Chapter 19 #2
“If I had the means to go anywhere in the world for my honeymoon,” Natasha said wistfully, “I would do a tour of Europe. I wanna go to Italy, Germany, France… maybe Finland.”
“Finland? That’s specific.” Jamie was already halfway through her drink, and it had yet to hit her.
“I had this stint as a teenager where I was really into Finland. Don’t know what to say.”
“Girl,” Seena began, “if you want to do something like that, then you need to get a guy as rich as Etta.”
They both glanced at Seena. “You never told her, huh?” Natasha muttered.
“Didn’t think it was my place.”
“Tell me what?”
Jamie looked at Natasha before answering. “Don’t think Natasha is going to be marrying a dude anytime soon, even if they are more prevalent in the unwedded millionaires sphere.”
“Oh… oh!”
Natasha rolled her eyes. “Plight of the lipstick femme,” she sighed. “Nobody knows you’re gay.”
“On the other hand,” Jamie cut in, that alcohol finally hitting her, “I can think of one rich bitch who would probably take you on a tour of Europe if you asked.”
“Bite me,” Natasha said. “I wouldn’t go on a tour of Disneyworld with her.”
Jamie nearly spat out her drink. Imagining Natasha and Eve on a date in Disneyworld, complete with mouse ears and poses in front of the castle, made her laugh too hard to tolerate.
“Who’s this now?”
Jamie answered before Natasha could stop her. “A very rich and very eligible bachelorette has a huge fancy for our friend here, but for some reason, Natasha always turns her down.”
“Like you wouldn’t!”
“Neither here nor there. Etta is so fiercely monogamous. It kinda takes the what-ifs out of things sometimes. Like, what if we met a hottie at a bar? Etta would never go for it.”
Natasha cleared her throat. “There’s enough lesbian drama in the office right now. I’d rather not add to it.”
“What are you talking about? You don’t mean Etta, right?”
“Never mind.”
All Jamie could figure was that it had to do with Eve, who sometimes swung by Etta’s office for this and that.
Mostly to flirt with Natasha, one had to assume.
When a woman like Eve had a type, she could be as alpha billionaire as any of the men in suits.
Didn’t stop Natasha from going for it that one night. It was never spoken of since.
Jamie shrugged and finished off her drink. Shortly after, she turned the conversation to Seena and her life. Anything to get them all off the topic of what went on in the world of rich bitches and the women they pursued.
During that time, she texted Etta, asking if she was still at the penthouse.
After a late night yesterday, Etta had informed her fiancée she was going to spend the night downtown and that she might meet Jamie there when she was done with her meeting.
Lunch went on for an hour, however, and she wasn’t sure she could find her fiancée in their second home after she went through the ordeal of dropping off Natasha and Seena where they both lived.
She received a text right after Seena got out of the car. Etta was still there, and Jamie was welcome to come by whenever. Well, yeah, I live there. Jamie didn’t know what Etta meant by that wording, but she would go ahead and tell the driver to take her to the penthouse.
Eventually, she would have to learn Etta’s subtle speak, because she should have guessed that a guest would be there when she walked through the door.
“Hello!” Adele twiddled her fingers at Jamie. “I was wondering if you would stop by. Haven’t had the chance to see you in a few weeks.”
“Not since Etta shared the wonderful news, no.”
“Oh, that? That’s old news by now.” Adele leaned against the dining table, her heels tapping against the hardwood floors.
“The whole talk of the town is your wedding. Congratulations, by the way.” She grinned, and Jamie couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not.
At least women like Jenny had grins that were clearly for the job and nothing else.
“I dare say Etta is the biggest catch a girl can ask for.”
Says the woman who turned her down when asked to marry her. “Thanks. Where’s Etta?”
“In the bathroom.” Her candidness was palpable. “I stopped by to go over our schedule for next week. She walked out on me after dinner last night before I had the chance.”
“Dinner?”
“Why, yes. We had dinner with investors last night. Both hers and mine that I’m bringing over to her company. Not a big deal.”
She felt the need to explain that? Jamie wasn’t in the mood to question it, anyway.
If Adele and Etta went out to dinner – and she wasn’t afraid to admit it – then it probably had to do with business.
I’m being a good girl and not getting jealous of her ex-girlfriend.
After all, Jamie had the shiny ring on her finger.
Although Adele was asked first. Jamie reminded herself that happened before Etta met her fiancée.
She liked to believe that Etta would choose her over Adele any day.
Besides, Etta had said that she realized she felt nothing for her after she came back into her life…
“There she is,” Adele said cheerily. “Back from the porcelain war.”
Etta finished shaking out her sleeves, gazing at Adele through disbelieving eyes. “Thank you for the compelling announcement. We can all breathe easily now.”
“Well, you certainly can!”
“Anyway.” Etta came to Jamie and kissed her cheek. “How did it go?”
“Huh?”
“The meeting with the wedding planner.”
“Oh! It was… tiring. Apparently, the biggest decision that could affect our social lives is what color we choose to feature. We’ll be dead meat if we encroach on the Binghams.”
“Can’t have that, now can we?”
“You two will be happy to know that almost all the arrangements have been made for next weekend’s engagement party.
” If Adele had any loose hair to toss, she would have cast it over her shoulder by now.
As usual, however, she kept it in a tight bun on the back of her head.
Everything about her was always clean lines, stark colors, and minimal makeup.
Not like Jamie, who almost always wore her hair loose and preferred patterns, loud colors, and designs that followed her wherever she went.
I guess she looks good for business, though.
“You better be at the country club.” That was directed at Etta. “I know how much you love it.”
“The country club is fine if I’m not expected to drink brandy, smoke cigars, play golf, or ride horses around like some old money wine stain.
” Etta let her hand linger on Jamie’s hip as she wandered to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“If I’m drinking good alcohol, though, and everyone is showering me with compliments and making my fiancée feel like the most beautiful, luckiest girl in the world…
” She leaned against the counter, one hand bringing the coffee cup up to her face. “I can handle that.”
We never go to the country club. Jamie had been excited to hear Etta had a membership – naturally – and that it extended to her as well since it fit her image of high-living society.
Especially that old money charm… but that was exactly why Etta never went unless she absolutely had to.
She hated it more than she hated going without sex for a week, and the woman had a serious appetite.
She also greatly disliked the old money folks who treated her like a child because her mother used to only make $30k a year before retiring to a condo her daughter bought her after making the first million.
Adele shot Jamie an unconvincing look. “They better,” she said, glancing away. “Because we all know that any woman you convinced to marry you is pretty lucky. Or is it you who is the luckiest woman in the world?”
Etta lowered her coffee cup, gaze leveled at Adele. “Nice choice of words there.” Before she could turn her genuine smile into the fakest one in the universe – how charming – Etta continued, “I am lucky. Have you seen this woman?”
“Indeed, I have.” Now what was that look? Jamie couldn’t move even if she wanted to. That gaze being leveled at her would freeze a twenty-ton truck careening down a hill with cut breaks. “You are both very lucky people. I can only hope to be so happy one day.”
The air turned frigid as Adele pushed away from the table and picked up her purse. She said her farewells and showed herself out. Etta’s coffee cup hovered precariously in the air.
The moment the door closed, Jamie let out a breath of relief.
“Is she always like that?” she asked her fiancée.
Etta finished her coffee and placed the cup in the sink. “Always.”
“Yikes. Well,” Jamie shirked her coat and hung it up on the coat rack behind her, “I’m not going to say you dodged a bullet there in the romance department, but…”
“I meant always as in since she last came into my life. She’s an odd one.”
“I get the feeling most of you rich people are.”
“You have to be a little weird to get this rich on your own like she and I did.” Etta shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about her outside of business. Now come over here and tell me about the meeting.”
Jamie went to her, of course, but it was with a cock of her head. “You’re actually interested in that stuff?”
“Yes and no.” Etta encircled her arms around Jamie, fingers tearing right through her wavy hair as if it were nothing. “I’ll probably like whatever you pick out, but I am paying for most of it, so I would like to know about what I’m getting.”
“We need to hurry up and pick a location so it can be booked. Last Sunday of June is a big ordeal, and most places we like might already be booked.”
“We are not getting married at the country club.”
“Wasn’t even gonna bring it up.”
Etta relaxed against the counter again. She is killing me. Dressed down in nothing but her loose shirt and those trousers. Ugh. Jamie sidled up to her and rubbed her forehead against Etta’s shoulder. With any luck, Etta would take the hint that she wanted some affection.
“Why don’t we get married at home?”
Jamie opened her eyes. “Huh?”
“You heard me. Let’s get married in the garden. Or on the balcony overlooking the garden.”
I know you love your garden, girl, but are you serious?
That’s what Jamie wanted to say. Instead, she pulled her head back and looked up into Etta’s expectant face.
Both arms were still around her, one hand squeezing her hip while the other rubbed her back.
“With the amount of people we have to invite?”
“We can make it work. Well, Jenny the wedding planner can make it work.”
“I don’t know… it sounds terribly romantic and beautiful, especially since everything is blooming in June, but… super impractical.”
“It’s an idea. I’m not beholden to it. Then again, there aren’t many other places I would want to get married. Neither of us is religious, but if you wanted a church wedding…”
“I’m not big on it. If it was important to you, I would go for it, but since neither of us really cares about that…”
“There are other places to get married.”
Jamie stepped back, one hand on her hip. “Hey, if there’s something you really want for this wedding, say so. Don’t be shy. Last I checked, you were getting married too.”
“I am definitely paying for it, too. Though I thought the bride’s family was responsible for some things… which reminds me…”
“No, I still haven’t talked to my parents about it yet.
” Jamie sighed. “They know, obviously, but I haven’t given them any details, and they haven’t asked.
Yet.” It was only a matter of time. Her parents lived in an isolated commune way out in the middle of nowhere.
No cell phone service and everyone used the same rotary phone.
Jamie had called to tell her parents she was getting married before the press hit them even out there, but she didn’t have any details at the time.
Now that she had a date, she had to tell them so they could make arrangements. “What about your mother?”
Etta stiffened, hands retracting from Jamie’s body and clutching the edge of the counter. “I haven’t told her yet. I’m not even sure if she’ll come. I’m told she’s become a hermit in her retirement community.”
“I see.” Etta didn’t talk about her mother much, other than to say she was a standoffish, blunt woman who didn’t take shit but also didn’t give a lot of it.
Jamie didn’t know if the original Ms. Coleman was naturally like that, or if the death of her husband brought it on.
I’ve never met her mother. Never even talked to her on the phone. Etta didn’t call often, either.
“Don’t worry about that. You have what fun you can planning a last-minute wedding.”
“It’s not that last minute.”
Etta swept her up in her embrace, planting a heavy kiss on her cheek. “Every day I’m not married to you is torture. Let me believe it’s not too far away.”
Jamie tittered against her chest, fingers clasping her collar and fumbling with her buttons. “It’s not. I promise. We’ll be married before you know it.”
“I hope so.”
Her kiss came at Jamie both as a surprise and as something she totally expected.
Yet she didn’t quite expect this level of passion so early in the day.
On a Saturday. To Etta, Saturday spelled be as lazy as possible – if there were no work or social functions to attend – and save the girlfriend duties for the night.
Maybe thinking about the wedding is getting her riled up…
Jamie wouldn’t say no. She definitely didn’t protest when Etta pushed her against the counter and then pushed against her, famished lips covering her skin and hands pushing up her skirt.
“Don’t give a girl time to get acclimated, do you?” Jamie had barely said that when her breath was knocked out of her chest. Etta was halfway to devouring her already. Hooooly! Jamie’s ass was on the counter, legs spreading and welcoming her fiancée between them.
“You saying no?” Etta stopped kissing her long enough to flick her chin. Dazed, Jamie shook her head. “Didn’t think so.”
She didn’t have time to say much of anything when Etta was going full-throttle at her, pulling away pesky clothes and unzipping this and that.
By the time she was humping her, Jamie was already moaning, her eyes occasionally fluttering open to see the bright early afternoon sunlight streaming through the window.
Not much time to think about that. Her fiancée was busy making sure they both had a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon, as extramaritally as possible.