Sensational

by Janet Nissenson

  Lauren snickered. “That’s because your version and mine of the perfect wedding are very different, Jules. And the secret to getting it all done in only six weeks is knowing the right people. More importantly, the right people who happen to owe you favors.”

  Julia laughed and slid an arm around her sister’s waist. “Well, it definitely looks like everyone returned their favors big time. It all looks gorgeous, Lauren. Especially you.”

  Lauren smiled, turning around in a circle for her twin’s inspection. “You think so? That wasn’t the reaction you had when I first picked this dress out.”

  Julia had, in fact, been horrified when Lauren had insisted on buying her wedding gown at a vintage clothing store in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district. And the minute Lauren had spied the tiered white cotton and eyelet dress she had known it was the one.

  “But it’s a hippie dress!” Julia had protested. “Why couldn’t you have let Aunt Maddy find you something? It wouldn’t have been custom made like mine was, but it would have been a lot more elegant than this. And it’s – it’s used, Lauren. You have no idea who else has worn this thing.”

  Lauren had laughed heartily at the look of disgust on her sister’s face. “You are such a priss,” she’d scolded, pressing a kiss to Julia’s cheek. “Look, I’ll have it dry cleaned first if that makes you feel better. And it’s not a hippie dress. The correct term for this style is boho.”

  Julia’s dismay had only deepened when she’d learned the rest of Lauren’s plans – namely, to wear a wreath of flowers in her hair instead of a veil, and that she planned to walk up the aisle in bare feet.

  “You, too, baby sister,” she’d announced cheerfully. “In fact, it’s going to be a barefoot wedding, since we’re getting married on the beach. But you can slip into some shoes when we head back up to the cabin for the reception.”

  But the one thing Lauren hadn’t been able to talk her stylish sister into had been wearing a vintage dress of her own, unlike Angela, who’d calmly gone along with whatever Lauren suggested. Fortunately, Julia had found a new dress in a style that had satisfied both her and Lauren, though it still bothered Julia that her dress wasn’t even the same color as Angela’s, complaining that bridesmaids should at least try to look the same.

  Julia grinned at her sister now, carefully rearranging one of Lauren’s thick, tawny curls. “I know what I said. At the time I only wanted you to have the same sort of fairy tale wedding that I did. What I didn’t realize at the time was that not every fairy tale is written exactly the same. And your version of the story is every bit as beautiful as mine was, even if I do have to go barefoot. At least it turned out to be a beautiful day.”

  When Ben had first suggested getting married on the beach – the same stretch where he and Lauren had packed so many memories into just ten days – Lauren had been more than a little wary about the weather. Late October could be unpredictable here – foggy, drizzly, cold, windy. Fortunately, it was going to be a gorgeous autumn day – clear and sunny with just a light breeze – and the outdoor ceremony would go off without any weather related hitches.

  Everything else also seemed to be under control, a major feat considering the haste in which it had all been thrown together. But neither Ben nor Lauren had been willing to wait even one week longer to get married, quelling the few protests that had arisen from family and friends by insisting they’d already wasted six long years.

  Her parents had been the first to receive the news, of course. Ben had insisted she call them with the news within hours after they’d arrived back in New York, and Lauren had been downright shocked by their reactions.

  Natalie had been more than a little choked up, not to mention startled, but had been quick to reassure her daughter how delighted she was at the news.

  “It’s wonderful, darling,” Natalie had enthused. “Just think – both of my girls married within a few months of each other. And,” she’d added wickedly, “now it’s your sister’s turn to pitch a fit about her bridesmaid’s dress.”

  But it was when her mother had added softly, “I knew he was special when I met him that day at Norma’s – special to you, in particular,” that Lauren had nearly choked up herself.

  Robert’s reaction had been far more pragmatic – as usual. “Well, it’s about damned time that you came to your senses, my girl. And, yes, missy, I guessed how you felt about that man of yours close to a year ago. It was when I met him for the first time face to face and remembered where I’d seen him before. Or at least a black and white profile shot of him.”

  Lauren had gasped in surprise. “You remembered those photos I took after all that time? And how did you know it was Ben in the shots?”

  Robert had chuckled. “Wild guess. Father’s instinct. When you would get all up in arms about your Ben the Bastard, especially when he stopped you from going on that trip to Brazil, I knew that something was going on. Because you’d never had that sort of reaction to a man before, regardless of how angry he might have made you.”

  “And neither of you ever mentioned that you’d met,” she had retorted crossly. “Why am I the last to know these things?”

  “You’ve always been a nosy little miss,” Robert had replied calmly. “Always butting in to everyone else’s business, always insisting on knowing the latest gossip. And yet you kept so much of your own life to yourself – especially the fact that you’d met someone that summer and fallen in love. Or that the two of you met again years later and he happened to be your new boss. I decided that it was good for you to get a little taste of your own medicine once in awhile, so I very intentionally never told you that I’d met your Ben last year.”

  The scathing retort that Lauren had been about to give her father had died on her lips, however, when Robert had added gently, “He’s a fine man, missy. One I’m very proud to welcome to our family. And even though he’s a quiet one, I think you may have finally met your match. Ben’s not afraid of you, you know, and you won’t be able to bully or charm him into doing everything your way. With your Ben, still waters definitely run deep.”

  After sharing the news of their very sudden engagement with those closest to them, things had happened very, very quickly after that. Ben had stayed with Lauren at Maddy’s place for a few days until he’d been able to sign the lease on a modest, partially furnished place of his own. He’d had to make a very awkward phone call to Elle to arrange the pick-up of his things, a task that Chris and George had been enlisted to help him with. Lauren had considered it to be in rather bad taste to enter Elle’s house under the circumstances, and had contented herself instead with helping Ben to unpack at the other end.

  And it was when she began to unload a box filled with books, files, and other items that had previously been kept in his home office that her hand had closed over a framed sketch – a sketch that she recognized as the one she’d rather carelessly drawn of him six years ago.

  “My God,” she’d breathed. “You kept it. All this time. And had it framed, too.”

  “This is one of my most cherished possessions,” he’d told her with a kiss. “It’s always been the first thing I packed when I had to move, and the first thing I hung on the wall when I unpacked. It was the only thing I had to remind me of you, after all. Well, this and a couple of hundred photos, that is.”

  In recounting the story of what had really happened the night he’d left Elle, Ben had rather sheepishly revealed the secret stash of photos he’d kept of Lauren all these years. She had prodded him to show her the whole album, gasping with surprise when she’d noticed that at least a couple of dozen shots were much more recent, and she had half-jokingly accused him of being a stalker. But when she’d come across the dozen or so nude and semi-nude shots of herself, instead of being angry as he had assumed she would be, Lauren had grinned wickedly instead.

  “So it was this particular photo Elle was looking at when you caught her snooping?” she asked, pointing to the photo in question.

  Ben had nodded. �
��That’s the one. And as you can see it, uh, doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”

  “I can see that,” she’d agreed lazily. “And I’m glad you kept it. Glad that the snoopy, nosy bitch came face to face with my, uh, nakedness. She deserves it after threatening to get me fired. Not to mention lying to my face about the two of you getting engaged.”

  “Why didn’t you just ask me at the time if it was true?” he’d inquired.

  Lauren had shrugged. “Maybe because I didn’t really want to know the truth. Or let you know how much it would have devastated me if the answer had been yes.”

  Ben had taken her in his arms then. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to marry,” he’d murmured against her hair. “The only one I’ve ever loved. So let’s forget about Elle, hmm? She was a mistake I made when I was lonely and vulnerable. And I’m just guessing you made one or two – or more – of the same mistakes yourself.”

  “Not as many as you might think,” she’d insisted. “I could count those mistakes on one hand and still have fingers left over. And God help me, but I’m not even sure I can remember their names or faces now. Because the only face I could ever see was yours.”

  They had agreed then to never again discuss Elle, or how desperately unhappy both of them had been during the years apart. Especially since they had a wedding to plan in a very, very short amount of time.

  Ben had flown out to California with her, more than a little nervous at the thought of meeting her parents again – and this time not as Lauren’s boss but as her fiancé. But his worries had been for naught, because the McKinnons had welcomed him into their home as though he’d been part of their family for years. Julia and Nathan had been down for the weekend, too, and the pair of them had confessed they’d done a bit of matchmaking during their visit to New York a few weeks earlier.

  Nathan had chuckled in recollection. “After all, it was payback time, Lauren. If it hadn’t been for your devious little manipulations that first day I met you, Julia and I might never have gotten back together. So I might have dropped a few hints to Ben that night at dinner, just enough to get him thinking. Looks like my machinations had the desired outcome, though. So we’re even now – sis.”

  Nathan’s good-natured jibe hadn’t stopped Lauren from smacking him on the side of his head, with Julia shaking her head in exasperation.

  “I think it’s a good thing that Mom and Dad never had a son,” Julia had declared. “Because Lauren would have been merciless towards him, if the way she treats Nathan is any indication.”

  “Nah.” Lauren had waved a hand in dismissal, just before giving Nathan an affectionate smooch on the cheek. “It’s just that he’s such an easy target, you know? But I think he’s a keeper, Jules.”

  Julia had smiled at her twin knowingly. “Just like Ben is, hmm? I finally figured it out, you know. Like you told me I would the night before my wedding. I put all the clues together, and right before we flew out to New York, all the pieces finally clicked into place. And I knew he was the one.”

  Lauren had rolled her eyes. “Jesus, it took you that long to figure it out? I think Mom and Dad should write to Cornell so they can get a refund for your tuition, because you’re nowhere near as smart as I thought you were, Jules.”

  But the twins’ good-natured ribbing of the other came to an abrupt halt when Natalie reminded everyone they had just over a month to plan a wedding – a wedding that would fortunately be a simple affair with fewer than fifty people in attendance.

  Ben’s head had been spinning by the time the weekend had ended, for between Lauren, Julia, and their parents, the entire wedding had been organized in the space of seventy two hours or so. Natalie had arranged for the catering, wedding cake, and decorations; Robert the music, drinks, and extra tables and chairs; Julia the invitations, flowers, and what Lauren had caustically referred to as “half a dozen little girly touches”. Robert’s brother Malcolm had offered to do the photography, while Chris would be video taping the ceremony for them.

  Lauren, meanwhile, had taken Ben with her to a very unique little shop in Big Sur where they’d chosen their rings, and she had also made a call to the minister who would be marrying them.

  “Actually, he’s really more of a shaman,” she’d informed Ben blithely, and had then disappeared into another room before explaining further. It had been left up to Natalie to reassure him that this particular shaman was well known locally, and would not be showing up to the wedding in full Native American ceremonial garb or something similar.

  They’d had to return to New York far too soon, but not before they had spent three magical nights alone at the cabin. Ben had fought hard to keep his emotions under control the first time he’d crossed the threshold of the place where he had spent the happiest weeks of his life. His hand had gripped the door jamb while looking around the great room, nodding in satisfaction to note that nothing had changed in six years.

  “Home,” he had stated simply.

  Lauren had nodded in agreement. “Always.”

  She had moved in with him upon their return to New York, and had been the one to suggest that they consider renting the place out to vacationers via a service like Airbnb once Ben took Karl’s job over in January.

  “After all,” she’d pointed out, “we’ll really only need this place for a week or two at a time. Our real home will be back in California.”

  “Actually,” he’d corrected her with a sweet, tender kiss, “home will be wherever you happen to be at the moment.”

  “Aw,” she’d gushed. “Aren’t you sweet? Maybe you should consider writing poetry sometime. But,” she had added more soberly, “you’re absolutely right, Blue Eyes. Home is definitely where the heart is, and since you’ve owned my heart from the moment I met you – well, you get the picture.”

  Lauren smiled to herself now as she recalled how that rather gooey conversation had ended – the same way in which most of their conversations seemed to end these days – in bed. They had both been rather intent on making up for lost time over these past few weeks and had – in her exact words – done a bang-up job of breaking in their brand new mattress by, well, banging – a lot.

  “Lauren, your uncle’s calling for us. He wants to take a few shots out on the deck before we head down to the beach.”

  Lauren smiled up at her best friend who had just walked back inside the cabin. “Thanks, Angie. Guess we’d better go find Uncle Mal.”

  She linked arms with her two attendants as they walked out of the cabin, shaking her head in disbelief. “Who would have thought that less than four months after Julia got married that I’d be walking down the aisle next?” she asked incredulously. “Or that Angie would be back with her mystery man.”

  Angela laughed. “Well, you did catch Julia’s bridal bouquet, after all. And before you even consider doing so, do not plan on me catching your bouquet. You do realize that this is the first wedding Nick has consented to attend since he was a kid, don’t you? He certainly doesn’t intend for the next one to be his. Ever.”

  Julia patted Angela on the shoulder. “He’ll change his mind one of these days, honey.”

  Angela shook her head. “I doubt it. You don’t know him very well as yet. To call Nick set in his ways is putting it mildly. And it doesn’t matter to me. Honestly. I don’t need a wedding ring or piece of paper to know that we belong together. Or to prove how much he loves me.”

  “If you’re trying to make me cry on my wedding day, it’s not working,” retorted Lauren. “At least not on me. But I think Julia’s about to ruin her eye makeup, so quit the sentimental stuff, Angie. Now, come on. You may not care about getting married, but oddly enough, I do. And it’s going to be perfect.”

  Julia smiled at her twin fondly. “Well, of course it is. You’d never allow it to be anything but.”

  Angela bent and gave her much shorter friend a kiss on the cheek. “I told you when you came to visit me in August that you deserved to be happy more than anyone else I know. And n
ow it’s finally your turn, Lauren.”

  ***

  It was with a sense of semi-detached disbelief that Ben looked out at the group of forty or so people milling around the section of beach that had been set up just a short time ago for his wedding. The wedding that still seemed unreal to him, as did the fact that it was really Lauren he would be marrying in just a few more minutes.

  Lauren in particular had insisted on keeping the wedding small, just immediate family and their very closest friends and co-workers. She had also been the one who’d prodded him to invite his parents, even though he hadn’t been in touch with either of them for almost a year. Not surprisingly, his mother had mumbled some excuse about not being able to get away, the same way she had for both his high school and college graduations.

  But he’d been pleasantly surprised when his father – Patrick – had actually accepted the invitation and even brought one of Ben’s half-brothers along. Unbeknownst to Ben, twenty year old Callan had been attending San Jose State University for the past couple of years, and had made the drive down to Big Sur with their father. The two of them had been welcomed with open arms by Lauren and her family to last night’s rehearsal dinner held at the McKinnons’ beach house in Carmel.

  It had been both awkward and strange for Ben to see his father after so much time, as well as the half-brother he hadn’t seen since Callan was in middle school. But Lauren, with her outgoing, irrepressible personality, had somehow made it all okay, chatting with Patrick and Callan as though she’d known them for years, and making them feel like part of the family. It had touched Ben deeply to see how much she cared, and the effort she made to bring him and his family closer together.

  Levi had made it out, too, and upon meeting Lauren in the flesh had whispered to Ben that he must have gone a little crazy six years ago to even think of leaving a babe like her behind. He’d been initially intrigued to learn that Lauren had an identical twin, and then just as quickly dismayed when he’d been told that Julia was a newlywed of barely four months. Knowing what a ladies man his old friend had always been, however, Ben was willing to take bets on the fact that Levi’s visit here would not be spent alone.