Chapter 15Anna
Chapter Fiftee n
ANNA
Two weeks later, I was officially out of a job. I’d run out of favors, and I couldn’t leave Ari. Not when he could barely take care of himself. He’d spent a lot of time resting. I cooked for him, made sure he didn’t overdo it, and was a general pain in his rear.
During that time, I’d texted Jason and told him Ari was under the weather and that I’d have a date soon. I’d also texted Papa on and off. At first, I didn’t feel all that bad withholding information from Ari, but then I started to dislike keeping secrets from him.
Papa’s messages were giving me an awkward vibe. Wondering when I’ll be back at my apartment. That he needed to speak with me and that it had to be in person. Even after telling him that I didn’t feel comfortable telling him where I was staying, he continued to pester me about it. After being gone three years, he seemed too pushy. How could he expect things to be normal when I didn’t know him anymore?
“Do you want me to come with you?” Ari asked, coasting his DB9 along the curb in front of Sealed with a Kiss, a print shop that specialized in invitations. With a name that cute, I couldn’t resist.
It was the first time we’d been out of the house since he returned half dead. I’d asked him more than once what happened, and all he would say was that he’d been ambushed after they took down Franklin—Claire’s father. I didn’t know if that meant Franklin’s guys wanted revenge or what. Ari sure wasn’t giving details.
While he was catching up on work he’d missed, I’d be tackling the wedding details since I couldn’t delay it any longer. This marriage was happening. I liked Ari. Was falling for him. But I was still trepidatious about the whole thing. Along with figuring out this whole marriage thing and how it was going to work, I was fighting insecurities that I couldn’t voice yet. They hung in the air, barely out of reach. I guess that was my mind’s way of compartmentalizing things, so I didn’t go batcrap crazy.
“You have stuff to do.”
“I can push it off if you want me to help.”
I palmed his cheek. “I got this. Go do your thing. I’ll see you in a little while.” I unbuckled my seat belt, lifted myself over the console, and kissed his cheek. “You better come back to me in the same condition you are now, or better.”
He took my hand and kissed the back of it. “I plan on it. Call me if you need anything.”
I got out of the car and watched as he drove away. My sexy beast of a man in his hot little sports car. He put the yum in yummy .
“Hey.”
I jumped and nearly broke a heel on my Jimmy Choos. “Thea?” A couple of days after Ari returned home, she called and offered to set up appointments for me. I didn’t know what I was thinking. I guess I assumed she was being something similar to a secretary. The dumbest thought I’d ever had. Thea? A secretary? Why hadn’t it dawned on me that she’d be, well, I can’t say tagging along because it didn’t sound right attached to Thea. I’d say she was supervising. That was more fitting.
I had no idea where to get stuff done, so she’d made suggestions. Claire’s wedding was gorgeous, and I figured, why not use the same vendors she did?
“I helped Claire, so I thought maybe I could help you.” She smiled.
Like I was going to tell Cruella that she couldn’t help? “Uh, really? I didn’t think you even liked me.”
She chuckled. “I didn’t, but now Ari does, and so do I.”
“You’re a strange chick. You get that, right?” I realized what I’d said and that I’d said it out loud. I quickly slapped my hand over my mouth. Death by glare was on my horizon.
The woman palmed her chest and her mouth dropped open. “You said that to my face. I think we’ve just become best friends.”
This woman was completely weird, but I liked her. “He said you’re an enigma wrapped in poison and manicured nails.”
With a sigh, she dropped her hand to her red clutch. “My brother has such a way with words.” She grinned.
That’s when I noticed a small blemish on the corner of her mouth. Curiosity killed the Anna. I had to wonder if the satisfaction of asking what happened would bring me back. I wasn’t sure I was willing to chance it. There was a kiss with my name on it and I couldn’t risk life and limb until Ari laid one on me.
“Ready to go pick out some invitations?” asked Thea.
“Lead the way.”
We’d taken about a half dozen steps before she looked at me. “So, have you picked a date?”
“I thought two weeks. That gives me time to get invitations out, which if this shop will address and send them out too, I’m splurging. Well, Jason is. He hadn’t spoken to me in eight months when he notified me of my marriage plans, so homeboy is going to pay.”
Her jaw dropped. “He did not.”
“Yeah, he did. Demanded my butt in his office and then threw it out there. Oh, sorry, he asked how I’d been. Like that fixed it.”
Rolling her eyes, she replied, “Men.”
“Right?”
She took a couple of steps and then asked, “Have you thought about what sort of look you want for the invitations?”
“I want something unique. That’s a tall order on this short notice, but I’d like modern with a belly wrap—the little strip of paper that goes around the middle. I checked out a few styles last night and found some that I liked. For RSVP, I’m sending out a QR code instead of having people return it through the mail. I figured it’d be easier to get a count that way.”
“I’m impressed. This is being forced on you, so I half expected you to say that you’d be winging it.”
Shrugging, I replied, “I didn’t until about ten last night, but I figured if I was doing this, then I wanted to do it right.”
Silence fell between us for a moment and then Thea glanced at me. “I see the way Ari looks at you. He hasn’t looked at anyone like that since Lauran. ”
“Was that Juliet?”
“Lauran Summers. She broke him. He wasn’t the same for a long time after.” Her voice held a wistful tone.
That Lauran girl did a number on him. While he was recovering, he’d told me a few things about himself, including his relationship with Juliet—Lauran. It didn’t surprise me that Thea would make that observation. I could see the ghost of that relationship when he spoke like there was a deep ache still lingering below the surface. One he couldn’t shake. It’d broken my heart that someone had hurt him like that.
Thea waved her hand like she was brushing a bundle of sage over the conversation. “Anyway, we’re going to have fun today. Let’s see how expensive we can make these invitations. Not speaking to you for eight months and then demanding a marriage deserves some payback in my opinion.”
Oh, we’d definitely become best friends, unless she was joking earlier. I hoped she wasn’t because like Claire said, everyone needed a Thea in their life.
We reached the invitation shop, and Thea held the door for me. The bell chimed and the woman at the counter smiled as she lifted her head. “You must be Anna Georgiou.”
“That’s me.”
My phone chimed and I looked at the screen. Papa?
Do you think you can slip away from your escort after you leave that shop? I need to speak with you.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight. He was following me? And talking about Thea like I was her prisoner or something? That was weird. The whole text hit me wrong.
The shopkeeper smiled. “If you’ll follow me, I have a table set up with samples that we can go through.”
“Sure. One sec,” I said as I made eye contact. “I’ve got a designer asking if I have time for a show.” I didn’t like lying, but this thing with my father was throwing me. I was an untethered buoy set afloat in a sea of emotions, and I struggled to find my balance.
His behavior was bugging me, but at the same time, maybe he was as off balance as I was after spending three years away. Was it wrong to wish that my family wasn’t broken?
Thea beamed a smile like she was proud of me, which was cool. “Nice.”
I returned my attention to the screen as another text popped up before I could even return the last one.
I’d prefer to speak in person.
I’m getting married and I need to get the details worked out. It’s two weeks from now so I can’t push it off.
Will you be at your apartment this afternoon?
I stared at the screen. I’d just told him I’m getting married, and this was his response? Then I realized just how small my world was. It was likely one of his men had told him.
Anna? May we meet at your apartment?
And leave Ari? We hadn’t even discussed it yet. I was staying in the guest room on the comfiest bed ever; we were spending time together, and I liked it. I wasn’t alone anymore. I got joy out of taking care of him and seeing him smile when I cooked dinner.
No, it’ll be a few more days.
Maybe if we met in a public place that’d give me a chance to get a feel for things. Texting was great, but it lacked inflection and tone. Maybe I was overreacting.
How about we meet for coffee tomorrow? Or whenever and wherever is good for you?
Thea stopped and faced me. “I forgot to ask. Do you mind if my aunt Helen comes along for the cake testing? She threatened bodily harm if she missed another one.” She rolled her eyes. “After telling me that I wasn’t to let her eat sweets because she was watching her figure.”
I laughed. “No, not at all. I like her.”
Thea nodded. “I love Helen. She’s the best. The kindest, sweetest woman. She runs a soup kitchen.”
Okay, now that was cool. “Rock on, Aunt Helen.”
I’d reached the table and was taking my seat when his answer came.
That will be fine. Tomorrow at a coffee shop sounds fine. Once you figure out the details, let me know and I’ll be there.
Okay, see you then.
I dropped my phone in my purse and an hour later, after going through all the options, I had my invitations. Expensive ones too. Shimmery silver paper, belly bands, and the shop would be taking care of getting them all addressed and sent out. No hand cramps for me.
Aunt Helen waited for us at the bakery. Apparently, she liked cake as much as I did. Claire had an orange sponge at her wedding, and that was great, but it wasn’t my style. I went traditional with a twist of modern. Three tiers, coated in a crisp white thin layer of fondant with a pressed floral pattern, and a cascade of watercolor sugar flowers. I’d thought about the bouquet, which I’d need to work out the floral arrangements in the next few days too—I’d almost forgotten about that—and went with anemone, peony, and roses with dried silver brunia berries. I wanted those as the flowers on the cake as well. As for the flavor of the cake, I chose vanilla with raspberry filling. That sample was delish.
Once that was taken care of, we headed to the dress shop. That was where things got tricky. I wasn’t a size two. Not that there’s anything wrong with being that size. I just wasn’t that. I didn’t have a thigh gap and I had boobs and a booty. Finding something that would fit me the way I wanted it to wasn’t going to be easy. I did have designer friends who could hook me up with alterations, but after considering the situation, I didn’t exactly want to call them.
Yeah, so hey, you see my brother is the boss of our mafia family and he’s forcing me to get married to strengthen and solidify a union between my family and another family. Just another day in the mafia hood. So can you help a girl out?
I desperately wanted to avoid that awkward conversation.
Apparently, the dress shop was the same one Claire used because Thea had liked how one of the bridal assistants had treated Claire. Over the few hours she and I had been together, I learned my new sister-in-law could be protective of her family. It made me feel good that she wanted to protect me too.
A woman with tightly curled black hair approached me with her hand out. “I’m Shanna, your bridal assistant. I’ll be taking care of you starting now and will be with you through the entire process.”
“I’m Anna Georgiou. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” She looked at Thea and then Aunt Helen and smiled. “Nice to see you again as well.”
My bridal assistant gave me the once-over and smiled. “You are in luck. We have a new designer, Wren Eden?—”
“I know her!” I nearly squealed. “Her lines are gorgeous.”
Shanna’s mouth dropped open and she gawked at me like I rubbed elbows with a celebrity. “You do?”
I nodded. “I was in one of her shows last year. One of the few designers who makes clothes specifically for curvy women. She’d said she wanted to do wedding dresses someday, and I guess she finally did it.”
“They’re gorgeous too. Classically modern is what I’m calling it.” She eyed me again. “There’s one that’s an off-the-shoulder V-neckline gown that I think would be perfect for you.”
Off the shoulder? V neckline? This woman was speaking my language. “Let’s try it.”
“We’ll go check out bridesmaid dresses. Marianna and Elana should be here in a few minutes, and Claire should be back from her birthday trip by then. I assume you want her too?” asked Thea.
“Yeah, that’d be great.” Otherwise, I’d have two bridesmaids, and that seemed pathetic. I liked Marianna and Elana too. We’d be talking about the bouquet throw, though. If they brawled like they did at Claire’s wedding, it wouldn’t be Aunt Helen taking them out by the ear. It’d be me.
Shanna led me to the room, and I stripped to my underwear as I waited for her to bring in the dress. I figured I’d be there all day trying on dresses. If this first dress turned out to be the one , I’d be floored. Ecstatic, but floored.
A knock came from the door, and Shanna stuck her head in, a clear-bagged dress in hand. My pulse jumped. The invitations and the cake hadn’t so much as moved the needle on my anxiety meter, but that dress? I had heart palpitations. This wedding was suddenly getting very real.
It was obvious who’d designed the dress Shanna hung up. I would have known without her telling me. Wren liked everything clean. She didn’t do patterns or a ton of accessories. Let the fabric do the talking , is what she’d say. “Oh, this is so Wren.”
“Well, she also made bridesmaid dresses in the same collection. I pointed your group to them. They’re dusty rose.”
“That’s Wren’s favorite shade. If she’s got dresses that complement this, I’m cool with it.”
“Okay. As for a bra…”
I gave her my bra size and began unzipping the dress. Off the shoulder, fitted like a mermaid with ruche detailing that flowed across the bodice to one side and a flare one-quarter down. Fitted and flared, exactly like Shanna described.
I waited for my bridal assistant to return, and she helped me into it. Admittedly, I may have stared at myself a little longer than was healthy, admiring what God gave me. The dress was on point.
The moment I reached my party, I knew I was getting it. I loved it and the gushes and oohs and ahs were exactly what I wanted. Ari was going to love this on me. This was the one. I nearly cried. Maybe my luck was turning around.
“Wow,” Aunt Helen said as she and Thea approached. “This is gorgeous. It fits your body so well.”
“I think we’ll need to take it in a tiny bit in the waist, but overall, it’s almost like it was made for you,” Shanna said. “Hold on, I’ll be right back.” She returned a moment later with a veil. It was a long piece of sheer organza fabric with a comb attached. “You’re a hair-up bride, aren’t you?”
With that veil? I sure would be. It was perfect. “Yeah.”
Holy crap. I was doing this. I was marrying Ari Kalantzis and I wasn’t even mad anymore. As if that would have mattered anyway. I may not have been deep in our family business, but I’d been groomed as a kid that Papa was boss and once Jason stepped into his place, he would be boss. Everyone in the family did as they were directed.
Still, I’d gone from livid to excited in three weeks. If someone wanted to hand me the title of Mayor of Crazy Town, I wouldn’t even argue. Give me the sash, baby, facts are facts.
I returned to the dressing room, stripped off the dress, and had put my shirt back on when I got a whim to text Ari.
I found the one.
An instant text returned.
Hot?
Of course. If your jaw doesn’t drop, I’ll check your temperature ‘cause you’re unwell.
He returned my text with a laughing emoji.
I don’t doubt it’ll have me thinking unholy thoughts as you walk down the aisle.
Oh, crap. I hadn’t even thought about the wedding night. Was it a good time to maybe mention that I wasn’t all that experienced? Yes, I dated, and yes, guys had made it past first base, but there’d been no World Series yet. Did I want to have that conversation over text? Could I face him and tell him without dying of embarrassment? I puffed a piece of hair out of my face as I debated .
That was an in-person, face-to-face topic. His favorite meal was veal with risotto. I hadn’t cooked that yet because I didn’t have the ingredients. I’d use carbs and beef to soften the blow. Before he picked me up, I’d stop by the store. Then I’d cook us dinner and afterwards, I’d tell him our wedding night might be…interesting.
Another text from Ari popped up.
I’ve missed you today.
He missed me. Why did that give my heart a jolt?
I’ve missed you too. I should be done in about an hour. Wanna pick me up, say an hour and a half in front of Stake’s Grocery? I’m going to try to cook veal with risotto tonight.
Can I come with you?
Okay, I’ll text you when I’m done at the dress shop.
See you then, sweetheart.
Sweetheart . I liked that term better than baby . The word wrapped around me like a verbal hug.
I like that term.
What I thought was an internal monologue was typed out and sent before I realized what I was doing.
It fits you.
He fit me. Oddly enough.
That abandonment ghost threw its wispy blanket over my shoulders and sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t want Ari to leave me, and my issues with that were rearing their ugly head as I sat half dressed in the dressing room.
The deeper things got with Ari, the more chance this situation had the potential to leave me with lasting, permanent damage if something went wrong.