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Checked to make sure the other girls were ready—they were. Apparently Reader had woken me up last. He hustled us down to the salon, installed everyone other than me with a stylist, and took me to the back.
A slim, reasonably attractive man was waiting. “Jimmy, it’s about time.” He sounded huffy and like he was faking a French accent.
“We were delayed.” Reader didn’t sound apologetic. He put me into the chair. “Kitty, this is Pierre.”
“Is Peter another cousin of yours?”
“Oh, she’s a bright one, Jimmy,” he said, fake accent gone. “But, no, darling, long ago ex-boyfriend. Still, how can one say no to those cheekbones?”
“No idea, I’ve never been able to.”
“I see we agree. The start of a lovely relationship. Call me Pierre here, though, will you, darling? It’s an image thing.”
“No worries. James, what is Pierre doing to me?”
Pierre answered. “Darling, we’re fluffing you up.” Reader started to cough.
“I know what that term means.”
Pierre gave me a wicked grin in the mirror. “I’m so impressed. No wonder our Jimmy adores you.”
“James?”
Reader managed to recover himself. “Pierre? It’s her wedding day, okay?”
“I imagine her intended can’t wait to lock up the darling who knows how to fluff.”
“He’s all over it. He likes my hair the way it is.”
Pierre snorted. “I’m sure, darling, I’m sure. Jimmy, the veil is, what? A piece of netting? This is all you could come up with?” He pointed to the veil which was hanging off a cabinet at his station. It didn’t look like much, I had to admit.
“I don’t even know if I want her in a veil.” Reader sounded exasperated.
“She’s in a mermaid I presume?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, you’re good.” I was impressed.
“Darling, no one has a better eye for what to wear when than our Jimmy. But he’s lost it with the veil.” Reader started to argue and Pierre put up his hand. “Dearest. You’re tired and look peaky. No one is accusing, no one is berating. Give me a moment.” He pulled out a cell phone. “De
Reader rolled his eyes but took the phone. He wandered off to have this conversation in semiprivate.
Pierre turned back to me. “Now, darling, De
I got the impression this was a test question. “I pretty much never wear makeup. I don’t think I should today, because Jeff wouldn’t know who I was.”
“Jeff is our eager groom?”
“Yes.” I was hoping Martini was picking up some of this. Pierre was a hoot and a half, and I was actually starting to enjoy being with him.
“Wise choice, darling, very wise. You have enough color in those lovely fair cheeks, your lips clearly haven’t been drained of color by too much lipstick, and your eyes are, or, well, will be once you’ve had a latte, bright and sparkling.” He looked over his shoulder. “Janice! I need a double latte.” He looked back to me.
“Vanilla. Extra vanilla.”
“A double vanilla latte with a triple shot of the vanilla in it, immediately.”
I didn’t see Janice, but I assumed she scampered off to fill my drink order. I was really enjoying this, and Chuckie’s warning from the day before surfaced. I knew he was right—Martini would be open to me doing this all the time. As a thrilling indulgence on the big day, it was great. Every week and I’d feel like the Queen of Shallow.
Reader came back and tossed Pierre his phone. “De
“Fabulous. Jimmy, dearest, I understand why you didn’t want to cover up her face. But, truly, netting?”
“I had a lot of other things to take care of.”
“James was ru
“She is adorable. I’d wrap her up and take her home if I could. Fine, darlings, all is forgiven. We’ll see what De
My latte arrived before De
“No, not so much.” He sounded distracted. Pierre and I exchanged looks in the mirror.
“Darlings, going to step aside just for a moment, be right back.” Pierre trotted off.
I got up out of the chair and grabbed Reader’s arm. “James, what’s wrong?”
“I think I’ve forgotten something.”
“Like what?”
“Something important.” His voice was tense.
I hugged him. “James, whatever it is, I’d have forgotten it, too.”
He hugged me back, tightly. “No, I don’t think so.” He was quiet. “Run though the things you’d think you needed for your wedding. No pause, just rattle them off.”
“Um, location, reception, dresses, tuxedos, rings, gifts for the bridal party—which I don’t have. Shoes, gift for you and for Jeff—which I also don’t have. Flowers, deejay, wedding cake—”
Reader cursed. “I knew it!”
“What? No cake? We can live without a cake.”
“Possibly. However, not without flowers.” His heart was pounding. I was used to this with Martini, but not Reader.
I dragged him to Pierre’s chair and made him sit. “James, it’s okay.” I went behind him and started to massage his shoulders. “Really, it’s okay. Breathe, deep breaths, deep breaths. It’s Vegas, for God’s sake. They have everything here. You seem to know everyone here, too.”
“I’m from here.” He said it like it was a confession.
“So? I’m from Pueblo Caliente. We’re Southwesterners, desert dwellers. Makes us great under pressure. James, really, stop stressing.” I hugged him. “James, you almost died, and you’re miraculously here, doing everything for my wedding. It’s more important to me that you’re with me than if I’m carrying some dead plant life. Okay?”
He closed his eyes. “No, but I’ll take it.”
“So dramatic.” Pierre was back. “As if, as our darling girl said, we don’t have florists all over. We’re a wedding capital, Jimmy.” He shook his head. “He’s such a doll, isn’t he? I know he adores you, he only gets like this with people he cares about.”
“The flowers have to be right.” Reader sounded anal again.
“No, they don’t. They just have to be there. James, I don’t care. I mean, I do, but not this much. You found the most gorgeous dress for me, in a sea of gorgeous dresses. Same for all the other dresses. And I’m sure I’ll love Jeff’s tux. We’ll love everything else, too.”
My phone rang. Made the exasperation sound, let go of Reader, dug it out. Got it on the sixth ring. “Not such a great time.”
“I know,” Martini said. “That’s why I called. Look, what’s wrong with James? Your worry is off the scales, and it’s centered around him. And the less said about what I’m picking up from him the better.”
“Uhhh . . .”
He sighed. “He’s right there, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Me or Paul? Who’s going to solve the problem best?”
“Option two. Fast. Like, really fast.”
“Got it. Love you.” He hung up.
“Who was that?” Reader asked me, sounding stressed.
“Uhhhh . . .” I didn’t know how to answer.
Pierre rolled his eyes where Reader couldn’t see. “She can have a call you’re not privy to, Jimmy.”
“No she can’t.”
“Sure she can, Jamie.” Gower was with us. I tried to remember if I’d ever been this happy to see him before and came up short.
“Paul, what are you doing here?” Reader sounded upset.
Gower shook his head. “What happened?”
“Major screw-up,” Reader snapped.
“We forgot about the flowers. It’s not a problem, Paul.”
Gower nodded. “Jamie, can I talk to you, privately?” Reader looked ready to argue. “Now, Jamie. I mean it.”