Three Weddings and a Dress (13 page)

“You are going on eBay to the lowest bidder.”

eBay? What the scrap was that? I did understand the significance of the lowest bidder though.

The door swung open and Carla entered, her focus clearly on me. I was to be saved from whatever eBay was and taken to Heidi’s now.

Thank goodness.

The evil Mrs. Evans stepped in to stop my savior.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’ve come for Ms. Cecie’s dress.” She tried to step around the woman, but she wasn’t having any of it.

“I’m going to sell this gown on eBay and you can’t stop me.”

“Why would you want to do that to such a beautiful Heidi creation? You have enough money, Mrs. Evans.” Carla did sound truly bewildered at the woman’s motive.

“I don’t give a damn about the money. In fact, it is going to be a slap in the face when I take the lowest bidder. Now move. You can’t stop me,” Margaret Evans repeated.

“I may not be able to, but Mrs. Wilson can.”

As soon as the door snapped shut. Margaret yanked me from my perch and threw me, none to gently, into my plastic garment bag.

It now dawned on me what my fate would be.

I was to be sold to another bride like bargain basement cotton.
 

                                                  
Chapter Eight
     

Carla Perez rushed into her small two-bedroom apartment. It had taken longer to leave the church than she’d thought. But the idea had been forming and she couldn’t waste any more time. She bee-lined for her ancient computer, booting the damn thing up would take time. She’d learned to multi-task. While the machine worked through whatever processes the system needed, she’d start dinner.

She had been instructed, via letter, by Cecelia to return the beautiful Bella to Heidi by Design. However, what Mrs. Evans planned to do, changed everything.

Her daughter Jessie would be having dinner with her soon to be husband, Mark, so it would only be Carla and Joansie, the family cat. Mr. Perez had passed a long time ago, more years than Carla wanted to count.

Her darling Jessie was her pride and joy. Carla had a chance at a Heidi creation. She wasn’t going to pass up on the inside information she had on Bella.

Stashing the guilt deep down, she hadn’t tried
that
hard to find Mrs. Wilson. Telling herself at least this way the beautiful gown would have a bride who appreciated the stunning dress.

Oh, her Jessie would look magnificent.

She glanced impatiently at the old computer. The pings and pongs of her old processor were still battling the fight. She knew the lucky winner of the eBay wouldn’t be the usual high bidder. She’d already contacted her sister for her log-in. That way Mrs. Evans wouldn’t figure out who the buyer was.

However, time was of the essence since Mrs. Evans planned to use the ‘buy it now’ option. Which would be one cent, and Carla intended to be the purchaser. With a dress like Bella, she had to be first to the punch.

The log-in melody floated over to where she stood by the sink, the jingle sweeter than ever. Turning her soup on low, she positioned herself in front of her desktop.

Let the buying begin.

****

“Mother, I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Chandler lounged in the easy chair in his parent’s office. “It’s not as if Cecie did this to you. I admire her for having the guts to stand up to Broderick. I only hope she doesn’t buckle under the pressure when she finds out he’s frozen her bank account, fired her from the firm, and refuses to give her a letter of recommendation. She needs to eat. Regardless, I think everyone will be surprised when she shows them she has what it takes to make a living on her own.”

“I think she’ll come crawling back,” Mrs. Evans snapped. “When she does, she’ll have learned she can’t play with Margaret Evans’ only son. She’ll have to fork out a pretty penny for another designer dress.”

“Whatever, Mother. I’m not sorry with the outcome.” That was news to Margaret and she couldn’t understand his approval of what his bride had done.

“You’re okay with losing everything?”

“Cecie wants to be happy. She wouldn’t be with me. Now I can meet someone and if the attraction is there, I can actually pursue a relationship. I’ve never been able to do that, because I knew my hands were tied.” To Margaret’s further surprise, he gave a shrug, “If I lose everything I’ll start a practice on my own. I have a strong feeling that’s what she’s going to do.”

She thought over her son’s words. Margaret agreed the girl had a plan. She was glad Chandler wasn’t hurt and seemed to be on the same track as her. Her son deserved a woman who loved him, and he needed to love whomever he married. She knew what a loveless marriage was like.

Cecelia was smart.

Margaret didn’t agree with the way she’d gone about getting out of the marriage. This was a warning not to mess with the Evans family.

Besides, even though she agreed with Cecelia, revenge was expected.

“Mother, how long are you going to leave the auction open? You don’t have time for this.” Chandler sauntered to the bar and poured himself some premium scotch.

The right woman would change Chandler. The grandbabies would come along and her life would begin.

“Well?”

Oh, she’d been daydreaming. That’s really what the revenge was about. She had to put her desire for grandchildren on the back burner.

“I’m not. I can’t do the lowest bidder in an auction.”

Chandler gave a short barking laugh. “What’s the point?”

“The point is to sell the damn thing to the lowest bidder and since an auction won’t work, I’m using the ‘buy it now’ option at one cent.”

“Mother, sometimes you defy logic.”

Not even a minute later, Margaret received an email notification. She had a buyer. She sold the dress for one cent. Following the instructions to retrieve the buyer information, she emailed the winner.

“Virginia Manzanares. New Jersey!” Margaret clapped her hands. “It couldn’t get any better than that.”

****

Carla Perez hung up the phone. She knew she must be grinning from ear to ear. Her sister had just informed her she’d bought herself a Heidi by Design for a penny. Jessie would be so thrilled. The package would arrive at her sister’s in the next day or two.

The longest two days of her life, she didn’t want to tell Jessie before it arrived. She’d want details and it would be easier to convince her to keep Bella with the gown hanging in her room.

The front door opened. Carla pressed the off button successfully cutting off any chance her daughter would see the computer screen. No way could Jessie know what she’d been doing.

“Mom, are you home?” Her daughter’s sweet voice seeped over the small apartment.

Carla met her in the kitchen. “Hey, did you have a good time.”

Jessie turned, and Carla saw the fresh tears streaking her young face. It was enough to break her heart. What had Mark’s family done this time?
“Come here, honey.” Carla opened her arms. It was all her daughter needed to step into her embrace. Jessie let the flood gates open.

After the storm had finished, Carla led her to the sofa to sit. “Let me get you a glass of wine, it will calm your nerves.”

“Thanks, Mama.” A sniff followed Jessie’s softly spoken words.

Handing her a glass of red wine, Carla snuggled in close and waited. She’d learned, when her Hija was just a mite, that it was best to let her divulge her story in her own time. She’d find out more details that way than pumping for information.

“Mark’s mother wants the wedding to be held at
The Angel Orensanz Center
.” Jessie gave another loud sniff.

Indignation on her daughter’s behalf raced through her veins, causing her blood to boil. “I thought you and Mark decided on that quaint little place.”

Her brain was mush, too excited about the dress. What was the name?

“Classic Manhattan, that’s where I want my wedding.” A wail slipped out. “Why can’t I have my wedding where I want it? Mark’s mother wants the most expensive showy wedding.”

“Did you tell her what you two had decided?” Carla knew the answer before her daughter confirmed.

“Duh, yes.”

Carla was surprised. Her daughter never talked to her this way.

“I’m sorry, Mama. I’m taking it out on you and it’s not your fault. I told her we had decided on a small wedding and the Classic was perfect. I thought she was going to hyperventilate. Said it wasn’t appropriate. Only the best would do for her son.”

Carla couldn’t wait to show the woman her daughter deserved the best and would have a dress by Heidi. That ought to make the damn woman shut up.

“What did Mark say?”

“He told his mother we would be getting married at Classic Manhattan. It was a nice place and she was still invited if she wanted to come.” A smile of love crossed her daughter’s delicate features at the mention of her fiancé.

Carla would have liked to be a fly on the ceiling during that conversation. “What did she say to that?”

“She cried like Mark had broken her heart. He had to take her home. I hopped on the subway.” She leaned her head on Carla’s shoulder. “Again.”

“This is becoming a habit for you two.”

“Mama, she just doesn’t understand we’ve both saved and we’re paying for the wedding
we
want. She insists what we have planned is the wedding I want,
not
her baby. Of course, she says she’ll pay for the perfect wedding.”

Carla would love to smack the woman upside the head. She’d heard the two kids talk many a time about their plans. The woman’s
baby
was always in agreement with his future bride. Time would tell if Mark would be man enough to put his mother in her place.

Soon she hoped.

“I’m sure Mark’s telling her how much you both want to be married where you can afford. It’s your day, honey, things will work out.”

Jessie struggled to sit straight and turned toward Carla. “Speaking of what I can afford, Mama. I saw the most marvelous dress on eBay tonight. While we were waiting for his mother at the restaurant, Mark and I were playing on his phone, which had the net. The gown just popped up and caught my eye.”

Carla forced herself not to react. She hadn’t seen any other dresses, so it had to be the one. Of course, she’d never played on eBay so maybe it wasn’t.

“I thought we were going to go shopping for one your next payday.” She filtered her tone with disappointment.

“We are, were. I don’t know. Mama, it’s a designer dress. Let me show you.”

Carla let her daughter pull her off the couch. “I don’t know, Hija, can we afford a gown like that?” For as long as she remembered she’d used the Spanish word for daughter.

Exhilaration scampered over her. It had to be the same one and no way could there be two designer dresses up at the same time. She would be able to surprise her daughter with her dream dress in just a few days.

“This dumb computer is going to take forever. Mark’s phone wouldn’t let us make any transactions. Doesn’t matter though. For some reason the owner had it on the ‘buy it now’ option for only a penny. I’m sure it’s gone. But I’d love for you to see.” Her joyful giggle made Carla want to cry. How had she been so lucky to deserve such a daughter?