First Date - [Bridesmaid's Chronicles 01]
Page 21
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If you fell in love with Sydney in First Date and laughed out loud at Kiki's misadventures in First Kiss , there's one more bridesmaid you'll have to meet before the big wedding in
First Dance
BOOK THREE IN
The Bridesmaid Chronicles
Vivien Shelton is Manhattan's top female divorce attorney and Julia Spinelli's best friend and future bridesmaid. Except Vivien has seen the ugly side of loveand alights at the wedding in Texas with the perfect present: an ironclad prenup. But the groom's good ole boy lawyer is itching for a fightespecially with Vivien, a woman he has tangled with in the past
You won't want to miss the first three books in THE BRIDESMAID CHRONICLES First Date (6/05) First Kiss (7/05) First Dance (8/05), and you're invited to the big day, the bride's story in First Love , following in September.
(Read ahead for a sneak peek of Vivien's story.)
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A bridesmaid . Vivien didn't want to be anybody's maid, not even for a day. The whole concept was foreign; it implied servitude and worse, it spanned all the possibilities of polyester.
She'd already had to leave a deposition one day to find a full-length, strapless foundation garment in her bra size. Julia had then commanded that she purchase a pair of satin Manolo evening mules and a flaring petticoat . Viv had never in her life worn something as fussy as a petticoat, and she dreaded seeing the hideous taffeta creation that went over it. Oh, God! Please let her not have to wear anything with a bow on the butt
Under any other circumstance, she'd laugh her ass off at the idea of one of Manhattan's top divorce attorneys moonlighting as a bridesmaid in a wedding. But all the humor went out of it immediately when she was the top divorce attorney in question. Viv had represented some high-profile clients, and she only hoped the papers didn't get hold of this. She could see the headlines now: RAPTOR IN ROSEBUDS!
WILL SHELTON SERVE GROOM PAPERS AT RECEPTION?
Viv shook off what she knew were selfish thoughts under the circumstances. She should be a lot more concerned about Julia than she was about herself. She'd already questioned her delicately on the phone about this guy Roman. She'd also told Julia that coin-cidentally she knew his sister, Kiki Douglas. Unfortunately Viv had represented her ex-husband in their Manhattan divorce three years ago.
"Listen, hon," she'd said to Julia. "If Roman is anything like Kiki, you want to be careful."
"Roman is nothing like Kiki!" Julia had exclaimed, even though to Viv's knowledge she'd never met her.
Viv had closed her eyes to ward off a migraine impossibleand sent an urgent e-mail to Sydney Spi-nelli, Julia's older sister.
Today there was a reply, and Vivien scanned it quickly.
Subject: Re: Your little sister has gone crazy!
Date: XXXXXX
From: numbersgeek
To: vshelton
Tell me about it! Yes, I've met him, and there's something fishy with the guy. What kind of Texan speaks Italian, wears designer clothes, and has a vineyard? ? ? And Viv, here's the really awful part: the ring he gave her is FAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think he's marrying her for the $$$. But I can't talk sense into her.
Syd
" Fake ?!" Viv said it loud, with enough force that Maurice squinted at her in the rearview mirror. " What ? She has got to be kidding!"
Viv typed a quick reply. She'd called Sydney as soon as she got to the office.
Subject: FAKE ring? ? ?
Date: XXXXXX
From: vshelton@kleinschmidtbelker
To: numbersgeek
What do you mean, the ring he gave her is fake?! HOW COULD HE? ? ? I'm speechless, xoxoxo, Viv
* This electronic message transmission contains information from the law firm of Klein, Schmidt and Belker that may be confidential or privileged. The information is intended solely for the recipient and use by any other party is not authorized. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any copying, disclosure, distri-
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Sydney was obviously online at the same time, because before Viv had finished reading one of the work e-mails her reply popped into the mailbox.
Subject: Re: FAKE ring? ? ?
Date: XXXXXXX
From: numbersgeek
To: vshelton@kleinschemidtbelker
Viv, supposedly it's not his fault. The grandmother sold it way back when and he didn't know. (Do you believe this? Not sure, myself.) But it doesn't matter! Our Julia has got it bad: she's STILL WEARING the ring, and says she doesn't care that it's fake. Why? Because HE gave it to her. I give up I'm going home. Can you at least get her to sign a prenup? I'm serious!!!!!!!
Syd
Viv stared in disbelief at the text. Julia was still wearing a fake ring! She logged off and shut her laptop with a snap. This was insane. This Roman guy must be damn good in bed to have her so deluded.
He sounded like one hundred percent bad news, and if he was related to Kiki Douglas, whose face had been all over the tabloids lately, then he was a prize schmuck.
Julia needed a prenup, all right. The question was how to convince her of that. People in love and planning a wedding did not want to think about the ugly death of that love and the dissolution of the wedding. You couldn't really blame them.
Viv shuddered at the idea of grabbing Julia and telling her that the fabric, cut and design of her gown didn't matter, because she'd be burning it in a backyard bonfire in less than a year.
"Julia, honey," she saw herself saying, "don't worry that the doves they delivered for the event are both male. You'll be roasting them on the barbecue with veggie kabobs by Christmas." Or
"Sweetie, don't bother freezing the top of that cakeunless you want something heavy and icicle-encrusted with which to brain your husband after he absconds with your trust fund." Or
"Lacy white bridal lingerie imported from France? Don't spend the moneyunless you've got some red or purple dye on hand. You can transform them for your divorce trousseau."
Viv winced. Julia, the poor thing, wouldn't want to listen to any of this. But Vivien had seen the rough side of marriage. She dealt with it every day: the ugly accusations, the dirty little secrets, the infidelity, the asset hiding, the custody squabbleseven the occasional kidnapping of the miserable couple's children by one spouse.
Viv had seen some strange things. She'd attended Divorce Dirge for a client of hers and downed a dirty martini as a doll of the ex-husband was burned in effigy.
A caterer client had baked a large, penis-shaped chocolate cake for a luncheon, serving a stunned Viv a good chunk of the balls on a china plate. The client had then thanked her in front of everyone for her great work.
And during one case the cheating SOB of a husband had propositioned Viv right in front of her client, his wife!
But Viv's mistrust of marriage went far deeper than her job. Not only were her own parents divorced, but their parents before them. She simply did not believe in marital bliss and she was going to make sure her friend Julia was protected
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One wedding
Three bridesmaids.
Four sexy tales of modern-dav romance.
Don't miss any of the books in
The Bridesmaids Chronicles
Coming July
First Kiss
by Kylie Adams
Coming August
First Dance
by Karen Kendall
Coming September
First Love
by Julie Kenner
Available wherever books are sold or at www.penguin.com
friends