Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Before they reached the door to the wedding planner's office, it opened wide and a perky woman in her early forties beamed at them in expectation.
She wore a tailored summer dress in the tasteful blue shades the resort uniforms favored, and her hair was in a neat twist at the back of her head.
Makeup was perfect, hands were manicured, and the file folder under her arm looked official.
Violet glanced down at her own rumpled shorts and T-shirt and wondered how other people could look so put together and she couldn't. She shrugged.
One of life's mysteries. She'd bet the wedding planner couldn't incapacitate a man using just two fingers.
"Max Durant and Violet Lee?" Her accent was American.
"That's us," Max said with a smile.
"I thought so." The woman gestured to the room behind her. "Please come in. I'm Delilah Shore, your wedding planner."
Max stuck out his hand. "It's great to meet you. You were very helpful over email."
Violet strode into the room and took a seat before she had to shake hands too.
"Oh, it was my pleasure." Delilah rounded the tasteful white desk and sat down. "I have the best job in the world. I get to help people have their dream wedding." She gestured to the blue ocean view visible through one of the office's many windows. "And I get to do it in paradise."
Violet eyed the ballpoint pen on the woman's desk.
She'd made a solemn promise to Rochelle that she wouldn’t be unnecessarily violent towards the people they met on this operation, but she hadn't made any promises about herself.
If she swung the pen at her own neck with enough force, she could open an artery and bleed out before the woman stopped smiling.
Then she wouldn't have to listen to any more gushing about weddings.
As though reading her mind, Max carefully reached over and covered her right hand with his.
Violet tensed and frowned at him before remembering her role.
Reluctantly, she turned her hand to hold his.
His hand was strong and warm. And distracting.
Things would have been so much easier if he'd had sweaty palms.
"Is everything okay?" Delilah asked, her concerned gaze on Violet.
"Jet lag," Max said before Violet could reply. "It makes her grumpy. She'll be fine by tomorrow."
Delilah relaxed. "I wish I'd known you suffer so badly from it. I have the most wonderful pills I could have recommended."
"Thanks," Max said. "But time will sort it. Won't it, honey?" He smiled pointedly at Violet.
"Jet lag," she agreed. "It probably wouldn't have been this bad, but I had to wear a stupid playsuit on the plane that kept riding up. It hurt like a son of a b—"
"Nothing worse than uncomfortable clothes when you're stuck on a plane," Max interrupted.
Delilah's eyes were wide. "No, there isn't…"
"So," Max flashed his dimpled smile at the woman. "Where do we start with this wedding?"
Violet didn't like that he was showing the wedding planner his dimples and had the irrational urge to tell him to stop.
It was only when he nudged her that she realized she'd been squeezing his hand tightly while staring at him.
Things were not going well. She was off her game.
Maybe it was jet lag after all. Or the endless conversation about the ethics of drugging clients.
Fortunately, Delilah wasn't paying any attention to Violet. She was too busy opening her folder on the desk in front of her. There was an iPad in one side and notepaper stuck in the other.
"I was on my way to find you two. I'd thought we could talk over breakfast instead of in my office. The terrace is so much nicer, but you're happy to go over things now?" she asked with a smile.
"Totally," Max said. "We can't wait." He squeezed her hand.
She got the message that she was supposed to join in and show enthusiasm. "I'm effervescent with delight," Violet said without emotion.
Delilah blinked at her a few times before taking a deep breath. "Lovely," she said. "I'd like to double check some of the details you agreed to over email, if that's okay with you?"
Max nodded.
"First up, the boring part." She slid a document across the desk. "If you two will sign that, we can go ahead and sort the officiant. All the paperwork has been filed and we're good to go on this end."
They signed the document and passed it back, although Violet did wonder if she should have read it first. But then, the whole thing was purely a symbolic ceremony anyway, there was nothing she could sign that would cause any lasting harm.
"Okay," Delilah said as she tucked the papers into her folder. "Now vows. Have you decided to write your own or use the traditional ones?"
How the hell were they supposed to write vows? She could just imagine what hers would say: I promise to keep your stupid ass alive while you chase a story using a harebrained cover idea, on an island in the middle of nowhere.
Yeah, that would go down like a block of concrete thrown off a pier.
"Traditional," Max said, flashing Violet a knowing smile.
"Perfect." Delilah made a note. "So, you opted for the karaoke dinner the evening before the ceremony."
Max nodded while Delilah ticked the item off her list. Violet glared at him. Seriously? Karaoke? He shrugged.
"And," Delilah said. "You bought the Eternal Love package, which, as you know, includes some resort perks.
" She beamed at them. "I have you down for kayaking, a dance lesson with our wonderful professional dance coach, his-and-hers massages at the spa—very romantic, and a moonlight picnic on the beach. Does that sound about right?"
No, it sounded horrific. All Max had told her about was the kayaking and now she was supposed to get massaged? No way in hell was she letting a stranger stroke her body. That was plain weird.
"That sounds perfect," Max said before smiling at Violet. "Doesn't it?"
"I can hardly contain myself," she bit out.
"Good," Delilah said, completely missing Violet's tone. "Now, the cake?" She passed them a laminated sheet with photos on it. "These are our standard designs, which are included in your package. You have a choice of chocolate, vanilla, or red velvet. Which do you prefer?"
Max turned to Violet. "What do you say, honey? Chocolate sound good?"
His head on a spike sounded better. "Sure," she said.
"Great!" Delilah made another note. "You mentioned in your emails that you didn't want to finalize flowers or music until your fiancée was here." The wedding planner gave Violet an understanding smile. "I gather the proposal and destination wedding were a big surprise."
"The biggest. I had no idea I was getting married. Some would say it was a shock."
Max cleared his throat. "But she's thrilled. Aren't you?"
"Effervescent," Violet said without the slightest hint of emotion.
"Bubbling over with joy. I never in a million years would have thought to get married here.
Or married in general. Yet, here I am." She stared at the wedding planner.
"In paradise. With the man of my…dreams." Nightmares more like. She was going to puke.
Delilah did the eye blinking thing while her brain rebooted. "Yes, well, I am so excited for you. Be assured that everyone on Wedding Island will work hard to give you a wedding you'll never forget."
"Oh, I'm going to remember this." She looked up at Max and hoped he read the promise in her eyes. Somehow, somewhere, there would be payback for his ludicrous plan. He could count on it. "I'm going to remember all of this," she vowed.
The moron flashed his bloody dimples at her.
"Wonderful," Delilah said. "Now, let's talk about the ceremony.
Max opted for a beach event, but if you'd rather move it to another location, we have a couple of venues free for that time slot.
" She consulted her notes. "The old sugar mill is available, and the end of the pier.
It's really more of a jetty than a pier, but we built it wide enough to host smaller ceremonies over the water.
And there's a gorgeous gazebo structure at the end that looks adorable dressed up with flowers.
" She sighed at the thought of it. "Let's see, what else? "
"I think the beach is fine," Violet said because she honestly didn't care where the fake ceremony was performed. It wasn't happening anyway.
"Beach it is." Delilah beamed. "Now, on to flowers.
We have the most amazing florist working in the resort and she has a whole team on hand for dealing with our many weddings.
We use local and imported flowers, and although it's short notice, I'm sure we can get you whatever you have your heart set on for the arrangements. "
Violet almost laughed. Flowers. She had to choose flowers.
Of course she did. It was her childhood all over again.
Being forced to help out in the family business, while her mother sang ABBA songs at the top of her lungs.
Unlike her sister, who'd bought into the florist shop, Violet had run from it as fast as she'd been able and had sworn never to talk flowers ever again.
Yet, here she was. Her mother said this day would come, that karma would get her for turning her back on family. Guess she was right.
"Have you got any ideas as to what you'd like?" the wedding planner asked. "The sooner we know your choices, the sooner we can get it sorted." She looked apologetic. "Time is tight, seeing as your wedding is the day after tomorrow."
"You're in for a treat here," Max told the woman. "My fiancée's family run a florist business. You could say it's her life's calling." The twinkle in his eyes made it clear this was payback for the drugging incident.
Oh, foolish man. He didn't know what he was dealing with. She narrowed her eyes at him, taking his dare. Prepare to be dazzled, she thought.
She took a deep breath, then launched right in.
"If I give you a selection, maybe the florist could work with what she has in stock.
Any combination of the following would be fine: Baby's Breath for bulk, enhanced with white and pink Carnations.
" She cast a quick glance at Max, noting his stunned expression.
Served him right for challenging her. "Orange roses, the more muted shade.
Eucalyptus for filler. Ivy for the arch base—if there is an arch.
Peonies for more color. Pink Ranunculus, if you have them.
Dahlias and Gladioli in shades that match. And maybe white or pink Lavender."
Max's jaw was hanging, while the wedding planner beamed in approval.
"You know your flowers!" she said. "Those are wonderful choices. I'll get the florist onto it immediately. Are there any on the list you'd like to be the star of the show?"
Violet thought about it. "Probably the orange roses, the Gladioli, the Eucalyptus, and the pink Carnations."
"Perfect." Delilah made a note. "So, we're going for a fresh, summer theme of pink, peach and orange for the ceremony decor?"
Violet felt nauseous. A pink wedding was not on the cards. "No. I just think those flowers will be best, but I'd say white was the main theme for the ceremony." After all, everything else on the island was white. She looked at Max. “Right?”
He nodded slowly as though it took time to shift gear from the flower conversation. "White is good."
"Now, music," Delilah said. "Any thoughts on that?
We need something for the start of the ceremony, when you'd traditionally walk down the aisle, and something for the end, when you're leaving as a married couple.
Plus, anything else you'd like played during dinner or at any other time during your special day.
If I'm right—" she consulted her notes "—yes, you booked one of our fabulous singers to accompany the event.
A guitarist. That will be lovely. I think weddings are so much better with live music, don't you? "
Violet was being tortured. She'd always wondered what it would take to break her and now she knew. Governments should have hired Delilah to deal with political prisoners. Half an hour alone with her cheery wedding talk and a grown man would cry and beg to tell the authorities everything he knew.
"Violet?" Max said. "Got any ideas for music?"
Violet had reached her tolerance for wedding planning. "I'm okay with the wedding march. That'll do."
Delilah looked pained. "Surely we can do better than 'that'll do'?"
Violet casually reached for the ballpoint pen on the desk in front of her, and curled her hand around it like it was a weapon.
“How about,” Max said, his eyes on the pen in her hand, “we think about it, and I’ll call you later.”
“I can work with that,” Delilah said cheerily. “Is there anything else we need to go over?” She perused her notes.
But Violet was done. She got to her feet before Delilah could come up with anything else. "Max and I have to go kayaking and we don't want to be late," she said, bugging her eyes at Max to get him to move.
He got to his feet with a knowing smile.
Delilah did that blinking thing again, like there was a glitch in the matrix.
"Not a problem. I have more than enough to get going.
Max already arranged for your wedding lunch in the Sugar Mill restaurant, so we don't have to go over food selections.
I'll be in touch later. You two go and have some fun.
It's a beautiful day." She chuckled. "It's the only kind allowed on Wedding Island. "
Violet was already heading for the door.
Max ran to catch up. “Thanks Delilah, we’d better hurry. Don’t want to be late.”
Whatever. The man was a suck up.
Once they were outside, Violet glared up at Max, who was grinning at her. “That’s the last wedding meeting I take. From now on, you’re in charge of that part of the plan.”
“Okay,” Max said as he reached for her hand.
She swatted him away, but he reached for her again. Violet growled in warning.
"I can see you're upset," he said, as he carefully removed the pen from her grip. The pen she’d forgotten she’d lifted. "And justifiably so, but I'd feel better if you weren't armed. You'll cause less damage that way." He pocketed the pen.
She scoffed at him. "I don't need a weapon to cause damage. I am a weapon."
He threw back his head and laughed. For a second, everything stopped as she watched him. It was mesmerizing. And a little annoying.
"Stop it," she told him. "People are staring."
He glanced around. “What people?”
“Just stop it,” she ordered.
With a shake of his head, he slipped on his sunglasses. "Come on, my little assassin, time to go kayaking." He held out a hand for her.
She swatted it away. All the while wondering how mad Rochelle would be if she drowned their client.