Chapter 21

Vivian

"It's you, your ex, and your ex's father in the same house?" From across the floor of the wedding dress shop, I see Zoey's eyes widen.

"Pretty much," I respond while glancing around the shop.

Karma West Sovrano opened a boutique on Primrose Hill's High Street, and when Quentin informed me that he'd made me an appointment for a fitting, I was so excited.

I'm not sure if he realizes I was wearing a second-hand creation of hers when he first met me. No way was I going to turn down the opportunity to wear one of her dresses tailormade for me. Of course, I'm aware this is another way Quentin is showing off his connections. The way he"s able to pick up the phone and make a call, and the next moment, I"m walking into this boutique…

No doubt, he also did it to make clear, nothing"s stopping us from getting married in less than a month.

"Felix moved in this morning," I mutter.

"Oh no, that must be so awkward," Zoey cries.

I sigh. "As Q promised, he's in another wing of the house, so I haven't run into him. I"ve also managed to steer clear of him at work, thank God!"

"Girl, that's tough," she says sympathetically.

"Of course, our colleagues know what happened. It doesn't help that neither of us invited them to the wedding." I roll my eyes. "The atmosphere"s so frigid, the pies could freeze coming out of the wood-fired oven."

Zoey chuckles.

At least being measured for the dress is helping me take my mind off the disaster of the day.

My phone vibrates. I glance toward the bag I left on the couch earlier. "Zoey, could you get my phone, please?"

She walks over, grabs my bag and brings it over. I take the phone and glance at the message. It's a video message from an unknown number. When I touch it, it begins to play.

A woman's face appears on screen. She has dark hair and flashing eyes. There are circles under her eyes, but she's smiling.

I gasp, "Oh my god, it's Karma."

She doesn't look like the normal, polished woman I've come to expect from her social media videos and in photos from her fashion shows. Perhaps her illness is more severe than Summer let on?

"What do you mean?" Zoey leans over my shoulder.

"Hi Vivian, sorry for sliding into your messages unannounced, but when Summer told me you were marrying Q, I wanted to reach out to you, so I got your number from her." She coughs, then smiles again. "I'd have loved to have been there in person today, but since I couldn't, I wanted to reach out to you. I'm so happy you'll be wearing one of my creations for your wedding."

"Q is very dear to me, as Summer must have told you. He was a source of great comfort to me and Summer when I was rushed to the hospital earlier this year. If he hadn't been there that day, I'm not sure how I"d have made it through."

She wipes a tear, then fans herself with her hand. "Sorry about that, it's these post-natal hormones; they make me cry at the drop of a hat. But I wanted to congratulate you and tell you how happy I am that you're marrying Q. We haven't met personally, but I"ve heard so much about you from Summer, and I know you're going to be good for him. Q can come across as all tough and stern, but he has a heart of gold. You might have to wait a little for him to share more of his true nature with you, but I hope you won't give up on him. Just give him a chance, okay?" She coughs again. "I hope you don't mind my sending you this message. I didn't mean to unduly influence you but I have such regard for Q and I was so excited to find out he was getting married that I had to call you." A baby begins to cry in the background. "Oh, the baby's up, I have to go feed her." She smiles, then coughs again, before bringing it under control. "Big hug and I hope to see you soon." Then she disconnects.

"Wow." I continue to stare at the blank screen, digesting everything. "Karma sent me a personal message. I'm such a huge fan of her designs."

"That's such a Karma thing to do," Zoey agrees.

"I didn't realize Q made such an impression on her." I hand the phone back to Zoey, who steps back and out of the way of the bridal stylist who's been taking my measurements.

"I haven"t heard her voice since she went out on maternity leave two months ago. You must really be special!" The young woman smiles up at me from where she's kneeling on the ground. "I'll send these measurements off right away." She rises to her feet, nods at me and Zoey, and leaves.

"I still can"t believe Karma sent me a personal message." I shake my head. "Being in this shop is privilege enough for me, but to have Karma reach out—" To say I'm gob-smacked is putting it mildly. If Karma meant to make me look at Q in a more favorable light, she succeeded. Of course, I"m marrying him, and men often come across differently with their wives than with their friends, but still... The very fact that the designer I have a girl crush on advocated for Q means something to me.

Summer messaged me earlier to apologize that she couldn't make it because little Matty has been a little under the weather and she wanted to stay home with him. Zoey invited her friends Harper and Grace to the fitting. She called them on FaceTime and introduced us. Both congratulated me and said they'd have loved to join but couldn't. Turns out, Harper"s putting in another long day at the restaurant where she works as a sous chef. Grace begged off, saying she was exhausted and had to be up at two a.m. to prep for her morning show. Zoey hinted about a surprise guest who might be showing up, but since Karma already called me, I can"t imagine who it could be.

It seems like even friends of friends of Q have quickly included me in their circle.

In fact, Q has more friends than I"ve ever had. They"re all so loyal to him, and somehow, it's made them loyal to me, too, which is a strange thought to have. Like Summer's friend Skylar who runs The Fierce Kitten Bakery up the street from the boutique. Summer told her I'd be here for a fitting, and she had one of her team members deliver a selection of desserts.

I was overwhelmed and unsure if I should indulge myself, considering I was being fitted and didn't want to mess up the measurements. But Zoey waved aside my hesitation. And when she bit into one of the cupcakes and moaned, my mouth watered, and I reached for a doughnut myself.

Now we hear the sound of a motorbike approaching. The pipes make enough noise that all three of us glance toward the front of the shop, where a woman in a motorcycle jacket and leather pants, dismounts from a Harley.

She takes off her helmet and the sunlight glints off the silver strands of her hair threaded through the brown and blue-colored ones. She turns toward the shop, sees us and waves through the frontage.

Zoey waves back with enthusiasm. "Oh, goodie, our surprise guest has arrived." She turns to me. "I hope you don't mind. My Granny Imelda's a hoot, I promise. I thought she might provide a welcome diversion."

The woman struts into the bridal shop, and heads for us.

"Gran… I mean Imelda!" Zoey throws her arms around the other woman. "I didn't think you'd make it."

"And pass up the chance for free champagne and Skylar's desserts?" She huffs, "No fucking way."

Whoa, this is not your average grandma. This is a shit-kicking, in-her-prime woman, who's living life the way she wants, and to hell with the consequences. Zoey was right. She livens up the place.

Sensing my perusal, she turns and flashes me a wicked smile. "You must be Vivian."

I begin to nod when she closes the distance to us and hugs me. I stiffen at first, but her hug feels so motherly, so warm, I find myself relaxing by degrees. When she releases me, I smile back. "Nice to meet you, too, Imelda."

Her face brightens. "Thank God, you didn't call me Gran. Not that I'm not a grandmother, but I also have an identity. One I'm beginning to explore." She steps back and surveys my features. "And what about you, my dear? How are you feeling about everything?"

"If you mean the marriage?—"

"I do mean the upcoming nuptials, but more importantly, how do you feel here?" She taps her left breastbone. "Do you feel he's the right man for you?"

I blink. "I ah, I… Um?—"

"Imelda, you're putting Vivian on the spot," Zoey admonishes her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Imelda says in a voice that indicates she definitely did mean to.

I bark out a laugh. "You're wicked."

Imelda looks pleased. "I aim to be. At my age, you cut the bullshit and get to the core of the issue. Which, in this case is, are you in love with the man you're going to marry?"

I gape at her. Doesn't pull any punches, does she?

"That's a very personal question," Zoey scolds.

The bridal stylist who"s been measuring me for the dress looks between us. "Uh, I think I have everything I need. Feel free to stay and enjoy the refreshments. Karma instructed me to close the shop to customers, so you"d have privacy." She half waves at us, then leaves.

Imelda, who's been watching me closely all this time, blows out a breath. "I'm sorry, dear. I couldn't help but notice the uncertainty lurking in your eyes, and that's what led me to asking the question. Perhaps I've become insensitive in my old age. I didn't mean to hurt you, in any way."

"You didn't." I step down from the fitting platform and walk over to the bottle of champagne set on a table in the corner. I pour myself a flute and take a sip, before turning to face Zoey and Imelda, who've followed me. "And it's a valid question." I take another sip. The two wait patiently while I look around for the correct words to frame my thoughts. "The truth is, I"m marrying him because it's the right thing to do at this stage in my life."

Imelda looks taken aback, then nods. "It's an appropriate answer. I'd have, of course, preferred to hear the L word, but a modern marriage of convenience which furthers your goals is a good second option."

It's my turn to feel surprised. "So… you don't think it's wrong that I'm marrying a man for?—"

"—his money?" She laughs. "Oh, my dear, do I look like someone who believes in roses and hearts and unicorns? The best possible outcome of a marriage would be that you get something out of it which benefits your interests."

"Granny Imelda!" Zoey turns on her. "I had no idea you were such a non-romantic."

"Oh, I'm romantic, but when you have an arranged marriage like I did, and know your husband for three minutes before you marry him, it's a different kind of love." She shrugs. "It's the kind that you develop for your spouse over a period of time, out of necessity."

"Did you say three minutes?" I cough.

"About all the time I had to see my husband's face for the first time before the bishop pronounced us man and wife."

"Ah…" I'm not sure how to react to that. I've heard of arranged marriages being the norm, especially among wealthy families, but Imelda is the first person I'm meeting who's been through one. "And you were happy?"

She half smiles. "I didn't have a choice in the matter. I married him because it was the done thing. Gave him kids because... it was expected of me. I made peace with myself. But it was after my husband passed that I found the freedom to come into myself."

"Oh…" I swallow, not sure what to say to that.

Her features soften. "I'm sharing this so you realize we do what we have to do. I couldn't let down my family, either. Truth be told, it didn't even cross my mind to say no. I wouldn't say I was happy or unhappy. And maybe, I even came to love my husband, in my own way. You, on the other hand, seem to have thought this through and decided this is right for you?"

I nod. "It is," I say slowly. "The money was a factor in making me consider the arrangement, but as I got to know him, I realized he wants to marry me because he feels a connection to me. Of course, he does need to marry in order to secure his position in his father's company and gain his inheritance, but"—I look away then back at her— "but it's more than that. I mean, he could marry anyone if that"s all he wanted. Plus, he gave me the option of leaving with the money, without marrying him, but I couldn't do it."

"You couldn't?" Zoe's eyes round. "Why am I hearing of this for the first time?"

I blush. "Because I'm only coming to terms with it myself. There's something more between us. A connection. And I find him attractive. Very attractive, actually. There's good chemistry between us. And when I realized it wasn't the money that was making me want to marry him, I realized"—I swallow— "I realized this is something I want to do. And not even the fact that it's going to result in awkward encounters with his son, who happens to be my ex, is enough to dissuade me."

"Wow, that's—" Zoey shakes her head. "I'm so happy for you, babe."

"A good sex life is the cornerstone of a good marriage. It's a good base to build your marriage on." Imelda lowers her chin. "Make sure you don't give up everything too easily. Keep a little of yourself from him. Nothing like a little enigma to keep the marriage interesting, know what I mean?"

I frown. "I think so."

My phone buzzes. Zoey glances at the screen then holds it to up. "It's Lizzie." She walks over and hands the phone to me.

I answer the call. "Lizzie, you should see my dress, it's incredible."