Page 64 of Dark Princess: Shadows
Marina's eyes sparkled with mischief. "It's beautiful, and it far exceeded my expectations. That's all I'm willing to say about it."
"Oh, come on. You have to tell me more."
"It's mermaid-shaped."
"Mermaid? The top is shaped like a woman, and the bottom is like a fish. What kind of dress is that?"
She laughed. "It's a dress that is form-fitting through the bodice and the hips and then flares out around the knees. Sometimes, it also has a long train."
He tried to imagine it and failed. "Can you show me an example?"
"Sure." She pulled out her phone, did a quick search, and handed him the device.
"Oh, yeah. I've seen the style, and it's going to look great on you." He leaned closer to her. "You have the body for it." His hand closed around her knee and then traveled up, brushing over the soft skin of her inner thigh.
Marina blushed. "Peter. Someone might see."
It was true.TheSeventy-Seconddid not offer a fully intimate setting likeBy Invitation Only,and when the server approached with a bottle of wine, Peter removed his hand and leaned back.
He waited until the guy poured it into their glasses, took their order, and retreated before returning his hand to her knee, but he left it there instead of venturing to forbidden places.
The games he and Marina liked to play were for their own entertainment and no one else's. They both liked to skirt the thin line of propriety and danger, but they were also sensible about it. When the chances of getting caught were high, it was exhibitionism, and neither of them was into that.
Marina sipped on her wine, gazing at the cityscape beyond. "I heard the band practicing yesterday. They are not bad."
"I know. They used to perform in clubs when they were still in high school."
She nodded. "Vlad and Jackson can sing, but I was really hoping Jasmine would be the vocalist. That's not going to happen now that she's in a coma. She's not going to be ready to get on stage by next Sunday."
"She might. Transitions are unpredictable. She might wake up tomorrow and be fully recovered in time for our wedding."
Marina cast him a skeptical look. "I'd rather stick with Jackson and Vlad or just get music playing through the loudspeakers. None of the weddings on the cruise had a band performing in them. "
"True. There's also Ray with his piano if we want something classier. I'm sure he would love it if I asked him to play at our wedding."
"Speaking of classy. Now that I've seen my dress, I'm worried that the rest of the wedding won't match up." She laughed nervously. "Now I'm regretting not being more involved in the planning instead of leaving everything to Amanda. It's silly, I want everything to be as beautiful and perfect as the dress. It has whetted my appetite, so to speak."
"Why don't you call Amanda and share your thoughts with her? It's not too late to make changes, you know."
"I'll call her on our way home after dinner," Marina said.
They weren't going home after dinner, but Peter wasn't ready to reveal his plans for tonight yet.
"Call her now. You won't be able to enjoy your meal while stressing over the party not being what you want it to be."
"You're right." She pulled out her phone. "I'll text her. It's rude to talk on the phone in a restaurant."
Peter wondered how she knew that. From watching television, maybe?
As she exchanged messages with Amanda, her expression slowly shifted from concern to relief, and when the appetizers arrived, a plate of perfectly seared scallops for Marina and beef carpaccio for himself, Marina set her phone down with a satisfied smile.
"All sorted out?" he asked.
"I should have known better than to doubt Amanda." Marina's eyes were bright with excitement now. "She'd already seen the dress and made some adjustments to the plans. She's having a wooden walkway installed so my dress won't drag on the grass, and she's ordered bridesmaids dresses in different shades of blue to complement my hair. I totally forgot about the bridesmaids. I didn't even select any, but Amanda did that for me, took their measurements, and sent them to Vivienne." She shook her head. "Amanda is amazing. How can she do all that while working full-time and taking care of a baby?"
"She has lots of help, my love." Peter lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before returning it to the table. "She has her own Odu, and Dalhu has a studio at home and is always available to fulfill her requests. Not only that, she has a network of volunteers she knows how to mobilize."
"Amanda is one impressive lady. She even remembered to ask about your tux and whether you are having one custom-made for you."