A Wedding At Two Love Lane

by Kieran Kramer

  “I—”

  “Are you sure it’s not a prank?” Ella asked.

  “Part of me wondered.” Greer basked in the sudden silence. “I mean, Pierre himself told me he bought the dress to keep it from me. He sure is going to great lengths to give it away, don’t you think?”

  “His resentments tend to run deep,” said Macy. “His family’s always been that way.”

  “I don’t trust him,” said Ella.

  “Neither do I,” said Miss Thing. “But you’ll go to the cocktail party tonight. You won’t let him intimidate you.”

  “No, I won’t,” said Greer. “Will you guys come with?”

  “Of course,” her best friends said together.

  “Sometimes it feels like we’re the Mouseketeers,” Greer said.

  “I never saw that show,” said Ella.

  “Me, neither,” said Macy.

  “Neither did I,” said Greer.

  Miss Thing rolled her eyes. “You all are lame. That was a great show. Ask Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. And a generation before them, Annette Funicello.”

  They turned around and saw they were the only people left at the baggage claim. All their suitcases were spinning around it. Greer’s life had felt like that for a while, and she hadn’t even noticed. But she wasn’t going in circles anymore. She’d found some direction beyond her goals as a matchmaker. She was going to start working on herself again and not let guilt about Wesley hold her back.

  “Ready, ladies?” she asked, and grabbed Miss Thing’s large royal purple suitcase.

  “The question is, is Pierre Simons ready for the ladies of Two Love Lane?” Macy chuckled.

  “Oh, and there’s this guy who might be coming with me tonight, too,” said Greer. “So I might have to meet you at the Dewberry.”

  Miss Thing perked up even more than usual. “Guy?”

  And until Greer dropped off all three of her friends at their respective homes downtown, she wasn’t allowed to stop talking about Ford Smith, English painter. She told her friends almost everything that had happened between them.

  “You’re posing for him?” Miss Thing put her hand on her heart. “Lord, I’ve always wanted to do that.”

  “Me, too,” said Ella. “It’s so romantic.”

  “You’re such a boss, Greer,” Macy said. “Look at all you did while we were gone. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you.” Greer was proud of herself. She’d surprised her friends. That was a good thing. But there was one thing she’d left out. “Ford might be the father of twins. He won’t know until they’re born. His ex is pregnant. So please don’t go getting absurd daydreams about us getting together.”

  They were suitably surprised and, she could tell, disappointed.

  “Well, that’s all right,” Miss Thing said. “Maybe he’s not the father.”

  Greer shrugged. “We won’t know for a long time. Meanwhile, he plans on staying a part of his ex’s life while she navigates this pregnancy. I’m not really interested in getting involved. That’s a serious situation, and who knows if they still have feelings for each other. It was an ugly break-up, but you never know.”

  “It’s smart to stay a little removed,” said Macy.

  After Greer dropped them off, she could focus on the fact she had to surprise Pierre by actually showing up that night at the Dewberry Hotel. She bet he thought she’d back down.

  And then she had another bad feeling. She pulled her phone out of her purse and saw she had a message. Of course, from Pierre: Hello, Miss Future Bride, he wrote. Looking forward to seeing you tonight—if you’re brave enough.…

  We can always try to find you a match again, she wrote him back. Wouldn’t that be easier than going through all this revenge stuff? It must have cost a fortune to rent the Dewberry ballroom.

  Hah, he wrote. And lose my momentum? Don’t think I came up with La Di Da Bridal because of you and your obsession with Royal Bliss! We’ve needed something fresh at the store for a long time.

  He always wanted the last word.

  Charleston was full of eccentric people. Friends who didn’t live there simply didn’t believe her. All they saw were glossy magazines depicting the sophistication of the city. Well, it turned out that some of the most cultured residents were also the strangest, but they prized their quirks, the way most people prize their good reputations. Or gold.

  Their eccentric habits made these people who they were. Pierre was a Simons, and Macy had told her Simons folk took revenge and didn’t give a hoot how they came across to anyone. They were rich and well-established and God help anyone who challenged them. They had the resources at their beck-and-call to run a small international war, if they wanted to.

  Oh, well. Greer was their latest enemy. Nothing to do about it but put up her dukes and fight back.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  So Ford was totally on board with going with Greer to the Dewberry and asked what the attire was. “Business casual,” she said.

  “Then let’s dress up,” he said. “Drake and I are the same size, and he’s got a white tuxedo jacket. He goes to a lot of fraternity and sorority formals. I’ll wear that, and you dress to the nines, too.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Why not stand out?”

  “In a way, standing out is bad, don’t you think?”

  “Don’t ever say that again, Greer.”

  “Well, you know, like on the National Geographic channel. The zebra who’s standing away from the crowd is the one the lion attacks then eats.”

  “But you’re a human. You have many more resources at your disposal to fight against bullies than a zebra does. All it has is its legs, to run. You can outwit Pierre at his own game.”

  “Well, I do have a couple of long gowns.”

  “Wear the flashiest one,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  When they arrived at the door of the ballroom at the Dewberry, Greer was in awe of how beautifully decorated the room was: white lights wrapped around palm trees, low-burning candles on white linen-clad tabletops, amazing flower arrangements on all the tables. It was as if Pierre had hired a complete wedding planning company. The bars scattered across the room were well stocked. The appetizers on the buffet tables were elegant and plentiful, the smell of roast beef and puff pastry so delicious, her stomach growled. There was a champagne fountain. There was even a local musical act, a College of Charleston band called the Stone Tigers, composed of kids who looked excited to get their big break. She could just see their dreams on their faces. That warmed her heart. And on the main stage, a huge banner proclaimed LA DI DA BRIDAL, COMING THIS FALL. There was also a podium and at least forty chairs onstage.

  But the biggest eye-catching sight was Royal Bliss. It was on stage inside a giant Plexiglas box. It was stunning. She wanted it so badly.

  But she was also completely caught off guard by the large size of the crowd. “Do you think Pierre hired a bunch of College of Charleston students to come fill the room?” she asked Ford, who was resplendent in Drake’s tuxedo. “Or is the band that popular?”

  “Drake and Gus would have told me if he’d tried to fill the ballroom,” he said, “so no. As for the band’s following, you can see them there.” With one hand he pointed to a clutch of long-haired girls clustered around the portable stage, and he put his other arm around her waist. She shivered from the pleasure of it. “There’s no way this ballroom is filled with band groupies. These people want to be here to see the contestants, and they want to see the gown.”

  “Okay.” She was unable to say more than that because he made her crazy with longing.

  “You look amazing,” he said in her ear.

  She was in heaven being with him. He was the most handsome man in the room. His white tuxedo jacket made him look like James Bond. He had a natural presence that made women and men look twice. And she really liked him. Him. His personality. His honesty. His humor. The way his eyes lit up when he smiled.

  “What a sha
me that jacket belongs to Drake,” she told him. “I hope you get rich someday and can buy your own custom-made tuxedo and wear it to all the best parties.”

  He laughed. “I’m not interested in any ‘best parties.’ I’m only interested in gazing at you.” He paused. “I’m obsessed with painting you, of course. Don’t let it go to your head.”

  He’d already told her she was beautiful when he came to pick her up in a cab. The driver had kept sneaking looks back at her in the mirror—her gown had a plunging neckline and lots of silver sequins—but his polite ogling hadn’t moved her a bit.

  Ford’s admiring looks, on the other hand.…

  They were surrounded by a ridiculous amount of people. Nineteen other future brides and all their friends and family, plus random romantics, including several book clubs, bunco clubs, and office groups who wanted to see how the contest would go. Everyone stared at them dressed in their fancy duds as they walked by, and started whispering.

  “Don’t look now,” Ford said, “but Wesley and Serena are here.”

  “Really?” Greer craned her neck and saw the two of them talking to a few people she didn’t know.

  “I didn’t tell them about it,” Ford said. “Did you?”

  “No, but Serena saw the flyer when we were on the Spring Stroll together,” said Greer. “And I see Jill!”

  Jill made a beeline for them. “So I heard the cool news from Ella,” she said. “You’re entering the contest with no groom.”

  “I am,” said Greer.

  Jill chuckled. “I think it’s fantastic. I know so many women who are already planning their weddings on Pinterest with no partner in sight.”

  “It’s a thing,” Ford and Greer said at the same time.

  “It is,” said Jill. “You have fun, Greer, and remember I’m rooting for you. Royal Bliss is beautiful!” Then she leaned in and whispered, “I’ll be decorating your room tomorrow while you’re at work.”

  “Oh,” said Greer. She had a sinking feeling. But Jill looked so excited. “But I’m worried about Fern. My fern. She lives in my bedroom. I don’t want her to leave.”

  Jill’s brow furrowed. “She’ll mess with my vibe. She’ll be too green and natural. Can’t she stay in the kitchen or living room?”

  Greer shook her head. “I talk to her at night.”

  “I’ll figure something out,” Jill said. “I’ll come by later to get the key. You don’t mind a few cute college boys coming with me, right? They’ll do all the heavy lifting.”

  “Uh, sure,” Greer said.

  “Awesome.” Jill said.

  It was time to get the contest ball rolling. Greer turned to Ford. “What happened to Wesley and Serena?” It was surprising they hadn’t shown up yet to chat.

  “I don’t know.” His face registered surprise, too. “Maybe they haven’t seen us yet.”

  “It would be pretty hard not to,” Greer said. Her sequins sparkled under the beautiful white lights. And Ford’s jacket almost glowed white. For the first time, she felt some nerves. She literally jumped when she heard a drumroll.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to start our evening,” said Pierre from the stage.

  For some reason, Greer was shocked to see Pierre himself at the microphone. Hearing that whisper of his through the loudspeakers on the walls wasn’t pleasant. Next to him stood L.A. Lady from the auction, in a faux fur white shrug and leopard print capris. She was apparently the “Golden Globe” girl who would walk around the stage doing nothing but look like Pierre’s mistress.

  Greer stood closer to Ford and listened while Pierre explained again about the store’s new idea, La Di Da Bridal, and that to kick off the celebration, they’d be giving away Royal Bliss, which Pierre dubbed the most beautiful and interesting gown in the world, to one lucky bride.

  L.A. Lady’s name turned out to be Kiki. What a surprise! Kiki walked over to Royal Bliss, stuck out her arm to point at it, and stood there staring at the crowd.

  “Tonight’s a big night,” Pierre said in his raspy voice. He ogled Kiki, who winked at him. “Out of twenty future brides, only five will remain, all based on your text votes. Those five brides will then have to win points through a couple challenges, and whoever gets the most wins the dress.”

  It was a rambunctious younger crowd with lots of shouting and whistling.

  Henny took over after that and called all twenty candidates and their partners up to the stage. Kiki began to escort them to their seats, but she got confused, gave up, and went back to stand by Pierre.

  “I want to go onstage with you,” Ford told Greer.

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to misrepresent myself,” she said. “I need to go alone.”

  “I get it.” He squeezed her hand.

  And in that moment, she wished there were a bridge between them that made it possible for them to explore a real relationship. But she knew it was out of the question. He lived in England. She lived here. If he had children, he’d want to stay in England to be near them. And she wanted to stay in Charleston. Plus, she really didn’t know a thing about him. She was being silly, and romantic. The logical side of her was appalled.

  She told herself to put Ford firmly out of her head and went up onstage alone. She did feel a little forlorn when she took her seat with all the couples. She was definitely a fish out of water. She looked around, mainly from nerves, but also from a curiosity to see if she knew anyone—

  And saw Serena and Wesley two rows behind her.

  No. Just no.

  Serena was going after Royal Bliss, too?

  Wesley’s future bride grinned at her and waved. Wesley himself looked a bit sick to his stomach.

  Like a robot, Greer smiled and waved back, but inside she was thinking how she couldn’t shake them and, as a consequence, an awkward, painful part of her past. And now Serena might win Royal Bliss! She’d look fantastic in it. She was the quintessential beautiful bride-to-be.

  Greer’s stomach felt sick. She wanted to go home.

  But she couldn’t do that.

  She wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but it did seem like the crowd was staring particularly at her. And then she remembered it was probably because she was in a sequined gown. Everyone else—except Kiki, of course—had stuck to business casual. Funny, but she didn’t feel embarrassed. Maybe it was because she could look out into the crowd and see the glow of Ford’s white tuxedo jacket.

  It was never bad to be different, he’d told her.

  She would cling to that if anyone gave her any trouble tonight.

  “Everyone out there,” Henny said, “please eat, drink, and be merry while our future brides introduce themselves and their partners at the microphone.”

  Kiki sauntered to center stage and stood there with the mike, which she jutted under everyone’s chins when they walked up.

  When it was Serena and Wesley’s turn, they said they were both doctors who specialized in operating on children. The whole crowd cheered. And then Serena kissed Wesley—the first of the couples to do so—and everyone went crazy again.

  After that, all the couples kissed, trying to outdo each other.

  Three of the other twenty candidates, when they introduced themselves, presented the men with them as stand-ins for their partners. Two of the absentee true loves were stationed overseas in the military, and one was on call at the fire station that night. The audience had no problem with any of those absences and clapped and whistled accordingly.

  It was Greer’s turn. She was dead last, probably not by accident. “Hi,” she said at the microphone, in a surprisingly steady voice. “I’m Greer Jones, and I don’t have a soul mate—yet.” There was a moment of silence, and then there were murmurs from the crowd. “Let me explain. My mother told me recently that weddings don’t just happen.” The buzz got a little louder, and Kiki made a moue of utter disdain, but Greer forged on. “I didn’t like hearing that, but then I realized, I already knew that. I’m a matchmaker by trade, and I tell my clients all the
time that they have to be open to meeting that special someone. You have to say to the world, ‘I’m here and I’m ready.’” She paused a second. “But on that journey, you also have to say, ‘I’m enough, and I deserve this.’ My winning Royal Bliss would be a major affirmation for single women everywhere who hope to find love—women who love themselves enough to reach for their dreams instead of waiting for them to show up.”

  There were a few catcalls. And then a chorus of voices yelled, “Go, Greer!” She was sure that contingent was led by her Two Love Lane colleagues. She blushed and blew kisses.

  “Ultimately, all I’m asking is for you to please not discriminate against the partnerless,” she said. “We’re future brides, too. Plenty of women like me will want to explore La Di Da’s new bridal department along with brides who already have their soon-to-be spouses in place. Whether we’re engaged right now or not, every woman I know wants to celebrate the power of love. Ask a single woman next to you. She might be like me. I have a Perfect Wedding Pinterest page I’ve been working on for a couple years. I also have Perfect Wedding scrapbooks. I cut pictures out of Bride magazine and Southern Living and any magazine that does wedding features. I’ve never told anyone that, but why not now?”

  She laughed. Then stopped. And stood there. Okay, so maybe she’d just outed herself for having a weird hobby and should be embarrassed. But she wasn’t. At least she was being herself. No one could fault her for that.

  “Thanks for listening,” she said, and left Kiki at the mike.

  You could hear a pin drop in the room, but then there were a few whistles and some cheering and clapping. She figured she probably wouldn’t final. But she’d done her best. She waved at everyone, smiled, and hoped Miss Thing was proud of her for doing something different.

  Henny came to the podium. “Freshen up those drinks, everyone, and exactly an hour from now we’ll vote for our top five brides and get instant results. Meanwhile, the Stone Tigers will get the dancing started, so stick around for a great party!”

  “How did it feel to bare your soul?” Ford asked Greer when she came off the stage. He was waiting at the steps. She was happy to see him.