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No part of the wedding was ordinary. Every detail was extraordinary in one way or another. There were even white and purple orchids cascading from centerpieces suspended above the tables. And above the flowers was a network of white twinkle lights. The stars would get some help that evening.
And if that wasn’t enough, the night would conclude with a spectacular fireworks display. The bride didn’t know about it. This was a surprise that her groom had set up without her knowledge. Lea thought it was a wonderful way to wrap up such an amazing wedding.
“Have the pyrotechnics arrived?” Lea asked Popi as her gaze skimmed down over the extensive checklist for the wedding.
“They arrived this morning. I met the crew down at the dock. And you’ll never guess who I saw there.”
Lea glanced up from her checklist. “Please tell me the soon-to-be princess hasn’t arrived. We’re not ready for her. Nothing is in place and we all know how nervous brides can be.”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t spot a nervous bride, but I did see a Greek mogul receiving a rather large crate.”
“A crate?” Lea frowned. What would Xander need that was that big? “What did he say it was?”
“That’s the thing. I didn’t have a chance to speak with him. I was drawn away by the pyrotechnics guy. He had a lot of specifications for where the fireworks could be stored.”
Lea frowned. She honestly knew nothing about these things. This was her first fireworks send-off. “Wasn’t the warehouse good enough?”
“Yes, it was. But he wanted to make sure it was guarded. He didn’t want any young kids or old fools to get near the stuff. He’s the cautious type and frankly I couldn’t blame him. The prince ordered enough aerial mortars to light up the entire Mediterranean Sea.”
“That much, huh?”
Popi nodded. “I don’t think the prince and his intended know how to do things in a small way. But anyway, I was just wondering if you and Xander had decided to make your arrangement more permanent.”
“Not that I’m aware of.” What was her roommate up to? He wasn’t planning to stay forever or anything like that, was he? She would get to the bottom of it soon enough.
But as long as Xander was distracted she could immerse herself in the details of the wedding. Still there was a part of her that wanted to drop everything and rush home to see what he was planning. Surely he didn’t think they could be roommates forever, did he?
* * *
It wasn’t until hours later that Lea was able to head home. She was dragging her feet, by then. The ferry from the mainland that normally only made one trip daily had made three trips that day to accommodate the supplies needed for the royal wedding. Lea couldn’t even imagine what the arrangements would entail if this wedding had the king and queen’s blessing.
As it was, only a thousand guests—the prince and his intended’s closest friends and family—would be attending the nuptials. The number was too large to accommodate on the island, and special arrangements were made to ferry the guests back to the mainland after the reception.
The plans kept circling around in Lea’s mind as she took the golf cart back to her bungalow. Tomorrow the prince and his bride would arrive. Popi had opted to see to the royal couple’s needs, which was fine with Lea. The couple wanted to be here in advance of the big day to “make sure” nothing went wrong. Somehow Lea couldn’t help but think that they would be more of a hindrance to the preparations than a help, but who was she to argue when the prince was the one picking up the large tab for this elaborate affair, including a bonus for pulling it together on a moment’s notice.
When Lea finally let herself through the door of the bungalow, it was dark inside. She frowned as she flipped on the light. Where was Xander?
And then she heard a muffled voice. She headed for his room. The door was closed but light shone at the bottom. He muttered something in a grouchy tone but she wasn’t able to make out the words.
She raised her hand to knock but then hesitated, not sure she should disturb him. But then again, this was her home and he was her guest. She tightened her fist and rapped her knuckles on the door.
