THE TWENTY-SECOND pt3
I smooth the silky fabric over my bump and give a brief twirl, watching in the mirror as the fabric swishes around my ankles.
“Oh, Abby,” my mother says with a contented smile. “You look stunning.” For once I might actually agree with her. Mum had her hair stylist come in and do our hair; mine is swept in a semblance of a chignon with a sparkly hair clip holding it in place while her dark tresses tumble down her back in waves worthy of a Greek goddess. Mum had also insisted on doing my makeup using a palette of gold and greens to make my eyes pop. I can honestly say that, apart from my wedding day, I’ve never looked this good, and that is saying something when you are thirty-nine weeks pregnant.
Stix wanders into the room resplendent in a chic little black lace cocktail dress that definitely makes her look older than she is. I have a feeling that I will need to make sure that the cocktail bar staff are made aware of her age, though I’m pretty sure I can trust her and her boyfriend, Chris, to behave themselves for such an important occasion.
“Wow, aren’t we all looking amazing?” I remark looking around me.
“Speak for yourselves, ladies,” Genevieve comments as she appears from her room. “I don’t think at my age ‘amazing’ applies to me.”
“Oh, you are so wrong, Genevieve. I love your dress. I think we are all going to be the belles of the ball,” I chuckle. And I really am not lying. Genevieve is wearing a simple beaded shift dress in midnight blue but as she moves it sparkles, giving winks of silver and turquoise, a feat that seems nothing short of magic. With her white hair styled into a soft bob and her makeup impeccable as always, she looks every inch the matriarch she is.
I tweak the bodice a bit further and fiddle with the sash running over my shoulder before finally feeling ready to head downstairs to meet our guests at the ballroom entrance. With Taylor safely tucked away in his fake meeting with Michelle’s fiancée who is posing as a potential new customer for us, we have about half an hour to get everyone inside and ready for the big surprise. Now that we are here I’m kind of fifty-fifty whether Taylor is going to love it or hate it, but it’s too late to turn back now.
The four of us ladies head downstairs getting appreciative looks as we go. Mum ends up standing with the security guy, checking everyone’s invitations as they enter while I stand in the lobby with Genevieve and Stix greeting family and friends as they wander in dressed in their finery.
At one point, I hear my name being called and when I turn around I realise that it’s Patricia, Taylor’s secretary. She smirks as she tells me that Taylor really doesn’t have a clue about the party.
As I watch the ballroom filling up, I can’t help but smile at all these wonderful people who have turned out to celebrate Taylor’s birthday. I know sometimes he feels very isolated because he doesn’t have a traditional family unit, but looking out at this sea of happy faces I can see he has created a very real ‘family’ around him through his employees and friends.
A buzz in my clutch alerts me that Taylor is just finishing up the meeting so I know we only have about five minutes to get organised and in position. I hurry over to the master of ceremonies to let him know and a moment later he is announcing to everyone to get over to the dance floor and be quiet. A moment later, the lights are dimmed down making it impossible for anyone to see much.
The plan was for Michelle to ask Taylor to have a look at the ballroom as a potential wedding venue and I can just imagine what his reluctance is going to be like. I’d bet anything he is looking at his watch and telling her he needs to leave to get back to Brighton and she is whining that it will only take ten minutes. We are counting on the fact that Michelle is persuasive enough to get him down here otherwise everything will be in vain.
My fears are unfounded when we hear two voices approaching; Taylor is telling Michelle he can literally only spare a couple of minutes. The room holds its collective breath, the tension zinging through the air, as the door creaks open and Taylor remarks how dark it is. Michelle comments that she is sure there must be a light switch around her somewhere and that is the cue for the lights to come up.
A moment later the room erupts in a chorus of, “Surprise!” I watch the emotions play across Taylor’s face, first shock, then confusion and lastly, delight as his eyes fix on mine. The noise dies down as everyone waits for Taylor to speak.