by Beth Carter
Staring fixated as if she were admiring a museum piece, Suzy sat in awe as every few minutes, more people followed her page or responded to the photos she had posted. She put her hand to her chest when she noticed a couple of her former brides shared their pictures and tagged friends.
I really, really should have done this years ago.
She drummed her fingers on the table as she studied the screen. Should I feature my own unplanned wedding that happened at my class reunion? Suzy smiled remembering how Alex and Hope had used the red and black school colors, balloons, and table flower decor for the decorations. They had even made a make-shift veil out of linen napkins, and Jon and Fernando had arrived with a grocery store wedding cake in tow.
Her thoughts shifted to her husband. Suzy rarely—okay, occasionally—allowed herself to wonder if she and Ken had dated even for a few months if Izzy would be the problem she is today. If they could have eased into their relationship and blended family, things might have been different with Izzy. But it was too late now. Desperate to make up for lost years, Ken and Suzy went for it at their twentieth reunion, everyone else be damned. Now, she had to deal with the often-uncomfortable family dynamics.
Her dinging computer interrupted her thoughts and her eyes bulged when she spotted three hundred followers on her new wedding page. She also had twenty shares from former clients. All smiles, Suzy couldn’t wait to tell Hope and Alex at Coconuts.
Chapter 17
As Gus approached their table, Alex let out a whoop. “Thank God you’re back. Don’t ever let that smarmy Jeff fill in again. I almost went to prison because of him.”
The easy-going server knitted his brows. “Huh?”
“Too long a story, trust me,” Suzy said.
Hope giggled. “But a funny one.”
Gus rubbed his jaw. “That dental work was rough. Thanks for asking.”
“Sorry,” the three echoed.
“Are you okay?” Suzy asked.
“Just a little sore.” Gus shifted his tray. “The usual, I assume.” After the women bobbed their heads, he disappeared behind the bar. When he returned, he said, “Maybe I should let Jeff fill in on occasion. He apparently made me look good.”
Alex shook her head vehemently. “Never, ever let him fill in again.”
“What she said.” Suzy held her glass in the air. “To friends.”
After they clanked their glasses, Hope said, “I finally have news.”
Alex and Suzy turned toward Hope.
“We have a new art teacher. I really like her,” Hope said.
Alex removed her giant gold hoops. “These things are going to stretch out my ear lobes. Go ahead, Hope. What’s her name?”
“Willow. She’s a hippie like my-my late parents.” Her voice wobbled but she rallied. “I find her comforting.”
“That doesn’t surprise me a bit,” Suzy said. “We all gravitate toward what’s familiar. I’m glad you’ve found a new friend, Hope.”
“Good. Let’s talk about Willow instead of my hateful intern. She puts me in a bad mood.” Alex pulled a compact from her purse and touched up her red lipstick. “What’s the art teacher like?”
Hope fluffed her frizzy hair. “Willow’s wavy hair is long, almost down to her elbows. It’s graying prematurely but she apparently doesn’t care. She wears about a hundred bangles on her arm and has a peace tattoo made of colorful daisies on her forearm. She keeps it covered mostly at school but it’s pretty.” Hope put a finger on her cheek. “Let’s see. She doesn’t wear a stitch of makeup, unlike you two. Oh, and she smells of patchouli and sandalwood.”
“I love those smells,” Suzy said.
“She sounds like a character,” Alex said. “What’s her story?”
“We haven’t gotten that far. She recently joined the faculty after our other art teacher went on maternity leave. We’ve just had one quick lunch in the cafeteria and a chat in the teachers’ lounge.” Hope made a face. “She actually likes the school’s revolting coffee. Oh, and I believe she’s single. She doesn’t wear a ring and has never discussed a boyfriend nor a husband.”
“Is she a good artist?” Suzy asked.
Hope nodded. “I love her work. Some of it reminds me of Picasso—very modern and unique with bold colors. Other times, she paints or draws caricatures. Her students apparently really love that. I walked by her classroom and she had a football jock perched on a table at the front of the room. Everyone had their heads down drawing his image only she made the jock wear his helmet sideways with his feet stuffed in some girl’s pink tennis shoes. It was pretty funny.”
“That’s hilarious. Making some kind of statement, I guess. She sounds like an interesting person. I bet she isn’t confrontational like Hannah, my marketing nemesis.” Alex hung her black jacket on the back of her chair and muttered, “You know how much I love my job. Now I dread going to work. Enough about that. I want to stay in a good mood.” Alex glanced at Suzy. “How’s married life, Miss Newlywed?”
Suzy shifted in her chair. “It’s, I mean, I adore Ken but Izzy.” She shrugged. “I just need to figure out how to deal with her, that’s all. Jon was easy. He wasn’t moody or sulky.” Suzy waved her hand in annoyance. “Let’s change the subject. Alex, I keep forgetting to ask you. Did Tony file for divorce like he promised?”
Hope sipped her margarita. “Yeah. How’s life with the sexy cop?”
“Not that sexy. Well, the other night was sexy but-”
Both Hope and Suzy’s mouths fell open. “Want to talk about it?” Hope asked.
Alex sighed. “Yes, he filed. It was a fast divorce. His ex, Nikki, didn’t contest it. I think the whole thing was over in forty-five days. Tony’s officially a single man.”
“At least that’s great news, right?” Suzy asked.
Alex picked at a chipped nail. “Yeah, it’s great.”
Hope sipped her margarita. “That’s convincing.”
“His ex is sniffing around again. Now that Nikki knows about me, I think she wants him back. I guess Sean, his brother, isn’t holding her attention.”
Suzy groaned. “Exactly what you need. A competitive ex-wife and an intern from hell. Sorry, hon.”
“And there’s more. I haven’t been allowed to see little Joey but apparently he’s having an extremely difficult time understanding that Tony is now his uncle and not his dad. Tony said he’s acting out, throws tantrums, keeps to himself, and won’t mind him. Nikki rarely lets Tony see the little guy.” Alex shook her head. “It’s a mess.”
“Understandable,” Hope said. “He’s young. This will take time and probably counseling.”
“Said the counselor.” Alex drained her chardonnay. “Tony doesn’t believe in counseling. No offense.”
Hope leaned back. “None taken but I hope you can convince him otherwise.”
Suzy raised her glass. “Well, isn’t this a fun, light-hearted get-together?”
“Thank God we have each other,” Alex said.
Hope held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. “See why I don’t date? My life isn’t so bad after all. Thanks for making me feel better. Are you girls hungry?”
“Starving.” Alex turned to get Gus’s attention. After she swiveled around, she jumped off her bar stool, nearly toppling her wine. “Who the hell is that?” She fixated on the entrance of Coconuts as a shiny, black limo pulled in front. Pointing, she said, “There’s a freakin’ limo outside.”
Suzy and Hope followed Alex’s gaze.
“I’ve never seen a limo here. This is exciting,” Hope said.
Alex narrowed her eyes, obviously not wanting to miss a moment of the newcomers while simultaneously straightening her sleek suit. She elbowed Suzy. “Look.”
Half-interested, Suzy glanced toward the fuss. “It’s probably a Branson ent
ertainer or a bride.” She scooped salsa out of a bowl Gus had apparently snuck in while they were absorbed in conversation. Crunching on chips until Alex insisted she gawk again, Suzy gave in, and stared toward the front. “Okay, okay. I’m looking.”
Alex rubbernecked around a fake palm tree beside the wall mural, put her chin on her hand, and gaped. “I’m very curious to see who gets out of that limo.”
Chapter 18
Alex couldn’t take her eyes off the frenzy in the Coconuts parking lot.
Suzy sipped her merlot. “We’ll find out soon enough. My money’s still on a Branson entertainer.”
A wide-eyed Hope leaned around Alex. “It certainly isn’t any of my students from Hilltop—unless it’s already prom season and I missed it.” She sighed. “I’ve never ridden in a limo.”
Suzy patted her arm. “You will one day, honey.”
Soon a wide-shouldered, uniformed driver in a black suit, dark sunglasses, with a buzz cut, walked around the car toward the passenger side.
Alex sat up even straighter. “He’s hot.”
“Uh, remember the cop? Aren’t you taken?” Hope asked.
“I think. I guess.” Alex shrugged. “Shh. Let’s watch.” Before peering back at the limo driver, Alex noticed Suzy and Hope exchanged looks. She frowned. “Hey, I can look, can’t I?” She studied the young, possibly late twenty-something driver. “I can’t wait to see who’s in the car. I wish he or she would hurry up and get out.”
Hope’s eyes widened. “I bet it’s a celebrity. A celebrity at Coconuts.”
Alex wrinkled her nose. “What celebrity would come to Coconuts—or to Crystal City for that matter? We’re small potatoes.”
Hope shrugged. “It’s a nice place.”
“Very nice,” Suzy added.
Gus reappeared in time to hear Alex’s comment about Coconuts. His face fell.
“Sorry, Gus. No offense but Coconuts isn’t exactly The Ritz. I—we—obviously love it here, but you surely understand what I meant.” Sorry she had hurt their favorite server’s feelings, Alex fidgeted with her napkin and placed her silverware on her skirt so it wouldn’t touch the germy table.
Suzy patted Gus on the arm. “Limos aren’t that big of a deal. My brides ride in them all of the time. How about some menus, Gus?”
“Sure thing. A refill on the drinks?”
Hope nodded. “Yup. Another margarita for me. This looks like a people-watching night.”
Alex bobbed her head in agreement but stayed fixated on the commotion outside. Soon, the well-built, uniformed man with the tight black pants opened the back door. Alex scrutinized every detail of the scene as if she had to memorize it for a test.
Finally, a toned, tanned leg appeared beneath the door. Red stilettos peeked underneath the shiny, black exterior.
Alex rubbed her hands together. “This is going to be good.”
Out of nowhere, paparazzi appeared. Men and a few women jumped out of the bushes with long camera lenses. A flurry of blinding lights surrounded the woman as she attempted to exit the vehicle. Her driver held up his arm in an obvious attempt to give her protection and block the photographers.
“Who could this be? Do you think someone is shooting a movie in Crystal City that we don’t know about? And, if so, why didn’t they cast us?” Alex absentmindedly fluffed her hair and reapplied lipstick, never taking her eyes off the image before them. As she sat transfixed, Suzy and Hope seemed to be losing interest as they munched on the chips and salsa.
Hope glopped a healthy amount of salsa onto her chip. “Why does everyone have a glamorous life except me? When will it be my turn?”
Suzy winced. “You’ve had it rough, honey. After your parents were killed in that awful train accident, I didn’t know when we’d get our Hope back, but you pulled through with flying colors, stronger than ever. And you connected with your wonderful biological father. That was a bonus. Your students love you. We love you. That’s all that matters, right? Limos don’t matter.”
Hope managed a smile. “You’re right. No more pity parties. I am back thanks to you two, Paul, and my students, but still, a flashy limo would be nice—just once.” She wiped her mouth and turned toward the flurry of activity.
“Aren’t you going to eat, Alex?” Suzy asked.
Without turning her head away from the window, Alex reached across, felt for a chip, and plunked it in the salsa in one fell swoop. She repeated the action while never taking her eyes off the limo and nearly tipped her chardonnay over yet again. It teetered but she steadied the wineglass before it landed in her lap.
Hope laughed. “Good save. That would have been all over me.”
Alex turned back to the front entrance. “I see an arm. Any bets on who this is?”
“No idea,” Suzy and Hope both said in unison.
Soon a gorgeous young woman with long, silky blonde hair stepped out. A clingy, red dress hugged her petite body. She stood with confidence in towering, red heels featuring designer red soles. The newcomer smiled and posed as the photographers clicked photo after photo.
“Damn,” Alex said. “Those camera flashes must be blinding.”
The threesome watched as the young woman shielded her eyes with her arm. When the photographers shoved their long lenses in her face, she took a step back and faltered. Her driver offered his arm and steadied her. Flash after flash continued as if it were the Fourth of July. The stylish woman reached into her clutch purse and donned sunglasses even though the sun was just beginning to set.
Alex blew out her breath. “Wow. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. Great. More competition. Do either of you recognize her?”
“She is stunning.” Suzy drummed her fingers on the table. “She looks familiar. I think I’ve seen her photo before. Suzy studied the stranger. Her name is on the tip of my tongue. I saw her—or someone who looked like her—when I scanned celebrity weddings for one of my brides. She took another sip of wine. “It’ll come to me.”
Hope shook her head. “I don’t have any idea who she is but she looks like a movie star.”
“Yeah, lucky us.” Alex couldn’t hide her jealousy.
Suzy brightened. “Now I remember. I believe that’s Cheri Van Buren. I’ve seen her in the New York society pages several times. I believe she has also been in People or Us magazine.”
Hope shrugged. “Doesn’t ring a bell but why would it?” She chuckled. “I’m probably the only person on earth who has never heard of Cheri Van Buren. She sounds rich with that last name. She looks rich too.”
Alex splayed her hands on the round, high-top table as she leaned toward Suzy. “You mean that’s the Cheri Van Buren, the multi-millionaire from New York City?”
Suzy nodded. “I’m pretty sure. If so, she and her parents are filthy rich. She owns Fifth Avenue Catering and has catered some amazing events and weddings in the northeast.” Now fascinated by the newcomer, she said, “I’ve followed her catering website to get ideas for my brides. Of course, I’d have to scale any extravagant parties of hers down tremendously for my weddings. Way down.”
Alex put her finger on her lips. “Wait a minute. I think she was on Rachel Ray or possibly a contestant on Celebrity Chopped.” Alex groaned. “She’s gorgeous and talented. I hate her.”
“Me too,” Hope said. “She’s way out of my league. I’m not even in the same hemisphere.”
“Jealous much, silly girls?” Suzy teased as they sat riveted while the stranger entered Coconuts.
Chapter 19
With the hunky driver by her side, the stylish socialite made her way through the throng of photographers and stepped confidently inside. She didn’t make eye contact with the patrons, nor did she remove her sunglasses. The limo driver did his best to brush aside the cameras.
Alex overheard the driver say, “Enough. I�
�m sure Access Hollywood or The National Enquirer will pay you well for those photos. Now leave her alone. You got what you wanted.” After a few more blinding flashes, the photographers obeyed the driver and left.
The chic woman held her head high and glided across the room like a stately peacock. She ignored the gawking patrons as she eyed two available empty tables.
Alex studied every detail as the knockout transferred her gold Chanel clutch from her right arm to her left as she chose a table in a darkened corner. She turned her back toward the rubbernecking customers and waved a slender, gold bangled arm motioning toward a chair for the limo driver.
“So she eats with the help,” Alex said. “I would too. He’s cute.”
“This is fun. I wonder why she’s here.” Hope rested her chin on her hand and stared. “This is the closest I’ll ever get to a celebrity. Do you think she’s waiting for someone?”
“Besides the sexy limo driver?” Alex asked. “Somehow, I doubt if a bevy of celebrities plan to flock to Coconuts or Crystal City. Last time I checked Brad Pitt spent his time in California, New York, Europe, or a movie set. Same for George Clooney.” Alex sipped her white wine. “I hope we get the chance to know if that is Cheri Van Buren. I’d love to hear about New York. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“Do you think he’s her bodyguard too?” Suzy asked.
“Probably.” Alex glanced at the wide-shouldered, muscular man whose black shoes were as shiny as the limo. “He looks like a marine with that buzz cut and square jawline.” She raised her eyebrows. “A very handsome marine.”
Hope studied her sensible, brown loafers and chuckled. “If I wore lipstick, I could use his shoes for a mirror.”
“Do you suppose they’re a couple?” Alex stared agog, unable to take her eyes off the new arrivals. “I hope this isn’t a one-time thing. I’ve got to know why she’s here.”
