This is one of the faster chapters I've written lately, so I'm proud of myself. Of course, I'm going home for Labor Day weekend, so I probably won't have anything up now until next week. But, that'll be the last chapter. Don't worry, I'm working on an epilogue, too though. Oh, and if you look at my profile, I put up some pictures of the best way I would imagine Nic and Chris. You know what Karma looks like and to imagine Megan, just think of Jude but a little older-looking and with the short hair. To those who review, thanks and love.
Nic woke up on Friday morning in Spiederman's arm, so she snuggled closer to him and smiled. They were engaged now, not just dating. It was crazy to think about and yet, it felt so right.
"Good morning," he said, his eyes still closed. "Sleep good?"
"Yes, fiancé, I did," she replied jokingly. "You?"
"Better than I have in my entire life," he answered. "Cause I know that I'm spending the rest of it with you and that's all that matters anymore."
She grinned. "I'm glad you say that cause here's what I'm thinking: we should get married while we're here."
"Really?" he replied. "That's what you want? Cause I'd kinda pegged you for wanting a big, over-the-top wedding."
"No, no, no," she shook her head. "Let Sadie have that. I want to be married to you as soon as possible so I can go back to Canada as Mrs. Vincent Spiederman."
He considered her suggestion for a minute. "Yeah, I like that. Okay, how's next Saturday sound to you?"
"Fabulous." And before he could say anymore, she titled her head up and caught him in a sweet kiss.
"I can't believe everyone around us is getting engaged all of a sudden," Jude said to Tommy as they sat outside on the back deck of the SME house. "It must be marriage season."
He smirked. "Yeah, no kidding. Can you believe what Kyle said after that? 'You two are next.' I mean, we've only been together for like, not even a week yet."
"That's true," she agreed, "but it's not like this is something that no one expected. I mean, we danced around it for years before it really happened."
"Do you want to get married?" he asked her.
Jude shrugged. "Someday. I'm only 20, so I'm definitely not ready for it right now, but it's something to consider."
"I'll keep that in mind," he murmured to himself. "So, what's going on today?"
"Jude's gonna help me start planning my wedding," Nic spoke up from behind them. "That's what."
"Nic, you were just engaged last night," Tommy pointed out. "Take some time to just soak it all in."
Nic stepped outside and hopped up on the railing in front of them. "I'd love to, but since we decided we're getting married next Saturday, I don't have my time to waste."
"You're getting married in a week?" Tommy cried. "Why so soon? Nic, are you pregnant?"
"Because we want to and no," Nic answered. "I'm very careful, Tommy. Kids are not something I'm ready for just yet, if ever."
"Oh, you'll have kids," Jude assured her. "If Spied has anything to do with it, there will be many of them, all boys."
Nic rolled her eyes. "In time. Anyways, I need to secure a location, look for a dress, decide who I want to come down for this, and figure out how to keep paparazzi to a minimum."
Tommy threw her a tabloid. "Well, they already know it's coming."
Nic looked down at the headline, "Here Comes the Socialite Bride," and flipped to the little story on page 34.
Sources report that last night at a popular Hilton Head restaurant, Spiederman Mind Explosion front man Vincent Spiederman proposed to girlfriend, Montreal socialite Nic Quincy, in a very unique way.
"He, and the other two guys, performed karaoke to the song 'Let's Get Married' by Jagged Edge and he asked her as soon as they finished," the eyewitness reports. "It was very sweet and she immediately accepted."
Dates and details are unknown as this point, but it will be the second marriage for both parties. He was married for one year to third season Instant Star winner Karma and she was wedded for a few months to high school boyfriend Chris Gibbons. Whatever happens, we'll keep you updated.
"Well, that didn't take long," Nic scoffed. "I guess I'll have to be very discreet about my appearances this week. I can't let them see me buying anything bridal."
"Good luck," Jude muttered. "If the paparazzi ever knows anyone is getting married, especially people like you and Spied, they'll be on you like Kyle on supermodels. There isn't a place you can go that they won't find you at now."
Nic stretched. "Well, fine. Let them know. We just won't let them have any access to the wedding."
Tommy scoffed. "Do you think you can really pull that off? According to Portia, who sent me a Talk National article, you're the 'Couple of the Year,' back in Canada. Secrecy isn't something that's gonna come easily now."
"Wow, you are so pessimistic this morning," she mused. "I'm gonna go inside and have some breakfast. Hopefully when I come out, Nice Tommy is awake." She jumped down and walked into the house.
"Married in a week," Jude breathed. "That's crazy."
"And yet, it's them," Tommy pointed out. "To be honest, I'm not completely surprised they're doing it this way. Nic isn't patient and Vin has the attention span of a five-year-old, so if she tried to get him to keep interest for months while planning, I doubt they'd make it to the alter."
Jude smiled. "Yeah, that's probably true. Patience isn't a virtue when it comes to the two of them, I guess."
"February 16," Sadie announced, walking out onto the deck with Kwest. "That's the date we've decided on."
"You guys already have a date?" Jude asked incredulously. "Nic and Spied are getting married next week and you two have a date? Next thing you know, Wally will already be married."
"Speaking of, I thought his girlfriend was supposed to come in last night?" Tommy remembered.
Jude nodded. "Her flight was delayed to this afternoon, so he's picking her up at the airport around 3:30 or so."
"That's why he's been cleaning all morning, huh?" Tommy realized. "Now I understand. At first, I just thought he lost a bet with Kyle."
"Nope, just preparing," she reported. "It'll be nice to have Jessica around. That way, while you and Nic are going wedding-crazy," she said to Sadie, "she and I can avoid you two like the plague."
"I can't believe they're doing this is a week," Sadie admitted. "Is she pregnant?"
Tommy laughed. "No, but I asked the same thing. Jude and I agreed that Nic and Vin are impulsive and don't have the patience to plan out a huge wedding. This way, they'll get it over with without having the press on them for the next eight months."
"Yeah, we have the luxury of being nobodies," Sadie said. "The only thing the press would mention about our wedding is that Kwest works at G-Major and that all of you guys will be in attendance."
Jude smiled smugly. "Yeah, well, that's what being famous gets you."
"Eww," Sadie gagged. "Don't be a brat, Jude."
"I was kidding," Jude assured her, standing up. "All right, well, I guess I'll put in some effort to help Nic until Jessica gets here. Once she does, it's all you, Sades."
Jude found Nic seated on the couch, drinking orange juice and flipping through an issue if InStyle Weddings, looking at dresses.
"Anything you like?" she asked.
"It depends," Nic shrugged. "If we have it on the beach, I obviously need something that won't drag in the sand, but if we have it indoors, I want something that won't be too hot in the summer. I guess I should find a location before I do the dress shopping, huh?"
"Probably," Jude agreed. "I know I've never been here before, but I was out on a bike this week and there's a little garden-like area here in Shipyard that would be pretty perfect as long as the guest list doesn't surpass about 30."
Nic's face lit up. "The Whirlaway Gardens! That's perfect, Jude! And they'll have to let me have it because my dad paid to have it put in." She picked up the phone and quickly dialed a number. "Yes, hi, this is Nic Quincy and I would like to rent out the Whirlaway Gardens for next Saturday." She paused while the other end spoke. "It's for my wedding." Another pause. "Yes, thank you." They spoke again. "Good. Well, we'll probably start setting up for it Friday night, but since my family financed the entire landscape, that won't be a problem, will it? No? Good. Bye." She hung up. "All right, now that that's settled, I can find a dress."
"Well, you'll be on a platform, so what do you want now?" Jude wondered.
"I have it!" Nic gasped, closing her magazine. "Sweetheart neckline, silk, and tight around the hips and thighs and then flows around my feet. And I want off-white, not white, cause I'm not a walking cliché. I've had sex."
Jude laughed. "All right, now, where will you find this dress?"
"I'll have it made," Nic answered simply, picking up the phone again. "I know people, Jude; I'm a socialite."
"Right," Jude smirked.
"Hi, Richie ," Nic said warmly into the receiver. "Here's the deal: I'm getting married next Saturday and I need a dress. More importantly, I want you to design it." She was quiet as one half of the design team of Heatherette spoke to her. "You'll do it? Well, listen to what I want and then you can draw up some sketches and fax them. I'm thinking silk, a cream color, sweetheart neckline, and I want it to be form-fitting and then to flow out around my ankles, but not too long. It's an outdoor wedding and I don't want to be tripping everywhere." Richie Rich spoke again. "Yay, I love you. Okay, I'll expect those sketches tonight then. Bye, love." She hung up and looked at Jude happily. "See, nothing to it."
"When I get married, I'll need your help," Jude pointed out. "You get things done."
"Since you'll be marrying my brother, I'll be around," Nic stated. "Don't worry."
Jude eyed her. "Nic, Tommy and I are taking things one step at a time. Marriage is not something we're even considering at this point."
"Maybe you aren't," Nic mumbled. "So, guest list. I'll start naming people, you write them down, and we'll show Spied to see what he thinks." She cleared her throat as Jude opened a notebook Nic had sitting with her. "Okay. You, Tommy, Sadie, Kwest, Wally, Kyle. I want Portia, Georgia, Darius, and Shay. He'll want his parents, all four grandparents, his uncle Dave, and cousin Ben. I'm sure he'll want Jamie here, too. We'll add my friends Arianna and Christian, mine and Tommy's childhood housekeeper Tallie, and that should be good."
Jude set the pen down. "Shall we go and find your fiancé, then?"
"We shall," Nic confirmed. "He's over at our house."
The two girls found Spiederman talking on the phone to his mom, telling her the news.
"How's Lindsey taking it?" Jude whispered.
He gave her the thumbs up sign. "She trusts me."
"Good," Jude nodded, turning to Lindsey. "Her approval is pretty important to him, so when they come down, you'll really have to impress her."
"Okay," Nic nodded. "I thrive under pressure."
"All right, Ma," he said, finishing up the call. "I'll talk to you soon. I love you." He hung up and set his iPhone aside. "All right, what's going on?"
"Guest list," Nic announced, placing it in front him. "We're getting married at the Whirlaway Gardens, which is here in Shipyard and I'll show it to you later. We can have up to 30 people and I added everyone I thought was important. If you want to add, or subtract, anyone, just let me know."
He scanned down the list. "Umm, Shay? Really?"
"He and I became close when Tommy and Portia were briefly married and I like seeing him as much as I can," she explained.
"All right," he shrugged, continuing to read. "Looks good, so long as my parents are seated as far apart as possible."
"Definitely," Jude agreed. "I'll make sure of that."
"Can you believe we're getting married in just over a week?" Nic asked Spiederman. "Isn't that nuts?"
"Probably," he joked, "but I wouldn't want it any other way."
Nic yawned and sat with him at the table. "Do you think your parents will like me?"
"Absolutely," he confirmed. "And if they don't, well, whatever. I mean, like Jude said, my mom's approval is really important to me, but it's not everything. I mean, I really want her to like you, which I'm sure she will, but if she doesn't, I still have every intention of marrying you on Saturday."
She smiled and kissed him softly. "Good, cause if you didn't, I'd sue you for falsification. And here in Hilton Head, where my family is practically royal, I could do it."
"Wow," he scoffed. "Glad I'm marrying into it then."
Later that afternoon, Tommy sat down on the beach, reading the latest issue of Blender magazine and watching families walk by. He sighed. At 27, that was what he was ready for. He wanted a wife and kids and even the dog to go with it. But, he knew he'd have to wait because Jude was only 20 and he didn't want to scare her away.
"What are you doing?" Nic asked, sneaking up behind him. "Counting how many times Jude's name is in there? And don't pretend you don't do that because I know you do; I'm not stupid."
He rolled his eyes as she sat down next to him. "No, just reading. Why aren't you planning your big wedding?"
"There's not much else to plan," she admitted. "I called and got a hold of everyone that we want to come, including Tallie, and we got Whirlaway Gardens, and Richie Rich of Heatherette is sending sketches of a dress tonight, so I'm done. We'll have a big catered dinner, which turns into the reception, back here Saturday night, so we're calling caterers in the morning. Beyond that, there's nothing more."
"Uhh, what about buying him a wedding band?" he questioned. "Do you already have one?"
"Shoot!" she cried. "Well, I'll go tomorrow. I still have an entire week, you know."
He sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Tommy, what's wrong?" she asked him. "For being back with the girl you love more than anything, you don't seem very happy."
"I am," he replied, "but I just can't help but be a little jealous of you and Vin. I mean, Sadie and Kwest are fine cause they've been dating for over two years and she's 23 and he's 27, but you're only 22 and he's 20 and you're getting married. I'm three years from 30, I've been divorced twice, and I'm not even close."
"Sure you are," she spoke quietly. "Jude wants to marry you, trust me, she does. It's just, well, a lot has happened between you two in the past and she has to be sure that you're really going to commit and not run away again, you know? I mean, three years is a long time for you to be gone and you've just got to re-build her trust. After that, she'd marry you in a heartbeat."
"I hope you're right," he mumbled. "I can't wait around forever."
She eyed him. "Really?"
"No," he chuckled. "I'd wait until I'm 80 for that girl."
"Well, gramps, that's not too far off," she teased. "But seriously, I wouldn't pressure her, but I wouldn't give her all the power in the relationship either, Tommy. Once she knows she holds the reins, she'll start taking you for granted."
He threw a rock out into the water. "Yeah, maybe, but I can't pressure her; I don't have authority to do that. I'm just glad she's giving me another chance right now."
"Good point," Nic agreed. "So, big brother, I assume you'll be giving me away next weekend?"
"Of course," he promised. "But Nic, we can get Noelle and James here if you want. Regardless of what they do or say, they are still our parents."
She shook her head. "I don't want them here. Weddings are intended for people who I love and I can't say I love them. I mean, they're okay, but just the people who biologically birthed me. Tallie's coming, so that's good enough."
"True," he nodded, wrapping an arm around her. "I'm happy for you, Nic."
"Thanks," she smiled, leaning into him. "As far as older brothers go, you're definitely top 10."
"Ooh, thanks," he replied dryly.
"Nic, your sketches just came in!" Spiederman yelled out from the office window of the Quincy house. "They look good!"
"Don't look!" she exclaimed, jumping up and hurrying to the house. "Jude said he graduated with honors; sometimes I think he shouldn't have graduated with kindergarteners."