Page 2 of Built to Last

“She wants to see her baby girl get married in a pretty dress with her family all around her.” Ani’s eyes light with delight. “Maybe in a stunningly beautiful mansion that’s been refurbished by one of her friends.”

Ivy stares at Ani for a moment. “You think we should get married here?”

It’s a brilliant idea. After all, in so many ways this is where our dreams began. “Why not? Do you remember that field trip?”

We were sixteen, and I was the only one excited about touring an old mansion. We found our way to the servant’s quarters on the top floor, away from the mean girls and teachers who were only trying to get through a day. We ate our lunches and talked about the future.

Ivy moves in, wrapping an arm around me so I’m surrounded by the women who saved me time and time again. Who make my life better.

Who are moving on with theirs while I stay trapped in the same place.

I am truly happy for them. I just wish I could move forward, too.

“I remember we promised never to let go,” Ivy says quietly as though she can read my mind. “And we never will. So you better make this place spectacular because I intend to be a bridezilla. Also, the reason Ani can put together a wedding so quickly is the network gave her a big old checkbook, and her husband literally owns a country. I bet she’s not having to battle for a venue. It’s like the Hunger Games except with glitter and a Taylor Swift soundtrack.”

“If everything goes right with Banover Place, you won’t have to Katniss your way to a venue. It’s possible we’ll have time for a wedding. Unless we sell the place very quickly.” Ani seems extremely pleased with herself. “You can relax and plan. Or simply relax and let your mom and Lydia take care of everything. You have a couple of months. I think the perfect way to finish out this project is a wedding.”

I step back and stare at Ani for a minute. “You’re ambitious. This is your first production. Maybe we should go slow.”

When Ani told me about her and Luca’s plan to bring money back into their cash-strapped country, I thought she was a little… Well, I thought maybe there were better ways than getting into the reality TV game. But she showed me how it could work, and I’m all in.

Ivy seems to consider it. “I don’t know. It could be a big deal. Ani owns this place now. Once it’s been restored, it’s going to sell for millions and millions of dollars, and it will sell very quickly. Maybe the new owner won’t mind, but we have to think of the project first. I do promise, though, that I will start wedding planning the minute you’re done here. I think it would be great to have my mom and Lydia and CeCe involved, but I need my bridesmaids.”

Ani’s hands clap together. “I can live with that. I swear this is going to be our year. It will all come together, and I love that we get to celebrate it here. Where we started.”

We started long before that day in high school, but I understand what she means. We made a promise here in this house. “Then I need to get to work. Did you interview that designer I told you about?”

Ani winces, a sure sign I’m not getting the designer I want to work with. Jocelyn Hargrove is also a historian. She’ll pay close attention to every detail of Gilded Age. She’ll have this place looking like a gorgeous museum. As though any guest will have stepped back in time.

“Uhm, about that,” Ani begins. “I did find a designer. Two, in fact. Also, I met with Jocelyn. I don’t think our vision for the place is the same. Look, I want to keep as much of the original work as I can, but we do have to sell the place at the end. It’s going to be a private residence again, so that means we have to marry the history of the place with a sense of modern design. We already sold the show to a distributor on the basis of the fact that we’re bringing in…” She takes a long breath as though announcing something spectacular. “Reid and Jeremiah Dorsey.”

“Are you serious?” Ivy asks, a light in her eyes.

They’re both looking at me like those names mean something. “Okay.”

Ivy’s eyes widen. “You know. From The Dorsey Brothers? Seriously? You’ve never seen that show? It got canceled for some weird reason no one understands.”

“Well, I don’t think they actually need the cash. They come from old money, and they’re the last of the Dorsey line, so I guess they work when they want to,” Ani says with a shrug. “But the distributors are super high on them. We got a great deal. This money is going to help Ralavia so much.”

Ivy’s head is still shaking like she can’t believe it. “Harper, you’re in construction and you don’t watch HGTV?”

Why would I? “I used to, but they end up annoying me. I must have stopped before The Dorsey Brothers got big. Like you said, I’m in construction. I tried to watch one of those shows and wanted to tell that damn designer that physics is a thing. She wanted to take out a load-bearing wall because the light wasn’t right. She argued for hours. No, I don’t go home from fighting about construction work to watch people fight about construction work. So I have no idea who these guys are, but I’ll figure it out. As long as they don’t want to waltz in and tear the whole thing down.”

“They’re supposed to be here this afternoon. I’m sure they’ll only modernize as much as they have to,” Anika replies. She gives me a high-wattage grin. “You’ll see. This is going to be so much fun.”

“I’m not sure about that since you put Patrick in charge of production,” I point out. Patrick Dennings is surly, to say the least. A world-class grump, but even I have to admit he knows what he’s doing and he’ll keep production tight.

“He’s doing great.” Ani checks her watch. “And I need to go down and let the HVAC guy in and see if Pat needs any help. They’re doing a bunch of before shots. They want to document every room in the house before we get started in a couple of weeks.”

“I’m going to try the new street vendor. He’s selling corn dogs but with a twist,” Ivy announces. “I need to see what the twist is. You coming?”

I hope the twist isn’t salmonella. “I’ll pass. I’m going to sit up here for a while. I want to soak it all in.”

My friends walk away, talking about all the plans. They have so many plans for the future. Anika’s already talking about kids. That made Ivy update her birth control, but then Ivy’s work has always been her baby. Though she told me one night she was thinking about maybe, someday in the future, perhaps thinking about kids. But no more than two.

I’m going to be the fun aunt, it looks like.

I move to the windows again just in time to see a wretchedly handsome man walking in through the garden entrance. I’m pretty sure my eyes have gone anime wide. He’s dressed in a suit and tie. Dark hair and a jawline that looks cut from granite. Probably one of the producers Anika’s been working with. He’s got that look. Wealth and style. Okay, he’s gorgeous. He’s mouthwateringly masculine, and I kind of wish I’d worn something other than jeans and a T-shirt and work boots. I spent the morning at a construction site, and it shows. No makeup, hair in a ponytail. I might have some dirt under my nails.

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