The offices of L&G Real Estate were spacious, open and elegant in an understated way. They’d been refurbished about five years ago, done in colors like sea glass and stone. The furniture was comfortable, the atmosphere was one of warm efficiency. When someone dropped five million on a house, they wanted to know their agent knew what they were doing.
There were eight full-time agents—five on the buying side and three on the selling side—along with support staff for both. Cindy had worked her way up to office manager where she kept the very successful business smoothly moving along. Her skill set as a helicopter mom made her perfect for seeing to the details, managing the employees and handling any crisis be it business related or personal.
For the most part Shannon didn’t mind working as her mom’s assistant. It wasn’t her dream job because, hey, she didn’t know what her dream was, but Cindy was a reasonable boss and always had a plan. Unfortunately ever since she’d walked into the building right at nine that morning, Shannon had found herself alternating between floaty happiness and guilt. The former because her wonderful, sexy, handsome boyfriend had proposed and the latter because she hadn’t told her mom. Worse, she’d been avoiding her for hours.
Even as Shannon carefully checked the hallway to make sure it was clear, then darted back to her small office like a bit player in a bad movie, she felt the weight of the thin chain she’d placed around her neck. The one holding her beautiful engagement ring.
Half of her wanted to burst into Cindy’s office and shout out the news. Her mother would be thrilled. They’d hug and jump up and down and make happy, high-pitched noises that would cause anyone in the building to cover their ears. But she knew what would happen next. Her mother would look at her with her wide-eyed I-have-the-best-idea expression and say the words that would chill Shannon’s engagement happy heart.
Let’s have a double wedding.
As far back as she could remember, she and Cindy had been a team, and her mother had made sure the world knew it. They’d been dressing alike since before she could walk, and there were pictures to prove it. Every Halloween they’d worn coordinating costumes. Until last year, they’d celebrated their birthdays together with a shared party, and the only reason they hadn’t done it last year was that Aaron had taken her away to New Orleans, giving her the gift of not having to deal with her mom for once. Yes, their birthdays were only two days apart, but did they have to celebrate togethereveryyear? And even now, one of the gifts from her mom for Christmas was a shirt or a sweater or a dress that matched the one her mom had bought herself.
Maybe she should think about changing her middle name fromDisastertoEnmeshed, she thought with a sigh, and she checked her email.
She spent the next hour handling the various issues that made up her day. Javiar, one of the sales guys and also the son of the owner and her soon-to-be stepbrother, not to mention her roommate, texted her a video of a dancing cat.
Gotta love the moves.
They’re even better than yours. I didn’t think that was possible.
Javiar sent back the winking emoji.The ladies do love my style. You gonna be home tonight?
She thought about her newly engaged state.No. I’ll be at Aaron’s.
Again? Young love. Tell your man hi from me.
Will do.
She put down her phone and returned her attention to her computer only to realize she was a horrible person and of course she had to tell her mother about the engagement. If she didn’t, if she waited, Cindy would be crushed, and despite living on her own and being legally an adult, she knew the reality of making her mother cry would twist her stomach into knots and possibly send her into therapy.
She got up and marched purposefully down the hall, all the while telling herself that no matter what happened, she would not agree to a double wedding. She couldn’t. It was a nightmare to even think about. She was entitled to her own wedding. Her mom would understand that... wouldn’t she?
“Hi, baby,” Cindy said as Shannon walked into her mom’s large office. Cindy was sitting at the small conference table, staring at a vase filled with mismatched flowers. She waved at them. “What do you think?”
Shannon sat. “Who put the bouquet together? It’s a mess.”
There were peonies, dahlias, orchids, a couple of calla lilies, hydrangeas, roses, carnations and a few sprigs of lily of the valley.
Her mother sighed. “I picked it up from the florist this morning. She wants me to live with the different kinds of flowers to figure out which ones I like for my bouquet.” She fingered a carnation. “Remember, she said bouquet first, decor arrangements second.”
Shannon did remember the initial visit to the florist in Santa Monica. She’d come highly recommended by a client, but Shannon hadn’t been impressed by either her offerings or her prices.
“Mom, if you’re serious about keeping the number of guests to around fifty for your wedding, I think we should go the flower market route. At least for the tables. I can go get everything theday before and put together however many arrangements. We’re talking what, maybe eight in total? That won’t take long at all.”
And while money wasn’t an issue—Luis, theLin L&G Real Estate, wanted only the best for his bride—Shannon hated the idea of wasting thousands of dollars on something she could make for about eighty percent less.
“Besides, you need to pick out your dress before you choose flowers. The shape of the dress will influence the bouquet.”
Cindy smiled at her. “You’re right, of course. It’s just I don’t seem to be making any decisions. There’s so many moving parts.”
“Planning a wedding can be daunting,” Shannon said, thinking how she’d lain awake the night before, imagining whatherday would be like. “The dress, the food, the music, the invitations. Everyone’s going digital on those, but I keep thinking there’s something wonderful about really nice card stock.”
“Maybe something textured,” her mother said.
“Organic paper with wildflower seeds embedded so the invitation can be planted later,” Shannon said dreamily, mentally fingering the bumpy paper. “You know a compromise would be a beautiful Save the Date card followed by a digital invitation. The best of both worlds.”
Her mother smiled at her. “You’re enthused. Are we talking my wedding or yours?”
