From This Moment (4 page)

“How’s two o’clock?”

“Excellent.”

Suddenly there was a pregnant pause. Ivy wondered if Jonathan wanted to say something. All she could hear now was his breathing. She couldn’t say anything personal to him, since her sisters were watching.

Finally, Ivy spoke. “See you at two.”

“Look forward to it.”

Ivy ended that call and quickly pressed line one.

“Lauren, Saturday’s booked. Would you consider getting married on Friday evening?”

“Friday may work out better.”

“Have you heard about Magic Moments Banquet Hall on Broadway?”

“I’ve seen their ad in the
Chicago Wedding Magazine
, but I’ve never been there.”

“Can you meet me there at two o’clock today?”

“Really? You are awesome, and quick, too. I’ll be there?”

“Wait, wait, one second.” Ivy stopped her before she hung up. She needed to give to her the address and directions. She hadn’t met a bride yet that let her giddiness cause her to forget important details.

“Do you need the address?” Ivy asked.

Lauren giggled. “Oh, yes, I’m sorry, I got so excited. It’s actually in the magazine, but you can give it to me.”

“Do you have a pen so you can write down the address and the phone number? I don’t want you to get lost.”

“I’m ready.”

“Where are you coming from?”

“Alsip, Illinois.”

“Take I-80/94 east to the Broadway South exit. Drive about one mile and Magic Moments is located on the left side of the street. The address is 8215 Broadway.”

“I have GPS on my cell phone, so I shouldn’t have a problem.”

“Lauren, I look forward to meeting you at two o’clock this afternoon at Magic Moments.” Ivy repeated the name of the place and the address one more time to be sure the young woman was clear as to where they were meeting.

After she hung up, she stood. “This young lady is going to need everything.”

“I don’t mind last-minute weddings when they’re simple,” Rose commented.

“Once I meet with her over at Jonathan’s, we’ll know if it’s going to be simple or a problem,” Ivy responded, gathering her things.

“Speaking of Jonathan, when are you going to put him out of his misery?”

“What are you talking about, Rosie?”

“Marc told me that Jonathan has asked you out and you keep saying no. When are you going to go out with him?”

Ivy’s stomach dropped. She hoped the horror she felt didn’t show on her face. Jonathan was much closer to his brother than she thought. Would he truly be able to keep their secret? The last thing she needed was her sisters butting their noses into her affairs. The day had started out perfectly, and she hadn’t thought about her marriage or Jonathan other than going to see him about a bride.

“Vee, you’re not going to answer, are you?” Lili asked.

“The man has been sweet on Vee for years now. I know you guys had to have seen the way he looks at her,” Rose said picking up her notebook from the table.

“Rosie, you’re always trying to play matchmaker,” Violet said.

“Why not? Vee’s not trying to make a match or find a mate for herself, so I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” Lili commented, turning toward Ivy.

Ivy didn’t know how to answer the question. She couldn’t tell them that she’d skipped the courtship and had already married the man. Nope, as soon as she got a minute, she’d get her annulment and that would cut the tie that bound them.

“He actually asked me to go out with him the other night at the Super Bowl party.” She hoped the tidbit of information would satisfy her sister’s curiosity.

There was a pregnant pause before Rose spoke. “Okay and did you say yes?”

Ivy gave them a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yes, I’m going to go out with him.”

“Well, it’s about time,” Rose said, smiling brightly.

Ivy glanced at her gold bezel watch. “I’m going back to my office so that I can get a new client package. Then I’m off to Magic Moments. I’ll have to put her information in the computer later.”

As soon as Ivy walked out of the room and down the hall to the stairs, she wondered if she did the right thing by telling her sisters that she was going out with Jonathan. She didn’t like other people in her personal business, especially her sisters.

Ivy pulled her navy blue BMW into the closest empty spot in the massive parking lot of Magic Moments. As a business owner herself, she admired Jonathan and Marc’s ambition in taking a once boarded-up building and turning it into an elegant place for people to celebrate their special occasions. Jonathan was the business manager and Marc was the chef. It was one of the largest banquet facilities in the town of Taylor, accommodating up to seven hundred people. The building had four ballrooms, The Embassy, Royal, Grand, and Chateau.

Hearts and Flowers started their partnership with Magic Moments after assisting them with their grand opening four years ago. Now the Damons were at the top of her preferred vendor list because of the diversity of the cuisine, their level of service, style and commitment to bringing a high-quality experience to their customers. Together they created stunning and unforgettable affairs.

Ivy checked the time on her dash to make sure she wasn’t late. In fact the clock told her she was fifteen minutes early.

Ivy didn’t want to go inside right away because she wanted to introduce herself to Lauren, so she turned up the heat in her car and waited. She hoped the young woman was timely. In her line of work there was nothing worse than a bride who didn’t respect time. It could cause a wedding budget to skyrocket out of control because of extra fees for going over the allocated timeframe.

Soon, she spotted a silver Lexus 470 SUV pull into the parking lot. When the young woman locked eyes with her and smiled, Ivy smiled in return. Ivy was sure it was Lauren Kabins.

Ivy turned off the ignition, hit the locks and got out of the car.

“Lauren?” Ivy asked pulling on her navy blue leather gloves.

“Ms. Hart,” Lauren responded, stopping in front of Ivy.

Lauren Kabins had a small, round face, shoulder-length brown hair and wore square-framed eyeglasses.

Like almost every other bride she’d met, Lauren carried bridal magazines and a notebook.

Ivy extended her right hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Lauren anxiously accepted. “Nice to meet you, too, Ivy.”

Ivy and Lauren walked side by side to the entrance of the building. “Did you have a hard time finding the place?”

“No, and it only took me forty-five minutes to get here.”

Ivy pulled her coat collar closer to cover her exposed neck. “Let’s hurry up and get inside. It’s freezing out here.”

Ivy enjoyed watching the animated expression on Lauren’s face as she marveled at the elegantly furnished foyer when they walked through the large glass double doors.

The champagne and taupe colored walls brought charm and matched the sparkle of the gold chandeliers, original oil paintings and antique furniture in the hallway that lead to the oval shaped lobby. It was surrounded by a beautiful winding staircase on each side adorned with white silk flowers and tulle.

“This place is gorgeous,” Lauren commented, taking off her winter hat while admiring a large floral centerpiece on the table in the lobby.

As Ivy walked over to Lauren, Jonathan came around the corner to meet them. “Good afternoon, Ivy.”

Ivy gave a generous smile. “Jonathan, I’d like you to meet Lauren Kabins. Lauren, this is Jonathan Damon, one of the owners.”

Jonathan offered his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Kabins. Congratulations on your engagement.”

Lauren accepted Jonathan’s hand. “Thank you, Mr. Damon. This is a lovely place.”

Releasing her hand, Jonathan glanced back and forth between Ivy and Lauren. “Ladies, follow me and we can get started.”

Ivy walked behind Jonathan and Lauren. As she watched Jonathan interact with the client, she noticed the swagger in his walk.

She admired the way his shoulders fit his gray suit jacket, and his posture was that of pride and professionalism. He exuded confidence, and there was nothing about his body language, eyes, or the way he spoke that indicated a personal relationship between them. He was all business. And she liked it.

Jonathan stopped in front of the ballroom door. “I thought we would have our meeting in the ballroom that’s available for your date.”

Lauren looked over at Ivy for approval. “That’s fine with me. You come highly recommended by Ms. Hart,” Lauren said innocently.

Jonathan gave Ivy a big smile. “Thank you, we try to please.”

Once he opened the double oak doors, Ivy heard Lauren gasp.

Even empty, the Embassy ballroom was stunning. The high vaulted ceilings projected a sense of openness and comfort. Shiny brass chandeliers throughout, two marble bar areas and a hardwood parquet dance floor that covered the entire length of the room.

The lonely table in the large space had been setup with a diamond white pin-tucked table cloth and paired with diamond white, brushed satin bag-style chair covers and a purple sash with a diamond chair cover brooch to hold it together.

Jonathan assisted Lauren out of her coat and placed it over one of the other empty seats at the table. He offered her a seat, pulling it from underneath the round table. Once she was seated, he did the same for Ivy, before taking his own seat next to her.

Lauren looked around the room, and then inspected the table that had been set with clear charger plates with gold beaded trim, Waterford crystal, beautiful flatware and white bone china.

“This is gorgeous,” Lauren said, gently rubbing the see-through gold lamé table overlay.

“We keep a display table to give the clients examples of table setting styles. We change the look every other week to give it some variety.” Jonathan explained picking up several leaflets about the facility, handing them to her. “All of our events come with butler styled passed hors d’oeuvres, so we can check that off the list.”

Since Lauren had a short timeline, Ivy wanted to find out her plans and expectations. “Lauren, how many guests are you anticipating?”

“About one hundred.”

“Do you have a budget?” Ivy needed to know how much money she had to work with so she could make smart decisions when planning the wedding.

“My fiancée told me to get what I wanted?” Lauren giggled and then pulled out a folder with a protective cover.

She handed it to Ivy. “I’ve written down my wishes and gathered photos of dresses, cakes, flowers and wedding favors.”

Ivy placed the folder between her and Jonathan so that they could scan through it together.

Flipping the pages, Ivy gave Jonathan a quick glance to make sure she he was keeping up.

Closing the cover, she turned her attention back to Lauren. “Wow, this is a very detailed plan. Are any of these requests negotiable?”

A big grin grew on Lauren’s face as she moved her head from side to side. “No. I want every one,” she said with certainty. “My fiancée said I could have what ever I wanted, so I’m going all the way. You only get married once, right?”

Ivy looked at Jonathan again, hoping his facial expression would reveal what he was thinking. Hopefully, he thought the same as she did . . . Lauren Kabins was spoiled.

Both Ivy and Jonathan responded in unison. “Right.”

“Are you sure you want to stick with lime green and peach for your wedding colors?”

“My fiancé loves green and I love peach, so I just thought they would look good together.”

Ivy thought the combination was hideous, but she would keep her opinion to herself. Instead she asked, “Do you have an accent color you’d like to add?”

“Whatever you think is best.”

Jonathan picked up a Magic Moments menu and scanned the food list on the page. “Now let’s talk about your menu options.”

Lauren interrupted him before he could go any further. “I’m going to leave that up to you and Ms. Hart. I don’t have time to choose. I’ve given you a list of the things I like, so if you could work with her, she can tell me.”

Ivy gave her most professional smile. “Of course he can. Jonathan and I can pull together a proposal giving you two choices for the entire day from the information you’ve provided to us. Give us forty-eight hours. After you’ve reviewed the proposals and chosen your favorite, we’ll execute.”

Lauren pushed her chair back from the table. “That sounds like music to my ears. I can’t wait.”

She inhaled deeply before releasing it. “Thank you both for meeting with me. I’m relieved and happy that I’ve got competent people to help me.”

Jonathan stood first, and then assisted Ivy with her chair. “We’re going to do our very best to meet all your wishes.”

Lauren picked up her purse and slung it on her arm. “I have so many things to do before the wedding and the move. By the time we get married we will have only one week to make sure the apartment is empty.”

“I’ll keep in touch. I’m glad you were able to see the ballroom,” Ivy replied.

Lauren glanced around the room once again. “Me, too.” She looked back at Ivy and asked, “When do I come in to see you again?”

“I’ll e-mail you with the proposals. If you agree, you will need to come to my office to make your selections.”

“We will need a deposit to hold the date,” Jonathan said as a reminder.

Lauren sat back down, opened her purse, and retrieved her designer wallet that matched her handbag. Removing her silver Cross pen from the holder, she flipped up the flap covering her checkbook. “I’ll write you a check for $2,500 now and we can discuss my balance after I see your proposals.”

She scribbled on a blank check, tore it out and handed it to Jonathan.

She stood to her feet again. “You can give the receipt to Ivy. I need to leave now. I promised my fiancée that I would meet him at the jewelers. We’re picking out rings today.”

Ivy pulled out several pieces of paper that had been stapled together and handed it to Lauren. “I’m sorry, Lauren, I should have given this to you when we started the meeting. I completely forgot. She handed the young woman the papers. “Here is some information on my company for your reading pleasure. Something so you can get to know what services we provide. There isn’t a price listed for my services because I have to review your notes and make sure we can meet all your requests with the current staff that I have right now.”

Lauren nodded. “I understand. I’ll take it home to review it.”

Ivy extended her hand to her newest client. “We’ll discuss coordination fees once you’ve reviewed the proposals. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail me. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lauren.”

Lauren accepted. “Likewise.” She reached over and offered Jonathan a hearty handshake as well.

“Let me walk you to your car,” Jonathan offered.

“Thanks, Jonathan, but I can find it.”

“No, I insist.” He helped her with her coat and then turned to Ivy.

“Don’t leave just yet. I wanted to talk to you about a planning schedule.”

Ivy re-took her seat. She picked up Lauren’s wish list, which seemed more like a wish book with all the pages that were in the folder. She and Jonathan definitely needed to work quickly with the requests Lauren gave them; they were going to have to use their precious time to their advantage.

* * *

When Jonathan returned he found Ivy with her elbow on the table and her head propped up with her right hand, her eyes closed. The room was quiet and he figured she took the opportunity to relax. His brother told him that Rose couldn’t stop talking about the increase in business since Ivy’s win.

He didn’t want to wake her, so he quietly removed the chair from under the table next to her and sat down. A smile touched his lips as he gazed down at the relaxed expression on Ivy’s face. It was so different from the way she’d looked weeks before. He studied her features carefully.

With her eyes closed and hair pulled back, the light cover of makeup on her café au lait skin made her look angelic. It reminded him of the night they made love in Las Vegas, but that time her hair was loose, full and free.

As he sat quietly watching her rest, Jonathan slowly regained confidence in his decision to prove to her that their marriage could work. He realized he had a long way to go in order to convince Ivy that saying ‘I do’ was worth it.

Slowly, her eyes opened and Ivy sat up straight.

Jonathan scooted closer to her. “You look tired. Do you want to go over this stuff later?”

Ivy placed her hand over her mouth to cover a yawn. “We better get started.” She picked up the folder, quickly skimming through the pages again. “This is a big request for such a small window of time.”

“You’re right, but we don’t have to go through it here. You can go home, rest for a while and I can come over later. We may even be able to complete it tonight.”

“Sure, we can work on this tonight. Come over at about seven.”

Jonathan hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until she responded. His eyes twinkled and his smile turned into a full grin as he lifted himself out of his seat. He was relieved that she didn’t turn him down, because, after all, to her it was business. But for him, tonight was yet another opportunity for him to get close to her. He wasn’t going to blow it; he was going to make it count in his favor. And if he was lucky, Ivy wouldn’t mention anything else about an annulment.