Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy (16 page)

OBIN
sat in Stephanie Giordano’s cute little office. All around her were pictures of weddings, parties, even elaborate birthday parties for children. Material lay draped over a couch in a corner and boxes of stuff from a company with the tag line “Your entertainment headquarters” were stacked in a corner.

Stephanie used a key to unlock a filing cabinet drawer, and pulled out four jewelry boxes. “I love that you used the necklace Tony gave you for Valentine’s Day to design your bridesmaid gifts,” she said. “My jeweler really enjoyed doing this.”

“I’m so glad. The necklace is so pretty, and the dress I picked out just fits it so well that I wanted to keep the look flowing,” Robin said, reaching for one of the boxes. She opened the top and smiled. An outline of a heart made out of alternating diamonds and rubies hung suspended from a silver chain. It was exactly the size and shape of the diamond heart on Robin’s ruby and diamond necklace. “This is perfect!” she said.

“I think it will go nicely with the dresses you picked out for the girls, too,” Stephanie said. “Here is the locket for the flower girl.” Robin had also commissioned a silver locket for Angel Dove that contained a photo of Peter and Caroline. She opened the locket and smiled. “It’s a little large for such a small girl, but I’m sure it will be something she treasures as she gets older.”

“I love it,” Robin said. “It was exactly what I had in mind.”

Stephanie opened a file folder. “Tony’s office sent me the order of ceremonies. Here is a sample of the printed program.” She handed Robin a heavy card stock folded in half the color of rich rubies.

In formal white scrolling letters on the front it read, “The Wedding of Robin Bartlett and Antonio Viscolli,” listing the names and addresses of the church and the hotel. Inside on the left, it listed the wedding party, and on the right it gave an order of service, from the invocation through the solos and message, to the vows, more singing, and the presentation of the bride and groom.

“I love this paper,” Robin said. “I’m surprised it doesn’t feel like too much red.”

“I think red ink on white paper would have felt like too much red. This feels very elegant.” Stephanie handed her another sheet of paper. “These are the shots the photographer is going to want before the ceremony. We’ll take all the photos of you with or without your party that will not have Tony in them before the ceremony, so we don’t tie up the time before the reception taking pictures.”

“This is all very real,” Robin said. “I can’t believe we’re just a month out.”

“Oh, speaking of, I wanted to let you know that we are definitely going to have to put out heated tents at the hotel. RSVP’s are coming in and we’re pushing close to the limit of the capacity for the room, and that doesn’t include the open invite to the church.”

Robin nodded. “I had a feeling Tony wouldn’t be able to streamline his list enough.” She settled back in the chair. “He likes hosting parties far too much.”

Stephanie laughed. “You know, you have been a joy to work with on this. I was so worried it would be a bear and my business would be ruined.”

“Well, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never even been to a wedding. So, it’s easy to concede to your judgment, since this is what you do for a living.” Robin made a note in her notebook. “I still need to get with Tony about our vows. And, on the checklist you gave me, it said something about toasts?”

“You and Tony need to decide who is going to give toasts, and make sure they know it. Traditionally, it’s the best man. It can also be your father, your maid of honor, whomever. You just need to make sure that is all arranged ahead of time.”

As Robin put the jewelry boxes in her purse and stood to go, Stephanie snapped her fingers. “One other thing. Are you free on the second of April at two?”

Robin checked her phone. “I can be free,” she said. “The restaurant is closed Mondays.”

“Okay, good. Can you meet here at two to talk to your hair stylist again and meet your makeup artist?”

With a shrug, Robin made the notation in her phone. “I can be here.”

“I should have your veil then. We can show it to the hair stylist and let her work your hair around the veil.”

Robin put a hand to her hair. “It seems silly to focus so much on hair that will be covered the whole time.”

Stephanie laughed. “It does. But you won’t be wearing your veil for some of the pictures, and you won’t be wearing it at the reception.”

“I guess. And Maxine said something about nails?”

“Yes. The makeup artist will talk with you about that in some detail.” Stephanie made a notation in her pad. “I will be with you for the conversation with them, so they’ll know exactly what you want.”

Robin laughed. “You mean, you’ll tell me exactly what I want.”

“Only because you have given me permission to do so.” She walked around her desk. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

Robin gladly took the older woman’s hand. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

She left the building and slid onto the electronically warmed leather seat of her luxury sedan. It occurred to her that it had been well over a month since her car broke down. She loved her sleek little sapphire blue sedan as much as Tony likely knew she’d love it, and couldn’t stand the idea of going back to her rusty old trouble making car. With a sigh and a smile, she figured Tony likely knew that, too. She bet that if she asked him, her car had already been repaired and was sitting in some parking lot somewhere just waiting for word from him to bring it to her or take it away forever. In the space of a heartbeat, she decided she’d tell him just to take it away forever.

She drove home in her new, safe, reliable car enjoying the brightness of the afternoon sun. She hoped to take the bright day as a sign that spring would come early. Then the weather would be so nice for the wedding that it somehow wouldn’t matter that a few hundred guests would find themselves seated in tents.

After she arrived home, she went into her bedroom and stashed the jewelry boxes in her underwear drawer next to the jewels Tony had given her. She shut the drawer and worried, like always, that someone in her less than ideal neighborhood would realize they were in there and steal them. She was looking forward to being able to utilize Tony’s security as a way for her to store her jewelry.

ARRY
shifted the end of the trunk in his hand and said, “Wait a second. Okay. Go.” At the other end of the trunk, Derrick grunted and the two men slowly maneuvered out of the apartment.

“What is in this thing?” Derrick panted.

Sarah frowned at him. “Just books. Be careful with the trunk. It was a gift.”

“We’re being careful, sweetheart.” Derrick carefully eased the trunk through the doorway. “We’re being careful.”

“I’m not your sweetheart.” Sarah rolled her eyes at his back and turned to Robin. “I hate leaving with this much chaos going on.”

Robin dismissed her with the wave of a hand. “You have a big test coming up. Go and study. I’ll see you tonight.”

Sarah hugged her quickly. “Okay. How about I bring dinner with me?”

“Yes. Do. Oh, from that sushi place you love so much,” Robin encouraged, waving as Sarah left. She put her hands on the small of her back and stretched. As soon as she removed her hands, she felt Tony put his fingers on her hips and use his thumbs to knead the aching muscles in the small of her back. Robin turned her head and smiled. “I’ll give you about an hour to quit doing that,” she said.

He smiled and pulled her back against him to kiss the back of her neck. “You should have let me hire movers.”

“Too chaotic. Something would get messed up. Maxine going one way, Sarah and me going to Maxi’s then to your apartment. Craig moving in. Easier if we just do it.” She unbuttoned her blue flannel shirt and slipped it off her shoulders, leaving her wearing a gray T-shirt with her jeans. “But, my back does hurt. That ninety minute massage is looking really good right now.”

Craig came in, carrying two big boxes. With a heave, he set them on the floor by the couch.

“Craig, do you want me to leave any furniture?” Robin asked.

“Sure. Whatever you don’t want to move.”

“Tony’s place is fully furnished, and Maxine has been buying new things for her apartment, so I think if you want it, it can stay.”

“Sure, yeah. Then, you know, whatever.”

Robin grinned. “All-righty.”

Tony put a hand on the back of her neck and squeezed. “I’m heading to the apartment. Do you want me to hand-carry anything that is going there instead of Maxine’s?”

Robin snapped her fingers then took him by the hand. “Actually, yes. Come on back and I’ll get them for you.”

“What?”

She led Tony down the hall to her room, furnished with a single bed on a metal frame and a worn-out dresser she bought at a thrift store. She opened the top drawer of her dresser and reached in but felt nothing. “Wait,” she said.

“What?” Tony looked over her shoulder.

Frantic, Robin shifted underwear and socks around, but still felt nothing. “My necklaces,” she said. “The ones you gave me, the gifts for the wedding party, your wedding ring, my passport –” Taking a deep breath and fighting back tears, she started pulling one piece of clothing out at a time. “I put them all here.”