Chapter 19
“So, what machinations are you up to now, dear sister? How scared should I be here?” I ask Abi.
She called Kaede yesterday, on his day off, he’d reminded me, and had him add an appointment with the tailor to this morning’s schedule.
“You know I have a tuxedo already and I need to get into the office.”
She claps, the smile on her face bordering maniacal. “I know, but that one is black. So outdated.”
My brows dart together. “Outdated? More like classic, I think.” I look to Kaede to back me up, but he throws his hands wide and shakes his head, communicating quite clearly that I’m on my own with my crazy sister and her even crazier plans.
“No,” she says simply.
Deciding it’s better to hear her out before saying no, which I will be doing, I give her the floor. “All right, Sis. Whatcha got in mind?”
She paces as Kaede and I sit, taking full advantage of the dramatics she’s prone to as she paints a picture for us less creatively gifted people.
“You saw the invitations? Peach and white, and Vi’s dress will be white, obviously. I’ve been working my magic with the flowers” —she wiggles her fingers in front of our faces— “and that’s when it hit me. What goes perfect with that pale peachy-blush color?”
Kaede and I glance at each other and shrug. Abi rolls her eyes at our boorishness. “Green,” she declares, as if it’s the obvious answer.
“Green,” I repeat dully. “Okay, so like some greenery or something mixed in with the flowers? I think Vi would be fine with that, but you should probably just ask her.” I start to stand, thinking my work here is done, but I sit back down slowly when Abi glares daggers at me.
Shit, she’s really good at that. Must’ve learned from Dad.
“For the tuxedos.”
My jaw drops. “Uhm, what? You want me to wear a green tuxedo?” I’m already shaking my head. “No way, nope, nuh-uh,” I say, just to make sure my thoughts on the matter are clear.
Abi’s visual daggers get bigger, sharper. She’s basically tossing out eye-swords at me now, and Kaede crosses his legs, protecting his family jewels in case he’s collateral damage.
“Mason, we’re ready for you now,” Abi calls out, ignoring my protests completely. I love my sister, but sometimes, she’s a real . . . something I would never call her and live to speak again.
Mason has been our family tailor for about ten years. He’s young for the industry, only in his mid-forties, but he’s skilled and his work is impeccable. “Would you like to see the fabric choices now?” he asks politely.
“No,” I answer.
“Yes,” Abi answers at the same time.
Mason’s eyes jump from mine to Abi as he tries to decide who the high-ranking person is. I’d love to say it’s me, as the oldest and only brother. However, I’m quite certain it’s Abi, though I’d die before admitting to anyone, most of all, her.
“Perhaps if you told him your vision?” Mason says to Abi gently.
She rolls her eyes. “Why are you making this difficult, Ross? Show up and look pretty, that’s all I’m asking.
” I don’t bother to tell her that if I told her that, she’d chop my balls off and fricassee them before feeding them to her dog.
She doesn’t even have a dog, but she’d get one just to torture me.
I raise one eyebrow and she relents. “Fine. Picture this . . . you and Kaede in tuxedos of the deepest, darkest green with white shirts and black shoes. Your choice of matte or patent,” she says, as if that’s a big concession on her part.
“Your ties will be a floral pattern on a peach background. My dress is peach chiffon and Archie’s suit is peach too.
We told Vi that he was wearing a black shirt under his suit, but instead, he’s going to wear one that’s the same dark green as your tuxedos.
The archway over the ceremony space will be full of lush greenery, blushy peach roses, and white baby’s breath.
It’ll be elegant and lavish but simple because the rich colors will be so enchanting. ”
I have basically no idea what Abi just said, but she’s excited about it. “You’re sure Violet wants this? It’s not your dream wedding, it’s hers?” Abi nods but looks insulted that I even asked.
Kaede holds up his phone. “I texted Archie and he said he’s in.
Apparently, this little scheme is both his and Abi’s this time.
” He lowers his voice so only I can hear.
“She’s branching out, man. Getting minions.
We should take her head while she’s still weak, before she takes over the world. Muahaha.”
He’s probably right. But I can’t kill my sister until after the wedding, even if she is turning into a brilliantly evil ‘villain’. For now, we need her, and if green tuxedos are what Vi would want, then green tuxedoes, it is.
“Okay, I guess we’re in,” I answer for both Kaede and myself.
Mason nods, gesturing to the platform for me to stand for measurements. “If you would, Ross.”
I step up and Mason gets to work, efficient and graceful as he stretches his tape measure from my waist to the floor, talking the whole time in reassuring tones about having the custom pieces completed in plenty of time for a customer like me.
Pretty sure it’s not me, per se, but rather my last name and the media coverage his work is going to get, but whatever makes it happen is fine by me.
“Oh, just one more thing,” Abi says, clicking away on her phone. She doesn’t even glance up as she drops a bomb. “Don’t tell Violet. It’s a surprise.”
I chuckle, and Mason ‘accidentally’ sticks me with a pin. “Be still, please.”
“Abi, I can’t not tell her. It’s our wedding, for fuck’s sake.”
“This is a good surprise, Ross. She told me I had free reign with the flowers, and everything else is based on those. Don’t stress her out any more than she already is.
Do you know she still doesn’t have a dress?
The wedding is in five days!” Her voice pitches a little high at the end, scaring all three of the men in the room.
Kaede begs me with his eyes to go along and save us from the impending explosion of a pissed-off Abigail Andrews.
I’m not sure about this, but Abi does have a point. Violet has so much on her plate, and it’s not like the color of my tuxedo is some major thing. All eyes are going to be on her, the beautiful bride. I’ll just show up and look pretty, as Abi said.
“Okay, we won’t tell Violet.”
Abi nods and makes a few clicks on her phone.
“Next order of business, your groomsmen.”
I look to Kaede, who holds his hands wide again, his eyes telling me he’s innocent of whatever shit Abi is about to say he did. ‘Fraidy cat asshole, scared of my sister. “What about him?”
“He’s fine. I mean that Violet has both me and Archie standing up, and you only have Kaede. No offense, but you need more. Who else do you want to stand with you so that it’s even?”
I quickly flip through college buddies and work friends in my head. I even consider that once upon a time, I’d dreamed of having my dad stand up with me when I finally got married. That’s definitely not happening.
I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s pretty last-minute to hit up some guy from college, right?” I hold my hand up to my ear, mimicking a phone. “Hey, buddy, haven’t seen you in years. Wanna be a groomsman?”
Mason snorts. “You’d be surprised. I’ve heard worse.”
Abi smiles that grin that tells me she’s already worked out the solution to this too and was just baby stepping me to it. “Who?”
“Courtney! It’s perfect! Me and Archie on one side and Kaede and Courtney on the other. It’ll look balanced, and really, she’s your next best friend . . . after Kaede, me, and Violet, of course.”
I twist my lips, “Is that weird to have my sister as a groomsman? I mean, groomswoman? I mean, groomsperson?” I shake my head, not knowing the proper term but figuring it doesn’t matter right now.
“Uh, no weirder than the rest of this circus,” Abi answers cryptically. But when she lifts her chin to the window of the shop, my gut drops.
Culture vultures.
Or at least that’s what my mom has always called them in the privacy of our home. She wouldn’t dare say something so crude in public.
There’s a small group of paparazzi outside on the sidewalk, their cameras shoved up against the glass as they try to get a shot of me. I’ve never understood this. I’m no one important, so why can’t they just leave me alone?
Kaede gets up to chase them away, but it’s a pointless and futile mission. They’ll just circle around the block and be right back, ready to follow us to our cars with flashbulbs going off so quickly that they could induce a seizure.
Abi goes back to boss-mode. “Court’s your best bet.
Both personally close to you, and I know it’d mean something to her, especially since it’d be in poor taste to have two-thirds of the Andrews children up there and one sitting in the front row.
” I hadn’t considered that, but Abi’s right.
“Plus, I can get her in for dress measurements today so that it’d be ready for Saturday. ”
Nodding, I tell Abi, “Okay, I’ll talk to her as soon as I get to the office. Anything else?”
She scans her phone, clicking away, and then looks up at me. “Nope, mission accomplished for today. I’m off to meet with Violet next.”
I stop her. “Abs?’
She turns back. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for everything. Is the shop okay while you’re doing all of this? I know how hard you work, and I don’t want to mess that up with this.”
I mean to imply the fake wedding, but with everything feeling so real right now, it doesn’t sound right.
Abi smiles. “Everything’s fine. Janey is helping out more, and she’s loving the publicity we’re getting for doing The Wedding of Ross Andrews and Violet Russo.
” She moves her hands through the air like she’s reading off a marquee of lights, which I’m afraid to mention lest she decide that’s a good idea.
“And I’m happy to help, Brother, with anything you need, even if it’s a kick in the pants to get your head out of your ass. ”
Something about the way she says it makes me think Abi knows I’m feeling some very real emotions for Violet, but at least in this, she’s letting me find my own way. For now.
“Hey, Court, thanks for coming down,” I say as my youngest sister sits down across from me.
I’ll admit it. I should’ve gone to her office, but I’m a chicken shit who didn’t relish the idea of going toe-to-toe with my dad today. And since Courtney’s office is right outside Dad’s, I took the coward’s way out and asked her to come to me.
“No problem. What’s up?” she asks casually, but I can see the wariness in her eyes. I wonder what Dad’s been saying to her about me, about Violet, about us. But I don’t ask because I feel like I already know the answer.
“About the wedding on Saturday . . . Violet has Abi and Archie standing up with her as bridesmaids. Bridespeople?” I shake my head, again unsure of the correct verbiage, but it still doesn’t matter.
“And Kaede is standing up with me. I was wondering if you would stand up there with me too. As a . . . groomsperson?”
I smile, thinking I finally got it right.
Courtney frowns. “Ross, I need to ask you something, just between you and me. I swear it won’t go any further than these four walls. Sister to brother, okay?”
I smile, trying to tease her a bit because I’m scared of what she’s about to say. “That’s what Mom and Dad said when they brought you home from the hospital. ‘Here’s your sister, Rossie! Isn’t she adorable?’ Honestly, I thought you looked like a wrinkly old man, but look at you now!”
Her lips don’t so much as twitch. “I know you and Abi are hiding something from me. What is it? It’s about the wedding, isn’t it? This about-face with Violet out of nowhere . . . I just don’t get it.”
“I love her, Court. That’s it.”
She doesn’t look convinced, but I don’t care at this point. Fact is, three days ago I struggled to even say the ‘L-word.’ I’d say married, committed, together, or some other poetic dance-around.
Now, though . . . even I’m not sure if my feelings are true or fake. I just know my feelings for Violet have grown.
“Dad is furious with you,” Courtney finally says. “And I feel like I’m being ripped in half. Because I understand his point. This is so out of character for you, and the timing is just too fucking convenient, Ross.”
Her turn of phrase is an obvious kindness, a softening of Dad’s version of ‘immature brat’.
“So, what’s the ripped in half part?”
Courtney blushes a little, and she looks down before meeting my eyes once again. “Because I want to believe that my brother cannot seriously be pulling everyone’s chain and playing with a nice girl like Violet’s feelings. So I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. But it’s damn hard.”
I consider telling her the truth for a moment, wanting to trust that in the same way I’ve grown up, she has too. And that she wouldn’t go running to Mom and Dad the same way she once would.
But I can’t take the risk. Not with Violet at stake.
So I just repeat my earlier words. “I love her, Courtney.”
She smiles. “Okay, then yes. I’ll be your groomsperson.” She tilts her head. “Is that even a word?”
I shrug. “No idea. Thanks, though.”