Bliss, Inc. (Indigo Love Spectrum)

by Chamein Canton

  “You went to Ms. Granger?” He sounded surprised.

  “I know. Am I brilliant or what?” she asked sarcastically.

  “She is the top of society.”

  “I know. I went straight to Ms. Mitzi Granger to ask her to help lift the boycott on Jennifer’s shower.”

  Matthew was impressed. “That took some balls.”

  “Apparently it took more balls than brains. Who did I think I was? My family tree started under the Mayflower, not on it.”

  “You did a good thing; you went with your principles.”

  “Maybe so. I just hope my principles didn’t cost me all of Jennifer’s guests.”

  “I’m sure everything will be fine.” Matthew put his arms around her.

  Oh, dear God, please let this work out, she prayed silently.

  With Paige sleeping soundly Matthew got out of bed to make a call.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Matthew. How are you, dear?”

  “I’m okay, but I’ve been better.”

  “Did something happen?” She sounded alarmed.

  “I just heard about Jennifer’s shower.”

  “Oh.”

  “So you know about it.”

  “It was pretty hard to ignore.”

  “Tell me the truth, Mom. Is it because of Paige and me?”

  “Not entirely. Jennifer and Michael are part of the equation, too.”

  “This is bull, Mom.”

  “I know. I’ve been making some phone calls to see if I can shame a few of the invitees.”

  “I hope it works. You know Paige went to see Mrs. Granger about it.”

  “Mitzi?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have to give Paige credit. It’s easier to get an audience with the Pope than get in to see Mitzi.”

  Matthew laughed.

  “I’m sure things will turn around, Matthew. Mitzi is the grand dame of the social register.”

  “I hope so. Paige has worked her tail off putting the shower together.”

  “I’m sure it will be great. You should get some rest and put this out of your mind.”

  “I will, Mom. Have a good night.”

  “You, too.”

  Matthew climbed back into bed with Paige and snuggled up with her. He was going to bring up the subject of children, but it wasn’t a good time. Matthew thought at the rate he and Paige were going they’d have the big talk on their honeymoon.

  The next morning Paige was back on the Island. When she opened the door, Stuart was waiting for her.

  “Good morning, Paige.” He grinned.

  “Good morning, Stuart.” She looked at her watch. “You’re a little early, aren’t you?”

  “I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?” she said as she put her briefcase down.

  “I wanted to tell you the phone’s been ringing off the hook. Everyone on the decline list called in to say they will attend the shower after all.”

  Paige was astonished. “They have?”

  “Whatever you did, it worked.”

  “I can’t believe it.” She shook her head.

  “How did you do it?”

  “I talked to the right person. It sort of feels like a Gilded Age moment.”

  “A what?” He looked confused.

  “A Gilded Age moment. Back when society was really hardcore, the Astors were old money and the Vanderbilts were considered upstarts even though they had money. Alva Vanderbilt wanted her family to be accepted in New York society circles but Mrs. Astor wouldn’t let them onto the four hundred list, which was the number of people her ballroom could accommodate. So Alva threw a masquerade ball and invited everyone in New York except the Astors’ daughter. Since anyone who was anyone was attending, Mrs. Astor was forced to call upon Alva and leave her card so that her daughter would be invited to the ball.”

  Stuart shook his head. “You really are a history geek, aren’t you?”

  “I told you, Stuart. At least it worked in Jennifer’s favor.”

  Once all the excitement over the bridal shower guests died down, Bliss got down to the business of planning the last phase before the wedding. The response cards came in one hundred at a time; the decision and the composition of who to put at which table proved to be more difficult than arranging Palestinian peace talks. Finally both families came in for a session of pin-the-guest-at-a-table. This way there were no mistakes or misunderstandings.

  As the days wound down Paige was more involved in things. She and Matthew had a routine and they alternated where they stayed every weekend. As the wedding date grew closer, Paige spent most of her weekends in Manhattan. Every major area of concern was addressed and handled by Bliss. Paige finalized the menu, made sure the right table linens were ordered, provided checklists to the photographer and videographer. She also provided the newspapers with a schedule of each day’s events so they could follow the wedding without intruding upon it.

  There were things about planning a wedding that Paige simply loved to do. Jennifer had already had a good experience with Sinclair and Iris doing her hair and makeup, so they booked them for the wedding and arranged an appointment to discuss bridal makeup. Sinclair’s Park Avenue studio was nestled far from street level and was designed to escape tabloid photographers who were trying to see the beautiful people without makeup.

  In order to get upstairs security put visitors through an extensive sign-in requiring two forms of ID. Paige, Jennifer, and Mrs. Klein waited while security called upstairs for clearance.

  “Homeland security should be so rigorous,” Mrs. Klein said with her arms folded.

  “These guys should be looking for Osama Bin Laden. I bet they’d find him,” Paige said quietly.

  Jennifer and her mother laughed.

  “You’ve been confirmed. You can head up to the fifth floor,” a security guard said.

  “Thank you,” Paige said as they began walking to the elevator.

  Once they were upstairs they entered Sinclair’s studio.

  “Good morning. I’m Paige Baldwin. My client has an appointment this morning.”

  The receptionist checked the book.

  “No need to check the book, love. I knew she was coming,” Sinclair said as he walked into the waiting area.

  “Hello, Sinclair,” Paige kissed him.

  “Paige, my love. You look wonderful, even though you broke my heart.”

  “I broke your heart?”

  He lifted her left hand. “Yes. This is some bauble you’ve got here, lady.”

  “I know.”

  “Ms. Jennifer and Mrs. Klein, welcome to my studio.”

  “Thank you,” Mrs. Klein answered.

  “So we’re getting closer to the big day, Jennifer. How about you follow me and we’ll get started.”

  One of Sinclair’s assistants took all three women’s wraps and Jennifer sat in the chair.

  When they walked in Iris was already there.

  “I figured we’d give you one-stop shopping.”

  “Hello, Paige.”

  “Iris.” They hugged.

  “Hello, Jennifer. Hello, Mrs. Klein. It’s good to see you again,” Iris said.

  “Thanks. You, too,” Jennifer said.

  “This way you get the idea of the total look,” Sinclair said.

  “Terrific. I have her headpiece with me.”

  “Paige, you do know the right people.” Mrs. Klein commented.

  “It’s my job to know the right people.”

  Iris brushed her hair. “So have you decided on an updo, or will you wear your hair down?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Paige was ready to jump in. “She has a tiara.” She handed it over and Iris tried some looks.

  “Does her dress show off her shoulders?”

  “It’s strapless.”

  “You have an oval face, so we can play around a bit.” Iris thought for a moment and then used a thermal curling iron to create lar
ge spiral curls. Next she gathered half of it and pinned it up, leaving the rest to hang loose and finally she secured the tiara.

  “What do you think?”

  “I love it, Iris.”

  “It’s beautiful and very flattering,” her mother agreed.

  “It also gives Sinclair a little direction for the makeup, right?”

  “Yes. How white is your gown?” Sinclair asked.

  “You know, I’m not really sure.”

  “Her gown is a very light cream color to set off her skin’s undertones,” Paige chimed in.

  “So we need to use soft colors for a blushing bride.” He walked in front of her. “We can bring a little drama to your eyes. Maybe a soft smoky eye shadow to set it off. What do you think, Jennifer?”

  “It sounds good to me. What do you think, Mom?”

  “He’s the professional, and he did such a great job for the Platinum Ball I trust his instincts.”

  “Thank you, Mom,” Sinclair smiled.

  They sat for the next hour as Sinclair applied the makeup and gave an explanation as to why he used certain colors and products. Once he was done Jennifer looked amazing.

  “You’re a genius, Sinclair.”

  He feigned modesty. “Oh, stop it.”

  Paige laughed. “So what do you think, Mrs. Klein?”

  “She looks great and not too made up, which I like.”

  “The idea is to look like the best version of you, not anyone else,” Paige said.

  “I love it.” Jennifer grinned.

  “Excellent. So I’ll see you for your wedding.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Jennifer said.

  “We all are,” Mrs. Klein added.

  “I know that’s right,” Sinclair said.

  Paige looked at her watch. “We’re ahead of schedule, so I need to get back to my office.”

  “Okay, then. We’ll drop you off at Penn.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Klein.”

  “Not a problem.”

  Sinclair’s assistant returned their wraps.

  Paige kissed Sinclair. “Thanks a lot, sweetie.”

  “Anytime, my love.”

  Paige kissed Iris. “You did a great job, Mami. Thank you so much.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  The women left the shop and went down to the waiting car. Paige was very pleased. She looked over at Jennifer who still had the tiara on.

  “I guess you love the princess look.”

  Jennifer giggled. “I do.”

  The two of them waited for Mrs. Klein to chastise them.

  “You’re Daddy’s and my princess for the time being, so go ahead and keep it on.”

  Both Jennifer and Paige were pleasantly surprised. Mrs. Klein was loosening up. That was a good thing, because the last few weeks before the wedding were the most stressful.

  * * *

  After she left Jennifer and Mrs. Klein, Paige went into Harlem to order fabric for the Mandap for the Tilak/Singh wedding canopy as a favor to Eve. She wasn’t far from P.S. 175, where Matthew taught, so she decided to drop in on her fiance.

  Once she went through her second security check of the day, Paige went to the main office. It was busy with students, teachers, and secretaries on the phone. As she walked up to the counter she noticed a secretary with a 1950s-style housewife hairdo was working at the desk. Talk about caught in a time warp, Paige thought.

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  “Yes. I’m looking for Matthew Smythe.”

  “I think he’s in class now, dear. Do you want to wait?”

  Paige thought for a moment. “I just wanted to speak with him for a couple of minutes.”

  “We’re not in the habit of just letting anyone roam the hallways. We do have rules. Are you related?” She almost snickered.

  “I’m his fiancée.”

  Paige felt a little self-conscious when the bustling office went silent.

  The secretary’s expression changed. “Why didn’t you say so, dear? Of course you can go back.” She smiled.

  “Thanks.”

  “Just sign the visitor’s log and I‘ll call security to escort you to his classroom.”

  “Thank you. Do you need to see my license?”

  “No. You showed it to the hall security guys, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you’ll give me a minute one of the security guys will walk you to Mr. Smythe’s class.”

  “Thank you again.” Paige left the office. That went well, she thought.

  A few minutes later the security guard walked her to Matthew’s classroom. Paige peeked in the window and then knocked lightly.

  Matthew was pleasantly surprised to see Paige. He stepped into the hallway.

  “Paige, sweetheart, what a nice surprise.” He kissed her quickly.

  A chorus of oohs emanated from his classroom.

  “Thanks, Al.”

  “Anytime Mr. S.,” he said as he walked away.

  “Come on in, Paige.”

  Paige followed Matthew into his classroom. Paige liked the way he set up his students in a circle to encourage participation. “Paige, this is my twelfth grade American history class. Everyone, it’s my pleasure to introduce my fiancée, Paige Baldwin.”

  “Hello, everyone.” She waved.

  “So, Mr. S., are you going to let us see the ring?” Derek asked.

  The students gathered around as Paige put her hand out.

  “That’s serious bling, Mr. S.”

  “I know.”

  “Wow. I hope my man gives me a ring like that,” Tina said.

  “Thanks.” Paige smiled.

  “Okay, now let’s get back to work. Start reading chapter ten and we’ll pick up with the notes when I come back.”

  “It was nice meeting all of you.”

  Matthew walked her into the hallway and closed the door. “You know you’ve made my day coming here.”

  “Good. You know I really want to give you a real kiss,” he whispered.

  “But you’re at work, so you’ll just have to wait until later.”

  “You know I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  They exchanged a chaste little kiss before Matthew went back into the classroom. As Paige walked away she could hear all the kids excitedly talking to Matthew. Paige saw firsthand how natural he was with kids. She’d seen glimpses of it with her son and some of the younger kids at the graduation party. It was one thing to deal with all the looks an interracial couple gets, but that was something Paige was used to, like countless other African Americans. As a teenager security used to follow her in the store while half a dozen white kids shoplifted a king’s ransom. However, the idea of talking about having children was something she was afraid of. Paige didn’t want to lose Matthew, it was time for the expectations talk they should have had before the engagement ring.

  CHAPTER 28

  A December wedding allowed Paige more flexibility since it was the time of year Bliss slowed down as far as weddings were concerned. However, Bliss did more than just weddings. It handled other events like Christmas parties, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, retirements, and birthdays. Bliss was the equivalent of one-stop party shopping.

  The day of the bridal shower Paige hatched a plan to get Jennifer to the Inn at Irving Place. She asked her to come with her to the bookstore.

  As Jennifer and Paige entered the store, Paige said, “Thanks so much for coming with me. I need to pick up some bridal magazines, and there are a few new books I wanted to take a gander at.”

  “You have to pick up bridal magazines? I would have thought you would have a subscription.”

  “I do, but I just subscribed to a new one and I won’t get it for a while. I’d like to pick up the current issue.”

  “Oh. Is there something in it?” Jennifer asked as they stood in front of the magazine racks.

  “No. It’s just about staying on top of trends.”

  “Trends in brida
l gowns?”

  Paige smiled. ”I’ll let you in on a secret.”

  Jennifer was intrigued. “What?”

  “I see most of the latest designs at bridal market week.”

  “What’s bridal market week?”

  “It’s like fashion week, only it’s all about bridal fashion.”

  “That sounds like fun.”

  “Maybe you can come with me in the spring.”

  Jennifer was touched. “You would really take me? I’ll be married by then.”

  “I know. We’re friends now, I hope.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “So we can have some fun together and you can tell me what you like.”

  “That would be great.”

  Paige stopped. “You know, Siobhan’s new collection is set to debut during the next fashion week. If you want, I can get you a backstage invite to watch all the action.”

  “I would love that.”

  “Good, I’ll arrange everything with Siobhan for fashion week, too.”

  Jennifer got quiet. She was a little overwhelmed.

  “Are you all right, Jennifer?”

  “I’m fine. I’m just being silly. I’ve really come to look at you as a sister.”

  “Not for nothing. I will be your sister-in-law eventually.”

  “I know. In fact, why haven’t you and Matthew set a date?”

  “Right now there is so much happening,” she said as she glanced at a magazine. “My son just started college and I’ve been busy putting your wedding together. Then Matthew and I are alternating weekends at each other’s houses until we figure that out.”

  “You do have a lot going on, but you need to set a date. I think if you wait any longer he’s going to kidnap you and head to Vegas.”

  “To be honest, that doesn’t sound all that bad to me.”

  “Hey!” Jennifer playfully punched Paige in the arm. “You better erase that from your mind. I don’t think anyone would forgive you if you didn’t have an actual wedding.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  Paige grabbed a bunch of magazines. “Hey, are you hungry?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  “How about we have a real ladies’ lunch?”

  “That sounds good. Where do you want to go?”

  “The Inn at Irving Place isn’t far from here. We can have a high tea lunch.”

  “Oh, that sounds very fancy.”