Marry Me for Money (30 page)

“I know,” he said.

I laughed.

“If I could only have the luck I have at work with relationships, I’d be golden.”

“Brian…” I said, sighing into his shoulder.

“I’m just kidding.” He released me and gave me one small peck on the top of my head. “Good-bye, Miss Bethany Casse.”

I watched him walk across the street until he was a stick figure among the crowd.

And he never looked back.

Biting my pinkie nail, I sat and took in the display of couture wedding dresses in front of me. Headless full-body mannequins were draped in elegant gowns surrounding the reception area of Neiman Marcus’s bridal salon.

I glanced down to my typical loungewear of jeans and gym shoes. I wished I’d dressed up more for the consultant to notice me. The tall blonde with the sleek long hair didn’t glance my way. I’d been sitting here for twenty minutes, waiting for Mrs. Plack. I was surprised that the bridal consultant hadn’t asked me if I wanted to look around.

My phone vibrated beside me, and I reached in my purse. Kent’s name flashed against the screen right before I picked it up.

“Hey, Mother is running late. She just called my cell. She’s just about there. Are you excited?”

“I’m excited to spend the day with her, but I’m not excited to go wedding shopping,” I said, pouting at the phone.

“You’re supposed to be happy. Play the part. Mother is thrilled to spend the whole day doing what girls do best—shop till they drop.” I could sense his smile on the phone. “Well, try at least. She’s ecstatic that she gets to spend time with you.”

I glanced at the blonde-haired consultant in front of me and the row of couture dresses and sighed. “Fine, I’ll fake it till I make it,” I said, still pouting.

“Beth, thank you. I’m forever indebted to you.”

“Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure.” I ended the call just after I heard him chuckle.

Karen Plack sauntered toward me, giving me one of her warmest smiles. She enveloped me in a bear hug, and I took in her sweet scent of apples and cinnamon, everything a mother should smell of—not alcohol and cigarettes, like my mother.

She released me and held me at arm’s length. “Beth, are you ready to shop for that perfect dress?” she asked, her eyes alight.

“Am I ever,” I replied a little louder than expected.

The blonde-bobbed bridal consultant greeted Mrs. Plack immediately. Shaking her hand firmly, she said, “Welcome to Nieman Marcus. We are so glad you came in to visit us today. I’m Crystal Kensington, and I will be assisting you in finding that perfect wedding gown.”

The inflection of her voice annoyed me, and the fact that she hadn’t acknowledged me earlier annoyed me more. It was most likely because, although Karen never tried, she looked like money with her cashmere sweater, Chanel purse, and the big rock on her finger. I looked like the help in my comfortable clothing of jeans and a light sweater. I’d already been warned that today was shop-till-I-drop day with the future mother-in-law, so I’d automatically dressed for comfort.

“Oh, lovely,” Karen said, clasping her hands together. She wrapped one arm around me and held me close. “This is the beautiful bride-to-be, Beth Casse. Today is her day. I want to make sure she gets everything she wants.”

Only then did Crystal Kensington glance my way to give me her fake smile. “Beth, nice to meet you,” she said, taking my hand.

I caught her glancing at Kent’s largely obnoxious engagement ring on my finger before she took in my appearance. “Let’s move this way, shall we?”

She led us through the hall and to an open-spaced area lined with rows and rows of bridal gowns. “I’m sure we’ll find you what you need. We hold accounts with every top-end designer, and we have the latest gowns from this year’s wedding season.”

We followed her as she continued to walk down the row of gowns. “We have the latest styles with fabrics imported from Europe—duchess satin, iridescent taffeta, organza, chiffon, beaded silks. We have it all,” she boasted, running her hand against the gowns as she strolled down the aisle.

As her high-pitched voice continued to echo through the room, I felt my anxiety rising and the queasiness in my stomach climbing to my throat. It was too much to take in, and I slowly trailed behind them.

“Beth?” Karen asked, turning around, realizing I’d fallen behind. She walked toward me, her face etched with concern.

“I’m sorry. What was that?” I asked, not hearing her. I gave her a small smile and tried to recall what she’d just said.

“Will Kendy be getting her dress here?” Karen asked, giving my hand a squeeze. “Are you okay, honey? You don’t look well.”

Maybe my smile looked a little pained.

“I haven’t discussed details with Kendy, but when I saw her at the party, I just told her to get a dress at home,” I said.

Crystal made a face at my comment, and my annoyance jumped up a notch at this snooty bridal consultant that had barely even spoken a word to me. I was already not feeling well.

“Karen, there’s also this other place down the street I want to try after this.”

“Whatever you want, honey. This is your day.”

Crystal stood at attention as my words sank in. She gave me her winning smile as she sensed her commission slipping through her fingers. “Ms. Casse, we do carry the most designers. Let’s try on some dresses, shall we?”

Mirrors surrounded me as I was elevated on a circular step in the dressing room that was as big as my apartment. The Monique Lhuillier wedding gown clung to my body tightly from my bust to my waist and flared to a Cinderella-style organza skirt accented with pickups. I couldn’t breathe as every time I exhaled my rib cage pushed against the bodice of the dress.

Through the mirror, I noticed Mrs. Plack’s smile, displayed full of awe. It seemed as if she might cry, and I thought I might too, but not for the same reason. I tugged the piece of white paper attached to the dress I was wearing, and my eyes widened at the fifteen-thousand-dollar price tag. I dropped the paper as if I’d been burned, and I couldn’t prevent my jaw from dropping as I thought of what other useful purchases could have been made with that kind of money.

“Honey, don’t look at the price tag. Jack and I have been looking forward to this day. Please don’t be shy. I want everything to be wonderful,” she said, searching my face. “Don’t let the money stop you from getting what you want.”

When she moved closer, I realized that she was holding back tears. Her eyes filled with such strong emotion that the warmth in them moved me.

“You’re going to make a lovely bride, Beth.”

I bit my lip to prevent myself from tearing up as well. She had never referred to herself as mom, and Mr. Plack had never done the same with dad before. But for a small moment, I secretly wished that I were marrying into this loving family to have a mother to do these things with, to have that motherly touch. With Nana gone, I craved and missed that bond so badly.

“What do you think?” My voice was slightly hoarse.

“I love it on you,” Karen said, touching the beading by my waist.

“Me, too,” I lied. Actually, I hated it, but looking at Karen’s face, I just wanted to see her happy.

“Honey, it’s the first dress you’ve tried on. Are you sure you don’t want to try on others?”

I nodded. I didn’t want to try on any more when I knew I’d hate them all.
Why prolong the daylong torture of trying on dress after dress when I know my real dress is not here or at any other upscale department store?

“You sure you don’t want to try on any more?” Karen asked again, surveying the dress one last time.

“I’m sure. I love it,” I lied again.

Karen grabbed both of my shoulders to face her. “Beth, you are going to be such a beautiful bride.” She enveloped me in a hug as I saw Crystal Keningston smile at the buy we were about to make.

As we walked into the Club International restaurant of the Drake Hotel, I took in the private dining room cloaked in oak wood as we faced a large Gothic fireplace.

Karen’s eyes crinkled at me as we were seated. “I’m so excited. We have the dress.”

I returned her smile, pleased at her contentment and delighted that I was in her presence. Her carefree aura was contagious, and just being around her made this experience less painful. I would never cease to wonder where this wonderful woman had come from.

After the waiter took our orders, Karen turned to me. “I can’t wait for the big day. We’re only a couple of weeks away.” She sipped her tea and placed the fine china cup, rimmed with a gold trim, back on top of the saucer .

“I know. It’s all happening so fast,” I said.

“Thanks for being patient with him. Kent is not a very patient man. He takes that after his father, but what Kent lacks in patience, he makes up with his big heart.”

She took another sip of tea as she leaned back against her chair. “Right after we were married, we tried for years and years to conceive. We consulted the best doctors, and they couldn’t find anything wrong. Jack suggested that we adopt. I wasn’t against adoption, but I loved Jack so much that I wanted the flesh of his flesh. I wanted his child.” A melancholy smile passed her face as she recalled the struggles of her past. “Then, I decided to throw in the towel and call the adoption agency. I knew Jack would be the perfect father, just like his father, and I wanted to see that happen…and that’s the week I found out I was pregnant.”

She took a deep breath. “The first time I held our little boy in my arms in the delivery room, I studied every feature from the dark fuzz on the top of his head to his cute nose to his big, round brown eyes, and I knew there was nothing more beautiful,” she said. “That’s the first and only time I’ve ever seen my husband cry.” She shook her head to bring herself into focus.

“And so, as you can tell, he is spoiled. We showered him with love and everything he’s ever wanted. He was our one and only even though we kept trying through my child-bearing years.” She fiddled with the rock on her ring finger. “He is how he is because of his upbringing. I take full responsibility for his spoiled side and his obnoxious side and the side of him that doesn’t like the word
no
. But I also take responsibility for his softer side, his loyal side, the way he loves, and how when he cares, he cares deeply. He’s always pampered this old woman, and he’s spoiled me rotten, just like his father.” She chuckled. “I can only imagine how he’ll pamper you for the rest of his life.”

I was privileged to know Kent’s softer side, a side only a few people had been allowed to see, a side of him that he’d allowed me to see. If someone had told me that first day when we met that he’d turn out to be one of my best friends in Chicago, I never would have believed it. But I’d grown to care for him and his well-being, and overall, I liked being around him. I enjoyed his company.

“So, are you up for more shopping? We still need to pick out the cake and the flowers. Oh, and also we need to choose your shoes!”

I thought I made a not-so-cute face because Karen laughed.

“I’m sorry. I’ve never had a daughter to do this with. I guess I’m a little excited, if you can’t tell already.”

I made up my mind that every decision I had to make in planning this wedding would be to make her happy. I’d have my time later to choose what I wanted when I planned my own wedding.