Fiendish: A Twisted Fairytale (55 page)

“Oh, well, it was fun tonight. Are you sure you want to take a cab?” Jessica asked.

“Yeah, I
’ll be fine. I called and it should be outside.”

I left the house quickly not wanting to get cornered by Dorian. I had tried to call and text Seth but got no response. When I got to the hotel, I found a dark and empty room waiting for me.
I wasn’t sure when I fell asleep, but I when I woke up four hours later, his side of the bed remained untouched. Seth hadn’t come back last night.

Chapter 39

Tossing the covers aside, I got up to check my phone. To my disappointment, there weren’t any missed calls and no text messages. I dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail. My stomach was in knots when I took my shower. I didn’t know if this was him just being angry with me, or if something had happened to him. I got dressed, taking care to cover the slight bruise Seth left on my wrist.

Daddy was meeting me for breakfast at the hotel restaurant.
I noticed rain drops on the window and smiled a little picturing Dorian freaking out about the rain ruining her outdoor wedding. I glanced up at the sky to see if it was darkening, but it appeared as though it would be a quickly passing, light rain.
Even the weather cooperated for her
. With a sigh, I exited my room and headed downstairs. Daddy was sitting at the front table waiting for me. The place was mostly empty given the early hour of our meeting. The smell of fresh baked muffins and coffee filled the air causing my stomach to grumble in response. 

“Hey, Babygirl,” he said, giving me a hug when I walked in. “Boy, you look tired.
Too much partying last night?”

“
Mornin’, Daddy. Yes, it was a late night, but nothing a little coffee and makeup can’t help,” I answered with a smile.

“Well, I
’m glad you agreed to breakfast. We’ll be busy the rest of the day, and your mom and I have a pretty early flight tomorrow.”

“Of course.
I’ve enjoyed getting to see you guys. I’ve missed you so much. I was hoping to come out and visit soon.”

“Well, you know you are always welcomed. Your sister has been out a few times.” I rolled my eyes but said nothing as I took a seat.
 

“Good morning. What can I get for you today?” asked the hostess.

I gave a quick glance at the menu options to decide on what I wanted. 

“I
’ll have your fruit and maple oatmeal with a regular coffee. Sweetie, do you know what you want?”

“Yes, I
’ll take an egg white breakfast sandwich on a croissant, and a regular coffee as well.” 

She took our menus and left to put in our order. I wanted to
check my phone but didn’t. I would enjoy this time with my dad and worry about Seth later. Over breakfast, we talked about my new business. He was happy to see me finally doing what I wanted after putting it off for so long.

I filled him in on Patrick, leaving out the sexual harassment parts, and I talked about how excited I was that we got the location for our new offices. Susan had called to give me the good news while I was here. I promised to send them pictures once the remodel was completed.

He expressed his disappointment again that Macy didn’t make it; she was like a third daughter to them. I enjoyed the one-on-one time I got to have with him, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling I had in the pit of my stomach worrying over Seth.

“I guess we
’ll be back to attend another one of these soon,” Dad commented as we walked out to his rental car.

He was going to drop me at the salon to meet up with Dorian. I was glad now that was always the plan so I wouldn
’t have to lie about where Seth was.

“Another what?”

“Wedding. I see the way he looks at you, but more importantly, I see how you look at him.” I blushed, not knowing how to respond. “It’s the same look I had with your mother, and even after all these years, I still have it.”

“Aww, Daddy. You are a big softie,” I said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

We talked a little more about Seth and me in the car on the way to the salon. Seth had completely won over both of my parents this week, it made me happy that they approved of him. Reluctantly, I said goodbye to dad and trudged into the salon. Dorian and her friends were already sitting in the chairs getting worked on. The place was a flurry of activity with stylists dressed all in black working on clients. It smelled of shampoo and burning hair, and some sort of new age pop music flowed out of the overheard speaker system.

“How nice of you to finally join us,” Dorian said
as soon as she saw me. “Sit there. Sergio will be right with you.”

I waved at the rest of the ladies before taking a seat in the empty chair. They all resumed their conversations, and I took the opportunity to check my phone.
Still nothing. I was tempted to ask Dorian if she’d heard from Daniel, but giving a glance in her direction, I thought better of it. My stylist came over and introduced himself. He led me to the shampoo station where I had my hair washed and conditioned.

“So how much are we taking off today
, hun?” he asked as he unwrapped the towel around my wet hair. He gave the locks a quick finger comb before picking up his shears.

I gave him a confused look in the mirror.
“Um, none. I’m not cutting it.” 

“Oh
, the lady in charge gave instructions to all the stylists, and I was told the redhead was getting a cut and a dye.”

I flew out of my chair over to where Dorian was sitting
, getting her nails done. “You told them to cut and dye my hair? What the hell, Dorian! This may be your day, but it’s my hair, and I will have it after this day is over.”

She looked shocked at my outburst. I
’d never spoken up to her before.

“You stand out, so I just wanted to help you tone it down a bit. Help you fit in for once,” she answered smugly, having regained her composure. 

I was pissed. Taking a few steady breaths, I tried to keep my cool. “I’m not cutting or dying my hair. If you want it in an up-do, then fine, but that’s all you get.” 

I turned on my heel and went back to Sergio
, leaving her sitting there looking stunned. Dorian said very little to me for the rest of the morning. She was pissed that I’d had Sergio leave my hair down like the rest of the bridesmaids. He did a beautiful job with the spiral curls, pinning it back on one side with the decorative bobby pins Dorian had given us all. By the time she saw me, it was too late to change it. Dorian remained tight lipped and angry during the car trip from the salon to the country club.

Now
, I sat in the corner of the bridal suite looking, out the window while Dorian’s friends helped her get dressed. They all laughed and gushed over how beautiful she was. Other than doing all her grunt work, the title she’d given me held no importance. I had no say in the bridesmaid dresses, if I had, I wouldn’t have chosen this one. The calf length, strapless, pink chiffon dress had a tapered bodice made of gold lace and was adorned with hand-embroidered flowers. Pink was another one of those colors that clashed terribly with my hair.

“You girls are so beautiful,” Mom gushed when she entered the room.

I got up to go greet her, and she instantly pulled us into a group hug.

“Dorian, I have a gift for you,” Mom said when she let us go.
 

I tried to ease away to let them have their moment, but Mom stopped me. She put her arm around me, giving me a small squeeze as if to comfort me. She pulled a velvet box out of her bag and gave it to Dorian. Dorian
’s eyes lit up when she opened it. 

Inside was our mother
’s broach. It was a classic, gold, oval piece with sixteen diamond encrusted outer loops that had crystals adorning the centers. Inside the oval were thirty-three small diamonds complimented by fourteen leaf-shaped crystals. In the very center of the piece, hung one pear-shaped ivory pearl. The entire piece was exquisite, handmade elegance that boasted a craftsmanship that you didn’t see in the newer designed pieces. Mom wore it on all special occasions. She didn’t wear much jewelry, and that was her most cherished piece aside from her wedding rings.

I’d
always loved it, and as a little girl, Mom never got tired of me asking her to tell the story about it. The broach belonged to her mother and her grandmother before that, an heirloom piece that was given to the daughters on their wedding day. Seeing it in Dorian’s hands now gave me a twinge of jealousy. I understood she was the firstborn, and tradition dictated she should have received it. That knowledge didn’t stop it from hurting, especially knowing the history didn’t mean the same to Dorian. 

“Oh
, Mom! Your broach,” she cried, giving mom another hug. “Thank you. I love it.”

Mom took it out of the box so she could pin it on Dorian
’s dress. The mermaid style, strapless, beaded lace gown was beautiful. I hadn’t gotten a chance to see it up close, but now I stood in awe of how gorgeous the dress was and how well Dorian wore it. The top of the dress was tight down past her hips, showing off her slender figure. The bottom flared out slightly. Her removable train was done in the same beaded lace. Around her waist was a gold sash, and it’s where Mom pinned the broach. Dorian turned to admire herself in the mirror.

“You know,” Mom said, walking up behind her. “This means you must give me grandchildren so we can keep the tradition alive.”

Dorian frowned at the mention of children before turning to hug mom once again. I walked away to go check my phone smiling at the other ladies as they stood around talking.

“Of course, but Daniel and I would like to enjoy married life for a little while first.”

“Yes, dear, I understand, but you aren’t getting any younger.”

“Mom!”
 

“What dear, just pointing out a fact.”
 

I turned to hide the smile on my face. Mom called her old. I needed to enjoy all the funny moments
I could today considering it had started out so shitty. I rummaged through my bag to find my phone. Still no missed calls or texts from him. I stared at the screen willing something to appear.

“You alright
, dear?” Mom asked, coming up behind me making me jump a little.

I dropped my phone back into my bag.
“Yeah, Mom. I’m fine,” I replied, turning to face her. 

“I know seeing her get that was hard, but I have something special for you on your big day as well,” she said in that reassuring
‘mom’ tone.

“Mom, it
’s okay. It’s her wedding day, she’s the oldest.”

I tried to not sound as heartbroken as I felt and hoped it didn
’t show on my face. We both loved the piece, but Dorian didn’t appreciate it in the same way. She mainly wanted it because I did.

“You grew into an amazing woman,” Mom whispered, pulling me into another hug. “Okay, I better go before I start crying and ruin my makeup. Your dad will be in shortly.”
 

She dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief then exited the dressing room. Dorian was showin
g off the broach to her friends. She looked in my direction, our eyes met, and she gave me a triumphant smile. I glanced away, turning to look out the window. The sun had come out and dried up any traces of rain from this morning. It was a beautiful August day in Charlotte. Dad knocked on the door a few minutes later; it was time to get the ceremony started. 

The grounds at the
Ballantyne Country Club were exquisite, and it was exactly the kind of place Dorian would get married. The arch they stood under was decorated in pink and white roses. The rows of seating had arrangements of yellow roses at each end, making the entire space smell heavenly. The short rain from this morning added extra humidity, making me feel sticky in this dress. I glanced over at Brad and the rest of the groomsmen who all appeared to be sweating.

Dad sat on the front row
, consoling mom. He gave me a little smile when I looked at him. I didn’t hear much of what the Officiate said because I was too busy scanning the crowd in hopes of spotting Seth, but he was nowhere to be seen. Applause rang out as the happy couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife. I handed Dorian back her bouquet then watched as they happily walked down the aisle.

I played nice, smiling and looking happy through what felt like hundreds of pictures. Luckily, with everything going on, no one had stopped to ask me where Seth was. Standing alone in the courtyard, breathing in the fragrant scent of the hydrangeas and roses, I was able to
drop the happy façade. I could hear the music and conversations filtering outside from the ballroom. Dorian’s wedding was picture perfect just as expected.

“I almost con
sidered not coming to this shindig, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see my Raggedy Ann. And man, I’m glad I came. You…look…good.” 

I tensed hearing his voice. He was the one person I never expected to see here.

“Paul. Wh…what are you doing here?” I asked, turning to face him.