Ristorante Andreas. July – Monday…
“So we’ve decided on the orchids, right?” Kaya asked, as the four brides-to-be sat around a table at a private dining room at Ristorante Andreas.
“Just because your husband has an orchid delivered to you every single morning, it doesn’t mean they should be the dominant flower in our wedding.” Michelle took a bite of her broiled eggplant package—a flavorful bundle of plum tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil wrapped in thin slices of eggplant.
“You seem to forget that I donate those orchids to your Children of the Future Foundation, so perhaps I’m due a favor,” Kaya stated smugly, as she cut a portion from her medium rare Kobe steak.
“And I appreciate your generosity, Kaya, along with the sick, and the shut-in, and the destitute whose lives your orchids brighten on a daily basis, but it has nothing to do with our wedding. I vote for lilies.”
“No.” Shaina took a sip of ice tea and shook her head emphatically. “Tulips. Red, pink, and purple. Definitely.” Purple tulips were her mother’s favorite flowers, and every Sunday morning on their way from church, her father used to stop at a roadside vendor. Shaina remembered the smile on her mother’s face each time her father presented her with a bouquet of purple tulips. It was always as if she was receiving one for the first time. After her mother died, her father couldn’t bear to look at tulips, but with that sentimental flower as decoration, Shaina could imagine her parents watching her walk down the aisle.
“My husband cuts me fresh peonies from his garden. They were my mother’s favorite, so I think it should be peonies.” Tashi, the newest and youngest member of the Granite Falls Billionaire Brides Club, added her two cents as she dipped a chunk of ciabatta into a bowl of fontina cheese dip.
“Mine delivers babies, so maybe we should have little baby booties and crib mobiles lining the aisle of the church, and oh wait, a giant stethoscope suspended from the ceiling.”
“Well then,” Shaina chimed in, “since we’re ditching flowers, my man loves pussycats—leopards to be exact. We can sit Jabari and some of his friends next to each pew. Anybody they don’t like gets gobbled up. No questions asked.” She dusted off her hands.
The women roared as Shaina put the absurdity of their bickering to rest with sudden good humor.
“How is Jabari?” Tashi asked.
“He’s much better than when we got there, and he seems to be growing stronger every day, but he’s an old cat, you know.”
“Has Mass thought about putting him down?” Michelle probed her.
“No way.” Shaina quivered at the question. “He couldn’t. He’d still be in Kenya if Aria hadn’t come down with that virus. He had to choose between his cat and his daughter.”
“I can identify.” Kaya patted Shaina’s hand. “When Webster developed chronic renal failure last year, Bryce spent tens of thousands of dollars on a kidney transplant. Webster was part of his and Pilar’s family. He’s like the unborn child that died with Pilar, the child they never got to raise together. Okay,” she added, when the room grew deathly silent. “We’re supposed to be planning a wedding, not a funeral, so let’s get back to the flowers and try to make a decision before Fae gets here. We have a little over three weeks before this wedding happens, and we’re all leaving on our individual family vacations next week.”
Michelle cleared her throat. “Yeah, about Fae. There’s a slight change in wedding planners. We had to hire Desire.”
Kaya’s back went ramrod straight. “You can’t mean Desire Summers of Weddings by Desire?” She looked anxiously from one woman to the next.
“Yes, that Desire.” Tashi reached across the table and rested her hand on Kaya’s. She understood Kaya’s reaction to the news that Desire Summers would be planning her wedding—their wedding. The Summerses and the Fontaines had some bad blood between them.
“Bryce will not go for this. You guys know that, right?” Kaya was a bit disappointed that her friends would even consider the option, much less decide on it behind her back.
“I imagine he’ll have objections, but like you mentioned earlier, we don’t have the time to look around,” Shaina replied in a soothing voice. “It’s not like we have a long list of planners to choose from. Fae and Desire are the only two in Granite Falls, and Fae has already turned over our account to Desire. She’s all caught up and ready to move forward with our plans—Desire style.”
“We agreed to hire a local planner for this wedding and we chose Elegant Brides together. Nobody consulted me about this change.” Kaya made no attempt to disguise her disapproval.
“In all fairness, you weren’t here when we had to make the decision,” Michelle said. “You and Bryce were off on your private island in the South Pacific.”
“And Mass and Shaina were visiting Jabari in Kenya,” Tashi added. “So Michelle and I had to make the decision.” Tashi knew that even though she was the newest member of the Billionaire Brides Club—now the Billionaire Wives Club—her opinions and suggestions carried just as much weight as everyone else’s.
Shaina swallowed a mouthful of bruschetta topped with tomatoes, then glanced briefly at Michelle and Tashi before catching and holding Kaya’s gaze. “To be honest, we initially wanted to hire Desire, simply because she is better than Fae. But out of sensitivity for you and Bryce, we opted not to. We have no choice, now. Maybe the cosmos is trying to tell us something.”
“Like maybe it’s time to forgive and move on,” Michelle said, gently.
Kaya crossed her arms and shifted uneasily in her chair. “That is strictly up to Bryce. He has as much say in this as any of us.”
“Well, not technically. It was agreed that we, the wives, would take care of the wedding and our husbands would take care of the honeymoon.”
“It’s not that simple anymore, Tashi. Bryce needs to approve, and if he doesn’t we’ll just have to go fishing again.” Kaya frowned at her friends. “Have you told your husbands about the change? How do they feel about it?”
Michelle spoke up. “Mass and Shaina returned from Kenya only three days ago, and Erik is still in South America on a humanitarian mission, so, no. We wanted to wait to tell you first. And,” she added, glancing at Kaya through lowered lashes, “we were hoping you’d be the one to break it to Bryce.”
Kaya threw her hands in the air. “Oh sure, take me deep into the thick dark forest and leave me alone with the giant grumpy bear.”
“Well, he’s kinda big and intimidating. And since he’s your bear, we figured he wouldn’t hurt you.” Shaina gave Kaya a hopeful smile.
Kaya glanced out the window at the blue waters of Crystal Lake as she thought of the weeklong break from which she and Bryce had recently returned. It was more of a break for Bryce since he and Massimo had been working double time running Fontaine Enterprises and Andretti Industries, respectively, and also Fonandt Energy—the wind energy company they’d founded together a few years ago.
Kaya’s ire dissipated, and a smile played at the corners of her mouth as she remembered the intimate, bonding moments she and Bryce had spent walking and playing naked along the sandy white shores of Kaya, and the countless hours of passionate lovemaking every single day and night. Oh, yes, he’d bought her an island in the South Pacific as a first wedding anniversary present, and named it Kaya—to make up for the unceremonious way they’d gotten married, he’d told her.
He’d learned well from Erik, who’d bought Michelle her own private island—Michelle—in the Seychelles as an apology for hurting her during the months they’d spent apart when she was pregnant with Little Erik. To avoid jealousy and harassment, Mass had followed suit with Shaina in the Mediterranean. And for Christmas last year, Adam had purchased Tashi off the Amalfi Coast of Italy, where all four couples had celebrated last New Year’s Eve.
“So can we count on you to tell Bryce about Desire?”
Kaya started as Tashi’s questions cut into her reveries. “Sure,” she said, bringing her attention back to her friends. She took a sip of her Bloody Mary. “I’ll try to break it to him gently.” She would just have to remind Bryce that there were many more passionate moments to come once they left on their honeymoon, the location of which was still a secret to her, as it was for the other women. They knew their husbands were planning something big, but none of them had been able to squeeze any information out of any of them. “What happened to Fae? Why can’t she finish the wedding?” she asked grasping at straws.
“She slipped on a blanket one of her kids left at the top of the stairs, and went flying down them. She suffered a concussion, broke both arms, and twisted an ankle.” Michelle said.
“Oh my God, that’s awful. I hope she’ll be okay.”
“As long as she follows her doctor’s orders and stays off her feet,” Shaina said. “So how do you feel about Desire?” she added. “You think you can work with her?”
“It’s not like I have a choice at this late hour. Bryce will just have to deal with it.”
“I’m sure you know how to help him deal with it,” Tashi said with a grin.
“Well, listen to Miss Cloistered and Innocent,” Michelle murmured over the rim of her lemonade glass.
Kaya stared Tashi full in the eyes. “This chick may have been cloistered, but she hasn’t been innocent since the day she walked up on Adam naked in his garden. Played any games lately, Tashi?”
“Lost any panties lately, Kaya?” Tashi threw a piece of focaccia at her and squealed when Kaya caught it and popped it into her mouth with aplomb.
“Go, Tashi. You’re learning the art of backlash, girl.” Shaina high-fived her.
“Actually, I seldom wear panties anymore since Bryce is always taking them off and never giving them back,” Kaya said with a dreamy look in her eyes. “It just makes more sense to go commando. Easy access, entrance, and withdrawal, especially when he corners me at odd places in the house for a hot and raunchy quickie, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, we know.” The women’s undiluted amusement echoed throughout the room.
“Well, I’m glad to find you all in good spirits.”
“Desire’s here,” Tashi whispered.
The ladies turned their heads toward the door and, immediately—as if on cue—they sobered up as a young woman with long black hair walked in.
“Please, don’t stop on my account.” Desire advanced farther into the room. “What’s so amusing?” she asked, setting an oversized tote on the floor.
“We’re just messing around.” Michelle tossed clandestine smiles at her soul sisters. It was one thing to share their secrets with each other, but nobody from outside their circle had knowledge of their relations and daily interactions with their husbands, especially not about their bedroom activities.
She knew it was the same for the men. She and her friends were always wondering how much their husbands shared with each other. There were tacit codes of ethics and protocol within and among the male and female clubs. One thing the women were certain of was that their husbands were always extremely amorous after spending time with each other—which indicated that they shared intimate marriage details. Not that the ladies were objecting. This was Sex and the Country, the rustic equivalent to New York’s Sex and the City.
“Yeah, just inside jokes. You wouldn’t get it.” Shaina smiled up at Desire. “Welcome aboard,” she added, to move the conversation away from their personal lives and on to the business they’d gathered for.
“Thanks. It’s really an honor to be working with you ladies. Planning the wedding of four of the most powerful couples in the country will definitely look good on my resume.” She gave Kaya a fleeting glance before peering out the window, clearly to avoid her gaze.
Deciding to confront the elephant that had appeared in the room, Kaya turned to Desire. “I’m fine with you taking over for Fae, Desire, and I—” She paused and made an all-inclusive motion with her hands. “We appreciate you taking us on at such short notice. We know you’re the best, and for obvious reasons we didn’t hire you initially, but now that we have, I’m sure you’re aware that it will probably cause some tension where my husband is concerned.”
“Probably? You haven’t told him yet?” Desire asked, a disparaging tilt to her voice.
“I was just told about this a few minutes ago. And once we’re done here, I will head over to Fontaine Enterprises to speak with Bryce.”
“My decision to take over from Fae was contingent upon you informing Mr. Fontaine, immediately. What if he says no? I don’t want to waste any more time on a project that I might not be able to follow through to the end. I have two more weddings I’m working on, and—”
“We understand,” Shaina assured her. “And we promise that you’ll have an answer by the end of the day.” She caught Kaya’s gaze, silently pleading with her to convince her husband to make it a positive one.
“I’ll call you after I talk with him,” Kaya promised Desire.
“Perfect.” Michelle indicated the vacant chair at the round table. “Should we get down to business?”
Desire’s face broke out into a grin as she scooted into the chair between Kaya and Tashi. “Fae told me you’re taking pole dancing lessons. Is that for your individual honeymoons?”
“Actually, we’re planning to crash our husbands’ bachelor party on Saturday.” Tashi’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“That should get a big rise out of them,” Desire said.
“Massive rises that we’ll all be eager to relieve.”
“No wonder you’re always pregnant,” Shaina said, eyeballing Michelle.
“Right. Like you and Mass don’t get your groove on every chance you get. All you all. I know all your dirty little secrets. So don’t you sit there acting all prim and proper, chastising me, just because I once lived on the wrong side of the tracks.”
Michelle’s fitting retort made everyone laugh, even Desire.
“I wish I had a circle of friends like you,” Desire said of their innocuous sparring. “But it’s hard to make friends in a town when your family’s name has been tainted.”
The wives looked at each other, having no idea how to respond.
“At least I have my cousin, Lisa. We’re as tight as sisters,” Desire added with a faint smile.
“Well, blood is thicker than water.” Kaya immediately gave herself a mental kick in the behind. Oh, this was going to be difficult, she thought, as she watched Desire pull her laptop, two white binders, and an assortment of fabrics from her tote and place them on the table. “Would you like something to eat, Desire?” she asked to redeem herself. “We still have a ton of food—some we haven’t even touched yet,” she said pointing at a side table laden with appetizers, lunch dishes, pitchers of ice tea and lemonade, and virgin specialties from the bar. “The Kobe fillet is to die for.”
“And so is the Wagyu rib eye,” Shaina added. “It was imported from Tokyo.”
Michelle snickered. “Not everyone is into the kind of steak rich people eat to remind themselves of their wealth and elevated social status.” Ignoring the gasps from her friends, she continued, “From someone who doesn’t eat beef, I vouch for the broiled eggplant and the stuffed red peppers.”
Desire gave the buffet table a fleeting glance. “It smells and looks delicious, and I’m tempted, but I’m meeting Chad for lunch when I’m done here. It would be rude if I arrived with a full stomach. I hope you understand.”
“No problem. Maybe next time.” Tashi gave Desire a tight smile. She was the first person Tashi had ever known to pass up the chance to eat at Ristorante Andreas. It was hard not to take it personally, seeing that her husband owned the restaurant.
“You’re meeting Chad Hunter?” Kaya asked. He was the only Chad she knew.
Desire’s eyes narrowed. “You know him?”
“I’ve never met him, but I know he’s an attorney. Steven Lynd, Bryce’s friend, has mentioned him in conversation. They’ve butted heads a few times in court.”
“I know his mom,” Michelle added. “She works at Granite Falls General. She’s one of the best nurses there. Are you and Chad dating?”
“No. We grew up next door to each other, so we touch base once in a while.”
“Doesn’t he have an older brother?” Michelle snapped her fingers. “Chase! I’ve heard his mother talk about him. He left town some years ago and never came back. Where is he?”
Desire’s mouth pulled into a tight line and she trembled slightly. “I have no idea. I’ll take a glass of water in lieu of the food.” She opened her laptop, indicating to the women that her personal life, like theirs, was not open to discussion.
Touché. Kaya grabbed a clean glass from a mobile cart behind her and filled it with water from a crystal pitcher while her friends scrambled to clear the table, taking the half-eaten plates of food over to one end of the buffet table. She refilled everyone’s water glasses, and soon they all settled down in their seats again.
Desire pushed the binders toward the middle of the table, and motioned for them to lean in. For the next couple of hours, they discussed the checklist, eliminating, modifying, and adding to their choices of the menu, napkins, seating, cake—flavor and decoration— photographers and videographers, the orchestra and music selections, transportation and reservations at Hotel Andreas for out-of-town guests, and a host of other wedding preparations that none of the brides had foreseen.
Desire finally closed her binders, returned them to her tote, and leaned back into the cushioned chair. “Fae told me you’ve been having trouble deciding on the flowers for the church,” she said. “Have you been able to resolve it?”
“Not yet,” Michelle stretched out her legs under the table. “As close as we are, we have different tastes and preferences, and we do want some things to be unique.”
“Like your dresses, bouquets, and the four cakes. But your rings are all the same,” Desire pointed out. “Designing one set of rings for four couples is a unique idea, unheard of, really. Can I ask why you decided to do it?”
The women smiled and automatically joined hands. “We love each other like sisters,” Michelle spoke for all. “The one set of rings is a way of sealing our friendship, just like our husbands sealed theirs in high school in a blood oath. Our rings symbolize our commitment and promise to always be there for each other.”
“Not just for each other.” Shaina squeezed the hands in hers. “If anything happens to me, I know all these ladies will be there for my kid, or kids if I have more.”
“And our husbands, too,” both Kaya and Tashi said simultaneously, and then gave each other bizarre stares.
“You even have the same thoughts,” Desire said. “Your devotion to each other is positively exemplary. Every couple should have friends like you.” She smiled in obvious admiration as the women untangled their hands and sat back in their chairs.
“Friendship aside,” Michelle said, “every bride wants the church aisle to be lined with the flowers of her choice—flowers that have a significant meaning to her.”
“What do you each want?” Desire opened up an app on her laptop and began typing.
“I want red and white peonies,” Tashi provided. “Shaina wants purple, red and pink tulips. Kaya insists on pink, white, and yellow orchids, and Michelle—”
“I want lilies—Peruvian, calla, and those of the valley.”
“We thought of using a little of each since the purpose of this group wedding is to symbolize the bond of friendship and sisterhood we’ve created over the years, but it seems too crazy, like overkill, to have so many varieties of flowers in one place,” Kaya stated.
“Then why not have four aisles?” Desire opened another app, and began sketching away rapidly.
“Four aisles?” Shaina strained her neck to peek at Desire’s sketches.
“Why not? The church is big enough.” Desire motioned them close again. “Instead of walking down one aisle in single file as you’d previously planned,” she began, pointing to a rough blueprint of the church divided into eight seating sections and four aisles, “you’ll each simultaneously walk down your own aisle lined with your favorite flower. You’ll have your own spotlight, and your individual husbands—standing at the head of each aisle under an arched trellis fashioned from the flower of your choice—can focus on you, and you alone, while you walk toward him.”
Michelle took a closer look at the drawing. “I like that.”
“The great thing about the trellises,” Desire continued, “is that they can be remotely controlled, so that once the person who gives you away delivers you—”
Shaina cleared her throat. “We’re delivering ourselves. We’re giving ourselves to them.”
Tashi raised her hand. “About that, my dad insists on walking me down the aisle. Sorry, guys, but he’s missed so much of my life, he doesn’t want to pass up on this sacred opportunity. You don’t have to follow suit, but—”
“Yes, we do,” Shaina interjected. “I can have Cameron walk me. He’d love that.”
“Robert gave me away once. He’d be delighted to do it again,” Michelle said.
Kaya smiled. “Jason wasn’t too thrilled about being an usher. He thought it would be cool to walk me down the aisle. It’ll make his day when I tell him he can have his wish.”
“Wonderful,” Desire declared, enthusiastically. “Once you’re given away, your husbands will escort you—under your individual trellis—to the center of the church where Pastor Kelly will be waiting to officiate. I’ve never done anything like this before,” she cautioned, “but I’m sure with some adept maneuvering and lots of practice, we can pull it off without a hitch.”
“Oh my gosh! Wow! This is awesome! Brilliant!” the women exclaimed in turn as they grinned at each other.
“I like that we each get our individual bride and groom section,” Michelle said.
“Exactly,” Desire responded. “That way, there’s no bickering over which family members get to sit in the front row.”
Shaina laughed. “Yeah, we were actually going to toss coins.”
“Now you don’t have to.” Desire closed her laptop and placed it in her tote.
Tashi shrugged. “Didn’t make any difference to me since the only family I have is my father, and besides you guys, Mindy is my closest friend. My bride section is gonna be practically empty.”
“That’s true for all of us,” Shaina remarked.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this line of work,” Desire offered, “it’s that quality is more important than quantity. I know of many brides who’ve regretted inviting people they hardly know to their weddings, just because they didn’t want to offend them. In the end, your wedding day is all about you, and nobody else. Since none of you have much family and since you’re all already married, my suggestion is that you don’t divide the bride and groom sections. Just quarter off a few rows in the front for your family, closest friends, and VIPs, and have the ushers seat the other guests from front to back. The early guests get the better seats.”
“See, this is why we wanted you in the first place.” Shaina gave Desire an animated smile. “You have vision.”
“You’re really giving us the wedding of our desire, Desire.” Michelle turned to Kaya. “You have to convince Bryce to let her do our wedding.”
“I know. I will.” She’d just have to take off her panties before she arrived at his office, Kaya thought, or maybe she’d keep them on and leave them as a scented gift, a reminder of how obliging she could be when he saw things her way.
Desire stood up, picked up her tote, and swung it over her shoulder. “Well, ladies, it will be exciting putting the finishing touches on the planning of your unprecedented wedding.” She shook each of their hands. “I’ll start my team working on these changes when I get the confirmation call later today.” She spoke to everyone, but kept her eyes on Kaya. “If it’s positive, we’ll set up another meeting for later this week. See you around.”
“Anyone for dessert?” Michelle asked, after Desire left. She eyed a piece of German chocolate cake with walnuts nestling in the frosting.
“I have to go home and feed my baby. These things are bursting.” Tashi pressed her arms into the sides of her swollen breasts.
Shaina gave Tashi a slanted look. “And by ‘baby’, are we talking Adam or Alex?”
“Both. Adam is working from home today.” She pushed back her chair.
“Didn’t I give you a LaCrosse pump at your baby shower?” Michelle watched Tashi walk over to a sofa and retrieve the designer purses they’d all tossed there earlier. “Have you ever even used it?” she asked as Tashi returned and handed the purses to their owners.
Tashi stood behind Michelle’s chair and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Adam tossed it. Said he and Alex are the only pumps I need, and there was no way in hell a LaCrosse was pumping his wife’s breasts.”
The room lit up with laughter.
“Those were Massimo’s sentiments. Verbatim. The cousins must have had a discussion about it.”
“Anyway, after trying several others and realizing that it really is the best on the market, I had to buy another LaCrosse pump to use during the trial.”
“Word,” Michelle pinned Tashi with an I told you so stare.
“What about you?” Tashi asked Kaya. “Did you ever use the one she gave you?”
“No way. With two babies and a husband fighting for nursing sessions, there was no need.” Kaya looked at Michelle. “I think you’re the only one of us who uses the LaCrosse pump.”
Michelle twisted her lips sheepishly. “Since we’re being honest, I do have to get home to nurse Fiona.”
Shaina tossed her an evil look. “So you don’t use your own pump, hypocrite?”
Michelle grimaced. “Just once. Last New Year’s Eve when I had to leave Fiona for a day. Don’t need a LaCrosse pump when I have the real LaCrosse’s tender lips, do I?”
“Case in point.” Shaina vacated her chair and tucked her Zagliani clutch under her arm. “We all have babies at home, waiting to be fed. No, no, no,” she added when her friends stared at her with questioning eyes. “I don’t still nurse Aria. I just like to have her meals with her.”
They let out their breaths, then Kaya said, “I have a husband to seduce, so—”
“Wait.” Michelle held Kaya’s wrist as she attempted to get up from the table. “Before you go, can we chat a little?” She turned to Tashi and Shaina who were sporting curious stares at her. “You two go ahead. We’ll catch up later.”
“Sure, Mama. Come on nosy.” Tashi tugged a reluctant Shaina toward the door.
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