Pouring us both a drink, I hold up my glass and say, “To you and Ares, may today be the start of your new lives together, and may there be more happy days than bad.”
Ashlea picks up her glass, “Amen.”
“Can you sit?” I ask.
Ashlea nods. “Yeah.”
“Take the big chair, it’s more comfortable.”
Just as Ashlea is about to sit, the photographer, Henry, walks into the room.
“I thought you left?”
“No, no, no. Getting photos of the bride getting ready is just the beginning.” He looks around the room. “Okay, ladies, how about we go outside to the garden?”
“Can I finish my glass of bubbles first?” asks Ashlea.
Henry plucks the glass out of her hand and shakes his head. “Not in here. Come on, you hired me to do a job, and I’m doing it.”
“Henry, you’ve got photos of me practically naked. I need that drink.”
“Those are only for you and TB to look at. I promise not to share them. Trust me when I tell you, he’s going to love them.”
“If he doesn’t kill you for taking such intimate photos of his bride, he might,” I tease as I hold open my front screen door.
Henry shakes his head and looks down at Ashlea. “Come on, daylight’s fading.”
“It’s early.”
“So, humor me,” replies Henry, holding out his arm to her.
Ashlea grasps it, and we all move out to my walled-in garden. Henry has set up a chair, and he guides Ashlea to it. For the next half an hour, he takes lots of photographs. Then he moves us out at the bluff with nothing but the ocean behind us. Thankfully, the wind is mild and doesn’t ruin Ashlea’s or my hair. A loud wolf whistle pierces the air, signaling Todd and Ashlea’s father’s arrival.
“Perfect timing,” mutters Henry as he picks up another camera.
Todd walks out to us. He’s in a charcoal suit, white shirt, and pink tie, which is a perfect match for my dress.
Touching it, I laugh. “We match.”
“Well, as your date, I had to. Besides, it’s what a boyfriend would do.”
Henry is clicking away, taking pictures of us, so Todd and I start posing for the camera, and soon Ashlea and her father join in.
“All right,” says Henry. “That’s enough. Now I want some serious shots of the bride and her dad.”
Grabbing onto Todd’s hand, we walk back into my home while Henry does his thing.
“Do you want a glass of champagne?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Todd smiles. “You look beautiful. That dress really suits you.”
“You don’t think it’s too pink?”
Todd chuckles. “It’s a wedding, you can never be…” he does finger quotes in the air, “… too anything.”
Laughing, I hold out a glass to him. “When do we leave?”
Todd looks at his watch. “Another ten minutes. So, sit, relax, and tell me you’re okay.”
“You know?”
“I know.”
Taking a seat in my red overstuffed chair, I take a sip of champagne. “Seems everyone knew about me.”
Todd lets out all the air in his lungs with a whooshing sound and sits on my sofa. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “Yeah. I really am. It’s a relief to have it all out in the open, and Kris, well, Kris is wonderful.”
Todd quirks an eyebrow and swallows half his glass. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
Smiling, I say, “He’s changed.” Leaning forward, I put the glass down on my coffee table. “And yet he hasn’t at the same time.”
“What does that mean?”
“I guess we are the same but older and wiser.”
Ashlea bustles back through the front door and points at me. “I need one of those.”
Rising immediately to my feet, I go and get her a glass. Ashlea takes the barest of sips and lets out a sigh.
“Are you okay?”
She looks at me. “My parents aren’t like yours. My dad is trying to tell Henry how to do his job. I swear I’m about to kill him.”
“Sit down, and I’ll go fix this. It’s my job on your day.” I glance at Todd. “Keep the bride happy.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Walking out to the bluff, Ashlea’s dad is in a loud conversation with Henry, not allowing him to speak by talking over him.
“Enough!” I yell.
Both men look at me.
“I will not have my daughter’s day ruined by this, this… this incompetent buffoon.”
Henry’s mouth falls open, and then he swings his head in my direction.
Holding up my hands, I smile at him. “Henry, why don’t you go into the house and have a glass of champagne? We have to leave soon.”
Henry scowls at Ashlea’s dad and strides away without a word.
When he rounds the corner of my walled garden, and I can no longer see him, I address Mr. Lynch. “You need to take it down a notch, Mr. Lynch. Henry isn’t charging TB and Ashlea for his time today. The only thing they’ll need to pay him for is the prints.”
“But—”
“No buts! Henry has been taking pictures for years. He’s won awards, and we’re lucky to have him. Now, this is Ashlea’s day, and right now she’s upset because you are ruining it. Not Henry. So, get your ass inside and let’s make her happy.”
He opens and closes his mouth several times as though he wants to say something, but the words don’t come. So, I hold out my arm to him, Mr. Lynch clears his throat, links his arm through mine, and we head into the house.
***
Todd pulls the car up in front of the chapel. A few locals who weren’t invited to the wedding are waiting outside to see the bride along with a ton of security guards and press.
“Oh my God, why are there so many people here?”
“It’s okay, Ash. They just want a glimpse of you.”
Todd gets out of the car and jogs around to open the door. First, Mr. Lynch gets out, then me, and finally the bride. Ashlea smiles, and I walk around her to make sure her dress is perfect. Todd kisses me on the cheek.
“I need to go and get seated. Remember, shoulders back, tits out, and smile.” With a wink, he jogs into the chapel.
Mr. Lynch makes a harrumphing noise and looks at his daughter. “Although I don’t approve of his vernacular, he has a point.”
I grin at Ashlea. “See you in there. I’ll be at the front, and I’ll save you a spot.”
“Athena?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. You’ve made my day perfect.”
“It’s not over yet. We haven’t even gotten to the good part.”
Squeezing her hand one last time, I go and stand at the door to the chapel. The music starts, the guests all stand, and I begin my walk down the aisle. My bouquet is a smaller version of Ashlea’s. It’s a cascade of mostly white flowers with a pink rosebud dotted throughout, Ashlea’s is primarily pink roses with white rosebuds. It’s a literal waterfall of flowers that come to a point.
Slowly, I walk down the aisle, taking in the gorgeous decorations around the room. The wooden bench seats gleam, and the pink and white flowers hanging on the end of them have filled the small chapel with their fragrance. Everyone is smiling, and you can feel the love. My parents are in the front row, and Dad has a hanky to his face as he watches me walk down the aisle. Father Daniel smiles at me, and I walk toward him. My gaze lands on TB, whose smile is huge, then it lands on Kris. He’s not smiling, he looks like he’s in shock. He visibly shakes himself and then nods at me and winks. I feel a blush creep up my neck and heat my face.