Elly gave him an annoyed smile. She was already late. The door slammed behind her.
The Fabulous Fox Theater, located in midtown St. Louis, was a place of legend. It had opened in 1929 by William Fox, and was designed by Howard Crane, a world-famous architect and very worldly man for his time. It was modeled after the Hindu mosques of old India, a dazzling display of golden warrior statues and Hindu gods that hovered over the audiences. Elly had seen several shows there under its exotic jeweled glory, including the latest tours to come from Broadway. When she and Kim walked in, there was never anything less than silent awe played across their faces. Bronze monkeys, elephants, tigers, and snakes covered every surface above and around the stage. All the fabrics were an opulent mix of reds, purples, and golds. You didn’t see a show at the Fox—you saw the Fox while a show played in the background. This, she marveled, just outside the large box-office doors, was indeed the perfect place for a celebrity to get married. Do I knock? She peered through the black doors. She could make out Gemma, standing inside with a cameraman. Oh. Great.
Gemma looked in her direction, rolled her eyes, and stomped over, her thigh-high boots thudding so loudly that they could be heard even outside the door. “You’re late.”
Elly looked at her watch. Today was not the day to pick on Elly Jordan. “Actually, I’m right on time. At least, according to American time.”
Gemma pushed the door open as she gave Elly a bewildered look. “We’re right inside. We just finished filming Lola’s reaction to the venue—surprise!, she has seen it twice already—and we are just wrapping up our shots of her and the venue coordinator talking.”
Elly was confused. “So, if you are finished filming, why am I here?”
Gemma looked at her like she was the stupidest person she had ever seen. “You and Lola are coming up with her floral plan for the wedding.”
“Here?”
“Yes, here. Or do you not do site visits with your clients?”
Elly could feel her temper rising. “No, we do, I was just under the impression that this would just be a walk-and-talk kind of thing.”
“Well, I’m sorry, you were misinformed. The caterers have prepared a nice lunch for you guys in the Griffin restaurant.” Oh. Well, at least there was lunch. “Lola has a strict vegetarian diet, so I hope that’s fine with …,” she eyed Elly up and down, “you.” Oh, well, there went that.
“I have to run to my car to get a consultation sheet,” said Elly. Gemma gestured to the door. Elly stalked back to the car in the dripping heat. Stupid Gemma. Stupid Dennis. That’s what this was really about, wasn’t it? She flung her cardigan into the backseat. Well, today a movie star would have to deal with her chunky arms and saddlebags. Too bad. By the time she arrived back inside the Fox, Gemma was heading out—thank goodness—and Lola was waiting for Elly at the top of a long, red staircase, like they were in an old Hollywood romance. Only, in this romance, the heroine was an alcoholic, and the hero was a chubby woman with a new brother who did nothing.
Elly slowly climbed the grand stairs, making it up much faster than she should have.
“Hey, Elly!” Lola seemed a bit better today, if still a little fragile. She was wearing a short black dress with a checkerboard top. The dress only had one sleeve, and swooped loosely over her chest area. Huge red stilettos almost blended in with the red stairs. Her strawberry blond hair was piled loosely on top of her head, holding a gigantic pair of white sunglasses firmly in place.
Elly felt suddenly undressed. And Dennis had said her hair looked crazy. Crap.
“Elly!” Lola wrapped her in a unexpected hug. She was a tiny person and practically folded into Elly like a delicate piece of origami. Elly felt bones in Lola’s back. “I’m excited for our consultation. I have so many great ideas that I have been discussing with Joe.”
Elly let out a long breath. “Wonderful! I can’t wait to hear them. I have my consultation sheets right here.” She held out the crumpled papers. “Sorry. I didn’t know we would be making actual decisions today.”
Lola gave her a kind smile. “That okay. Gemma’s a little scary.”
Elly suddenly liked her immensely. “She totally is.”
They sat down in the empty Griffin dining room, filled with tiny winged gargoyles, white linen tables, and expensive-looking stemware. The lights were dimmed. The whole scene was intimate—and sort of creepy. Elly looked around. “Do you always have to eat alone like this?”
Lola gave a nod. “We can’t really go anywhere without being mobbed or photographed. Mostly, we try to stay in, but I get cabin fever really quickly.” She looked down. “I’m hoping it goes away when we’re married. Who would care then what we do?”