispanic people. You take dollars wherever you can get it. You’re marrying Mark for his money. And that boy has such a kind heart he can’t see through your schemes.”
“My schemes?” The boiling in her tummy had now turned molten.
“Look if you’re going to repeat everything I say this is going to take a while.”
She’d had enough. Jessie bolted to her feet, as the front door swung open and her mother walked in.
“Oh…” Her mother stopped mid stride. Took a breath as if girding for a battle.
If only she knew, Jessie thought.
“Please join us Mrs. Perez.” Mrs. Taylor imperiously ordered.
Jessie raised a brow and waited for the fireworks.
She didn’t have long to wait.
Her mother drew herself up to her impressive height of five foot nothing, “May I remind you to the fact you are in my home.”
Mrs. Taylor huffed. “This is hardly a home.”
Oh God, the fireworks have arrived.
Jessie’s mother spun on her sensible shoe heels marched to the door, swung it wide and nodded in the direction of the outside hall. “Out.”
This was so not good. Especially when Mrs. Taylor let her bottom drop to the chair, folded her arms over her chest as a stubborn six-year-old might.
“Are you deaf too?” Jessie’s hotheaded mama shouted, as if Mrs. Taylor were actually deaf. “I said out of my home.”
Calmly the woman seemed to stifle a yawn as if she were actually bored. “I’m not leaving until this is settled.”
Jessie swung her gaze to her mother expecting to see steam coming out of her ears. She knew her mother well. The door swung shut with a resounding slam.
With four short strides, her mother stood toe to toe with Mark’s mother. With her advantage, she glared down. “What are we settling?”
“Mama,” Jessie said softly.
Her tone must have caught her mother’s attention. She turned her attention to Jessie. “Yes, Hija?”
“Let’s all sit down.” When her mother didn’t budge, “Please?”
“Fine.” Her mother chose the chair directly across from Mrs. Taylor.
Jessie sucked in her breath to wait for the question. After all she was pretty sure it would be the same.
“How much will it take?”
Jessie had to give her mother credit. She really did look bewildered. Then her mother could be on the naïve side.
“How much what?”
“Money. What do you two want?”
Before Jessie had time to master the volcano that threatened to blow from the depths of her soul, her mother answered.
“I want to have a beautiful peaceful wedding for my daughter. Do you think you can manage to let the two kids have that?”
“No. Mark will be coming into a lot of money. I’m afraid your daughter will not do at all.”
“Hey I’m right here.” Jessie hadn’t bothered to sit. Taking her mother’s toe-to-toe stance with Mrs. Taylor, she looked down her nose at the woman. “I love Mark and he loves me.”
“He only thinks he does because his father and I told him he couldn’t have you.”
“I am not a possession. Mark is a big boy he can decide these things for himself.”
“Not when he’s thinking with something inside his pants instead of his brain.”
Her mother flew to her feet, and Jessie found herself pushed to the side. “Don’t you dare talk that way to my daughter. Why can’t you just let them be happy? What is wrong with you?”
“Mark is different from your daughter. He has a responsibility to the family. Jessie will not fit in with our friends. She is not equipped with the social etiquette to entertain Mark’s colleagues.”
Uncertainty shot an arrow into her heart. She’d had the same argument with Mark. It wasn’t that she wasn’t intelligent, she knew she was. However, Mark had been born with a silver spoon. Not so, for her.
It wasn’t anything that could be taught.
His mother was right she didn’t have the proper society skills.
The two women were doing fine with their argument as if she weren’t there, so why did she need to be?
In her room, she softly shut the door behind her. Leaning against the solid wood, she let her chin drop to her chest.
What should she do?
Moonlight shimmered through the blinds. Thousands of beads winked on Bella. Shoving away from the door, she crossed to stand in front of the gown where it rested on the dress mannequin.
“Well Bella, I may not wear you after all.” Trick of the light, it had to be. Otherwise, how could she explain that Bella’s bodice shivered? “Sometimes Bella, you can be a bit creepy. You know like those pictures that have eyes that follow you wherever you move? I swear you can understand me. Here I am talking to you. Maybe I’m nuts.”
The chuckle made her feel a bit better. It didn’t solve her dilemma though.
Jessie kicked off her shoes, and found h
er nightgown. She might as well get ready for bed. Then she noticed the blinking light on her cell. Picking the phone up, she checked the message.
Mark.
She needed to hear his voice, for reassurance if nothing else. She hit his number stored in the phones memory and waited. After a few rings she heard a groggy hello.
“Oh Mark, I’m sorry I didn’t think you’d be asleep yet.”
He sounded more alert when he realized who it was. She usually didn’t call this late.
“Can you meet me at the all night deli around the corner from here?”
His “Now?” didn’t sound too thrilled.
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, you know that Mark.”
He finally agreed, she set her nightgown back on the bed, and turned toward the door and paused. Raised voices filtered through the wall.
There was no way she wanted to walk into the war zone again. She wasn’t sixteen anymore, but she wasn’t too old to take the fire escape.
A few minutes later she had a cup of coffee, as she sat in the corner table to wait for her fiancé. Would they still be engaged in an hour?
That was the question.
Mark walking through the door of the deli was the most welcome sight she’d seen in a long time.
“Princess what’s wrong?”
“Your mother.”
“Jess, I’m sorry I couldn’t stay to help with the flowers. I told my mother no matter what she did I was not going to call off the wedding.”
“Mark, I didn’t call you in a panic because you didn’t help me with the damn flowers.”
His brow hiked up at her hot tone. “Okay, then what upset you about my mother?”
“She’s at my house right now trying to buy us off.”
His screech warred with the loud scrap of his chair when it flew back as he shot to his feet. “What?”
The few patrons in the café roused themselves enough to stare in their direction. “She came after the shower and asked me how much money it would take for me to leave you. My mother came home from walking my aunt to the station about then and took over the argument.”
Without looking, Mark reached for his chair pulled it under him to sit. Leaning his elbows on the table he buried his head in his hands. After a minute he looked up at her, the despair she saw mirrored her own that simmered in her belly.
“What are we going to do, Mark? She’s not going to let us have our wedding.” Jessie reached across to pull one of his hands into her grasp. “She’s right you know, I don’t have the same background as you, I’m not going to fit in with your family.”
“The hell you aren’t, Princess, you fit with me that’s what counts. I’m not going to let my mother stop anything.” Again the chair scooted away, a little more silent this time. “Come on, let’s take care of this nonsense once and for all.”
Jessie took his hand and let him pull her to feet. “Are we eloping?”
He chuckled. “No. You’re going to have your fairy tale, Princess.”
When they were at her apartment, he turned to her as if something had just come to him. “How did you get out without them seeing you?”
“I went out the window and down the fire escape.” The two women’s voices were still raised in heated argument and carried through the door and into to the hall.
Mark’s eyebrow almost touched his hairline. “The fire escape?” He shook his head. “Man we’re going to have our hands full when the kids come.”
Love filled her chest and she stepped into him. His arms wrapped her in his warmth. It was exactly what she needed to store up her defenses for the skirmish to come.
“Are you ready to face the dragon?” His words feathered over her ear chasing a shiver down her spine.
She stepped away, straightened her shoulders, and grinned. “Let’s go Sir Lancelot.”
Both their mother’s stopped talking at once and stared at them as they walked in. Jessie let Mark take control.
“Hello, Mother. Out a little late aren’t you?” He stepped over to Jessie’s mother leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Are you okay, Carla?”
Tears streaked down her mother’s face. Jessie’s hands fisted. She tucked them in her pockets, safer there than heading toward Mrs. Taylors face.
Her mother nodded, yes, to Mark’s question. He straightened and regarded his mother.
“So how much?”
“We were still trying to figure out their price.” His mother answered in a sulk.
“No, Mother. I meant how much will it take for you to leave us alone?”
“What? You think you can pay me off?”
Mark glanced first at Jessie, then her mother and then answered. “You thought you could pay them off. Isn’t that your theory that everyone has their price? So what’s yours?”
She stood and walked to her son. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just saving you hurt. If we pay them off now, then that kind heart of yours won’t be broken when you find out how you’ve been used.”
Mark turned to Jessie. “You using me?”
“No. I love you.”
Mark faced his mother again. “She loves me. I’ll take you home now.”
Dear Diary;
Counting down
Jessie still slept even though the sun slanted through the blinds. I really didn’t blame her, she’d been up very late. I had been shocked when she’d actually climbed out the window.
While she was gone, I’d been afraid the two women were going to cause each other bodily harm. I couldn’t hear everything, but I understood enough.
Then Jessie had come home, and I could hear Mark’s voice. The voice of reason and it wasn’t long after there was quiet. When Jessie came to bed she’d had a dopey grin on her face.
Relief had untangled my Alencon from its knots. There would be a wedding. Now it was down to days. Soon I would drape over Jessie and she would be the most beautiful bride.
I still felt the sting of disappointment we were not soul mates, but I couldn’t have asked for a better bride. I still missed Cecie, but Jessie had stolen my heart.
She had sass.
I certainly couldn’t see Cecelia climbing out the window and down the fire escape. My chapel train wiggled in laughter over the thought.
A muffled sigh came from Jessie and I shifted to see her stirring from her slumber. I wonder what is in store for today.
Just like I imagined a princess would do, Jessie sat up in bed arms stretching above her head. Her soft mouth stretched in a yawn. She closed her eyes as she rolled her shoulders. Then her eyes opened and she twisted her head and grinned at me.
“Good Morning, Bella. Things are going to be better now.”
She scrambled out of the bed, grabbed her robe and hummed—I’m not kidding my bride could carry a tune—her way to the bathroom. I heard the shower running.
Funny, none of her guests took an actual shower at her bridal shower the night before.
What’s up with that?
My question went unanswered. Maybe someday I’d find out. Jessie came out in her work outfit. I was glad to know she would only have one job after she married her Mark.
“Bella, I’ll be late tonight.”
It’s just so frustrating when I can’t ask why. But luck was with me because Jessie told me.
“After work I’m meeting Katie and Joey at the dress shop to pick out their bridesmaid dresses.”
This was good news. Not only was my bride in a good mood, even after last night she was moving ahead with the wedding.
I’m not sure I would if I was the bride and the mother-in-law tried to pay me off with sequins and beads.
Chapter Twelve
Jessie glanced at her watch for the millionth time. The day seemed to drag on forever. Why was she so excited to pick the bridesmaid dresses out? Well she knew she wanted to tell her friends all about the flowers.
She stopped mid-stride. No, she was not going to tell anyone about the flowers. She’d told Mark
but that was it. Everyone else would be surprised.
She almost ripped her apron in her haste to leave work. Joey and Katie were waiting impatiently at Gormon’s, the dress shop where Katie promised had the best deals. In fact, some of the dresses were ‘gently’ used designer gowns for a very low price.
“Now remember Jess, you promised we didn’t have to wear anything that looks like a table cloth.” Katie reminded her the minute she arrived.
“Why would I want you guys to wear something like that?” The shudder followed down to her tailbone. “Believe me I’m thinking solid color.”
“Good. And you said we didn’t need to be exactly the same.” It was Joey’s turn to remind.
“I remember, honest. Let’s see what they have.”
The sales person led them to a private salon, then took Katie off to find a dress. Jessie had decided it would be more fun to do them separately so she had one of them to give opinions instead of having both in the dressing rooms at the same time.
Joey laid a hand on Jessie’s knee. “How’s Mark’s mother?”
“Oh we need Cosmos for this conversation.” Jessie laughed, then sobered when Katie walked out of the dressing room. “Oh no, you can’t wear that.”
Dismay spread over Katie’s delicate features. She looked down at herself then back to Jessie. “What’s wrong?”
“Yeah, she looks hot,” Joey said.
“I know. No one will be looking at the bride. Bella would be insulted.”
Katie gave a relieved laugh. “Oh you’re joking.”
“No, you look too good. You’ll out shine me.” Jessie stood to do a walk around her friend. “I love it. What do you two think?”
“I love it too.” Katie smiled and walked to the mirror twisting in all directions to check out her gown.
“What’s the damage?” Jessie sucked in her breath and waited for the total. Katie named the price. “That’s all? Do you want to wear the dress?”
“Yes. Joey, there is an awesome dress in almost the same color.” Katie returned to the dressing room.
Joey went with the sales person and a few minutes later Katie joined Jessie on the couch.
Three Weddings and a Dress Page 11
