The Christmas Wedding - James Patterson [25]
“I don’t think my accountant would allow it,” Stacey Lee said. The friends were definitely feeling rosy and happy.
Only Gaby was quiet. Whenever Stacey Lee asked her what dishes she preferred, she smiled and said, “Oh, you guys decide. I’m too nervous. It’s all good.”
As they all walked to their cars, Gaby took Marty aside. “Stay a minute? I have to ask you something.”
Chapter 28
MARTY AND GABY walked back along the icy driveway to the house. Marty tried to take her arm, but she pulled away.
I’m tired of touching people and being touched by people, Gaby was thinking. All the kissing and hugging and squeezing and hand-holding. Maybe I was born to end up alone. Maybe I should cancel the wedding right now.
She and Marty walked into the kitchen. He was smart enough not to intrude on her thoughts, to just be there. Stacey Lee was scraping dishes, rinsing wineglasses, and then putting them into heavy plastic cartons.
“We’ll help,” Gaby volunteered.
“No need. I just have to get these rinsed off. One of the indentured servants from the store will pick them up tomorrow to wash.”
Gaby smiled. “Total efficiency. I love it.” So she and Marty headed off to the living room.
“Okay, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Gaby said. Then she went on, “Oh, everything. Marty, I have to ask you something, and you have to be honest.”
“Shoot. I’m always honest with you.”
“Okay. Well. You knew Peter better than anyone else. You were practically twins. So, I need to ask you this question. Am I doing the right thing?”
Marty thought about it before he said anything. “I can’t answer that. Only you can answer that.”
“Okay. Fair enough.”
Marty realized that his response had disappointed her. That wasn’t what he’d wanted to do.
“No, Gaby, I won’t give you an answer. But I will give you an opinion. And here it is: No! No! No! Peter would definitely not mind. He’d be happy. Peter would be happy, because getting married is going to make you happy. And he loved to make you happy more than anything else in his life.”
Gaby’s eyes instantly filled with tears.
“Thank you, Marty.”
“Remember, it wasn’t an answer. It was an opinion.”
Suddenly she felt the need to hug him. “Do you mind terribly…the way I’m doing this? Making it ladies’ choice?”
Marty looked into her eyes. “No. I don’t mind at all. Do you know why? Because I love to make you happy too.”
Chapter 29
EMILY AND BART
THE YEAR BEFORE, Dale, Hardy had held its Christmas party at New York’s chic restaurant Eleven Madison Park. The law firm booked the entire restaurant. They had two martini bars, poured twelve cases of Opus One, and served nigiri sushi, organic beef carpaccio, and blini with caviar.
The party cost $400,000.
This year, money was tighter. So less luxury was the solution. No restaurant. The Christmas party would be held at the Dale, Hardy offices. They would still have two martini bars, pour twelve cases of Opus One, and serve nigiri sushi, organic beef carpaccio, and blini with caviar.
It would cost a mere $250,000.
“I like having it here at the factory better,” said Jason McIntyre, an up-and-coming young attorney who had graduated from Columbia Law with Emily. “More money for bonuses. Nobody believes in Christmas anyway.”
“I think it’s more festive when you go out someplace,” said Emily. “And actually I believe in Christmas.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you do, Em,” said Jason. “But as long as you’re at the office, you can sneak away and get some work done.”
Emily knew that her distaste for Jason’s usual cynicism showed on her face. She excused herself and got a white wine spritzer, which she probably wouldn’t drink. What a scene. What a hackneyed stupid scene. Emily felt like she had walked into the wrong movie.
Jeanne Gallery, a promising Stanford Law graduate and junior associate, was exchanging lingering kisses with Ben Abbots, a promising Yale Law graduate who had just married his