Ribbon of Fate: Love or lust? Read online

  Ribbon of Fate

  Carston Hendry

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 1

  Ember

  I always dread seeing my mother. We have never really had a great relationship, not even when my father was alive. He was always my rock, my happy place and my best friend. I know that sounds silly but it’s true.

  So here I stand in the crisp November air, at the door of my mother’s new fiancés house. It is larger than necessary. He lives alone, so what use is a 6-bedroom 5-bath home? Waste of money if you ask me.

  Well here goes nothing.

  Bzz-Bzz-Bzz

  I wait a few minutes before the door swings open startling me.

  “You are late.”

  “Nice to see you too, mom.”

  “Do not call me that, it is so…uncultured.” she uses her most disgusted tone.

  She hurries me through the doorway and locks it behind us. We walk into a large room filled with fancy furniture and dressed for the fall season. It reminds me of one of those rooms in magazines that you aren’t actually supposed to sit in. So, it is no surprise we walk right through it. It's as if it is there just to say ‘look at me, I have so much money to waste’.

  We reach the kitchen and it is absolutely beautiful, gourmet chefs would be envious. Workers are buzzing around preparing plates to be served. It is all so organized, like a graceful dance. I watch them all as we pass through, trying to stay out of their way. My mother on the other hand makes her presence known and interrupts the flow.

  Finally, we reach the patio. It is closed off from the elements by sliding glass panes and a glass roof. The backyard must be at least 3 acres. It is the greenest grass I have ever seen in November, not one blade out of place. Hedges trimmed to sharp edged rectangles and perfectly planted garden patches in front of each. Not a stray leaf in sight.

  Marcus is sitting with a few people I am unfamiliar with. They are all, including my mother, dressed in designer labels. The ladies with their Sunday church hats, pearls and diamonds, and the men in blazers and thousand-dollar loafers. Here I am in my clearance rack jeans, floral blouse, hand-me-down flats and thrift store purse. The only thing on me that is designer is my leather jacket, and that was also a thrift store score last weekend.

  “Ember! I am so glad you made it.” Marcus says with such sincere enthusiasm. He stands to shake my hand. He seems to be a very nice man, so I wonder what he sees in my mother.

  “Hello Marcus. Thank you for having me. You have such a beautiful home.”

  He is standing behind my mother to pull the chair out for her. “You are welcome anytime dear. We are going to be family soon. Your mother has been so excited to get started planning the wedding. How lucky we are to have you to help.”

  “Thank you.” is all I can get out before my mother starts in on the bragging. The house, her shoes, her hair and the car he bought her. I barely heard a word she said. I just take in the beauty of the scenery and enjoyed the calming feeling it gives me. It really is quite beautiful here.

  The food is delicious. Traditional Thanksgiving turkey with a stuffing that makes me moan in delight. The candy yams and sweet carrots are almost as good as my dads were and it makes me smile thinking of him in the kitchen cooking for the holidays.

  God I love food. I must have had at least three servings of mashed potatoes and gravy before I couldn't fit another bite. Then I made room for pie. I swear they have every kind of pie you could possibly want. This is heaven.

  It is almost 5:00PM when we move inside and the other guests begin to leave, so my mother and I can start going over wedding details. My mother has very expensive taste and Marcus is willing to spend whatever it takes to make her happy. This is going to be a long evening.

  “I need everything to be perfect, Em. I mean absolutely perfect. You do understand that, right?”

  “Yes, mother I understand. Perfect.” I say as I roll my eyes and make a face.

  By 9:00 I feel like my head may explode. She is so nitpicky and demanding, it is truly exsanguinating. I cant stay and listen to her go on anymore about colors, place settings or anything for that matter.

  “It is getting late mom, I need to get home”

  “I asked you not to call me that.”

  “Right, my bad. Mother, I will be going now if that is ok with you.” I just can’t seem to hold it in when it comes to her. She is so condescending to me.

  “Well, there is no need to get snippy. I am sure you have such a busy day tomorrow, what with all your work. Please don’t let me stop you from your beauty sleep. Though we both know how much good that does you.” she says as she whips her bleach blond hair off her shoulder.

  “I do actually have a life and job outside of planning your wedding, shower, rehearsal dinner and whatever else you decide you need to have.”

  “Oh yes, my daughter, the wedding planner.” her irritation is clear in her voice and on her face. It pisses me off.

  “I am not just a wedding planner, mother. Actually, I prefer not to do weddings at all. It is not my specialty. I am only doing this for you because I share your blood.”

  “Oh, my mistake. You are a glorified party planner. What do you think your father would say about your life choices? Do you really think he worked his whole life to put you through college so you could throw parties?” her tone makes me want to smack that look off her face.

  “This is the career I chose, mother. And I’ll have you know that I am good at what I do. It is not as simple as you make it sound, I don’t just mix a bowl of punch and turn on a playlist. It takes planning, organization and time. I have worked my ass off to get where I am today.”

  “Trust me child, work all you want, that ass is not going anywhere.” she says as she leans around and taps me on the butt.

  “I didn’t come here to be treated like trash. You asked for my help, remember?” I say as I push her hand away from me.

  “Maybe I changed my mind. I can plan my own wedding. Lord knows it will be the only one I see before I die. You really think Kade is ever going to marry you? Look at you, could you be any more pathetic?”she says as she waves her hand up and down with a look of disgust on her face. “You have a shit job, a shit apartment, a shit car and you can’t seem to lay off the doughnuts and ice cream. Oh and don't even get me started on your wardrobe.”

  Did she really just say that? No, I must have heard her wrong, but the look on her face tells me I'm wrong.

  “Mother of the year. Thanks for reminding me why I avoid you. What do you think dad would say to you now? Oh, that’s right you don’t care. Just on to the next man that can afford you. You want to call me a glorified party planner that’s fine at least I’m not a glorified whore. Good luck on your fourth marriage.”


  I already have my purse on my shoulder as I head for the entryway.

  “I quit.” is the last thing I say before slamming the door behind.

  As I open the door of my Jeep, I instantly regret the whole thing, but there is no way in hell I am going to apologize. I definitely get my hard headedness from her. I get in, put on some music and drown out my own thoughts as I drive home.

  Chapter 2

  Ember

  Getting ready for an event is always stressful, but today I feel on top of the world. I arrived at the Crescent Stone Wearhouse just before noon. It is our last chance to get things ready for tonight. I look a mess in my jeans and baggy t-shirt, but there is far too much to do in here to spend the day in heels and a dress if I don’t have to. My colleagues are dressed in a similar fashion. We all brought our gala attire to change into after setup is complete.

  “Things are pretty hectic today. We have the North Winds Annual Gala this evening. I expect you all to be on your best behavior, no incidents like we had at the Policeman's Ball.” my boss says as she hands us the layout of the room. “Ember.” she says, giving me the floor.

  The Policeman's Ball was a deserter and the lead coordinator was fired for her involvement in the downward spiral of events, but that’s a story for another time. This is my first solo event as lead coordinator, and it is safe to say I am terrified. Melanie, my boss, is here to oversee and intervene if necessary.

  “Thank you, Melanie. I would like everyone to get the finishing touches ready for tonight. I know you have all been working nonstop for the past few days to get this space ready, and it is looking fabulous. Please don’t hesitate to call me for help, direction or anything else that may come up.”

  I handpicked the photographers, catering company, wait staff, valet service and security from past events I had worked. Only the best of the best would do for my debut. I have been working on this event for the past seven months, not as lead but as an assistant, so I knew the ins and out of what was requested when I took over three months ago. Personally, it is a bit too much, the amount of gold and sparkle is almost tacky, but the theme for this year is ‘Go Gold or Go Home’.

  This is one of the most coveted spaces in my line of work and every event coordinator dreams of one day having it as their stage. The space is massive and intimidating. The first time I saw the Crescent Stone design plan five years ago, I was in awe. Little did I know I would be using it myself for the most elite event of the year.

  The warehouse looks like any other warehouse you would find in the old shipping district of Shoreline City. What is unlike the rest of them is that the interior has been renovated into a cathedral. Imagine walking into Notre Dame or the Sistine Chapel; three story vaulted ceilings and hand carved archways in the center section. On either side of the first level hangs one long balcony, starting almost at the entryway. Wide stone staircase with carved railing that follows the entire length of the balcony. Stone pillars spaced evenly under and reaching into the arches at the ceiling.

  Set up is complete so we all crowd the locker rooms to get ready. I don’t have much to do, as I am not really a fan of dressing up. I applied my mascara and began to wonder what I am going to do with my hair. I decide on a French bun, but Melanie pulls me aside and puts it into a very elegant loose fishtail braid that starts on the top of one side and ends at the bottom of the other. It hangs over my left shoulder and down past my breast. I look at myself in the mirror and admire her work. She shakes her head at me and pulls out her blush.

  “Child you really need to learn to dress to fit in. Trust me, it makes the job easier.” she says as she dolls me up. I have always admired her and she has for some reason taken me under her wing. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful, but not sure what about me made her want to help me grow my career.

  “I was never really close with my mom. She never taught me to do my makeup, I learned from a drag queen.”

  Her eyes widened and she laughed. “Well I guess I should be glad you didn’t take on that look tonight.”

  We both laugh as she finishes up. When she is finally done with my impromptu makeover I look like someone else. Still me I guess, just fake. I finally see my mother in me. I don’t like the thought of looking like her. Bet Kade will love it, I swear he has a thing for her, it's creepy the way he looks at her. I shake off the thought and put on my heels. Gold heels, why not match the décor. Maybe I’ll just blend into the background.

  ∞∞∞

  The guests have started to arrive and everything seems to be going smoothly. Hors D'oeuvres on golden platters being served as guests flood the space in their formal and in some cases risqué gowns, tuxedos in an array of colors and some questionable accessories and hair styles. The elite of Shoreline use the North Winds Gala to show off their eccentric styles and excessive spending. It has become the event of the year and if you can’t afford the $10,000 price tag to get your name on the guest list, well then you are considered provincial. Got to love high society.

  As I walk around the border of the main area, I straighten the golden table coverings and re-center the large crystal covered floral arrangements in front of each stone pillar. Gold covers nearly every surface, black velvet curtains hang blocking the under-balcony space, round ten seater tables with low but still excessive centerpieces, candelabras covered in dangling crystals and unlit candles border the entryway. The stage is covered in black carpeting and holds a golden podium with a gold microphone. Large speakers against the walls on each side of the stage are attached to each pillar.

  As the rich and powerful stroll down the black carpeted center isle they take in the glitz and glamor. Each place setting holds a black gift bag over stuffed with goodies and golden tissue paper. The greedy guests flock to theirs to see what treasures they hold; scented candles and fancy hand creams for the women, whisky shooters and cigars for the men, designer shades, small tins of loose leaf teas, cookies decorated with corporate logos, and other items from the corporate sponsors.

  “Em?” Kade says as he places his hand at the small of my back.

  “Hey, I didn’t think you were going to make it back in time.” I kiss his cheek.

  “Yes, well the case was much easier than I had originally thought. The place looks nice.” he says with a look that doesn’t match the statement.

  “Well that’s convincing”

  “Sorry, it is just a bit too much for my taste. So much gold.” he tries to control his facial expression.

  “I give the client what they want. Remember I get paid to make them happy, not tell them they have crappy taste in decor. This is by far the most elaborate and extravagant event I have taken part in. I need everything to go perfect tonight, I'm really nervous.”

  Kade and I have been together just over a year now. He is a very attractive man but his personality is lacking. He is your typical blond hair, blue eyed, private school comes from money type.

  “Yeah I'm sure it will be fine. Did you have someone come in to do your makeup? I know Spencer could never pull off something so classy and sexy. Everything he does is over the top and full of glitter.”

  I laugh, of course he likes it. “No, my boss was kind enough to help me out.”

  "Well it is very pleasing. Though that dress is a little tight, don't you think?"

  The dress is formal enough, solid black, form fitting with a swoop neck. It hugs my large hips, accentuating my butt. The slit up the right side shows off my long legs and the swoop gives the illusion that I have larger breasts than I really do. I am used to his comments about my size, I just roll my eyes. "Yeah, says the man in the purple and gold tux? You have no room to judge, Prince."

  Kade grew up in this kind of environment and sometimes it really shows. He brushes the lapel of his jacket down and straightens his golden tie. "Well aren't we snippy today. I am just looking out for you. You know how these people are, tell you how great you look, then say unsavory things when you walk away. Why did you choose this clearance rack dress over the dress I b
ought you? I spent a lot on that dress and it would definitely be more flattering than this thing." he says as he plucks at the loose fabric at my chest.

  “Because I am working and the dress you chose is not exactly work appropriate.” he raised his eyebrow at me. “What I mean is it constricts my movement. Sleeves and collar and it's hot and uncomfortable.” I can see I’m not getting through to him, so I give up. “It’s ugly” I add. That always seems to work to end this argument.

  “Fine. I'll let you get back to work. I did pay for my admission so I might as well enjoy it.” he walks off into the crowd to mingle.

  My mother and Marcus are at the entryway so I duck behind the currents to escape her. The workers are buzzing around in black and gold uniforms of different styles for each job type. Shiny black plates and bowls are being prepared for the meal. The smell of fresh baked bread fills the space. The doors to the enormous prep kitchen are off the under-balcony space, the doors open and close from the servers gathering the golden hors d’oeuvres platters. Soft music can barely be heard over the guests, and then the announcer begins.

  “I would like to welcome you all to the annual North Winds Gala. As you all know proceeds go to the North Winds Project Against Hunger. This year we have a number of new and exciting plans in the works. The new food bank is finally complete and we are excited to give back to the community that has helped us get to this point. We also would like to thank the corporate sponsors for the generous donations and contributions. The silent auction has begun, you will find it in the left balcony.”

  The woman is in a gold dress that blends into the podium. Her hair is in a fan on top of her head and her eyelids are packed with gold glitter that I can see reflecting the light from my hiding spot on the right balcony.

  She has a pleasant and professional voice, I see why they chose her as the announcer for tonight’s event. As she continues to talk I walk the balcony checking on the photo op stations. Everything is perfect so far, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to be everywhere at once.