Jennifer stood atop the raised platform and stared at herself in the mirror. It was daunting, to be honest. She looked like herself and yet like someone else entirely. And Jennifer didn't know what to think about it.
"What do you think, Jennifer?" Deborah asked, sitting behind her with the rest of the group.
Before Jennifer could respond, Aunt Renee interjected, "That is not the one, darling. Try on the next one."
Jennifer turned around to look at her aunt. "How do you know it's not the right one?"
Aunt Renee just gave a small smirk. "You will know," she assured her.
The attendant came to help Jennifer out of that dress and into the next one in the fitting room. Jennifer was getting married in just over three weeks, and time was certainly not on her side to find a wedding dress. But since her friends were in town for the engagement party last week, she decided to bring Deborah, Carol, and Nancy along with Aunt Renee and Doris Werther, who Jennifer had become friends with since moving to LA. Jennifer was sorry that Alice had to go back to work and would only be back the day before the wedding. It was nice to have the rest of the girls, though.
"Are any of these like the dress you always dreamed of?" the attendant asked as she helped button the back of the next dress.
"I don't know," Jennifer answered honestly. "I never really imagined I'd get married and have a big white wedding. I sort of forgot about even getting a wedding dress until a week ago." And it was true. She had all sorts of dreams in mind. Marrying Jonathan, finding a house for them together, traveling the world and having adventures. But the wedding itself, that wasn't something she was as concerned about. She just wanted to marry him. She didn't really care how. But Jennifer also knew that she was only going to be married once. They had one opportunity to put together something wonderful for their friends and family to celebrate this wonderful love they shared. And given Jonathan's means, it was easier to hire people and pay a premium to put together a very lavish, wonderful wedding in such a short amount of time. It was all going to be wonderful. Jennifer just had to find a dress.
"Well, maybe you'll start to get a sense of what you want after you try a few on, even if you don't find one today. You've got plenty of time, right?" the girl asked pleasantly.
Jennifer felt a little sheepish about that. "Not really. We're getting married in twenty days."
"Oh. Well, it's a good thing you're a sample size. We wouldn't have time for alterations. But here's this one. Let's go see what everyone thinks."
As Jennifer caught a look at herself in the mirror, she already liked this gown better. The first had been very simple. White silk with long sleeves and a scoop neck, fitted around the bodice with a straight skirt to the floor. This next one was still long-sleeved but had a high neckline and some very pretty ruffles. Jennifer felt more feminine in this one.
"What do you think?" she asked the group.
"I don't know about the high neckline?" Nancy asked. "I know it's sort of an autumn wedding, but this is Los Angeles."
"I think it looks really elegant," Carol countered. "But those sleeves are a little tight."
"Yes…" Jennifer agreed, trying to pinpoint exactly what it was she didn't love about this dress. "I don't think this one is quite right. I like it more than the other though."
"Ah. I see. I think I saw one that you may like," Aunt Renee said, hopping up from the chaise where she sat and hurrying through the bridal shop.
"I guess let's wait to see what she finds," Jennifer said.
"I'll go help her," the attendant said, clearly nervous about Aunt Renee's intentions.
Deborah came over to where Jennifer stood. "So, are you feeling more like a bride?"
Jennifer chuckled, "I certainly do in a place like this."
"I thought you were going to be a single jet setting modern woman forever," Deborah lamented. "But instead, you ended up with the fairytale romance that every little girl other than you always dreamed of."
"I dreamed of it, too," Jennifer said. "I mean, I didn't date for my health." That wasn't entirely accurate, but she continued, "I think everyone wants to fall in love and share their life with someone. I just never thought I could have that and my career. Until I met Jonathan."
Doris overheard the conversation and asked, "So you're going to keep working?"
"Of course. I've got a book to finish. And Jonathan's been very encouraging and supportive with my work." Jennifer felt herself blush. "I'm very lucky."
"He is very lucky to be marrying you, Jennifer," Carol added.
Jennifer laughed, "Well then we're both lucky."
Aunt Renee came floating back into the room with the attendant behind her carrying a dress. "Here we are, darling!" Renee announced. "I think you will like this one, Jennifer. Go try it on."
The attendant led Jennifer back into the fitting room and took her out of the current dress and helped her into the next one. She hadn't even really paid much attention to what it was until it was on her. Already, it was more comfortable than the others. It was silk, like the first dress, but had a high neck and long sleeves and some beautiful lace ruffles to give it a little interest. And the sleeves were loose and flowy, as was the rest of the dress.
Jennifer hurried out to see it in the full-length mirror. And her jaw dropped. She just stared at herself.
"Could you bring a veil so we could see it with that?" Aunt Renee asked the attendant.
As Jennifer was busy staring at the dress, she felt the attendant put a veil attached to a comb into her hair at the crown of her head. And there it was. This was the moment Aunt Renee talked about.
"There," Renee murmured. "Now you know."
Deborah and Nancy and Carol and Doris oohed and ahhed over the beautiful dress and how perfect Jennifer looked. And she couldn't help but agree. It was perfect. And with this perfect dress, Jennifer finally felt like a bride.
"That sounds great. Thank you so much. Bye-bye." Jonathan hung up the phone and sighed in relief. One more thing to cross off the to-do list.
Jonathan Hart had always been a very organized sort of person. It came first from being at Mission Street and needing to be very aware of what belonged to him and keeping track of everything. And then in the military, discipline was drilled into him even further. Those skills had served him well in school and in business. Because of that, he had a good memory for names and figures and things. He hardly ever needed to make a list. Especially since he had a staff to help him keep track of details.
But this was different. This was not something he was going to delegate to his staff or even to Max. Well, Max was helping, but that's because it was his job. For the most part, thought, Jonathan was taking care of all this himself. He wanted to, for one, and for another, he wanted to be able to tell Jennifer that he'd planned it all himself. This was their honeymoon, after all.
The first challenge was deciding what to do for the wedding night. They were getting married at the Beverly Hilton, so the easy option would be to spend the night there in the honeymoon suite. And Jonathan had inquired into the availability, it being such short notice with only two weeks until the wedding.
The thought of spending the night in the same hotel as where they got married along with nearly every other guest at the wedding was not an appealing one, however. When they were married, Jonathan wanted to whisk Jennifer away so it was just the two of them forever. Well, not forever, but for at least a couple of months. They could come back to LA for Christmas. But Jonathan wanted her all to himself from the moment the wedding reception was over until they returned.
And so after a few inquiries, Jonathan had figured out exactly what he wanted to do. And now, getting off the phone with Mr. Appleroth at the Auberge du Moulin in Napa Valley, Jonathan had made the reservation for their wedding night. A week in Napa, staying in a cozy little in and drinking wine was just the thing.
Jonathan then asked Max to make the arrangements to get them to Napa. And Jonathan knew how he wanted to do that, too. Max would drive them to the airport where the gulfstream would be fueled and ready. And Jonathan would fly Jennifer and himself up to Napa. After all, it was only about an hour flight.
The phone rang, interrupting Jonathan's review of his list of things to do. He answered on the second ring. "Jonathan Hart," he announced.
"Hello Mr. Hart, this is Timothy Maximoff of Maximoff's Imports."
"Oh yes, hello Mr. Maximoff. I'm glad you called. Is there any news?" Jonathan asked eagerly. It was on his list to check in with Maximoff's.
"There is," Mr. Maximoff replied. "I have located the piece you inquired about. It is in a private collection, but I'm afraid the owner is not eager to sell."
Jonathan frowned. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, I asked if there were any price that might motivate a sale, as I indicated I had a buyer who was quite intent on acquiring the piece."
"And?" Jonathan pressed.
"I believe the exact words were, 'If your buyer has ten million dollars, maybe we'll talk,'" Mr. Maximoff said regretfully.
But Jonathan was unfazed. "Offer ten and a half million, and let them know I can pay in cash. It'll take a couple days, but I need to get it to LA in ten days. I've got a bonded courier service that I'll use if the sale goes through."
Mr. Maximoff was quite taken aback. "T-ten and a half million dollars? Mr. Hart, are you sure?"
"I'm very sure. And you let me know what your commission on ten and a half million is, and I'll have that wired to your office as soon as I receive delivery."
"Of course, Mr. Hart," Mr. Maximoff answered, still obviously shaken.
"You let me know when you talk to the seller if that number is sufficiently motivating."
"Yes, sir."
"Thanks, Mr. Maximoff. We'll talk soon."
And with that, Jonathan smiled. He was nearly through his list now. Everything was coming together. He had his wedding surprises for Jennifer in the works. The honeymoon was almost entirely booked. All that he had left were the last few details.
He checked his watch and saw that it was almost four o'clock. Jennifer usually finished working around four each day. That way they could have a drink together at the penthouse before going out to dinner somewhere or else staying in if Max were cooking. With Jennifer's friends and family in town, it seemed like they went out almost every night with someone. He was fairly certain they didn't have anything planned tonight. Maybe they could stay in. Maybe they could turn in early. They never got much sleep when they turned in early, but there was no better way to spend an evening, in Jonathan's mind.
Jonathan smiled to himself. This was going to be his life now. Spending his day working—eventually he would go back to the company, after all—and Jennifer spending her day doing whatever it was she needed to do, be it working or shopping or anything else. They would meet for lunch sometimes, otherwise just seeing each other when the working day was done. And they'd spend every evening together and every night. Jonathan would get to go to bed every single night kissing Jennifer and holding her in his arms. Even if they didn't make love, they would still sleep side by side in a bed they shared.
Six months ago, Jonathan Hart would have laughed if anyone told him he would be so over the moon to never spend another night alone. He'd always prioritized his independence and his freedom, since it was so hard-won. The thought of shackling himself to a woman forever had seemed so ludicrous. Of course, he'd not ever fathomed he'd meet a woman like Jennifer. With Jennifer, all things were possible. Not only that, all things were exciting and beautiful and full of wonder.
Now, Jonathan would laugh if anyone told him that life was ever going back to the way it used to be. Nothing would ever be the same, and he was grateful for it. Because now he had Jennifer.