An Affair to Remember
The whirlwind of a weekend brought everyone back to work, sans Pete who was off on his honeymoon with Jane. He promised to be back in plenty of time for Claudia's upcoming wedding. She was particularly insistent on that because Pete was like a brother to her. And since her own brother couldn't be there, she asked him to walk her down the aisle. Steve was asked to be her Best Man and set up her bachelorette party at the perfect place – the Apple Store.
The press buzz around the wedding had to do it part with the fact they believed Eileen Sullivan was the heir to the Wells Corp CEO spot. Every indication was that she was still being groomed, and from the latest deals that were signed, she was doing quite well. The couple adorned the cover of Forbes Magazine as two of the '30 Under 30'; the annual list of the brightest young entrepreneurs, breakout talents and changed agents in different sectors.
But the mass media's favorite couple was still Helena and Myka, of course, and now that Myka was expecting, they tried to get every shot they could. Some were determined to find out who the father of the baby really was. Myka was well aware of the tabloids tactics, having learned the hard way over the years. But she was cautious never to read them or pay them any attention. She knew they often skirted the very thin line between libel and reporting. She felt her lawyer skills would keep them in check.
Helena had a slightly different approach.
She had a great deal on her mind with the impending Sullivan-Donovan wedding and truly was out of patience with the rest of the world. She had made arrangements for Claudia's brother, Joshua, to arrive and surprise her before the wedding. Unfortunately, he missed the flight, and the next one he could get had him arriving the same day of the event. Claudia still believed he couldn't make it. The opening of the HG Wells museum was on schedule thanks to Leena, but there were still many decisions for Helena to make about what should be included. She was particularly stressed about Amelia Brown's exhibition and that it should be perfect.
This would explain why Helena was getting more assertive when the reporters approached Myka and the altercations were on the rise. "On the Defense" read the headlines one morning as the press caught on that it would take very little to rile the Brit up – which was always good for business. Myka had cautioned Helena that, as her Chief Counsel, these run ins could result in grievances and to please be patient with these people who, by all accounts, were just trying to make a living. As her wife, Myka thanked Helena for being her protector.
The next time it happened, Helena tried a new approach to her badassery. She invited the offending perpetrator to her office at 1866 Times Square. The man sat smugly in his seat, thinking he was about to get the opportunity of a lifetime to photograph the renowned CEO. What he got instead was a thinly veiled threat on his life.
Helena sat behind her large desk looking impeccable in a sleeveless white dress with swirls of black and blue design. The colors were an expression of what she'd really like to do to him. She wore blue sapphire dangling earrings that matched the dress, as well as blue high heels. The coat and bag that accompanied the outfit were strewn somewhere in the office.
She had spent the morning arguing with Irene on how to handle this situation, and they finally reached a compromise.
"Mrs. Frederic is here as a witness that I am not threatening you in anyway," Helena began her monologue, an eyebrow arched as she smiled. "She will, if necessary, testify that in our short time together, I shared that I do not know any personal information about you, even though with a press of a button, I could gather whatever info I want," she grinned devilishly. "Mrs. Frederic could also say truthfully, that I asked you to please cease your attempts to photograph Mrs. Bering-Wells' every move. However….," Helena said as she stood up, walked slowly around the desk to where the man sat and bent down, next to his ear and continued, "…she will not be able to say that she heard this – If you approach my wife one more time, I will rip your arm out of its socket. I will then use it to gain access to your apartment on 23rd Street, Apartment 2F, and destroy every picture that is contained in your abode."
With that, Helena stood erect, sat on the edge of her desk, crossed her arms and smiled broadly.
The man sat wide-eyed in front of her, and turned to look at Irene, who simply smiled kindly at him. She had gotten Helena to agree that assaulting the man in public was not the way, and this was the middle ground she conceded to finally. "She's serious," is all she said to him.
"Do you have any questions for me?" Helena asked in a sing-song tone, as if she really meant it.
"You….you….can't," he was trying to form words and not lose control over any bodily functions at the same time.
"Thank you for coming in," Helena smiled, "…and do give my best to Betsy. Isn't it funny that your lover has the same name as your boss' wife? What are the odds?" The glare she shot him pushed him back in his seat.
The man grabbed the sides of the chair and pushed his body to rise out of it. Irene stood and pointed to the door, as if there were any other way to leave. He stammered all the way out and was escorted by security out of the building.
"I hope we don't have to do that again," Irene confessed to Helena.
"I rather enjoyed it," Helena said gleefully, because she felt she had relaxed the rules about their celebrity status. Now, with the baby coming, she was going to have to reestablish those lines in the sand.
Helena would survive something worse than her encounter with the press in the next couple of weeks – the shower for the brides-to-be. Myka insisted that they should go in spite of Helena's wails that such events were unnatural and evil in the effects of how they bored one to death. The Brit gave a very good dramatic performance, but in the end, she found herself sitting at a table in a room filled with women who ooo'd and aww'd every time a box was opened.
Eileen's family was more than cordial to her boss and mentor, but that didn't mean they weren't curious about her. This was especially true for Eileen's Aunt Rose; who had taught her niece the secret to making the perfect cup of tea. Helena won her over by admitting that it was, in fact, a mystery of science that only Eileen could produce such the exquisite elixir. Kathleen Sullivan was calm and friendly and welcomed both Helena and Myka with opened arms. Helena survived it, but only because Myka promised her a reward for such good behavior.
And finally, the day arrived.
Sarah Styles designed Eileen's simple, yet elegant, white wedding dress, floor length with a lace back. Claudia opted for a classy two piece white suit with silver blouse and matching shoes. She was getting ready to walk down the aisle with Pete, when Helena arrived and asked if the procession could wait. Helena was dressed in a red dress that draped off her shoulders, with a sexy v neck design that slightly exposed Helena's assets.
She took Claudia aside and told her that she hoped she liked her wedding present. "I'm sure I'll love it, no matter what it is," Claudia said, finding it odd that her friend decided then to tell her.
"Oh, I know you will, " Helena replied, with her usual self-confidence.
When Claudia turned around, there was her brother, fresh from the airport, all decked out in his tuxedo, standing there. "May I walk you down the aisle?" he said and Claudia stood there stunned.
"But …you….how?" she asked, fighting back tears and swallowing hard. "Can't cry. I can't cry," she repeated. She turned back to Helena when she realized this was her doing. "I don't know what to say!"
"Say you'll let him walk you down the aisle," Helena winked and kissed Claudia on the cheek. "You're a beautiful bride," her friend whispered before taking Pete's arm and returning to her seat next to Myka.
Joshua held out his arm, Claudia took it and proceeded to walk down the aisle, smiling broadly. She joined Steve on the makeshift altar and waited for the music from the live musicians to swell, announcing the arrival of the second bride. The doors opened and there stood Eileen on the arm of her father, John Sullivan; her mother on the other side of her. The trio slowly walked down the aisle behind the flower girl who diligently dropped rose pedals along the way. Aunts grabbed tissues and cried, cousins smiled and took pictures, and everyone thought these two were the cutest couple ever. It was so easy to see how much in love they were just by looking at them.
Eileen's cousin, Father Pat, officiated the wedding, even though it was in his civil capacity. The vows that each bride had written were spoken and evoked another round of tears from those touched by the simplicity and sincerity with which they were spoken. The rings were exchanged and they were pronounced officially married.
While Helena and Myka's wedding was covered by every news organization, there was a more select group sent to cover the Sullivan-Donovan affair. Members from the top technology magazines such as WIRED and PC World were allowed to be present for the celebration. This was, after all, the wedding of one of the most talented techies they had ever known.
And Claudia did not disappoint!
Among the points of interest that they would write about were – small drones overheard taking pictures; live streaming from where they couldn't determine because they had no idea Sui was an android with high streaming capabilities. There was a six tier white wedding cake that Claudia had set to reflect the light projection, specifically chosen for her bride. Cascading over the cake layers were the Disney depictions of Cinderella's castle, complete with fireworks. Guests were invited to stop by the 3D printer where small action figures of themselves were produced as party favors. Pete spent his time doing different poses for them, because he had a literal interpretation of the word – action.
The family and friends enjoyed every moment of the festivities. Helena and Myka danced to a slow song and almost stole the show from the brides.
"I want to be as happy as they are," Eileen gushed as she and her new bride danced. Claudia stopped and stared into the corn silk blue eyes of her wife. "I promise to always do my best to make that so," she said sincerely.
Kathleen Sullivan thanked Helena and Myka for all they had done and John asked Myka if he could dance with her wife. Although slightly overweight, the man was incredibly light on his feet and gently guided Helena across the floor to a slow song. "We can't thank you and Myka enough," he said and noticed he never realized just how stunning Helena Wells was.
"It is our pleasure," Helena responded truthfully.
"Not just all of this, with the wedding and Kathleen," he laughed. "I mean…," and he stopped dancing and held Helena in place as everyone else danced around them. "….I mean for all you've done for our daughter. You've been a wonderful role model for her, being a strong woman and all. Not that her mother isn't, mind you," he added quickly, and Helena could see the twinkle in his eye. "You gave her something we couldn't. You gave Eileen her history, her beginning. I think she feels better knowing that," the unselfish father shared. Helena stared back at the man she had come to know and like very much.
"You tempt me to make a cloning device, Mr. Sullivan. The world needs more men like you," Helena said to him and he burst out in a laugh and started to dance again.
"Could the world handle more than one of me?" the father of the bride laughed.
Helena was certain it could.
When the dance was over, she stood by the bar, simply so she could gaze upon her wife from afar. Bridget was sitting next to Myka now and had her laughing at whatever she was saying. Helena loved to watch Myka's laugh – the way her eyes glistened and her cheeks blushed.
Pete walked over to get Jane another seltzer. "Just giving some advice to the newlyweds," he said, sniffing air through his nose and jutting out his chin, his thumbs pushed into his belt.
"Well, you've been married all of three weeks now. Surely, you have much to say," Helena teased and nudged her shoulder into Pete's.
"I told them to play nice and fight fair," the philosophical bodyguard shared before he left and brought his wife's drink back to her.
"He's going to make a wonderful father," Irene whispered, having heard his sentiment as she walked over.
"He's very wise," Helena lamented, as Irene sipped her white wine.
"Yes, I know that," Irene said, baiting her friend. Truth be told, she enjoyed the back and forth with Helena as much as the Brit did.
"Tsk," Helena uttered. "I wonder if Mr. Lattimer would be interested in becoming the HR Director at Wells, given how wise he is. I could use someone with that aptitude in the position. No, he probably wouldn't want the demotion," she added, a sly grin appearing on her face.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Helena," Irene said, her chestnut eyes watering a bit as she verbally swatted back, and then hugged her dear friend. It was the rare occasion that wine affected the older woman, but the wedding was one of those times. "And what would you do without me?" Irene said, putting her arm around Helena's waist and hugging her.
Helena stared down at the woman, trying not to be one-upped by her affectionate play. "Oh, I'd find something for you to do," the Brit said, unable to not smile at the exchange.
"I could run your museum!" Irene said, snapping her finger.
"No, I need a docent who is pleasant to be with and speaks well of the Wells," Helena retorted and Irene playfully slapped her arm.
Then they looked out at the young married couple who were dancing on the dance floor. "Eileen is the second luckiest person in this room," Irene said.
"Oh? And Claudia is the first?" Helena guessed, puzzled by the woman's comment.
"Actually, my dear," Irene said, putting her arm through Helena's and pulling her away from the bar, "….. I was talking about Myka." And with that, she walked Helena back to her wife's table where they rejoined their friends.
The festivities ended, and although many of the friends wanted the night to continue, Helena and Myka left to go home. Pete kissed Jane before getting up to ready the car to take the couple home. "I'll be back," he said, leaving her in the best of company.
Bridget watched the interaction before she leaned over to the new Mrs. Lattimer. "You're a saint," she said because she wasn't sure she could share her spouse as graciously as Jane did.
The detective smiled as she watched her husband hurry to take care of his charges. "It's one of the things I love most about him," she confessed.
Alone, finally, in the quiet of their home, Myka collapsed in Helena's lap as she sat on the couch. "That was a really nice wedding," Myka said sleepily.
"I think we should forbid any more for a while," Helena said, and wasn't kidding. "In fact, I think we should ban all social engagements on the entire isle of Manhattan until the baby is born." Helena could not say the word without placing her hand on Myka's stomach and gently rubbing it.
"It won't be long now," Myka said, her eyes too tired to stay open and she drifted off to sleep.
Helena smiled, and cupped Myka's face, bending down and gently kissing her lips. "Indeed," she said and thought of all the wonderful things the three of them would do together. She played with a wisp of Myka's hair as she watched her breathing even out as she slept. Helena fought the sleep that her body craved because she didn't want to stop looking at Myka.
"I think Irene might have been wrong …..again," Helena whispered as she spoke to her future heir; her hand placed gently on Myka's stomach.
"You are the luckiest…to have this woman as your mother."
A/N The wedding outfits, as well as the Disney-themed wedding cake, can be seen on Pinterest at ManhattaniteNYC.
I think this is wrapping up - so up next - the Epilogue. What would you like to see addressed before we end this installment? Let me know.
Many, many thanks.