14

Olivia sat with Mrs. Cabot in the waiting room of Le Bonne Bouffe—translated by Alex from all of her French schooling to mean "The Good Food"—an exclusive wedding boutique in town known to have the best, according to Alex, wedding dinner menus and wedding cakes.

Olivia looked down at her navy, linen skirt that buttoned down the front and picked an imaginary piece of lint from it. The white, sleeveless, silky button down she had chosen to wear with it had a couple of pieces of Hillary's fur scattered here and there and the brunette began distractedly plucking them off. Feeling Mrs. Cabot's gaze on her, she looked up and smiled. "The hazards of having a pet…" Olivia tried.

"You should have worn a nude bra with that blouse, Dear." Alex's mother picked up a Modern Bride magazine from the coffee table and began leafing through it.

Olivia looked down at her shirt, noting that she could, in fact, see through to her black, lacy bra. She nodded, wondering if Cathy Cabot was finally opening the doors of communication. "You're absolutely right…" she smiled, folding her hands and placing them in her lap.

Note to self…borrow Alex's cardigan.

So far, this was the second time Mrs. Cabot had spoken to her. Once, at Chamberlain's restaurant to tell her to tell Alex that they were leaving, and now, to tell her of her poor choice in intimate apparel. It was an obvious breakthrough. Olivia smiled as Alex came back from the restroom.

A tall, thin, African-American man in an expensive black suit, fluorescent pink and green striped tie, and fuchsia glasses entered from the other room. "Good afternoon, ladies…I'm Xavier, and how are we doing today?" He held his hand out to Mrs. Cabot first, "It is an honor…" he kissed her hand and Alex held hers out, "…to meet," Olivia followed suit, "…each and every one of you beautiful ladies. Now…" He motioned for them to follow him to the next room filled with exquisite puffy sofas, tasteful drapes, chandeliers, and a fully-set dining table. The three women sat on the sofas, Alex in the middle. "…you two must be Alex and Olivia."

"We are…" Alex turned to Olivia and took her hand into her lap before bumping shoulders with the brunette briefly.

"Well…absolutely gorgeous couple." He looked at them for a moment, forefinger to the side of his smirked mouth, eyes narrowed slightly. "You suit each other…" he stated, smiling. "Yes, you two suit each other very nicely."

"Thank you, Xavier…I think we do, as well," Alex commented.

Olivia reached behind her to the beige cardigan her fiancé had tied around her purse strap and took it off, putting her arms through it, as Alex helped. "Thanks, Babe."

"Cold?" Alex questioned.

Olivia shook her head, smiled, and widened her eyes ever-so-slightly and was glad when Alex took the hint to leave it there.

"Now…who's who?"

Alex spoke up, "I'm Alex and this is my mother Cathy and this is my fiancé Olivia," Alex gushed, the giddiness on her face adorable. She almost squeaked with excitement.

"You're the spitting image of your mother…I can tell where you get your grace and beauty Alex…"

Mrs. Cabot blushed lightly, playfully swatting Xavier's hand.

"Now you, Honey…" he faced Olivia, "…with a figure like that, you look like you should be the daughter of a famous pin-up model."

Olivia smiled, "Close…a college professor."

Xavier smiled at her before turning toward the direction of the back of the store. "Marcy! Marcy, honey! Champagne!" He faced the three women. "She's new. She was supposed to bring it when those little bells chimed on the handle. She knew we had an appointment at two…Marcy!"

Marcy appeared carrying a tray with a bottle of Dom Perignon and three champagne flutes. "I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't hear the bells."

Olivia smiled at the girl who was very obviously nervous. Marcy poured three glasses and held out the silver tray, each lady removing hers. She set a bowl of strawberries down on the coffee table with a tiny pair of silver tongs in it.

"A toast…" Xavier lifted his hand, as though he had a glass, "…to the happy, gorgeous couple, may you have many years together with wonderful times, supporting each other, and lots of children…but no stretch marks, crow's feet or wrinkles…and if you do need Botox, may everything go well."

Olivia didn't know whether to clink glasses or shout, "Amen!"

"Cheers!" Xavier began, the other women following.

Olivia took a sip and watched as Alex took a strawberry with the tiny tongs and dropped it in her own glass. She took another strawberry, offering to her mother and dropping it in, and then another for Olivia, holding it in the air, waiting for her response. Olivia simply looked at her.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" Olivia felt her eyes tear. "We are actually planning our wedding…"

Alex nodded, dropping the strawberry into Olivia's glass, her eyes not once leaving the brunette. "Yes, Babe…it's happening…" Alex's eyes dipped down to Olivia's mouth and then Alex looked back at Olivia, smiling the smile the detective knew too well. It was one of those I can't wait to get you home smiles.

Olivia smiled back and took a toothpick, stabbed another strawberry from the bowl, and popped it into her mouth.

"Now, if I can have your focus back, ladies…" Xavier winked, smiling.

Olivia and Alex nodded.

"Our tasting process is simple. We'll start out with the cakes, since they are sweet and your palette needs to be fresh and clean. You will receive a card with choices to rate them once you have tried them. Am I to understand that each of you will select a twelve-inch, three-tiered cake of your own choosing?"

Alex nodded. "Liv likes the traditional white cakes and I want chocolate, all the way—with those little chocolate shavings and everything…mmm."

"Two cakes, Alex?" Her mother sounded genuinely surprised.

"Well, Mom, it would be two cakes normally, right—one for the bride and one for the groom? So, yes, I'll choose the chocolate one and Olivia will choose the white one. Right, Babe?"

It was what they had decided in private, but Olivia wasn't sure of the look on Mrs. Cabot's face.

Alex must have seen it, too because she said, "Mom, they're smaller versions so that everyone can have just a small taste of each without sugar shock."

Mrs. Cabot smiled, placing her hand on Alex's, "OK, Dear." Then sheepishly, she added, "Will I get a say in which ones?"

Alex wrapped her arm around her mother, "Of course, Mom…I wouldn't have it any other way…Liv?"

Olivia looked up from finishing the last of her champagne before Xavier was right there refilling her glass and the other women's glasses as well. "Thanks, Xavier…of course, Mrs. Cabot…I would love for you to help me decide." Olivia smiled and raised her glass, Mrs. Cabot and Alex following. "To working together for a common cause—happiness."

"Here, here! Alex cheered.

Olivia laughed as Alex downed the rest of the contents, the strawberry hitting her in the nose before she opened her mouth wide and took the strawberry in one mouthful.

Chewing, she managed, "OK, let's taste some cake!" Alex clapped three times, obviously ready to start eating and obviously feeling the bubbly in her system. Olivia saw the rosy hue in her fiancé's porcelain cheeks and smiled.

"Remember," Xavier reminded them. "This is just a tasting, not a meal. You cannot request more or a to-go box, Ms. Cabot…," he smirked at Alex who pretended to pout briefly, "…and absolutely no peeking at each other's cards. This is a private decision and we'll reveal our choices at the end to come to a group decision, especially in deciding about the dinner meals. It's just a little fun thing we do to see if we're on the same page as far as flavors, etc. Are there any questions before we begin?"

They shook their heads as Xavier handed out a card and a pencil to each woman.

"This one is gonna cheat, just letting you know…" Alex piped, thumbing in Olivia's direction.

Olivia opened her mouth, a huge smile adorning her face. "I resent that!"

"Resent it all you want, you know it's true," Alex winked.

Olivia laughed, "This isn't high school, you know…I'm not some dumb jock who wants to cheat off of you…you're insane," Olivia was now caught up with Alex on the champagne, feeling the excited flush rising up her cheeks. Olivia stood, "I'll go sit over here." She stood and walked to the sofa opposite them, sitting firmly. "Someone's having flashbacks," Olivia mumbled, smiling. The brunette held the lapel of the cardigan she was wearing away from her, attempting to fan herself. She was so heated from the champagne, she knew she must have already sweat through her sheer shirt underneath, any chance of removing the cardigan now gone.

"Good, I can see you better now," Alex husked, running her eyes over Olivia from head to toe then, remembering her mother next to her, cleared her throat and pretended to study the card. "Do we need to put our name on the card, Xavier?"

"Put your full heading, Al. Name, date, and homeroom," Olivia kidded.

Alex flared her nostrils and narrowed her eyes at the brunette, Olivia returning the smirking glare.

Olivia saw Alex's mother actually giggle. The brunette's eyes shot over to the older woman, making sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. Alex was looking at her mother, too.

Mrs. Cabot looked up from analyzing her card to catch Alex and Olivia watching her, smiling. "What?" she questioned, smiling. "You two are funny," she said, shaking her head.
Olivia was shocked. Whether it was the champagne, the ambiance, the joyfulness of the occasion, or whether or not the women were actually funny, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they had, as a team, gotten Alex's mother to laugh.

It was something to celebrate.

For the next hour, they tasted cakes—white cakes with various fillings like strawberry, raspberry, lemon, butter crème, and salted caramel. Olivia and Alex's mom agreed on which one they liked best but, when Alex asked which one they chose, they left her out of the loop, so to speak, and neither revealed anything.

When they began sampling the cakes that Alex would choose from, the attorney was in chocolate Heaven, moaning every time she tried the next cake, moaning even louder when that particular kind had chocolate shavings on it. The chocolate had fillings of hazelnut, coconut caramel, mocha crème, raspberry, or dark chocolate truffle.

"Sample, Babe…" Olivia joked as she watched the blonde scrape her fork repetitively over one plate in particular, trying to get every last morsel.

"I can just see this one smeared across your face, Liv. I think it will look wonderful on you…great with your skin tone," she winked.

Olivia smirked, remembering the gelato experience. "It seems like the perfect texture," the detective added.

… … … … … …

AAAAAAAA

The three women headed back home as six o'clock rolled around, having chosen a chocolate cake, a white cake, a beef, chicken and salmon choice for the guests to RSVP on a tiny card that would need to be sent out soon. The women had already sent the main invites out over two months prior, as they wanted to give their guests enough time to be available for their very special day, but they would need their meal decision in order to be able to appease all guests at the wedding dinner.

As Olivia drove, Alex sat in the second row of seats with her mother, noticing that the older woman seemed unusually tired, pale, and drawn. She placed a hand on top of hers. "Mom?"

Mrs. Cabot looked up and tried a smile, the corners of her mouth shaking slightly. Alex became worried.

"Are you feeling OK?"

Mrs. Cabot put her other hand on top of Alex's and rubbed it, blue eyes looking into blue. "I'm fine, Alex. Just very tired. Thinking about your brother. Thinking about how happy you are. Thinking about what a wonderful time I had with you and Olivia." She cupped Alex's jaw with her palm. "It's an emotional time for a mother…"

Alex nodded, feeling the saltiness of her own tears. "I know, Mom…Olivia has offered to make her famous linguine primavera for us for dinner. It's the best I've ever had, Mom. She wants to veganify it for you…we made that a word."

"She cooks, too?" Alex's mother smiled.

"Yes, she does…she has many talents. And it's not just an open the can and heat it up kind of cooking. You should see her in the kitchen…like a regular Rachel Ray…" Alex caught the cocoa orbs of her fiancé in the rear-view mirror and they locked gazes—Olivia smiling, Alex's portraying lust thinking of her other talents.

"And a coconut milk, vegan panna cotta with raspberry sauce for dessert," Olivia added, winking.

"I can't wait…" Alex's mother commented. "It'll be a real treat."

Alex smiled and wrapped her arm around her mother, feeling her melt into her arms, and feeling a mother-daughter connection for the first time in many years.

… … … … … …