Kylie had the limo violently blaring pop music and was trying to teach Sarah how to dance, singing along terribly but proudly. The ceiling was too low for them to stand straight so they moved in a jerky cross between a drunken conga line and that scene from The Exorcist where she scuttles backwards down the stairs.
Kylie pretended to slap Sarah’s ass which made Beck laugh so hard champagne came out her nose. “Come on, Beck! Get in here,” Kylie cried as they reached the back of the limo and had to turn around, taking baby steps to make the most of the space.
“No!” Beck gasped, wiping away tears and champagne. “There’s not enough room in here for that!”
“Yeah, there really isn’t,” Kylie agreed, reluctantly collapsing back into her seat. She turned the music down a bit and reached for her glass. “Make sure you tell Sam to get us a party bus next time. The limo might be classy as shit, but I need room to get my moves out.”
“I think the world might be better off if you kept them inside,” Beck mused.
Kylie pulled an incensed face and tossed her long hair over her shoulder. “Screw the world. I must dance.”
“You should get that on a t-shirt,” I said, laughing before suppressing a yawn. At three glasses of champagne before two o’clock, this might as well have been a normal brunch for the girls and me, but the early wake-up and lack of food was combining with the alcohol to make me a little sleepy.
“Hey, hey, none of that now,” Kylie said, pointing a warning finger at me. “You better drink some coffee because tonight’s going to get wild.”
“Wild?” Sarah asked. She looked breathless from the dancing and a little nervous.
Kylie gave her a big smile. “Trust me,” she said. “It’s going to be the best night of your life. Now what is your opinion on clubbing?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been,” she admitted. Jules snorted, but looked away when I cast a curious glance. I hoped nobody heard, most of all Sarah. We were going to get the quiet girl to have a good time. There was no room for judgment with this crowd.
“Not a problem,” Kylie said. “All you have to do is shake your ass and then—”
The two of them put their heads together as Kylie walked her through the game plan and I turned away to evaluate Beck with a knowing eye. She was looking out the window, suddenly removed from the party, a questioning look on her face. I moved over so I was by her side.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked.
Her eyes flicked to mine and she blushed as if I’d caught her thinking something she shouldn’t. “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said. She paused. “I’m just thinking about how lucky I am.”
“Well, you deserve it,” I said, grabbing her hand. She nodded softly and didn’t comment so I continued. “This is going to be a fantastic week, ending with a wedding straight from the story books. Trust me, as Maid of Honor, a position I take very seriously mind you, this is all going to go off without a hitch. Just sit back and relax and let me guide you down the river of love.”
She gave a breathy laugh. “I’m sorry, what? The river of love?”
I shrugged. “I think I’m like a riverboat captain in this scenario? But come on, I don’t know what I’m saying. Just roll with it please.”
Beck grinned. “I will. And I trust you. It’s going to be fantastic. I can’t wait to see the resort.”
“I can’t wait to see your pictures from Italy. Tell me again what you have planned?”
Beck lost the far-away look and launched into an explanation of villas and wineries, small sea-side towns and the giant, ancient mecca that was Rome. Sam was going all-out on their honeymoon just as he was with their wedding.
As we passed through the gates and the limo drove up the mile-long drive to the Tuzas Suns Welcoming Center, all fears for the week melted away. I believed my own words. This wedding was going to go off without a hitch.
There wasn’t much more time for worries or promises though. The moment the limo pulled up in front of the gorgeous, glass-walled reception center, we were in a flurry of commotion. Attendants came for our bags, whisking them away to our rooms, while a familiar face emerged from the vestibule, arms held wide in welcome.
Mariana was a straight-backed, gorgeous woman with dark hair and a bleached-white power suit that I’d never seen her without. I had to hand it to her — the woman knew what looked good on her and I was pretty sure she had a dozen of the exact same suit in varying shades of ivory, pearl, and bone. How she never got a speck of dirt on any of them was beyond me and added to her mystique as the wedding planner to the rich and famous of NYC.
“The future Mrs. Sam Callahan,” she exclaimed as she approached us. “Tuzas Suns Resort welcomes you all. I’ve just been checking on your rooms. Everything is in order. Why don’t we get you girls settled in?”
“Did you see my text?” I asked her, ignoring the sugary words. Mariana and I had spent a lot of time together as I managed the wedding plans and we were well past meaningless pleasantries.
Her smile dipped a bit, but then straightened into an aggressive brightness. “I did, Alice. I’ve been waiting on the resort for confirmation about the change.”
“Well next time, could you acknowledge that you got it so I’m not wonder—”
Beck put a hand on my arm. “It’s okay, Mariana.” To me she said, “Stop it, Alice! Let the woman do her job. This week is about relaxing. Not thinking about the wedding.”
Mariana’s smile tiptoed toward smug as Beck tried to keep me from doing my job. But I nodded.
“Okay, okay,” I said. “Yes. Fun. Should we head up to the rooms then?”
Beck turned to wrangle the girls and I mouthed to Mariana, Let me know about the flowers, before grabbing my bag and heading after my friends to the reception area.
We didn’t have to wait in line. Mariana had come that morning to prepare everything for us. She walked straight past the reception desk and down a glass hallway that looked out over the resort.
As we walked, she dived straight into what we needed to know about Tuzas Suns. There were two main guest towers, the north and the south, and they were joined by the longer, shorter building that we were currently walking in. To the front was check-in, but the further you went, there were all the amenities of a world-class resort — multiple restaurants and dining options, bars, a three-story spa, a gym, a movie theater, a casino, rock-climbing, and an auditorium.
But the real highlights of a stay at Tuzas Suns, she told us, would always be outside. Between the guest towers and the ocean were multiple pools spread out across the property. They varied from “fun for the whole family” to complete with a fully-outfitted swim-up bar. Beyond the swimming, there were tennis courts and a golf course and acres of gardens and pathways to walk and admire the scenic coastline. They offered horseback-riding on the beach, sailing and scuba classes, diving in a shipwreck just off the coast, snorkeling in the coves—
The list continued, Mariana barely pausing for breath. I wondered how much of a kickback she got from the resort for recommending the place to her clients. But she’d promised the best, and, at least in pure volume of activities, she’d definitely delivered. I felt like I should be taking notes or I was going to miss everything the place had to offer. Hopefully the others grasped some of it, but they all shared the same glassy-eyed look that I was sure was on my face too.