“It’s been three months. How long does it take to plan a wedding?”
I groan at Johnni’s question. I have asked the same question. I’ve always been the type of person who goes after exactly what I want, so I expected to be married by now. But every detail has to be perfect in a wedding as big as this one. The guest list even has royalty on it. It has to be spectacular. “You have no idea.”
He laughs. “Have you at least settled on a color palette? You know you’re being too picky, right?”
I huff. “I’m not. I want something classy but sexy. Is that so hard? My planner doesn’t seem to get it. I’m not asking for much.”
Johnni snorted. “Lanae Starke is one of the most successful wedding planners in the world. She not only makes beautiful dresses, she’s got all the strings to pull when it comes to vendors and designers.”
“Then why can’t she give me what I want?”
“Maybe because you’re impossible to please?”
I growl, throwing myself back into a sitting position. “I know exactly what colors I want, you know.”
“Oh, really. And what are those?”
I riffle through my purse until I find my swatches. The four colors I hold up are bold. They’re not the whitewashed colors Lanae keeps trying to push on me.
Johnni whistles. “Red for a summer wedding is pretty ballsy.”
It takes all of my willpower not to flip my hair. “So? It’s sexy and vibrant. I think that matches my personality better than the sage and sandalwood she keeps trying to get me to go with.”
Johnni taps a long, blunt finger against his chin. “Sage and cream would go with your skin color.” He cuts me off when I open my mouth to argue with him. “But! I think these colors would work. It would be hard for anyone else to pull off but you could do it.”
I preen, sliding the cards back into my bag. Johnni’s approval is what I have been waiting for. I know he won’t lie to me and he knows a thing or two about fashion. I text Lanae with my response to her suggestion.
Not even three seconds pass before she responds. Okay, we’ll go with the reds. Do you still want a white gown?
We have also discussed the cut of my gown in the last couple months. I want to go with an elegant heart-cut corset and a mermaid silhouette. She wants to dress me like a cupcake. I tilt my head to the side, looking at my screen. If she wants to dress me like a cupcake, I wouldn’t mind a few sprinkles. About that…
I explain what I have in mind.
She responds to my idea quickly and with exclamation marks.
I have a moment of relief before she starts texting me about the rest of the details we have to iron out.
I groan again, collapsing against the lounge in Johnni’s lavish living room. Johnni and I have always had similar tastes when it comes to furnishings. He likes a bit more color than I am comfortable with in my dwellings, but everything in his five-bedroom brownstone is high-end. Cream leather and white metal are highlighted by plum accents and dark ribbons of brown. I can appreciate the attention to detail he puts into every single element in the homey space.
I will mourn the necessary changes to baby-proof the house.
He laughs and hands me a drink. I don’t even stop to figure out what it is. Instead, I throw it into the back of my throat and swallow. “Ugh. Is this mixed?”
“Nope. You looked like you needed something straight.”
I toss him a grateful grin before closing my eyes. “I’ve been with the planner all day. She had sixteen band options. Six. Teen.”
Johnni tries to hide his laughter but I hear it in his voice. “You should have done what Evan and I did.”
I shake my head. “That wouldn’t work. The paparazzi would have a field day if I eloped. Not to mention all of the people we know. Can you imagine how many angry phone calls I’d have to field?”
“Or dodge. Just ignore them.”
“That works so well.”
The walkie-talkie on the coffee table chimes and I pry open one eye to get a glimpse at the baby on the screen. “Mr. Johnni, the baby is down for her nap. Would you like for me to prepare tea for you and Ms. Opal?”
Johnni glances at me and I shake my head. I ate with the planner so I’m not hungry. The only thing I want to drink at the moment is alcoholic. Johnni pushes a button on top of the walkie-talkie and responds. “Thanks, Liota. We don’t need anything at the moment. Why don’t you crack open that book while you wait for Semaj to wake up?”
The nanny sighs. “You know I prefer to read on my downtime.”
Johnni grins. “I know. But you know much I like it when you’re well rested and relaxed around the baby.”
It’s my turn to hide my grin. Johnni and Evan are great parents. They make every decision for their baby as if it were the end of the world. Lately, they have decided that “positive vibes” are the only kind allowed around the baby. They are absolutely positive that negativity will stunt her growth.
“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on that.”
“Thanks, Liota.”
Johnni catches the look I’m giving him and shrugs. “Better safe than sorry.”
This time I can’t hide my laughter and he throws a pillow at me. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You’re just so maternal.”
Johnni pours me another drink. “Well, after all of the hoops we had to jump through in order to adopt her? Damn right, I’m maternal. I feel like I could pick up a bus if she needed me to.”
I fan my face. “Whoa. Fierce. This is a good look for you.”
Johnni winks at me. “Of course it is. All looks are good on me.”
Giggling, I sit back. It’s been too long since I’ve had a chance to meet up with Johnni. It feels like we’ve spent the entire year apart. Between my wedding plans and his adoption, we haven’t had many chances to get out and party.
And that is okay.
That isn’t my life anymore. I am a different person now. Maybe I’ve grown up a little. Or maybe I’ve grown a little more boring. Either way, I don’t care. I am happy with the way things are going.
“So,” Johnni says and pours a third drink, forcing me to keep pace with him. “What’s this I hear about you dabbling in activism?”
Heat spreads across my face. I hadn’t meant for this information to be out in the grapevine but as usual—when it is me—everything moves at warp speed. “It’s no big deal. I signed a few petitions and one of my causes asked me if I would act as a spokesperson.”
Johnni shifts in his lounger. “Are you sure you want to step into that world? It might be just as cutthroat as the last world you tore apart. Maybe even more so.”
If he were anyone else, I would hedge. But with Johnni, I never have reason to lie or pretend. “I think I might be up for the challenge. I could help a lot of people with my resources and pull.”
I hold my breath as I wait for his response. He takes another swig from his drink before nodding. “You’re right. You could. And it’s not like you’re afraid of causing waves. Hell, you’re like a walking tsunami, just waiting to swallow up some poor, unsuspecting island.”
I laugh and even more tension leaves my body. “Only if that island is something unjust. I’m looking for real change here.”
“Change, huh? That’s a tall order. You might have to climb pretty high in order to make that happen.”
I shrug one shoulder. “I haven’t made any decisions yet but I have no doubt that it will be difficult. There’s always some obstacle to overcome.”
Johnni is quiet for a few minutes. He just watches me as if I’m a bug under a microscope. Then he lifts his glass to me. “You’re different lately, Fallon. Better. And I don’t just mean because you have a good man now.”
His praise makes me blush. I think he’s right.
I am better now. Older, stronger, more assured.
And I have Harper. My rock. He keeps me stable and grounded when things feel like they’re out of hand. I have always been the kind of person who can handle a crisis with grace and poise. But with him around, I feel like maybe I don’t have to keep myself quite so aloof.
I reach for Johnni’s drink and swallow the rest of it in one gulp. He claps a little and I give a bow.
He teases me when I pick up my phone again, ready to conquer all of the decisions I’d been avoiding. “Look out, world, Fallon’s got her game face on.”
I wink right back at him. “You know it.”