Piecing Together Sydney (A Sydney West Novel Book 3) (4 page)

I shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

She moved on to shaking Jason’s hand.

“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice,” Amelia said, shaking her hand last.

Karen smiled and placed a plate with a piece of cake on it in front of each of us. “I had a cancellation. You got lucky. I’m usually booked for months.”

Amelia shot me a look. “Yeah, Syd. You’re lucky, because you shouldn’t do things last minute.”

I laughed nervously, looking down at the slice in front of me. It was white with a blue filling.

Karen cleared her throat, clearly seeing the bad blood between us about my laziness on planning a wedding. “Nonetheless, the first sample is white marble with a blueberry filling.”

I picked up my fork and took a small chunk off. The cake tasted fluffy, but the blueberry sauce wasn’t the best. I loved blueberry muffins, but other blueberry items I wasn’t a fan of, including this cake. Amelia ate hers slowly, probably getting a feel for it like at a wine tasting. Jason ate it in one bite. I don’t think he tasted it at all.

“Next?” I looked at the tray, trying to be polite and not tell her it was gross.

Karen took the blueberry away, setting it back on the tray. “Now you can try chocolate with strawberries.”

The cake was chocolate with chocolate frosting. I knew it wasn’t going to be good after looking at it. I didn’t like a lot of chocolate. It made me ill, probably because of my insane breakfast as a child when I had chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate sauce and chocolate milk when my parents drove us to Tucson to visit my grandpa. Talk about a stomachache that lasted for the entire day. Afterwards, I avoided chocolate on chocolate.

I pushed the cake away. “I’m not a big fan of chocolate. Can we try the next one please?” I smiled at Karen, hoping to not piss her off.

“Of course, this is for you. You need to love your cake.” She swept away the cake and replaced it with red velvet. I knew it the instant I inhaled its heavenly scent.

Amelia and Jason dug into it, again loving the cake. So much for them being helpful critics. As I dipped my fork in, my stomach coiled with nervousness. It was hard to get red velvet right. It had to be rich and moist, and…perfect. I wasn’t a cook, but I knew good red velvet when I tasted it.

I took a nibble and moved the cake around my mouth. It was delicious! The cake tasted just like the pancakes I loved that Jason and I always had when we ate out for breakfast while in college. We even had sex in the restroom once. Now that was a sweet memory.

I pointed to the cake. “This one for sure.”

Karen gave me a bright smile. “All right. We have a red velvet fan I see.” She chuckled as she took the samples away.

Amelia dabbed her mouth on a white napkin Karen left behind for us. “You could’ve tried the last few samples before saying the red velvet was your favorite.” She pouted as the cake was taken into the back room.

Jason licked the remaining cake off his fork. “Yeah, I didn’t have breakfast.”

I shrugged. “Sorry. You can do that for your tasting.” I looked at Jason. “Do you like the red velvet? I fell in love and forgot to ask you.”

His silver eyes darkened. “It did remind me of those pancakes.”

I giggled. He remembered that sweet memory just as much as I did.

I licked my lips and sat up straighter when I saw Karen return with a book.

“All right, you know the flavor, now to pick what it will look like. You can have the typical three tier cake with the bride and groom on top or be more open with the design. It’s all based on your theme and what you want overall. I’ll leave you to it. Just ring the bell if you have any questions or have a design picked out.”

“Thank you, we will.” Amelia smiled at Karen before she returned to the back, probably working on other couples’ wedding cakes.

I flipped through the old, boring cakes everyone got at their wedding. I liked the sea shells on some of the cakes, but I didn’t want a lot of fondant. I wanted it to be beautiful, but I didn’t like to eat a lot of frosting.

“How about this one?” Amelia pointed to a cake with a lot of colorful butterflies. It was cute, after all Jason did propose in Butterflyland, but I didn’t want everything to be about that.

“I like it, but I want a simple yet elegant theme. I don’t think butterflies in the color of the rainbow fit that.”

“Okay…” She turned the page and tapped the cake on the left page. “What about this one?”

I glanced over the photo. The cake was four tiers; two were white and two black, in a pattern, going back and forth. A row of black and white flowers climbed up the tower diagonally, creating the top portion that included a bunch of black and white flowers with curly sticks poking out all over. It was perfect.

“Yes, this is our cake!”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, looks good to me.”

Amelia studied it. “So the theme is black and white? Going to need to remember that for the flowers.”

We rang the bell and told Karen about the cake. She was delighted and wrote everything down.

***

We drove to the flower shop a few streets away. We bypassed all the roses, lilies, and other flowers used for weddings because they were too colorful. The flowers I needed were in the back corner.

I ran my fingertips over the Black Dahlias. “I like these.”

A woman with long blonde hair and a red shirt came over to us. “Our Black Dahlias make beautiful centerpieces and bouquets. What are you looking for?”

“Wedding flowers,” Amelia said, giving me a sideways glance. “My friend wants a black and white theme.”

“Then the Black Dahlias are your flowers. I might suggest getting pansies. We can provide you with only dark colored ones and white ones. They are little and are said to attract love to those who carry them.” She swooped her arm over the pansies in question.

They were cute and soft like velvet. I nodded. “Okay, what do you think?”

Jason looked over the flowers. He looked like a little boy bored in the woman’s clothing department. “I like them.”

I smiled at the saleswoman. “I’ll take the pansies and the Black Dahlias.”

My cell phone rang. I looked down at the screen.

“It’s my mom. Can you make the deal?”

Amelia smiled. “Of course. I got this.” She walked away with the woman telling her how many we’d probably need and when we needed them by.

I stood next to the red roses and hit the green button on my phone. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, baby. How’s the wedding planning going?”

I touched the bud of a rose, gently running my finger down its pedals. “Good. Just ordered our cake, and Amelia is talking about the flower order now.”

“Awesome! I’ll be in Malibu tomorrow mid-morning. We can finally find you a dress!” She sniffed. My mom always cried when talking about my wedding. She never thought she’d see the day.

“Don’t cry, Mom. And tomorrow? That’s soon.” Fear clenched my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I didn’t want my mom hanging around the beach house, ruining all the fun nights Jason and I could be having.

“Yes, I need to be there for the dress selection and then I’m going home until the wedding is closer. I need to go to bed now, baby. Going to make the drive later tonight.”

“Okay, Mom. Drive safe.”

“I will. I love you, sweetie. See you soon.”

I twisted a piece of hair around my fingers. “I love you too. Bye.”

We hung up. I slid my phone into my back pocket and found Amelia shaking hands with the flower lady.

Jason disappeared. I looked around and found him standing by purple lilies with a woman about my age. She ran her hand up and down his arm. He looked pained.

“Jason?”

He jumped when I said his name. “Hey Syd.” He stepped away from the woman. “This is—”

The woman tossed her long black hair over her shoulder and smiled at me like she was in a shampoo commercial. “I’m Lizzie. Jason and I used to be a thing.”

Used to be a thing? Wait, is she his ex who broke his heart?

I glanced over at Jason. He kicked the floor and looked past me. “Hello, I’m Sydney. Jason’s fiancé.”

Lizzie gave me a once over as if I was a competitor against her in a beauty contest. “Nice to meet you. I have to go.” She brushed past me and muttered something under her breath.

“What was that about?”

She left the shop without answering me.

I turned my attention to my future husband. “Jason, what the hell?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and licked his lips. “I’m sorry. She ambushed me.”

I wrapped my arms around his body and kissed his lips softly. “It’s okay. You’re mine now.”

Amelia walked over to us all business-like. “Flowers are done. We can check them off.”

“Awesome.” I released Jason. He looked as pale as a ghost. There was no use in bringing up that bitch to Amelia. I’d sidestep her for now. “My mom is driving over. She’ll be here tomorrow to help with finding a dress.”

Amelia jumped up and down for a second, squealing. “It’s all coming together! Let’s go home and flip through magazines for ideas. I partly wish we were doing a double wedding.”

I let out a halfhearted laugh. “That would be something.”

We got back into my Charger and made a pit stop at Coffee World for some lattes before going to the beach house.

My stomach was in knots. All this wedding planning was making my nerves shake. Amelia seemed happier than I was. I wanted Jason to be mine forever, but all this stuff to make it formal was scary. I had to keep my head up and soon we’d say our “I dos” and be off on our honeymoon alone. Then we could have as much nasty sex as we wanted and no one would comment.

We’d be newlyweds. I swallowed my heart down. That made me excited and afraid at the same time, but that was normal.

I needed to live by Aristotle’s words.

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.

How right he was, and that was centuries ago.

My mom’s silver Chevy Tahoe pulled into the driveway behind my Charger. Amelia jumped off the couch and ran to open the door. I sat in the rocking chair, sipping my coffee. I had no idea why my best friend was so happy to see my mom. It was as if she was her mother.

Mom entered the living room laughing. Her laugh was rich and warm like hot chocolate. “Calm down, Amelia. You’re speaking faster than I can keep up with.”

Amelia towed my mom to the couch and sat down next to her. “Sydney has picked a black and white theme.” She grabbed a bridal magazine off the coffee table. “We kind of like these dresses. You should see the cake!”

I swallowed the last of my coffee and stood up. “Hey. What about me? You know I’m here, right?”

Amelia waved me off. “Yeah, yeah. The flowers we ordered. They match the theme, of course, and…”

I walked into the kitchen leaving Amelia to gossip to
my
mom about
my
wedding. It seemed like the maid of honor was a wedding hog. At least that kept me far away from being a bridezilla.

The coffee pot made a hissing sound as I poured more dark liquid into my mug. When I turned around Mom was standing behind me. She was quiet, holding her hand in front of her lips. He blue eyes were watery as she tilted her head to the side, as if studying me in a new light.

“Hey.” I looked over my shoulder at the now empty coffee pot. “Do you want coffee? You can have this…” I offered her my mug. “And I’ll make some more.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m okay, sweetie. I’m just taking you in.”

I leaned back on the counter and took a quick sip, letting the heat go down my throat. “Oh?” What the hell did that mean?

Mom didn’t explain herself. She took a few steps and took my left hand in hers. She moved my ring in the sunlight, admiring its shine. “I know it’s been almost six months since Jason gave you this, but I’m in awe every time I see it on your pretty little finger.”

I took my hand back and wrapped my arms around her, giving my mom a tight hug. “Yeah, it’s crazy, but I’m not changing. I’m not going to leave you.”

She nodded and pulled back, blinking the tears away. “I know, baby. I still see you as the little girl who wanted me to brush dolls’ hair with her and kiss any boo-boo. Soon you’re going to have babies of your own and…” She sobbed and looked away.

“Hey. I thought you wanted grandchildren.” I helped her sit on the bar stool. “I don’t know—”

She sniffed and took my left hand again, running her thumb over my knuckles. “I do, baby. But it’s all so soon. You have me meet this great boyfriend, and not a year later you’re married, and who knows if in nine months you’re going to have a baby in your arms.”

Thinking of myself with a baby so soon made my heart freeze in place. I spun the engagement ring around my finger and tried to give my mom the best smile I could. “We might be getting married kinda fast, but we’re not having a baby next year. I need to finish school first, and it’s hard enough to think with my lack of motivation toward work and writing boring essays. I’d never do anything for class if I had a baby to take care of.”

Mom nodded, sniffing again. “That’s good. Get your degree and figure out where you two are going to live before kids. Once you have a baby, everything changes.” She tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’m so proud of you, Sydney.”

Amelia stormed into the kitchen with a huge grin on her face. Like the Joker from Batman kind of smile, the kind that scared the crap out of you.

“Guess what! Someone cancelled at Bridal Heaven and you have an appointment for a dress fitting in three hours. Let’s go to LA”

Mom spun around, all her sorrow evaporated. “Are you serious? That’s the place where stars get their wedding dresses!”

I chugged my coffee and walked around the two crazy people. “Guess I’ll go re-brush my hair then.”

“You need to do more than that!” Amelia and Mom cried, following close behind me.

They took me to the bathroom and attacked my hair. It was straightened, curled on the ends, and yanked multiple times. Makeup was all over the counter. They spoke to each other and ignored me. I was simply a doll.

Who knew I needed a makeover before picking out a wedding dress?

***

Bridal Heaven was a small shop on the corner of Sunset, right next to the Walk of Fame. Amelia rang the buzzer. The doors were always locked to keep the public out.

“Name?” A voice crackled through the intercom.

“Sydney West and two guests,” Amelia replied, giving me a thumbs up.

I swallowed the nervous butterflies down and watched four girls in short dresses whisper to each other as they walked holding iced coffees. Part of me wanted to be with them, free and having fun. Not being let into a secret dress shop to find what I’d wear to my wedding.

The door buzzed. Amelia took my arm, taking me away from the girls who were carefree, enjoying their summer.

We walked into a white room with pearl tile on the ground. There was a small stage and a three-way mirror in the middle of the room. There was a white bench a few feet away. The window was covered in ivy lace, allowing in sunshine, but blocking out any curious eyes.

“Welcome to Bridal Heaven. I’m Julia. Would any of you care for some wine?” She held a bottle of rose wine.

“I’d like a glass, thanks,” I replied, looking at my mom and Amelia to see why they weren’t replying.

They were both staring behind Julia at the rack of dresses being pulled out by a man in a black tux. Another man, tall and lean, gave us a silver tray with three empty wine glasses on it, placing it on the fold-out table by the couch.

Julia poured wine into the glasses and gestured to me. “Take a quick drink and pick your first dress.”

“How did you know I was Sydney?” I took a gulp of wine and swallowed it. My mom gave me an evil eye for being rude.

“The huge rock on your finger, honey!” She laughed.

I glanced down at my ring. Oh yeah, that did give it away. I took another gulp of wine and sat my glass down. My mom babied hers. She hated wine, but didn’t want Julia to know. Amelia took a sip and set it down. I guess she didn’t like the wine either. I loved to drink, so I didn’t care what it was. That was the party girl in me not wanting to die.

The first dress I tried on was solid white and in a mermaid fit, meaning it clung to my body and fanned out at the bottom.

Mom held a tissue to her eye, and Amelia drummed her fingers on her cheek, thinking.

“I don’t like it.” I glanced over at all the white fabric on the rack. “Do you have anything black and white?”

“Hmm…” Julia ran her manicured nails through her long red hair. “I believe I do. You want black
and
white, correct?”

Amelia piped in. “Yes, we’re not doing solid black.” She flashed me a mean look.

I smiled to Julia. “Yes, please. That’s my color scheme.”

She puckered her lips. “Very well.” Her heels echoed on the tile as she walked to the back again.

The same guy who brought the dresses out took them back. We sat alone. I drank more wine and nudged Amelia. “Why aren’t you drinking?”

“Guess this isn’t my flavor of wine.” She shrugged.

I downed my glass and finished Amelia’s. “More for me.”

Julia came back out, followed by another rack covered in black and white fluff and lace.

I polished off another glass and my mom took the bottle. “You’re cut off, Sydney,” she murmured in her voice that meant I was in trouble.

I held my hands up. “Fine.”

A hiccup hit me. I stood straighter and fought the buzz. I could polish off whiskey. This fancy wine had nothing on me.

The dress on the end was all white with a black sash. I skipped that one. I took three dresses from the middle to the fitting room.

I walked out in a white dress with a black corset and black petals on the skirt. It was a bit short, touching my knees. Both Mom and Amelia gave it a thumbs down.

I marched back into the small room and peeled it off. The next one was black on the top with a white skirt with black lace designs on the bottom. I walked out and frowned at my reflection. It had one strap going along my left shoulder. I didn’t like it being uneven. I needed two straps or none at all. Amelia clapped, but my mom didn’t seem in love.

Again, I changed. Was this going to be all day? I wondered if Julia had food to go with that wine. Probably not, since this place was for the stars and they wanted people to think they lived off of air.

The last dress from my handful brushed the ground when I moved. Maybe high heels would help keep the skirt from getting dirty. Today, Amelia forced flats on me. The dress was white with a solid black middle. It was strapless, and I worried about my large bust, but it fit me like a second skin. There was a small belt around my waist with a silver flower in the center. There was white lace embroidered on the black, giving it a unique twist. It was perfect; beautiful, yet not too much.

I stepped out on the stage and heard gasps. This was the dress. No words were needed.

I smiled at myself. I, Sydney Anne West, was getting married in this amazing dress to the best man in the world.

“Julia, this is my dress.”

She clapped. “It fits you wonderfully.” She came onto the stage with me, walking around with a measuring tape. “It doesn’t need to be altered. This dress was made for you, darling.” She touched my bare shoulder, looking at us in the mirror.

A smile bigger than I had on any Christmas morning curled my lips. “I couldn’t agree more.”

***

Before my mom went back to Arizona, we went to the beach where the wedding was going to be held. My mom walked up and down the coast, looking at the ocean rolling in. “Why here?”

I dug my toes into the warm sand. “This is where I first met Jason.” A blush burned my cheeks.

“Oh, Sydson.” Amelia sighed and poked me in the ribs. “Where am I to get married now that you took this amazing spot?”

I looked up at the blue sky, watching a seagull fly by. “A church?”

She laughed. “I guess. I can’t believe we have the dress. Plus, I checked on the reception, and we definitely have the ballroom in the Duchess hotel. Everything is coming together!” Amelia sighed, sitting down by the water just out of its reach.

Mom stood in the ocean to her ankles. She didn’t dare go any more in because she was afraid of sharks. When we went to Sea World a few years back, she almost had a heart attack when we walked through the shark exhibit. The glass didn’t fool her. She was sure it would break and the sharks would be after her.

“This is lovely. The breeze is perfect. Did you check the weather for the wedding day?”

I laughed, blowing a piece of hair off my lips. “It’s sunny, but who knows. It’s about two months away, things can change.”

Mom nodded. “True.”

Amelia laid back, making a sand angel. “I can’t wait until I marry Hunter. I’m going to wear a white gown like a princess, and we’re going to be in a church that holds hundreds. We’re going to honeymoon in Hawaii.” She sighed, rolling her head to look at me. “My cake will have the bride and groom on it and my colors will be white and pink. I think I will have lilies, or maybe carnations.”

Mom chuckled, stepping out of the water. “You have it all planned out, I see.”

“Yes!” Her smile could light up the world for a full minute. “It will be like a Disney dream.”

Mom hooked her arm around my waist. “So many weddings.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “But you’ll always be my baby girl.”

The butterflies attacked my gut again. With each passing day the wedding drew closer. My heart flew at the joy of being with Jason forever, but my brain wanted to run.

As Orson Welles once said.

We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone.

I was alone all my life being an only child. I was used to it. Having flings was fun and adventurous. It wasn’t until I met Jason that I realized I was missing a piece of myself and he filled that void.