“No worries at all, Zayden,” Fiona said, kissing me on the cheek. “Now, where is the lovely bride?”
“Right in the living room, come on in.”
I escorted her to where Aria was, who looked rather alarmed at the sight of a beautiful blonde woman standing in front of her.
“Your sister. Please tell me she is your sister,” Aria said with her eyebrows raised. “I mean hello, sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”
Fiona giggled as I looked at them in amusement. “Oh darling, aren’t you absolutely adorable?” She looked at Zayden. “Wow, well done Sinclair. I can’t wait to work with her.”
“What is going on?” Aria asked suspiciously and then her face lit up in realization. “You’re Fiona.”
She got up nervously and then sat back down, apparently unsure how to react to a celebrity wedding planner standing in her living room.
“That is what they call me.” Fiona giggled. “But you can call me anything you like. From this moment on, I’m here to do your bidding.”
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” Aria was hyperventilating and it was entertaining to watch. I felt a sense of pride at being able to do this for her. “Is it okay if – can I – may I call my best friend and maid of honor to come here? It will make her day. I can’t believe this.”
“Of course, dear,” Fiona said, pulling out a binder from her pocketbook. “I hear I will be assisting this lady’s wedding too later in the year. So it only seems logical that we spend as much time together as possible.”
“You haven’t changed one bit since college.” I rolled my eyes. The woman was so good at her job and so enthusiastic about everything to do with it.
“You guys went to college together?” Aria gasped. “What other celebrities did you go to college with?”
“A couple here and there. Now, let’s get down to business. We have a rather extravagant wedding to plan here.”
“First things first,” Fiona said, pursuing her binder. “Do you have a theme in mind, Aria? It’s a specialty of The Plaza; they can transform the venue to look like your wildest imagination.”
“A Hogwarts-themed wedding would be rather nice,” Aria said after pondering for a few moments. “But I suppose that isn’t the most romantic. Hmm…”
Fiona, who was giving Aria a very understanding look, gleamed with pleasure. “You know, you would be surprised. I have actually planned two Hogwarts-themed weddings so far, and the clients were extremely satisfied. Technology is so advanced t
hese days we were able to make the venue appear enchanted.”
“I don’t actually want a Hogwarts-themed wedding.” Aria giggled. “Although I sure did when I was 14. I suspect I might have grown out of it somewhat.”
“Thank God.” Fiona sighed in relief. “I have to admit, I always found the concept rather amateurish. But if you’re into books and reading, I am sure we can find something you would relate to.”
“How about a regular wedding, but since you said you can make venues seem enchanted, we have a bit of an enchanted forest thing going on with the décor? I don’t want to say princess-themed, because that also sounds rather amateur. It would be nice to have the look of a fairytale, decoration-wise though.”
“That is actually a very good idea,” Fiona said, unclipping some papers from her binders. “Here are some pictures of similar things I have done, we can pick one of those or we can create a whole new concept from scratch. Now we don’t have a whole lot of time, so I hope you can take some time off work. Since we have a lot to do and the venue is in New York, it’s not going to be very easy to coordinate if you’re working all the time.”
“She has the next three weeks off,” I said cheerfully. “I am her boss and I say so. No, Aria,” I said when she looked like she was about to protest. “You can make up the days later if you must, I don’t really care either way, but knowing you, you would probably want that. But for now, just focus on making this thing as perfect as you can.”
Aria opened her mouth and closed it again. “Okay, I guess so.”
“I have some bakers from Elegant Bakery flying in from New York tomorrow,” Fiona said, still not taking her eyes off her binder. “So get ready for a tasting.”
“Actually,” Aria said, looking almost apologetic. “I was thinking…my best friend – the maid of honor – is the best confectioner I know and she really wants to…I mean, if it’s okay with you.” She looked at Fiona nervously, who let out another giggle.
“She is too cute,” Fiona said. “What do you mean if it’s okay with me? This is your wedding. Everything happens as you desire. I will cancel the meeting with the bakers. Tell the maid of honor she can design your cake. A personal touch. I rather like it.” Fiona smiled.
“We can tell her together in a bit. She is on her way here.” Aria smiled nervously. “Sorry, I just texted her, I couldn’t resist.”
“Okay, you guys plan this out. I have a meeting in an hour that I need to be in the office for. Don’t worry about unpacking, Aria, I’ll get someone to do it for you later,” I said. I walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Are you happy?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“I couldn’t be happier,” she said radiantly.
“I love you,” I said and kissed her. “Now, work on planning the wedding of your dreams.”