Love Me After the Wedding

Untitled Part 29

Lainey stared in awe at the house as Roberto pulled the car into the circle drive. It was even better than the pictures in the tabloids. How Sasha pulled all this off before was a mystery to Clare. She never told Sasha what flowers she liked, and right now, it didn't matter that gardenias and hydrangeas dominated everything. Everything was so beautiful. Hopefully, none of the guests would go nuts taking pictures. Clare was certain they would steal a minute or two to take a picture for Instagram or Facebook before anyone could spoil it first. They just had to!

"It looks like Sasha has outdone herself, Clare." Roberto said. "I had no idea."

"Me neither, Roberto." Clare said, opening the trunk for her bags. "I have to find the room."

"I can get your bags, Clare."

"Nonsense, Roberto. I'll get my own, There aren't that many. You take Lainey's." She said walking up the sidewalk to the front door where they were met with a bald, barrel chested, angry looking middle-aged man with tattoo sleeves and lots of rings on his fingers.

"I'm Danny. Welcome Clare." Said the man taking her bags. "Me and my guys are going to be working with Charles today." He clarified.  "Roberto. It's good to see you again."

Roberto nodded as he surveyed the yard. He noticed the increased security systems and some of Danny's men. "You too, Danny." He noticed the puzzled face Clare was pulling at this. "I have known Danny for  many years. We used to freelance body guarding together after I got out of the Spanish Army. He is a good man."

Clare nodded with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Danny." She extended her hand toward Lainey. "This is my friend, Lainey. We grew up since kindergarten together."

They made their way inside where another of the house staff showed Clare to the room she'd get ready in. It was a moderately sized guest room, with a queen-sized bed in the middle of the wall under the window and a seating area done in white and blush and blue there was a vanity on the adjacent wall next to a bathroom that was equally impressive and done in the same colors with silver woven into the scheme and it was mesmerizing to the women. Roberto put the bags down and left. "I'll be back later, when I get more instructions from Sasha. I think she said she'd be here in a couple of hours, when the dressmaker arrives." He kissed Clare on both cheeks and shook Lainey's hand. "See you later ladies, he said as he turned out the door and closed it behind him.

"He's really cute, Clare." Lainey said as she watched the shut door. "He's wearing a ring though."

"Don't even think it, Lain. I only really know that I trust him. And he's thirty-six." Clare answered, opening her bags to find her bathrobe and slippers. She changed into those and pulled out her phone. "And he's single, and the ring he's wearing," she interrupted Lainey's attempt to interrupt her, "Is Niel's. We decided he'd wear it until it's time for me to go out."

"Why shouldn't I?" She pouted and slapped at her friend's shoulder. "You know nothing would happen because I'm a serial dater." They both laughed.

"He's my employee, and my bodyguard, Lainey." I don't have time to figure this out again right now. She pulled her make up and hair tools. She didn't know what Sasha had in store for her, so she thought ahead. As she waited for her tools to heat up, she told Lainey "go in the bathroom and change into your cocktail dress. I want to see it before we send Roberto out."

"Okay," Lainey said as she pulled her larger bag into the bathroom. "You know, It's a shame you're getting married. I thought we'd be able to hang out and go to the beach or something. But I guess you have other plans, don't you?" She said.

"Yeah. I didn't know, really and you had to work, but you can totally take Suz to the beach. I know she won't mind. Mostly because Charles and Roberto are coming with us wherever Niel has planned to go tomorrow morning."

"Charles?" Lainey asked. "Does Suzette have a new boyfriend?" Clare heard the sound of a long zipper. Lainey came out of the bathroom in a grey dress that hit her knees with rusching on both sides. "Can you finish the zip? I can't reach the rest."

Clare finished the last awkward six inches of the zipper for her friend. "Yes, Suz has a boyfriend, and He just happens to be Niel's bodyguard."

"How are they going to make it work? I mean..."

"I don't know. I really haven't given it much thought, but I'm sure they'll figure it out. Suzette has said that she want's to finish school and graduate first though."

"Good for her. I know if she doesn't, she'll take fifteen years to finish." Lainey said. "It's hard to get back into it."

"I know. You're preaching to the choir, sister." Clare said, not having to remind Lainey that she dropped out of college to have a somewhat lucrative career in show business before now. "Your dress is perfect," She told her friend. "I love the rusching on the sides and how the sleeves have the interest in the neckline. It's actually very similar to Suzette's in eggplant, if I remember right. If she hasn't gotten a new one."

They spent the rest of the time before Sasha returned talking about what has happened to Clare in the last couple of days, since Lainey hadn't really done anything of note, besides board her own cat with Lady Catherine at Camilla's per Clare's recommendation. "You're right though." Lainey said. "I think I could get used to this too. But I don't think I would ever agree to a match made quite like this though." She smirked back a laugh that would have set them both off.

"I don't know if I ever will." Clare followed up. "I mean, I figured I'd have at least a couple of months before I said yes to the man I marry."  She smirked and both women laughed.

"Yeah, it's not ideal, but I can see where this would work out." Lainey said. "I mean, in countries where arranged marriage is the norm, it's more likely to last than picking your mate." It could work." They were silent while Lainey changed back into her street clothes. "You really think the dress will work?"

"I love it. I want you to wear it." Clare picked her phone up again and started punching in numbers. 

"Who are you calling?" Lainey waggled her eyes. "You haven't seen Niel yet today, have you?"

"No, I haven't seen Niel yet today, but that's not who." She said. "I have to talk to Nick Naylor. He said he'd call and I haven't heard from him since before I got out of bed."

"Nick is coming?" Lainey whooped. "I mean, I kind of figured it would be full of super-popular celebrities, but Halogen5! That's something else."

"You can't tell anyone, Lainey. Not my mom, not my dad, Niel doesn't even know!"

"You've got band mates showing up to your wedding and your fiance, who is one of the highest paid celebrities in Hollywood, probably can't get tickets to their next concert and he doesn't know they are coming to his wedding?" Lainey shook her head, almost disappointed before she smiled at her friend and cackled like a witch. "I love it!"

Clare bumped Lainey's shoulder with her own. "It is kind of a good plan, isn't it?" She smiled. "I thought I wanted him and Mark to play me down the aisle, but Nick explained that they didn't want to take the spotlight off what was more important, so they're going to crash the reception for a little while."

"I love it!" Lainey squealed right as Clare's phone rang.

"Speaking of, Lainey, It's Nick." she didn't wait at all before she slid the call open. "What d'you got for me, Nick?" She said. "Okay....Yes....Well that all depends on the guest list, but if you come before one thirty, I can get you through with Danny. He's the security head today, but he really looks like a roughed up biker." Clare listened for a minute more before she continued, "I'll go talk to him right now and call you back. How does that sound? Okay. See you later." She ended the call and raised her eyebrows as she put her phone on the vanity. "I guess I should go find Danny because I don't have his number. Give me your phone, please, Lainey."

"Wow! You're really taking things seriously." she surrendered her phone.

"I have to. I don't want anyone I know leaking things to the Internets before things even get started. I'll be back in a little while." She hugged her friend before she left the room, "I'm so glad you could make it, Lainey."

"Me too, Clare." Lainey answered. "Me too."