Business and Pleasure (26 page)

She glances down, and then looks back up at
me.

“I’m doing okay. A little sore, but I’ll
survive. How’s Becca?”

“Becca is doing well. She and Mark are
practically living together, and he’s taking great care of
her.”

Natalie smiles. “Good, I’m so happy for her.
I’m glad we’re all okay.”

Natalie keeps glancing down at the floor,
and I wonder if she’s worried, if she thinks I’m holding some kind
of grudge. Suddenly, she grabs my hand.

“Oh, my God! Elizabeth! Did you get
engaged?” She lifts my ring so it sparkles in the fluorescent
overhead light.

I sigh, figuring I better get used to it. A
ring like mine is definitely an eye catcher. If I ever want to
announce my engagement in my own way, I’ll need to make sure I hide
my hand.

“Yes. Alex asked me the night before
last.”

Natalie squeals and pulls me back into a
hug. “I am
so
happy for you! Is there anything I can do to
help?”

I glance over at my flowers then look back
at Natalie. “Yes…you can help me plan my wedding.”

*****

The next six months fly by. With every day
that passes, I grow more and more comfortable living with Alex. His
apartment feels like home, a beautiful sanctuary, as much mine as
his. Work has gotten back to normal, both at Hamilton Publishing
and Neo Corp. Everyone at Neo Corp has been so apologetic for even
considering Bob as a board member. We had to testify…first at Bob’s
trial and then again at Christina’s…and they were both sentenced to
prison. I never have to worry about that asshole again. Christina
tried to reach out to me and then to Alex a few times, but neither
of us wanted to talk to her. All we want to do is put the past
garbage behind us, and focus on each other and our wedding.

Speaking of my upcoming nuptials, Becca,
Natalie, Nicki and I have been working nonstop making wedding
plans. The men contribute very little, with Alex answering
questions or giving his opinion only when asked. When I question
him regarding his lack of participation, he tells me he’ll be
perfectly okay with whatever I decide and that he trusts me
explicitly. He did, however, make a call to reserve the Grand
Ballroom at New York’s Plaza Hotel, which is where we decided we’ll
hold the ceremony and reception. My parents were married there, so
I have always wanted to do the same. We also set our wedding date
for the same day as my parents’…March 14th. Thank goodness for
Becca, Natalie, and Nicki. They’ve helped me plan out every last
wedding detail, from the chairs to the flowers to the dress, and
there’s no way I could have done any of it without them. We sent
out one-hundred and fifty invitations, and all but a few people
have confirmed they’ll attend. Every time I begin to stress, Alex
steps in and forces me to take a break, during which he coddles me
by pouring me a glass of wine and drawing a hot bubble bath. He
takes very good care of me, knows exactly how to make all the
stress disappear.

These past six months have proven to be the
best six months of my life. I think we all feel kind of the same.
Mark and Becca moved in together, and Bryan and Natalie have been
in a relationship for a few months now, while Nicki…well, Nicki is
still just Nicki, playing the field and having fun doing it.
Everyone seems happy, I feel as if I have a brand new, extended
family.

Tonight, the night before the ceremony, Alex
is staying the night over at Becca’s with Mark and Bryan, while
Becca, Nicki, and Natalie are staying here my house. I’m so excited
about tomorrow, I’m having a hard time relaxing, and I know I’ll
never fall asleep if I don’t figure out a way to settle my
nerves.

“Here, Lizzy, have another drink. Another
cocktail should make you tired enough to sleep, when the time
comes.”

I accept the glass Becca hands me and take a
long sip. One more Cosmo shouldn’t hurt, right? Over the course of
the next thirty minutes or so, I drain my glass. The alcohol has
the desired effect; warming my insides and making my body feel like
it’s made of jelly. I half-listen as the girls start talking about
what
they’d
want at
their
weddings…even though none
of them are even engaged. Silly girls. I excuse myself and go to my
bedroom, leaving them to hang out and talk. As I lay down, I look
over at my dress hanging on the closet door and recall how many
weeks I spent looking for just the right gown. After hours and
hours spent trying on one gorgeous creation after another, I came
upon the perfect dress—a beautiful, sophisticated, fitted designer
gown with a lace overlay and a sweetheart neckline. The minute I
tried it on, I fell in love. I hardly needed any alterations, and
the color worked great with my white, beaded high heels. As I lie
in my bed—my big, empty,
lonely
bed—and fantasize about
tomorrow’s events, I find myself drifting off to sleep.

* * * * *

I wake up the next morning to the ladies
jumping up and down on my bed.

“Wake up! Wake up! Today’s the day!”

They seem more excited than I am—not exactly
a difficult feat, considering I only just opened my eyes, and my
brain’s not even awake yet. Becca sticks a cup of coffee under my
nose as I sit up and attempt to clear the cobwebs out of my
head.

“You need to be in the shower in ten
minutes,” Becca says. “I’m dead serious. Don’t make me come back in
here. If I have to, I’ll throw you in the shower and wash you
myself.”

Damn, how many cups of coffee has she had
this morning? Talk about bossy. But I don’t argue—the image of
Becca climbing into the shower with me has me sliding out of bed
with quickness. Considering how much I have to do prior to leaving
for the ceremony, I don’t have time to lay around, anyway. There’s
just enough time for me to shower, get my hair and makeup done, and
drive to the hotel.

After my shower, I throw on my robe, and
Natalie comes in with the hairdresser. Two hours later, I’m
glancing at the clock and wondering if I allowed enough time for
everything. My hair isn’t finished yet. Thank God the makeup artist
got here early, so she can do my makeup as the stylist continues
working on my hair. Heightened tension fills the room as Natalie,
Nicki and Becca pace around, wringing their hands, unable to do
anything to hurry things along.

The moment the stylist and makeup artist
leave, the girls are on me, dress and veil in hand. Five minutes
later, I’m completely dressed and ready to walk out the door. I
glance in the mirror and gasp at my reflection. Wow. The combined
effect of professionally styled hair and artist-applied makeup was
definitely worth the wait. My hair is half up, half down, and long
curls flow over my shoulders. The natural yet vibrant makeup is
flawless, and as I continue gazing at my reflection, I barely
recognize myself. Dear God…this is really happening. In just a few
hours, I’ll be a married woman. ‘Til death us do part…

Nervous tension has butterflies swarming in
my stomach. Natalie brings me bottled water and a trail mix bar to
hold me over until after the wedding. Luckily, our reception is
going to be right there in The Terrace Room at The Plaza.

As I nibble on the energy bar and attempt to
catch my breath, Becca’s cell phone, which is lying on my bed,
begins ringing. She grabs it, glances at the display, and then
brings it to me.

“Mr. Wonderful is on the phone. I imagine he
wants to speak to you.”

I smile as I reach for the phone. We said we
couldn’t see each other before the wedding, but we didn’t say
anything about not talking.

“Hello there, Mr. Preston.”

His gentle laughter caresses my ear.

“Hello, soon-to-be Mrs. Preston. I can’t
wait to see you.”

I find my breath and try to hold back the
tears pooling in my eyes.

“I can’t wait to see you, either.” I glance
over at the clock on the nightstand. “I’ll be there shortly.”

“And I’ll be waiting, my love. But don’t
make me wait too long.” There’s a pause, and when he speaks again,
I notice his tone has changed, grown more serious. “I love you,
Elizabeth.”

Aw, geez.
One tear escapes and rolls
down my cheek. “I love you, too, Alex.”

As soon as I hang up, Natalie is there with
a sponge, fixing my makeup.
My goodness…such a fuss over one
tiny tear
.

The moment my face is again picture perfect,
we’re ready to go. We all pile inside the white limo that’s
downstairs waiting for us. I can’t control my twitching hands and
my feet won’t sit still. We pull up to The Plaza and now is when I
feel sick to my stomach. The butterflies are overwhelming. We make
our way through the beautiful hotel to a room they provide for us
to use in order to touch up our makeup and finish getting ready.
Becca, Nicki and Natalie are wearing sky blue bridesmaid dresses by
the same designer who created my gown. The dresses are knee-length
and the bodice is secured by a one-shoulder strap. The girls look
gorgeous.

Becca comes up and hands me a drink. “Drink
this; it’ll calm your nerves.”

I accept the martini from Becca and sip it
slowly so I won’t throw it right back up, while the girls walk
around and made sure my dress is lying absolutely perfect.

“Here,” Becca says, and hands me my bouquet
full of white calla lilies mixed in with some light blue roses.
“You ready?”

I look in the mirror, my gaze going from my
sister on one side of me to Natalie on the other. Wow, what a trio
we make. Talk about a hot threesome. But our group is
incomplete…

As if conjured by my thoughts, the door
flies open, and Nicki comes striding into the room. I grin at the
vitality she brings with her; she’s got more energy than the
Entergizer bunny.

“Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
She stands before me, hands on her hips, and looks me up and down.
“Wow. You look great!”

“Thanks.” I examine her outfit, as well.
“You don’t look too shabby, yourself. In fact, I’d say we all look
pretty amazing. Thank you, ladies. I couldn’t have pulled off this
wedding without your help.”

“Our pleasure. I’m sure you’ll do the same,
when it’s our turn.” Becca starts for the door. ‘Now, let’s go.
Your groom is gonna start thinking you’ve decided to leave him
stranded by himself at the altar.”

I take one more look at myself in the
mirror, then turn and follow Becca and the others out into the
hallway.

* * * * *

I walk through the doors of The Grand
Ballroom in The Plaza. White chairs with light blue ribbon draped
around each one are lined up, row after row, from the front of the
room to the back. White calla lilies, light and dark blue flowers,
line each side of the aisle and surround the altar, which is a
beautiful, angelic white tent with greenery intermingled with the
colorful blooms. Candles in brushed silver candlesticks are
intermixed with the flowers, their flickering flames giving the
room a subtle, golden glow. Becca, Natalie, and Nicki stroll down
the aisle on the arm of three handsome groomsmen, all of whom are
lifelong friends of Alex’s, and then it’s my turn. Although I had
several male friends I may have asked to escort me—including Mark,
who said he’d be honored to do so—I decided to walk down the aisle
by myself, carrying a picture of my parents tucked away in my
bouquet. I can feel their spirits in the room with me, as if
they’re walking with me, one on each side. I gaze at the far end of
the aisle and lock eyes with Alex. The moment I do, the butterflies
disappear, and I’m focused on one thing and one thing alone…joining
him there, at the other end, and saying my vows…promising to love
and cherish him forever. Per my request, he’s wearing the same
tuxedo he had on the night he proposed. The only difference is the
blue vest we added, in order to tie in his outfit with the
bridesmaids’ and groomsmen’s clothing.

As I arrive at the altar, I take Alex’s hand
and give it a gentle squeeze. His eyes are filled with tears, as
are mine, and I can barely see Becca when I hand her my bouquet.
She fishes a handkerchief out of her bodice and blots my eyes. I
cough back a burst of laughter. A handkerchief in her bodice! She’s
like someone’s little, old auntie, but I must admit I’m happy she’s
so prepared.

Alex takes my hands in his and that spark I
felt the moment we met is still there. A vibrating current flows
through my body like electricity as the preacher talks about
everlasting love. Alex and I had decided to stick with the
traditional vows, and as he speaks them to me, my knees go weak. He
vows to love me, cherish me, and be with me forever, and I have a
hard time wrapping my mind around the enormity of the situation.
When it’s my turn, I make the same vows. Speaking from the heart, I
mean every single word. Never have I loved another person as much
as I love this man. Gazing into each other’s eyes, we exchange
rings, and the moment the band is on my finger, I know I belong to
him and he belongs to me.

The preacher says, “You may kiss the bride,”
and I jump into my husband’s arms as he kisses me.
My
husband.
How cool is that
? Applause fills the room and
everyone stands while we walk back down the aisle. We make our way
to The Terrace Room, and as always, I’m blown away by the Italian
Renaissance décor. Magnificent paintings cover the ceiling, and
crystal chandeliers throw off a brilliant glow. My candles and
flowers lie atop the white cloth-covered tables, and the seating in
here matches what we had for the service in the ballroom. My vision
has come to life; everything is exactly as we’d planned and exactly
as I’d imagined when I’d pictured this perfect wedding in my mind
all these past months. I could not be happier with the end
result.

Alex and I spend the rest of the evening
eating, toasting, and dancing with our friends and family. I feel
free, happy, and better yet complete.