“It’s not our style,” Helena says, looking at me and then at Sofia.
“This is a setting area,” Sofia informs her. “If you wanted to do it outside, a tent will have to be installed. This area is for smaller weddings and more for an intimate feel.” I glare at Helena, who doesn’t even feel fazed by my look, nor does she care. “Now this is the first table I have set up for you.” She stops at a round table. “Obviously this is a smaller version of the table. I went with a white tablecloth, as you can see. You will see the large black plate on the bottom that never leaves the table until after the service.” She points at the last plate with two white plates stacked on top of it. “I put together a sample menu that will go on each plate.”
“I like it,” Helena says. “I like the tall black vase.” She points at the tall vase in the middle of the table filled with white flowers.
“I like the little ones.” I point at the little square black vases that are smaller and filled with tulips and daisies. “It’s easier to talk to the person across from you.”
“Then I did this one a little bit more.” She walks over to the table, and I hate everything about it. “Blingy,” she says and Helena gasps.
It’s a table with a black tablecloth and all the vases are clear with bling on them. The black-and-white plates in the middle have a black napkin inside of those rings that holds them together, again full of diamonds. “Now this,” Helena declares, “is what we were looking for.”
Sofia makes the mistake of looking up at me, waiting for me to say something, but instead I just look down at the table. There is chattering going on around me, but I just stare at the table setting. “I don’t even think we need to see number three,” I hear Helena say from beside me. Even though she walks over to the third table, but I don’t, I just look from the first table to the second. Knowing I would never choose any of this.
“Okay, so I’ll work on that,” I hear Sofia say. “And I’ll send you a couple of decorations that would add more bling,” she says, and I can’t even begin to think about more bling.
“Also, I would love the dance floor to be in white and our initials in black,” Helena adds and Sofia nods at her as she makes a note.
“Sounds good,” Sofia assures her as we walk back to the waiting area. “I’ll work on that and send you guys the prices for each of those so you can look at them. Again, everything can be modified.”
“Thank you so much!” Helena shrieks and claps her hands together all happy. “We will wait for your email.” She turns to me. “Do you want to add anything?”
“No, I think I’m good,” I reply, looking back at Sofia who is just standing there. “See you soon.” I nod at her and walk out into the hot breeze.
“What is your problem?” Helena hisses out once we get to her car.
“I don’t have a problem,” I tell her, annoyed. “It’s just too much,” I finally say, and she rolls her eyes at me and folds her arms over her chest.
“Happy wife, happy life,” she states. “Now, where are we going to eat?”
“I’m going home,” I tell her. “I have an early morning.” For the first time in our relationship, I lie to her.
“Ugh, fine,” she pouts, “I’ll go home and do more wedding planning.”
“Okay,” I say, leaning and kissing her lips before walking to my car.
“You’ve become so quiet lately,” Helena says, right before I get in my car.
“Have I?” I ask, waiting for her to ask me why. Waiting for her to ask me if I’m okay, but she doesn’t, instead she just nods her head.
“Yes, and I don’t like it.” She turns and walks over to her car. “Don’t ruin this experience for me.” She gets into her car and takes off, leaving me staring at her taillights. I look toward the office, seeing a light on and wondering if I should go and talk to her. But just like two years ago, I turn around and walk away.
sofia
I’m standing in the conference room, going over different flower pictures in front of me. “Knock, knock, knock.” I hear the voice coming from the hallway right before I hear the sound of the pitter-patter of feet running. “Charlotte, be careful.” The minute I hear her name, a smile just fills my face.
“Sofia,” Charlotte, my baby cousin, says running into the room, her voice bright and clear, matching the massive smile on her face. “Sofia, Sofia.” I see her brown pigtails moving side to side as she makes her way over to me.
“Charlie, Charlie,” I call her by her nickname, squatting down and opening my arms for her and she lunges herself into them.
“Sofia.” She giggles my name as I bury my face in her neck blowing kisses. “That tickles.” She squirms in my arms.
“Wow,” my aunt Harlow says from the doorway, “you are wearing a white shirt and literally just took a toddler into your arms.” She shakes her head. “Courageous.” I look down at my white sleeveless shirt that I paired with my black-and-white checkered pants.
I smile at her and then look back at Charlie, who is playing with my hair as she looks at me. “She could be covered in red paint, and I would still want all the cuddles.”
“I don’t have red paint,” Charlie says, looking down at herself.
“You don’t,” I tell her, and I bring her back to me to kiss her again. Ever since I was a young kid, my aunt Harlow was always by my side. We did everything together until she moved here about ten years ago. She came to attend the wedding of her ex-boyfriend, not knowing the wedding was going to be called off the same day. I heard from a couple of people that they started back again that very same night. Either way, she moved here, and Travis is Shelby, Clarabella, and Presley’s older brother.
“Do I hear my little girl?” Clarabella says, sticking her head out of her office. “I have presents for you.”
Charlie squirms out of my arms and runs out. “Traitor,” I mumble, making Harlow laugh as she comes over to me and gives me a hug. “Where is Theo?”
“He’s having a father/son day,” she says with a massive smile on her face. “Besides, I don’t think Clarabella would be happy if he comes back here. Last time it was like the Roadrunner all over the place, and then he threw up in her office and didn’t tell her.” She tries not to laugh but fails. “Anyway, how is my favorite niece?” she asks and I give her the biggest hug.
“Amazing,” I spout sarcastically.
“What is that tone?” she says, letting go of me.
I walk back to the table, and she follows me and looks down at the pictures of the flowers. “I’m in the middle of planning my first wedding.” I look over at her as she moves the images around. “Matthew’s wedding,” I state, and her head whips to look over at me.
“Matthew who?” she asks, but I have a feeling she already knows what I’m about to tell her.
“No, you are not!” she shrieks out and throws her hands in the air. “You are fucking not.”
“That’s a bad word, Mommy,” Charlotte says from the hallway.
“Sorry.” She puts her hands on her cheeks. “Please explain to me what is happening right now?”
I laugh at her reaction, which I think is why I haven’t told her. “Well, his fiancée, Helena, reached out to me." I start telling her the story as she pulls out a chair. I sit down next to her as I recap everything that has been going on. “The last time he came in, he was alone,” I tell her, the pit of my stomach burning when I think back to the day last week. “He said we should talk, but I cut him off.”
“Don’t you think you two should have a conversation?” she asks and I glare at her. She holds her hands up to me in a motion not to go after her. “I’m just saying, you guys didn’t exactly have closure.”
“I mean, it’s pretty much self-explanatory that he breaks up with me and then dumps my shit at my door,” I point out.
“But didn’t you send his shit back with a guy?” she reminds me, and I roll my eyes. Did I get pissed off when he sent my things back? Yes. Did I do the most petty thing of all time and ask a hot guy to do me a favor? Yes.