The Winter Wedding

by A. C. Arthur

  Now, it was two hours before the wedding was set to start at seven, and she was in a boardroom at the Warwick hotel sitting at the table with her staff beside her, Sam and his staff members, Bailey, Devlin and Bree on the other side. Cheyna remembered Bree from the photo shoot, but tonight was her first time being introduced to Bailey and Devlin

  “I called this meeting so we could go over security protocols for this evening,” Sam spoke as if this was a routine meeting. He talked about Monica and Alex as if they were some type of royalty and that their safety was of the utmost priority. But Cheyna knew better.

  “Basically everyone will go along with their business as usual,” Devlin stated. “We have security professionals who will be in the crowd and at the ready should any occurrences need handling. All we ask you to do is to keep your eyes and ears open. Anything out of the ordinary or that you know you did not authorize, find one of us and let us know.”

  “No problem,” Evan replied quickly.

  Sam eyed him suspiciously and Cheyna looked at him as well.

  “I mean, we’ve got this wedding thing down to a science. So as long as you guys handle your part, we’ll handle ours. Right, Cheyna?” Evan turned to her and asked.

  Cheyna nodded slowly. Sarah still hadn’t been able to get the first name of Evan’s investor, not without coming straight out and asking him. But Cheyna had advised against that because she didn’t want Evan to feel as if they didn’t believe him, or worse, were checking up on him. Truth be told, Cheyna just did not want him to be involved. Accusing Evan without any proof would ruin their relationship. Accusing him and being right and ending up dead in her office was another option she wasn’t ready to explore. But if Evan really wanted her dead, he’d had plenty of opportunity to just do it. So there had to be another explanation.

  “Sorry, I’m late.”

  Cheyna’s attention immediately turned to the door and the man she knew that voice belonged to.

  Logan walked in.

  “No problem. We were just finishing up,” Sam told him.

  “Great, because I need to get upstairs with the bridal party,” Evan said shooting up from his seat.

  Sarah twisted her wrist and looked at her watch. “I’ve gotta get to the venue. The vendors are scheduled to start arriving at any minute.”

  “You’re right,” Cheyna told her and stood as well. “We should get going.”

  “Ah, Cheyna, we’d like to speak to you alone,” Sam told her. “You can ride to the venue with me when we’re done.”

  “Sure,” she replied because she wasn’t certain she had another choice. Besides, Cheyna had been trying like hell to keep any of this from Evan and Sarah until after the wedding. She’d only warned Monica and Alex because of who they were and the possible publicity crisis they could face if news of this got out. Evan and Sarah, again might be called as witnesses or at the very least questioned, so Tamara had warned her about saying too much to them.

  “What’s really going on?” she asked the moment Evan and Sarah were gone.

  Bree came to stand beside her and spoke in a very calming tone. “We still haven’t been able to locate Zeke Volker or Fiona Watson. If their ultimate plan is to disgrace you, what better night to do it than the night of the most anticipated wedding in New York City?”

  “So you think Zeke and Fiona are coming to the wedding tonight? They’re not on the guest list,” Cheyna told them and then felt as if she were finally cracking under the pressure. Of course they weren’t on the guest list.

  “We’re going to be prepared if they do. One of us will stick by you until it’s over,” Devlin stated.

  “I’ll stay with her,” Logan interjected.

  Cheyna stared at him and then looked quickly away. It had been weeks since she’d seen him in person.

  “The place is going to be crowded and a lot of different things will be going on, but we’ve got it covered. So I don’t want you to be worried.” Sam stated.

  “I’m not.” She lied.

  “If it makes you feel any better, we were able to clear your assistant Evan Mays. The first flowers came to your office from DelVecchio’s Florist in the Bronx. They were paid for in cash by a woman who fit the description of Fiona Watson. During the time that your car was left unattended the night of the charity basketball tournament, Evan Mays was with Torey Barksdale at a bar in SoHo. We tracked his credit card charges and his cell phone,” Bree stated.

  “But he was meeting with a woman named Watson,” Cheyna told them.

  Sam nodded before adding, “Ginovia Watson, a wealthy widow who has a history of helping attractive young men with whatever they want or need.”

  Cheyna wanted to breathe a sigh of relief but something told her the good news would inevitably be followed by the bad.

  “We’re not totally sure that Fiona Watson is the one who killed Liam Edison and we have nothing tying her to Boyd Stubbing. But we’re going to continue to follow the leads that we’re given. I’m waiting on a call from my contact with the FBI now on a piece of evidence found near the Stubbing crime scene. It may break this case wide open. But until that time, we remain vigilant.” Sam finished and looked directly at Logan.

  “I’ll take her to the venue. You can follow us in your car,” Sam told him.

  Logan nodded and then looked at Cheyna. “Definitely.”

  His gaze was intense and instantly made her feel…different. Yet, familiar. It was as if her body refused to listen to her brain and wanted her to run into his arms as she had when they were at the hospital. Instead, Cheyna walked past him without speaking another word. She kept he gaze straight ahead and tried to focus her mind. She just had to get through this wedding. Her career hinged on successfully pulling off the event of the year. She’d worked hard for this and she would be damned if she let some jealous bastard like Zeke Volker take it from her.

  On December 21st at six-thirty in the evening Rockefeller Center was lit up in all its outstanding glory. A ninety-four feet high Norway Spruce Christmas tree stood guard at the front of the building. It was fifty-six feet wide and over thirty thousand pounds of perfect branches and rich pine scent.

  Sixty-four floors up, the historic Rainbow Room was decorated in shimmering crystals that hung from each window casting the view of the city in a glittery haze. Eighteen inch-high metal chandelier centerpieces were adorned with cascading crystals and topped with bunches of white hydrangea. Fine crystal glasses, hand-selected china, folded gold linen napkins chiavari chairs tied with gold sashes and candles lit in strategic places around the room gave a fairy tale touch to glistening old world elegance.

  The jazz ensemble played as guests entered the space and were escorted to their assigned table by ushers dressed in black tuxedoes or strapless black gowns.

  Cheyna wore a black velvet wraparound dress with cap sleeves and a tassel tie at the waist. Her earpiece was clipped into the right ear, her hair was pulled to the side smoothly with a black and silver barrette and was left to hang over her right shoulder in an array of big curls. She carried a clear clipboard with a one-page itinerary attached. She stood at the front of the room watching as the event she’d spent the last six weeks planning was beginning to unfold.

  It was always a giddy feeling to see the details that she, her staff and her clients agonized over throughout the process come to life. Monica and Alex’s theme of classic elegance and vintage style had come to life in a stunning display of crystal and candlelight. Round tables stretched out along the perimeter of the circular space while a huge decal of the monogram designed by the bride and groom filled the center of the floor. The same L&B in an intricate swirl of gold and black letters and lines was repeated as the topper for the four tier gold and white wedding cake with gilded details, sparkle and black and white floral decorations.

  “Twenty-six minutes.” Sarah’s voice blared through the device tucked in Cheyna’s ear.

  The wedding was scheduled to begin at seven o’clock and the snowstorm that had been foreca
sted to start after midnight tonight had arrived early. Through the shade of cascading crystals at each window fat snowflakes fell to create a fantastic winter wonderland background. Cheyna could not have planned that very special effect better.

  She began her last walk throughout the room smiling at the guests who had already arrived and were seated at their designated tables. By the time she made it to the other side of the floor the jazz ensemble would be switching songs to the instrumental version of A Thousand Years by Christina Perri that had been selected as the processional song for the parents and the bridal party. All guests who would be seated for the ceremony would be in place. Evan would supervise late arrivals who would be held in an area just outside the entry doors until the procession was complete. Cheyna and Sarah would then assist the bridal party as they walked down the black runner embossed with couple’s monogram. At seven-fourteen the song would change to a solo by top R&B recording artist, CeCe Lennox. The ceremony would last eighteen minutes, according to their efficient rehearsal last night. Dinner would be served at eight-twenty.

  Seamless perfection.

  At least that was how it would all play out in Cheyna’s mind.

  “You look stunning.”

  Cheyna did not jump as Logan appeared suddenly at her side. She’d been so engrossed in looking around to make sure everything was just right and mentally going over the program that she hadn’t seen him approach. When they’d seen each other a couple hours ago at the security briefing they hadn’t had time to say much to each other. And while she’d seen him in the ballroom when she was working on preparations this was the first time he’d said something to her.

  “You look really good too.” It wasn’t a lie. Logan looked great in an all-black suit, vest and tie combo.

  He wore a diamond stud in his ear tonight and the freshly barbered low cut hair and neatly trimmed beard completed the handsome and debonair package. Damn she’d missed him. The thought hit her like a blast of cold air and she actually shivered upon acknowledging it.

  “You’ve done a fantastic job. Everyone will remember this night for a very long time.” He kept his voice low as they passed guests and ushers.

  “Thank you. The unveiling of your new ads for the galleries will be a smash when they air online and in the advertising spots during prime holiday programming this week. I was happy to hear that Paul had approved your concepts and the immediate roll-out.” Cheyna recalled the night she’d been at the Lakefield house.

  “Timing is everything. A phenomenal wedding one day, a new look for the galleries across the U.S. the next, the Lakefield name will be the buzz of this holiday season.” Logan was proud of himself. He was strong and confident and as sexy as ever.

  Never had Cheyna thought this would be the type of man who would capture her heart, but then there’d been so many things that had happened in the past weeks that she would have never imagined being a part of her life.

  “If you’ll excuse me I want to check the family tables before it’s time to begin.” She needed to get away from him. Space and work had been the only things saving her from caving into the emotions that threatened to swallow her whole. Nothing in her entire life had been as painful as when she’d walked away from Logan. The look in his eyes as he’d implored her to reconsider had just about broken her heart. She’d wanted to be with him, to completely embrace the feelings they’d both acknowledged were blooming between them, but she couldn’t. Her life was a mess. It was apparently always meant to be a mess and she was consumed with guilt at having brought that into Logan and his family’s world. If things had turned out differently and Cassie or her baby had been fatally injured, she would have never been able to live with herself.

  Logan stopped and touched her arm lightly to keep her still. “I’ll be here when the wedding is over, Cheyna. I’ll be here tomorrow and the next day. You can’t run away from what’s between us forever.”

  Cheyna slipped her arm slowly from his grasp. “You can’t chase me forever.”

  She moved away from him quickly, heading over to the other side of the room to the five tables that had been reserved for the Lakefield, Bennett and Donovan families. Cheyna had learned throughout the process of planning this wedding that the three families were intertwined by marriages and friendships and bound by love. She envied them almost as much as she’d envied Logan’s family. The loyalty and dedication to each other was the same even if the financial statuses were drastically different.

  At one table, Sam Desdune’s parents sat with Bree and Renny’s triplets and their older grandson, Jeremy. Cheyna had met many more of the family members at the rehearsal dinner last night. Monica and Alex wanted everyone from their family that had come to town for the wedding to be part of that celebration as well. At another table, Parker Donovan sat with his wife, Alex’s sister, Adriana. Parker’s brother Savian and his lawyer wife, Jenise, were also sitting there. Brynne Donovan Banks, who managed the San Francisco Lakefield Gallery was at a table with her husband Wade Basset Banks. Cheyna moved from table to table smiling and making sure nobody needed anything.

  “Five minutes and there’s about thirty-five late comers demanding to be seated.”

  At Sarah’s words Cheyna started toward the back of the room.

  “Get them in quickly. Evan, help with seating them. I’m on my way back there. The musicians are set to start at exactly seven so I want those people in seats before then.”

  It was showtime. That meant Cheyna did not have any more time to mourn the family she’d lost by having to walk away from Logan. Family was obviously not in the cards for her life. She’d accepted that before and she would find a way to deal with it again. After this wedding.

  Five minutes later everyone who was going to be seated before the procession were in their seats. The music had changed, the lights dimming even lower so that the candlelight bounced off the crystals throughout the room. Cheyna stood to one side of the closed doors while Sarah stood on the other.

  At the front of the room the minister, Alex and his father, Marvin Bennett, serving as his best man, took their places beside the arch that had been covered in white hydrangea. Alex stood proudly wearing a white tuxedo jacket, its black lapel imprinted with a gold paisley design. Marvin wore the same black tuxedo, gold vest and tie as the other groomsmen.

  “Bring in the parents.” Cheyna spoke and waited for the doors to open.

  At Alex’s request, his mother, Beatriz, was escorted down the aisle by his brother Rico, who would double-back and serve as one of Alex’s groomsmen. Noreen Lakefield was escorted by her son Cole, who was also pulling double-duty tonight. There was a brief pause—time enough for Rico and Cole to get back to this side of the room and in line to escort their bridesmaid down.

  Monica’s bridesmaids were Sam’s sisters, Bree and Lynn, and Astrid, the longtime receptionist from the gallery. They each wore strapless mermaid-fit black gowns and carried white hydrangea bouquets. Karena and Deena were her matrons of honor wearing shimmering gold strapless gowns. Elijah speed-walked down the aisle carrying the ring pillow. Sophia was the flower girl in dress with a white top and black tulle skirt. She dropped gold flakes down the black runner until stopping at the arch in the center of the room. Sophia looked around as if she couldn’t remember what to do next. She’d been so focused on dropping those flakes directly onto the runner the way they’d practiced. Deena, stepped out of line briefly to guide her daughter to the spot where she needed to stand just in front of her and the audience “awwwed” and smiled as the new photographer’s assistants snapped plenty of pictures of the precious moment.

  They would be lovely shots. Cheyna pushed memories of Boyd and what had happened to him out of her mind.

  The music shifted and everyone stood at their tables while Monica and Paul Lakefield entered the room.

  Monica wore a fitting white gown with a sheer and lace top ending in long sleeves with lace circling her wrists. A thin gold belt was tied in a formal bow at her waist. Her shoes were
rose gold five-inch heels with a sparkling gold and white design at the back and down the heel. In her hand she held a custom-made brooch bouquet of silver and gold. Two of the brooches in the bouquet had belonged to her great-grandmother on her father’s side and the one in the very center had been given to her Noreen by her grandmother on Noreen’s wedding day.

  CeCe Lennox sang a beautiful song titled Room For Two that Monica had told Cheyna was very special to her and Alex because the same week in which Monica had decided to set a date for her wedding, the song had reached number one on the R&B charts and achieved platinum status for the artist. Paul and Monica walked down the aisle and for the first time in the many weddings that Cheyna had planned and managed, tears formed in Cheyna’s eyes.

  Monica and Alex’s love was so genuine and so strong. It had withstood all the issues from Monica’s past that had threatened to shut them down in the very beginning and every family, work or extended family problem that arose since that time. They were steadfast and determined to be together no matter what. Cheyna’s chest hurt as her breathing quickened and she tried desperately to keep the tears from falling. Why couldn’t she have that? What had she done to continuously be punished by loneliness all of her life?

  By the time Monica and Alex were reciting their vows, Cheyna could not take it anymore. She turned away and moved closer to the bar where she grabbed a napkin and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and told herself to get it together. She had a job to do.

  But the moment she turned around and attempted to focus on the wedding again, Logan was there.

  He was a few feet away but he was looking at her as if he knew exactly what was going through her mind. He knew and he was showing her that he was still there.

  I’ll be here when the wedding is over, Cheyna. I’ll be here tomorrow and the next day. You can’t run away from what’s between us forever.