“Yes.”
Paige waited for the women to pick up their jaws from the floor. Then went into the dining room and sat next to Matthew.
“Is everything okay?”
“It’s more than okay. It’s wonderful.” Paige looked up over at Margaret, who winked at her.
Paige was happy that Margaret stood up for her and Jennifer, but she wasn’t naïve. She and Jennifer had taken away two of the best catches out there. She knew they’d get their revenge one way or another.
* * *
The first day of school was filled with the usual sense of excitement. Most teachers felt refreshed after the summer months. However, this school year was especially bright for Matthew. He strode into the teachers’ break room with a little bounce in his step.
“Good morning, fellow teachers.” He smiled.
A mixed chorus of good mornings followed.
“Well, would you look at you,” Rob Nye said.
Matthew sat down and opened a lemon Snapple. “What about me?” he said.
“You’re so happy. I know it’s the first day of school and most of us are glad to be back, but you are positively giddy.”
“You noticed that, huh?”
“Stevie Wonder noticed that.”
Matthew laughed and then stood up. “If I can have your attention, please.” He tapped the table.
“You have the floor, Matt,” Rob said.
“Although I’m always thrilled to be in the presence of such great educators, that’s not the only reason I’m happy. I got engaged this summer.”
A chorus of congratulations and clapping followed.
Grace, the art teacher, gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations, Matthew.”
“Thanks, Grace.”
Rob shook his hand. “Congratulations, Matt. That’s great news.”
“I think so, too.”
“When did you pop the question?”
“In August.”
“So you’re still a newbie.”
“It feels good.”
“Is she a teacher, too?”
“No. Paige owns a wedding planning business on Long Island. In fact, she’s working on my brother’s wedding.”
“Is that how you met her?”
“Sort of.”
“Sort of? What does that mean?”
“It’s a long story. Suffice it to say that we met and fell in love.”
The bell rang.
“That’s our cue,” Matthew said, standing up.
“How about I buy you a slice of pizza for lunch to celebrate? Then you can tell me what ‘sort of’ means.”
“Sounds good to me, Nye.”
“Cool. I’ll meet you here at twelve-thirty,” Rob said as he walked to the door.
“Cool.”
Matthew walked into his homeroom. When he looked around he saw many of the students he’d had for eleventh grade global history, and many of them would be in his second period American history class.
“Hey, Mr. S.”
“Hey, Derek.” They shook hands. “So how was your summer?”
“I can’t complain. I worked for my uncle, but I got to hang with Chenese, too.”
“So you two are still seeing each other?”
“Yeah man, we’re still cool.”
Matthew sat down at the desk.
“What about you, Mr. S? How was your summer?”
“It was really good. I got engaged.”
“Get out of here! For real, man?”
“Yeah, for real.”
“Aww, that’s cool, Mr. S.” Derek tapped the desk. “Hey ya’ll, Mr. S. is getting married.”
There was an outburst of clapping, whooping, and whistling.
“Thanks, everyone. I’m very happy about it, too.”
A girl raised her hand.
“Yes, Tina?”
“I know you might not answer this, but I figured I’d ask.”
“Go ahead, Tina.”
“Is she a sister or a white girl?”
The room went quiet.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“I won’t keep you in suspense. She’s a sister.”
The room became noisy with clapping and whistling again.
Derek shook Matthew’s hand. “All right, Mr. S.”
Matthew laughed. “Okay. Now that you know I’m engaged, let’s get to the attendance, shall we?”
“You don’t have a date or anything yet?”
“We just got engaged at the end of August, Derek, we haven’t had time to set a date. Besides, my little brother is getting married in December.”
“So why don’t you have a double wedding?” Tina asked.
Matthew almost fell out laughing. “That’s a nice idea, Tina, but I’m sure my future sister-in-law wouldn’t go for it. We’ll have our own little wedding.”
“What do you mean little wedding, Mr. S? I know we’re invited.”
“Of course, Derek, you’re all invited to my wedding as soon as I know when we’re getting hitched.”
“Give us enough time, Mr. S. I’ve got to go shopping for just the perfect dress.” Tina smiled.
“You got it, Tina.”
Matthew opened the attendance book and started the roll call. His students were still abuzz with the news. Until then he hadn’t thought about a big or small wedding, he just wanted to marry Paige. Although he wasn’t interested in something along the same magnitude as Michael and Jennifer’s wedding, he wanted it to make a little splash. Paige did say she wanted to go small, but that might be impossible to pull off. Maybe I can talk her into changing her mind, he thought.
After Labor Day weekend, the month of September flew by and neither Matthew nor Paige had bothered to have “the talk.” School was open and he had dozens of papers to grade each night in addition to planning and getting his curriculum approved. Paige was nearing the homestretch of the wedding planning particularly since the stationery shop mailed the wedding invitations out. By the time October rolled around the invitations for the bridal shower were out as well.
With just under three months to go, Paige finalized the plans with the florist, baker, photographer, videographer, and caterer so she could concentrate on the shower.
Stuart, Daisy, and Eve helped Paige with the steady stream of bridal shower invitation response cards. Invited guests still had time to respond for the wedding.
As Paige walked past the conference room one day Eve called her.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?”
Daisy and Eve nudged Stuart.
“Paige, there’s a problem with the bridal shower.”
“Is there a scheduling problem with Lady Mendi’s?”
“No. Eve, Daisy, and I have gone over this three times and no matter how we cut it almost all of the invitees declined. Only thirty women said yes.”
Paige was floored. “I can’t believe it. There were a little over one hundred names on the list.”
“There were 115 names.”
“Don’t tell me. It had a distinct Jewish and Gentile differential, didn’t it?”
“Yes.” Daisy hung her head.
“This is insane. I knew they were upset about Matthew and Michael, but I never thought for a minute that they’d do something like this.”
Adriana had been standing in the door the whole time. “Who would do something like this?”
“These WASP country club types. I told you what I overheard when I went to the amateur golf tournament last month.”
“Yes, and you said Mrs. Smythe put them in their place.”
“I know, but maybe that wasn’t enough. They want us to know we’re outsiders.” She shook her head in disgust.
“It does look like they’re boycotting the shower.”
“Exactly, and Jennifer’s only crime against them is Michael fell in love with her and not one of their daughters. She should not be punished for that.”
“True,” Stuart sighed.
&nb
sp; “Do you think they’ll try to boycott the wedding?” Adriana asked.
“No, they won’t do that. This wedding is the event of the season. The New York Times is sending someone to cover the wedding, so there will be more than just a wedding announcement in the Celebrations Section.”
“Oh, that reminds me. An editor from Town and Country called for you, Paige.”
“Thanks, Daisy. I think they’re sending a writer and a photographer.”
“But they figured they’d make a statement with the bridal shower? That’s cold.” Daisy shook her head.
Paige thought for a minute. “Stuart, I have a listing of the New York social registry in the file room. Would you get it for me and check to see who is sitting atop it?”
“Will do, boss lady.” He left.
“As for you two, just keep the declines in another box for now. We still have time to turn this around.”
“You think you can turn this around?”
“I’m certainly going to try, Daisy. All I need is the name of the head WASP goddess and we’re in business.”
They both chuckled.
Twenty minutes later Paige called to request a meeting with Ms. Mitzi Granger who agreed to meet with her that day. Paige went home, changed, and caught the first train she could get into the city. With her three-inch pumps, Paige looked impressive. She was prepared to be the epitome of grace, and felt a little extra height would give her an advantage even if the shoes hurt like hell.
Paige walked out of Penn Station and flagged a cab for Park Avenue. Once she arrived, she checked her reflection in the mirror. These heels are killing me but they make an impression. Paige sucked up the pain and charged ahead at full speed.
“Good morning,” the doorman said as he held the door.
“Good morning.”
“Hello. May I help you?” the deskman asked.
“Yes. Paige Baldwin to see Ms. Granger. She’s expecting me.”
“Just one moment.”
Paige looked around while he made the call.
“Take the elevator to the fourteenth floor. It’s the only apartment on the floor.”
“Thank you.”
Paige’s stomach would not stop jumping on the way up. Cut it out, she warned her stomach. This is not the time or the place. When the doors opened, a butler was waiting for her.
“Please come in, Ms. Baldwin.”
“Thank you.”
“Follow me.”
Paige looked around the apartment. The Grangers’ fortune had been built during the Gilded Age, in a time before personal income tax. As Paige walked through she saw photos of the family patriarch and Mitzi Granger’s grandfather, Spencer Granger, with Henry Ford and John Rockefeller. Mitzi had been quite a dish in her debutante days. Born into wealth, Mitzi married well twice and was widowed twice. Both husbands had been antique and art collectors so her apartment doubled as a museum, with precious antique pieces from Louis the XIV antiques mixed with pieces from the Rococo period. It was impressive.
“Ms. Paige Baldwin to see you.”
“Ms. Baldwin, lovely to see you. Please have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Paige complied.
Although she was nearly eighty years old, Paige could see remnants of her younger beauty. She was a petite woman with delicate features, and she wore her silver hair in a proper bun.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
She motioned to the butler. “How do you take it?”
“Cream and no sugar.”
He obliged.
Paige took a gander at the china. It was a pattern she’d seen in books on turn of the century china. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Ms. Baldwin.”
“That will be all, Rex. Thank you.”
“Very good, ma’am.”
“I want to thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice.” Paige sipped her coffee.
“You’re quite welcome. I must say I was intrigued by your call.”
“Then I won’t keep you in suspense.” She put her cup down. “As you know, I’m the wedding planner for the Klein/Smythe wedding. However, in addition to those duties I am also in charge of the bridal shower.”
“I see.”
“At the risk of being very tacky, I’ve come to ask you if you would help me with those guests who have decided to boycott the bridal shower.”
She seemed surprised. “A boycott? Aren’t you exaggerating a little bit?”
“I wish it were an exaggeration, but we sent out over 115 invitations and even with your yes only thirty responded in the affirmative.”
“Eighty-five people turned you down?”
“Yes.”
“You aren’t being sensitive or exaggerating. It’s a boycott all right.” She put her coffee cup down. “I can’t tell you how ashamed I am of this behavior. The Kleins are wonderful people and they give generously of their money and time to many fine causes. I can’t believe people would slap them in the face like this.”
“I thought it was a slap in the face, too. I know your family to be quite active in society circles so I came straight to you.”
“Well, Ms. Baldwin, I give you credit for going the extra mile.”
“In a way I feel like I’m partially responsible for this.”
“Why? Do you think it’s because Matthew Smythe proposed to you and not one of their daughters?” she asked in disbelief.
“Yes. With all due respect, Ms. Granger, I’m a black woman. Most of these ladies are used to women like me waiting on them. Granted there are a few that are open-minded until it comes to their men and then all bets are off.”
Mitzi leaned back in her chair. “Did you know that I was very good friends with Alistair Smythe?”
“No, I didn’t know.”
“Oh, yes. We had a lot of fun together,” she reflected. “Alistair liked to push the envelope, but he had such a fine-tuned sense of what was right and wrong.”
“I would love to have known him.”
“In a way you have met him in Matthew. He’s just like his grandfather. He is very much his own man, as is his brother Michael.”
“That’s true.”
“Did you know that their grandmother grew up in Brooklyn?”
“No.” Paige was surprised.
“Oh, yes. It was quite the scandal back then. Alistair Smythe, heir apparent, married a middle-class woman from Brooklyn. J.J. and Alistair were married for nearly fifty years when she died. Alistair married for love and his grandsons are following in his footsteps.”
Paige smiled.
“So who do you think is the ringleader of this travesty?”
“I can’t say that I know their last names. But I think I overheard their first names. They were Beatrice and Pamela.”
“I know exactly who you’re talking about.”
“I hoped that you would be able to use your influence. I know Margaret took them to task, but now they’re getting back at her by not coming to the bridal shower.”
“Good manners are good manners, and it shouldn’t matter where you fall on the social ranking list. I’ll take care of this.”
“Thank you, Ms. Granger. Every woman deserves to be happy as she gets ready for her wedding. This is supposed to be a fun time of her life, and she should be able to share it with others.”
“True.”
“I came here because I think you’re the modern day Mrs. Astor.”
“I see you know something about society, Ms. Baldwin.”
“Just what I read.”
“Consider this taken care of. I will be there, and so will everyone else.”
Paige stood up and shook her hand. “Thank you again for your time.”
“You’re quite welcome.”
Paige walked out of the apartment with her head held high and her back erect. The butler held the door.
“Thank you again. Have a good day.”
“You, too, ma’am.�
�
Paige stepped into the waiting elevator, having either righted a great wrong or committed business hari-kari.
* * *
Paige called the office to let them know she was done for the day. However she went uptown to Matthew’s place. She let herself in with her key and started walking upstairs. Mrs. Hall came out of her apartment.
“Paige?”
She stopped. “Hi, Mrs. Hall. How are you?”
“I’m very well, thanks. You, on the other hand, don’t look so good. What’s the matter, child?”
“I think I just stepped in it.”
“Stepped in what?”
“A heaping pile of you-know-what.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Come on in here, my girl. Tell me all about it.”
Paige went in. After two cups of coffee Paige told Mrs. Hall everything.
Mrs. Hall sipped her coffee. “Listen to me, you didn’t do anything wrong. You shouldn’t feel bad.”
“I just hope I didn’t make things worse.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.”
There was a knock at the door.
“Hi, Mrs. Hall. It’s me.”
“Come on in, Matthew.”
He walked in. “How are you, Mrs. Hall?” He looked surprised when he saw Paige. “Sweetheart, when did you get here?”
“A little while ago.”
He kissed Paige and Mrs. Hall. “My two best girls together. How lucky can a guy get?” He smiled.
“Well, I think it’s time I tend to another favorite girl of yours.” Prudence was meowing. “It’s time to feed that little girl.”
Paige got up. “I’ll see you later, Mrs. Hall.” She kissed her cheek.
“Now you remember what I said.”
“I will.”
Matthew took Paige’s hand. “Now you’re coming upstairs to tell me why you’re upset.”
He led her upstairs.
“So, baby, what’s on your mind?”
“I think I got a little too hotheaded and did something that might sink me.”
He took his jacket off. “What on earth could you have done?”
“Well, you know that I’ve been planning Jennifer’s bridal shower and we’ve begun to get the response cards.”
“Okay.”
“Nearly all of them declined.”
He looked shocked. “What?”
“I know. I was floored. So what did I do? I called Ms. Mitzi Granger’s personal secretary to get an appointment to see her, and I got one for today.”
Bliss, Inc. (Indigo Love Spectrum) Page 32