A Billion Reasons Why (29 page)
“Relax. Luc was here this morning, and he switched them out himself. Didn’t you hear the doorbell?”
“No.”
“He said the band is going to be in tuxedos, so he thought white was better.” Mam tapped a finger on her chin. “I’m supposed to tell you something else.”
“The orchestra was always going to be wearing tuxedos. I can’t wear white to someone else’s wedding. It’s the—Mam, are you wearing makeup?” She could count on one hand the times she’d seen her mother made-up.
Mam patted her coiffed hair. “I am. I’m trying something new.”
By trying something new, she assumed her mother meant in this decade. But judging by the 1978 frosted pink lipstick, it appeared everything old was new again.
“Luc was here this morning? In my room?”
“Yes. He’s got Harry Connick, Jr.’s big band now, so they’ll be your backup.”
“Harry Connick is nobody’s backup. Least of all mine. Where is Eileen?”
“She took Pokey home. Luc’s invited her too. Actually Jem did the inviting. They’re getting along like two frogs on a lily pad. Eileen likes Harry Connick, Jr. too. You know, that puts it into perspective for me, Katie. I get it, the fascination with the smooth standards, when you say ‘Harry Connick.’ What a talent that boy is. And so handsome.”
“I’m glad.”
“I saw him on Canal Street once. Did I ever tell you that?”
“Yes, Mam.” Only about a hundred times. “You let Luc into my room?”
“Well, I told him where the dress was. He knocked. I heard him knock. You must have been exhausted after your adventure last night.”
“Where is Eileen?”
“You already asked me that. She went to take Pokey home. She’ll be back. You’re so high-strung this morning.”
“Mam.” Katie tried to calm her voice. “Why would you let a strange man into my room by himself?”
“Luc isn’t a strange man. And you were asleep.”
“What if I was sleeping naked?”
“Well, that would be strange. I never taught you that it was all right to sleep naked.” Mam paused. “Were you naked?”
“No! But look at me! My hair’s a mess. I have no makeup on. What if I was drooling on the pillow?”
“Ick. I’d have to get a new pillow. Did you do that? Because they’re having a sale on pillows right now at Target. Maybe I should pick up a few.”
“Mam! Help me here. This gown is an antique white. It definitely looks like a wedding dress. I’m a good Southern girl. I can’t wear white to another woman’s wedding.”
Mam shook her head. “
That’s
what Luc told me to tell you. It’s the dress from
Swing Time
. I will never understand your fascination with that era. There was a war on. What’s romantic about that? Nana said it was miserable. Harry Connick I can understand, but the forties?”
“The other dress was from
Top Hat
. The feathered one. Luc had it copied.”
“Right. This one is an original. It’s the one Ginger wore when she kissed Fred Astaire in
Swing Time
.
That’s
what I was supposed to tell you.” Mam patted the banister. “You’re supposed to be very careful with the gown because it’s from a private collector. It hasn’t been seen in public since a museum gala in New York City. Oh, and the cape isn’t with it because it’s apparently too fragile to travel.” Mam smiled, apparently well pleased with her memory skills. “There’s a cape.”
“You mean there’s
not
a cape.”
“Right. But originally there was a cape.”
“It doesn’t matter, because I’m not going.” Katie started to walk back to her room. “This is nothing like what I promised. I’ll buy my own ticket back to California if I need to.”
“Sure you will. Luc’s invited us so that we can see Harry Connick. He’s from New Orleans, you know.”
“I’m going to sing at a wedding with Harry Connick, Jr. with no practice whatsoever? In a white wedding dress? I’m thinking not. This is just a bad
American Idol
episode waiting to happen, and I’m not starring in it.”
“You have a lovely voice, Katie. It was good enough to put yourself through college. Don’t sell yourself short. Besides, I’m sure it’s all right, if Luc has it set up this way. And you already embarrassed yourself twice in front of all these people—they’ll be expecting it. Anything above total humiliation is a win.”
“Thanks, Mam. That’s comforting.” Katie narrowed her gaze. “Since when is Luc DeForges your best friend?”
“Are you hungry? I’ve got some—”
“I’m not hungry. That gown isn’t very forgiving. What do you have for Spanx in the house?”
Mam looked confused.
“A girdle. Do you have a girdle?”
“What would I have a girdle for? When you have fish guts on the front of your shirt, you tend not to suck your fat in.”
“Pretty.”
Mam giggled.
“Did you just giggle?”
Mam covered her mouth with her hands, which were manicured, of all things, and flapped them as she tried to conceal laughter.
“What is so funny?” Katie pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail and tied it into a knot. “I’m glad you have a reason to laugh, Mam. Maybe if you share it I won’t remember how much my life stinks.”
“Honestly . . .” Mam’s laughter stilled. “What do you have to complain about? You come here on a luxury private jet, you’re wearing Ginger Rogers’ original gown, and you have a multimillionaire in love with you. I fail to see which part of your life stinks.”
“The part where I wasted eight years of my life and now it may be too late for Luc and me to ever get it right. He looked really angry with me when he walked away last night, Mam. Almost disgusted.”
Mam giggled again.
“Stop that! Why are you like the cat who ate the canary?”
“I’m happy. I’m free. Katie, when I told you about my gambling problem, I had no idea how uplifted I’d feel. Almost like I was flying. I’ve kept that a secret for so long, so that you wouldn’t think badly of me. Today I feel a hundred pounds lighter. And I’ve harbored this grudge against Luc for so long, and he never knew why. I should have known Paddy would always protect me. It’s not fair, really. I didn’t deserve it.”
“That’s what grace is, Mam. What better expression is there of love?”
“I never dreamed it would cost
you
, Katie. I would have said something years ago. I never knew Paddy didn’t tell Luc the truth.”
Katie waved her hand. “It just wasn’t meant to be.”
“You’re wrong, Katie. Luc protected you too. Maybe not in the best way, but he did what he thought was right. Just like I did what I thought was right by keeping my secret— never knowing it was causing you to think ill of Luc. Though what did I expect, when I thought ill of him myself?”
“I could have told you that Paddy would have done anything to protect you. And he certainly wouldn’t have shared a secret like that with Aimée DeForges, your archenemy.”
“It all seems obvious now, doesn’t it?” Mam started climbing the stairs. “Let me come see this dress.” She stopped midway. “I think you should go today. You should do what you promised and stop worrying about the consequences.”
Katie nodded. Everything sounded so simple when her mother said it.
“Leon’s picking us all up at five. Eileen will be here by then, and we’ll all go together in the limousine.”
Katie hung the garment bag on Mam’s antique mahogany armoire. She unzipped the bag again, cautiously this time. She touched the gown lightly. “Mam, I can’t wear this. It’s got to be worth more than my annual salary.”
“What isn’t worth more than that? You’re a teacher.”
She pulled the gown out of the bag. The dress was structured underneath with a 1920s-style bathing suit and short tap pants attached. “Mam, look. It’s got the girdle already in it!”
The gown was the palest of pinks, not white as she’d first thought. The skirt was long and flowing and weighted down at the bottom by something sewn into its hem. She imagined it helped the gown move correctly as Ginger danced.
In the front of the Grecian-style gown was an X of hand-sewn sequins. Another sequined X made up the backless dress and attached to the skirt at her lower back. She held it up. “It looks long enough.”
“Ginger was five foot four and a half, just like you. Luc said so. He said if it didn’t quite fit not to pin or anything.”
“Duh.”
“I’m just passing on the message.”
“Are you going to try it on? Or just stare at it?” Eileen walked into the room holding her own garment bag. She threw it onto the mangled bed, causing Mam to start tugging at the sheets immediately.
“What if it doesn’t fit? What am I supposed to do then? Why would Luc take the other dress?”
“You’re afraid of your own shadow,” Mam said. “Enough already. Try it on, for crying out loud.”
“Why do you think he did this? What was wrong with the first gown?” Katie asked.
“Maybe he was trying to get this dress all along and hadn’t gotten it yet, so he had a backup made. Maybe he wanted you to wear the real thing so that you felt like Ginger herself. Maybe, just maybe, you should stop overanalyzing everything poor Luc does and say thank you for a change.”
“Did that just come out of your mouth, Eileen, or am I in the Twilight Zone?”
“New Orleans, same difference,” Mam said.
“Jem told me I had misjudged Luc,” Eileen said, “but I didn’t believe him either. Luc has that cocky swagger that drives me insane! My mind was made up after years of listening to your crying, but now I think Jem is right. I think you’d told yourself that story so many times about being rejected by Luc, you weren’t able to hear an alternative—and neither was I. I get it now; you were afraid. It makes sense that you tried to marry a man you didn’t love. So that everything would be safe. But love isn’t safe.”
“What is this, Dr. Phil? Listen, here’s the truth: Luc dumped me eight years ago. And last night he left me splayed out on the banquette, and now he’s got me dressing like a bride at someone else’s wedding. You all can wax poetic all you want, but Luc puts on a good show. When the rubber meets the road you’ll find out how serious he is about commitment. Mark my words.”
“No, Eileen’s right,” Mam said. “Love isn’t safe. And whoever you love will hurt you. It’s part of the human experience. No one is perfect, not even your Paddy, Katie. People make mistakes. The secret is to focus on what they do right and decide what quirks you can live with.”
“I know,” Eileen said. “Can you live with the quirks of a rich man? Because I don’t know . . . I think I might be able to get past the European vacations, personal stylists, and the private jet-setting, but no way could I live with the shopping sprees. No doubt about it.”
“Eileen, this is Luc. He only has the plane for convenience. He doesn’t live like that.”
“Why don’t you tell him you know that? That you know him?”
She shook her head. “It’s too late. I have ruined my last DeForges shindig.”
“It’s too late if you’re afraid of getting rejected again,” Mam said. “But sometimes love is dangerous. Are you willing to take the risk?”
Katie looked at the gown once again. The first thought that came streaming into her head was that Harry Connick, Jr. would laugh her off the stage, but then, would that really be worse than Luc rejecting her again? All she had to do was don the gown and tell him she loved him. That was it. Simple.
Luc, I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you, and I’ve been waiting for you to come get me for eight years, and if you don’t act now I am going to throw a major hissy fit at this party!
The rest was up to Luc.
“I’ll never know if I don’t try.”
“That’s my girl!”
Katie sucked in a deep breath and approached the gown. “I’m not going to chase him. If he wants me, he has to make his move. I have to leave with some kind of dignity.”
Mam shook her head. “Oh, then you’re not ready after all.”
Eileen rolled her eyes. “Because flying you out on his private jet and renting Ginger Rogers’ gown and proposing to you in front of all his brother’s wedding guests, those weren’t moves at all. You’re right, Katie. I really think you should wait until pigs fly. Then you’ll know for certain.”
Maybe she
had
put too many constraints on love. Jesus loved unconditionally. Wasn’t that the example? She prayed for the strength to dance like no one was watching, sing like no one was listening, and love like she’d never felt pain.
F
ROM
T
HIS
M
OMENT
O
N
Katie felt amazing in Ginger’s gown. The shoulder straps glistened in the evening light, and as the crickets and frogs started their beautiful night song, she felt infused with confidence. She looked ahead at the road, anxious and filled with the good kind of adrenaline. If there’d been a benefit to ruining the rehearsal dinner, it was that she’d completely lowered expectations for the reception.
Neither Ryan nor Olivia wanted a church wedding, which seemed strange to Katie, with their mothers both being doyennes in their church. Then again, that’s probably why they chose a different locale. The wedding was to be held on a rooftop terrace at the historical Hotel Monteleone. It overlooked the French Quarter and bustled with old-fashioned romantic ambiance—the closest she’d ever come to Paris. The French Quarter came alive at night with an energy all its own. Jazz echoed off its classic architecture and wrought iron galleries.