“Good,” he mumbles in between bites. Why does this feel so awkward? What happened to feeling comfortable? Maybe Evan’s nervous.
Toward the end of our meal, I start to fade. Between working all day, jumping on two different planes, and champagne, I’m done. “I’m tired. I need to go to bed,” I say mid-yawn.
“Okay. Let me pay and then we’ll go.” He calls the waiter over and asks for the check. I’m about to pass out on the table. I stand up, trying to keep myself awake. Evan pays the check and says, “Let’s go.” It’s too bad I’m so tired. It really is a beautiful view. I can sit here and look out at the water all day.
Evan leads me in the direction of our room. He takes out his room key and swipes it to open the door. “Ladies first,” he smiles.
I walk in to a huge suite. There is a spacious living room with a rectangular sofa bed and a separate dining area. As I walk through the living area to the back, I find a pair of doors that lead outside. I open them to a private lanai that overlooks the beach. Wow. I wander outside to check out the view.
A king sized bed sits in the middle of the vast bedroom. My bag is off to the side on a chair, and my dress is hanging in the closet. I find my toiletries bag and take out my facial cleanser, toothbrush and toothpaste. I head for the oversized bathroom and go through my routine. When I come out, Evan is in the bed with a let’s-get-it-on look. Oh, no.
“I’m not supposed to see you until I walk down the aisle,” I hedge.
“C’mon, Liv. I miss you.”
“I don’t want or need any bad luck tomorrow. I’ll go sleep on the couch.”
“No, I’ll go,” he mutters and stalks off, stopping only to place a soft kiss on my cheek. “I guess I can wait one more day.”
After putting on a pair of sweats and t-shirt, I crawl into bed and fall into a restless sleep.
I wake up, and it’s still dark. In a daze, I look over at the clock. It reads three thirty A.M. I’m exhausted but can’t sleep. I figure the sound of the ocean may put me at ease. I notice Evan isn’t on the couch, and the doors to the lanai are ajar. I head outside to see if he’s on the beach.
There standing on the beach is a silhouette of a man staring out over the water. I call out to him. “Evan, what are you doing out here by yourself?”
“Hello, beautiful,” a familiar voice echoes through the darkness. Chase? Holy crap, how did he get here?
“Chase, is that you?” I say in shock.
“Why are you marrying him? You don’t love him, you love me.” He talks to the crashing waves. All I see is a shadow.
“How did you get here?”
“You can’t go through with it. You know it in your heart.” I can hardly hear him over the waves. I walk toward him. He doesn’t turn around. In fact, he doesn’t move at all.
“Chase, I can’t do this. Not here, not now,” I plead with him.
“Everything isn’t what it appears.”
“What does that mean?” I’m closer now; I can almost touch him.
“Go with your heart, Olivia,” he says. I reach out to touch him, but he isn’t there. Are my eyes playing tricks? I know I heard him. I spin around, but he isn’t there. There’s no one there.
I jump out of bed in a cold sweat. My heart is racing. Shit, it was just a dream. How bizarre. My subconscious is trying to tell me something. I rub my eyes and look at the clock. Crap, it’s nine-thirty; I slept late.
I head to the bathroom and find a note attached to the mirror.
I check my phone to find a text from Bren.
*Flight on time. Will be in the Keys @ 11:00*
Then a later text.
*I’m starving!*
Okay. I’ll wait for her to have breakfast. The ceremony isn’t until six so that gives me plenty of time to let her primp me. She’ll want to do my hair and makeup. I hope she won’t go overboard. It is a beach wedding.
I take a seat on a chair on the lanai. Evan was right. The humidity is gone, and the ocean breeze feels fantastic. I go over the events in my dream. What did Chase mean that everything isn’t as it appears? I’m not sure why last night of all nights, Chase decided to make an appearance in my dreams. It must be my nerves. I’m still not sure I’m doing the right thing by marrying Evan. He swears Brandi was a one-time thing, and I can’t really end our relationship from one mistake. Can I? No, I need to calm down and focus on all of the good times we shared. Feeling refreshed after a shower and a bit calmer, I decide to explore the hotel.
The beach is beautiful and looks different in the daytime. I can see where our wedding ceremony will take place. There is a bamboo trellis with white flowing fabric covering one end. Large candles inside tall lanterns sit on either end at the base. A pedestal with colorful orchids is perched on either side of the trellis, with stark white chairs lined up and down the aisle. Picture perfect.
I keep walking down the beach then up the path toward the main part of the hotel. There are palm trees along the large stone walkway, lined with water features on either side. As I head inside, I take a look at my watch. It’s just past eleven am; Brenda should be here soon.
As I walk into the lobby, I spot Brenda getting out of the hotel car. I run over to her and give her a huge hug. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“You look like crap,” she chides.
“I didn’t sleep very well last night,” I confess.
“I’ll fix you up. C’mon, I’m starving.” I have the attendant take her bags up to her room. Evan was nice enough to have paid for that.
“I’m not sure they’re still serving breakfast
“I don’t care. I need food, and I need a drink.” She gives me her impatient face, and it makes me giggle.
“Okay, follow me.”
I take her to where we had dinner last night. We’re in luck. The buffet is closed, but they’re still serving a la carte. We both order mimosas and Eggs Benedict. I turn to her after we order. “How was your flight?”
“Fine. Until I boarded that thing they call a plane. Did you ride that little death trap?” she asks.
“Yeah, it freaked me out too.” I shudder when I think about the experience.
“Where’s Evan?”
“Taking care of some last minute stuff.”
“What time is the ceremony?”
“Six.” I call over to the waiter for two more mimosas.
“Did you pack your makeup?”
“Yes, but it’s a beach wedding. Go natural and not too heavy, please.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” she jokes.
“I wish we could sit like this forever,” I say sipping on my fifth mimosa.
“You should slow down. You don’t want to get sick walking down the aisle,” she scolds.
“Pot calling kettle,” I reply. “Besides, they’re mostly OJ.”
“I’m just saying. C’mon. Finish that. I need to take a shower. I’m full of plane funk.”
On the other side of the hotel is her room. “Come to my room when you’re done. I’d like to catch a few rays before the ceremony.”
“Sounds good, I could use a nap. I was up early,” she whines. I roll my eyes at her as I leave.
I walk in to find an empty suite. Evan still isn’t back. I go into the bedroom and find a tuxedo hanging on the back of the bedroom door. Although, I wouldn’t really call it a tux. It’s beach wear. A light beige linen suit jacket with matching pants and a white linen shirt. No tie. His shoes are at the foot of the bed. A pair of light beige Lacoste Crosier Sail boat shoes. They’ll look great together. He must have come back and gone out again. I wonder what he’s up to now.
Brenda gets back to my room just after one. I throw on a bikini, and we head out the lanai to the private beach behind my suite. I make sure to grab the sunscreen. Brenda follows out behind me. “Nice view.”
“Yeah, not too bad.” I find an empty chaise lounge and start to douse myself with lotion.
“What time did you want to start getting ready?”
“Sounds about right.” She lays down on the chaise next to me. I suddenly feel uneasy. I would chalk it up to wedding day jitters, but this is something more.
“Bren?” I shift so I am looking at her. “What if I’m making a mistake?”
“Isn’t that the question you should have asked before you flew all the way down here?”
“I’m serious. I had a dream last night.”
“Oh?” She turns to face me.
“Chase was on the beach. He was talking to me.” Brenda’s curiosity is piqued.
“What did he say?”
“Everything isn’t as it seems and to go with my heart.” Brenda’s look is sympathetic, but her words are callous.
“Olivia,” she begins, “You are obviously still affected by Mr. Sex-On-Legs. Have you thought about why you are dreaming about Chase and not Evan? Is Chase here to save you in your dream?” Hmmm, save me.
“No, I don’t think so. It was if he was warning me.”
“Oh, Liv. Freud would have a field day with this.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I should become a nun.”
Brenda sits up facing me. “A little late for that, don’t ya think?” she quips.
I rub my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I just hope I’m doing the right thing.”
“If you’re legitimately having second thoughts, you need to tell Evan.”
“I don’t know.” My dream is messing with my head. I have never missed my father more than right now. He would know what to do. “Maybe it’s because I miss Dad.” There is a twinge of melancholy to my voice. “I wish he was here.” Brenda reaches over and touches my hand.
“I miss him too,” she says, quiet. Then a thought makes her smile. “Although, he would’ve never let you two elope down here.” She’s right. There was no way he would have let me fly down here. There would have been a huge family celebration.
“I wish Mom’s fear of flying wasn’t so bad, too.” She really loves Evan, and she would have given me away since my father isn’t alive to do it. I’ll make it up to her when we get home. I lean back on my chase lounge and try not to think.
I hear a gentle ringing in my ear through my ear buds. I open my eyes and look at my phone. Evan is calling. I look at the time: Three forty five. I must have dozed off. Crap. “Hello?”
“I called the room. Where are you?” he asks, concern etched in his voice.
“On the beach behind the suite. I took a nap,” I mutter half apologetically.
“I’m just finishing up a few things. I’ll be back soon.” He sounds relieved.
“Okay, but I shouldn’t see you before the ceremony.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to change and do my make-up in Brenda’s room.” I can hear him sigh into the phone.
“Fine, just don’t be late.” Jeez, keep your shirt on.
“I won’t be late.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you at the altar.”
“Yup, bye.” I hang up. What’s with him? Must be nerves. I’m glad I put on sunscreen or else I’d be in pain. The Florida sun is scorching. Not a good look to be all red and blotchy at my wedding. I stand up and stretch. I do feel a bit better having napped. I walk down to the water and take a quick dip to cool off.
Brenda is still napping on her chaise. I guess I should wake her up. I don’t want her flipping out on me too. I give her a gentle nudge. “Bren,” I say. Nothing. I nudge her again; this time I get a groan. “Wake up. I don’t want to be late.” That gets her attention. She shoots up like her back is on fire.
“What time is it?” she asks in a panic.
“A little before four.”
“Do you feel any better?”
“I think so. I guess I’ll know when I get to the altar.” I smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. She gives me a knowing nod. “I’m going to go take a shower.”
“Okay. I’ll take your dress and makeup to my room. Meet me there when you’ve finished.” She grabs her towel and heads into my suite to get my stuff. She finds my dress, and I hand her my shoes and make-up bag.
“Alright. I see you in half an hour or so.” She runs off in the direction of her room. I opt for a quick shower and shave. I don’t want Evan to walk in on me. Once out, I throw on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and start to head out the door. I stop right before I cross the threshold; I have this weird feeling that I’m forgetting something. Crap, the earrings! They’re my something old, borrowed and blue. My dress is the something new, so I have all of the bases covered.
I go back into the bedroom and look through my carry-on. They aren’t here. I placed them in this bag right after my mom gave them to me. Why aren’t they here? They have to be here. I start to have a panic attack. I look all over the room for them. The bathroom. The bedroom. I check all of the drawers. Still, no earrings. They were in a small red box that I placed in my carry-on. I had it with me the entire flight. Both flights. I grab my phone and call Evan. He picks up on the first ring. I don’t give him a chance to say one word.
“My earrings are gone,” I scream horrified.
“What earrings?” Evan is confused.
“My mom gave me a pair of earrings to wear today, and I placed them in my carry-on. They aren’t here. I can’t find them,” I continue to wail. “They were my grandmother’s.”
“I didn’t see any earrings,” he says.
“No, you wouldn’t have because they were in my carry-on.” Now I’m angry. “They’re gone.”
“Liv, calm down. I’m sure you misplaced them.”
“No. They were here, and now they aren’t.”
“Okay. When I come back, I’ll help you find them.”
“No! I can’t see you until the ceremony!”
“Liv,” he says, about to try and placate me.
“Forget it. Just forget it,” I snap and hang up the phone. Fuck! I bend over and place my hands on my knees. Taking a few deep breaths, I close my eyes and count to ten. Maybe this is a sign. I grab my room key and head over to Brenda’s.
I get to Brenda’s room a sniveling mess. She takes one look at me and jumps to conclusions. “What did he do?” she asks with just a hint of bitterness.
“He didn’t do anything,” I snap, throwing my Coach bag onto the floor.
“So, what’s with the red eyes and runny nose?”
“My mom gave me a pair of earrings to wear today, and I can’t find them,” I sniffle.
“Oh, that’s all?” she mumbles and walks into the bathroom.
“They were my grandmother’s,” I say still whining.
She comes back out with my make-up bag. “Do you mean these?” She pulls out the red box with the earrings.
“But . . . how . . . I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know. I opened your make-up bag to see what I have to work with, and this box was in it.”
I didn’t put them in the make-up bag. At least, I don’t remember doing it. I don’t know. I take a deep breath and try to compose myself. Crap, I better text Evan and let him know I have them. I pull out my phone from my bag.
*Found my earrings. Sorry*
How can I not remember placing them in my make-up bag? I am a hot mess. I take another deep breath “Do you think you can fix me?” I ask.
“You’re a little puffy, but I’ve seen you worse,” she pokes. I glare at her but can’t help to giggle.
“Worse?” I ask and give her a playful shove. Yes, she has seen me a lot worse.
“Take a seat in front of the mirror, and I’ll get all of my supplies.” She heads into her bathroom, and I sit at the vanity. Wow, my eyes are puffy and red. My nose is red too. I hope she brought some foundation or powder to cover this up.
“Do you have any Visine? Maybe that will help,” I yell over my shoulder toward the bathroom.
“No,” she shouts back. Crap. I wonder if I have any in my bag. I
get up and rummage through my bag, which is on the couch. No Visine. I pull out my phone. No text from Evan. That’s weird. Maybe he didn’t get my text. I check to see if I have service. The text went through. I hope I wasn’t too hard on him earlier. I take my phone and walk back over to the vanity just as Brenda comes out of the bathroom. “Ready?” she asks with a smile. I nod my head, and she goes to work.
Just over forty-five minutes later, she finishes with my hair and make-up. I head to her room to put on my dress and shoes. Thankfully, this dress isn’t big and poufy so I don’t need help getting into it. Once zipped, I turn and look in the vanity mirror. Wow, Brenda can work miracles. I look ready for a runway. She scurries off into the bedroom so she can get dressed as well.
My hair looks fantastic. She has it to one side, and used the curling iron to tame my little curls and make nice big Shirley Temple-like banana curls. It’s held to the side with a fancy clip. My make-up is natural but brings out the green in my eyes. The foundation around my eyes helps hide the puffiness. I turn to face Bren who has her dress on. She smiles when she sees me in the dress.
“Wow,” she gushes. “That dress is perfect on you.”
“That’s what I thought when I first saw it,” I agree. “You look great as always.”
“Last minute trip deserves a new dress.” She has on a light blue Hawaiian style halter dress, without the large loud flowers. It sits tight around her hips and waist, and falls mid-length to the top of her knees. Of course, she has blue-heeled sandals to match. How does she manage that?
I look amazing, but something still feels off. I should have butterflies, but I’m calm. Too calm. I thought the closer I got to the wedding, the more nervous I would be. Isn’t that what brides go through? I am nervous, but not the I-can’t-wait-to-be-married nervous. More of the am-I-doing-the-right-thing kind of nervous.
I keep coming back to my dream. The dream where Chase comes to me to tell me not to marry Evan. Is that my subconscious telling me that I’m crazy?
“Are you ready?” Brenda interrupts my thoughts.
I put the earrings on. At least if my mom can’t be here physically, she can be here in spirit. There. Now I’m ready. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Drawn to You Page 26