Modern Arrangements: Complete Trilogy (Modern Arrangements #1-3) (37 page)

"Most of the men end up here at
some point." Viola giggled. "Drinking scotch, playing pool, and
discussing business," She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Well,
let’s get started. We have a lot of work to do in the next month."

After the three of us returned to the
Grand Ballroom, the planning and discussion of ideas began.

"So, I’m thinking we have the
trumpeters at the entrance, like last year." Viola looked at Pierre who
nodded. "I also would like to put a small string quartet in the first
floor landing to play as the guests arrive."

"That sounds lovely, Madame,"
Pierre was busily writing down things as she spoke.

"Lilli, what do you think?"
Viola turned to me and my eyes widened.

"Um…I think your ideas are
great." I smiled.

Viola shook her head and smirked.

"What are your ideas, dear? I want
your input."

"Oh…well, the quartet and
trumpeters sounds wonderful. Um…I think we should get white draperies to line
the walls in this room, maybe with black beading or something." Viola was
smiling widely.

"That sounds wonderful!" she
exclaimed. "Pierre can we replace the red draperies around the stage as
well?"

"Of course, Madame, we can do
whatever you would like," he was starting to remind of a small lapdog the
way he would move to Viola’s side and obey her. I started waiting for his
tongue to flop out as he pant at her feet.

For the next three hours we discussed
decorations, seating, menus, entertainment and set up times and days to meet with
Pierre. Once we had finished, Viola turned to me with a large sigh and a small
smile.

"I’m starving." She wrapped
her arm in mine again. "Let’s head out for lunch."

"Sure," we left the Grand
Prospect. I was exhausted.

"How do you do this all the
time?" I asked Viola as we sat waiting on our salads to arrive to our
table.

"Oh, I just keep those kids in my
head and my heart." She sipped her water. "They are my drive to do
all of this, having you with me on this is such an amazing help as well. I’m
thrilled that you decided to help me." She smiled warmly, but must have
seen my hesitant smile. "What is it?" She asked.

"Um…I don’t know if I should work
with you ‘officially’. I mean, I love helping you, but I’m still not sure that
it is a good idea –"

"That’s nonsense! It is a wonderful
idea." She smiled.

"But in four years…Viola, I won’t
be… I mean, Aidan could eventually meet someone –"

"Look, I’m going to be blunt and I
don’t want you to be offended, okay?" I nodded and bit my lip. "I
love Aidan, but I love you too, my dear. Even in the short time we’ve known
each other. Regardless of what happens in four years, I know you’re the person
that should be working at the foundation with me. I saw the way you were with
those children and I see it every time you are with them." I smiled at
just the thought of them.

"See!" she pointed at my face.
"That’s what I am talking about." She reached over and grabbed my hand.
"Lilli, you are an Iverson now. You’re Aidan’s wife and, by marriage, you
are automatically a very huge part of the foundation, legally."

I raised my eyebrow, questioning.

She took a drink of her water and then
took a deep breath.

"I run the foundation, yes. However,
Aidan owns the foundation. It was a part of his inheritance. As his wife, it’s
more like your inheritance."

"My…wait…what?" I furrowed my
brow.

"The foundation belonged to Aidan
Senior’s first wife, Isobel. Aidan Sr. basically did whatever she asked of him,
she was his true love." She smiled warmly. "The foundation was then
taken over by Olivia, Aidan Senior’s second wife. So, you see, technically,
it’s now your foundation to run."

"I would never take that from you.
You’ve had it and managed it. Well, hell, Viola, I could never –"

"Oh Lilli, I run the foundation
because I want to, because I love those children and because Aidan Senior asked
me to help Olivia before she passed away." She patted my hand. "You
should be involved. Olivia would have wanted it and, from what I know of
Isobel, she would want you involved as well."

Before I could talk to her more about
this revelation, our food was brought to the table. Viola changed the subject
to table placement, seating, and table arrangement. We talked over lunch for
over an hour before heading towards our next destination, an appointment with
an event decorator and planner. It was time to discuss decorating options.

After two hours of fabric textures,
lighting, flowers, frosted or clear crystal, and many other décor options, we
had finally decided on flat matte black table clothes, all white dishes, silver
flatware, frosted glasses, tall, clear, crystal vase centerpieces with long
stemmed white calla lilies and a red, satin ribbon wrapped around the neck of
the vase. White votive candles would line the tables underneath the flower
arrangements. We would have flat white draperies that had intricate black
crystal beading lining the walls and the stage. And this was just in the Grand
Ballroom.

The Skylight Room would have white
couches instead of tables with black pillows and white roses would be the
centerpieces for the large, square, black coffee tables.

The Atrium was already so full of plant
life that we decided on simple black chairs and tables, along with one large
bundle of white peonies in the middle. The Night Club would have red accent
lighting against the walls with zebra print chairs and furniture cushions.

By the time I got home, I was beat. I
drug myself into the kitchen where a happily busy Rachel was finishing up
dinner.

"Oh, Mrs. Iverson, Mr. Iverson
called and stated he wouldn’t be home until late, but I should go ahead and
prepare dinner." I nodded. Aidan had texted me earlier to tell me.

"Rachel, please, call me
Lilli." I smiled at her and then turned to the fridge for a bottle of
water.

"Okay…Lilli." Rachel smiled
back at me. Since Aidan wasn’t home, I sat in the kitchen with Rachel and her
son, eating dinner with them. Rachel’s son was very smart and loved football.

After dinner I helped clean up, even
though Rachel tried to object repeatedly. Then I headed to a long hot bath
before collapsing on the couch in the library with a book.

The rest of the week went the same. I
spent my days with Viola and Aidan worked late. I only saw him early in the
morning, which was very brief, since we were both busily getting ourselves
together for the long days ahead of us.

Viola had me so involved with the
preparations for the ball, along with other foundation things, that I now
carried a leather messenger bag. My IPhone was loaded up with business
contacts, information, as well as my new work email address. I realized, a
little too late, that I was in so deep with the foundation in just a matter of
days that getting out would almost be too difficult to consider.

I was thankful for today though. We were
not making ball arrangements. Instead, we were visiting two of the children’s
homes. I nearly ran to the car when Viola pulled up to the house. We talked
about different financials and dinners that would be coming up in the next six
months as we drove out to the first home.

On our way to the second children’s home,
I got a call from Phoebe.

"Hey you," I answered with a
smile.

"Hey!" She almost shouted.
"So, we need to do a shopping trip." Phoebe was stating this firmly.

"Why do we need –?"

"Dresses, Lilli. We need dresses,
masks, shoes, etcetera." She said it like I was an idiot.

"Ugh. Can’t you just pick out my
dress for me? You know my size." I begged.

"Oh…Lilli…if you are talking about
gowns for the ball, I have it taken care of." Viola chimed in with a large
smile.

"Phoebe, Viola has my dress taken
care of, sorry." I got smug a little too quickly.

"No, no. I’m having dresses brought
to my house, just as I did for the wedding. Tell her and Celia to come over on
Saturday and we’ll all go through them. There will also be a seamstress there
to make adjustments and changes."

I groaned and repeated it all to Phoebe.

"Oh. My. God. I love her!"
Phoebe practically sang. "I’ll call Celia and we will meet you at your
house Saturday morning!" She quickly hung up.

"Thanks a lot, Viola," I
playfully scowled at her as she laughed.

"You are so welcome!" She
giggled. "It’ll be fun, Lilli. We can make it a brunch."

As I was about to say something, we came
to a stop in front of the children’s home and were quickly out of the car,
heading through the front door.

It was after four o’clock when we said
our goodbyes. "Lilli, call Rachel and tell her that you will be coming to
my house for dinner."

"Oh, Viola, you don’t have to
–"

"Nonsense, I know Aidan is working
late again because Liam is. Plus, Maggie is sick of not seeing you." She
wrapped her arm in mine and we climbed into the car. I called Rachel during the
drive.

We entered Viola’s immaculate home and
were greeted by Maggie and a very large, dark skinned boy. If it wasn’t for the
youngness on his face, I would have sworn he was a man. He was huge, at least
six feet tall and muscular. He was beautiful.

"Lilli!" Maggie jumped off the
couch, tossing a text book into the boys lap as she hurried to me.

She squeezed me tightly and I hugged her
back.

"It’s good to see you too,
Maggie" I giggled.

Pulling away with a large smile, her
face seemed to brighten even more.

"I want to introduce you to my
boyfriend." Grabbing my hand, she pulled me toward the boy who was
standing as we approached.

Holy shit he had to be over six feet
tall! "Lilli, this is Jason. Jason, this is Lilli," she motioned
between us as she introduced.

I put out my hand.

"It’s nice to meet you," I
smiled at him and he shook my hand. I swear I could’ve fit both of my hands in
his one.

"Thanks, I’ve heard a lot about you
from Maggie." He smiled at her lovingly when he said her name. She was
smiling up at him, barely coming to his shoulder.

"So, what have you two been up
to?" Viola breezed into the room and kissed Maggie on the forehead.

"Just studying," Maggie picked
up a text book from the couch and held it up with a cringe on her face.

We stood talking to each other for a
while. Maggie started talking about school, then the discussion turned to the
dress fitting we would be doing on Saturday. She was beyond thrilled and turned
to Jason, telling him that she would take him to get a tux for the event. He
smiled at her, but Viola and I both noticed the nervousness on his face.

After dinner, Viola and I sat discussing
seating arrangements over a bottle of wine. When she pulled out the second
bottle, I started to get a little weary about the results that could occur. Two
glasses into the second bottle and naughty Viola emerged.

"So, how do you set up the family
tables?" I asked.

"Well, we typically put the family
at one large table together; however, we’re slowly increasing our numbers, so
we may have to spread out over two tables." Then she eyed me curiously.
"So, how’s the sex coming along?"

I choked and spit half of my sip of wine
into my glass.

"W-what?"

"Oh come on, you have to be
fucking. Aidan is in way too good of a mood to not be getting any." She
laughed and took another large drink.

"Oh Jesus, Viola, I think it’s time
to put away the wine and call it a night." I laughed and tried to grab the
bottle out of her way, it didn’t work. She grabbed it first and smirked at me.

"So, tell me about it? I bet he is
like his uncle –"

"Okay, do not start telling me
about Liam, please! I will never be able to look at him again." I laughed
harder than before.

"Oh nonsense, Lilli, Liam is a
master in the bedroom. Well, wait, he’s a master in the bedroom, bathroom,
kitchen, dining room –"

"Stop," I laughed. "I
just ate on this table. I don’t want to hear about what you two do on it."
I put my face in my hands.

Viola giggled loudly.

"Hey, we have a healthy sex life.
What about yours?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"It’s…it’s fine." I said
quickly and, before I got in a chance to change the subject, she continued to
pressure.

"Oh, it’s just fine? Well, then
maybe he doesn’t have his uncle in him…though, I do love it when his uncle is
in me." She giggled wildly at her own joke. I couldn’t help but burst into
more laughter.

Tears were streaming down our cheeks and
loud cackles were pouring from our mouths as Liam entered the room.

"What’s so funny?" Both of our
heads shot over to Liam, who was leaning against the doorframe with a raised
eyebrow. I looked at Viola the same time she looked at me and we burst into
more hysterics. "You know what, I don’t think I want to know." Liam
chuckled and shook his head as he headed to the kitchen.