by Kris Tualla
Maddy appeared, smiling brightly, and settled Hollis into a dressing room. She proved to be very efficient as she and Stevie brought dresses to her. After trying several on, they finally found her a strapless dress that fit.
Maddy led Hollis into the mirrored center space. “What do you think?”
Blah.
“I don’t know…”
“Put your hair up,” Stevie suggested.
Hollis grabbed her abundant red curls and held them in a clump on top of her head.
“You have a beautiful tattoo!” Maddy exclaimed.
“Thank you.”
Maddy turned to Stevie. “Will you help her out of this dress? I’ll be right back.”
Hollis and Stevie exchanged puzzled looks.
“I didn’t really like this one anyway,” Hollis confessed as she stepped out of the gown.
Maddy stuck her head through the curtains. “I want you to close your eyes.”
“Me?” Hollis frowned. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to judge this dress before you have it on.” Maddy looked to Stevie for support. “Just trust me on this.”
Stevie had clearly jumped to Maddy’s side, dress unseen. “There’s no harm in trying, Hollis.”
Hollis sighed and closed her eyes, and submitted to being clad in what felt like a well-fitting gown.
“Keep your eyes closed.” Someone grasped her hand and led her back to the mirrored area.
“Okay,” Maddy said. “Step up.”
Hollis stood on the tiny platform while the dress was adjusted around her feet. “You can open your eyes now.”
*****
Sveyn and George walked into the huge membership warehouse and straight to the jewelry kiosk.
“These guys don’t have the widest selection,” George admitted. “But the prices are unmatched for the quality.”
Sveyn peered into the case, nearly blinded by sparkle. “I like that one.”
George leaned over the case. “That’s three-thousand-dollars. Are you sure?”
“I made ten thousand dollars last weekend, and Match Point wants me to sign an exclusive contract.” Sveyn shrugged. “I believe I can pay for this.”
George blew a low whistle. “I guess you can. Let me get somebody to help us.”
The red-vested salesman came to the case with a key to unlock it. “Which one?”
“That one.”
The man laid the ring in Sveyn’s palm. “That’s a nice one.”
Sveyn examined the workmanship closely. It was flawless as far as he could tell. Much finer than anything he had seen in any of his manifestations.
“That’s a half-carat princess-cut diamond in the center,” the salesman said. “The total weight is one-point-five carats, counting the smaller stones.”
Sveyn nodded. The ring looked like Hollis to him. “I will take this one.”
George laughed. “That was easy! Leaves us plenty of time for the tuxedo fitting.”
Sveyn grinned and patted his belly. “And lunch. I saw food here.
George clapped his hand on Sveyn’s shoulder. “Best hot dogs in town.”
*****
The reflection in the mirror took Hollis by surprise. “Is this dress blue?”
“Ice blue, so a lot of brides pass it by. But it’s a copy of a Vera Wang.”
“Hollis…” Stevie’s eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s stunning on you.”
Hollis had to admit it was. The way the dress conformed to her body was amazing.
“Here’s the best part.” Maddy handed Hollis a large hand mirror. “Turn around.”
Hollis did and looked at the back of the dress. The back was cutout and framed her tree-of-life tattoo perfectly.
“The other dresses you were looking at covered it halfway, and that looked weird.” Maddy beamed at her. “But this makes it a feature.”
The realization that she was actually marrying Sveyn hit her like a smaller version of the hammer that nearly killed her. Only this impact was bringing her fully to life.
I’m buying a wedding dress.
My wedding dress.
Hollis burst into happy tears. “I’ll take it.”
*****
“What about the ring?” Stevie asked over lunch.
Hollis kept her expression non-committal. “I have an idea for that, but it’s a secret.”
“You can tell me, can’t you?”
“I’m not sure I can pull it off, so no. Not yet.”
Stevie looked hurt. “What if you can’t? Don’t you need a plan B?”
“That actually might be a good idea,” Hollis admitted. “Okay, I’ll go to one jewelry store. But only after we buy your maid-of-honor dress.”
Hollis and Stevie made it back to the museum at mid-afternoon, a miracle considering how picky Stevie was about her dress. She finally settled on a burgundy cocktail dress with a halter neckline that echoed the neckline on Hollis’s wedding gown—which Hollis would pick up from the shop on their way to Vegas, after it was refreshed and pressed.
“I need to meet with Miranda about the flowers,” she told Stevie. “Can you make sure the Blessing’s case has been removed from the floor, and start planning the display for the Viking sunstone in its place?”
“Sure.” Stevie hung her dress on the back of her office door.
Hollis walked to Miranda’s office and knocked on the open door. Miranda was on the phone, but waved Hollis inside. Hollis closed the door behind her and dropped into the chair facing the curator’s desk.
“Okay. Great. Bye.” Miranda hung up the phone. “Did you get a dress?”
“I did. But first I want to hear what Benton said about the icon.”
Miranda clenched her fists. “He wasn’t happy, I can tell you that. But he was pleased with how we handled it, in terms of the publicity.”
“Good. Did he ask about it being burnt?”
“Didn’t give him the chance. I took the offense and said that once the wood was exposed to air it oxidized.” Miranda flashed a crooked smile. “Then I jumped into how we were going to capitalize on the sunstone and got him all excited about that.”
Hollis felt the weight of that damned thing lift from her life. “Thank you.”
“No worries. Now tell me about the dress.”
Hollis described her dress and Stevie’s. “So I’m thinking my bouquet could be white with touches of burgundy, and Stevie’s could be ice blue with touches of burgundy.”
Miranda made notes. “Good.”
“Do you know where we’re staying?”
“Some resort a block off the strip that George’s brother recommended.” Miranda looked up from her pad and made a face. “Doesn’t his brother run a tattoo parlor?”
Hollis laughed. “Yeah. A big one. The guy’s loaded.”
“Hmm. Hope he has good taste.” Miranda tapped the eraser of her pencil against her cheek. “Is there anything else we need to do before we leave tomorrow?”
“There is one thing, actually. Something I need your help with.” Hollis lifted her brows and caught her lower lip in her teeth.
Miranda laid her pencil down. “What is it?”
“It has to do with one of the items in Ezra’s hoard, and who has provenance.”
Miranda straightened. “Not another painting, I hope.”
Hollis shook her head. “No, nothing like that. But it is a piece that can be attributed to someone who is currently living.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Friday
February 19
After the Friday work day ended, George drove a custom rental van to Las Vegas with Stevie, Hollis, Sveyn, and Miranda in tow.
“It’s actually faster than flying when you add in check-in times, baggage claim, and the hassle of rental car pick-up and drop-off by the airport,” he explained to Sveyn. “Not to mention, we have everyone’s suits and dresses to contend with.”
“And now we get to party on the way!” Stevie passed around a tray of cheeses.
“I have margaritas, wine, and beer in the van’s mini-fridge for us, and colas for the driver.”
“Sorry, George.” Miranda lifted her glass in a toast. “Remind me to buy your dinner.”
George laughed. “I’ll take it.”
Sveyn stretched out his legs and leaned back in his swiveling chair. “I never imagined traveling like this. I like it.”
The Viking’s gaze landed on Hollis and sizzled with promise. Her cheeks warmed, as did parts much lower.
As they crested a hill, the lights of Las Vegas were laid out below them. The beam from the top of the Luxor was clearly visible, shooting straight into the clear winter sky.
Sveyn moved to the front seat, his eyes fixed on the multicolored scene. “I have never seen anything like this.”
“It’s one-of-a-kind, that’s for sure.” George grinned. “Just wait ‘til we get to the Strip.”
Sveyn looked back at Hollis. “It’s beautiful.”
Hollis laughed. “As George said, wait ‘til we get to the strip.”
George opted to take the longer route which allowed the van to drive down South Las Vegas Boulevard. Though tightly clogged with traffic and pedestrians, the slow pace gave Sveyn and Hollis—who was crouched in the front of the vehicle between the two men’s seats—ample opportunity to gawk at the lights and the architecture.
“This is crazy!” Hollis looked up at Sveyn. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”
“Never.” He wagged his head, eyes still focused on the scene. “And if someone asked me to explain this, I would not know how.”
The resort was one block off the Strip and it was gorgeous; apparently George’s brother had excellent taste. And even though they arrived at eleven that night, the bellmen were right on top of things.
Before George checked them into their rooms he handed out a schedule for the next day. “The reservation at the chapel is for one o’clock tomorrow. After that we’ll have a celebratory lunch before Miranda has to get to the airport.”
Hollis scanned the document. “Mani-pedis for the ladies at nine-thirty, then hair at eleven.” She looked at Stevie. “This is great.”
George handed out key cards. “Sveyn and I are bachelors tonight. You three ladies are in a champagne suite. Tomorrow night Sveyn and Hollis get the suite, so Hollis keep that key. Stevie and I will stay with my brother.”
“You have everything worked out so well, George,” Hollis complimented. “Thank you.”
George tipped his head toward Sveyn. “Thank your fiancé. He made all the decisions. I just presented options.”
*****
So far, Sveyn was well pleased with the accommodations and the schedule. Everything he asked George about was taken care of. As they waited for the elevator, rented tuxedo bag slung over his shoulder, Sveyn thanked George again for his help.
“Without you, I would not have been able to become part of this new world.”
George blushed. “And without your unique existence and situation, my life would not be half as interesting.”
“Thank you, as well, for helping me with the payments.” Sveyn hated to ask George to loan him money, but until he was paid he was a pauper. “Again, none of this would be possible otherwise.”
George clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad I’m in a position to do it.”
The men disembarked the elevator on the twenty-fourth floor and walked down the hallway until they reached the door labeled twenty-four-eleven. George swiped the key card and opened the door. He let Sveyn enter first.
The wall opposite the door was completely made of glass. Sveyn walked into the dark room and crossed to the window, dropping his suit and satchel on one of the beds. The view was astounding.
George stepped up next to him. “What do you think?”
“I am amazed.”
“The suite you have tomorrow night is another eight floors up. You should be able to see over those buildings there.”
“Gretna Green for America.” Sveyn laughed. “My life is unusual.”
“To say the least!” George switched on a light. “Let’s get settled. Are you hungry?”
*****
Hollis snuggled into the king-sized bed that tonight she shared with Stevie, and tried not to think about sleeping here tomorrow night with Sveyn.
She didn’t succeed.
“Are you thinking about tomorrow?” Stevie whispered.
“What else?” Hollis rolled onto her back. “I wonder what it will be like.”
“Sex?” Stevie sounded surprised. “Haven’t you guys already…”
“No.” At least not in the three-dimensional realm. “He’s had a difficult time with his body re-adjusting to various sensations.”
“Will he be able to… you know?”
“The equipment seems to be in working order.”
Stevie sighed. “That’s good.”
“Yeah.” Hollis rolled back to her side and closed her eyes. Maybe if she pretended to sleep, reality would catch up.
I wonder what Sveyn is thinking about.
*****
“So you put the quarter in here,” George dropped the coin in the slot. “Then you pull this handle.”
Sveyn watched as the images flashed, until each one stopped. “They do not match.”
“No. So if you want to try again, you have to feed it another quarter.”
Sveyn shook his head. “I do not wish to throw money away.”
“Keep that mindset.” George walked toward a bank of felt-topped tables. “Here’s where they play poker.”
Sveyn watched the action which moved rapidly. He saw stacks of tokens move between the man passing out the cards, and the men hoping to get the right numbers. “There must be a strategy.”
“There is.” George backed away from the table. “But the best is to count cards and that’s illegal.”
Sveyn scoffed. “How can it be illegal to think?”
“Don’t ask me.” George led him to a set of large tables with spinning centers. “This is roulette. The strategy here is to bet with the odds. Like, choosing red, which gives you a fifty-percent chance of being right. Of course, that choice pays the least amount.”
Sveyn did a slow turn. All around him were bright lights, ringing bells, women in tiny outfits serving drinks, and people pouring money into the machines.
“This is a sad place,” he observed.
“I agree with you when it comes to gambling.” George pointed to a sign advertising a group of blue men. “But the shows are incredible.”
“Thank you for explaining this.” Sveyn’s belly rumbled and he grinned at George. “Can we go to the buffet now?”
Saturday
February 20
“I could get pampered like this every day.” Miranda held out her champagne glass for a refill. One of the salon workers hurried over with the bottle of chilled bubbly.
Hollis wiggled her toes in the hot water. “I don’t remember the last time I had a pedicure.”
“Or a manicure,” Stevie pointed out. “The whole time you worked on Ezra’s hoard there was no point.”
“True.” Hollis waved away the champagne refill. She wanted to be clear-headed for the ceremony.
“Have you seen the ring Sveyn bought?” Stevie asked.
“No. He wouldn’t let me. Did George say anything about it?”
Stevie held up her hand and considered the nail color. “Just that it’s gorgeous.”
Miranda turned and gave Hollis a conspiratorial smile. “Does he know about the ring you’re giving him?”
A surge of warm excitement filled her chest. “Nope.”
“What does it look like?” Stevie asked.
“Like him,” was Hollis’s mysterious answer.
Stevie’s brow puckered. “What does that mean?”
Hollis laughed. “You’ll see.”
*****
Hollis stood in the hotel suite while Miranda and Stevie bustled around her, patting and prodding.
“You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress,” Miranda declared. “That blue does amazing things to your eyes.”
Stevie pinned up a curl that had strayed from the carefully constructed salon coif. “This is perfect, Hollis. You still look like you, but a glamorous version.”
Hollis regarded herself in the mirror. “I hope Sveyn likes it.”
“How could he not? You’re spectacular.” Miranda picked up the box of bouquets. “Shall we?”
The women took the elevator down to the twenty-fourth floor and found room twenty-four-eleven. Stevie knocked on the door. George answered.
“Ready?” she asked her husband.
“We are.” George stepped to the side and Hollis got her first look at her husband-to-be.
She forgot to breathe.
Standing six-and-a-half feet tall, clean shaven, with his hair tied back to highlight his cheekbones and jawline, Sveyn looked every bit the part of Desirable Male Model.
And he’s mine.
Stevie and Miranda stepped aside so that Sveyn could see her.
His eyes moved over her from her sparkling tiara to her open-toed heels. “Å min gud…”
“Is that a good thing?” Stevie whispered.
Hollis smiled. “Very.”
Sveyn walked toward her. “You are always beautiful, Hollis. But today you have taken the light from the sun and the stars from the sky. I am humbled in your presence.”
“I wish men today talked like that,” Miranda murmured.
Stevie sighed. “Me, too.”
Sveyn held out his hands and Hollis laid her palms in his. “Will you have me, Hollis?”
Hollis nodded. “Will you have me?”
“I waited nearly a millennium for you.” Sveyn leaned down and spoke in her ear. “You are well worth it.”
*****
A stretch limo carried the wedding party to a sweet little chapel, also off the Strip. After the appropriate forms were filled out and signatures witnessed, Miranda gave Hollis her bouquet. Then Hollis stepped next to Sveyn and took hold of his arm.
