The spotlight brightened the empty doorway.
“Ladies and gentleman,” the host announced. “Please stand with me and welcome the newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Moreno.”
Everyone was on his or her feet as Sarah and Angel walked through the door. Applause and cheers greeted them. They hadn’t even reached the table when glasses began clinking. Not that Alex hadn’t seen enough of these two kissing already, he still turned to see a smiling Angel and his blushing bride kiss each other tenderly. Again, everyone clapped and the party was on.
Alex sat at the head table as Valerie walked over to speak with her dad and step-mom. They sat at the same table with his parents and Sarah’s mom.
“I got someone good for you.” Romero said as he took the seat meant for Valerie next to Alex.
“Who?” Alex glanced over to make sure Valerie still sat with her dad.
“It’s a little shady. This guy does intelligence work for the government. I asked around, and he’s the best out there for this kind of stuff. These jobs he does strictly on the down low. But there’s a reason why he’s willing to take the risk.” Romero’s eyebrows lifted in warning.
Alex waited for the catch.
“He’s not cheap. We’re talking big bucks, Alex and there’s no guarantee that –”
“Do it. I don’t care what it costs.” Alex’s eyes were still on Valerie, now on her way back to the table. “I need the best. Do whatever you have to do.”
Romero stood up when he saw her coming. He put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Consider it done.”
Alex smiled as Valerie reached her chair.
She leaned in, her hand on his thigh. “What’s that big smile about?
Alex put his hand over hers and squeezed. “Have I told you today how beautiful I think you are?”
Valerie brought his hand to her face and leaned her cheek against it. “Yeah, a few times, actually.” She smiled, putting his hand back down on her thigh. “But you can say it all you want. I don’t mind.”
Alex pulled her chair closer to him with his free hand and kissed her. “You are so beautiful.”
The glasses started clinking again. Valerie’s attention went to Angel and Sarah. “They look so happy.”
“They are.” Alex took advantage of the moment. “So, is this what you want?”
Valerie tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“A wedding like this, with all the bells and whistles?”
She seemed to think it through for a moment. “I dunno. I’ve never given it much thought.”
Probably because he’d never given her much hope. He squeezed her hand, suddenly annoyed with himself. “Well, start thinking about it.”
Their salads arrived, halting their conversation for the moment. Alex scanned the room for the fifth time since they arrived. He still wondered if Bruce had actually been in the restaurant last night. As crammed as the place had been, he could’ve easily managed to blend in the crowd.
Romero’s firm had swelled into twelve employees now, and Alex hired them all for tonight. For the sake of anyone wondering why so much security, but mostly so Valerie wouldn’t get suspicious, he had them all dress the part. Some looked like waiters. Others dressed up like guests. With Valerie by his side all night, Hank was on foot patrol downstairs. As the only one of Romero’s guys that knew what Bruce looked like that’s exactly where Alex wanted him.
His scanning stopped at the painting that sat on an easel near the entrance. He leaned over to Valerie. “Did you see that painting of Angel and Sarah? I just got a glimpse as we walked in but it’s a damn good painting of them.”
Valerie turned to him with a strange expression, then smiled. “I painted that.”
Alex stared at her for a moment, unsure if she was serious. She smiled, her face turning a bit crimson. “You did?”
She nodded. Yeah, she was definitely blushing. Alex stood up.
“Where you going?”
Alex looked back at her, still not sure what to think. “Seriously, you painted that?”
“Yes.” Her flushed face brightened even more.
“Why does that embarrass you?”
“I dunno. Sit down, you’re making me nervous.”
“No. I gotta get a better look now. Come with me.” He took her hand. She hesitated for a second but then stood up. They walked over to the entrance stopping a few times to greet some guests and family.
When they reached the painting, Alex couldn’t take his eyes off of it. It was amazing, the detail extraordinary. She’d even caught the twinkle in his lovesick brother’s eyes. He’d seen some of Valerie’s paintings in the past, but none of them even came close to this. “Valerie, this is incredible. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
She tilted her head gazing at the painting. “I was going to bring it back to your place this morning to wrap it up. I would’ve shown you then, but I couldn’t wait for Sarah to see it. So, I showed it to her last night and, well… she flipped when she saw it and said she wanted it displayed at the wedding.”
Alex let the your place comment go, but did say, “How come you hadn’t brought it home? You’ve been going back to the apartment to work on it all this time?”
For the first time since they’d been standing there, she looked away from the painting and turned to him. “No, it’s been finished for weeks.” She shrugged. “I was nervous, I guess, about showing it to anyone. Isabel hadn’t even seen it.”