TALL DARK AND HUNGRY Page 0,2
and the invitations chosen and sent. Then there is the caterer to be chosen, the meals decided on, what wine to serve, the flowers to use and in what arrange¬ments, the music in the church, whether you'll have a band or a d.j. at the reception, and what music to play there. The colors have to be picked and coordinated so that the decorations, flowers, tuxedos, and dresses can be chosen and so on." He shook his head. "It's a won¬der couples survive all of that and make it to the wed¬ding still together. Take my advice: If you ever find a mate, skip the wedding nonsense and fly to Vegas."
"Skip the wedding nonsense and fly to Vegas?" Kate echoed in disbelief.
"Oh, now, Kate, honey, you know I didn't mean--," Luc began backpedaling in earnest.
"I gather weddings are a pain to arrange, but surely the worst of it is out of the way?" Bastien queried, trying to save his brother from the wrath filling his fi¬ancee's face.
A relieved Lucern eagerly grasped at the change of subject. "Well, yes. Most of the arrangements are made and set, but there always seems to be something cropping up that needs doing. Last week, it was mak¬ing toilet paper flowers. Who knows what it will be next week?"
"Toilet-paper flowers?" Bastien asked in surprise.
"Kleenex flowers," Kate corrected, sounding irri¬table. "We made them out of Kleenex facial tissues."
"Yes," Lucern said agreeably, then turned to ex¬plain to Bastien: "She had me folding and tying all these bloody toilet tissues, then fanning them into flowers to put on the cars for the wedding party. I told her we should have someone else do them, or just buy them, but she insisted that making them was tradition in her family. Bought flowers wouldn't do, so I spent hours and hours last week just folding and tying and fanning out toilet paper."
"Kleenex," Kate snapped.
"Some of them are toilet tissues," Lucern in¬formed her.
"What?" She looked at him with horror.
"Well, I ran out of Kleenex, and you insisted on so many for the cars, I started using toilet tissue. I don't think it will make much difference. Tissue is tissue, right? Besides, you weren't there to ask. You were working late as usual." He turned to Bastien and ex¬plained, "She's been working late a lot lately, trying to do Chris's work as well as her own."
Bastien raised an eyebrow, but Kate just made a face. "I'm not doing C.K.'s work. Chris is editing his own writers, and I'm editing mine. It's just that he's going away to the California writers conference to¬day, and I'll be fielding any emergencies that arise while he's gone. I've been trying to get ahead on my editing so that I don't fall behind if anything crops up, if you see what I mean."
Bastien nodded in understanding, then returned the conversation to the subject it had started on. "So your maid of honor is coming two weeks early. She should be arriving soon, then. Where is she staying?"
"Ah." Kate looked uncomfortable, then blew out a breath on a sigh. "Actually, that's the favor I wanted to ask," she admitted. "You see, I considered having her stay with me, but my apartment is really small. A tiny little one-bedroom is the best I can afford in Manhattan on my salary, and with Lucern there it's already quite crowded. I considered putting Terri up in a hotel. Luc even offered to pay for it, but I know she would refuse and insist on paying for herself. And what with all the expense she's already going to as my maid of honor, I didn't want to burden her any more than necessary. She really can't afford this, but she wouldn't say so."
"Proud?" Bastien guessed.
"Yes. Very. Her mother was a single parent, and Terri has been taking care of herself since Aunt Mag¬gie died when she was nineteen. She's stubborn and has trouble asking for, or accepting, help."
Bastien nodded. He understood pride. He had a good deal of it himself. Too much, perhaps, at times. "You want me to put her up in the penthouse," he guessed.
"Yes. If you wouldn't mind," Kate admitted, look¬ing hopeful.
Bastien smiled indulgently. His brother's fiancee made the request as if it were a huge imposition. Which it wasn't. The penthouse had five bedrooms and was huge. He also wasn't there very much, and would probably never even see the girl. He'd leave Terri in the housekeeper's capable hands; she wouldn't be any bother to him at all.
"That