"Right. I read about that. Grant Holbrook prevented the place from being overrun by gun-wielding assailants."
"Yes and, in the process, destroyed a good chunk of the great hall where the reception will be held. The building is historic, so apparently it was a nightmare to secure a permit for repairs. The club's board members also decided that they wanted to go ahead and do renovations since they were going to need a permit anyways. My mom was very involved," Liz said. "There was a whole fundraiser for it and everything."
"And now Brandy is having a wedding there. What about her husband, Fernando?" Allie asked.
"What about him?" Liz said. "He plays polo and is generally obnoxious."
"Is he involved in the wedding planning at all?"
Liz giggled. "No! Honestly, I personally am shocked that the two of them managed to make it this far. Brandy is pretty terrible to him. But he just laughs and says she’s feisty. He probably doesn’t understand a word of what she says. He’s from Argentina."
Allie stifled a laugh.
"Actually, that's mean," Liz countered. "I think it’s more that he’s gone eighty percent of the time, so he doesn’t have to deal with her on a day-to-day basis."
The doorbell rang promptly at eight.
"Come in," Liz said brightly as Brandy, her mother, and the latest wedding planner stood in the doorway.
"We have hot tea and pastries," Liz said, directing the women to the dining room.
The large table was filled with books, collages, and vision boards. While Liz plugged her tablet into a large TV screen, Allie introduced herself.
"This is the girl that landed the latest Holbrook," Brandy told her mother. "You should have tried harder, Liz. You clearly didn’t put in any effort. What are you going to do? You're fast approaching thirty, you know."
Allie opened her mouth to say something, but Liz shook her head slightly.
The wedding planner ignored them and slowly walked around the table, inspecting the design material with a sour look on her face.
"Let’s bring Allie up to speed, Liz, would you, dear?" Brandy's mother said.
Liz dutifully stood up and started walking Allie through the design.
"The colors are peach, white, and brass. It’s a September wedding, so we want it to feel a bit richer than a summer wedding."
She showed Allie a picture of an enormous custom-made chandelier dripping with crystals and orchids. It was a good story and a half tall.
"The venue is a double-height space, so this will be very dramatic. There will be sheets of sheer fabric with hidden LED lights."
"That is quite impressive." Allie didn’t know what else to say. It all looked very expensive.
"Yes, it's just lovely," Linda Fitzhugh, Brandy's mother, said with a sigh. "Maybe we could add some feathers—"
"No, Mom," Brandy snapped. "Stop talking. You have terrible taste."
"Brandy, I just want to be involved," her mother said sharply. "We are paying for this wedding, after all."
"Fernando is contributing some," Brandy retorted.
"Yes, but still,tryto make this a pleasant experience. Ginny's wedding was so wonderful." She smiled softly to herself as she took a sip of tea.
"Ginny isn’t getting married again," Brandy hissed.
Liz gave Allie a concerned look then jumped when Brandy screeched at them, "Allie, I need you to plan the bachelorette week."
"Week?" Allie said. "Isn’t it supposed to be one night?"
"Not since the 1980s," Brandy said, looking down her nose at Allie. "Now it's long weekends, but we’re going for a week. Find a destination—not somewhere crazy. I’m not going to Mexico or Puerto Rico."
