Chapter 16
Elle
I don’t know what they’re doing down in the shop, but they’ve got the music blaring today. Which would normally be okay, but I haven’t slept in a week. I haven’t been home either. One of the perks of having money? If I don’t want to go home, but I need new clothes, I just buy new clothes. There’s this cute little boutique down the street from Lottie’s vet clinic run by this old lady named Nancy. She’s sweet. I think she’s starting to question my sanity though, because I’m in there every third day buying new clothes. But they have the cutest clothes, stylish and well-made. They might not be designer, but they could be. At least they’re close enough that if I were in the Cove, no one would question it. And right now, close enough is what I need.
I haven’t been back to my apartment since I found the rose petals on the doorstep. Jorge has called me every day. I guess he’s worried about me. I’ve also noticed Ranger watching me when I’ve been down in the shop talking to Barbie. He hasn’t said anything, but it’s like he knows. I don’t know how because that would require that he actually talk to me.
With the music blaring, and the new coffee pot I have on the counter going, I’ll make it. I’ll survive. One thing to say about sleepless nights? My new painting is already taking shape. It’s an abstract, but I know the eyes are there in the painting and once you know you can’t unsee them. Soulful, painful, longing dark brown eyes hidden under a furrowed brow. They scream at you that they need something but don’t tell you what.
I’ve just come out of the shower when my phone rings. It’s Tiny.
“What’s up, baby bro?” I answer the phone as chipper as I can pull off.
“Everything alright?”
“Yeah, it’s perfect. What’s going on?”
“I’m calling to formally notify you that we are going to Diamond Cove in three weeks.”
“We are? I mean, I know we’re going for Trish and Davis’s wedding and I’m going to be in the Cove then for a show opening at the gallery, but why are you being so formal that you’ll be attending?” I ask. “There isn’t anything on the calendar for the company, is there?”
“Well, you know Trish and Davis finally decided on a date.”
“She told me. Now, tell me how they are going to pull it off? Because no way can anybody pull a wedding off in three fucking weeks, Tiny.”
“Three weeks, Pix. And me and Lottie are getting married then, too.”
“Excuse me? You’re fucking what?”
“I asked Lottie if she would marry me, then, too. She said yes.”
“I…I don’t know what to say,” I whisper, getting choked up at the thought of my brother getting married.
“You don’t have to say anything, Pix.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Well, I obviously need to say something. Congratulations! Oh my God, Mom?”
“Yeah, Mom knows, and she is in full planning mode.”
“You know she’s going to make this the biggest smallest wedding ever, right?” I laugh, imagining Mom throwing herself into this.
It’s the first time one of her children will be getting—well, it’s not the first time one of her children is getting married, just the first time that she’ll know about it before it happens. And maybe be there.
“What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to take Trish and Lottie shopping.”
“Okay, and what are we shopping for?”
“Wedding dresses.”
I think of Lottie in a white dress walking down the aisle towards my brother, and it just makes me giddy. I think about Trish and her almost completely popped baby bump walking down the aisle to Davis and I can’t contain my glee.
“Oh my God, this is so amazing! Yes, absolutely I would love to take them shopping.”
“Uh, yeah, so you’ve met them, right?”
I laugh at the question. “I have.”
“You know, then, that they don’t really want to go wedding dress shopping. There’s a reason Trish doesn’t have a dress yet.”
“I hear you loud and clear, baby bro. I think I can figure something out.”
“I’m counting on you to make Lottie the most beautiful bride there was. Not that she needs much work. And Trish. Make her look good for Davis.”
“Tiny, Lottie doesn’t need any work. Good God, that red dress she wore to the benefit was amazing.”
“Yeah. Yeah, it was.” His voice sounds almost dreamy through the phone.
“I do not want to know what you’re thinking about right now, do I?”
He laughs. “Probably not.”
“What am I going to do with you?” I ask, tsking at him.
“Nothing. But you’re going to help me anyway, right?”
“Of course I am!”
We hang up, and I start making plans. I know there’s a bridal boutique in Rockton, but I want to do something else. Something more, like an entire weekend. We can’t leave Ginny out. She should absolutely be there. She’s closer to family than I am. And her mom! Her mom should be there. From what I understand, Trish is already an unofficial daughter, and that’s before she marries Davis.
I call Ginny, whose first question after I tell her the plan is, “When are we going?”
“We need to go sometime in the next week, just in case the dresses need altered. What’s your school schedule?”
“We have in-service days on Thursday and Friday.”
“Are you teaching anything outside of school those days?”
“Nope, I told them I was taking a vacation already.” She giggles, like she’s doing something naughty.
“Perfect. Now we have to figure out how to get the girls away.”
“I’ll call Doc and make sure he can cover for Lottie. But what are we going to tell them?”
“Tell them it’s for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tell them I need a new dress for a banquet and I want company, just us girls.”
“Perfect,” she agrees.
“And we can put them in dresses for fun that aren’t white but come in white. I know they don’t want traditional wedding gowns, but this would work.”
“How are we supposed to pay for all of this?” she asks, worry clear in her voice. Her family has money, but she’s never relied on them for it. She lives a modest life on a teacher’s salary. I might have money, but my parents made damn sure we understood how lucky we were and we were taught to work for what we have.
“I’m paying, and there’s no use arguing with me. This is my gift.”
“You know they aren’t going to let you do that, right?”
“I don’t really care.”
She laughs. “You know we don’t like you for your money, right?”
“I do know that, and I appreciate it, but that doesn’t mean that sometimes I can’t throw my money around and make things happen. Like dressing my two friends in a white dress for their wedding.”
“You’re crazy, but I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now let’s make this happen.”
I call one of my favorite boutiques on the outskirts of Baltimore and make an appointment for the six of us. I’m sure the moms will want to look at dresses, too. My mother never misses an opportunity to add a pretty dress to her closet. Then I call Jorge to tell him what’s going on and make sure everything is set for my friends to attend the party on Friday night at the gallery.
We’ve all piled into my Jeep and are on our way to Baltimore, the girls excitedly asking me about this benefit I lied to them about. Only Ginny and myself know about the moms joining us. To gather some intel, I ask questions related to fashion.
“What’s everyone’s favorite colors?”
“Gold,” Trish calls out from the passenger seat.
“Red,” Lottie adds, winking at me when I smile at her in the rearview mirror. I roll my eyes at her, knowing damn good and well that before Tiny requested her to wear red, her favorite color was green.
“Purple,” Ginny adds. “What’s yours?”
“Brown,” I answer without thinking. “But also blue!” I’m quick to add.
“What kind of brown?” Lottie asks, a confused look on her face.
“Whiskey brown with honey tones.”
Everyone sits with that as I drive down the highway. They don’t have to know it’s the color of Ranger’s eyes. And I don’t plan on telling them.
“I think I like that color, too.” Ginny smiles.
Keith has green eyes, so I know she’s not thinking about him, but if I recall, Joker also has brown eyes. Interesting.
“Are you ever going to tell us what happened at the cookout?” Lottie asks. “Because I know your excuse that night was bullshit. Does it involve that guy that you still haven’t told us about?”
“She told me,” Ginny informs them.
“When? Where?” Trish asks.
“It was alcohol induced,” I defend myself.
“Lots of alcohol,” Ginny agrees.
“And I cannot be held responsible for the things that come out of my mouth when there’s alcohol involved.”
“That’s good to know for future reference, Elle,” Trish laughs.
“Ha-ha, I know and you don’t,” Ginny taunts.
“And look at that, we have a two-hour car ride to get it out of you.” Lottie innocently looks at me in the mirror. “Start talking.”
“Why should I?”
“Don’t you know we’re practicing for when we take over as the town busybodies? We have to know everything,” Trish tells me.
“I don’t think I agreed to that when we became friends.”
“Oh, just tell them so I don’t have to keep it a secret.” Ginny laughs. “Please. For me.”
“She’s horrible at keeping secrets,” Lottie whispers loudly so everyone can hear.
“I really am.” Ginny gives me an apologetic look.
“Fine,” I give in. And for the rest of the drive, I tell them about everything. Starting with the marriage that shouldn’t have been to Stefon. The only thing I leave out is the flower petals. Until I know what they mean, they don’t need to know.
I also leave out my activities with Ranger. That’s private.