“My sister is just frazzled. She’s a bride, and she’s…” Mika made a helpless gesture.
“Entitled and spoiled is what she is,” the owner said, clearly unimpressed with Imogen.
“You can’t talk to me that way,” Imogen yelled at her. “I’m your client. I’m paying a hundred thousand dollars to have my wedding here.”
“I think you mean I am,” I countered.
“Not anymore,” the owner said tartly. “You’re fired.”
Ivy’s face went white as a sheet. Imogen’s went beet red.
“You can’t fire me! I’m paying you.”
“Imogen!” I barked.
“I most assuredly can,” the owner said. “You are in violation of our policies. And as a reminder, you paid a nonrefundable deposit. We will email you the canceled contract.”
Imogen balled her fists up.
“Evan, pay her and make her take our wedding back.”
The owner looked down her nose at me. Even though I was probably a good foot and a half taller than her, I felt like an eight-year-old about to be scolded.
“We do not want your business. We have brides calling every day, wanting to pay triple price for this space. You have been removed from the calendar. Please make other arrangements.” The owner turned on her heel. We had been dismissed.
“Oh god, oh god,” Ivy said, sitting on the stoop of the stone stairs at the venue entrance.
“How can they do this to us?” Imogen raged. “Doesn’t she know who we are? Ivy, I have to have my wedding here. You have to make them have my wedding here. I’ve waited years for this moment. That old woman can’t kick me out. She can’t!”
My stepmother patted her on the back. “We’ll find you another venue, Immie, a better venue.”
“Oh my god,” Ivy whispered to me. “I’m going to be ruined. This is a disaster.”
40
Ivy
Iwas hyperventilating as we walked away from the venue. “How could this happen?” I whispered.
Evan wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I’ll take care of it. I promise.”
“How?” I thought I was going to cry. “We can’t just book another venue.”
“Let me work my magic.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. I was in too much shock to care that his family could see.
“This is terrible,” Imogen said, stamping her feet as we waited for the car to take us to the next appointment. “You have to fix this now!”
“We’re going to find you a new venue,” my mom said to Imogen. “Ivy’s already on it, I’m sure.”
“You better,” Imogen said, jabbing her perfectly manicured finger at us, “or you’re going to be sorry.”
I wanted to go home and have a drink and a large bowl of pasta. Unfortunately, the day’s bridal events had just started, and we were en route to the hair and makeup test.
“I had champagne and a charcuterie spread delivered to the salon,” Mika told me.
“Bless you,” I replied.
She looked at me oddly. “So my brother and you…”
