by Maggie Way
"When Jacob told me that you were the best planner in the city, I knew I must 'ave you. And, like I said on the phone, money is no worry." She said his name like a caress. I groaned inwardly.
She had mentioned many times over the phone that perfection was what she desired, and it didn't matter what the expense was. I had also learned that she was the only daughter of one of the richest couples in France. Not that she needed their money at all, since she was a doctor, and was doing very well, according to Jake.
"Yes, I'm glad we finally get to meet. This wedding may be the biggest I’ve had to plan." My high-wattage smile was plastered on my face. Chase called it 'the joker smile', but it was the one I wore for every uncomfortable situation.
Our waiter showed up and told us the specials. His attention was more focused on Sandrine than on me, even when it was my turn to tell him what I wanted to drink. I would have bristled, but he wouldn't have noticed.
"'Ow many weddings 'ave you done?" she asked when our waiter left.
I counted in my head. Weddings were my favorite type of event we planned, but I hadn't done nearly as many as I wanted.
"I'd say about fifty."
"Ah, c'est bon!" Sandrine pressed two dainty fingers on her full lips. "So, you are an expert then."
"Expert?" I chuckled. "Not at all. Well…maybe a little."
"Mais, it is not important. Jacob thinks you are the best, and I believe 'im." Her smile flashed before me, and I was nearly incapacitated by the supremely white rows of pearls. So, no crooked, yellow teeth then. Darn!
Once our waiter brought us our drinks and took our food orders (and stopped mentally undressing Sandrine), I pulled out my iPad from my bag to show her what ideas I had so far. She had no real inclinations toward a specific location or theme, except that it had to be larger-than-life, a real show-stopper. I couldn’t help but wonder how Jake felt about it. When our relationship had become serious, I had imagined a beautiful wedding, but nothing grandiose. He wasn’t that type of man. He wasn’t a show-off…unless being with Sandrine had changed his ideals.
One important factor did matter, so I asked. "Before I forget, have you decided on a date?"
"Oui!" She perked up, clasping her hands together. I was momentarily blinded by the 5-karat emerald-cut engagement ring on her dainty finger. My knees weakened, my jaw dropped, and I almost spat out my drink. "The twenty-fourth of August," she announced with extra flourish, flicking her hand in the air.
I gaped at her. "That's a month from now." I scrambled to get into my calendar on the iPad, barely noticing the waiter returning with a bread basket.
For some reason, that was the only Saturday that I had no events to organize. I had plenty before and after, but not on that day. The wedding gods must be smiling down on this woman. But still... "That's in a month!" I said again.
"Oh? Is it too far away? Shall I move it closer, you think?" Her head cocked to one side, eyes as wide as Bambi’s caught in headlights. She had no idea.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I composed myself before I pulled her into the reality that I lived in. That everybody else lived in.
"Sandrine..." I started, just as the waiter came with our meals. I had to shoo him away before he could say anything else, an action that gained me an evil look. "Sandrine, a month is too short to plan what you have in mind. We are talking four hundred guests, at the very least. Even if you have the money, it is nearly impossible to..."
"But I..." She stopped me with a hand raised. Then she brought that hand to her heart. "You 'ave only to tell me what it is you want, and I am sure that between Jacob, and you, and me, we can all do it. We can make it ‘appen." She fluttered her thick lashes. I waited for the trumpet sounds after her spiel. Nothing came.
Going through the mental list of what was needed for a wedding as grand as hers made my head throb. I massaged my temples. Why the rush? Unless she was…I glanced at her fingers and checked for any sign of swelling around her sparkly engagement ring. No, Jake was too careful for that. He couldn’t have gotten her pregnant, could he?
“Veronique?” Her voice pulled me back from my musings.
I swiped my fingers on the iPad. "One of the locations..." I tapped on the screen and displayed my wedding ideas to show her again. "The country club just outside the city. Jake's country club..." I paused, remembering how he had once taken me to the exclusive Goldengate Club for lunch with his family, along with a round of golf, which I found out I was quite good at, and which, thankfully, bought me approval from his father. "His family have been members for years, and they might have enough influence for the club to allow you to have your wedding there with short notice. Provided nothing's booked that day."
Morphing yet another gorgeous smile on her face, Sandrine stated, "Say no more." She reached out for my hand at the same time she speed-dialed someone on her phone.
"Mon amour." Her words were silkier and sultrier than before that there was no mistaking she was talking to Jake. "Veronique said the country club would be perfect, but that the time is so short... Oui...Oui...ah, fantastique! I shall tell her. Je t'aime, Jacob." As she hung up the phone, she flashed me a sweet, confident grin.
Trying to act clueless (or hopeful that she had another boyfriend), I couldn’t help but ask, "I gather that was Jake?" I took a bite of the salad in front of me to avoid gnawing at my own lips.
Nodding her head, she said, "Oui. Yes. He said it is done."
"What's done?" My fork, speared with a cherry tomato, stopped midway to my mouth.
"It is done," she repeated, making a gesture with her hand. "Jacob said that if the club is what we wanted, then it is what we shall get. ‘e will call me as soon as he confirms it." She picked up some salad on her fork and appealingly ate it, like there wasn’t a wedding looming and she had all the time in the world to enjoy her meal
Being in the event planning business, I’d experienced some miracles. Some so off-handedly impossible that I still couldn't believe that Chase and I had pulled them off. More often than not, mentioning a certain name with certain standing in the community paved the way to our goals, but it was not without hard work and persistence. And a promise of something in return.
Sandrine's phone rang just two minutes after talking to Jake. He called back to tell her that he’d booked the club for their chosen wedding date. No questions asked. Though I had spent only a bit of time with Sandrine, with all her beauty and grace, I only felt pure jealousy when I realized that Jake would give her the moon if she had asked.
I wondered if he would ever have done the same for me.
* * *
Three
The Best Man
There were only a handful of people whom I couldn't stand the very second I met them. I was friends to many, and friendly to all, but when I met Levi my skin crawled.
I recalled seeing him a few times before, during galas and charity balls and whatever posh events, always with a model du jour on his arm. I made darn sure we never crossed paths otherwise since the first time I met him. So, when Jake introduced him to me as his best friend, I almost lost my lunch.
Sure, Levi was wickedly handsome, rich and a quasi-celebrity, but he was as slithery and slimy as the old geezers who would grope and proposition me. Whenever Jake and I attended or met at an event, I steered clear of Levi, even if it meant letting go of Jake's arm. The several times I couldn't quite escape, Levi's actions and words left me seething, and sometimes wishing that I had Chase's guts and quick wit to parry with.
He would ogle every woman who passed us, even when he was with someone. Most of his dates couldn't offer a word of intelligence during conversations, often saying "like" at least five times in one drawn out sentence.
Jake and I had agreed to meet at a café near my office. I just couldn't let myself be alone with him, not when I was planning his wedding, and especially not after meeting Sandrine
"Levi's going to be here soon," Jake told me. I’d just sat down, but I stood up the second after his anno
uncement. His hand pressed onto mine.
Oh, how I missed his touch.
"Wait, Nica. I know you can't stand him, but he's still my best friend and..." He tugged on the collar of his shirt. Uh-oh... "And my best man. With Sandrine away for most of the planning, I do need him to be here with me, with us." His ocean blue eyes darted to mine. "He promised to behave." This was his final plea.
I thought about it for a moment, but to be honest, I was still enjoying his touch and his gaze on me. I sat back down with severity plastered on my face, which didn't mean much. Picture a docile Yorkie trying to act like an angered bull.
I opted for pouty instead. "Fine, but one smart-butt comment from him, Jake, and I’ll..."
"He won't. I promise. And if he does, I'll remove him. I'll even kick him out of the bridal party if he tries to say or do anything stupid around you." Jake's hand remained, enveloping mine with warmth.
"Who's being stupid?" A baritone voice asked from behind me. Jake's hand flew away, leaving mine cold and bereft.
Levi pulled a chair up between Jake and me, angling it my direction, and sat with his legs spread wide. I inched away to avoid any physical contact with him.
"Veronica." He nodded my way, with a grin, wide and full of malice.
I gnashed my teeth together, and raising an eyebrow at him, I simply said, "Levi." Then puckered my lips like I’d tasted something sour.
Jake clapped his hands together once, trying to diffuse the tension. "Great. So, the team’s here. Why don’t we get some coffee and snacks," Jake happily suggested, motioning for a young server nearby. The kid with dreads came over and stood before us, ready with a pad and pen. "An espresso for me and a chocolate croissant.”
"Make that two of the same," Levi interjected, raising the index and middle fingers of his left hand.
Jake continued, "And a chai nonfat latte and cranberry scone, please, for the lady.” He smiled knowingly at me. He remembered. The kid nodded then left.
"What? You don't drink coffee? It's not good enough for you?" Levi asked me. He was languidly seated with an arm hanging off the back of the chair like he was Mr. Oh-So-Cool.
I glared at him, but before I could answer, Jake said, "Veronica doesn't drink coffee, except after drinking alcohol. Coffee makes her too bubbly."
I smiled at him, recalling the many times I'd tried drinking coffee on a regular day, only to end up sounding like a mumbling idiot who couldn't stop giggling. Jake thought it was cute, of course. I wondered if he'd still think that.
"Bubbly?" Levi's question pulled me out of my thoughts. "If you get any bubblier, you would be..."
Before Levi could give his opinion, Jake jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow and shot him a warning look. After Levi's quiet protest, Jake turned his attention back to me.
"I'm sorry again that you have to do this with me, with us guys." Jake gestured between them. "I know next to nothing about weddings, apart from what you’ve already told me, but Sandrine insisted I meet with you while she's away. She just has a few things to take care of back in France." How convenient.
"No worries. I've been able to catch her on the phone a couple of times before she rescues the world from another disaster." I stopped, hoping that I didn't sound petty. Jake had a serene look on his face, which told me that he appreciated what Sandrine did. Levi, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and then focused on a girl sitting near us.
"Anyway, this is what I have so far." I pulled my iPad, and their wedding binder full of information—forms, ideas, costs, swatches, and samples—out of my bag.
"Wow, look at that!" Jake cleared his throat at the sight of the binder. "I've seen you work before, but I never thought I'd witness you planning my wedding."
Ouch! And the knife in my heart dug in deeper.
Levi chuckled. When I shot him a warning look, he clammed up and shrugged, but he was clearly still enjoying a little joke in his head. Thankfully, our orders came…a welcomed distraction.
I went into planner mode—or what Chase called OCD mode—presenting what I had done so far (and in such a short amount of time), and then suggested what we do for the rest. Jake was pleased with the progress. Even Levi offered a few thoughts and suggestions. His comments I readily ignored, but some of his suggestions were a bit...genius. He was clearly an intelligent man; I didn't understand why he had to act like an idiot most times. Correction: all the time.
We ordered two more rounds of drinks and pastries. With Levi behaving well, it was easy to be around him, listening to him, and even laughing at jokes he made. Jake became more agitated as I explained to him time and time again the difference between Casablanca lilies and calla lilies, French and Italian lace, bone and porcelain china, and, the most frustrating of all, the difference between white, cream, off-white and ivory.
At a certain point, Levi and I were the only ones talking about damask and brocade patterns. He was knowledgeable. He knew as much as Chase did, even telling me the history behind Coalport and Radnor bone china. He became bearable.
"Well, as much as I enjoyed being a girl..." He stretched out his long arms above his head, and his outstretched legs touched mine. "I'd rather be inside one than be one." Just like that, the Levi I often ignored was back.
He got to his feet before either Jake or I could say anything, picked up his remaining espresso and sauntered over to the table where the girl he had been eyeing earlier was seated. Only slightly appalled by his behavior, I shook my head as Jake chuckled.
"Boys will be boys, I guess." Jake shrugged. "Tell you what...I need to go to work. Everything looks good—no, better than good—everything’s great. I knew I could count on you. We'll stop for now and touch base later."
As he stood up, he held onto the back of my seat, leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek. His lips warmed me, and his scent brought back many fond memories. Memories of us in bed together on Sunday mornings. Of dancing to a song on the radio in my kitchen. Of impromptu picnics at the park and frolicking on the beach. We had the type of romance that people wrote about. What happened? He fell in love with someone else. It was as simple as that.
"Thanks for being such a sport. I'll call you tomorrow." Then he left.
I touched the side of my face that he’d kissed. The skin felt heated. My chest constricted. I let my mind wander into the wicked world of “what if?”
After several minutes of reorganizing the binders and inputting information into my iPad, my eyes wandered to where Levi was slowly seducing the girl. She looked to be a freshman at SFU, blond, innocent and cute. I should warn her, but she seemed quite taken by him.
Levi was always overflowing with charm and, any second now, he would have charmed the pants off her. I didn't want to be a witness to that impending disaster. I gathered my stuff and headed out of the café.
As I crossed the street, I heard Levi calling my name. I threw my bag in the back of the car and stood by it, waiting for him, wondering what else he could add. Gosh, I hoped he didn’t think that we could be friends.
When he reached me, he hooked his arm around my shoulders, trapping me between his warm body and my cold car. "You didn't even say goodbye," He said in a low murmur.
Really? That's why he chased me down? I raised a brow and scoffed. "Sorry. You looked pretty busy back there."
"Oh yeah...her..." He smirked. "She was too young for me."
I didn't realize he actually had standards.
"I like my women with a bit of experience." Suddenly, his arm on my shoulder felt a little constricting, so I tried to move it with very little success.
I couldn't make myself comfortable. As I continued to shrug, he clasped my shoulders tighter. If I leaned against my car, his hips would press against me. I sagged in defeat and avoided direct contact with his eyes. This was worse than him thinking we could be friends.
"Since you're big, bad boss of this whole operation, what's going on with the bachelor party?" The man wriggled his eyebrows at me when I looked up. It was such a laughab
le action.
Levi was the ultimate bachelor...and rebel. He kept his hair long, rarely shaved, and often dressed in button up shirts with the first three buttons undone and sleeves rolled up, showing off his constant tan. He exuded bad-to-the-bone. And he loved it.
No doubt he had particular ideas about what Jake's bachelor party should be like. I had more than enough of a fight to deal with, why would I add a few more in the way of silicon-filled strippers?
"What bachelor party? I'm not in charge of that. I've never planned one, and don't intend to start. It's your job as the best man to figure it out." I poked my finger at his chest. Hard, warm chest, with a steady fluttering from his heart.
"Is it?" He took my hand in his and flattened my palm on his chest, halting my protests. I stared at my fingertips touching his exposed skin. “Maybe you and I can get together soon, just us, and you can give me ideas.” A number of salacious scenes flashed in my mind. I gulped, realizing my mistake, but the heat had ebbed up my neck and cheeks.
Drawing back my hand, I replied, "If you need help, you can call Chase." I spun around to the back of my car, reached in and took out a card from my purse, ignoring the blush on my cheeks and hoping he would, too. The hand that was squeezing my shoulder smoothed its way down to the small of my back when I faced him again. I tried not to focus on the sudden, pleasant warmth in my belly. This was Levi, Casanova of the Bay area…and beyond!
He took the proffered card. "She's the expert on all things...naughty." Chase would kill me if she found out I gave him her number. "I have to go."
He removed his hand from my back and held my door open for me. As I settled in my seat, he stuck his head in my car and surprised me with a swift kiss on my cheek, rendering me speechless with how pleasant it felt. Levi had never been this close to me before. I’d never allowed it.
After shutting the door, he leaned his arms on the opened window and cocked his head to one side. Playfulness washed over his face. "Veronica, you may not like me, but whether you like it or not, I will be around whenever Jake asks me to be there. So you'll have to get used to us being together...a lot." It felt like he was trying to say more, but I simply nodded my head, and started the car, waiting for him to back away, before I sped off. I was flustered enough to accidentally run over the guy.