‘Yes.’ Leah sighed, searching the crowd for Brandon who’d gone off with Dix to find drinks. ‘I’m going to marry him, Kate.’
Kate raised a brow. ‘Duh.’
Leah laughed and smoothed the skirt of the simple black dress she’d picked out earlier. Thigh high, strapless, spangled with the subtle gleam of iridescent black beads, the gown had looked like nothing on the hanger but fit her perfectly and made her feel like a goddess the way a good dress should. She shifted, feeling the whisper of her lace stocking tops against each other.
‘What about you?’ she asked pointedly. ‘Have you and Dix figured out the housing situation?’
Kate nodded to the beat of the band on the room’s far end. ‘I’m moving in with him, wedding bells to follow in October. Something simple. Not like your White Wedding extravaganza.’
‘Hmmm, I’m not sure I can get away with wearing white,’ Leah said dryly, ‘although I’m going to toss out a guess that it will end up being quite a show.’
‘You’ll be OK with that?’ Kate asked.
Leah nodded. ‘Brandon will do whatever I want, I know that. But … I know he’ll want the whole thing. The church, the dress, the roast beef reception. Well,’ she amended, thinking, ‘maybe something classier than that. But yes, I think it will be traditional.’
‘Good,’ Kate said firmly. ‘I’ll practise my Chicken Dance. But I’m not doing the Macarena, so don’t ask.’
Leah laughed. ‘Oh, God. No.’
The crowd moved around them, a horde of fancy dresses and tuxes and pretty people drinking from champagne flutes. Yet even in the crowd, Leah had no trouble seeing Brandon and Dix cutting their way back from the bar, drinks in hand.
‘We are two very lucky women,’ she said.
‘Dude, you know it.’
The women shared a high-five that morphed into the secret handshake they’d made up in eighth grade and could still bring out when the occasion called for it. Breaking up into laughter, Leah added a hip shimmy. Kate threw up rock horns with her fingers.
‘I see you’re behaving yourselves.’ Dix pulled Kate into his arms and kissed her soundly. ‘My darling Kate, I brought your drink the way you like your man.’
‘Fruity with an umbrella?’ she asked archly.
‘Strong enough to buckle your knees,’ he told her.
Brandon handed Leah her glass as he moved behind her to pull her close. ‘Margarita with salt.’
She felt the lump of his semi-erection and rubbed her ass against him, just a little, then turned to smile up at him. ‘Thank you.’
They moved together for a minute to the beat, but they were in the wrong place for dancing. Too many people with drinks, and a little too far from the band. And Leah’s stomach was growling.
‘Where’s the buffet?’ she asked Kate.
‘Other room, I think. Hey, hey.’ Kate slapped at Dix’s roving hand, but not seriously enough to stop him.
‘It’s your fault for looking so delicious.’
Kate snorted. ‘Do you want to eat?’
‘I want to eat,’ Brandon said matter-of-factly.
Leah linked her arm through his. ‘No surprise there.’
They wove through the crowd and through the arched doorway to the smaller ballroom, where a buffet of truly spectacular proportions had been arranged, along with a number of tables and booths close to both the food and the music. Ice sculptures, lights, platters and trays of food and drink, all laid out in true Vegas style. Brandon let out a low whistle.
‘Everything looks so good.’ Leah studied the long tables set up with steam trays. ‘C’mon, let’s eat. I want you to keep your strength up. For later.’
She wiggled her eyebrows at him, and Brandon laughed. He got in line behind her. They both took plates, still hot from the dishwasher, and moved along the line. Leah made careful choices … things that could be eaten with her fingers, small portions. Brandon, on the other hand, loaded up with whatever he pleased.
Kate and Dix had filled their plates as well. Now the four of them stood around, hands full of food, while people all around them did the same thing. All the small tables on this side of the velvet rope had been taken.
‘Screw this,’ Dix said. ‘Let’s get one of those booths. I’m not standing around nibbling and getting stuff spilt on me.’
‘That one’s open.’ Brandon pointed with his chin. ‘We’ll have to get bottle service.’
‘Worth every fucking penny,’ Dix said. ‘Ladies, after you.’
‘I could get used to this,’ Leah said from inside the booth as the waiter brought them a bottle of champagne, the music started, and everyone around them who didn’t have a VIP table had to juggle plates and glasses.
Brandon dug into his pile of food but shot her a grin and nudged her knee with his under the table. ‘Too bad there aren’t any bagels.’
Leah reached to squeeze his knee and watched his grin get a little strained, though the humour stayed in his deep-brown eyes. ‘That is truly tragic.’
The jazz trio playing in this ballroom was great, but not quite loud enough to cover up the occasional throb of music from the two connecting ballrooms. Even so, the booth shielded them enough to allow them conversation without having to shout, the food was great and the champagne flowed. It wasn’t long before Kate and Leah were giggling over their own conversations while the men discussed stuff that had measurements and scores and point spreads and God knew what else.
Kate shifted in her seat to the upbeat tempo. ‘Charles, I want to dance.’
‘And I, darling Kate, want to see you shake that sweet –’
Kate stopped him with a kiss. ‘C’mon, before I give in to another plate of pasta or a piece of cheesecake.’
She turned to Leah. ‘Are you coming?’
Leah looked at Brandon, who was still eating. ‘Umm … in a little while.’
Brandon laughed but didn’t put down his fork. ‘I’ll be done soon.’
Dix shook his head. ‘Christ, kid.’
Kate took him by the hand and pulled him from the booth, calling over her shoulder at Leah, ‘We’ll be in the electronica ballroom,
