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Emma gritted her teeth and forced back a grimace as the bride lashed out at her husband-to-be as the couple sat across from her and Carlo in Emma’s office at the bridal salon.
“William, we really need to be more conscious of what we’re eating,” the bridezilla said and glared at the finger sandwich in her fiancé’s hand. Carlo had prepared the snacks for their final meeting as a sample of the appetizers the bridezilla had requested for the cocktail hour at the rehearsal dinner.
“I promise you that those sandwiches are about as healthy as you can get. It’s whole grain bread and minced watercress with oil and vinegar. I hope it’s just what you had in mind,” Carlo interjected in a calming tone, obviously trying to defuse the situation.
“You had a wonderful idea having such light fare for your guests. So many people are health conscious now,” Emma added, trying to placate the woman as well.
“Health is very important to me. To us,” Sidney belatedly tacked on. She glared at her fiancé who joined in with, “Sidney is the queen at her gym—”
“Health and wellness center,” Sidney corrected.
Blotches of red erupted across William’s face and he stammered his apology. “O-of course, Sidney. Health and wellness are your life.”
“Our life,” the bride-to-be challenged again, earning another stumbling apology.
Emma was convinced nothing the man could say would be right. As Emma’s gaze skipped across Carlo’s, it was obvious he also felt sorry for the other man. He leapt to William’s rescue in much the same way he came to her aid when things were going south.
“Emma and I understand how important being fit is to you both. We will work hard to make sure what we serve your guests is both nutritious and tasty,” he said.
The bride-to-be did a once over of her groom’s physique, but before she could utter another nasty word, Emma said, “Your fitness ethic is apparent in how wonderful you both look. You are going to be the most lovely couple we’ve ever had.”
Sidney preened with the compliment, fluffing her hair with one hand. “Thank you, Emma. I’m so glad you understand how important it is for you to deal with all my requests.”
“We totally understand, Sidney. We assure you this will be the wedding that everyone will be talking about for years,” Emma said, although not for the reasons the bridezilla thought. If Sidney kept up her bullying routine through the ceremony and reception, there would be talk for sure.
“Let’s just do a last review of all the details to make sure we’re all on the same page,” Emma said and Carlo seconded her request.
The discussion continued, but it was laced with barely laced barbs toward the prospective groom and Emma wondered why he would take it. But then again, hadn’t her own life and her mother’s been similar? Before he’d left for good, her father had hardly ever had a kind word for either of them. Even his praise had been nothing more than backhanded compliments and yet they’d suffered through them for years. Too many years.
Because of that, as Sidney’s list of demands grew and grew together with her putdowns, Emma’s temper rose until it was all she could do to hold back her anger. And then Sidney pushed her right over the edge.
“I have my own hairdresser and make-up people coming to assist me the morning of the wedding. I’m hoping you can get William some assistance so he looks properly groomed.”
***
A BRIGHT PINK FLUSH was riding high on Emma’s face and there was no mistaking she was about to lose it, Carlo thought. It was something Emma never did and he wondered at the reason for her upset. He laid a hand over Emma’s as it rested on the table. She trembled with anger and he squeezed gently, attempting to calm her as he said, “We can assist William that morning although it’s much easier for us gentleman to prepare.”
Emma’s color flushed a deeper rose and he squeezed her hand again to keep her grounded. “Both Emma and I,” he began, with emphasis to reiterate their partnership and more, “will make sure all is in order for your wedding.”
“I’m sure you will,” Sidney said and cast a dismissive look at Emma. She slowly rose and William shot up out of his chair and followed the bridezilla from the room.
Once the door had closed, what sounded suspiciously like a low growl erupted from Emma before she said, “I despise that woman.”
He understood. “Just think—in a few days it will all be over and we won’t have to deal with her again.”
“But he will,” she said with surprising vehemence. “He will have to take that abuse day in and day out until it whittles him away to a big fat zero.”
Carlo couldn’t miss that there was something more going on that had nothing to do with the bitchy bride. “This is really bothering you, isn’t it?”
She shrugged and looked away, but he cupped her chin gently and urged her back to face him. Her distress was apparent, both from the traces of color on her cheeks to the threat of tears shimmering in her gaze.
“Please tell me, Emma. Tell me why you’re so upset.”
***
EXPLAINING TO HIM WOULD open a crack in the walls she had erected to hide her pain and to keep her secrets. The wall had also served to keep him away but maintaining that façade had done nothing to erase the memories and bring her relief, so maybe it was time to share her past with him. Maybe by doing so she could let go of it and build a future free of that hurt.
“She reminds me of my father. Before he left us, he was always picking on my mom and me about one thing or another. If something broke, it was because we hadn’t handled it properly. If I brought home an A minus, he was disappointed because it wasn’t an A plus. We couldn’t dress right, speak right, or do anything right. What few compliments he gave were bundled together with criticism,” she said, the words rushing from her mouth as a torrent of tears slipped down her face, hot against her skin.
Carlo scooted his chair over and gripped her hand tightly. His gaze was pained and filled with sorrow as he reached up with his free hand and gently skimmed away her tears. “I’m so sorry, Emma. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
She shook her head and wiped away her sniffles with the back of her hand. “It’s not you, Carlo.” It’s never you, she wanted to say. He was one of the few things in her life that had been good and happy. Carlo, her mom, and her friends were bright points of light and joy for her.
“I wish . . .” He paused, clearly searching for the right words, but there were none. There was nothing that could change how her father had made her feel. Or the betrayal that had come later and made her so hesitant to trust a man and kept her from being able to love a wonderful man like Carlo.
“I know there’s nothing that can change the past, but . . . Not all men are like that,” he said, but she understood what he was really saying. I’m not like that.
“My mom told me once that he wasn’t that way when they were dating or first got married. That it kind of just happened little by little.”
Carlo, ever perceptive, cradled her cheek and said, “Which makes you wonder if it was something you or your Mom did to make him that way. But that’s just making excuses for him, isn’t it?”
His words were logical. Supportive even and yet she found anger rising up inside her again. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think that I wish I could stop feeling like this and move on with my life?” Move on so that she could learn to love and trust a man like Carlo as both a lover and business partner.
Her words and their hurt vibrated in the air between them. She held her breath, waiting for a backlash. Waiting for rage like that which would erupt from her father if she challenged him. Instead, Carlo smiled tenderly and swiped his thumb across her cheek once more, the touch soothing and tender. He leaned forward, laid his forehead against hers and whispered, “I’m a patient man, Emma. I’ll be waiting for you no matter how long it takes.”
“What if it’s never?” she wanted to say as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. But for now, she let herself bask in the warmth of his embrace and let herself believe that he would wait. That he would be there if she ever got her act together. And if she didn’t . . . .
She didn’t want to think about that possibility.
