Chapter 47
Alex dropped her keys on the table by the door and checked her stack of mail. Nothing important, so she dumped the envelopes in the trash can next to the table.
"Hey!" she called out as she looked into the living room, she heard the bumble of bodies from the back of the apartment. She smiled and shook her head. Ooops.
She made her way to her bedroom and pushed the door open, her eyes furrowed at the scene. She walked in and turned in a full three hundred and sixty degree circle. Her entire room was now in neatly taped boxes. Her bed stripped of its sheets. There were things that didn't belong to her taking up corners now.
"Hey you," Lena said from behind her.
"What the hell is this?" Alex asked. She was a bit shocked and angry that her room was packed.
"Well, I figured since you were getting married now, I could pack up your room," Lena said cautiously, hearing the anger in her friend's voice.
"We had talked about it," Alex agreed. "But..."
"But?"
"Sorry," Alex said laughing at herself, realizing she was over reacting. "It just took me a second to process it!" She turned around and hugged Lena who smiled.
"Now," Alex said stepping back putting her scowl back on. "Do you want to explain that?" She asked sharply, pointing to the set of golf clubs in the corner.
"Yeah," Lena smiled. "About those, they kinda belong to my new roommate."
"You've already rented my room?" Alex gasped.
"Not exactly rented," Lena hedged, embarrassed. Just then Mike came up behind Lena and Alex burst into laughter as all the pieces fell into place.
"Humprf," Alex said to him with a broad smile. "I see."
"Hey Miss Lasko," Mike said sheepishly.
"Miss Lasko?" Alex growled. "You are stealing my roommate, putting your shit in my room, and it is still Miss Lasko?" She railed at him.
"Sorry Alex," he corrected. "I'm going to make coffee, want some?" Alex nodded and he kissed Lena's head and went away sheepishly.
"I see how it is," Alex said moving close to her friend. "You like your roommates with a side of penis now, huh?"
"Worked for you, didn't it?" Lena pointed out.
"I'm calling slut," Alex teased as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"I'm calling kinky as fuck slut," Lena shot back mimicking her stance.
"Jealous?"
"Uh, hell yeah!" Lena laughed taking Alex in her arms. "At least Mike has a good sense of adventure! Not as adventurous as your Gavin, but a hell of a lot better than my last clown!"
"Don't tell me, I don't want to know your dirty little secrets," Alex said shaking her head. "So, he is moving in?"
"He has been living here for over a month now," Lena admitted.
"Get the fuck out of here? How did I miss that?" Alex asked her.
"Probably because of all the wedding shit!" Lena told her with a snort.
"God! Don't bring up the wedding!" Alex growled.
"Now what?"
"She wants a full orchestra!" Alex said of Madelyn's elaborate plans.
"What happened to the DJ?" Lena gasped.
"Yeah, you figure that out let me know!" Alex laughed as they walked toward the kitchen where Mike was making coffee.
"Oh man, what does Gavin say about that?" Lena asked as they sat down.
"He's gone to calling me Faust," Alex laughed with a shake of her head.
"He did warn you that you were making a deal with the devil," Lena reminded.
Alex dropped her head to the table and shook it.
"Is it too late to elope?" Alex asked.
"You are talking about a lady who knows the head of the Armed Services Committee, and the director of the CIA...do you think there is anywhere you can go where she won't find you?" Mike laughed.
"Nobody asked you," Alex laughed with her head still down. "Room thief."
"Just saying," Mike said as he set her coffee down near her.
***
"There you are," Madelyn called out as Alex crossed the foyer. Alex froze in mid-step.
"Charles! Save me!" Alex begged the man as he stood by the door he just let her in.
Charles smiled and pretended to tip toe away.
"Traitor!" Alex laughed at his response.
Since the wedding plans began, the two of them had been earning rebukes from Madelyn for their constant poking at her for the elaborate plans and the sudden changes of ideas. The two of them had been joking behind Madelyn's back about being a taskmaster and would lean in to whisper a joke, when Madelyn wasn't looking of course.
"You, my lady, are on your own!" he said from the doorway to the Library. "She has brow beat me enough today!"
"I can see I'm going to have to really turn on my bitch," Madelyn warned them. Charles smiled at Alex, then left her there. Alone.
"Now," Madelyn began when Alex finally turned to her. "I have someone for you to meet."
Alex rolled her eyes as she followed Madelyn back into the sitting room she just came out of, dragging her feet as she went causing Madelyn to turn and glower at her. Alex giggled when she did.
"Trying my patience today?" Madelyn asked her.
"Me?" Alex asked in a laugh. "Nawwww!" Alex drawled.
"I'm not above putting you over my knee young lady!" Madelyn threatened.
"Yes ma'am," Alex nodded.
Walking into the sitting room she found an elegant woman in her mid-seventies sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in her hand. The woman was beautiful and graceful. She stood as Madelyn brought Alex to her.
"Alex," Madelyn smiled. "This is Carolina Herrera. Carolina, this is Alexandria Lasko." Alex gently took the elegant woman's hand and shook it.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," the woman said to Alex. "Madelyn has been raving about you all morning!"
"Don't believe all she tells you, she is blinded by her love for me," Alex smiled, trying to tamp down what was surely high praise from Madelyn.
"Absolutely gorgeous!" the woman said to Madelyn. She then turned her eyes back to Alex.
"Have we met before?" Alex asked her. "It seems like I have seen you before."
Madelyn laughed then covered her smile with her hand.
"I would hope you would know this woman!" Madelyn chuckled, shaking her head. "Carolina is the preeminent designer of women's clothing."
"She has dressed women from the likes Jackie Onassis to First Lady Michelle Obama!" Madelyn said with a shake of her head at Alex's naivetΓ©. "Now, she is going to add you to that list."
"What?" Alex asked as Carolina began to walk around Alex measuring her up with her eyes. "What are you doing Madelyn?"
"We seem to be at odds over your dress," Madelyn said watching her friend look Alex over.
"I know," Alex said shifting her eyes from Madelyn to the world famous designer who was now touching her and picturing something in her mind.
"Well, I've asked Carolina to come and help us, she is going to design you a dress," Madelyn shrugged.
Alex put her face in her hands and let out a short scream of frustration. Her wedding to the man of her dreams went from a simple vineyard wedding, to a subtle backyard marriage to what has now turned into a wedding fit for royals! Full orchestra? Catered meal for over 300? Now a world famous designer to custom make a dress for her? Holy shit!
"Real lady like," Madelyn scolded.