Page 19 of White Wedding
She nodded, as though no further explanation was necessary. “Our meeting rooms and offices are here on the second floor of Blackwood Manor. We’ll head down to the ground floor, where most of the space is open to the public, other than the private dining rooms and the ballroom, which are only available by reservation.”
He followed her down the stairs and toward the south wing of the manor, which housed the grand ballroom. When she unlocked the door and led him inside, he stood for a full minute, taking it all in. The spacious room looked like something from a 1920s movie, with a Great Gatsby vibe. The ceiling was easily thirty feet high, with a coffered, gold-leaf ceiling, Murano glass chandeliers, and rows of tall, arched windows. A grand staircase at one end led up to a wrap-around interior balcony with gold-painted accents. Though the overall impression was stunning, the space was a little too cavernous for his liking. He imagined that would change once the room was filled with tables and guests.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“Incredible.” He took out his phone. “Okay if I take a few photos?”
“Knock yourself out. There’s also a fact sheet with all the specs attached to your contract.”
The ballroom was such a contrast to his uncle’s backyard, where Araceli had held her wedding. Still, size and grandeur were no measure of a successful event. Even if the guests had been crammed into a tiny yard on a searing hot day, his cousin’s wedding had been a blast. Long after Araceli and Jaime had left to enjoy their wedding night, Rafael and his family continued celebrating until the early hours of the morning.
He'd felt so proud of himself after that wedding. Pulling it off without a hitch, earning praise from his entire family. If only he hadn’t screwed up with Sandra, four months later. Maybe then his brothers would have trusted him to manage other catering gigs. Instead, they’d sent him back to the kitchen.
Victoria’s heels clacked on the marble floors as she walked him over to the storage area housing the tables and chairs. Beside it was the ballroom’s kitchen, equipped with top-of-the-line stainless steel equipment, walk-in coolers, and ample prep space.
“Our kitchen can accommodate any type of catering, whether you’re cooking the food on-site or transporting it from your restaurant,” she said. “We also provide all the flatware, dinnerware, glassware, and linens. For a more consistent look.”
He took a slew of photos, eager to impress his brothers. They were going to be so jealous. The more he saw, the more he was able to push past his discomfort. This wedding would be a ton of work, but if he pulled it off, the end result would be spectacular. And Tres Hermanos would reap the benefits.
Throughout the tour, Victoria remained poised, dishing out tidbits of information and occasionally making him smile with her sarcastic asides. By the time they returned to the entrance of the ballroom, Rafael had convinced himself everything would work out fine between them, as long as they maintained this level of decorum. No anger. No guilt. No passion. Just two professionals doing their jobs, making the best of an awkward situation.
But his resolve went out the window when she turned to him and said, “Any more questions?”
Because he couldn’t leave well enough alone, he opened his stupid mouth and asked the question that had nagged him since Saturday night. “Why are you doing this?”
Her brow creased. “If you mean the tour, I do it for anyone who caters our events.”
“Not that.” He stretched out his arms, as if to encompass the vast ballroom. “I mean, why agree to all this? Wasn’t this supposed to beyourwedding?”
She looked down and rubbed her forehead. “How did you know?”
“You think I wouldn’t find out?” He scowled. “You should have told me, right from the start.”
She returned his glare with one of her own. “I should have, but I was a little overwhelmed. As if it wasn’t stressful enough having to coordinate Ben’s wedding, I walked into the boardroom and came face-to-face with the guy who gave me the best sex of my life.” She clapped her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. “Shit. Forget I said that.”
Damn. The best sex of her life? He couldn’t help but be flattered. Especially since that put him one step ahead of old Benny-boy.
He softened his tone. “I appreciate the compliment. But you didn’t answer my question.”
She let out a long sigh. “It’s complicated.”
“I’ve got time.” If she was willing to open up, he wanted the full story. Maybe if he got the answers he sought, he’d get over her once and for all.
“All right. I think we’re done here. Let’s go outside so I can show you the rest of the grounds. Then I’ll give you some answers.”
At least she hadn’t shut him down outright. “Fair enough. Lead the way.”
He followed her out of Blackwood Manor via the back entrance. She led him down a paved path, past a large, tiled fountain set amid artfully landscaped gardens. Off to one side, an open courtyard stood under a grove of trees, decorated with hanging white lights. Teakwood tables sporting bright red umbrellas were scattered around, interspersed with a few patio heaters.
Victoria stopped when they reached a small pond, ringed by wrought-iron benches and spanned by a wooden bridge. A few of the benches were occupied by visitors, but otherwise, the area was quiet. She stared out at the water, as if bracing herself for what she was about to reveal.
When she finally spoke, her voice was subdued. “This was supposed to be my wedding. The two-hundred-person guest list, the grand ballroom, the Christmas theme. All of it. But Ben broke things off in October and told me he was in love with Missy.” She rubbed her hands along her arms as though warding off a chill. “It would have been nice if he’d delayed the wedding until next year, but her pregnancy sped things up.”
Rafael felt a rush of empathy. No matter what Victoria had done to him, she didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. No one did. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I never should have accepted his proposal in the first place.” She turned to face him, pain evident in her eyes. “Do you remember what a mess I was when you first met me in Baja?”
“I wouldn’t say you were a mess. You said you’d been dealing with a shitty situation at home, and you needed to escape.”
