Chapter 18
“You know we just started a shit storm,” laughed Jesse. “Let’s call security, so they’re waiting for us at my building, and can get us in the door,” he told the driver.
“And I’d better call my parents. Damn, I thought we were going to be able to stay under the radar with that.”
“Slight miscalculation,” the driver said and they all laughed.
“What do you want to do tonight? It’s our wedding night.” Jesse was beaming.
Kylie laughed. “We really didn’t think about this, did we? Why don’t we invite some friends and family over and order in a bunch of Chinese takeout?” She wondered if he’d go for it.
“Perfect, Toots,” he quickly replied, looking down at his buzzing phone. Answering it, “Yes, I know you want to kill me. You’re supposed to know about things first, so that you can manage the press.” He looked at Kylie and mouthed, Molly. “Yes, it’s true. We’re married. A statement? Okay. Today I married the love of my life, Kylie Marie Martin, the former Miss New Jersey and the current, and forever, Mrs. Jesse Winslow. I have been blessed in finding my soulmate, the one person who, in this lifetime, I am meant to be with, forever. I’d like to thank everyone for their warm congratulations. How does that sound, sound good?”
Next to him, Kylie was on a call of her own. “Hi, Mom. How are you?... Have you seen the news yet this morning?... Okay, well you might want to turn it on…No, everything’s okay… actually everything is fantastic.” She turned to Jesse and whispered, “She’s turning on the TV.” Smiling, she was waiting for the scream on the other end of the phone. “Yeah, try CNN…” Kylie held the phone out and not ten seconds had gone by when she heard the screech through the phone. Kylie put the phone back to her ear, “She’s calling me a little stinker,” she told Jesse. “Mom, Jesse and I want you and Dad to come over tonight. We’re having a few people over. Very casual. We think we’re going to bring in Chinese food…. Sake? Sure, bring it. Come on over about 7:30 or so…. Yes, we’ll talk about a reception. Mom, Jesse wants to talk to you.”
She handed him the phone, “Hi, Mrs. Martin… Oh, okay, Fiona… Yes, I’m very excited. … No, this was a surprise for me too…. Well, I didn’t expect your daughter to ask me to marry her… Yeah, she did.” He laughed. “How could I say no?... We will see you tonight… Bye.”
He handed Kylie back her phone. “Are you going to tell everyone I asked you to marry me?”
“Toots, you bring new meaning to the feminist movement. You’ll be an inspiration to girls and women all over the world.” And then out of the side of his mouth, “Rock stars everywhere will be stalked by their future brides.” He could barely contain his laughter.
Giving him a side-eyed glance, “Don’t make me regret you finding me.”
“Don’t make me regret saying yes, Mrs. Winslow. Now, shut up and kiss me.” He pulled his bride into his lap, the space on the seat between them too much for him to bear.
••••••
“I found out the two of you knew one another when I saw it on TMZ,” Fiona started. “I recognized the mystery woman from Starbucks as my very own daughter. Then I found out you were dating on Facebook news.”
“I’m glad you have such reliable sources to keep track of your daughter,” Jesse laughed.
“And now you’re married and I’m meeting my son-in-law for the very first time.” Fiona was on her third sake. A tall, natural redhead like her daughter, Fiona Martin was still a head turner.
Kylie rolled her eyes at her mother, she knew, more than anyone else on the planet, that her momma was the ultimate, control-freak, stage mother. Having a daughter who was Miss New Jersey was one of her greatest accomplishments in life. That daughter marrying one of the world’s most famous and handsome men was clearly a result of her mothering. Or so she thought. And would continue to let everyone know.
“I loved him, Mother. I did not want you to run him off.”
“You loved me?” Jesse asked with a huge lopsided grin.
Kylie backhanded him in the arm. Catching her hand, he pulled her to him, kissing the side of her head.
As the evening went on, and more calls and texts of congratulations came in from close friends and business associates, they continued to invite people over. The question of can we bring anything was answered with, “Chinese food, champagne, sparkling cider.”
By nine p.m., there were nearly thirty people in the apartment celebrating the surprise nuptials.
“Are you going to have a big reception or is this it?” was the question on everyone’s lips and while both Kylie and Jesse would have been more than happy to make their impromptu Chinese potluck the beginning and end of their wedding festivities, Fiona was having none of it. She would make sure her daughter and son-in-law had a wedding that paparazzi would be clamoring for their spot to get a glimpse of the most beautiful bride they’d ever seen.
“I’m going to put together a list of venues here in the city,” she began early in the evening.
“You could do a destination wedding,” suggested Hayley.
“Isn’t tonight good enough?”
The heat in Fiona’s face slowly rose from her chest to her neck and up her face and Kylie knew her mother was seeing red. There was a deep satisfaction in it, payback for years of being paraded out on a stage. Kylie had no doubt in her mind that this was the ultimate stage mother moment for her. Fiona had never expected anything like this.
“I’m not going to even speak to you. Hayley, I know with your good southern breeding, that I can count on you to help me with these decisions.”
Putting her hand on Fiona’s forearm, she smiled warmly and drawled, “It would be my pleasure.” Turning, she smiled at Kylie.
“Turncoat, bitch,” she muttered. “Okay, just get it down to the final choices of venues before you start dragging me all over God’s creation.”
“Fine,” her mother acquiesced with an attitude.
“Zac,” Kylie perked up. “I’m so glad you came.” Standing to greet him, she gave her trainer a big hug.
“Congrats, Red. I am so happy for you two. You were the hot topic at L9 today. People were gathered around the juice bar watching the TV and talking about how they’d seen you both at the club.”
“I’ll bet.” Kylie laughed. “Zac, this is my mom, Fiona, and my best friend, Hayley, aka the reigning Miss Mississippi. Mom, Zac is responsible for getting me healthy and into shape.”
The tall, handsome blond shook his head, no. “Kylie, you are the only one responsible for getting healthy and into shape. I just made you sweat. So nice to meet you both,” he said to the ladies and then introduced the woman with him, “This is my good friend, Liz van der Heyden.”
“So nice to meet you, Liz. I’m glad you could join us.” Kylie welcomed the petite woman at Zac’s side.
“Congratulations. What an exciting day for you.” The dirty blonde had a warm vibe that Kylie immediately liked.
“Are you of the Darien, Connecticut, van der Heyden’s?” Fiona could sniff out Social Register families like a bloodhound.
“Yes, I am.”
“I chaired a fundraiser for Autism with Neelie van der Heyden a few years back.”
“Neelie is my mother.”
“What a lovely woman. She is quite a prolific fundraiser.” Fiona extolled a rare compliment.
Hayley looked on silently, not taking her eyes off Liz, until Liz could no longer ignore the stare.
“Nice to meet you, Hayley.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Sip was dripping southern honey. “Would you two like something to eat? Let me show you where everything is?” And with a crook of her finger Zac and Liz followed.
“What a nice-looking couple.” Fiona smiled after them.
“I think they are just friends, Mom. My bet is that she will end up as Hayley’s next conquest. Did you see that look Sip was giving her? It was like, excuse me, how are you ignoring me? I’m standing right next to you. Nothing else should matter.”
“You think so?” Fiona was shocked.
“I have not seen Sip act like that.” Kylie was amused.
Excusing himself from their guests, Jesse walked into the bedroom for a moment. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took a deep breath and smiled. Married. Whoever would have thought it. He had never even considered it before. Not with Claudine or any of her predecessors. Marriage just didn’t fit his lifestyle. Not until he changed his lifestyle and met the woman he promised he’d find again. What a trip. And it was their secret. People would think they were nuts, if they knew.
Jesse laughed out loud. Yes, nuts. Crazy, in-love nuts about her. Just as he had been about Julia and Rachel. And now Kylie. Finally, their time. It may have taken two thousand years and a bunch of lifetimes, but this time they got it right. Tonight, after all their guests left, he would make love to his wife. Finally.
Pulling out his phone, he began to check messages. Congratulatory message after congratulatory message. Even one from Bongo that sounded sincere. All the good energy coming his way was uplifting. Until he got to hers.
I wish you would have spoken to me before going ahead with your spontaneous plans. I’m deeply concerned with your well-being and the ramifications this might have for you. Obviously, I’m prohibited from disclosing certain things, suffice it to say, my concern with what you did today runs very deep. We need to talk. ~ Dr. Claire Stoddard
Seriously? That’s the message she sent him on his wedding day. He was annoyed that she would encroach upon his happiness, on today of all days, and do something to bring him down emotionally. There was certainly an ex-patient of hers with whom he would not be sharing this little missive. Seeing Kylie grab the woman by the hair once might have held a little bit of excitement, if he was being honest about it, but a second altercation would probably result in assault charges.
Heading out of the bedroom, he tried to shake off his mood. It was his wedding night for God’s sake. The apartment was filled with friends and colleagues he loved and he knew he needed to get back into conversations that lifted his spirits. But that text…it really stuck in his craw. So, instead of Jesse Winslow, newlywed, entering the living room, it was Jesse Winslow, rock star, who rejoined his guests, because that guy knew how to put on a show and hide himself in the process.
It was nearly dawn by the time the last guests were straggling out.
“It’s not our wedding day anymore.” Kylie stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “We never made love on our wedding day.”
“And you think I won’t make this up to you?” The look in his eyes made her thighs clench. “But right now, I’m starving. We ate that Chinese food hours ago. Diner?” he suggested to Kylie and their three remaining guests, Hayley, Zac and Liz.
“At this hour, you can actually probably get out of the apartment without the paparazzi camped out.
“Let’s do it. There’s that great twenty-four-hour place on 8th Ave.”
Emerging from the building onto the empty sidewalk into the chilly, pre-dawn, Jesse looked at Zac, “You were right. The paparazzi are asleep.”
“They think we are, too.” Kylie laughed, taking her husband’s hand on what was feeling like the perfect ending to the perfect day.
Two eggs over easy, bacon, rye toast and wonderfully greasy home-fried potatoes later, Mr. and Mrs. Winslow finally crawled into bed together for the first time as husband and wife.
Spooning together, Kylie suggested, “Can we sleep for a few hours before consummating this relationship, because as hot as you are in bed, I know I’m going to fall asleep in the middle of it, even if I’m on top riding you.”
Kissing her neck, he laughed, pulling her tighter into him, “We are so not rock ’n roll.”
Slipping her hand into his and bringing it to her lips for a kiss. “Another one of our many secrets it’s best that the world does not know.”
“You got that right, Mrs. Winslow.”