Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride (4 page)

"Andrew, please. Just be out with it."

"With what?"

"With whatever you want to ask me."

"Mother, I don't—"

"All right then, I'll ask it for you. Have I had some work done? Yes, Andrew, I have. I had a tiny little nip-tuck. My third since you moved away, in fact."

Andy sighed.

"Well,
thank you
for not feigning surprise, darling." He grinned at his mother and squeezed her hand. "You always look beautiful, Mother. I don't know why you feel the need."

"Because I'm not getting any younger, that's why. And to make matters worse, I'm not aging gracefully, so I will continue

to have facelifts as needed until my ears meet at the back of my head. Then I'll stop. Fair enough?"

Andy didn't bother to reply. She hadn't changed one iota in the year since he'd last been home.

"Now when am I going to meet this Chicago goddess of yours? Hmm?"

"I'm headed over to the hotel in a bit, and I'll bring her back here for dinner."

"Seven, sharp," she instructed, tapping her perfect coral fingernail on the side of the china cup before her. "I thought I'd have Cook prepare some of his beef bourguignon since it's your favorite. She's not one of those stick figures who won't eat red meat, is she?"

"No, Mother. She's not a stick figure. She has very nice curves, in fact. And whatever you decide for dinner is fine."

"No allergies or diet restrictions? She's not gluten or lactose intolerant?"

Andy chuckled. "Sherilyn is perfectly healthy, Mother."

"Well, I'm happy to hear it. Not that I would have any personal knowledge, of course. So I find I have to ask you."

"Is there anything else you'd like to know about her?" he asked as he rose from the chair. Leaning over his mother, he planted a kiss on her very tight cheek. "Her favorite color is lavender. She tends to get motion sickness. And she didn't own a cell phone until three years ago."

"Lavender." The way Vanessa repeated it, Andy could only conclude that she disapproved.

Leaning in the doorway, he pulled a straight face as he added, "Did I mention that she's often mistaken on the street for Lady Gaga?"

"Oh, dear Lord."

"Yeah, you're going to love her, Mother. See you around seven."

LOCATIONS

Outdoor facility that includes a garden path

A rented mansion or castle

A mountaintop overlooking the sea, a meadow of

wildflowers, or a forest

DECORATIONS

Arches, trellises, and over-the-top flowers and candles

A palatial entrance between two curved staircases

Chairs draped in pastel tulle

Castles, horse-drawn carriages, silver bells,
and/or glass slippers

A dance floor topped by a canopy of twinkling lights

FLOWERS

Roses, roses, roses, and more roses

Other alternatives: gardenias, orchids, lilies-of-the-valley,
camellias

CAKES AND TOPPERS

Towering castle with a turret

Layers adorned with roses, ribbons and/or bows

Twinkling lights or small candles to create a magical effect