Page 17 of Naughty Nelle

“Theme?”

“Of course, darling. All my events have themes. And yours will be Cinderella—a celebration of my little girl finally marrying her Prince Charming. Happily ever after at last! I’ve already ordered dozens of pumpkins to carve and fill with exotic flowers along with gilded cages that we’ll fill with little white mice as table centerpieces. And Monique is designing The. Most. Divine. Dress. Ever. Along with a pair of magnificent glass slippers. Katrina will be the envy of every woman in the world.” She laughs lightly. “Even her own mother.”

“Oh, Mommy,” Katrina coos after taking another sip of champagne. “Tell him about the best part.”

“The cake? It’s going to be a six-foot high buttercream recreation of the Disney Magic Kingdom Castle.”

“No, Mommy, I mean how we’re going to get there.”

Enid dramatically throws up her hands and rolls back her eyes. “How could I forget? The two of you will be arriving at the hotel in a custom-made pumpkin carriage drawn by four white Arabian horses. Miniature replicas are accompanying the two thousand invitations I just sent out.”

What?The invitations are out. There may be no turning back now. I gulp.

Enid gives me the once over. “We should talk about what you’ll be wearing, Brandon.”

I bet I’ll be dressed in some ninny prince suit that looks like it comes straight out of the Disney store. I don’t even want to know. “When is all this happening?” I ask, evading the subject.

Katrina chimes in. “Why in four months—at the end of May sweeps—Saturday, May twenty-third. It’s going to send the ratings of my show into orbit. America’s It Girl is going to become a universal sensation!”

One last question. “And who’s flitting the bill for all this?”

Smiling coyly, Katrina answers. “Well, since the budget for my show is only $20,000 per episode and poor Daddy is in jail and can’t even come to his own daughter’s wedding, you are.”

“I am?”

“Of course, darling. I discussed it all with our mutual business manager Scott while you were in a coma, and he agreed to everything. You’ll never miss the ten million dollars.”

Dinner arrives. Maybe, I would have been better off staying asleep in a coma. At least past our wedding date.

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