Chapter Forty-eight
Rain and Hazel
“You’re craze. You know that, right?” Renzo fumes and I chuckle.
“How?”
“Am I the only one hearing this? Dad, do you not hear it too? Rain wants to plan a Dacosta wedding in a month.”
“We can try.”
I’m at my parents house with the boys. After I got here and saw that my Mom went for her manicure appointment, I called Renzo, Anton and Knox to break the news to them. Both our confession in the Kitchen Rental, and the wedding plan.
“Wow! You do know that Dacosta weddings have won Wedding Of The Year four times straight, right? Dad, you said it yourself that after your wedding with Mom won the fourth award, Mom added it to our list of traditions. You’re either telling me that you’re planning a wedding of the year in a month, or that you plan on breaking Mom’s tradition. Either way, you’re cooked.”
Dad laughs as he paces around the room, already clicking on his phone. “We can do it. I’ll get on the phone with the best planner. We need to finalize the guest list, catering, and— oh hello, Mr. Francis.” Dad leaves the sitting room to attend to his call.
“Wow, we’re all insane,” Renzo grumbles further. “And you! First you threaten not to fall in love, then you order us to plan a freaking Dacosta wedding in thirty days. You’re such high maintenance, aren’t you? Fine! I’ll start working on the outfit sketch. You owe me for this one, and I’m not joking.”
“Fine, I do. And I don’t plan on winning the Wedding Of The Year award. Dacosta weddings win because the celebration exceeds countries. Hazel doesn’t want that. You know she’s still paranoid about what happened last time.”
“What do you have in mind then?” Anton asks.
“Not too small, not too big. She wants a celebration that can be finished in one hall, in one day.”
“Alright, I’ll work with the planner when they get here,” Knox offers, and I nod.
“Where do you plan on going for your honeymoon? I’ll check if we have a hotel there and book it for you.”
I think about it for a split moment before shrugging. “I don’t know. Hazel and I haven’t talked about it yet. We’ll let you know what we pick.”
“I’ve booked Lilian Francis,” Dad returns and announces.
“You booked Lilian Francis in an hour? Dad, did you get her to drop other appointments? Because there’s no way she’s not fully booked.”
Lilian Francis is one of the most influential party planners in America. She’s so high paid, I heard that when someone needs her to plan their party, they have to book a year before.
I’m sure her schedule must be jam packed already with next year’s parties, while she currently works on contracts that were booked last year.
“I play polo with her Dad sometimes. I called him instead, and I got a spot from her.” Despite engaging in both sports, my Dad prefers polo to golf. He has three polo horses that he calls his investment.
“I guess that’s settled then. Mr Dacosta, can I get the confirmation mail so I can meet with her?”
Dad nods and points his phone at Renzo. “Send the last mail to your friend.”
We continue talking between laughter and I realize that I had no idea how exciting it is to plan a wedding when you’re in love.
Hazel
Planning a wedding in one month is hard.
I didn’t realize how hard it must have been for Rain during our fake wedding. He only had a week—that he gave himself, but still.
I have all the help in need (Ysabelle, Su-mi, Reina, Rain’s Mom, and our wedding planner, Lilian), so I barely do anything, yet I still feel so stressed out. Maybe it’s because Rain’s Mom showed me the awards that Dacosta Weddings have been winning. Four in a row, I tell you.
She also tells me that we most likely won’t be winning an award because Rain has rejected every idea of a big wedding, all for my sake. But we’re required to make at least top seven on the list.
‘Sometimes it’s about the quality and not the quantity,’ she says.
I wanted to ask why there’s even an award to win in that category, but I know better. There’s no one dumber than bored rich people.
There’s a scary to-do list, and we’ve barely crossed anything out.
“The invitations are here.” Reina and Su-mi walk in with grins, each holding big stacks of brown-colored envelopes.
“Perfect,” Lilian chimes as she marks it off the list. “Your mother-in-law has 54 members coming from her club, and 14 friends. Your husband has 24 business partners.” She flips the paper over to continue reading. “As for your father-in-law, adding his political friends, business partners, sport buddies, and charity connections, he has a total of 172 guests.”
I might puke from how nervous I am. How am I supposed to stand in front of all these people? What life must someone have led to know 172 people?
“You have five guests.” Because I only know six people —Anne, Allison, Giana, Henri Leclair, and my former boss at Eat Right .
One of Henri Leclair’s restaurants is handling the catering at the wedding, but it still feels good to personally send him an invite. I can’t believe I get to have my idol at my wedding.
“Is it the same Anne Martinez I know?” Su-mi screeches, and I nod in confirmation. “Oh screw my life! I should have attended. And Giana Leroy? She’s a best selling author of 16 books. Girl, you’re an affluent woman already. Why am I still seeing you for free?”
“Don’t be dramatic,” I say between giggles.
“Girls, focus,” Ysabelle snaps. “There’s three different media personnel coming. Is that okay with you?”
“Rain already promised me that his team will monitor the press.”
Ysabelle nods, sorting the envelopes. “Do you think these people will RSVP back?”
“They will,” Reina assures.
“Any information on the dresses?”
“Renzo is handling it. Hazel wants the groomsmen and bridesmaids to wear navy blue, while she and Raun match with white.”
My sister shakes her head and I shrug. “Sorry, I eat up blue in every shade.”
“Oh my God, we didn’t notice,” she drawls, not bothering to look up from the envelopes.
We continue crossing tasks out, our chatter and laughter filling the room amidst discussion of floral arrangement, musical selections and seating arrangements.
I’m stress filled, but it’s easier because I have them all with me to guide and help me through every step.
As for Rain, we barely see each other thanks to the wedding preparation, but we know that after this has passed, nothing will ever separate us again.