Flight Risk

by Barbara Valentin

  Glancing at the clock, she muttered, "It's getting late. I'd better go."

  And with that, she slammed the car door behind her and scampered for the door to her nana's building, wiping her face with the back of her hand as she went.

  * * *

  Early the next morning, Aubrey sat at her nana's kitchen table, tugging her bathrobe tightly around her after she slipped some socks on. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning and had the bags under her eyes to prove it.

  "You look tired, child," her nana said as she stroked her hair. "You no sleep last night?"

  Leaning into her touch, Aubrey wiped a tear that raced down her cheek and whispered, "No, not really."

  "Whatsa matter, huh?"

  Turning to face her, she struggled to state the obvious. "I don't know what to do. Like I said last night, Nana, turns out he's this whole other person. This really rich other person. That's not who I fell in love with. I don't even know who that other guy is."

  When her nana just patted her hand, she kept going.

  "I mean, why keep that a secret from the woman he claims to love?" Hanging her head, she continued, "I guess I'm just nervous. Or, I don't know, excited? But mostly nervous."

  She laid her head on the table and moaned, "I have no idea what to expect." Lifting it back up a bit, she sighed, "And it's killing me."

  Her nana placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Let me get you some tea."

  Aubrey watched as the only family she had left in the whole world poured hot water into a cup. "Maybe is because he vorry he can't find voman to love vit all dat money."

  "That's what he said," Aubrey exclaimed. Then she frowned. "Well, no, not really."

  "Vat you mean?" her nana asked as she set the tea in front of her and sat down.

  Aubrey rubbed her bloodshot eyes. "He said he turned his back on all of that so he could find someone who loved him for him."

  Nana whacked her hand down on the table, startling her granddaughter. "Exactly." Leaning into Aubrey's shoulder, she purred, "And dat's you."

  With a weak smile, Aubrey replied, "That's what he said."

  "Den he's a smart boy."

  With a sympathetic smile, her grandmother pushed the cup of tea towards her. "You drink."

  Aubrey did as she was told, leaving just enough liquid at the bottom of the cup.

  She pushed it towards the old fortune teller. "What do you see, Nana?"

  Swirling it three times, she peered into it for a few excruciatingly long minutes before lifting her head. "I see nutting."

  "What?" Aubrey grabbed her cup and looked into it. "Uh, well, here. What about that? That looks like a star, doesn't it? That must be good, right?" She looked up for affirmation but received none.

  Looking back into the cup, she couldn't make anything else out except maybe her crazed reflection on the inside rim.

  She set the cup down with a sigh.

  Taking her hands in both of hers, her nana spoke softly. "Enough, child. Vat I see is you. So happy vit Mac. So unhappy vitout him. And I see him."

  Tightening her grip, she continued, "He loves you. He vould give his life for you. He takes care of you, makes you so happy. You marry him. You marry him today. No more vorry."

  Aubrey buried her face in her nana's shoulder. After a few minutes, her nana took her damp face in her hands and kissed her forehead. "He loves you," she repeated. "And you love him."

  Through a sniffle, Aubrey smiled. "Soul mates."

  Her nana let out an animated laugh. "Dat's right. No more crying now. You go get ready."

  After a nice long hot shower, Aubrey did her hair and makeup, heavy on the under eye concealer. Wondering what to wear, she was standing in front of her closet, staring at its contents, thanking her lucky stars that her nana had a clearer head than she did for once.

  Hmmm, what does one wear when marrying a billionaire?

  "A billionaire."

  Saying it out loud was cathartic. And petrifying.

  "I'm about to marry a billionaire."

  God help me.

  She started another brutal assault on the clothes hanging in her closet.

  When she heard the buzzer sound from the living room, Aubrey whimpered, "Oh no. He's early."

  She scurried to the front door, tightening her robe around her waist, and pressed the intercom button and asked, "Who is it?"

  "Your maid of honor," a familiar voice said.

  Teddy?

  She pressed the buzzer. Not a minute later, her best friend burst through the door.

  "What are you doing here?" Aubrey demanded through an ear-to-ear grin as she took in Teddy's tasteful dusty rose party dress and matching lipstick. "You look—wow."

  "I'm just following orders." Teddy grinned as she twirled in place to show off her new dress.

  A little zip of excitement coursed through Aubrey's veins.

  "Whose?"

  "My boy, Mac. Who else?"

  Taking in Aubrey's robe, she asked, "Why aren't you dressed?"

  "Because," she groaned, "I have no idea what to wear."

  Pointing to Teddy's dress, she asked, "What size is that?"

  Teddy rolled her eyes and shook the Nordstrom garment bag she had brought in with her. "What would you do without me?"

  Handing it to Aubrey, she said, "There's something in here for Nana, too."

  "I'm so glad you're here," the bride-to-be squealed as she hugged her. "Come on, I want to hear all about your niece's Quinceañera."

  A few minutes later, Teddy had just zipped up the back of Nana's new apricot-colored crepe dress when Aubrey walked into the living room.

  "Dios mío. How pretty."

  The sleeveless white cocktail dress, the scalloped hem of which fell just above her knees, was covered with a lace overlay and tasteful sequins along the jeweled neckline.

  Her nana put her hands to her face. "So beautiful. Just like your mother."

  Thrusting something into Aubrey's hand, she instructed, "You wear deez."

  Aubrey opened her hand to reveal two good-sized diamond stud earrings.

  "Nana," she breathed. "Where did these come from?"

  Emotion catching in her throat, she replied, "My Alfonse. Anniversary gift."

  "Oh, Nana." Aubrey smothered her in a hug.

  Straightening up, she addressed her pal. "Thank you so much for the dresses, Ted. You're gonna have to let me know what I owe you."

  "They're not from me."

  Aubrey waited a second before responding. "Mac?"

  She still couldn't get used to calling him that.

  Teddy just winked at her before peeking out of the window. "Looks like our ride's here."

  As the three women walked out under the shade of the towering elm trees lining the parkway, they approached the black town car waiting at the curb.

  Aubrey heard her nana break into a low laugh. She would've asked what was so funny had a uniformed driver not emerged to open the back door for them.

  Oh my.

  "Where's John?" she asked him.

  He looked puzzled. "I'm sorry?"

  Teddy came up behind. "Mac. She means Mac."

  "Gah." Aubrey shook her head. "Sorry. Right. Mac."

  "Ah. He said to tell you that he will meet you there."

  "Yes, but where's there?" Aubrey wondered as she got into the back seat.

  * * *

  Mac, wearing his favorite Versace charcoal-gray suit with a crisp white shirt and sky-blue tie, pushed through the heavy rustic-looking wooden door.

  Addressing his gran, he asked, "Have you heard from Cam?"

  When she just shook her head, he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Probably didn't help that he had the worst night's sleep ever.

  "May I see the marriage license, my son?" the honorable Reverend Hammerschmidt asked as he stood next to the ornately carved bar that stretched just about the entire length of the establishment.

  Pulling it from his inside suit coat pocket, the groom-to-be
handed it over while taking in the white linen tablecloths draped over the tables and booths, each of which was set with fine china and dotted with a tasteful floral centerpiece. The length of the bar was draped in white bunting and was covered with trays of filled champagne flutes, petit fours, and assorted finger sandwiches.

  "And what denomination is the bride?" the preacher asked as he peered over his reading glasses.

  Lifting both eyebrows, Mac clenched his teeth. "No idea whatsoever."

  "Oh. Not a problem. No problem at all." The humble man gave him a smile and stood waiting with everyone else, hands clasped in front of him.

  The hopeful groom scanned the faces of all in attendance, relatives mostly, the guys from his crew and their significant others, as well as his buddies from the homeless shelter, who Scott, Nick's best man, was kind enough to drive over. Best of all, Eugenia was there fussing over their esteemed guest of honor, Mr. Hammett.

  Having ended up at Poughkeepsie's after Aubrey left his car the night before, he managed to convince the owner of the bar, normally closed on Sundays, to remain open for a private party. While he balked at first, given the late notice and all, once he saw the figure Mac had written on a cocktail napkin to cover the expenses, the owner readily acquiesced. Even offered to tend the bar himself.

  First thing that morning, Mac notified his best man and his gran of the change in venue, and she assured him that she'd take care of the rest.

  Now all he needed to do was brace himself for whatever Aubrey would throw at him when she walked through those double doors.

  If she walked through those double doors.

  Focusing on doing just that, he was mildly irritated when Lester sidled up to him.

  "That Aubrey," he started. "You picked a hell of a winner there, son."

  Mac gave him a double take. "She's not a racehorse, Les."

  "Of course not. But your gran approves, and that's all that really matters. Capiche?"

  "I haven't even introduced them yet," the nervous almost-groom hissed under his breath. "How can she possibly know?"

  "Seriously?" he chuckled. "She runs a media company."

  When Mac didn't offer a reply, Lester asked, "Any honeymoon plans?"

  There was only one place Mac wanted to be with his new bride on their wedding night.

  The roof deck of his apartment building in Logan's Square.

  But to Lester, he said, "I think I'll let my favorite travel writer decide where we'll go."

  "You look nervous, dear."

  Mac looked down to see his gran at his elbow, wearing a silver silk dress with rhinestone buttons and her customary pearls.

  Giving his arm a squeeze, she added, "You worry too much. Always have."

  This coming from a woman who took to worrying like a kitten does milk. All he could do was smirk, but it was short-lived.

  He nodded towards the decorations. "Thanks for this. I know it was probably inconvenient as hell, but I want you to know, I really appreciate it." Then, before she could wave him off, he wrapped his arms around her and couldn't bring himself to let go.

  When he heard her ask, "What is it, dear?" he pulled back enough to say, "I'm just not sure what she's going to make of all this. I shouldn't have waited until last night to tell her."

  "Stop worrying," she repeated, patting his cheek before she joined Lester near the bar.

  Finally alone, he fixed his eyes on the entrance. Taking a deep breath, he checked his watch and was trying to anticipate Aubrey's most likely reaction, when Mattie and Nick pushed through the doors hand in hand. While they looked as if they didn't get much sleep either, they sure seemed a hell of a lot happier about it.

  "Hey, thank you so much for coming." Mac opened his arms and hugged them both at the same time.

  With a stiff smile, he averted his gaze to the entrance. Now that his best man had arrived, there was only one person missing.

  The bride.

  * * *

  About a minute into their mysterious journey, Aubrey leaned forward to speak to the driver. "Uh, excuse me—what did you say your name was?"

  "Cameron, ma'am."

  "Excuse me, Cameron, but can you please tell me where you're taking us."

  "I'm sorry, but I'm under strict instructions not to, ma'am."

  "OK, listen. Can you please stop referring to me as 'ma'am'? That's gonna get real old, real fast."

  "Yes, ma'—"

  When she caught his eye in the rearview mirror, he muttered an apology.

  Aubrey's nana patted the seat next to her. "Sit. Enjoy da ride. Is beautiful day."

  Aubrey sat back and focused on the two things she knew for sure—she loved Mac, whatever he did for a living, and they were on their way to see him. That in itself was a reason to feel joyful.

  That she also happened to be cruising through the pretty tree-lined streets of her neighborhood on a beautiful Sunday morning with her two favorite females was icing on the cake.

  Grasping a hand on either side of her, she gave each a squeeze and said, "Whatever ends up happening today, I want you both to know that I love you very much."

  Nana gave her hand a hard squeeze. Teddy, however, laughed, "You sound like you're going in front of a firing squad."

  Aubrey gulped. "We'll find out soon enough, won't we?"

  They were just beginning to speculate on possible wedding venues when Cameron turned north onto Damen Avenue.

  Aubrey sucked in a breath.

  She caught the smile in Cameron's eyes when she leaned forward to see if they were going where she hoped they might be going.

  Poughkeepsie's.

  After pulling up in front, he opened Teddy's door and offered his hand to help her out before moving to the other side to help Nana. Then it was Aubrey's turn. When he got her upright, he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

  "Welcome to the family, Aubrey."

  "Thanks, Cameron," she whispered.

  She took in the large Closed for Private Party sign on the front door before Cameron opened it for them.

  Despite seeing a small mob of people beyond the entrance, Aubrey felt remarkably calm. At peace even. She just kept repeating her mantra.

  I love Mac, and I'm on my way to see him.

  Walking through the entryway, she took in the scene. Dozens of people she did not recognize were already seated at tables or standing near the bar.

  An older well-dressed woman stood by Lester. Why is he here? A priest of some kind was near the cash register at the far end of the bar, chatting with Mattie and Nick. Why the heck are they here?

  Most everyone seemed to be in suspended animation awaiting her reaction. She had just spotted Mr. Hammett and gave him a little wave when her eyes fell on Mac standing off to the side.

  Looking like he had gotten just about as much sleep as she did, she could see his guard going up as she approached.

  After what seemed like a very long minute, he whispered, "Thank you for coming."

  He took in a breath and lowered his chin, waiting for her reply.

  Seeing the color rise in his cheeks, she took his hands in hers, squeezed them, and asked, "What is the one thing you should never ever forget to do when you're falling?"

  "Breathe," Mr. Hammett, sitting nearby, offered.

  "That's exactly right," she laughed as she watched Mac's face break into a grin.

  Holding her arms outward, he took in her dress. "You look…amazing."

  "You like it? My fiancé picked it out for me."

  "Well, tell him he has impeccable taste."

  Through a devilish grin, she whispered, "You have impeccable taste."

  She was just about to lean over and kiss him when her nana came up beside her.

  Aubrey pressed her hand to her forehead. "Where are my manners?"

  Addressing the crowd, she started, "Hello everyone. I'm Aubrey, and this is my nana, Marie." Pulling on Teddy's hand, she yanked her close. "And this is my best friend, Theodora Gasca."

  "Call me Teddy,"
she laughed as she waved at the crowd.

  Mac helped Nana into a seat at Mr. Hammett's table and leaned over her. "Can I get you anything, Nana? Some water or coffee?"

  She smiled and patted his cheek. "You get me some tea, huh?"

  Aubrey turned to greet the newlyweds. "I didn't expect to see you two here today."

  Nick pointed to his chest. "Best man."

  "Oh, of course." Reaching up to kiss his cheek, she whispered, "Thank you."

  "You look beautiful," Mattie gushed.

  "I'm just so glad you guys are here." With her face about to split from grinning, she lowered her voice and asked, "I hope we haven't interrupted, you know…any plans…?"

  The pair blushed.

  Adorable.

  "Nah," Nick replied. "Our flight doesn't leave until tonight."

  "Right. It's all good," Mattie giggled.

  As Aubrey turned, she saw the older woman who had been standing by Lester slip into the seat next to Nana and give her a hug. The two women looked delighted to see one another.

  And that's when it hit her. Mac's gran was that nice woman who would come for readings all the time.

  "Mrs. Delaney? It's so very nice to see you again."

  Allison took Aubrey's hands in hers. "And you, dear. Please. Call me Gran."

  Aubrey leaned down to kiss her cheek.

  Straightening back up, she looked around the room to find where Mac had gone to and in the process was overwhelmed by the feeling that she knew exactly how her life was going to go.

  She dabbed at her eyes with her fingertips.

  "Hey, everything OK?" Mac was before her again, grinning broadly. "I think they're ready for us…if you are…ready, that is."

  Aubrey caught her breath. "Oh yeah. That." She pulled him aside, away from the majority of guests. "I just have two things I have to ask before I make up my mind."

  The smile left Mac's face.

  In fact, the entire room seemed to grow quiet.

  He waited, his face fraught with anticipation. "Of course. What is it?"

  Pulling her face into a grimace, she asked, "Would you mind very much if I called you John instead of Mac?"

  "No," he chuckled, amused and confused. "Of course not. What else?"

  Pressing her palms to his chest, she leaned against him and whispered, "Can we please keep the hammock?"