14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Cruz was cracking me the hell up. Every time he used that ridiculous accent, I couldn’t even look him in the eye without laughing. And the white suit and ascot were the icing on the cake.
Okay, admittedly, he was actually pulling that look off with his fit body and deeply tanned skin against the light fabric.
And Gianna was rocking the snooty bitch act to a tee. She actually had Bambi Jones flustered. She patted my future mother-in-law’s arm and said, “You go do whatever you need to do to get ready. I’ve hired a car and driver for the weekend so you don’t have to worry about a thing. We’ll just shit in the living room and wait for you.”
I had to literally pinch my lips between my finger and thumb to keep from barking at the look on Bambi’s face. “You’ll… what?”
“I said we’ll sit in the living room and wait for you,” Gia said, blinking innocently. Now I understood what she was talking about when she said she might accidentally curse in front of Bambi.
A little over an hour later, we were at the country club to check out the site. It was nice and would provide a lovely backdrop to the wedding, but it wasn’t somewhere I would have chosen.
“I guess this will do,” Gianna said, unimpressed, “but I do wish you’d consulted with me and Marvolo before locking yourself into this place, Lehra.”
I barely caught her subtle wink. “The decision wasn’t mine. I was informed that the wedding would be here after it had already been rented,” I replied, finding it easier to speak up when I wasn’t being tag-teamed by Dwight and Bambi.
Gianna knew this but she acted shocked, turning narrowed eyes on the other woman. “Why wasn’t the bride consulted about the venue? That’s highly irregular.”
Bambi stumbled over her words, “Well, you see, there was a, um, a cancellation, and it was a really urgent matter to, well, to snap it up before someone else did.” She snapped her fingers in the air to demonstrate. “And I do love the club so much.”
Gia gave her the most syrupy smile I’d ever seen. “How sweet. Maybe you should get married and have your ceremony here. Perhaps a vow renewal ceremony?”
And for the rest of the day, every time Bambi gave an unwanted opinion, Gianna would reply with some version of, “Fantastic. You should do that at your ceremony, Bambi. But let’s ask Lehra what she thinks about it for her wedding.”
I’d never felt so heard. So supported. Nicolette and Artie spoke up several times as well and backed up everything I wanted. And dear, sweet Cruz, with his ascot and crazy accent, declared everything I requested magnifique!
When we dropped off Bambi at the end of the day, she looked so defeated, I almost felt sorry for her. But not quite. The woman needed to be taken down a peg or two.
Besides the groom's cake, the completely ridiculous headcount, and the location—which I had resigned myself to—I’d gotten pretty much everything I wanted. The boring menu had been replaced with a vibrant selection of foods, and the wedding colors were now springy and bright rather than blissful fucking blush.
The color choosing had almost made me bust a gut. After I’d whispered what I wanted to Cruz, he’d gone into full Marvolo mode, pressing his fingers into his temples as he closed his eyes.
“I am tinking… I am tinking… of zee rejuvenation of life. Zee approaching of spring. Zee blossoming of love.” He’d opened his eyes and clapped twice before shouting, “And voila! We will use zee spring colors.”
He was seriously the best.
At the hotel last night, Nic, Gianna, and I checked into our room, and then congregated in Artie and Cruz’s room across the hall. We laughed, drank, and ate everything on the room service menu before calling it a night.
Today we went back to the Jones house to pick up a subdued Bambi in the limo before heading to a couple bakeries to taste the cake flavors we’d chosen.
“Mmmm, this one is so good,” Artie said, swallowing a mouthful of the wedding cake. “I think pricking out cake has been my favorite part so far.”
I managed to keep a straight face even as Bambi’s cheeks flushed a dark crimson at the pricking comment. My friends had been dropping “accidental” curse words every chance they got. Cruz even mentioned the almond-cherry cockies I liked to make.
Bambi tilted her chin up and smiled at me, and I braced myself. I’d come to recognize the expression that said she was about to say something snarky. “Lehra dear, maybe that’s enough cake. You’re trying on dresses today and don’t want to be bloated.”
Cruz’s hands balled into fists, and I gripped his knee beneath the table to keep him from leaping across the table.
In a calm but firm voice, I said, “No worries. I’ve already chosen my dress and been measured for it this week.”
Bambi’s face went apoplectic, and I was afraid she was going to pop a blood vessel in her temple. “B-but we’re getting your dress at Tremblay’s. We already decided.”
Cruz’s hand found mine with a tight squeeze, and it filled me with strength and bolstered my resolve.
“No, you decided. I told you I already had plans to have Devereaux design my dress.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Gianna broke in. “Tremblay’s? I think they applied to carry one of the Bouvier lines but were rejected. We have very high standards.” Her smile was laden with sugary sweetness. “I mean, I’m sure it’s fine for… your people , Bambi, but not for our Lehra. Auburn and I think of her like a sister.”
She reached over and took my other hand, and my heart was so damn filled with the love and support of my friends.
Bambi spluttered out a weak protest, but Gianna said, “If you have a problem with it, you can take it up with my husband,” before taking another bite of cake. And that shut my future mother-in-law right the fuck down.
“Well, I haven’t had that much fun since I dated that clown in college,” Artie quipped as we re-entered the hotel where we were staying.
Cruz chuckled. “I thought Bambi was going to faint when Nicolette said you’d picked out the bridesmaid dresses with the slut up the thigh.”
My friend brushed imaginary lint off her shoulder. “That was a good one. Now what are we doing for the rest of the day and night?”
“I’m taking these damn heels off and propping my feet up for at least two hours,” Gianna stated. “Then after dinner, we can hit the hot tub.”
“I’m down for some hot tub time,” Artie said, raising his hand like a third grader asking permission to go to the bathroom. “What are we having for dinner?”
“I could go for a burger,” Cruz said.
Nicolette tapped her mouth with one fingertip. “Me too. I wonder if they have tater twats?”
We all burst into laughter.
Yep, I love my friends.
We were spread across the two king beds in the room, wearing comfy shorts, tank tops, and no shoes.
“God this bed is comfortable,” I groaned, staring at the ceiling as the air conditioning cooled us off.
“Mmhmmm,” Nicolette said, half asleep.
Gianna turned on her side and propped up on her elbow. “What do you think Dwight is going to say about the changes to the wedding stuff?”
I shrugged. “I honestly don’t think he gives a crap what color the bridesmaid dresses are or what kind of chicken we serve at the reception. I think he just hates conflict with his mother and didn’t want to argue with her. Now he doesn’t have to because we handled it.” Reaching out a hand, I gave hers a squeeze. “Thank you again for everything. I have the best friends in the world.”
“Well, you were an awesome friend to me when I first moved here and barely knew anyone.” Her eyes filled with emotion. “I’d had a horrible day with the lost luggage and rude people, and you were the first friendly person I met.”
I was about to respond when we heard a knock at the door. “Probably the guys,” I said, rising and donning one of the hotel robes. “I’m going to put this on so I don’t give them a nipple display.”
“Yeah, you’re a little pointy. Might scare Artie, but I don’t think Cruz would mind,” Gianna said with a smug smile.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
But when I opened the door, it wasn’t the guys from across the hall.
“What the hell is going on, Lehra?” Dwight asked, storming into the room.
Nicolette popped awake with a little squeak from Dwight’s volume, and I glanced back to see her and Gianna scrambling from the beds.
“We’re just gonna, um, go across the hall,” Gia said, grabbing shirts from her suitcase and tossing one to Nic.
“Hi, ladies. Sorry for the intrusion,” Dwight mumbled, but his angry eyes were still on me.
As soon as they were gone, I lifted my eyebrows and stared him down. “Problem, Dwight?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a problem. You and your friends have spent the past two days bullying my mother. She called me in tears.”
“No one bullied your mother,” I said in what I hoped was a placating tone and not the pissed-off one that was bubbling inside me. “We simply made choices, and she was outvoted.” Like I’ve been outvoted on everything since we started this.
“She said you changed everything.”
“Not the location,” I shot back.
“I won’t have my mother treated like this,” he growled, tossing his hands up and pacing away, giving me his back, which I suddenly had an urge to throw something at.
“But you were fine with me being bullied and stressed out to the point that I’ve cried almost every night for the past few months. And when I tried to talk about it, when I cried on the phone to you, you didn’t give two shits. Not once did you stand up for me, Dwight.”
He whirled back and glared at me. “But she’s my mother.”
“And I’m going to be your wife, Dwight!” I yelled. “Your fucking wife! I should get some say in my own damn wedding.”
“I just want you two to get along and be close,” he argued, his voice slightly quieter than mine.
“I’ll play nice on the holidays and when we come for visits. One day, when I’ve had time to get over all the snarky comments she’s made to me, then maybe we can forge some kind of decent relationship.”
“It’s going to be a lot more than just holidays,” he muttered, and I took a step closer to him as dread rose up in my throat like a hot-air balloon.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dwight closed his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Just that she’ll be our neighbor.”
“A-are your parents moving to New York?” Then I added quickly, “I don’t think there are any apartments available in my building.” I’d talk to Auburn and beg him not to rent anything to the Joneses since he owned the building.
Dwight’s hands pushed through his hair as he avoided my eyes. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this. I’m not getting transferred to New York.”
I was beginning to understand, and the dread in my throat turned into full-fledged panic. “So what does that mean?”
Still not looking at me, instead choosing to stare out the window at the tall buildings beyond, he said, “It means I bought the house next to my parents.” He finally brought his eyes back to mine and smiled. “For us.”
“Without talking to me?” I shrieked in a tone that was probably nearly inaudible to human ears.
“It was going to be a surprise,” he said weakly, still fucking smiling at me, even though he was turning my life upside down.
“You expect me to move? That wasn’t the deal, Dwight. You said you’ve always wanted to live and work in New York. And I’m training for my dream job at a company I love.”
“There are plenty of secretary jobs in Detroit,” he argued, and I felt like my head had suddenly turned into an active volcano.
Secretary jobs? I was going to be the personal assistant for one of the most powerful men in New York City. It was a hell of a lot more than a secretary job.
I looked Dwight over as everything began to shift. I’d thought if we could just get through the wedding, we could start our lives together and be happy. But now he was changing everything and without even discussing it with me. Was this what my life was destined to be like?
And living next door to Bambi? Hell. Fucking. No.
“I’m not moving, Dwight,” I told him with finality.
He gritted his teeth and glared at me. “So you want to continue doing the long-distance thing after we’re married? I want to share a bed with my wife.”
“Maybe you can go share a bed with your mommy since you’ll be right next door,” I snapped, letting my anger get the best of me.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lehra. Just get a fucking job in Detroit and stop making everything so difficult.”
“Why don’t you apply for jobs in New York so we can live there like we planned ?” I said pointedly. “There are lots of architectural firms in New York besides the one you currently work for.”
He shoved his hands onto his hips and directed his gaze at the corner of the room, and that’s when I knew. He didn’t want to move. Or maybe mommy dearest wouldn’t allow it.
“Look, we can decide all this after the wedding, okay?” he muttered. The eyes that I’d loved for so long came back to me, and I was almost bowled over at the realization that… I wasn’t in love with Dwight anymore.
While I was still reeling and trying to sort through my feelings, he went on. “We’ll switch everything about the wedding back to how it was before, and you’ll be nice to my mother and stop being a bridezilla.”
I was snapped out of my self-reflective stupor at those words, and every cell in my body vibrated with anger. “Bridezilla? Have you lost your fucking mind?” Taking a few steps forward until I was right in his face, I gritted out, “I’ve been the farthest thing ever from a bridezilla. I’ve acquiesced to every damn thing your mother wanted, even though this wasn’t her goddamn wedding. I’ve dealt with her bitchy comments and your pussy-ass mama’s boy shit until I’m blue in the face.”
Dwight’s eyes widened in what looked like fear. “Lehra…”
“No, don’t you use that tone with me. I’m done, Dwight.” Pulling the ring from my finger, I shoved it into his hand and drove the point home. “ Done .”