Tea for Two

  As soon as I entered the reception hall I went to work unloading the china plates I’d rented. Cassia put the centerpieces in place. A few minutes later Sophia arrived to help. “Um, Bella?”

  “Yes?” I looked up from my work.

  “Are my eyes deceiving me, or is there a man in a suit on the roof of the building holding a pair of binoculars?”

  I sighed. “Kind of takes away the romance, when you put it like that, but yes, there’s a man in a suit on the roof. And I would imagine he’s holding binoculars.”

  “Do you mind if I ask why there’s a man on the roof holding binoculars?”

  “He’s keeping watch over his flock by night.”

  “Very funny. So, Secret Service, then?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But the groom dropped out of the race. Right? I mean, I wasn’t here last night to hear it for myself, but it’s all over the news.”

  “Yeah, he dropped out, but they’re still covering him. From what I was just told, he might be more of a risk after making the announcement. You never know what weirdos might be out there, ready to pounce.”

  “Lovely. Very comforting idea.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be okay. I feel better those guys are here to keep a watchful eye on things.”

  Before long Rosa arrived. Then Laz. Then Mama. Then Pop. Before long, the whole crew was there, taking care of last minute details. I kept up my work at the table, putting each lovely piece of china in place. Renting these gorgeous pieces had been a terrific idea, if I did say so, myself.

  “Oooh, Bella!” Sophia held up a dinner plate, her mouth dropping open. “This is magnificent.”

  “I think so too. You should’ve seen the price tag attached.” I shivered, remembering. “But the bride wanted true Victorian pieces that looked as if they’d come straight out of the late 1800s, so that’s what she’s getting. I can only pray no one drops a plate. Not sure you’d believe me if I told you the replacement cost on even one piece.”

  Her hand began to tremble and she set the plate on the table. “Maybe I’d better let you and Mama do this. You know what a Klutz I am. Is there something else I can help you with?”

  I directed her to Cassia, who needed her help with the centerpieces. Minutes later, Scarlet arrived with the cake—each layer still in individual boxes. Rosa helped her assemble the gorgeous six-tiered wonder and we all gathered around as Scarlet took out a large box of flowers she’d crafted by hand—all from gumpaste and fondant—and applied them in cascade-form down the cake. I’d never seen such a beautiful, elegant combination of flowers, or such delicate scrolling.

  “Whoa, Scarlet.” I gave a little whistle. “I think this one’s pretty enough for a—”

  “First lady?” she asked and then gave me a wink.

  “Ah, you didn’t hear, then?” Rosa cleared a blob of buttercream from the tablecloth and then gathered up the leftover crumbs into one of the boxes. “DeVine dropped out of the race.”

  “No.” Scarlet’s expression shifted from joy to despair. “Seriously?”

  “Yep.” I gave a nod. “You sound disappointed, but the bride sure isn’t. She’s relieved.”

  “Ah.” Scarlet grew silent. “I can’t believe I didn’t hear about it.”

  “It’s been on every news station,” Mama said.

  “I was at the bakery most of the night finishing up the cake.” She yawned. “That might explain it. I guess it’s just pure ego on my part. I wanted to be able to say that I’d made the wedding cake for the president and his wife. You know? Sure would’ve looked good on my resume.”

  “Hey, he’s still a senator who ran for president,” I reminded her. “There’s got to be something special that can come from that story. The man who would be president, and all that. . .”

  “Yeah, I guess. Only, you wouldn’t believe how much trouble I went to. I talked several of my customers into voting for him. I’ve been working overtime to get him elected.” She grew quiet and then shrugged. “Oh well. Dumb move on my part, I guess.”

  “Only dumb if you hadn’t planned to vote for him in the first place,” Rosa said, and then gave Scarlet a wink. “But we won’t ask you that question.”

  “Actually. . .” Scarlet took the box of crumbs from Rosa. “Ah, never mind. I guess it doesn’t matter now.” She stood back and examined the cake. “But it does look pretty, doesn’t it? I’ve never made one that I liked more. Did you notice how intricate the piping is?”

  “I did. But what really takes my breath away are the flowers, Scarlet. I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve really come a long way, baby. I mean, you were always good, but your flowers are really life-like now.”

  “Girl, you wouldn’t believe how many hours I spent working on those. This little bambina and I have had a lot of quiet time in the kitchen.” She rubbed her belly.

  “So, Armando told you that we already know the baby’s sex?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t mind. I mean, we planned to do a gender reveal cake next weekend at our Rossi family dinner, but what does it matter, really? As long as we all welcome her in style at my baby shower. You are helping with that, right, Bella?” She gave me an imploring look.

  “Helping? You bet I am. Wouldn’t miss that for anything in the world.” I gave her a hug and she seemed to relax.

  A couple of minutes later I noticed O’Conner standing guard near the cake table. He watched as Scarlet put the finishing touches on the confectionary masterpiece. I couldn’t help myself. I walked up to him and patted him on the back. “Have time for a little lighthearted conversation, Agent O’Conner?”

  “We don’t do lighthearted conversation, Mrs. Neeley.”

  “Right, I know. Just kidding.”

  “We don’t kid, Mrs. Neeley.”

  “Know that, too.” I gave him a little wink. “Do you mind if I ask one question, though?”

  “Ask away.”

  “Why do you guys always assume the position?”

  “Assume the position?” He looked perplexed. “I beg your pardon?”

  “You guys always stand in the same position. All of you. Hands clasped together. Standing perfectly still. You know. . .the position. And all of your guys seems to be really. . .”

  “Buff,” Scarlet said, looking away from the cake for a moment. “They’re buff.”

  Scarlet!” I gave her a “Please be quiet” look but that didn’t stop her.

  “We work hard to stay in shape, Ma’am: Boxing. Wrestling. Weight training. Jiu-Jitsu.”

  “Jiu-Jitsu?” Scarlet took one of the wedding cookies from a tray and started nibbling on it. “Is that some kind of religious cult?”

  “No Ma’am.” O’Conner cleared his throat and turned to face another direction.

  Scarlet leaned in close. “I had no idea these guys had their own separate religion,” she whispered. “Have you ever heard of Jiu-Jitsu, Bella?”

  “Yes, but it’s not a religion.”

  “He seems pretty dedicated to it.” She finished off the cookie.

  “Um, Scarlet?” I pointed to the crumbs on her fingertips.

  “Oops. Almost forgot they weren’t meant for me. But don’t worry, Bella. . .I made plenty of extras. I always do. Besides, I’m pregnant. You know? A girl needs her cookies when she’s expecting.”

  “Then what’s my excuse?” Pop asked as he walked by and snagged one.

  When I scolded him, he pushed out his belly to make himself look pregnant.

  “I’m not falling for that,” I said. “Now, everyone back away from the table. I need everything to be perfect today.”

  “Things will never be perfect, Bella-Bambina.” Mama’s voice sounded from behind me. I turned to face her. “But we do the best we can. True?”

  “True. I just want this to be a memorable day.”

  “Oh, trust me. . .it’ll be memorable.” Pop rolled his eyes. “When I crossed the lawn from our house to the wedding facility, a Secret Service agent patted me do
wn. Trust me when I say this is a day I’ll never forget.” He rolled his eyes. “And I’ll also add that it can’t end soon enough for me.”

  From across the room I caught a glimpse of Uncle Laz trying to hand out Laz for Prez buttons to a couple of the caterers. One of them took his button and pinned it on her apron, but her O’Conner made her remove it.

  “Laz isn’t giving up, is he?” I groaned. “He’s going to carry this joke all the way—”

  “To the White House.” Uncle Laz said as he stepped into place beside me. “So, you might as well wear one of my buttons, Bella. You know you want to.”

  “I’m sorry, Uncle Laz, but I can’t do that, especially not today. You know that.”

  “Sure you can. DeVine has dropped out of the race. That ups my chances.”

  “From .000001%, you mean?” Pop slapped his knee and laughed. He somehow got choked on a cookie as he did. For a minute there I thought we were going to have to do the Heimlich. So did O’Conner, who came running. Fortunately, Pop managed to catch his breath.

  And just in time, too. I glanced at my watch and gasped as I realized the bride was expected to arrive any minute now. I sprinted to her changing room to make sure every detail was in order. Then, just as I turned back toward the door, Victoria swept in, entourage in tow.

  Yep, it was time to get this show on the road.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Endless Love

  You begin saving the world by saving one man at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics.

  Charles Bukowski

  At five minutes after seven on the evening of Sunday, February 14th, I stood at the back of the Club Wed chapel and watched as our most famous bride made her entrance up the aisle. Okay, so I was framed on both sides by Secret Service guys, but they didn’t intimidate me or jar me from my current role as wedding coordinator. I kept a watchful eye on the bridal party, perfectly lined up at the front of the church, and got a little teary-eyed as Victoria’s father gave her away.

  At this point I leaned against the wall, exhausted but energized as I watched every minute of the ceremony. Though last night’s rehearsal was a bit crazy, the groom missing most of it, everything came off without a hitch this time around. And even though the bride hadn’t had much time to give to the décor, the flowers, the columns, the tulle, the twinkling lights, or even the ornate candelabras, she seemed completely content in her surroundings.

  Me? I thought the chapel looked prettier than I’d ever seen it. I’d never given thought to turning it into a Victorian picture-postcard, but the transformation left me breathless.

  Turned out I wasn’t the only one who was breathless. The Secret Service guy to my right lunged forward to snatch a cell phone out of the hand of a woman attempting to take a photograph. Poor gal never saw it coming. She let out a gasp but willingly gave up the cell phone then clamped her lips together and turned to face the front of the chapel. Thank goodness few others noticed.

  Wowza, these security guys took their job seriously.

  I took mine seriously, too. At the very moment the reverend pronounced the couple husband and wife, I sprang into action. I opened the back doors of the chapel so that Mr. and Mrs. DeVine could pass through, and I gave Victoria the biggest smile in the world. . .which she returned. Before she kissed her husband. And kissed him again.

  The kissing went on as the guests were ushered out of the chapel and directed to the reception hall for appetizers, which they would enjoy while the wedding party had photos taken. I quickly connected with the photographer, gave her a few last-minute instructions, then headed to the reception hall to make sure things there were running smoothly.

  I entered to a full house. The caterers had already set out the appetizers and guests formed lines to fill their plates. Mama gave me a little wave from the kitchen door and I took a few steps in her direction, pausing only to glance at the soundboard where my brother and D.J. would soon take up residence.

  Mama wiped her hands on her apron and gestured to Rosa and Laz, who couldn’t seem to remember that they didn’t need to be helping the caterers. “What do you think, Bella? It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Mm-hmm. Looks heavenly. Very. . .Valentiney.”

  “I think the bride will love it.”

  “Honestly? I think the bride is so distracted by her husband’s decision not to run for president that she won’t notice. But the guests seem to be enjoying it, and that’s what matters.”

  “Speaking of people dropping out of the race. . .” Mama gestured with her head to Uncle Laz, who now filled a teapot with hot water. “Did you hear?”

  “No.” I shook my head.

  “He’s decided to stop the shenanigans. No more signs in the front yard. No more posters at the restaurant. I think his decision had something to do with DeVine’s passionate speech at the rehearsal last night. It really got to him.”

  “Wow, that was quick. Just a couple of hours ago he was trying to pin a Laz for Prez button on me.”

  “I guess he came to his senses.” Mama shrugged. “Either that, or Rosa knocked some sense into him.”

  I gave my uncle a sympathetic look. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think Laz would’ve made a great President. The country would’ve been well-fed, at any rate.”

  “And I dare say Aunt Rosa would’ve made a great first lady.” Mama gave her sister a warm smile. “Though, to be honest, I don’t know how they could’ve handled it. They’re so busy already. Between their TV show, Parma Johns and all of the weddings, they’re overloaded.”

  “Yeah, what’s up with all of that, anyway?” I asked. “I thought Laz was going to back away from Parma Johns and let Nick take over.”

  “You really fell for that? Your uncle is a workaholic, Bella. Rosa wants him to slow down, but I think he thrives on it.”

  Hmm. Well, I certainly understood what that was like.

  I glanced over as D.J. and Armando took their places in the reception hall’s sound booth. My sweet hubby gave me a little wink and then got to work. A couple of minutes later I lined the wedding party up in perfect order just outside the reception hall door and when D.J. announced them they made their grand entrance, couple by couple. When it came time to announce Mr. and Mrs. DeVine, the crowd came alive with cheers. I couldn’t help but join in.

  They took the time to greet their guests. In fact, I had a feeling it would be awhile before Victoria and Beau ate any of that fancy food the caterers had worked so hard on.

  I looked on as they hugged and chatted with person after person. Mama joined me and let out a little whistle. “Man, that dress of hers is. . .wow.” She paused and shook her head. “Did Gabi make that dress? It’s remarkable!”

  “Yes Ma’am. Custom-made. You don’t even want to know how much it cost.”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Let’s just say the lace is over a hundred years old, which is why it’s got a bit of an ivory cast. You’ll notice it’s got tiny medallions of hand crochet lace and inserts. Oh, and the pearls are real.” I paused to give the bride a closer look. “I just love how those sheer lace sleeves fall over her shoulder like that, and how they loop under the arms.”

  “Yes. Really accentuates her hour-glass figure.”

  “It’s lined in silk,” I said. “And would you believe there are over fifty buttons up the back? You don’t even want to know how long it took the bridesmaids to get them all buttoned.”

  “Or how long it’s going to take Beau-Beau to un-button them.” Mama giggled.

  “True.” I couldn’t help but laugh in response to that. “Do you see how the gown has a slight bustle in the back?”

  “Gorgeous,” Mama said.

  “From what I understand, that’s the only part of the gown Victoria wasn’t sure about. She was afraid it made her backside look big.”

  “My goodness, if you want to see a large backside, I would be happy to demonstrate what a real one looks like.”

  I looked over to see that Twi
la had joined us. “Um, no thank you,” I said. “But thanks for the offer.”

  “I have to agree with your Mama,” Twila said. “The gown is lovely.”

  “Everything is lovely,” Jolene added with a happy sigh.

  “Even the Secret Servicemen are lovely,” Bonnie Sue added. “But please don’t tell my husband I said that. He might get the wrong idea.”

  “Ooo, look at the bride’s feet.” Jolene let out a little squeal. “Are those. . .lace boots?”

  “Ankle high,” I explained. And yes, lace and soft pink suede. Dolce and Gabbana.”

  “How much?” Bonnie Sue asked.

  “More than I make in a year as mayor, I’d be willing to bet.” Twila sighed. “Oh, but what a way to spend a year’s salary.”

  “That’s Catania lace on those boots,” Mama said. “I’d know it anywhere.”

  This led to a lengthy discussion about lace, which led to several comments from the ladies about vintage tea party décor, which led to a lengthy chat about the gorgeous wedding cake.

  Wedding cake!

  It was time to nudge the bride and groom toward the cake table for their first slice. Everyone in the room cheered as the once-bound-for-the-White-House groom shoved a piece of cake into his bride’s face. They found equal delight when she returned the favor. Afterwards, the best man and maid of honor gave their speeches and toasts were made. Then the dance floor was opened.

  I watched as D.J. and Armando manned the music, seamlessly weaving from one tune to the next. I found myself a little surprised to see that Beau-Beau was an excellent dancer—and not a shy one, either. He and Victoria spent a great deal of time in each other’s arms on the dance floor.

  The rest of the night seemed to sail by. I watched with a lump in my throat as the bride and groom thanked their guests, then made sure Victoria’s bag made it from the bride’s changing room to their limousine. Finally, with the guests—and the Secret Service —looking on, the bride and groom climbed into the limo and headed off into the night, never looking back.