Page 58 of Married to Lies

“Divi, how do you know where to go?” I asked. “Is there a secret GPS, or have you memorized the entirety of Dallas?” It seemed impossible, but I was ready to quiz him about his eidetic memory and suggest he try out for Jeopardy. George always knew where to go, but I was boring. Home, work, airport, office. Not much to memorize there.

Divi chuckled. “No one’s asked me that before.” He turned onto the main road and then said, “I review the calendar for the day and memorize the fastest routes. Since Quentin takes calls on the road, the GPS directions could be distracting.”

I raised my eyebrows, impressed. “Nice.”

Divi gave me a pleased smile in the mirror, big enough for me to get a glimpse of one silver tooth toward the back of his mouth. “I try,” he said humbly.

Quentin, meanwhile, looked at me with furrowed brows. “How do you do that?” he murmured.

“What?” I asked.

“Talk to everyone so easily?”

I huffed out a laugh. “I practiced with my stuffies, remember?”

He cracked a smile, but then he said, “I see.”

Just a few minutes later, we arrived at a large building with wedding dresses in the window, along with a tiered wedding cake and a display of invitations. Above the display windows, sweeping black letters spelled Elsie Adams, Wedding Planner.

This time, when we got out of the car, I put on my sunglasses and tugged up my scarf to hide as much as possible. With Conrad spying on me and threats against MyHome in my mind, I thought it better safe than sorry. My heart rate kicked up and stayed high until we were inside and safely in Elsie’s office with curtains covering the windows.

When I thought of wedding planners, I imagined pageant queens who reveled in the showmanship of a modern American wedding. But Elsie was a petite brunette dressed simply in all black clothes, tortoiseshell glasses heavy on her nose. Her face was all natural, either bare or done to look that way. She gave us a warm smile and said, “Congratulations on the big day!”

I smiled, and Quentin said, “Thank you, Elsie. We liked the work you did for Bryce and Jada. I’m grateful you could work such a quick timeline.”

“We like to make magic around here,” she said with a wink, although I’m sure Quentin had paid handsomely for her to cast her spells.

“Let’s get started...” She pulled a binder from below her desk and put it on the table. In the front plastic cover, it said VENUES in the same script font from the front of the building. “Weddings are all about the five Ws. Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Let’s start with Where.”

Quentin looked to me, and my cheeks heated because my answer wasn’t remotely helpful. “I always thought I’d get married in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower. You know, the city of love, but with flight times and Q’s schedule...” I twisted my lips to the side. “I guess we’ll have to find a backup.”

A slow smile spread across Elsie’s face. “You know, France might be too far away. But Paris, Texas, we can do.”

A laugh escaped my mouth, but she continued, “There’s an event center there, and you can see the tower. I might be able to pull some strings if you’re not a fan of the cowboy hat on top.”

Quentin said, “I’m okay with that if that’s what Rei prefers.”

They both turned to me. “You’re saying I can still get married in Paris?” It was silly, growing attached to a wedding location without even having a fiancé, but the little girl in me didn’t want to give it up. An unexpected well of emotion built in my chest, making my eyes sting. So much of my life had not gone as planned. But getting this part, Quentin’s willingness to do what it took to make it happen… It was a lot. I blinked back tears. “I’d love that,” I managed.

Elsie nodded. “Let’s move on to the other details.”

Just like that. Wow.

A girl could get used to a man who would spare no expense to make her happy.

“What about the guest list?” Elsie asked. “Once I get the names, I can have a courier deliver invitations.”

Quentin rattled off a list of names I recognized as his co-founders and family. Then he waited for me. “Can you give me two invitations, and I’ll deliver them?” I wasn’t sure how I’d deliver the news that I was getting married, much less that my wedding was in a handful of days.

“Only two?” Quentin asked with a crease in his brow.

My lips twisted to the side. “I like to keep my circle small.”

Elsie nodded, scribbling something in her notebook. “I’ll just need their names for the seating chart.”

I nodded, my stomach curling uncomfortably as I listed off the names. Quentin had so much faith in his family's support, yet I wasn’t sure mine would want to be there at all. I could just picture my mother’s reaction, telling me that I was impulsive. My dad quoting phrases from the Bible on the sanctity of marriage. My brother sighing and shaking his head. Eleanor wondering how she could possibly get Lulu a flower girl dress in time.

I tried to hide my feelings while we carried on. There was no use worrying over what couldn’t be changed, and that category certainly included my family.