AMARETTO WITH COCONUT
TAYLOR
Taylor's already-busy month of May just kept getting busier.
He wasn't sure how it got lost in translation--if maybe it had come up and it slipped his mind or even if it had
come up at all. Though he guessed it must have, because even Isaac was aware and had made plans. However, when he nearly lost his shit at the sight of Mel randomly packing her bags one night she, in turn, lost her shit at him for forgetting that they were going to Houston the next morning to meet with a baker about the wedding cake. Since Ike and Nikki were the best man and matron of honor, Mel had invited them to come along.
Tay was left dumbfounded.
Mel had managed to find a flight just under five hours and Tay had no idea how much women could talk until he sat next to Mel and Nikki and listened to four hours of nonstop chatter. The only time he didn't hear wedding talk was during the layover.
He knew he probably should have been paying attention since they were talking about the wedding. But when you listened to a woman talk that long about dresses, hair, and shoes, it all started to go in one ear and out the other. In all honesty, he didn't care what the other women looked like. He really didn't care what Mel looked like, either. He just wanted to marry her.
Actually, that was a lie. He would take the sentiment to his grave but the truth was, he couldn't have been more excited to see Mel's dress. He had no idea what she would look like until the day he would lay eyes on her walking down that aisle and that thought alone excited him more than the entire wedding.
For the time being, Tay found himself scowling at the fact that Ike had so many opinions to contribute to Mel and Nikki's girlie conversation. Tay had nothing, and so he hunkered in his seat and attempted to lose himself in the paperback he'd brought along.
They didn't have to see the baker until the next day, so Mel wanted to spend the afternoon showing Ike and Nikki the venue. As they pulled up to The Corinthian Houston, Tay was just about to comment on the fact that they didn't have an appointment, when Mel was already on the phone with someone, alerting them of their presence. He then kept his mouth shut and followed the small group inside.
Upon entry, the sight of the interior evoked a slew of warm emotions in him and he immediately felt the need to be by Mel's side. After all, this place was theirs. She had picked it out for them and he had made it happen. He took in a breath and he smiled as he looked on. In five, hopefully very short, months he would finally make her his wife. He took her by the hand and held on tight, never wanting to let go.
His time with her was short-lived as she let go of his hand and eagerly began to lead Nikki around, talking a mile a minute. He looked on as he watched her animatedly describe her plans to Nikki with large hand gestures and pointing. His thoughts were interrupted by Ike's voice beside him. "This really is a great venue. It has the two of you written all over it."
Tay smiled at his brother. "From what I understand, you're the one who suggested it to begin with."
"Well, I merely gave her an idea. Can't lie when I say I'm glad it became a reality, though."
"That's why you're my best man."
As the two women crossed the stage and started up the stairs to the second level, Ike and Tay slowly made their way toward the stage themselves. Stopping several feet from the foot of it, Ike asked, "So what's in the plan for décor?"
"Uh, not much," Tay said, running his hand through his hair. "At least I don't think there is. From what I
understand, she just wants to keep it extremely simple. There might be more activity transporting the chairs than there actually will be decorating."
The two men chuckled and then Ike looked on at the stage ahead of them, just below the staircase that Mel and Nikki had just climbed. "Simple, huh?" he said. "Do you have any idea what I see there?"
"I hope the same thing I do. I thought about it the first time we came to see this place and Mel hasn't talked about doing anything else with that space because she wants to have the ceremony down here. I don't know how difficult transport will be, though."
"So are you picturing the same black grand piano that I am?"
Tay grinned at him, grateful that they were on the same wavelength. He knew he could always count on Ike to share his vision, literally and not. "I haven't said anything to her about it, but I've been kinda trying to work on something. Shit, she almost busted me at Coronado one day--but I guess that's what I get for attempting to work on it in front of her."
Ike patted his brother's shoulder. "I'm really happy for you, you know that? This day's been a long time
coming, but I always knew you'd get there. Even if it happened when you were 90, I knew you'd get there."
Tay blushed at the sentiment. "Thanks. I'm actually really excited. I probably haven't expressed it the way I should and I think Mel thinks I don't care either way, but I really am excited."
"Eh, let her sweat a little bit," Ike laughed. "Might do her some good to know she can't control everything."
"Pardon me while I step out of the way of that lightening bolt that's about to come down on you," Tay
laughed.
Awhile later, after they'd explored the venue, Mel and Nikki exited arm-in-arm ahead of the men, deep in excited conversation. "I'm beginning to think we should have just let Mel and Nikki come alone," Ike muttered.
"Don't you dare say that out loud," Tay said. "I don't need to get in any more trouble."
------------------
Taylor and Mel lay side-by-side in bed that night, Mel gazing up at the ceiling. "Where do you think we should go for our honeymoon?"
Honestly, Tay hadn't put much thought into it. He had no idea what to say here. Was he supposed to have an
answer? And if he didn't, would she be mad? It wasn't like she had an answer, either, if she had to ask. Shit, might as well be honest. "Uh, I hadn't really thought about it."
Mel whipped her head over at him. "You haven't thought about our honeymoon?" Then she sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. "I haven't either. Things have been so crazy lately."
Tay let out a silent breath of relief.
"Thing is, I have no idea where to go," she continued. "I don't know if we should go tropical or historical or
architectural...I wanna go somewhere different like...Russia!"
"We are NOT going to Russia."
"We could do a European tour."
"My idea of a honeymoon is being holed up in bed with you and relaxing for the week. Not stressing over packing and moving locations every single day."
"But we're gonna see the sights wherever we are."
"Well, yeah, of course."
"I get what you're saying. The hustle and bustle doesn't sound like an appealing honeymoon to me, either. I just want something different--not so cliché. You know?"
"Does it necessarily have to be in a different country?"
"I'm not sure there's really anywhere in the US I'd want to honeymoon to..."
He looked at her and smiled. "Hawaii's a pretty tropical location for being a US state."
"I don't want to honeymoon in Hawaii," she said quickly.
"Are you kidding? Everyone wants to honeymoon in Hawaii. Besides, you've never been--have you?"
"No," she said. "But I really don't have any interest in honeymooning in Hawaii."
She seemed adamant about it, so Tay dropped it. "What about castles?"
"Castles?"
"I mean, I know we just said no touring, but--what if we did? What if we did, like, a castle tour or something? In Europe?"
He looked over at her to read her face in response to his suggestion. She looked at the ceiling hard in
thought. "I don't hate the idea," she said. "I've always kinda been interested in that sort of thing." Then she turned her head on the pillow to look at him. "We could look into that."
Tay smiled at her and suddenly jerked the covers over their heads and positioned himself on top of her. Mel
giggled. "Tay, what are you doing?"
"Honeymoon rehearsal," he responded between kisses on her neck.
"Honeymoon rehearsal?"
"Yeah. Like the wedding rehearsal, except this is where all the good stuff happens."
Her infectious giggle was the last thing he heard before he made love to her.
---------------
The next day, the four of them pulled into a somewhat questionable-looking strip mall in Houston. Finding Suite M, they pulled into a parking space and stopped. Taylor and Isaac glanced at each other in the front seat. "Um, Mel. Are you sure--"
Tay looked in the rearview mirror at her grin as she cut him off. "Yep! Cakes By Gina, this is the place!"
The two couples stepped out of the rental and walked toward the shop with the blue awning. Upon walking inside, you'd never know it belonged in such a run-down looking plaza. They were greeted almost immediately by a short woman with shoulder-length brown hair. With a warm smile and a slight Hispanic accent, she said, "Welcome to Cakes By Gina! I'm Gina. You must be my two o'clock!"
"Yes, ma'am," Mel responded, excitedly. "I'm Melody Banks, we spoke on the phone." Then she turned and took Tay's hand. "This is my fiancée, Taylor Hanson, and this is his brother Isaac and his wife, Nikki. They're the best man and matron of honor."
Gina's smile widened. "Oh, how wonderful! Come on, let's get started."
She led them through the shop and placed them at a small, round café table. Seating herself between Taylor and Mel, Gina had armed herself with a small notepad and portfolio. At the moment, all Tay could seem to focus on was how amazing the place smelled.
"All right then," Gina started, bringing Tay out of his mouth-watering trance. "Tell me about your wedding."
"Um, well, it's at Corinthian Houston on October 20th," Mel began.
"And what are the colors, decorations...?"
"Um, minimal? Extremely minimal. Red and white. Except--I mean, like, rose red or scarlet--I haven't really
put that much thought into it because my décor is basically just candles and roses--and that's it."
"So a simple wedding," Gina smiled. "Very classy. How many guests do you think you'll have?"
"The number's kinda up there," Mel said, blushing. "We invited almost 150--and at least half have already RSVP'd, so...I would maybe plan for 100?"
"With all due respect, if you invited 150 and 50 don't show up, there's a problem," Gina said, matter-of-factly.
"Um, okay. 125?"
"That's a better number, I'd say. Now, do you have a wedding planner?"
Mel glanced at Tay across Gina. It was obvious she was firing questions at her that she hadn't been prepared to answer and he could read the worry all over her face, wondering if this would hinder the cake-ordering process. "Um, no, we don't have a planner," Mel said nervously. We, uh, we've both been married before and our union is kind of a long story, so--we decided we just kinda wanted to keep it intimate and plan it ourselves."
Gina finally looked up from her pad and smiled at each of them. "Well I think that's just wonderful. So you
will be the contact for the big day?" she asked Mel.
"Um, let me handle that," Nikki piped up. "You can write down my contact information. She'll be worrying
about a million things that day, I'll handle the cake." Then she looked at Mel. "I mean, if that's okay."
Mel smiled at Nikki gratefully and she nodded. "Thank you."
Gina smiled as she then passed around menu cards. "These are a selection of my flavors, frostings, and
fillings. Ill give you all a couple of minutes to decide what you'd like to try. Just let me know when you're ready."
------------------------------------------
ISAAC
There were times when Isaac felt like it wasn't necessary for him to be present. He was flattered that Mel was
interested in his and Nikki's opinions in choosing hers and Taylor's wedding cake, but as he watched the scene unfold across the table in front of him, he couldn't help but feel like his and Nikki's presence was unnecessary.
As soon as Gina had left the table, the four of them started looking over the menu cards. Ike, of course, was all over the chocolate ones, but Mel shot them down quickly. "I know I want something white."
"Something white?" Tay said. "Which ones are you looking at?"
She looked up at him blankly and he chuckled lightly. "On the list there. Which ones look good to you?"
"Um...well I know I don't want strawberry or chocolate or any of the ones toward the bottom..."
"So we're looking at the top, that's a start..."
"But I don't know what any of these mean," Mel said. "I just want something white."
"Well, Mel, didn't you--I mean with your first wedding and you did this--"
She shrugged. "I went with the first one. The wedding planner said, 'Here, try this' and I thought it was good
so I went with it."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that. Tay, I don't know what any of these flavors mean. I just like to eat cake, plain and simple."
Ike couldn't help but smile across the table. Every single time he saw them interact with each other was one more reason why he felt like the two of them couldn't marry more perfect people. Of the two of them, Tay was the foodie. Mel liked to eat cake and Tay knew what kind to feed her. They were a match made in heaven.
"Okay, here's what I propose," Tay said. "Why don't we do the Bridal White, Amaretto, and Italian Cream?"
"What about the Butter?" Mel asked.
"Eh, I think we can skip the Butter."
"Oooh, what about Red Velvet?" Mel asked. "It's red. If it had white frosting and white filling it would go with our décor--"
"No," Tay said, quickly shooting it down. "That would be weird. Think about it. Everything's all, 'Oh, look at that pretty white cake' and then you cut it open and it's all red, looking like you're dissecting a body or something. It's a nice idea, but the visual is a little--drastic, for lack of a better word."
"Oh. Okay..."
"What kind of frosting are we looking at? Fondant or buttercream?"
Mel looked at him blankly once again. "I don't even understand the cakes we're getting."
Smiling and shaking his head at her, Tay pointed to her card and began to go over the differences and
flavors in the cakes and frostings. Ike and Nikki glanced at each other, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. At that moment, Nikki took out her camera and snapped a picture of the intimate moment. Both Tay's and Mel's heads shot up and Nikki smiled sheepishly. "Uh, don't you guys want pictures of the planning process?"
The couple both blushed and, finally, they had made their decisions.
-----------------------------------------------------
TAYLOR
"I think we're interested in the Bridal White, Amaretto, and Italian Cream," Taylor said to Gina when she returned a few minutes later.
"Oh, classic white choices. Very nice. How about fillings?"
"Vanilla for all three, I think. Um, except for the amaretto one, do you think you could maybe mix a little of the
cream cheese in there? I'd like to taste a little of it, but I don't really need the--the burst of flavor, you know?"
"I could definitely do that for you. Have you decided on frosting?"
Suddenly, Mel's hand landed on Tay's wrist. "Wait, what about coconut?"
Tay looked over at her. "Coconut? On our wedding cake? I didn't even see that as an option..."
"I can do coconut," Gina piped up.
"Yeah," Mel nodded at her. Then she looked back at Tay. "What about coconut with the filling for the Italian
cream? Not on top, just the middle."
He smiled at the idea, grateful for her input. "Okay," he nodded. "Add some coconut to the filling for the
Italian cream, then. Buttercream frosting for all of it. I think we've completely opted out of the fondant."
"I think that's an excellent idea," Gina smiled. "Give me just a bit and I'll be right out!"
"Have you figured out what kind of cake topper you want?" Nikki asked once Gina left.
"Uh, I don't really--"
Mel cut Tay off. "Yes. I do have a cake topper, actually."
Surprised, Tay lean down beside her and retrieve a box from the tote bag she'd been carrying. Putting it on the
table, she opened it and carefully removed the tissue and lifted out what appeared to be a vintage monogram topper. An H in calligraphy style, decorated in a mix of different-sized pearls. He was amazed at how one
small item could have two people written all over it, literally and figuratively.
As Nikki took it from her to inspect it more closely, Mel said, "You'd think it came from an antique shop or something. It kinda looks like it. But I actually got it from a privately-owned crafts store. It's handmade. I actually didn't go in there looking for anything wedding-related but when I saw a sign saying they did
custom wedding décor, I started thinking about toppers since we were coming here and--there it is."
"Oh isn't that beautiful!" Gina said as she brought the cake samples to the table. She passed out four small
plates, each with three cake samples and then she gently took the topper from Nikki. "Look at that," she said in awe. Then she smiled at Mel. "Sweetheart, I think you and I are going to get along just fine. I can already tell this cake is going to scream vintage chic."
As Gina handed the topper back, Taylor and Mel smiled at each other. As the two couples began their tasting, Gina proceeded to describe each of the cakes as they tried them. After a few minutes, Tay was sold on the Italian cream. He knew when he picked the flavor that that was the one he wanted and the coconut Mel suggested was absolutely perfect inside.
However, when Tay pushed his plate back after making his final decision, Mel began to pat him rapidly on the
wrist. "Tay, oh my god, you have to try this."
He smiled at her, confused. "Hon, we have the same cakes--" And that was when he got a look at her plate and his eyes widened. It looked like a massacre had occurred all over her plate. A complete wedding cake apocalypse. "Mel, what in the world are you doing?"
"Here, look." She then pulled his plate back toward her and began to dissect what was left of the Italian
cream. Scooping the filling from the cake with her fork, she then speared a dry chunk of the amaretto and, before he could say anything, the forkful of the new concoction was coming at his face.
He opened his mouth, as it was inevitable that the fork wouldn't come to a halt otherwise, and he was pleasantly surprised at what was left inside after she removed it. He chewed slowly, in thought, and smiled after he swallowed. "You know, I kinda like that."
Then she turned to Ike and Nikki excitedly. "You guys try it, too."
Gina returned to the table as Nikki and Ike were putting their seal of approval on Mel's newfound concoction and she then grinned up at Gina. "I think I'm ready to order the cake."
----------------------
That night in their hotel room, Mel sat Indian-style on the bed, her laptop in her lap and a pad of paper and a pen laying beside her. "You know we're gonna have to come back to Texas soon, right? We gotta meet with the caterers at The Corinthian sometime soon."
"Don't you think maybe we should try to consolidate some of this?"
She looked up at him from her laptop. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, since the venue is here and some of the things we need to accomplish goes hand-in-hand with the venue, wouldn't it make more sense to schedule some of our appointments together instead of flying out here every other week?"
"I mean, I guess...we have the venue and the cake...I guess I only need to talk to the Corinthian about food and décor, so...what else would we need to come back for?"
"The priest."
"The priest? Have you found a priest?"
"Uh, well, I mean, not yet...but we will. And he'll have to be here and we'll have to meet him."
"Why can't we find a priest in Tulsa and fly him in?"
"That just sounds odd."
"So you want to talk to a random Houston priest who knows nothing about either of us."
"Mel, you don't even know the name of the church at the end of our street."
She scowled at him in response. Then she continued. "Well it can't be this month. Next week we're doing
the fittings for bridesmaid dresses. Which reminds me, do you have your groomsmen nailed down?"
"Uh, I didn't even know you had your bridesmaids..."
"It was pretty easy, I just assumed the groomsmen would come easy for you..."
"Well who do you have?"
"Nikki, Kate, Jessie, Avery, and Zoe."
"All my sisters."
"All of them."
"And they know?"
She looked at him as if he had three heads. "Of course they know."
'Of course they do,' he thought to himself. He had to get it together. A couple of days ago he didn't even know this cake tasting existed. Now all of a sudden she's surprising him with a cake topper and a list of bridesmaids. What had he done? He went over the list in his head. Venue, invitations...venue,
invitations...wedding date...well, he could claim half the credit for the cake, at least. And Mel--well she'd done everything else. Damn. He was starting to feel the pressure.
"Who do you have?" Mel asked, shaking him out of his trance.
"Um, Ike, Zac, Mac...uh..."
"You haven't thought this through, have you?"
"Well, dammit, I have more sisters than brothers."
Mel narrowed her eyebrows at him.
"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll get it together. I got a couple of cousins I could ask."
"Tay, they gotta mean something to you."
"They're family, of course they mean something to me."
"You know what I mean. Anyway, so next week we're doing the dress fittings. You should probably get your
groomsmen together and plan a tux fitting soon. Very soon. I want to get as much of this wedding as possible nailed down before you guys go on that tour."
Tay had been laying on his side on the opposite bed as he talked to her. Now he sighed at her last comment and fiddled with this thumb for a second before he walked over and sat beside her on the other bed. He had to talk about the white elephant that had set up camp in the room a long, long time ago. "Mel, when are we gonna talk about this tour?"
She barely glanced up at him. "You're going on tour, what's to talk about?"
"I know you're mad about it."
"Who said I was mad?"
"Every time it comes up, you change the subject."
Exasperated, Mel closed her laptop and set it aside, her high ponytail swishing as she faced him. "Okay. I'll
say it. You guys picked a hell of a time to schedule a tour."
"When else would you propose we do it? During BTTI? During MOE? That early in the year?"
"After the wedding maybe?"
"After the wedding, we have to get back to work on the album."
"As opposed to doing what now? You guys just fiddling around with your instruments or something?"
"Come on, that's not fair."
"It's plenty fair. I'm sorry, but I'm not understanding the point in the tour if the album doesn't even come out till next year."
"It's just--it's to keep them interested. It's been awhile since we toured."
"Maybe--maybe I'm being selfish. I don't know. But you can't blame me for being nervous about you taking off on a two-month tour, only to return one solid month before the wedding. One month, Tay. That's not a lot of time."
"I know. We'll make it work, I promise."
"There's so much left to do. We haven't even touched the reception yet. Or music--"
"Let me handle the music. I mean, seriously, look who you're talking to. Have I let you down yet? You gotta admit, those invitations were pretty sweet."
The corners of Mel's mouth turned up ever-so-slightly and Tay smiled. "What's that I see there?"
"Shut up," she said, unable to keep the smile from spreading across her face.
"Look, I know you're nervous. I get it. I do. But we'll get it done. Together. I promise. It's what we do."
TAYLOR
Taylor's already-busy month of May just kept getting busier.
He wasn't sure how it got lost in translation--if maybe it had come up and it slipped his mind or even if it had
come up at all. Though he guessed it must have, because even Isaac was aware and had made plans. However, when he nearly lost his shit at the sight of Mel randomly packing her bags one night she, in turn, lost her shit at him for forgetting that they were going to Houston the next morning to meet with a baker about the wedding cake. Since Ike and Nikki were the best man and matron of honor, Mel had invited them to come along.
Tay was left dumbfounded.
Mel had managed to find a flight just under five hours and Tay had no idea how much women could talk until he sat next to Mel and Nikki and listened to four hours of nonstop chatter. The only time he didn't hear wedding talk was during the layover.
He knew he probably should have been paying attention since they were talking about the wedding. But when you listened to a woman talk that long about dresses, hair, and shoes, it all started to go in one ear and out the other. In all honesty, he didn't care what the other women looked like. He really didn't care what Mel looked like, either. He just wanted to marry her.
Actually, that was a lie. He would take the sentiment to his grave but the truth was, he couldn't have been more excited to see Mel's dress. He had no idea what she would look like until the day he would lay eyes on her walking down that aisle and that thought alone excited him more than the entire wedding.
For the time being, Tay found himself scowling at the fact that Ike had so many opinions to contribute to Mel and Nikki's girlie conversation. Tay had nothing, and so he hunkered in his seat and attempted to lose himself in the paperback he'd brought along.
They didn't have to see the baker until the next day, so Mel wanted to spend the afternoon showing Ike and Nikki the venue. As they pulled up to The Corinthian Houston, Tay was just about to comment on the fact that they didn't have an appointment, when Mel was already on the phone with someone, alerting them of their presence. He then kept his mouth shut and followed the small group inside.
Upon entry, the sight of the interior evoked a slew of warm emotions in him and he immediately felt the need to be by Mel's side. After all, this place was theirs. She had picked it out for them and he had made it happen. He took in a breath and he smiled as he looked on. In five, hopefully very short, months he would finally make her his wife. He took her by the hand and held on tight, never wanting to let go.
His time with her was short-lived as she let go of his hand and eagerly began to lead Nikki around, talking a mile a minute. He looked on as he watched her animatedly describe her plans to Nikki with large hand gestures and pointing. His thoughts were interrupted by Ike's voice beside him. "This really is a great venue. It has the two of you written all over it."
Tay smiled at his brother. "From what I understand, you're the one who suggested it to begin with."
"Well, I merely gave her an idea. Can't lie when I say I'm glad it became a reality, though."
"That's why you're my best man."
As the two women crossed the stage and started up the stairs to the second level, Ike and Tay slowly made their way toward the stage themselves. Stopping several feet from the foot of it, Ike asked, "So what's in the plan for décor?"
"Uh, not much," Tay said, running his hand through his hair. "At least I don't think there is. From what I
understand, she just wants to keep it extremely simple. There might be more activity transporting the chairs than there actually will be decorating."
The two men chuckled and then Ike looked on at the stage ahead of them, just below the staircase that Mel and Nikki had just climbed. "Simple, huh?" he said. "Do you have any idea what I see there?"
"I hope the same thing I do. I thought about it the first time we came to see this place and Mel hasn't talked about doing anything else with that space because she wants to have the ceremony down here. I don't know how difficult transport will be, though."
"So are you picturing the same black grand piano that I am?"
Tay grinned at him, grateful that they were on the same wavelength. He knew he could always count on Ike to share his vision, literally and not. "I haven't said anything to her about it, but I've been kinda trying to work on something. Shit, she almost busted me at Coronado one day--but I guess that's what I get for attempting to work on it in front of her."
Ike patted his brother's shoulder. "I'm really happy for you, you know that? This day's been a long time
coming, but I always knew you'd get there. Even if it happened when you were 90, I knew you'd get there."
Tay blushed at the sentiment. "Thanks. I'm actually really excited. I probably haven't expressed it the way I should and I think Mel thinks I don't care either way, but I really am excited."
"Eh, let her sweat a little bit," Ike laughed. "Might do her some good to know she can't control everything."
"Pardon me while I step out of the way of that lightening bolt that's about to come down on you," Tay
laughed.
Awhile later, after they'd explored the venue, Mel and Nikki exited arm-in-arm ahead of the men, deep in excited conversation. "I'm beginning to think we should have just let Mel and Nikki come alone," Ike muttered.
"Don't you dare say that out loud," Tay said. "I don't need to get in any more trouble."
------------------
Taylor and Mel lay side-by-side in bed that night, Mel gazing up at the ceiling. "Where do you think we should go for our honeymoon?"
Honestly, Tay hadn't put much thought into it. He had no idea what to say here. Was he supposed to have an
answer? And if he didn't, would she be mad? It wasn't like she had an answer, either, if she had to ask. Shit, might as well be honest. "Uh, I hadn't really thought about it."
Mel whipped her head over at him. "You haven't thought about our honeymoon?" Then she sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. "I haven't either. Things have been so crazy lately."
Tay let out a silent breath of relief.
"Thing is, I have no idea where to go," she continued. "I don't know if we should go tropical or historical or
architectural...I wanna go somewhere different like...Russia!"
"We are NOT going to Russia."
"We could do a European tour."
"My idea of a honeymoon is being holed up in bed with you and relaxing for the week. Not stressing over packing and moving locations every single day."
"But we're gonna see the sights wherever we are."
"Well, yeah, of course."
"I get what you're saying. The hustle and bustle doesn't sound like an appealing honeymoon to me, either. I just want something different--not so cliché. You know?"
"Does it necessarily have to be in a different country?"
"I'm not sure there's really anywhere in the US I'd want to honeymoon to..."
He looked at her and smiled. "Hawaii's a pretty tropical location for being a US state."
"I don't want to honeymoon in Hawaii," she said quickly.
"Are you kidding? Everyone wants to honeymoon in Hawaii. Besides, you've never been--have you?"
"No," she said. "But I really don't have any interest in honeymooning in Hawaii."
She seemed adamant about it, so Tay dropped it. "What about castles?"
"Castles?"
"I mean, I know we just said no touring, but--what if we did? What if we did, like, a castle tour or something? In Europe?"
He looked over at her to read her face in response to his suggestion. She looked at the ceiling hard in
thought. "I don't hate the idea," she said. "I've always kinda been interested in that sort of thing." Then she turned her head on the pillow to look at him. "We could look into that."
Tay smiled at her and suddenly jerked the covers over their heads and positioned himself on top of her. Mel
giggled. "Tay, what are you doing?"
"Honeymoon rehearsal," he responded between kisses on her neck.
"Honeymoon rehearsal?"
"Yeah. Like the wedding rehearsal, except this is where all the good stuff happens."
Her infectious giggle was the last thing he heard before he made love to her.
---------------
The next day, the four of them pulled into a somewhat questionable-looking strip mall in Houston. Finding Suite M, they pulled into a parking space and stopped. Taylor and Isaac glanced at each other in the front seat. "Um, Mel. Are you sure--"
Tay looked in the rearview mirror at her grin as she cut him off. "Yep! Cakes By Gina, this is the place!"
The two couples stepped out of the rental and walked toward the shop with the blue awning. Upon walking inside, you'd never know it belonged in such a run-down looking plaza. They were greeted almost immediately by a short woman with shoulder-length brown hair. With a warm smile and a slight Hispanic accent, she said, "Welcome to Cakes By Gina! I'm Gina. You must be my two o'clock!"
"Yes, ma'am," Mel responded, excitedly. "I'm Melody Banks, we spoke on the phone." Then she turned and took Tay's hand. "This is my fiancée, Taylor Hanson, and this is his brother Isaac and his wife, Nikki. They're the best man and matron of honor."
Gina's smile widened. "Oh, how wonderful! Come on, let's get started."
She led them through the shop and placed them at a small, round café table. Seating herself between Taylor and Mel, Gina had armed herself with a small notepad and portfolio. At the moment, all Tay could seem to focus on was how amazing the place smelled.
"All right then," Gina started, bringing Tay out of his mouth-watering trance. "Tell me about your wedding."
"Um, well, it's at Corinthian Houston on October 20th," Mel began.
"And what are the colors, decorations...?"
"Um, minimal? Extremely minimal. Red and white. Except--I mean, like, rose red or scarlet--I haven't really
put that much thought into it because my décor is basically just candles and roses--and that's it."
"So a simple wedding," Gina smiled. "Very classy. How many guests do you think you'll have?"
"The number's kinda up there," Mel said, blushing. "We invited almost 150--and at least half have already RSVP'd, so...I would maybe plan for 100?"
"With all due respect, if you invited 150 and 50 don't show up, there's a problem," Gina said, matter-of-factly.
"Um, okay. 125?"
"That's a better number, I'd say. Now, do you have a wedding planner?"
Mel glanced at Tay across Gina. It was obvious she was firing questions at her that she hadn't been prepared to answer and he could read the worry all over her face, wondering if this would hinder the cake-ordering process. "Um, no, we don't have a planner," Mel said nervously. We, uh, we've both been married before and our union is kind of a long story, so--we decided we just kinda wanted to keep it intimate and plan it ourselves."
Gina finally looked up from her pad and smiled at each of them. "Well I think that's just wonderful. So you
will be the contact for the big day?" she asked Mel.
"Um, let me handle that," Nikki piped up. "You can write down my contact information. She'll be worrying
about a million things that day, I'll handle the cake." Then she looked at Mel. "I mean, if that's okay."
Mel smiled at Nikki gratefully and she nodded. "Thank you."
Gina smiled as she then passed around menu cards. "These are a selection of my flavors, frostings, and
fillings. Ill give you all a couple of minutes to decide what you'd like to try. Just let me know when you're ready."
------------------------------------------
ISAAC
There were times when Isaac felt like it wasn't necessary for him to be present. He was flattered that Mel was
interested in his and Nikki's opinions in choosing hers and Taylor's wedding cake, but as he watched the scene unfold across the table in front of him, he couldn't help but feel like his and Nikki's presence was unnecessary.
As soon as Gina had left the table, the four of them started looking over the menu cards. Ike, of course, was all over the chocolate ones, but Mel shot them down quickly. "I know I want something white."
"Something white?" Tay said. "Which ones are you looking at?"
She looked up at him blankly and he chuckled lightly. "On the list there. Which ones look good to you?"
"Um...well I know I don't want strawberry or chocolate or any of the ones toward the bottom..."
"So we're looking at the top, that's a start..."
"But I don't know what any of these mean," Mel said. "I just want something white."
"Well, Mel, didn't you--I mean with your first wedding and you did this--"
She shrugged. "I went with the first one. The wedding planner said, 'Here, try this' and I thought it was good
so I went with it."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that. Tay, I don't know what any of these flavors mean. I just like to eat cake, plain and simple."
Ike couldn't help but smile across the table. Every single time he saw them interact with each other was one more reason why he felt like the two of them couldn't marry more perfect people. Of the two of them, Tay was the foodie. Mel liked to eat cake and Tay knew what kind to feed her. They were a match made in heaven.
"Okay, here's what I propose," Tay said. "Why don't we do the Bridal White, Amaretto, and Italian Cream?"
"What about the Butter?" Mel asked.
"Eh, I think we can skip the Butter."
"Oooh, what about Red Velvet?" Mel asked. "It's red. If it had white frosting and white filling it would go with our décor--"
"No," Tay said, quickly shooting it down. "That would be weird. Think about it. Everything's all, 'Oh, look at that pretty white cake' and then you cut it open and it's all red, looking like you're dissecting a body or something. It's a nice idea, but the visual is a little--drastic, for lack of a better word."
"Oh. Okay..."
"What kind of frosting are we looking at? Fondant or buttercream?"
Mel looked at him blankly once again. "I don't even understand the cakes we're getting."
Smiling and shaking his head at her, Tay pointed to her card and began to go over the differences and
flavors in the cakes and frostings. Ike and Nikki glanced at each other, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. At that moment, Nikki took out her camera and snapped a picture of the intimate moment. Both Tay's and Mel's heads shot up and Nikki smiled sheepishly. "Uh, don't you guys want pictures of the planning process?"
The couple both blushed and, finally, they had made their decisions.
-----------------------------------------------------
TAYLOR
"I think we're interested in the Bridal White, Amaretto, and Italian Cream," Taylor said to Gina when she returned a few minutes later.
"Oh, classic white choices. Very nice. How about fillings?"
"Vanilla for all three, I think. Um, except for the amaretto one, do you think you could maybe mix a little of the
cream cheese in there? I'd like to taste a little of it, but I don't really need the--the burst of flavor, you know?"
"I could definitely do that for you. Have you decided on frosting?"
Suddenly, Mel's hand landed on Tay's wrist. "Wait, what about coconut?"
Tay looked over at her. "Coconut? On our wedding cake? I didn't even see that as an option..."
"I can do coconut," Gina piped up.
"Yeah," Mel nodded at her. Then she looked back at Tay. "What about coconut with the filling for the Italian
cream? Not on top, just the middle."
He smiled at the idea, grateful for her input. "Okay," he nodded. "Add some coconut to the filling for the
Italian cream, then. Buttercream frosting for all of it. I think we've completely opted out of the fondant."
"I think that's an excellent idea," Gina smiled. "Give me just a bit and I'll be right out!"
"Have you figured out what kind of cake topper you want?" Nikki asked once Gina left.
"Uh, I don't really--"
Mel cut Tay off. "Yes. I do have a cake topper, actually."
Surprised, Tay lean down beside her and retrieve a box from the tote bag she'd been carrying. Putting it on the
table, she opened it and carefully removed the tissue and lifted out what appeared to be a vintage monogram topper. An H in calligraphy style, decorated in a mix of different-sized pearls. He was amazed at how one
small item could have two people written all over it, literally and figuratively.
As Nikki took it from her to inspect it more closely, Mel said, "You'd think it came from an antique shop or something. It kinda looks like it. But I actually got it from a privately-owned crafts store. It's handmade. I actually didn't go in there looking for anything wedding-related but when I saw a sign saying they did
custom wedding décor, I started thinking about toppers since we were coming here and--there it is."
"Oh isn't that beautiful!" Gina said as she brought the cake samples to the table. She passed out four small
plates, each with three cake samples and then she gently took the topper from Nikki. "Look at that," she said in awe. Then she smiled at Mel. "Sweetheart, I think you and I are going to get along just fine. I can already tell this cake is going to scream vintage chic."
As Gina handed the topper back, Taylor and Mel smiled at each other. As the two couples began their tasting, Gina proceeded to describe each of the cakes as they tried them. After a few minutes, Tay was sold on the Italian cream. He knew when he picked the flavor that that was the one he wanted and the coconut Mel suggested was absolutely perfect inside.
However, when Tay pushed his plate back after making his final decision, Mel began to pat him rapidly on the
wrist. "Tay, oh my god, you have to try this."
He smiled at her, confused. "Hon, we have the same cakes--" And that was when he got a look at her plate and his eyes widened. It looked like a massacre had occurred all over her plate. A complete wedding cake apocalypse. "Mel, what in the world are you doing?"
"Here, look." She then pulled his plate back toward her and began to dissect what was left of the Italian
cream. Scooping the filling from the cake with her fork, she then speared a dry chunk of the amaretto and, before he could say anything, the forkful of the new concoction was coming at his face.
He opened his mouth, as it was inevitable that the fork wouldn't come to a halt otherwise, and he was pleasantly surprised at what was left inside after she removed it. He chewed slowly, in thought, and smiled after he swallowed. "You know, I kinda like that."
Then she turned to Ike and Nikki excitedly. "You guys try it, too."
Gina returned to the table as Nikki and Ike were putting their seal of approval on Mel's newfound concoction and she then grinned up at Gina. "I think I'm ready to order the cake."
----------------------
That night in their hotel room, Mel sat Indian-style on the bed, her laptop in her lap and a pad of paper and a pen laying beside her. "You know we're gonna have to come back to Texas soon, right? We gotta meet with the caterers at The Corinthian sometime soon."
"Don't you think maybe we should try to consolidate some of this?"
She looked up at him from her laptop. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, since the venue is here and some of the things we need to accomplish goes hand-in-hand with the venue, wouldn't it make more sense to schedule some of our appointments together instead of flying out here every other week?"
"I mean, I guess...we have the venue and the cake...I guess I only need to talk to the Corinthian about food and décor, so...what else would we need to come back for?"
"The priest."
"The priest? Have you found a priest?"
"Uh, well, I mean, not yet...but we will. And he'll have to be here and we'll have to meet him."
"Why can't we find a priest in Tulsa and fly him in?"
"That just sounds odd."
"So you want to talk to a random Houston priest who knows nothing about either of us."
"Mel, you don't even know the name of the church at the end of our street."
She scowled at him in response. Then she continued. "Well it can't be this month. Next week we're doing
the fittings for bridesmaid dresses. Which reminds me, do you have your groomsmen nailed down?"
"Uh, I didn't even know you had your bridesmaids..."
"It was pretty easy, I just assumed the groomsmen would come easy for you..."
"Well who do you have?"
"Nikki, Kate, Jessie, Avery, and Zoe."
"All my sisters."
"All of them."
"And they know?"
She looked at him as if he had three heads. "Of course they know."
'Of course they do,' he thought to himself. He had to get it together. A couple of days ago he didn't even know this cake tasting existed. Now all of a sudden she's surprising him with a cake topper and a list of bridesmaids. What had he done? He went over the list in his head. Venue, invitations...venue,
invitations...wedding date...well, he could claim half the credit for the cake, at least. And Mel--well she'd done everything else. Damn. He was starting to feel the pressure.
"Who do you have?" Mel asked, shaking him out of his trance.
"Um, Ike, Zac, Mac...uh..."
"You haven't thought this through, have you?"
"Well, dammit, I have more sisters than brothers."
Mel narrowed her eyebrows at him.
"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll get it together. I got a couple of cousins I could ask."
"Tay, they gotta mean something to you."
"They're family, of course they mean something to me."
"You know what I mean. Anyway, so next week we're doing the dress fittings. You should probably get your
groomsmen together and plan a tux fitting soon. Very soon. I want to get as much of this wedding as possible nailed down before you guys go on that tour."
Tay had been laying on his side on the opposite bed as he talked to her. Now he sighed at her last comment and fiddled with this thumb for a second before he walked over and sat beside her on the other bed. He had to talk about the white elephant that had set up camp in the room a long, long time ago. "Mel, when are we gonna talk about this tour?"
She barely glanced up at him. "You're going on tour, what's to talk about?"
"I know you're mad about it."
"Who said I was mad?"
"Every time it comes up, you change the subject."
Exasperated, Mel closed her laptop and set it aside, her high ponytail swishing as she faced him. "Okay. I'll
say it. You guys picked a hell of a time to schedule a tour."
"When else would you propose we do it? During BTTI? During MOE? That early in the year?"
"After the wedding maybe?"
"After the wedding, we have to get back to work on the album."
"As opposed to doing what now? You guys just fiddling around with your instruments or something?"
"Come on, that's not fair."
"It's plenty fair. I'm sorry, but I'm not understanding the point in the tour if the album doesn't even come out till next year."
"It's just--it's to keep them interested. It's been awhile since we toured."
"Maybe--maybe I'm being selfish. I don't know. But you can't blame me for being nervous about you taking off on a two-month tour, only to return one solid month before the wedding. One month, Tay. That's not a lot of time."
"I know. We'll make it work, I promise."
"There's so much left to do. We haven't even touched the reception yet. Or music--"
"Let me handle the music. I mean, seriously, look who you're talking to. Have I let you down yet? You gotta admit, those invitations were pretty sweet."
The corners of Mel's mouth turned up ever-so-slightly and Tay smiled. "What's that I see there?"
"Shut up," she said, unable to keep the smile from spreading across her face.
"Look, I know you're nervous. I get it. I do. But we'll get it done. Together. I promise. It's what we do."