Chapter 2: The Rehearsal

A song was going through my head:

‘It’s like thunder,

Lightnin’,

The way you love me is frightenin’,

I’d better

Knock

Knock

Knock

Knock

On wood.’

Only, the knocking came again. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Hotel room. Weight. Someone was lying on top of me. And there was that damned knocking again. This time it was accompanied by a voice:

“Mr. Eugene? Are you there? It’s Phillip, your bellhop. I need the cart!”

I came to consciousness. I realized it was Lou lying on top of me where she had more-or-less passed out. I put a hand to her ear, covering it.

I cleared my throat. “Just a minute, Phillip,” I called.

The knocking came again. “Just a minute!” I called again, much louder. Lou moaned.

“Lou, honey,” I said, softly, into her ear. “I have to get up. The bellhop is at the door.” She only moaned again. I patted her hip. “Come on. I have to get up ... unless, of course, you want to answer the door naked!”

That earned a little laugh, but she rolled off of me, trailing a little bit of semen across my hip. I grabbed at my pants and waddled to the bathroom, calling out to Phillip to give me a minute. I got a wash cloth and some warm water and washed my cock and balls and the semen trail. I pulled up my pants and shrugged my shirt into place and then went to the door.

Phillip had his hand raised again as if to knock as I opened the door.

“I apologize, Mr. Eugene,” he said, “but we need the cart. We have many people checking in for the wedding.”

“I understand, Phillip,” I said. “I should be the one apologizing to you. I got a little ... distracted. Give me just a moment and I’ll bring it over.”

Phillip waited at the door, but he didn’t stay outside. Luckily, the room was ‘L’ shaped, a suite, and the couch was on the long side of the ‘L’; there was a little wall around which he couldn’t see. This was good because Lou was still on the couch and in the all together. I removed the bags from the cart, hanging the garment bags in the closet. I rolled the cart over to where Phillip stood patiently waiting. I handed him the cart along with a $5 bill.

“Sorry for the wait,” I said. “I didn’t mean to have it so long.”

“Thank you, Mr. Eugene,” said Phillip. “It really wasn’t a problem. For your information, Ms. Tralmark got your message and said she’d see you at the church. You do know where it is, right?”

“Just about three blocks down the street, right?”

He nodded. “Yes, sir. Have a good evening.”

I closed the door behind him. As I turned, I was confronted with not only my image, but also a view of the bed and Lou’s naked backside. No wonder Phillip was so patient. There was a mirror right there, and he could see everything!

I walked into the bedroom area and gave Lou a smack on the butt.

“Ow!” she shouted, rubbing the offended cheek, sitting up in the process. “What was that for?”

“Just wanted to wake you up, Love,” I said. “You were giving the poor bellhop quite a bit of a show, you know. Also, you heard Mr. Sanchez; they moved the rehearsal time up and we need to get moving. Want to join me in the shower?”

“I don’t know,” she said. You’ve been so mean to me today. First you ignore my needs, then you smack me for no reason. Will you be good?”

“I promise,” I said. I extended a hand to help her up. She took it and we headed to the bath, hand-in-hand.

I was taking off my clothes as she bent over the tub to regulate the water. It was unconscious, I’m sure, but there sure seemed to be a lot of wriggle in that tush. Divested of my clothes, left in an untidy puddle where I had stood, I stepped over to where she was bent over at the waist. I took a hold of her hips and pressed her into my groin where my cock had started to stiffen again. She straightened up in my embrace and leaned back against me. I nuzzled her neck, pushing the lengthened hair out of the way. She reached up and caressed the back of my head, purring.

“You want to go again?” she sighed. “I thought we had to get a move on to get to the rehearsal.”

“We do,” I said, nipping her lightly, moving my hand to her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples gently. She ground in appreciation. “You, my dear, are a very great temptation, and I always want to go again with you. But, you’re right; we do have to get ready.” I reached around her and flicked the diverter to activate the shower. “Hop in; I’ll wash you.”

She started to step in. “Could you get my shampoo? It’s in the smaller, red bag.”

“Why don’t I get you some real poo?” I quipped. She stuck her tongue out at me. I went and did as she asked. I located the correct bag, opened it and was amazed at the contents. I didn’t suspect Lou had that much makeup; she always appeared very natural. Of course, it wasn’t all that much, I reflected. My ex-wife probably had twice as much and didn’t look half as good! I grabbed up the shampoo and a bottle of conditioner and when I got back into the bathroom, I unpeeled a rather large bar of soap, compliments of the hotel, and stepped into the shower.

Lou was standing there, facing me, looking at me expectantly. I indicated, with my forefinger, that she should turn around. When she had, I put a generous amount of shampoo into my hand and started working it into her scalp. This earned me an appreciative groan and another when I started massaging her scalp with my fingertips. I finished quickly and turned her around to rinse her scalp. I turned her back around and repeated the process. I lingered a bit this time, really working my fingertips into her scalp. She was moaning and sighing deeply as I finished.

I let her stand there as I rinsed off my hands. I took up the soap and began washing her back. What I really had in mind was a vertical massage, beginning with her shoulders. I worked my way down her back, being sure to use my thumbs on her sacrum. She really groaned and made as if she was going to collapse as I did it. I quit rather more quickly than I wanted to; I knew how good it could feel. I worked down her legs and did not neglect the soles of her feet, being careful not to tickle her.

I then started lathering her front, cupping her breasts from behind. I didn’t want to give up that position, as I could reach everything I needed to reach easily. I soaped up her arms and armpits, moving swiftly to lather her stomach and pubes. I purposely did not wash her pussy.

I had neglected her butt when I was washing her back, but now was the time. I was on my knees and I took the soap into my hands and rubbed it all over her tush, including between her cheeks. I then put down the soap and massaged her rear, squeezing each cheek, again doing my best not to tickle her. Then, I reached between her cheeks and washed the valley between her gluts. She wriggled her hips at this but didn’t make to get away and I was thus encouraged to try something further.

I spread her cheeks and bit and blew a stream of air into the gap. She giggled a little and her hands came around and spread the cheeks even further. That freed my one hand to glide in between and wash her there. I put more soap onto my hand and rubbed perineum and then used my wet and soapy finger to massage her anus. She sighed and wriggled again, placing her feet further apart, spreading her legs and her ass even more. I figured it was time to go for broke. I placed my second finger on her wrinkled rosebud and pushed.

My finger went in surprisingly easily. Lou took a breath, hissing as she inhaled and ‘ooohed’ on the exhale. She leaned forward, releasing her left hand from holding her cheek and placed it on the wall before her. Thus braced, I was able to push my finger into her up to the third knuckle. I reached my other hand around to her front and flicked a finger across her clit a couple of times, eliciting a low groan from Lou. She arched her back, pushing her butt towards me and I started moving my hand, and the finger so deep within her, back and forth. I continued my massage of her clit and Lou started pushing back and forth in counterpoint to my hand’s movement.

Because Lou was leaning on the front wall of the shower, water was cascading down her back and between the cheeks of her ass where my finger was pushing into her. The water was washing away the soap I had been using as a lubricant, and, as I was feeling new resistance to my intrusion, I abandoned her clit and grabbed up the hair conditioner, pouring that over my fingers. I added my forefinger to the middle finger already ensconced there in her ass and I pushed and shoved them as far into her as I could. She, for her part, continued to push back at my intruding fingers, making little “uh, uh, uh,” sounds with each rhythmic push of my fingers.

She had been using one arm against the wall to hold herself up, her head leaning against it. She used her other hand to hold herself open to me. She abandoned trying to hold her ass cheeks apart and used that hand to start flailing away on her clit, the sound of it coming to me in wet-sounding little slaps. I dropped the bottle of conditioner and used that hand to brace myself on her thigh, forcing my fingers as deep into her as I could.

Between her rubbing on her clit and my forcing my fingers as hard as I could into her, I soon heard her wail that announced her oncoming orgasm. She pushed her ass hard onto my fingers and I saw her pinch her clit as she came. It was a good thing I was there to catch her, as she started to collapse. I pulled my fingers from her with an audible ‘pop’ and she leaned up against the wall.

“Wow!” she exhaled forcefully. “Wow!” she repeated. “That’s the first time anyone’s done that with me.”

“Do you think you’re ready for the real thing?” I asked, holding my cock and wagging it at her.

“Not yet,” she demurred. “But, soon, maybe. I promise.” With that, she heaved herself from the wall, stepped back under the spray and thoroughly rinsed herself off. She eyed me as she stepped out from the water. “Would you mind if I just stepped out and got ready?”

It was the first time she had not immediately reciprocated my attentions and my disappointment must have shown on my face.

“We’ll make love when we get back, I promise,” she said. “I may even have a surprise for you.”

I mutely nodded my head. “I promise,” she said kissing me on the cheek. “Don’t be long; we don’t want to be late.”

I sighed as she stepped out of the shower and proceeded to cleanse myself. When I stepped out of the shower, Lou had left the bathroom. With the shower off, I could hear her humming in the next room. I dried myself off and went into the other room where Lou was sitting and putting on her make up. As I dressed, I studied her sitting there.

She had donned a long skirt, one that reached down to the floor and would come to her ankles when she stood up. It was black with a bold sunflower print on it. She wasn’t wearing a top as she applied her make up, but it was on the bed beside her, a black tube top with a matching sunflower design on it. It was elasticized and looked like it would be for a child, not an adult. I presumed that it would stretch to fit.

Lou used brushes and dry materials for her facial make up and only a little liner and mascara for her eyes. I was slipping on my jacket as she finished, and once again, I marveled at how very natural she appeared. She picked up the top and extended her arms, pulling it onto her arms. She then raised her arms above her head and wriggled the garment over her head and onto her chest, her tush wriggling also in a very tempting manner ... She tugged it down into place so that it covered her midriff and then pulled it up a little. She looked at herself in the mirror, tugged the skirt up a little and then smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle. She turned to me.

“Am I presentable?” she asked coyly.

I didn’t answer right away, but stepped around her, as if critically inspecting her. Her breasts, still full from our earlier exertions, filled the top delightfully, pushing out against the elasticized fabric. I could feel myself growing a little in my pants.

“You’ll do,” I harrumphed.

“I’ll do?” she squealed. “I’ll do? I’ll show you ‘I’ll do’!” She picked up her clutch and started whacking me on the head and shoulders with it. I just reached around her, pulled her tight and started kissing her. She whacked me a couple of times more, very half-heartedly, and then got into the kiss, grinding herself to me. After a couple of moments, she broke the kiss.

“Down, boy,” she said. “We need to get going!” She picked up her shrug and draped it over her arm. She came back to me, reached up and kissed my cheek. “Remember: I said ‘I promise’, and I always keep my promises!” With that, she turned and opened the door. I mentally shrugged, picked up the bag with what I wanted for the evening and then followed her out the door.

It was a little after five. The church was only a few blocks away, and with the weather so nice (the temperature was about 78 degrees), we decided to walk over. Lou took my arm and we strolled easily, looking in the store windows, just taking our time. Even so, it was only about twenty minutes later we were at the church. There were only a couple of cars in the church’s parking lot, and I recognized one of them as being Gina’s.

The dark interior of the church was a welcome respite from the intense sunshine outside. It was cooler inside, also. We found the sanctuary easily enough and we quietly entered. Even though this was not a Catholic church, we could see someone kneeling at the alter rail, praying. I motioned to Lou to have a seat in the back.

“Do I cross myself?” she whispered.

Remembering that Lou only went to church when forced to do so, I smiled at her and whispered back, “No. Just sit quietly until she’s finished.”

That turned out to be a very short wait. The young lady got up and proved herself to be Gina, our bride. She walked up the carpeted aisle to where we sat. As she approached, both Lou and I stood up to meet her.

She smiled and her whole face lit up. “I was just praying that everything would go well tonight, and here you are, Jonny. Now, I just know everything will go fine!”

I smiled in return. “Hello, Gina. We’ll do our best to make sure everything goes as planned.” I turned to Lou. “Gina, this is my girlfriend, Lou LaRue. She’ll be my assistant tomorrow. Lou, this is Gina Tralmark, our bride.”

Lou extended her hand. Gina took it and her eyes widened in surprise. “Lulu?” she asked with what sounded like awe in her voice. “Did you go to Jefferson High School?

Lou nodded. “Yes,” she said, slowly. “I know,” Lou said, knowledge brightening up her face. “You did, too. You were a year or so behind me, weren’t you?”

Gina’s response was enthusiastic. “Yep! Sure did! I remember you, too, you know. You had quite a reputation in school.” Gina looked at me, her hands going to her mouth in shock. “Oh, Jonny! Lulu,” she said looking at Lou, “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out very well.” She turned back to me. “Lulu and I were in school together. I was considered a ‘Goody Two-shoes’ back then. If only they all knew!” She grinned. “Lulu was one of the ‘Bad Girls’ who were always pushing the envelope, getting into trouble. She questioned authority a lot!”

“Well, she hasn’t changed all that much,” I opined. That earned me a slug in the shoulder.

“You wait, buster,” said Lou. “Remember, I have a promise to keep. You keep it up and it may wait until tomorrow!”

“Lulu, if you only knew,” said Gina. “I wanted so much to be like you.”

“Like me?” said Lou, suspicion in her voice.

“Oh, yes,” said Gina. “I wanted to tell Mr. S. off so many times, but I didn’t dare. I was a ‘good girl’ and I don’t think anyone would have understood.”

“Well, he was a bit of a stuffed shirt,” Lou cautiously replied.

“If you ask me, he was a pervert!” exclaimed Gina. He was always looking up girls’ dresses and down their blouses!”

“Uh, yeah,” said Lou, uncertainly.

I cleared my throat. “Gina,” I said, getting her attention. “I need to go over the schedule with you before we get started. Then I can give everybody a copy and we’ll all be on the same page, OK?”

“Sure,” she said in a very chipper tone. “What’cha got?”

And so, we all went over the schedule for the next day. She and Cole had agreed to be photographed first so that the two of them would be fresh for their ‘together’ pictures. When we had finished those, we’d transition to pictures of Gina, her family and attendants, then pictures of the combined families and attendants. We’d finish with pictures of just Cole, his family and his attendants. It was a schedule that made things go by very quickly and in an organized fashion. It took a bit over two hours to do, but we were always done long before the main part of the guests arrived.

Gina approved the schedule and I told her that I would distribute the schedule to everybody once they were all there. She agreed with that and turned to Lou.

“Lulu?” she began.

Lou interrupted her. “Please. Call me Lou. I hate ‘Lulu’!” she said with feeling.

Gina flinched at the heat of Lou’s emotion. “All right, Lou,” she said. “I know we didn’t run in the same crowds in school, but I’d really like to talk to you. Could you come with me? I want to show you my dress.”

Lou started to say no, but I stopped her. “Go with her, Lou,” I encouraged. “Find out where the ladies will be changing. Those are some of the pictures I’ll want tomorrow and you’re better equipped to take them than I am.”

Lou looked daggers at me, but said to Gina, “Sure. Let’s find where you’re changing and that dress of yours. Let me get a camera.”

I watched them as they moved away from me, their steps in sync with each other. I couldn’t help but compare them. Well, their physical attributes, at least. Lou, while not really tall, was at least, in my opinion, willowy. Gina, being somewhat shorter, was much more compact. Lou’s skirt wafted around her ankles, and Gina’s stopped about four inches above her knee. Gina’s dress contrasted with Lou’s, being a robin’s-egg-blue in color. She wore a white blouse beneath a fitted jacket, and had on three-inch heels, also in blue.

It was interesting to note just how similar their walks were, however; their tushes, matching their stride, were in sync, moving up and down as only women’s hips can do, and it mesmerized me.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” said a voice at my elbow. It startled me, but as I turned I realized it was the groom, Cole. “Hard not to stare, right?” he said, absolutely no jealousy in his voice despite having caught me ogling his fiancé.

“Yes, on both counts,” I returned, sticking my hand out for him to shake. “How are you, Cole? Ready for the big day tomorrow?!”

He shook my hand firmly. “You’d better believe I am, Jon,” he said sincerely. I’ve been waiting for this day for ten years or more.”

I looked him up and down. He was dressed in a nice charcoal-grey suit without a tie. “Mr. Sanchez told us all about your first meeting. I think the entire staff there look at the two of you as a fairy tale come true.”

“I know. Do you have any idea of how difficult it’s been trying to be Prince Charming for all those people?” he asked. “If they only knew the truth,” he added, and not necessarily to me, as his voice was a mere whisper.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Ah ... never mind,” he said. “If you knew the truth, you might not like us all that much.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I replied. “We all have skeletons in our closets. No one is perfect.”

Just then, we were interrupted by a group of guys, some of them carrying garment bags. They came up to us and were glad-handing Cole, obviously his friends and groomsmen. They were closely followed by similarly numbered group of young women carrying dresses, just as obviously the bridesmaids. For a couple of minutes it was pure chaos. Finally, they all left to find their respective dressing rooms, Cole being pulled along with the inexorable tide of friends.

I watched them, amused. The enthusiasm and energy generated by young people in a group always amazed me. I found that others shared my amazement.

“Lively bunch, aren’t they?” asked a voice behind me. I turned and saw at once that this was Mr. Harper, Cole’s father, as the resemblance was more than striking; they might have been mistaken for twins except that it was obvious that Mr. Harper was near to my age. Behind him and slightly to his side was the woman who must have been Cole’s mother. She was strikingly handsome and must have been quite a beauty in her day.

I quickly agreed with them and introduced myself. We made some small talk and presently we heard the doors to the church open again, and Mrs. Harper went and gave a hug to the couple who came in. Mr. Harper shook the man’s hand and accepted a hug from the woman. Introductions were made and I found myself fronting Mr. and Mrs. Tralmark, Gina’s parents. I would have guessed that anyway, as Gina’s mom was short like she was. Mr. Tralmark wasn’t necessarily short, but neither was he tall, by any means. They were all good-looking and it was no wonder their children looked as good as they did. I have noticed that wealth breeds physical beauty, but it is a miracle when the beauty is more than skin deep.

Shortly we heard the noise of the young people coming back. I looked for Gina and Lou, but they weren’t among them. Neither was Cole. One very pretty young blonde came up to the group of us ‘adults’ and said, “Gina got a very important call she just had to take. She said she’d just be a few more minutes.”

I glanced at my watch. We were very close to the start time for the rehearsal. I sighed and said to the parents, “I’ve never, in all the years I’ve been photographing weddings, had a rehearsal start on time. You might as well have a seat; it’ll be at least fifteen more minutes.”

They laughed at my rueful demeanor, but went and sat, Gina’s folks on one side, Cole’s parents on the other, both of them in the next-to-front row. It always amazed me how the traditions born in the Catholic Church carried over into the Protestant faiths.

Soon, the bride and groom, both looking anxious, came into the sanctuary, trailed closely by Lou. Gina and Cole went to the front of the church while Lou came directly to me. “I hope you can help them,” she whispered and looked like she wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Gina’s voice, loud and strong. Even though I could hear her well enough from where I was, Lou took my hand and led me to the front to stand just a few feet away from the couple. They did not look especially happy at the moment.

Gina cleared her throat. “Everybody, could I have your attention?” she said and when it had quieted down, she continued. “We have some bad news. Pastor Roger cannot be here tonight. Seems that the conference he was at went longer than expected and he won’t get home until about midnight, so he won’t be here for the rehearsal. Cole and I need to talk to our photographer, and we’ll let you know what’s going on from there.”

She and Cole turned and came closer to Lou and me. “Lulu, I mean, Lou, tells me you might be able to help us here, Jon,” said Cole. “What do you think?”

“I think my assistant thinks I can leap tall building in a single bound!” They laughed with me, although theirs was a bit more forced. I took pity on them. “Yes, I can. I’ve been to hundreds of wedding rehearsals over the years. I could even legally perform the ceremony if I had to.”

That got me confused look and a “Huh?” from Lou.

“Hmmm,” I said. “OK, let’s just say that back in my misspent youth, I went to seminary with the intention of becoming a preacher.” Lou snorted at that. “I finished school, but never went for the divinity degrees, but I became a Deacon and an elder and I was licensed by the state to perform weddings. I’ve always kept that updated,” I added lamely. Lou had her hand to her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter. Cole and Gina looked merely stunned.

“OK,” I said. “I can get us through this. Let’s get to it so we can get to the party!”

Cole and Gina said ‘thank you’ and turned to everyone and explained what was going on. I turned to Lou. “Just what is so funny?” I asked.