The Dinner Party: Part 1
***The day after their trip, 4 weeks out***
Christine and David slept in the morning after they got home from their trip. Chris planned on being lazy that day, and doing laundry and trying to stay as relaxed as possible.
She woke up before David, and got her workout in, which hurt like the Dickens because she had taken a week off. She got on the scale afterwards and glad to see she only gained 2 pounds the whole trip.
After her workout she grabbed a quick shower and was browsing on her laptop. She was determined to find recipes that resembled their favorite dishes from Petit St. Vincent. She found one for coconut waffles and coconut syrup, and then she found one for an "island-flavored rub" for meat and seafood. She printed these recipes and put them in the kitchen in her cookbooks, and fell back asleep on the couch.
David woke her up about an hour later, and they laid around reading the paper and watching TV.
Bridgit stopped by around 4, excited to see them and have dinner with them again. They gave her the presents they had brought her from Petit St. Vincent, and she was so excited. She put the necklace on and it matched her eyes almost to the exact shade. She put the sandals on and said she was never taking them off.
"Thank you Aunt Chris. Thanks David". She hugged them both.
"Bridgit, I have another secret…. this is my real hair".
Bridgit had tears in her eyes and she hugged her Aunt.
"My favorite aunt is looking extra beautiful today".
"So is the oldest of my favorite nieces".
Chris and Bridgit made grilled chicken tacos and Mexican rice that night for dinner. As they cooked, Chris brought up the dinner party.
"So we decided to have a dinner party in 4 weeks, and we want you to come. And I am going to need your help to get everything done. Do you think you could take that day off and come sit here to let the cleaning lady in? I also want to fill the place with fresh flowers, ones that really brighten up the place. So I am going to call the florist that Pop always used, but I might need you to go pick up the flowers that day, after the cleaning lady leaves. I will probably have to work a ½ day that day, and then I will be home and we can do it all together. Can you swing that?"
"Yes! That sounds so fun! Maybe I will bring my stuff and just get ready for the party here".
"Sure you can do that! It's going to be very fancy and elegant, too. Very classic".
Bridgit was excited but she had no idea what was in store.
***the next day***
It was Mary Beth and Christine's first day back to work.
Christine got to work first, and everyone marveled at how tan she was. "Welcome back to the real world, Lieutenant" was all Feldberg said. He could be very charming sometimes.
She was walking back into the office with her water bottle when Mary Beth came in. She noticed how dark Chris had gotten, but also how much weight she had lost. Chris was wearing a pair of her new Capris, and a V-neck blouse with a ¾ sleeve cardigan over it. She looked fantastic!
"Hello again, Partner! How was your trip?"
"Wonderful! How was yours Partner?"
"Best trip we have ever taken. We are making it annual thing".
"Us too. We loved every minute of it."
Christine pulled out the presents she had gotten them and Mary Beth ooohed and aahed over them. She made sure to wrap Alice's back up so that she could open it herself that night.
Mary Beth gave Chris the presents she had brought her and David then too. Chris opened the box and saw a container of spices from Bermuda for David and some beautiful lace handkerchiefs and a pretty pink scarf that was handwoven for her.
"Thank you! I love these! You are too kind".
"By the way, Mary Beth, mark of June 20th in your calendar. You, Harvey and Alice are invited to a dinner party at our place. Fancy, elegant, but it's going to be buffet style. And if Alice wants to, she can bring a friend. Just you guys and Bridgit and some of David's close friends. What do you say? I am sending out invitations, but I wanted to tell you before you booked anything".
"We would love to Chris! I love dinner parties. Do you need any help?"
"Not that I can think of at the moment, but I will let you know".
She and Mary Beth got to work then, and Christine discreetly made a few wedding plans. She decided to use light green, sparkly silver and pink as her wedding colors. She had decided to ask Mary Beth that night to be her matron of honor, and Lisa and Bridgit to be bridesmaids. She thought about getting them matching wraps for them to wear while the ceremony took place. She added photographer to her list, but she was going to have to work that one out on the sly. She texted David 'Know any photographers personally? We need someone that can come beforehand and take some pictures for us, and then blend in as a guest and take more pictures afterwards'.
He responded "On it babe. Love you".
She designed and ordered the invitations then, and printed them off. She made a note to herself to pick up envelopes at Kinko's on the way home. She also wanted to have one embossed on thicker paper as a keepsake.
She browsed some wedding dresses and decided that she wanted a sweetheart neckline strapless dress, with a pink and silver sash. Green and pink sash for a second choice. She also decided she wanted a sequined ivory colored dress if she could find one.
David texted back.
"Meet me at 5 tonight? My buddy at the courthouse said he would stay let to help us get the marriage license".
She replied back "yes, that's great. Wedding colors are pink, sparkly silver and light green. Do you want a boutonniere with a pink flower or a white flower with a light green color scheme?"
"Pink with silver would look good with my black suit. Whatever you think is best, babe".
"I have made lots of plans, will fill you in tonight. Love you the moistest".
"Love you more, babe".
Mary Beth went to lunch, and Chris took that opportunity to call Brian. She reached him at his office, and they chatted for a few minutes and then she dropped the news.
"Brian, I need to ask you something. David and I have decided to get married and I want you to give me away".
"Oh Chris, that's great. Absolutely! I will be glad to give you away".
"there's just one thing, Brian. It's a surprise. We want it very simple, and so we decided to have a dinner party, and then after everyone gets there, have the wedding. Can you keep it just between you and Ann right now? Just you and Ann- not Bridgit and not Lisa. I was thinking you could just tell them you are coming for a visit and you are going to our dinner party and then it will be a wedding. They are invited too, of course. Bridgit already said yes and is helping me plan it and doesn't have a clue".
"Good plan, Chris. Simple is best. We would love to be there. You are going to be a beautiful bride".
"Thanks Brian. I am going to send you guys the invitation. It will start at 6, but feel free to come early and chat and have a drink. I am sure Bridgit will love to see you!".
They hung up and she texted David. 'Brian said yes. I want to give Alice a special job, but she is a little old for a flower girl. What do you think?"
"What if she had the title of special helper? She can help you with your dress, like zipping it up. She can hold your flowers during the ceremony, and she be in charge of the rings and give them to us during the ceremony? We can make a huge deal about it, and make it sound really super important. She could be the only one who is allowed in there with you and Bridgit, maybe"
"this is why I am marrying you, Keeler. It's because of your wonderful ideas. Love you".
By the end of the day, Chris had almost picked her wedding dress, was about to get her marriage license, and had picked her wedding colors and the ceremony participants, as well as had the invitations printed out. Her to-do list was shrinking and she was feeling relieved.
***3 weeks out***
***Chris and David's apartment***
Christine had lost another 6 pounds and was starting to see definition in her legs and arms. Her hair was growing like crazy.
She had done tons of wedding planning. She and David had gotten their marriage license and booked a small honeymoon to Vegas. She had found her wedding dress- it was a sequined, ivory colored evening gown. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and was very fitted. It was a short dress, and she found some very sparkly heels to go with it. She was now looking for a pink sash to wear with it, and a sparkly clip to put in her hair.
She had mailed the invitations, and had made a list to check of RSVP's. Brian had called to say that Lisa had tried to get out of it, and he told her that it was a mandatory family function. All 4 of them, including Bridgit would be there. David had invited the partners in his law firm and their families. They all said yes, and his secretary was coming too. He had divulged to his best friend, his college roommate Patrick, that it was a wedding and asked him to be his best man. The only people who knew the secret were Patrick, Ann and Brian.
Christine had made appointments with the caterer and the florist, and she and David were meeting the photographer guy for dinner later this week. All that was left was for Chris to find a garter belt, and David was going to pick up a new power cord for the wireless speakers they used for music. She also wanted to find her sash, and some vases for the flowers. She was renting tables to put on the balcony, and a long table to hold the food. There was also going to a bar area.
She and Mary Beth were working a case involving someone who embezzled from his job. They knew he did it, they were just trying to prove how. Chris thought he did it when people returned items, since he worked in a retail store. Her theory was he would return them, give the customer their money, and then later, return them to himself and take the money that time. A little each day will quickly add up to a lot before you know it, and the running total so far was that over 80,000 dollars had been embezzled.
Mary Beth had a different theory. She thought that he was the leader of a ring, and was stealing the items and having his friends bring them back for refunds. That would account for why they never saw him with the items late at night. They were interviewing his co-workers and working diligently to figure it out.
Chris had put in for the time off for her honeymoon, but had told Feldberg it was for her niece's college Graduation. She was only going to be gone Monday thru Wednesday, so he agreed and didn't ask questions.
David took on the task of finding a minister that wasn't going to put them through several months of marriage counseling.
He finally called up one of his college fraternity buddies and he agreed to do it, provided they attended a marriage counseling session that would take all day on a Saturday. That was set up for this coming weekend.
Things were coming along, and time was moving very fast.
***2 weeks out***
Marriage counseling had gone great. The minister said he could clearly see that Chris and David were meant for each other and that as long as they kept doing what they were doing, they would have a long and happy marriage. Chris and David planned out the ceremony with him. They didn't want a long speech or a long sermon, since the party was going to start so late at night. They also didn't want standard vows, they wanted to say their own. And they asked him to tell people that he was in town on vacation, and that he was a minister in another state. He agreed to all of it, and quoted them a very fair price.
The dinner with the photographer went great too- he loved the idea of coming and doing photo shots ahead of time. He said he was going to tell anyone who asked that he worked with David and was just taking the photos to gain experience for his portfolio. They talked about the types of photos they wanted and he agreed to come by earlier that week to help them figure out where the best place would be to have the ceremony.
"Thank you so much! We are really excited".
They paid the check and then they left.
On the way home, Chris had a sudden idea that she thought would work better.
"Honey, what if we rented the banquet room in our building on the first floor for the reception? Then we wouldn't have to get the bar table, or as many bistro tables. We could have the ceremony in our place, and everyone could have appetizers and wine and beer since they think it's a dinner party anyways. Then after the ceremony, we can all go down to the banquet room and spread out. What do you think?"
"That's the best idea I have had since I asked you to marry me. But what if our guests see in there and figure it out before they get to our place?"
Chris thought a minute. "I will ask the front desk when I reserve it to simply put a reserved sign and not have our name on the sign".
"Let's ask when we get home. Worst they can say is no".
"If they say yes, I am going to ask the florist to deliver the flowers and I will take them the vases that week so they can put them in those and then Bridgit and I won't have to put the bouquets together ourselves…. So maybe I should ask her to not come over till about 3 or 4, and then that way we won't run out of things to do."
"Sounds good babe. I can't wait to marry you. The rest to me is just details."
"Same here. Also, I was thinking that if you wanted, we could get your best man and groomsman matching ties. You don't have to tell them now that it's a wedding, you can tell them then, after we announce it. Ties are easy to change, and they can keep it".
"That's a good idea too. What about your bridal party-how are you going to get them in matching dresses?
"I am either going to get them wraps to wear that would be matching, or I am going to get them like pink blouses and skirts, something trendy that looks nice and could be worn again, and have them hanging for them in the bedroom."
"We can go shopping now if you like". She nodded.
They pulled into Macy's and David held Chris' purse while she shopped. It didn't take her long, and she found what she was looking for. She had decided to ask Mary Beth to be her matron of honor, and Bridgit and Lisa to be Bridesmaids, and Alice was going to be the 'bride's helper'. She found a beautiful spaghetti strap dress for Lisa, and she texted Ann and told her she was picking out a special gift for Lisa and needed her size. Ann responded "Brian told me what was up. So happy for you, happy to help if you need me. Didn't tell kids. Lisa wears a size 4, and Bridgit is a 6".
She responded with a sweet "Thank you, I appreciate it, and can't wait to see you all". Then she picked out a really pretty strapless top in the same shade of pink and the matching skirt. For Mary Beth, she chose a high-neck sleeveless shell, and matching skirt. She guessed on Mary Beth's size and decided she would get a 12 and then make a special date with Alice and ask her to find out the real size. She could return it and exchange it if needed. David pointed out that she was running out of time, so she called Mary Beth and asked to speak to Alice. Alice got on the phone and was chatting Chris up a storm.
"Alice, can you do me a secret favor? It's important that nobody know what you are doing. Can you do that? "
"Yes, Aunt Christine. I can do whatever you ask."
"Can you sneak into your mom's closet and pick out her prettiest dress. Can you tell me what size it is?" She agreed and kept Chris on the phone while she did it.
"Which dress do you want, Aunt Christine? I found the green one she wore today on her bed".
"Yes, do that one. Look at the tag and tell me what size it is, okay sweetheart?"
"it's a 10, but mommy said when she got home that it was too tight".
Chris laughed because Alice was whispering. "A 10? That's your age. Do you wear a 10 too?" She laughed and said "No, I wear a kids 12". Aunt Christine was so funny to Alice.
"I got my invitation to your party. Can I really bring a friend?"
"You bet. And I wanted to ask you, if you would help me on that day too. I am going to be busy, so I will need you to be my extra special helper that day. You will get to help me do things that nobody else does. Does that sound okay to you?"
"Yes Aunt Christine. Is that part a secret too?"
Chris laughed. "No honey, it isn't". They said goodbye and hung up the phone.
She and David grabbed the 12 for Mary Beth, and then Bridgit and Lisa's dresses and headed to the big kid's section and found a very pretty pale pink dress for Alice. It was grown up, but not too grown up. Alice would also think she was extra special because she had a special dress to wear like the big girls.
They paid for the dresses and had them gift wrapped and went to the men's section.
David picked out a light green tie and a pale pink one. He and Chris debated, and then he finally decided on the green ties, and they would wear pink boutonnieres with silver bows. The bridal party would wear the pink dresses and their bouquets were going to have lots of pale green flowers in them anyways, so it was going to be just fine.
They paid for all the stuff and went home.
***1 week out***
Chris was going crazy with trying to keep up with every single detail. Mary Beth had told her that Alice was over the moon about being able to be "Aunt Chris' special helper". She was even asking them to let her spend the night before so she would already be there. "I love that she loves me that much, but spending the night isn't going to work, Mary Beth".
"That's what we told her. She is so excited that you are letting her bring a friend too, and that they get to dress up all fancy".
"Remind me to take their picture and before you guys leave, we will print a copy for each of them".
Chris and Mary Beth had discovered that the employee that was embezzling from the department store was stealing from the safe and then taking items off the shelves and returning them to try and cover the difference. The store managers had installed new software on the computer that tracked every purchase and return, and they were a day or two away from nailing him.
Chris had spoken to the lady in their building who rented the banquet rooms. She agreed to put a reserved sign with identifying information on the door. She allowed them to rent the room for $700, and they allowed her to have access in the afternoon to decorate and set up. She had decided to tell Bridgit that they were setting up downstairs in case they needed more space. It was the best she could come up with.
The caterer had come by and they had finalized the menu. Shrimp cocktail, grilled chicken kabobs, raw veggies and hummus, raw veggies and dip, a fruit and cheese platter, and a couple trays of artichoke dip and toasted ravioli with sauce. He had brought sample platters of all of it, and she and David had been feasting on it for days.
In just 4 short days, she was going to be Mrs. David Keeler.
On Tuesday, she ran to a bridal store on her way home and picked out her garter and some hair pins for the girls. She also ran to Victoria's secret and picked out some wedding night lingerie to wear. She and David had agreed to abstain this week, but each night they broke their promise and figured it was better this way.
She was hiding all the wedding stuff in her closet so Bridgit wouldn't see it when she came over. She arranged for the cleaning lady to come Friday morning, and David said Bridgit didn't have to come after all- he would stay till 9 when she got there and she could leave the key at the front desk.
On Thursday, she called Brian and confirmed their plane would land at 1. She told them to come to the house and they could have lunch and Bridgit would get there at 3. She decided to take the entire day off so that she could be there to see Brian.
48 hours. That was all that was standing in her way before she became Mrs. David Keeler.
To be continued….