by Bria Marche
The group of friends took three cars and went to Beacon on Sunday to spend the entire day together. Mia’s parents had arrived Saturday afternoon, and Vic and Tina were both anxious to see them again. There were a lot of new faces to introduce them to and familiar faces to get reacquainted with. Window-shopping and browsing through the antique stores reminded Sasha of the time she’d invited Josh to go with her to pick out furniture for the Victorian. Life had changed drastically since then, and now, in less than two weeks, she would marry that very man. Josh put his arm around her as they walked.
***
Vic thought back to the day they all went to Beacon after visiting Max in the hospital. A frown crossed her face at those memories. Back then, she hadn’t been sure if Max would be okay or if their relationship would endure, but it had. She squeezed his hand a little tighter as they strolled. They all agreed on Berlotto’s Trattoria for a late lunch and good conversation, returning to Tarrytown at sunset.
***
Tina jammed her cell deep into her sweatshirt pocket and zipped it closed. Early June occasionally had days that dipped into the low sixties even with plenty of sun. How did I get this bag of potting soil into the garage in the first place? She stood with her hands on her hips, sizing up the gigantic fifty-pound bag of dirt she needed to haul outside by the planter boxes. Oh yeah—those old skateboards! Tina smiled, realizing her own inventive nature. The grunting sound coming from deep within her gut reminded her of Dan’s comment about how men grunt. I guess girls grunt, too, if the situation calls for it. She tugged on the bag, finally getting it to lie across the skateboards. Leaning over, she guided the skateboards from the garage and along the sidewalk to the area she was working at. “There!” Pleased with herself, she began filling the planters with new potting soil and bright-pink petunias. The ringing of her phone took her away from the daydream she was just beginning. She answered, already wearing a smile.
“Hi, Tina, it’s Dan. You know, I just realized today is Tuesday, and if you don’t have any plans, I’d love to take you somewhere downtown for lunch. I need to get acquainted with Tarrytown and all of the business owners, and who better to make the introductions than you? You never know when some of these folks might need my expertise.”
“So, let me get this straight: you want to meet potential customers, or have the honor of buying me lunch?”
“Would it be rude to say both?”
“Nope, honesty is the best policy as far as I’m concerned. Yes, you may buy me lunch, and I’ll also introduce you to some business owners downtown. How about Morey’s?”
“That sounds great. I’ll pick you up at noon.”
Tina was pretty happy ever since returning from the expo. She loved her newfound freedom of expression, and she couldn’t be more pleased to have Dan in her life. They were new together and had only gone out once, but everything seemed to be heading in the right direction, slowly, and that was fine with her. Tina liked the idea of getting to know Dan gradually, and he didn’t seem to mind. She was pretty certain that after the wedding, and once he moved to Tarrytown, he would fit nicely into their tight-knit group of best friends. She didn’t mind being the fifth wheel anymore—she was confident that situation wouldn’t last much longer. Tina felt different these days—content, less sarcastic, and letting go of the anger she’d held toward men for ten years. A weight had been lifted, and her happiness soared. She laughed at the thought of Friday when Mia and Alina had both had their hair dyed in the sombré style. That was their way of showing they accepted Tina’s changes and proving their solidarity with her. What a bunch of knuckleheads I have for best friends. I’m so blessed. I love all of them more than I ever realized.
***
On the last available weekend before the big day, Sasha asked for everyone’s help in sprucing up the Victorian and grounds. Dan even came by to lend a hand and walk around the property, making sure all his work looked good. Slowly and methodically, he checked every post, rail, and board again. Pulling on one and pushing on the other, he carefully assessed the deck to see if everything was secure and in place. Carrying a notepad in hand and a pencil above his left ear, he jotted down anything that could use a little twist with a screwdriver or one more hit with a hammer. Rakes and shovels were scattered about as the guys cleaned up the yard, turning it into a pristine paradise with their hard work. Gerard, Tom, and Josh inspected the vineyard, walking slowly through each row, looking for storm damage and checking the growth progress. The grape stock was taking hold, and the leaves looked strong and healthy. Josh wanted to learn everything he could from Gerard before he and Alina returned to France.
The door knocker banged three times. Mia answered, being much faster at running down the stairs these days than Sasha was. The rest of the women were still gathered upstairs, their arms flitting ferociously as they cleaned, changed sheets, opened stuck, winter windows and aired out the house while clucking like a brood of hens. A delivery guy, wearing a matching brown shirt and shorts, stood there, clipboard in hand. He told Mia there was an insured delivery for Martha Destiny, and he needed a signature.
“Sasha, you have to come downstairs and sign for this delivery,” Mia yelled, “and bring your license to prove you’re Martha Destiny.” Mia picked at her cuticles, feeling conspicuous, while the driver waited. “She’s pregnant with twins so she’s slow… sorry.”
“That’s quite all right, ma’am. I’ll unload the crate while I wait.” The driver turned and headed down the sidewalk to the van. He flipped the lever that opened the large double back doors, and he raised the ramp. He loaded a large wooden crate onto the hand truck and lowered it down the ramp. Sasha stood on the porch with Mia, waiting with her license in her hand. He returned for her signature and left the crate standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
“What’s with the crate?” the ladies asked after they made their way down the staircase and gathered side by side on the porch. They planted their hands on their hips as each of them stared at the crate, waiting for something to happen.
“Well, it doesn’t look like anyone is going to jump out of it,” Karen said. “I guess we should find a man to open it.”
“Yeah, there’s got to be at least one man in that group milling around the yard, right?” Tina joked. She pulled out her phone and called Dan. “Hi, Dan, can you round up the manflesh and come to the front of the house? There’s a huge crate here that needs opening.”
Within minutes, five hunky guys, Mia’s dad, Tom, and Gerard, Sasha’s father and French movie star, rounded the corner of the Victorian, carrying claw hammers and a crowbar.
“Damn… hot guys carrying tools. What more could any woman ask for?” Vic chuckled and licked her lips.
“What the heck?” Josh stared at the enormous crate. It was at least five feet by six feet in size. “You didn’t order this?” He looked at Sasha. She shrugged and wore a bewildered expression.
“Well, are we going to have a group powwow or open the stupid thing?” Vic asked.
The men lifted the crate and muscled it over to the middle of the front yard. Opening it there would be easier—no flower beds in the way. The women sat on the porch near the railing to watch, wishing they had popcorn to pass around. With the claws of the hammers and the crowbar, the men pulled nails out of the top, trying to open the lid. They carefully set the crate on its side to get the top off since it was so large. Tina elbowed Vic, Vic elbowed Mia, and Mia elbowed Karen. They stared at Sasha, waiting for her expression to change. Vic slapped Sasha’s hand and held it so she couldn’t gnaw on her fingernails.
“Wait!” Sasha squealed.
All eyes turned toward her. Hammers stopped in midair. The crowbar was lowered. Her face went red.
“I have to pee first. I swear I’ll hurry.”
Everyone moaned, including Kismet, who was almost asleep in a small sunny corner of the porch. These humans were far too noisy for her liking.
With Sasha back and comfortable, the hammers and crowbar began thei
r frenzied work again. Five minutes into it, the lid was pried loose. Inside, something wrapped in yards and yards of bubble wrap was surrounded by enough straw to bed a herd of cattle.
“Okay, guys, let’s pull this thing out. On the count of three. One… two… three… pull.”
Mario bowed out of lifting the heavy thing since his ribs were still healing. The mysterious item, completely surrounded with yards of bubble wrap, still couldn’t be identified.
“Okay, Sasha, it’s all yours. We’re going to swap places with you and the girls, so have at it,” Josh said.
The girls headed down the steps, exchanging places with the guys, and began removing the bubble wrap from this large, heavy item.
“This is so exciting.” Sasha giggled. “Good thing I already went to the bathroom.”
The girls held the monolith upright while Sasha, grasping one end of the bubble wrap, walked around and around, unwinding it as she went. “We’re getting close to the end,” Mia yelled out.
The guys came down and gathered in the yard with the women as the reveal took place. Sasha dropped the final strip of bubble wrap and ran to the front of the beast as soon as she saw the expression on everyone’s face. She fell to her knees, sobbing with happiness. In front of everyone was a huge carved and hand-painted sign. It stood six feet tall and five feet wide, showing an exact depiction of the Victorian, down to the colors, with the wedding garden and vineyard next to it. The words on the sign read “Martha’s Vineyard & Victorian Wedding Garden~ Proprietor~Martha Destiny.”
“Who, how, where did this come from? Mom, Dad, Josh?”
“I have no idea, honey. I’m at a loss here.” Josh looked as bewildered as Sasha did. He scratched the top of his blond head and wiped his sweaty brow as he gave the sign an approving look.
“It’s a beautiful gift, darling, but we didn’t order it,” Alina said.
Sasha spun her head, looking at the four smiling stooges standing proudly next to her.
“What?” they asked innocently as their voices cracked with laughter and tears streamed down their cheeks.
“You guys, really… this is from all of you?”
Mia finally spoke up, “Happy wedding present, Ms. Destiny, from us, your besties. Sasha, we can’t begin to say how much we love you and how proud we are of you. Every dream you had, every vision in your mind, came to fruition. You didn’t quit, and you didn’t let fear blind you. Love and ambition led you this far, and you’ll be a success in life no matter what you do. We’re so happy for you and Josh, for J. J. and now the twins. You deserve all the happiness in the world. We love you, babe, and just so you know in advance, all of our weddings are going to take place here, at Martha’s Vineyard and Victorian Wedding Garden.”
Mia ended her salute to Sasha with a kiss and a hug. Everyone else followed suit. The trunk of Mia’s car just happened to have all of her camera equipment in it. She took group pictures of everyone in front of the sign. Now it was up to Dan to dig holes and pour the footings so the sign could be set up in front of this grand mansion to show that Martha’s Vineyard and Victorian Wedding Garden was officially open for business.
“Well,” Dan said, scratching his head, “there’s no time like the present. We’re doing outdoor work anyway, and there are plenty of strong men here. Sasha, show me where you want the sign. Josh, do you have a posthole digger? I don’t have any with me.”
With a chuckle, Josh looked at Sasha. “Yep, we sure do, in the shed. I’ll get it.”
Dan grabbed a bag of concrete from the back of his work van, slung it over his shoulder, and returned to the designated spot with it. He dropped the bag to the ground then found Josh at the back of the property in the shed. “We’re going to need a wheelbarrow and some shovels, too.”
“Okay, no problem—over here.” Josh came out of the shed with a posthole digger and two shovels. “The wheelbarrow is around the corner.” He pointed to the north side of the shed where the wheelbarrow leaned against the wall.
With a can of white spray paint in his hand, Dan marked spots on the ground where the holes needed to be dug. He placed a large brown tarp next to the area.
“What’s that for?” Aaron asked as he watched with curiosity.
“You guys are going to use the posthole digger to make holes going down two feet. Shake all the dirt from the posthole digger onto the tarp so it’s not sitting on the lawn. We’ll use the dirt somewhere else since the concrete is going to fill the holes around the sign posts.” Dan yelled for Sasha again. “Sasha, where do you want me to put the extra dirt?”
“I think along the south side of the shed will be fine. I might plant some flowers there. Thank you.”
“Okay, guys. When you’re done with the digging, just drag the tarp over to the south side of the shed and dump it.”
“I’m glad somebody’s taking charge. We’d be standing in a circle, scratching our balls and wondering what to do next.” Aaron laughed.
“Somehow, I doubt that.” Dan smirked. “Okay, let’s get busy. I’ll mix the concrete as soon as the holes are dug. It sets up quickly, so we have to plan this right. I’ll get my level.”
As soon as the holes were dug, the men lifted the heavy sign and dropped the posts into the ground. Dan set the level across the top. “Put some of the dirt back into the left hole. It isn’t quite level.”
Josh scooped up a shovel full of dirt and dumped it back in the hole, twice. They repositioned the posts until the sign was straight. The bubble in the level sat dead center.
“That’s perfect.” Dan poured the concrete he mixed in the wheelbarrow into both holes and checked once more with the level for good measure. “Okay, looks good. It should be somewhat solid in a few hours. I guess we can get back to work.”
“Can everyone stay for dinner?” Sasha asked with a hopeful expression on her face.
They all looked at their significant others and shrugged. Nobody had plans for later.
“Good. We’re going to prepare a feast. Dinner will be at five thirty. Right now, I have to go grocery shopping.” Sasha and Alina took off in the Tundra while everyone else went back to work.
That evening, a dinner large enough to feed the entire community was served on the deck. Strategically placed lights gracefully illuminated the tiered area, showing off how beautiful the backyard was becoming. Having sliders that led from the kitchen to the deck was Sasha’s dream come true. Aaron grilled chicken in his secret barbecue sauce. Vic and Mario prepared Puerto Rican rice and beans with plantains. Alina tossed together a salade niçoise. Baby red potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts were compliments of Tina, with Dan gladly peeling the potatoes. Karen bought two cheesecakes, one original style and one chocolate, and Josh and Max picked up all the beverages. There was plenty of Merlot, beer, and grape juice to hold this dinner party over all night.
Sasha stood to speak to her family and friends. “First off, I want to thank everyone for their help today, both indoors and outside. I’m so happy with the sign. You guys really blindsided me on that one. What a beautiful and thoughtful gift. I love you girls! Just think, a week from tonight, we’ll all be here again, celebrating our weddings. Mia and I will be married to these hot studs sitting next to us. We’ll have even more loved ones and dear friends here to help us celebrate. I’m so blessed to have all of you in my life. A year ago, I couldn’t name one person as a best friend, and now I have more than I could ever imagine. Cheers to all of us!”
Glasses clinked, and the group of friends air kissed each other. The first party on the deck went on until the late hours of the night.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Matt, Liz, and the kids arrived Wednesday afternoon from Los Angeles. Out-of-town guests filled the Tarrytown Suites. Each group held room-to-room parties, getting reacquainted, as the wedding day approached. Sasha held an interview Thursday morning with a local Westchester County newspaper, promoting the Victorian Wedding Garden on Sunrise Avenue as the new place in town to have a beautiful wedding and
reception. She went by the name Martha Destiny for the interview, and no photographs of her were allowed. Jack was a distant memory these days, and she had no intention of screwing that up. The photographer was invited into the library to videotape the indoor wedding area. Outside, Sasha showed them the deck and the gazebo where the reception and photo opportunities could take place. They ended the interview at the Victorian Wedding Garden, where she led them into the secluded, ivy-covered ceremony area under the pergola. The interview closed with a shot of the Victorian and the beautiful new sign next to it.
Saturday, Tarrytown would be abuzz with activity. Cars would line Sunrise Avenue with guests arriving at the stately mansion for the weddings. Mia and Aaron, having lived in Tarrytown their entire lives, were well-known, and so was Josh Redmond. Sasha enjoyed being addressed as Martha Destiny by people in town. She didn’t want her real name to be public anyway. Strangers drove by the Victorian, taking pictures of the beautiful mansion just as Sasha had dreamed of months ago when she sat alone on the worn maple floors. Back then, she’d envisioned the way the Victorian must have looked in her heyday and the parties she would have held. The Victorian was alive once more and stood proudly with all the pomp and circumstance she deserved. The grande dame of Tarrytown was back and more beautiful than ever.
There would be a private rehearsal Friday afternoon and a small dinner afterward for the wedding party and family. A full catering staff would be in charge of all the meals, beginning Friday at the rehearsal dinner. With 132 invitations sent out with a plus-one on each, the last count totaled 248 people attending the weddings and reception. Knowing there wouldn’t be enough room for everyone to park on Sunrise Avenue, Sasha and Mia paid for a shuttle service to transport guests staying at the Tarrytown Suites to the wedding and back to the hotel afterward.