Chapter 5

Friday was a busy day for my sister and mom. I tagged along as they made the final arrangements for the wedding. We started in the coffee shop, having coffee, juice, and rolls for breakfast. While we ate, Joe came in, stopped by the table, and said, “Hi.”

“Who’s he?” Mom asked.

“He’s Darrel’s Cousin Joe. He’s part of the wedding party,” my sister told her. “Joe is standing up with Stacy,”

Mom nodded and began listing the things we needed to attend to. We finished breakfast, left the coffee shop, and headed to the florist to check on the flowers. Mom looked over each of the bouquets and the centerpieces, then we headed back to the banquet hall to see how the decorating was going.

Amy chose a Caribbean theme for her wedding and hired a steel band and a disk jockey to provide the music. The hotel decorated the room with fake palm trees. The hall would be adorned with tropical flowers when the guests arrived.

After talking with the caterer and giving them the final headcount, we called my dad to the lobby. Dad came down a few minutes later, and we drove to the church where the ceremony would take place.

Dad arranged for limousines to take the wedding party to the church, then back to the hotel, stopping at a park for outdoor pictures. While we drove the route, Mom noted the time it took.

The wedding was at four in the afternoon, with the reception starting at six. After the cocktail hour, we would have a family-style sit-down dinner. Dad hired servers so the guests wouldn’t have to get up to get their drinks.

“I think we’re all set,” Mom said as Dad returned to the hotel. “We have the rehearsal at six, then dinner at a steakhouse.”

“What will you girls do for the rest of the day?” Dad asked.

“Stacy and Amber are going to be here at about two. We’ll probably hang around and go to the pool.” Amy turned to me. “I want you to join us, Trish.”

I grinned. Because of our age difference, I was left out of a few things and was happy to be included. Amy said we all had hair appointments at ten on Saturday, then we’d get dressed.

Mom and Dad told my sister and me they would do some shopping and then meet with Darrel’s parents, so Amy and I went to our room to wait for her friends.

At two-thirty, the telephone rang, and Amy answered it. She talked briefly, then told me Stacy and Amber were in the lobby. Amy told me to follow her, and we left to meet the girls in their room.

I knew Stacy and Amber, but only slightly. Like my sister, they were five years older than me. When Amy and her friends were hanging around in high school, I was too young to associate with them. The only time I’d seen them in the past five years was at my sister’s shower.

When we got off the elevator, Stacy and Amber got off the one across the hall. My sister and her friends hugged, then we went to their room.

“This is great, Amy. It was nice of your dad to get the rooms for us,” Amber said as she dropped her suitcase.

Stacy and Amber sat on one of the beds while Amy and I sat on the other, facing them. My sister filled them in on tonight’s and tomorrow’s wedding plans. Amy asked the girls if they were hungry. Stacy said they had stopped on the way for lunch.

“Everything is set,” Amy said. “We could go to the pool if you want to, or we could go shopping.”

“The pool sounds good to me. Give Amber and me a minute to change, and we’ll be ready.”

“Okay, Trish, and I will go to our room and change. We’ll meet you guys at the pool in a few minutes.” Amy chuckled. “You two change and come down. No messing around.”

Stacy and Amber laughed, then Stacy said, “You’re no fun.”

When it dawned on me what the girls were referring to, I felt my cheeks warm, got up, and waited for my sister at the door. Amy and I left and went to our room to put on our suits.

“Stacy and Amber were the first girls I ever messed around with,” Amy said as we rode the elevator to our floor.

“Is it why you said what you did?”

“Yeah, we had a sleepover at Amber’s house and started playing truth or dare. One thing led to another, and we ended up naked and fooling around.”

“Do you guys still do it together?”

Amy laughed as we got off the elevator and walked to our room. “Not often, but those two attacked me during my bachelorette party. That’s why I was so horny when I got home. They teased me but didn’t finish me off.”

I blushed as I thought about the night Amy came home drunk and what had happened.

We changed into our suits, put on our robes, and left. Stacy and Amber got to the pool a few minutes later, and we all jumped into the water. After swimming around and chatting, we relaxed in the hot tub.

“I could get used to this,” Amber said as she stretched out in the hot, swirling water.

“My dad said he’s going to put a hot tub in our backyard,” I said, trying to become part of the conversation.

“Having a hot tub would be nice,” Amber said. “I’d love to have one at my house, but I can’t because I rent. My boyfriend might buy a house this fall, then we could have one.”

“Where are you and Darrel spending your wedding night, Amy?” Stacy asked my sister.

“In my room. Trish won’t mind.”

All three girls laughed when they saw the look on my face.

“My dad reserved a suite for Darrel and me. It’s on the top floor of the hotel.”

Amber laughed and said, “Cool, we can have a party in your room tomorrow night.”

“Not likely. You have to have a special code for the elevator to get to the suite.”

Darrel and his brother entered the pool area, followed by Joe and another guy. They walked over to the hot tub, and Darrel introduced everyone. The fourth guy was Darrel’s best friend, Robert, and his best man.

“Let us put our things over by yours, and we’ll join you,” Darrel said.

When Sean said, “You guys go ahead. I’m waiting for Bunny,” I sighed in relief.

Darrel, Joe, and Robert put their things near a lounge near ours and returned to the hot tub. We shifted around and made room for them to join us.

Once in the hot tub, Darrel moved close to Amy and put his arm around her. They kissed, then started talking. Joe sat near me, but there was a wide gap between us.

“Get a load of this chick,” Amy said when Bunny strolled into the pool area.

Bunny wore a very short floral robe and high-heeled sandals. Her walk was more of a strut, accenting the sway of her hips. Bunny revealed one of the skimpiest bikinis I’d ever seen when she removed her robe. It was smaller than the one my sister wore on the boat.

Sean led his girlfriend to the hot tub and introduced her to the group. When he asked if she wanted to get into the tub, Bunny commented about her bleach-blonde hair and refused. The two of them went to the other side of the pool and stretched out on a couple of lounges.

Stacy, Amber, and Amy commented about the girl but stopped when Darrel asked them to.

“Look, I have no control over Sean. I can’t help it if he asked her to come,” Darrel said.

“I know, sweetie, we’re just being bitches.”

“You’re really good at being a bitch, Amy.” Stacy laughed.

“I had a good teacher, Stacy!”

The girls bantered for a few moments, then we all got out of the hot tub, sat in the lounges, and chatted before leaving for our rooms to change and prepare for the rehearsal.

As we left, my sister and Darrel lagged behind us.

“You were sure quiet, Joe,” I said.

“I’m kind of shy. I don’t know these people.”

“It must make working on your dad’s boat hard.”

“I don’t think it is. When I’m fishing, I feel at home.”

The group rode the elevator together. Amy and I got off at our floor and went to change.

We all met in the lobby at five thirty and left for the church. When we arrived, the minister greeted us. He began going over what would happen. As the girls lined up to walk down the aisle, my sister switched me with Stacy.

“I talked to Darrel. We agreed you’d be more comfortable standing up with Joe,” Amy said.

Stacy smiled at me. “I can handle Sean. I know how to deal with guys like him.”

I thanked my sister and waited for my turn to walk to the altar. When I took my place across from Joe, he smiled.

After the rehearsal, we went to the steakhouse for dinner. Darrel’s dad reserved a private room for our group so we could talk and not bother the other guests.

The dinner was delicious. While we ate, Joe and I talked about fishing and boating. He kept trying to talk me into going to Frankfort to fish with him. I told Joe I had a boyfriend, and he said Kyle could come too.

I learned Joe had a girlfriend and had been going with her for over a year. He told me she couldn’t get away from work to come to the wedding.

“My boyfriend had to go to his grandparents for a family reunion,” I said.

“We’ll have to hang out tomorrow night.”

I nodded and told him I would like to.

After dinner, Darrel and Amy passed out small gifts to the wedding party. I opened the box and looked at the dainty gold earrings nested in cotton. The guys received money clips with their initials engraved on them.

After eleven, the party broke up, and we returned to the hotel. The adults planned to go to the bar for a nightcap and asked Joe and me if we wanted to join them. When we agreed, Dad talked to the man at the door, letting us in.

A band was in the bar, and the music was loud, so Dad asked for tables away from the dance floor. The server led to the far corner of the room. Even though we were as far from the band as possible, it was still hard to talk.

Joe and I had sodas while the adults had mixed drinks. We stayed for a while but decided to leave because of the noise.

“See you tomorrow,” Joe said to me.

“Okay, goodnight, Joe.”

Amy kissed Darrel and said she’d see him at the church. My sister and I went to our room and got ready for bed.

“Thanks for letting me stand up with Joe,” I said.

“No problem. I should have thought of it in the first place.”

My sister and I got into our beds, told each other goodnight, and turned off the light.

Amy and I were up at six o’clock in the morning. We took turns in the shower, then went down for breakfast. Mom was already in the coffee shop, so we joined her at the table.

“Your father’s in the shower. He should be down in a few minutes. How are you doing, Amy?”

“I’m feeling a little anxious. Pre-wedding jitters, I guess. I’ll be okay after I get some coffee in me.”

The server came over and took our orders. Mom asked Amy about the rehearsal while we waited for our coffee and juice.

“I’m glad we made a change last night, Mom. Trish will stand up with Darrel’s cousin Joe instead of Sean.” Mom knew we had changed, but my sister told her again.

“Why did you decide to change?”

“Joe and Trish are a better fit,” Amy said.

“Yeah, besides, Sean is a conceded asshole!” I said.

“Watch your language, young lady.”

“Trish is right. He is a conceded asshole. Did you see the bimbo Sean is bringing to the wedding?” Amy said.

“Be nice. After all, he’s Darrel’s brother,” Mom said.

Amy took a sip of her coffee. “I know. I guess it’s true. You can choose your friends but not your relatives.”

We laughed, then saw Dad come into the coffee shop. He stopped the server on his way to the table before sitting with us.

“How are my girls this morning?”

“Fine, Dad, how are you?” I said.

“I’m doing great! I’ll finally have a son, even if Darrel is my son-in-law. We’re already planning on playing golf together.”

“So, this is how it’s going to be, huh? You’ll snag my husband and make him your new golf partner.”

“Yup, Darrel and I have a tee time set for six on Sunday morning. We figure we can get eighteen in before you two have to catch your plane.”

“You and Darrel better not plan to play golf on Sunday!”

Dad laughed and told my sister he was kidding. We finished breakfast and got ready to go.

“What will you do while we run around and get our hair done, Walt?” Mom asked.

“Well, honestly, Darrel, his father, and the other guys in the wedding party are playing nine holes this morning. I asked them last night, and they thought it was a good idea.”

“It’s okay as long as you guys are back in time for the wedding, Dad. If you’re late, I’ll never forgive you.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back before one. I figured it would help everyone relax.”

“Okay, I guess you’re right. There isn’t anything you guys need to do until the wedding.”

Mom, Amy, and I went to the lobby, and my sister called Amber and Stacy. We headed for the salon when they came down to get our hair and nails done.

While at the salon, I listened to my sister’s friends and mom talk about how they wanted their hair. We were led to chairs, and the stylists began to work on us. My hair was shoulder length and mousy brown. I always wore it down or in a ponytail. Today, the stylist put it up.

The whole ordeal took just over two hours. When we left, I couldn’t believe it was me staring back from the mirror. My hair was piled on top of my head with uncountable hairpins. My nails were colored to match the peach dress I would wear for the wedding.

We spent an hour looking around the hotel’s lobby and the shops. I wanted to find a gift for Kyle, but nothing appealed to me.

After a light lunch, we went to the suite to dress. We stopped by Amy’s and my room to get her things on the way. When we left, I realized I would be alone after the wedding.

Stacy and Amber went to their room to get their things, telling us they would meet us in the suite.

My mom decided to get dressed in her room and told us she’d meet us later. Amy and I went to the suite and looked around while waiting for Stacy and Amber. The room was huge, with a living room and a large bedroom. I noticed a small bar and an entertainment center in the living room.

Amy checked the bedroom and found our dresses hanging in a closet. When Stacy and Amber arrived, we began getting ready. The bathroom had a shower with a removable shower head, so we could clean up without getting our hair wet. Once everyone was showered, we began to dress.

The new lingerie Amy bought for me was still in the bag from the store. I took it out and fumbled with the strapless bra. Amber saw I was having trouble and helped me. I watched the other girls putting on their garter belts without their panties. When I asked my sister why, she laughed.

“If you put your panties on first, you have to take everything down when you pee. If you put the panties over the suspenders, you just have to pull your panties down.”

I followed suit and put on my garter belt and stockings before my panties. Once I had the new lingerie on, I looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe how sexy I looked.

We helped one another put on our pastel gowns. The dresses were long with puffy short sleeves, leaving our shoulders bare. The scooped neckline barely covered our breasts. The top was snug, but the lower part widened at our waists.

My sister’s beautiful wedding gown made Amy look like a princess. It was made of white satin with a lace panel over her chest. The back dipped to her bra strap. The dress flared at her hips and flowed when she moved.

It took over an hour to dress and touch up our makeup. When we finished, we had half an hour before the limousines would be there to pick us up. I transferred my things into the small handbag I would carry for the night, checking that I had a full package of cigarettes. When I found the slip of paper with Kyle’s mom’s cell phone number, I asked my sister if I could try to call him.

After dialing the number, Kyle’s mom answered and told me she would get her son when I asked for him. A couple minutes later, Kyle said hello.

“Hi, sweetie, happy birthday,” I said.

“Hi, Trish, thanks. I miss you. Are you having a good time?”

“I miss you too. How are things going?”

“Okay, but I’d rather be with you today. You should see me. I’m dressed in my gown.”

“I’ll bet you’re beautiful.”

“Maybe I’ll put it on for you when I get home.”

“I’d like to see you in it. I like to see you in anything.”

I chuckled, knowing Kyle would like to see me in what I was wearing under the dress. My heart pounded when I thought if he was here, I might show him.

“I have to get going, Kyle.” I lowered my voice. “I miss you and can’t wait to see you. Please come over on Sunday. I don’t care what time it is.”

“I promise, Trish. See you then.”

“Bye, sweetie.”

“Bye, Trish, see you on Sunday.”

I held the phone to my ear and listened while he hung up. My heart beat a mile a minute, and my palms felt sweaty. After hanging up the phone, I joined the others in the living room.

Amy glanced up at me and grinned when our eyes met. “How’s your dreamy boyfriend?”

“Kyle’s okay. Today is his birthday. I miss him.” I felt like I was going to start crying.

“You guys have to meet this boy,” Amy told her friends. “He is a hunk and a gentleman. He doesn’t even try to get frisky with Trish.”

“Bull, all guys have fast hands,” Stacy said.

“Not Kyle,” I said in defense. “He’s so sweet to me you wouldn’t believe it. He doesn’t do anything I don’t want him to.”

“Wow, there’s hope,” Amber said. “You better try to hang on to him if he’s as nice as you say.”

“Don’t worry, I plan to.”

Amy told us it was time to leave. Before heading downstairs, my sister gave us hugs. We left the room, got on the elevator, and went to the lobby.

Mom and Dad were waiting when we got off the elevator. When we walked up to my parents, Mom told us Darrel and the rest of the men were on the way to the church. Dad took Amy’s arm and led her through the doors to the waiting limousine.

Dad held the door while we climbed into the limo and sat down. Once we were settled, Dad closed the door, and we were off. My parents followed in their car.

We waited until Dad could make sure the guys were where they were supposed to be at the church. Amy and Darrel weren’t to see one another until she walked down the aisle, and Dad would make sure they didn’t.

Dad came to the limo, opened the door, and told us we could go in. We filed out of the car, walked into the church through a side door where a woman met us, and led our group to a room to wait until it was time to start.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Tears filled my eyes as my sister and Darrel exchanged their vows. We walked to the foyer and went outside when they were officially married.

The sidewalk was lined with guests throwing birdseed at us as we hurried down the walk. After the foray, we returned to the church for pictures.

The photographer positioned us and took group photos as we reenacted several parts of the ceremony so he could record them on film. Once the photographer was finished at the church, we headed to a park in the two limousines.

Amy and Darrel rode in the first car while the rest followed in the second. We pulled into the parking lot at the city park, got out, and walked to a gazebo where the photographer took the pictures before leaving for the hall.