AllFreeNovel
Share Us
About thirty feet from the gate, Simon stopped and drew me close to him again. He warmed me with his smile, kissed my forehead, and said, “Thank you for agreeing to marry me. I know that everyone is going to love you as much as I do.”
How could he have been so wrong?
The first couple we welcomed studied me with thinly veiled curiosity, as if I were an exotic animal trotted out for their amusement. I’d anticipated that. After all, I was the interloper who’d poached one of the most eligible bachelors in their well-heeled world. Curiosity was natural. Still, everyone was unfailingly polite to Simon which may have been why he didn’t notice the less approving glances in my direction.
Behind where we stood, waitstaff greeted newcomers with trays of drinks and platters of finger food. Whimsical directional signs were set up all around the gardens and some guests followed them to the promised destinations likeappetizers this way, dinner here 7:00 sharp, lawn games, awesome dance hall,andrest & revive here.
After greeting over a hundred guests with my ‘smile, thank you for coming’ routine, I looked up and all the blood drained from my face. A couple I’d only met a few times were walking toward us. Tall, cadaverously thin Michael McDonald was looking at me, wide-eyed and laughing quietly. His equally lean, surgically-enhanced wife, Maddy, grinned as she strode toward me. I tried to swallow but my throat was suddenly parched. She was wearing a dress that was identical to mine. After a quick head to toe study of me, she opened her arms, as though to hug me. I forced a smile.
“Lovely to see you,” she said and clutched my shoulders tightly, leaning in as though she was going to kiss me. But she went past my cheek and hissed in my ear, “They make these dresses for fat girls too? Too bad you don’t look as good in it as I do.”
She stepped back, grinning.
Hot tears of humiliation burned in my eyes, but I blinked them back and forced a smile. I recited the words that I’d said to the hordes before her. “Thank you for coming.”
Grateful that my voice hadn’t betrayed me, I turned my back to her and smiled to welcome the next guests.
Behind me, Michael was saying, “That’s some coincidence about the ladies’ dresses, isn’t it, SJ?”
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Simon said. “I think the dressmaker has some explaining to do.” His tone probably sounded cordial to others, but I heard the clipped consonants that betrayed his anger.
In the next instant, Simon was at my side and the McDonalds had disappeared into the crowd. “Don’t worry about her,” he whispered. “You look magnificent, far better than she could hope to. That dress needs your luscious curves to do it justice.”
He was so kind, so loving. But few people thought like he did. If they looked at Maddy and me side by side, their thoughts wouldn’t favor my curvy girl version of the gown.
I got through the next period of meet and greet in auto-mode, without thinking or feeling anything. My mind whirled with disbelief. All dresses from Madame Sainte Clare were supposed to be unique. How had Maddy managed to copy it?
I wanted to escape, to run inside and change into anything other than this mockery of a dress. Instead, the mannerly welcoming of guests felt like it would never end. Then a woman with eye-catching red hair arrived outside the gates. It was Ronnie Flynn, the notorious blogger, a woman Simon had warned me to stay away from.
“Was she on the guest list?” I whispered to Simon and chinned toward where she and her escort were handing their cell phones to a security guard.
For a nanosecond a disapproving frown marred Simon’s smiling countenance. He looked at the tall, dark man with his arm around her. “She’s with Del Franklin. Must be his plus one.”
“Franklin?” I didn’t remember that name on the guest list.
“Del’s a rock star in international tax and corporate law. I thought he was married.” Simon spoke rapidly as the pod of guests in front of Del and Ronnie approached us.
I turned to the newest arrivals with my hostess smile fixed in place.
Before Del and Ronnie cleared the gates, Simon snaked an arm around my waist and led me toward the marquee where some guests were waiting for drinks other than champagne.
“Stay away from Ronnie,” Simon said to me as we walked past the drinks tent, waving at the people there. We took a path that led to a quiet corner of the garden but kept our voices quiet in case someone found us there.
“I’ll try, but what if she doesn’t stay away from me?”
“I’ll make Del promise to keep her in check. You’re far too direct and honest to tangle with her.”
“I didn’t know those were character flaws,” I said, trying to find humor in the situation.
“They aren’t. At least not when you’re dealing with a normal human being. But some people say that Ronnie Flynn could charm the secrets out of the Sphinx. I don’t want her cozying up to you and prying into the intimate details of our lives.”
I nodded, taking his advice to heart. I’d met Ronnie months before, at a party at Simon’s sister’s house. Back then Tracy had warned me that Ronnie was trouble, but our paths hadn’t crossed since. There was something about Ronnie that sent a shiver of dread over me.
Just like that the magic of the evening faded. Our enchanted kingdom was turning into a savage sea, and sharks were circling.
Simon
From the moment Enchanted Events took over the coordination of the party, I knew it would be a success. My place on Seguro Island was the perfect venue. Isolated on a peninsula, it was impossible to approach without being seen.
