9781631054631ChoiceAffairsSalisbury (3 page)

“You know exactly why,
Tony. Don
’t play your games with me.”

“Games?
You know your problem, Apolo?”

I sighed, knowing what
was coming.
Insolent twerp.
“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.
Whether I want to hear or not.”

“You think you’re
above everyone else. You think you can snap your fin
gers
and everyone bows to you or submits to your every command. You’re a rich,
selfish bastard.”

“Am I now? I don’t
recall hearing that pass your lips when I’ve helped you on one of your many
endeavors. You had your hands out greedily, as I remember.”

“You
refused to help finance the restaurant. You forced me to
go to other sources.”

“I refused, Tony,
because you are reckless with my money and never repay your debts. End of
subject. So, now you think you’re going to sell out details of my wedding to
the
highest bidder? Just like Caitlyn’s mother? No,
it stops now.”

“You know, Apolo, one
of these days, your high and mighty attitude is going to kick you in the butt.
Right when you least expect it.”

I sat back in my
leather swivel chair, eyeing him closely.
“Is that a
threat brother?”

“Consider it a
warning.”

“Then, you don’t know
me as well as you think, Anthony. Two things I don’t take to are extortion and
blackmail. You’d be very wise to remember that.”

“Is that a threat,
Apolo?”

“Heavens,
no!
Just a piece
of
brotherly advice.”

“Someone needs to
knock you down off your high horse, brother.”

“You tried once,
remember?”

“So you say.”

“Anthony, I don’t have
time to sit here and bicker with you. Grow up. Make something of yourself. But
don’t do it on my back, o
r our wedding. Do we
understand each other?”

I turned to face the
windows, hoping he would understand that I was dismissing him. What was it with
him? He’s always thought that he should get a free ride. Never once had he
shown the initiative to do anything
that required the
least little bit of hard work. He’s always had his hand out.

After he had been
kicked out of officer training, our father had at least seen the light and cut
him off. But then, he only turned to me. I had helped him out with a few ventur
es. Things that on paper, and if he’d applied himself and
worked at, would have probably turned out successfully. But he had wanted to
party instead.

When he had come to me
with the idea of this California-style restaurant on the banks of Lake Lanier,
I ha
d thought it was doable. But restaurants are a
very risky venture. Few survive the first year, let alone the first five. That
reason alone is why I’ve never ventured into the business myself. Anthony knew
that, but hadn’t liked it when I had refused to fin
ance
his latest scheme.
Which was his
problem, not mine.

He was still standing
behind me. I could feel him seething at being shut down. Slowly, I turned to
face him and dismiss him, once and for all.

“You’re still here? Is
there something else you needed t
o discuss, or did I
not make myself clear?”

“No, I’m leaving. You
know, you’re a pompous, arrogant ass, Apolo.
One of these days, brother.
One of these days… We’ll see who has
the last laugh.”

I ignored his attempt
to get a rise out of me. I knew better th
an to fall
into his pathetic trap. Instead, I opened my laptop and watched him storm out
of the room. The same way he’d come in.

Damn, meddling
relatives.

* * * *

Caitlyn

My
wedding day.
The day every little girl and young woman
dreams of.
Like in a story book, I had found my prince charming. We’d
fallen in love, and now, we were set to get married.

Izzie had spent the
night. We decided it would be easier after my mother’s shenanigans. I knocked
on the doorof the bedroom she was using. Sinc
e the
house would be bustling with activity, I’d had breakfast served in a library on
the same floor.

She came to the door,
opening it with a huge smile. “Good morning, Caitlyn. Did you sleep any?”

“Barely.
But Apolo somehow managed to sleep like
a baby. Did you?” I asked, motioning her to come with me. “I’ve had breakfast
brought upstairs, so that we can have some peace.”

“I slept like a baby,
too. I want one of these mattresses. I’ve never felt so good lyi
ng in bed…”

We entered the
library. There was a table filled with food. Buffet style. Coffee, assorted
juices, milk. “Grab a plate, Izzie. We need to get something in our stomachs
before the champagne flows.”

“I have to agree with
you there, girlfriend. Wh
ere’s Apolo?”

“Locked in his office,
I’m sure. His parents went out in search of something, and my father went along
with them. I’m sure everyone’s making
themselves
scarce since mother will be arriving any time.”

Izzie laughed. “Yes,
and knowing Susan, sh
e’s going to be wide open.”

“Yes, but Apolo said
he intended to have a little sit down with her when she arrives. You know?
Remind her of her place.
To leave
the details to the wedding planner.
Let the help alone. Stay away from the
press.
That sort of thi
ng.
Not that she’ll listen.”

“He could lock her in
a bedroom.” Izzie giggled as she filled a plate and brought it, along with a
steaming hot cup of coffee, to the small table.

“That’s his backup
plan.”

Izzie snorted, staring
at me. “Are you serious?”

“As
a
heart attack.
She’s done enough damage with her
meddling. Just wait until she finds out
she
—”

And there she
was,
voice larger than life. I couldn’t make
out the words, but I knew she’d been to see Apolo. The door opened and in she
came.
Quiet time over.
S
he glared at
me, and then Izzie, before slamming the door shut behind her. I looked at Izzie
out of the corner of my eye.
Show
time.

“Caitlyn, thank God!
Here you are! Do you know your fiancé kidnapped me? I was forced to wear an
ankle monitor and not allo
wed my cell phone or
anything else,” she ranted, without taking a breath. “Do you know he just
demanded I stay in my room until the ceremony? And that I’m to choose one of
two dresses to wear? Said my gown upstaged yours?”

“Mother,
calm down and sit.
Consi
dering what you’ve done,
you should be thankful you’re even getting to attend.”

“Calm down? The man is
trying to ruin my day.”

Wrong
choice of words
.
“
Your
day
?
Your
day
?
What in the hell do you mean—
your
day
? Today is
my
wedding day.
Mine and Apolo’s.
You
’ve done
nothing but try and upstage us at every move.
Going to the press when you were asked not to.
Whatever you can do to put yourself in the limelight.
Well, he’s right. You need to stay in
your room until the ceremony. You’re nothing but a self-center
ed bitch, Mother.”

As usual, nothing I
said seemed to
phase
her in the least. “Caitlyn, I’m the
mother of the bride. I have certain roles I’m supposed to play. But Apolo is
trying to take that all away from me. I won’t stand for it.”

“Mother, you lost all
claim to your roles when you went behind our backs and did
that talk show. I stand behind everything Apolo is doing to try to bring you
under control.”

“Well, I’m not wearing
either of those dresses. I’ll wear my Vera Wang. End of subject.”

“No, you won’t,
Mother. That dress is over the top, and you know it. Now,
either choose one of the two, or stay in your room during the ceremony and
reception.
Your choice.”

“Izzie?
Are you going to sit there and let your
best friend talk to her mother this way?”

Izzie e
yed her carefully. “Not being disrespectful, Susan, but
yes. Yes, I am. I back whatever means Apolo had to take to silence you. This is
Caitlyn’s day, not yours. Now, behave like a mother of a bride and not some
reality show trailer trash.”

Mother stood th
ere, speechless for a moment. A moment that was too short.
“Izzie?
Not you, too?”

“Yes,
me too, Susan.
Now, I suggest you suck it up, shut up, and make some vain attempt to enjoy the
day as a secondary player. I know it’ll be hard, but somehow I know you h
ave it in you.”

“Well—!”

“And if you don’t,
I’ll help Apolo lock you in that bedroom myself. You’ve caused enough damage as
it is. I’ll not see you ruin my bestie’s most important day.”

Exasperated, Mother
glanced from me to Izzie and back before storming
out
of the room. Again, the door slammed behind her.

“Sorry,
Caitlyn.
I had to do that. She was out of control. Besides, it’s your day, not hers.”

“No need to apologize,
Iz. She had it coming. I suppose when we finish here, we should start getting
ready.
We have about two hours. I thought we could
use the master bedroom.”

“Where’d you run him
off to?”

“He volunteered
actually. He’s put his stuff in a guest room. You know men—they don’t need as
much space.”

“Is Anthony helping
him out, or is his brother bei
ng best man all for
show?”

“Like my mother, it’s
what he can get out of this event to benefit himself. I think Anthony’s a
little put out because Apolo chose not to use his restaurant or let him cater
the reception.”

“But I’m sure, like
your mother, he’ll
make sure he gets his name
mentioned at every turn.”

“You’re learning,
Izzie.” I laughed. Amazing, since I’d been under such stress.

“Come on. Why don’t we
grab a plate and some coffee and head to your room?”

“Yes, we should. It’ll
give us some privacy, an
d I won’t be rushed.”

We both fixed a plate
of food and grabbed the cups of coffee we’d poured before my mother’s grand
entrance. Heading down the hall, I could hear her somewhere, speaking with some
poor, unsuspecting soul. I shook my head and continued t
o the closed door.

Izzie and I had no
more than sat down at a small table overlooking the back courtyard where the
reception would be held when someone knocked on the door. We looked at each
other, and I glanced at the clock.