It Happened One Christmas Wedding
1. Money, Miriam, and Manipulations
MONEY, MIRIAM, AND MANIPULATIONS
CHELSEA CALHOUN
To most brides, this might be their dream—a blank check. I stared down at it in my hands, signed and written on the account of Miriam Buchanan-Astor.
“Whatever it takes, no matter the cost, we’ll plan the fanciest wedding New York City has ever seen,” Miriam said, and took a delicate bite of a petite cucumber sandwich. As far as future mother-in-laws were concerned, I imagined there might be worse.
I gaped up at Rex, my gorgeous groom, who grinned and nodded to the check, his eyebrow arching toward his fabulous head of dark hair. “And whatever Mom doesn’t cover, I will. You have carte blanche, Chelsea. Anything you want, it’s yours for our wedding day.”
I glanced around the afternoon champagne tea at the Palm Court restaurant in the Plaza Hotel, where people dressed in fancy clothes enjoyed tea, tiny sandwiches, and scones on fine china. The soaring stained-glass dome overhead, a signature historical architectural feature here, let in bright light for such a late February day, making the emerald and diamonds in my engagement ring shine that much more.
It all seemed a bit surreal. Could this really be my life right now? A year ago, I was in Holly Creek managing Flora’s Diner for my mother. My life took an enormous turn in September when I moved to New York City, took over Uncle Doug’s deli, and met Rex.
“I don’t honestly know what to say. And I can’t imagine the wedding I’m thinking about costing much. My mother bakes the best pies, and we can fill a table with them at the reception. And there’s a quaint gazebo in Holly Creek I always imagined getting married at, but maybe we could find one here?—”
“Chelsea, dear…” Miriam cut me off, placating me with a pat on my hand. “Perhaps you need to think bigger. I’m expecting at least three hundred guests. How many should we expect from your side?” She asked with a raised manicured eyebrow.
The number struck me hard, and for a moment, I sat there dumbfounded, taking in Miriam’s exquisitely fashioned appearance for a mature woman. Then again, money probably made that easier for her. I’d yet to see her undone, with no makeup, dyed hair brushed out, or even with a pair of yoga pants on her thin hips. Was there ever a time she just let herself go?
“Oh, let’s see. There’s simply my close family of 4, a handful of friends, a few work associates. Some cousins, maybe. Plus ones, um, maybe twenty?”
“Well,” a polite, polished, all-knowing grin spread across her face. “You see, there’s a Buchanan tradition to uphold. They have held all weddings at Fifth Avenue Church, as yours will be. And your reception will be here, at the Plaza’s Grand Ballroom. I’ve already secured the room.”
“Here?” I studied Rex, questioning him silently.
“Yes. You cannot possibly expect all my guests to travel to Holly Creek for the wedding, right?” She blinked innocently at me but with a hint of manipulation, as if she’d thought about this conversation well in advance and played me like a fiddle.
I was only imagining it though, as I knew her only concern here was making sure this wedding didn’t cancel, compared to her eldest son’s wedding a few years prior, an event that displeased her and embarrassed her among her high society friends.
“Of course, we’ll take care of all the accommodations for your family and guests to come to New York City for the wedding. We’ll put them up here at the Plaza Hotel.” Rex was quick to add.
“Okay, that’s kind of you.” A trip to the city for the holidays was always a nice idea and one my family and friends would likely enjoy. But money was a touchy subject sometimes with people from different backgrounds. I didn’t come from much, and I often floundered, bewildered at the enormity of the money Rex’s family possessed.
“The Plaza will be beautiful for our wedding, won’t it?” Miriam didn’t necessarily ask, more like stating.
“It’s just a lot to take in.” I worried at Miriam’s use of the word our.
“I know, Chelsea, dear, which is why I hired Agnes Hightower, one of New York’s finest wedding planners.” She finished her glass of champagne. “She’ll work with us in putting all of this together.”
“Oh, yes. That’ll be very helpful.” The tension in my shoulders let up a little.
“Oh, there’s Pierre, the general manager of the Plaza, waiting to give us a tour of the ballroom. So finish up your tea and I’ll meet you right over there.”
Miriam left our table, and I waited to speak until she was out of earshot, walking toward a tall man in a dark suit, who I assumed was Pierre. Then I turned to Rex. “I’ve never been given a blank check for anything. It scares me. It’s too much to handle.”
“I can’t tell you how much I love hearing you say that. It’s why I’m positive you can handle this. You’re not going to be out there spending on every frivolous thing—not that I mind if you do, because whatever you want, you get. Especially if you spend some of that frivolity on sexy lingerie for our wedding night and our honeymoon.” He smoldered his heated gaze at me.
“That could be arranged.” I teased back, rubbing his thigh under the table, but I quickly reverted to my worries. “I just want our day to be special, Rex.”
“It will be, Sweetness, and trust me, you’re going to love it here at the Plaza. Besides, despite all this pomp and circumstance for Mom’s benefit, saying I do and becoming husband and wife is all that matters, right?” He brought my hand to his lips for a kiss and my heart squeezed over his use of the word wife.
“You’re right. I just think I’d be more comfortable if you’d given me a budget. Like, ‘Here’s ten thousand dollars. Make our day special.’ ”
He snorted and scratched the back of his head. “Add a couple of zeros to that, Sweetness.”
My eyes bulged out of their sockets so hard I thought they’d bleed. He chuckled and leaned in, brushing my favorite spot under my earlobe with his lips.
“Don’t look so scared. It won’t be hard to spend it all once things start adding up. You’ll see.” He finished the last bites of sandwich and scone and stood. “Let’s go meet up with Mom. I can’t wait to see the ballroom where I get to dance the night away at our reception with my wife in my arms.”
Rex’s face glowed as much as a man’s could right now, and I never wanted to see that light dim. But I still worried. Our romance happened so fast, and had been a lot to absorb, and with less than a year to plan a fancy wedding—I hoped I wouldn’t disappoint him. Or his mother.