Five minutes after they began eating, RJ dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter. “When I called and texted you repeatedly on Sunday to tell you about Riley’s engagement, you were at a ski resort...with Desta?”
Maurice and Desta both looked at RJ, but neither had a chance to answer before Riley asked her, “Wait, you knew before I called you on Monday?” The accusatory tone in Riley’s voice made Desta feel like crap.
It had been almost six Monday evening when Riley had called, brimming with excitement about her engagement. Desta had thought it best to act surprised, especially when Riley quickly continued to discuss business and announcing the engagement.
“I didn’t want to take any of the joy that was so apparent in your voice away.” Desta’s throat was suddenly dry, so she lifted her glass of wine and took a gulp. “By the way, my team and I have already laid out all the preliminary steps to marketing the engagement in the same way we did Nina and Major’s.”
“Yeah, Desta filled me in on the details of that new strategy,” Maurice said. “You sure you want to invite the media into your personal life in that way? I mean, inviting them to the engagement party and into the wedding planning?” Maurice was so calm, and Desta gritted her teeth in frustration. Another gulp from her glass should help her feel more in control.
Riley blinked, probably confused by the shift in conversation. Or possibly annoyed. But she continued with a nod. “Chaz and I discussed it, and it makes the most sense. The media was going to be poking around trying to find out all that they could, anyway. So, why not give them a certain amount of access during the planning? The wedding itself will be private.”
Chaz added, “We don’t even want the location known. They can have all the pictures of dress fittings, cake tastings and parties that they want, but it stops there.”
“Have you decided on the venue yet?” Nina asked.
“No, actually we’re considering a destination wedding,” Riley said cheerfully.
For the next twenty minutes the conversation was all about the wedding. Who would and shouldn’t be invited, who Marva wanted to cater it, what Ron and the other guys didn’t want to wear. It all seemed so normal and at the same time so foreign. Desta hadn’t thought about getting married in a very long time, even though her grandmother mentioned it almost every time they spoke. Why, Desta still couldn’t figure out. It wasn’t as if Edna Bell’s marriage had been successful. To the contrary, she’d caught her husband and their neighbor in the backseat of his truck at a drive-in movie.
Her mother hadn’t fared much better, but Sheryl Henner had appeared genuinely happy on that long-ago spring weekend when Desta and Gordon had gone to Chicago to announce their engagement. As the conversation around her continued, Desta’s skin began to tingle at the memories it evoked. She’d started to plan her own wedding. A venue, bridesmaids, groomsmen and a date had been selected. Her dress search had been taking longer than expected, and she’d been online searching designers the night she got the call that Gordon had been hurt.
“You okay?” She startled at Maurice’s voice. He’d leaned over to whisper in her ear, and when she turned to him, he grasped her hands.
She hadn’t even realized she’d dropped her hands to her lap, linking her fingers together and holding tight. His hand covered hers now, warm and familiar.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “I’m good. Just taking in all the details.” He didn’t believe her. She could tell by the set of his jaw, the gentle squeeze of his hand and the way his eyes had grown dark with concern. “I’m good.” If she said it more than once, maybe he’d believe her. Maybe she’d believe it herself.
“You know what might be a cool idea?” Major’s voice seemed a bit louder than it had been, and Desta forced a smile as she turned in his direction. “What if Riley and Chaz get married at the same ski resort Desta and Maurice stayed at?”
Desta held her breath because in that moment she was totally sure Major knew, and he was having a good time teasing.
“That’s probably not a good idea,” Nina immediately replied.
“It was a really nice resort,” Maurice said. He still had a hand over hers beneath the table, and when she pulled one away to reach for her glass again, he laced his fingers with hers. “With a terrific view. Once Des and I realized we were both staying there, we spent the weekend together exploring the little ski town and enjoying the slopes. There’s a wonderful restaurant at the resort, but the place within walking distance has more of a selection. Des and I thought their food was great.”
It was the way he’d said Des and I followed by the curious stares that had her picking up the glass and emptying it of every drop of wine. She was tempted to reach for the bottle but stopped when Maurice lifted their entwined hands from beneath the table, resting them atop the white linen tablecloth for all to see.
“Well,” Marva said after a brief silence, “it seems things just keep changing around here.” She used a napkin to dab at the corners of her mouth before sending Desta a luminous smile.
“I knew it! You owe me ten dollars,” Major said to Nina, who smiled at Desta before shaking her head at her husband.
Ron had been holding a butter knife in one hand, a roll in the other. Now he pointed the knife from Maurice to Desta. “You two? Spent the weekend together, as in to-gether?”
Desta sat motionless, waiting for him to say she was fired. She kept
