“Do you want to stop for breakfast?” Harper asked as she got into the car.
“I don’t think we have time.” Theo glanced at the clock on the dashboard.
“What do you mean? Do you have to get back to work?” Harper was disappointed, but she couldn’t honestly claim surprise. She had blocked off the whole day for this, but of course Theo wouldn’t have done the same. Even though this outing had been his idea, she could never expect to lay claim to a whole day with him.
But to her surprise, he shook his head. “It isn’t that,” he said. “It’s just that we have an appointment we need to keep. We’re expected at nine thirty.”
“Can we call them and tell them we’re going to be a little late?”
“No, I don’t think this is the kind of place that will hold an appointment. We were lucky to get it at all on short notice. Although you shouldn’t act like you realize that when we getthere. You need to act like they’re lucky to haveusthere,” he said.
“You want me to be rude to these people?” She raised her eyebrows.
“I want you to act like you’re someone important,” he clarified. “That’s the only way they’re going to take us seriously. This is a fancy place we’re going to look at.”
“What is it?”
“The Crystal Ballroom.”
Harper’s eyes widened. “I’ve heard of it,” she said. “Don’t they have film premieres there?
“I don’t know. Do they?”
“When they shot that movie here last year, the one that ended up getting the Oscar nomination, I know there was a wrap party at the Crystal Ballroom,” Harper said. “Tara and I went downtown and hung around outside, hoping to see some celebrities. I didn’t realize anyone could book that space.”
“You can book anything if you have enough money,” Theo said. “But this is why we need them to think we’re important. You see what I mean? I think we got this appointment because they think I’ll be bringing in big sports stars and throwing a high-profile party. Now, I’m sure my money will be good enough for them when they find out what’s really going on, but we need a foot in the door. So, just act important when we get in there.”
“I have no idea how toact important,” Harper said. “And are you sure this is a good idea? I don’t want to book a venue under false pretenses. If we do that, the people there might not like us very much, and something like that could ruin the wedding. We don’twant to have to be looking over our shoulders all day when we should be celebrating. We don’t want to be wondering if the staff spat in our food or something.”
“No one is going to spit in our food. And besides, I haven’t lied about us,” Theo said, maneuvering his car onto the interstate. “I said there might be some high-profile guests, that’s all, and I didn’t clarify what kind of event we were planning.”
“You don’t see that as misleading?”
“We’ll let them know today that it’s a wedding we’re planning,” he said evenly. “And as far as distinguished guests… well, that’s just a matter of opinion, isn’t it? I think any friend of my brother’s is a distinguished guest.”
“You know perfectly well that’s not what the people at the Crystal Ballroom thought you meant when you said that.”
“All right, maybe it isn’t, but I didn’t promise them anything,” Theo said. “And besides, don’t you want to have the wedding at the Crystal Ballroom? Don’t you think it would be the perfect venue?”
“I don’t know,” Harper said.
“You don’tknow?”
“What’s so perfect about it? I mean, I’ve never even been there before. I’m sure it’s beautiful, but why is it the right place for this wedding?”
“It’s the nicest place in all of Houston!” He threw up a hand, and she was grateful that he kept the other one on the wheel. “You accuse me one minute of being too coldhearted and not caring about my brother’s wedding, but when I go out of my wayto do something special, that isn’t right either. There’s really no making you happy.”
“Don’t ask me to believe that anything you’re doing has been with the goal of makingmehappy,” Harper said. “You’re not interested in making me happy. And you shouldn’t be. But did you really think that your brother would be that interested in the Crystal Ballroom as a venue? I mean, if that’s what he wants, if there’s some reason, just tell me. I don’t know him as well as you do. Maybe he really loves that place. Maybe your family did things there when you were younger.”
“Noteverythingabout this wedding is going to connect to our childhood,” Theo said. “I picked out a nice place. Can we at least look at it before you start denouncing the whole idea?”
Harper was hit with a pang of guilt. He was right. She was being negative, and this was the first time he had taken any initiative regarding this wedding. She should be supporting the fact that he was making an effort to get involved, not running him down for it. “I’m sorry,” she said.
He glanced over at her. “You’re sorry?”
“I am.”
“Just like that. You’re… what, admitting I was right?”
