"Oh, Theo, shit, I can't believe this.I'm getting married tomorrow, and I'm on the phone with you."
"Told ya, you missed me."
I heard a knock on her door.Lacey sat up straighter."Uh, yes, I'm not dressed," she called.
"Is that him?"I asked."Let him in.I wanna talk to him," I said.
"It's not George."
"Fuck, George?Do people still get named George?"
"I've got to go, Theo.Thanks for my therapy session.I'm feeling remarkably better."
"Not as good as you'd feel if I was actually between your legs."
She laughed."But really, Theo.Thanks.Take care."She hung up.Once again, I was left with a goodbye that felt permanent."Take care" was something you said to a distant friend, a friend you only saw once in a great while or even never.
I dropped the phone onto my nightstand and scooted down to the pillow.It was going to be another long fucking night.
TEN
LACEY
It had already been a long morning, and it seemed it was going to get longer.I knew Joan's knock which said a lot about her and her knock.She always rapped sharply and confidently.Mom looked at me and mouthed the word "Joan."I nodded.
"Come in," I called.Mom had gotten back to the estate early.She and dad were renting a small house nearby.Joan had suggested they could stay at the mansion, but she'd said it with just enough "if you must" in the tone to confirm my parents' plan to stay in a rental.It had come in handy.They'd showed up for the first night of cocktails but had spent the rest of the time going to lunch and dinner and having a nice, quiet vacation away from the wedding chaos.These people weren't for them, and I was coming to the very fast conclusion that they weren't for me either.
Joan walked into the room and gave a quick visual inspection as if she worried I'd been trashing the place.Mom gave me a short shrug.
Joan's champagne blonde hair was pulled back off her face.She could have been considered pretty, but she always wore such a stern expression it was hard to see past that.She set a velvet box down on my dresser."I brought the diamonds early.Please keep an eye on them.They're worth two hundred thousand dollars."
I heard my mom gasp.
"Uh, diamonds?"I asked."What diamonds?"
Joan looked at me as if I was the stupidest person on earth."The diamond necklace you're wearing for the wedding."She opened the box.This time I gasped along with Mom.The box was dripping with diamonds.It was a multi-stranded platinum and diamond necklace, one that was far too extravagant for my simple wedding dress, the dress Joan had looked askance at when I tried it on, but when it came to the dress I wouldn't be bullied.
"I'm wearing my Grandmother Josie's pearls.They're much more suited to my dress style and my whole look.Plus, they have sentimental value."
"You can wear the pearls at the reception.I'll be collecting these up right after the ceremony for security reasons.As I said, they're worth?—"
"Yes, you said already," I said curtly.
Mom cleared her throat."It really is a lovely strand of pearls.The diamonds might overshadow the dress and, dare I say, the bride."Mom smiled and laughed gently, but Joan kept her expression rock hard.
"As I said, you can switch to the pearls at the reception."She pulled her mouth tight to let us know she thought poorly of the idea."Oh, and Grace will be here in an hour to start makeup on you and your bridesmaids."My bridesmaids consisted of my good friend, Mindy, and the rest were George's relatives or family friends.It was sort of pathetic, but I had no sister, and we only had a few cousins who all lived too far away to bother sending invites.
As Joan walked out, something occurred to me."I'm sorry, did you say Grace was on her way?I picked Naomi to do the makeup.She was much more in tune with my style.Grace's makeup style was far too heavy and dramatic."
"I looked through some of the photos in Naomi's wedding makeup portfolio, and frankly, I couldn't even tell the women had makeup on."
"Yes, that's the point.I want a natural look.Not a theatrical one."I could feel my blood pressure and anxiety level going through the roof.
"I'm not paying for those photographers to take photos of all of you without makeup.Grace is considered one of the best."
"From your generation," I added sharply.
Mom gasped quietly behind me.
