feeling more than a little unsettled by now, finding this entire set of circumstances both confusing and more than a little suspicious. But as she stepped into the elegant marble floored foyer of the suite, Felix shut the doors firmly behind her and she had no choice but to venture further inside.
“Ian?” she called out tentatively. “It’s Julia. Where are – oh.”
She stopped short, poised at the entrance to the grand, beautifully furnished living room, her bewilderment slowly turning to annoyance as she realized she’d been duped.
“Nathan.”
Her fiancée had a sheepish look on his handsome face, his hands thrust into the pockets of his khaki trousers.
“Hey, baby,” he said softly. “Surprised to see me?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. “You could say that, yes. Want to tell me what’s going on here?”
Nathan eyed her warily. “Not until you put that purse down and have a seat. And promise not to scream until you’ve heard me out.”
But she ignored him, and remained standing, tapping her foot impatiently. “Think I’ll stand, thanks. You know, in case I need to leave quickly. Like, within the next ninety seconds unless you can give me a real good reason why you and your pal Ian decided to play this little trick on me. And especially when I’ve got way too much to do for playing games right now.”
He sighed. “I knew you’d react this way. And I’m sorry I had to trick you, but there was no way in hell you would have agreed to this willingly.”
Julia glanced around the lavishly appointed room, unable to resist admiring the regal furnishings, artwork and sculptures that had been very tastefully arranged. “Why don’t you start by defining exactly what this is supposed to be?”
Nathan walked towards her slowly, almost as if he expected her to turn and run at any moment. Or throw something at him. “ This is a chance for you to sit back and chill out for the next – oh, I don’t know – let’s say eighteen hours or so. In case it’s escaped your notice, you’ve been a wigged-out, stressed-out basket case for nearly a month now, Julia. And it’s got to stop. You’ll make yourself ill before much longer.”
Her mouth tightened in annoyance. “Well, duh. Of course I’m stressed out. But, as I’ve pointed out to you more than once, this wedding won’t plan itself. And I know you’ve offered to help – multiple times, but let’s face it, Nathan. Not only are you knee deep in construction plans for our new house, you have all of your work projects as well. You have less free time than I do. Not to mention the fact,” she added gingerly, “all of this girly wedding stuff isn’t exactly your forte, honey.”
He scowled. “I’ll try not to take that as an insult. And I know you’re completely overburdened, baby. Which is why I took it upon myself to delegate out a bunch of those wedding tasks.”
She stared at him slack jawed. “Excuse me. You did what?”
Nathan nodded. “I met Lauren early this morning in Santa Cruz – the halfway point, according to her – and handed off all the seating chart and place card materials. Your mom is happy to take those off your hands, and she also offered to assemble the gift bags you wanted to leave for our out of town guest. Lauren is going to call and re-confirm everything with the florist, bakery, photographer, limo driver, and the minister. Let’s just hope she doesn’t piss any of them off, because that would create a whole different set of problems.”
Julia was speechless and could only continue to stand in the middle of the room as Nathan continued to check things off on his fingers.
“Tessa is finalizing the arrangements for the rehearsal dinner and also checking in with the catering staff at the hotel about the wedding. Oh, and she’s also making appointments for you and the girls for your hair and stuff.” He paused for a moment. “Hmm, what else? Ah, Angela is arranging for her own damned
“Ian?” she called out tentatively. “It’s Julia. Where are – oh.”
She stopped short, poised at the entrance to the grand, beautifully furnished living room, her bewilderment slowly turning to annoyance as she realized she’d been duped.
“Nathan.”
Her fiancée had a sheepish look on his handsome face, his hands thrust into the pockets of his khaki trousers.
“Hey, baby,” he said softly. “Surprised to see me?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. “You could say that, yes. Want to tell me what’s going on here?”
Nathan eyed her warily. “Not until you put that purse down and have a seat. And promise not to scream until you’ve heard me out.”
But she ignored him, and remained standing, tapping her foot impatiently. “Think I’ll stand, thanks. You know, in case I need to leave quickly. Like, within the next ninety seconds unless you can give me a real good reason why you and your pal Ian decided to play this little trick on me. And especially when I’ve got way too much to do for playing games right now.”
He sighed. “I knew you’d react this way. And I’m sorry I had to trick you, but there was no way in hell you would have agreed to this willingly.”
Julia glanced around the lavishly appointed room, unable to resist admiring the regal furnishings, artwork and sculptures that had been very tastefully arranged. “Why don’t you start by defining exactly what this is supposed to be?”
Nathan walked towards her slowly, almost as if he expected her to turn and run at any moment. Or throw something at him. “ This is a chance for you to sit back and chill out for the next – oh, I don’t know – let’s say eighteen hours or so. In case it’s escaped your notice, you’ve been a wigged-out, stressed-out basket case for nearly a month now, Julia. And it’s got to stop. You’ll make yourself ill before much longer.”
Her mouth tightened in annoyance. “Well, duh. Of course I’m stressed out. But, as I’ve pointed out to you more than once, this wedding won’t plan itself. And I know you’ve offered to help – multiple times, but let’s face it, Nathan. Not only are you knee deep in construction plans for our new house, you have all of your work projects as well. You have less free time than I do. Not to mention the fact,” she added gingerly, “all of this girly wedding stuff isn’t exactly your forte, honey.”
He scowled. “I’ll try not to take that as an insult. And I know you’re completely overburdened, baby. Which is why I took it upon myself to delegate out a bunch of those wedding tasks.”
She stared at him slack jawed. “Excuse me. You did what?”
Nathan nodded. “I met Lauren early this morning in Santa Cruz – the halfway point, according to her – and handed off all the seating chart and place card materials. Your mom is happy to take those off your hands, and she also offered to assemble the gift bags you wanted to leave for our out of town guest. Lauren is going to call and re-confirm everything with the florist, bakery, photographer, limo driver, and the minister. Let’s just hope she doesn’t piss any of them off, because that would create a whole different set of problems.”
Julia was speechless and could only continue to stand in the middle of the room as Nathan continued to check things off on his fingers.
“Tessa is finalizing the arrangements for the rehearsal dinner and also checking in with the catering staff at the hotel about the wedding. Oh, and she’s also making appointments for you and the girls for your hair and stuff.” He paused for a moment. “Hmm, what else? Ah, Angela is arranging for her own damned
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