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Cassie rushed over to them both, giving Abbey and Leah quick hugs. “You both look wonderful. I knew this dress would be perfect for you guys.” Cassie teared up.
“Don’t cry, Cassie, your makeup! Look up and blink. It will stop the tears from falling,” Vanessa suggested.
Cassie laughed at herself and did as Vanessa suggested. It worked, no tears fell.
Abbey looked around the room and found Roxanna and Madison missing. Had they already gone on to the church? All four stylists agreed to stay through the ceremony to help with hair and makeup touch ups if needed for pictures.
“I sent Roxanna and Madison to help Mom and Jake’s mom real quick. Let me take a couple of quick pictures before I get into my dress. Patty Hailey and friends should be here in fifteen.”
Abbey and Leah posed while Cassie took a few shots with her smart phone.
Where the bridesmaids’ dresses had a touch of the lace and illusion mesh, Cassie’s wedding gown took the mesh and lace effect to the next level. The entire bodice of her gown had the appearance of a strapless dress with what looked like lace dripping down her sleeves and up her back. Intricate lace appliques dotted a cathedral-length train to finish her fairy tale look. A delicate, lace-trimmed, elbow-length veil complemented the dress rather than detracting from it. “Let’s wait until the photographer and videographer get here before putting the veil on,” Cassie suggested.
Everyone agreed and Abbey and Leah snapped a few photos of their own while they waited. “So, Jake and I tried that new steak house down the street here on Butterfield Road, Golden Horns.” Cassie held her arms out, admiring the sleeves of her gown.
Abbey was confused. She’d seen their sign, but she didn’t think they were open for business yet. “I didn’t they were open for business.”
“They’re not officially. They’re doing a select soft open right now. Luke contacted the owner, Kyle Asher, and got us a table for dinner this past Tuesday night. We got our steak on, just like their sign says.”
Abbey chuckled. The restaurant signage actually said Get Your Steak On. It was unusual and fun. She wasn’t sure what to make of it though.Chicago and the surrounding suburbs had quite a few quality steak houses. And leave it to Luke and his connections to get Jake and Cassie in on the restaurant’s select soft open.
“Lucky you. Was it any good?” Leah turned when she heard the suite door opening. Madison and Roxanna were back.
“Was what any good?” Madison and Roxanna asked.
“I was just telling everyone that Luke got me and Jake into Golden Horn’s select soft opening this past Tuesday. And yes, it was fantastic. The filet I had cut like butter and was so flavorful, and Jake’s porterhouse was cooked exactly the way he likes it. And their desserts. Wow, they were amazing. I had the best carrot cake I’ve ever had and Jake tried their triple layer strawberry cake. It’s hard to describe, it was so good. The best part, though, was getting to chat with the owner Kyle Asher himself and his younger sister.” Cassie shot Abbey a playful look.
“Oh no, Cassie, what did you do?” Abbey would lose it if her sister had something up her sleeve. Since she and Jake got engaged, Cassie wanted everyone around her to be happy and in love. Abbey knew from personal experience everyone didn’t get their happy ending.
Relax. Luke isn’t the only man in the world. I can still have my own happy ending with someone else.
Abbey’s heart wasn’t completely on board with that thought yet, but she was confident it would get there.
“Relax, Abbey. I didn’t give him your number or anything. Although you could do a lot worse than Kyle Asher. Kyle and his sister gave us a tour of the restaurant and kitchen and told us about their expansion plans.”
“Where are they from, then? Are they a part of some restaurant group like Lettuce Entertain You or Landry’s?” Madison asked and took a seat the dining room table with Roxanna joining her.
“Not exactly. They’re from a small town south of Dallas called Envy. And they don’t just have restaurants. Their group is called Envy Entertainment,” Cassie explained.
“What sort of entertainment?” Abbey was curious. It was an unusual combination to her, restaurants and entertainment. Although she supposed it didn’t need to be. Restaurants could be considered a form of entrainment.
“I don’t know if you can handle it. Are you sure you really want to know?” Cassie had everyone’s attention now.
Abbey rolled her eyes. “Yes, Cassie, of course we all want to know. Dramatic much?”
“It’s my wedding day, I can be dramatic if I want.”
Abbey took Cassie’s hand in hers. “Of course you can.” She didn’t want to detract from Cassie’s day, but the suspense was killing her. She had to know what Envy Entertainment was into. And maybe get a little more information about Kyle Asher? Why not, she told herself. What would it hurt, right? There was no harm in a date or two. Maybe.
“You all know Heather Bellatoni, right? The semi-retired super model?”
Who didn’t know Heather Bellatoni? Abbey sighed. Heather’s father Enzo was half of the design genius behind one of Italy’s premiere couture design houses, House of Bellatoni. He and his older brother Paolo built a clothing empire from the ground up, starting with nothing but Heather’s mother Stacey, who they’d literally plucked from her family’s dairy farm in Ohio.
Heather Bellatoni inherited her mother’s good looks, blonde hair, and blue eyes. She also inherited her father’s Mediterranean skin tone, giving her a more exotic appearance than her mother Stacey’s girl-next-door look. Heather had been thrust onto the runway at age ten.
“Kyle met Enzo, Jr., Michael, and Heather in New York a couple years ago. Apparently EJ, as Kyle calls him, and Michael are amazing tattoo artists and Kyle wanted them to do his ink. Kyle had his dress shirt sleeves rolled up a bit when we met him on Tuesday and I got to see some of his incredible ink. From what I was able to tell, he’s got arm sleeves of exotic animal tattoos. It was sexy as hell. And that southern accent.” Cassie actually fanned herself. “So hot, guys.”
“Hey! You’re getting married in a couple of hours. You’re drooling over some Texas dude?” Abbey had to admit, so far Kyle Asher sounded pretty hot. She might have to seriously consider getting herself invited to the select soft opening. I wonder if I should ask Luke to get me on the soft open list like he did for Cassie and Jake.
