“It still is. Nova and Joel will get married.”
“I know, it’s just I wanted to be there to see the dresses being worn.”
He walked to the sink in the corner of the studio and washed his hands, then returned to the dress. He studied the beadwork at the neckline, then the decorations. “You have any extras of these?”
“Sure. In case one falls off or something.” She pulled several headpieces out of the suitcase, then a small clear plastic box with several glittering buttons inside.
He liked the way the glass caught the light and reflected it back against the enamel. The combination of bright against dark was exactly what he’d been looking for. He hadn’t known how to make it happen in two-dimensional form until now.
“The dress,” he said.
Violet shivered. “You are not painting that beautiful wedding gown. You can’t.”
“I hadn’t started when she called to cancel, but that’s only because I couldn’t figure out what to do. You’ve given me an idea.”
“Then I take it back.”
“Wait and be amazed.”
He pulled an overhead projector on a cart out of a deep closet and wheeled it to the center of the room, facing a blank white wall. Nick used an extension cord to plug in the projector. While Violet watched, he dug a file folder out of his desk and started slapping clear plastic sheets on the top of the projector. The image of blown-up lace appeared on the wall.
“Here’s the basic pattern of the lace on her dress,” he said.
Violet walked to the wall. Her knee-high boots clicked on the concrete floors. She raised her hand to outline the lace.
“I thought it was a simple pattern that repeated, but it’s not. See how this is almost a modified fleur-de-lis but on the other side, it’s more swirly.” She smiled. “You’re the artist. What’s the technical term?”
“Swirly works.”
“So how does this relate to my buttons?”
He replaced the black-and-white sheet with one he’d painted. “The tones are off,” he said as he walked to the screen. “The teal is too dull. And the yellow blows. I thought it was the paint hue, but looking at your buttons I’m thinking that’s not it at all.”
He opened a cabinet filled with small tubes of paint. Violet followed him and moaned when she saw the messy display. “Oooh, I want that. I could never justify the cost of so many paints, but still. I have envy.”
“I’ve never heard that before.”
“Paint envy? It’s real. We don’t like to talk about it much. You know—the stigma.”
Violet was pretty enough, he thought absently. It would be easy to steer the conversation from friendly to flirty. All it would take were a few words and the right tone. Only he didn’t want to. While he wasn’t willing to put a name on what he had with Pallas, she was important to him. He would never hurt her or disrespect her.
“There’s probably a twelve-step program for your paint obsession,” he told her. “You could get help.”
“I’ll suffer in silence.”
He found the color he was looking for. A milky opal that had a touch of iridescence. After grabbing a small brush and a square of cardboard, he returned to the overhead and studied the button.
“It’s the way the light hits the enamel,” he said, more to himself than her. “The glass and the...”
He squeezed paint onto the cardboard before dipping his brush and dabbing it onto the plastic sheet. “That’s not right.”
He collected more paints and a palette, then went to work blending. Violet picked up several brushes and sheets of thick, white paper. Together they worked with the teals and purples until they found the right combination of light and dark, with the slightest hint of glimmer.
Nick put a blank sheet over the painted one and quickly outlined the lace with a permanent marker. He filled in the various colors, following the sample they’d created. When he was done, he looked at the wall.
“That’s it,” Violet breathed. “Oh wow. That’s it.” She reached for the marker and touched it to the painting, creating dark dots. “I’ll put the extra buttons in these spots. I have enough. They’ll pick up the paint.”
“Perfect.” The dress would be unique to Nova and Joel’s world, but elegant. “You should sew those on first. I don’t know if the paint will crack on the fabric. Best not to bend it too much before the wedding.”
“You have the dress?”
He nodded at a closet. “You can take it with you and bring it back when you’re done.”
“Should I sign a receipt or something?”
“Because you’re going to steal it?”
“I guess not.”
The door to the studio opened and Ronan walked in. Nick was surprised. Since the fight, they’d been careful to avoid each other. But with limited workspace, they were bound to cross paths.
Ronan took one look at him, glared, then turned on his heel and left. Violet cleared her throat.
“He doesn’t know me from a rock, so I’m guessing I’m not the one he’s mad at.”
“Ronan and I are working through some issues.”
“It’s not going very well, is it?”
“No.”
“Carol and I couldn’t be more different, but we’re still close. You and Ronan need to work out your stuff.”
“Thanks for the advice.”
“Fine. Ignore me. I don’t mind. I’ll talk to Pallas and she’ll bug you about it.”
“You know that we’re seeing each other?”
Violet grinned. “She’s my friend, Nick. In fact all her friends know. We just don’t talk about it to you.” Her humor faded. “But I will admit that if it comes to a floor fight, we’re all team Pallas.”
“So am I.”
* * *
PALLAS HAD EXCEEDED her allotted mope time and yet still found herself bummed about the canceled wedding. She wasn’t sure why she was so upset. Of course she felt bad for Nova losing her father so much sooner than expected, but it was more than that. She had a nagging sense of having lost something important.
Monday night she made her way to The Boardroom for the weekly tournament. She was hoping some fast-paced fun would improve her mood. If nothing else, she would hang out with Nick and that was always good.
She arrived and found he had already claimed a table. He was chatting with Mathias and Natalie, which gave her the chance to simply watch him.
The man made her heart beat faster, she thought with a sigh. Not just because he was pretty to look at but because of how she felt when they were together. He was an unexpected find and her feelings for him told her she wasn’t as ready to give up on love as she’d thought. Somehow she was going to have to get over the whole “love must be earned” thing she had going on so she could find someone to fall in love with.
For a second she allowed herself the fantasy that Nick would stay in Happily Inc and that he would wake up and realize she was the one. Doubtful, but still nice to imagine.
He spotted her and smiled, waving her over. She and Natalie hugged before Nick greeted her with a kiss. Mathias held out his arm.
“After that, you and I should at least fist-bump.”
She laughed and pressed her fist against his.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Natalie said. “Mathias and I are already committed to playing with Atsuko and one of her friends.”
“That’s okay,” Pallas told her. “Nick and I will find someone else.”
“Maybe your board game boyfriend will show up,” Natalie teased, before glancing at Nick. “You haven’t met Jasper yet, have you?”
“The resident serial killer,” Mathias grumbled. “All the women go crazy over him, even though it’s just a matter of time until they start to go missing.”
Pallas patted his arm. “Did you lose one of your bridesmaid conquests to Jasper? Are we feeling bitter about the competition?”
“He might have had to go an entire weekend without getting any,” Natalie teased. “I have no idea how he survived the pain.”
“Okay, then,” Mathias said. “I’m going to go back to our table and pretend this never happened.”
He walked away. Natalie laughed and trailed after him. Nick led Pallas to their table.
“I thought Jasper was that writer I like.”
“He is.” She took the seat he held out for her. “I’ll admit, I haven’t read many of his books. They’re a little dark for me. But they’re very popular.”
“For good reason.” Nick sat next to her and leaned close. “Board game boyfriend, huh? So I have competition?”
Oh, if only he really were jealous, she thought humorously. “Jasper and I frequently play games together.”
Nick raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I’m not sure I do. What kind of games?”
“Board games.”
Carol joined them. “I am partnerless. Is that okay?”
“You can take the heat off Pallas,” Nick said. “Apparently she has a board game boyfriend and with me here tonight, things could get awkward.”
“Jasper.” Carol grinned. “I hope he shows up. He’s just so interesting. It’s the bad boy thing.”
As if on cue, the door to The Boardroom opened and Jasper Dembenski walked in. Pallas smiled as the room went quiet. Everyone turned to look at the new arrival.
She wasn’t sure what it was about him that was so intriguing. He was tall—nearly six-four—with dark hair and green eyes. Most times he sported a three-day beard, which she would guess was a whole lot more about not wanting to shave than a fashion statement. Either way, it looked good on his strong features.
Jasper wasn’t conventionally handsome—he was too dangerous looking for that. Instead he was intriguing—and sexy. He wore jeans and boots most of the time. And a leather motorcycle jacket, because yes, the man rode a Harley. Even as he paused just inside the door, Pallas would swear she could hear the opening chords to “Bad to the Bone.”
Jasper took off his sunglasses and glanced around the room. His eyes were a deep green, with impossibly long lashes. His gaze was as hard as his muscled body. He caught sight of her and nodded, then started toward their table. All around them women glanced at him, then away, as if he were the sun and staring too long in his direction could be painful...and dangerous.
“Here he comes,” Carol said happily. “Yay us. Jasper always brings me luck.”
“What kind?” Pallas asked teasingly.
“Not that kind. While he’s nice to look at, he’s so not my type. Too dangerous, too quiet, too everything. I like nice, seminormal guys.”
Jasper stopped behind Pallas’s chair and put his hands on her shoulders. “Ladies. May I?”
“Of course,” Pallas told him. “Jasper, this is Nick. Nick, Jasper.”
Nick rose and the two men shook hands. Jasper glanced between them, then gave Pallas a slow, I’m-so-sexy smile.
“So that’s how it is. When did you two get together?”
She stared at him. “It’s been eight seconds. How on earth did you figure it out so quickly?”
One shoulder rose and lowered. She took that to mean some version of I’m a writer. It’s my job and nature to observe people and pick up clues about them and their lives. Thank you for asking, Pallas. I’ve always enjoyed your unique wit and charm.
Which might or might not be what he was thinking.
“What’s on tap for tonight?” Jasper asked, sitting next to Pallas and across from Carol.
Pallas glanced at the sheet on the table. “We’re having a Monopoly tournament,” she said as she read, then she started to laugh.
“What?” Nick asked.
“It’s Monopoly Junior. I want to be the cat.”
Nick frowned. “I don’t understand. We’re playing Monopoly Junior?”
“I’m not a dog person,” Carol said. “I suppose you guys want to be either the ship or the car, right?”
“I’ll be the dog,” Jasper told her.
“Really? Thanks.”
Nick still looked confused.
“The tournaments always have a twist,” Pallas told him. “We’ll be playing Monopoly Junior tonight. I hope I can buy the ice-cream parlor. It’s my favorite.”
“I want the zoo.” Carol smiled.
“You are all weird,” Nick muttered. “I want to be the car.”
“Of course you do,” Pallas teased.
Carol reached for the ship. “My favorite piece. We are so going places.”
By the first break, nearly a quarter of the people were eliminated. At their table Carol had run out of money. Under the regular rules, the game would be over, but in a tournament, the rest of the table kept playing until it was time for the break.
“We get fifteen minutes to eat and collect more adult beverages,” Pallas told Nick as they rose.
“Carol is out permanently?” he asked.
“Yes. She’s done for the night. Someone will join our table and we’ll all start from the beginning again. With each round, the group playing gets smaller and smaller until there are just three or four left. They’ll play for the night’s championship.” She leaned against him. “Admit it, you’re having fun.”
“I am.” He nodded at the crowd at the bar. “I’ll brave that. What do you want?”
“Hot tea.”
“You’re such a lightweight.”
“I have to drive home and work in the morning.”
He kissed her. “I’ll be right back.”
Pallas stretched and looked around. She knew nearly everyone in the room—a not uncommon occurrence. What must it be like for people who grew up in big cities or moved around a lot? Would it be interesting to not know everyone around, or lonely?
Drew walked over. “Hey, you. How’s it going?”
She eyed him cautiously. “What? If you’re going to talk about Silver, I’m not participating. She’s my friend and I’m on her side.”
“I’m your cousin. Family first.”
“She’s my girlfriend, and no.”
“I’m hurt.”
She doubted that.
“I actually came to talk to you about something else,” he told her. “The bank.”
“What about it?”
He glanced over his shoulder, as if making sure they weren’t going to be overheard. “Your mom is very happy about some canceled wedding. She seems to think it will cause you to rethink your decision not to go to work for her.”
Pallas tried to ignore the sudden rock in her stomach. “I don’t get it. She makes all these rules and when I break them, she tells me to forget it. That I’ve lost my chance. So why would she care if...” She pressed her lips together. “Sorry. You have no idea what I’m talking about.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” His expression turned serious. “What I do know is you and your mom have a difficult relationship. You always have. But you’re my cousin and we’re close. If you want to come work at the bank, just say the word. I’ll give you a job. Don’t let Libby jerk your chain any more than she already has.”
The rock disappeared and her muscles relaxed. “Why would you do that for me? You know she’d be pissed.”
He flashed her a grin. “So what? I’m the blessed heir apparent. All goodness flows through me.” The smile faded. “Seriously, you’re qualified. You’re a hard worker and people like you. You’re exactly the kind of person we’re always looking for. So it’s your call. You can come see me at any time.”
She flung hersel
f at him and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you. I appreciate the offer so much.”
“There’s a no in there, isn’t there?”
She stepped back. “There is. I love my business. It’s what I want to do with my life. I need to make that clear to my mom. But I appreciate your faith in me, Drew. I mean it.”
“Unlike you, I care about family.”
She sighed. “I’m not talking about Silver. Stop trying to make me.”
“Does she ever mention me?”
Pallas pointed to his table. “Go.”
“Does she miss me? Blink if that’s a yes.”
She shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m running a very successful bank, Pallas. That makes me a catch.”
With that, he walked away. A few minutes later, Nick was back with a beer and a mug of hot tea.
“You’re looking pensive,” he said as he sat next to her.
“Drew offered me a job at the bank.”
“Do you want to take it?”
“No, but I’m happy he said what he did.” She rolled her eyes. “Apparently my mother has been all excited that Nova and Joel’s wedding is canceled. She seems to think this will bring me to my senses. I don’t get it. She wants me on her very exact terms and only on her terms. I’m not willing to do what she says, so why does she keep trying? I can’t imagine she’s all that thrilled at the thought of working with me. All we do is fight.”
“Maybe she wants to be closer to you.”
“I doubt that. Most of the time, I’m not even sure she likes me.”
“Are you going to take Drew up on the job?”
“No. I want to stay with Weddings in a Box. I like what I’m doing. The black-and-white wedding kind of threw me, but I was excited about the alien wedding. I wanted to be challenged and see it all happen. That’s important to me.”
“Have you told your mom that?”
“What and be mature? No. I just wish...”
He waited.
“I wish she would accept me for who I am,” Pallas said at last. “Without having to follow any rules or do what she says.”
He kissed her. “You want your mom to love you unconditionally.”
You Say It First--A Small-Town Wedding Romance Page 20