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Nine
Clementine
I don’t everplan on asking Gabriel to touch me. I watch him walk through the corridor, toward the exit, as if he owns the place. As if he owns me.
When I can no longer see him, I open the envelope and there’s a note inside.
Engagement party Friday. Show up early at 3pm.
The rest of the note is the details of the party, and my eyelid twitches. I fold it up, and head back to the kitchen so Erin and I can get out of here.
Thirty minutes later, on the car ride back to the store, high on residual happiness from the event we just left, Erin chatters about all things wedding. And then proceeds to make my stomach drop. “You’ll have to start planning yours soon,” she says. “What kind of dress do you want?”
My heart beats in time with the blinker as I wait to make the left into the Let Them Eat Cake parking lot. I guess this is it. This is really happening. And not the way I imagined it would.
When you’ve been creating wedding cakes as long as I have, you start to think of certain elements you want at your own wedding.
I remember being twelve-years-old and Savannah and I would dress up in our mother’s gowns and pretend we were getting married.
And I was always marrying Prince Charming. But, Gabriel isn’t the prince. He’s the villain in this fairy tale.
“I don’t care.” I blow a random strand of hair out of my eyes as I park. “Is it weird? It’s weird, right?”
“Are you kidding me?” Her eyes are huge when I look over. “Take advantage. He’s only the hottest man on the planet.”
“It doesn’t matter that he’s hot. It’s not a real marriage.”
“Are you saying vows to each other? Are you both saying, ‘I do?’ Then, it’s a wedding.”
“You’re right. But, it won’t be like that.”
“Maybe not in theory. But…” she pauses, and gives me a mischievous grin, “why make it easy on him?”
“What do you mean?”
She twists a little in the passenger seat to face me. “I foresee a huge event. One he should be involved in every step of the way.” Her brow raises for emphasis. “Flowers, cakes, menus, every stressful detail that I’m sure he doesn’t want to be bothered with.”
I laugh a little. “I’m sure he’d rather hand that off.”
“Exactly.” She smiles.
“I like that idea.” I blow out a breath. “I better go. Can you give Dena the invoice?” I pull it out of my purse and she takes it from me. “Also, want to come to my engagement party on Friday?” I ask her.
“Sure, Troy will be at his dad’s house for the weekend.” She unfastens her seatbelt. “I still can’t believe you’re getting married.”
I roll my eyes a little. “Don’t remind me.”
She smiles. “You never know, you may come to love him.”
My mouth hangs open at her words. “Never. I would never love him.”
I could never love a monster.
* * *
It’sthree ten when Erin, Tennyson and I pull up to the grand estate that will soon be my home. Gabriel wanted us to show up early at three on the dot to be here when the party starts. So this is my early. That’s actually pretty good considering the slight meltdown that took place when I told Tennyson he needed to wear his ‘nice’ clothes. After a ten minute compromise consisting of agreeing to his black Batman cape, life returned to normal. Pick your battles.
As I pull around the circular drive, a regal man in a black suit stands at the edge of the blacktop, ready to take my car.
