“Hello there,” the photographer greeted them with a surprisingly warm smile.“I’m Dana.” She paused, clearly waiting on Brooke and Anna to fill the silence.
Brooke sighed. Dana seemed nice, this would definitely be a case of don’t shoot the messenger.“Hello, Dana. I’m Brooke, this is my girlfriend, Anna.”
Anna warmly returned Dana’s smile, armed with the knowledge of Mel’s request.
Dana nodded.“Mrs. Kent has requested your presence for the official photos.”
“Told you Mel wanted us there, Honey,” Anna said, grinning a bit smugly.“Also, Mrs. Kent. How formal and official.”
“Oh, sorry, Ms. I didn’t mean the bride, I meant the mother of the groom.” Dana didn’t give them time for that bit of information to settle, how would she know what that sentence meant.
Brooke just nodded, at a loss for words.
“Why do I feel like this is a trap?” Anna whispered as they followed Dana down the steps that lead back into the gardens.
“Because it’s weird and completely out of character for her,” Brooke responded. She let out a low chuckle.“Maybe you should call her a bitch again. It seems to have won her over.”
Anna let out a mischievous giggle.“I think you’re just using me to get back at her.” Her eyes narrowed playfully at Brooke as they gathered with the rest of the bridal party and their families.
“Well, maybe at first,” Brooke said, adding a wink when she saw a look of shock cross Anna’s face.
“Alright,” Dana said, gathering everyone’s attention.“So, Nate and Mel have several photos they’ve specifically requested that we take, but we all want you to know if there’s a photo you’d like, we’re all game. Just let me or one of my teammates know and we’ll work it in. I just don’t want anyone to feel stressed or rushed. We’ve got time. First up is going to be the wedding party.”
Brooke and Anna hung out on the fringes of the crowd, mingling with Jasmine and Martin when they weren’t needed for photos. Brooke's assumption had been correct, sparks were flying between the two.
Dana got their attention again when she called for the next round of photographs.“Alright, we need the groom's family up. So, Mr. and Mrs. Kent, times two now,” she said happily,“and Brooke and Anna.”
Brooke froze. She was really getting included in this? Nate gave her a massive, happy hug when she and Anna finally made it up to the front. Neither of her parents spoke to them, but that meant that they didn’t protest against them being in the family photo either. From a few photos like that, went the awkward rapid pace of a photoshoot. They did some without Anna or Mel, some without Sybil or Augustus, some without Brooke or Anna, a few with just Brooke, Mel wanted one with just her and Anna, saying something about being bonus Kent’s. It was all Brooke could do to not pass out. While they waited for the photographers to line them up or usher them out of frame, Brooke stood awkwardly in silence next to her parents. The uncomfortable balance of the experience teetering on the edge.
In the midst of all of the discomfort, Brooke and Anna introduced themselves to Mel’s parents. Robert and Diane Anderson were both as warm and as welcoming as Mel had been. The young man who had walked Diane down the aisle had turned out to be Mel’s younger cousin, Liam, who had lived with her parents since he was a baby. Obviously, Brooke and Anna didn’t press for more backstory there, but it did make Brooke immediately understand why she liked Mel and her family so much. While Brooke was busy getting kicked out of her own home and seemingly abandoned by all of her extended family, Mel and her parents were busy taking theirs in. There was an effortless kindness about them that was clear in the simplest of conversations.
Mel’s family was called for their rounds of photos and Brooke and Anna were politely dismissed with hugs from both Nate and Mel and awkward, uncomfortable smiles from Augustus and Sybil. Brooke was thankful to put space between her and her parents. This casual pretended familiarity was weighing on her.
“Food?” Brooke asked, when they made it back out of the way of the group that had gathered for photos.
Anna nodded happily, smiling up at her.“Yes, please.”
After Hors D’oeuvres, and a first round or two of drinks, the whole bridal party was ready for dinner to begin. Brooke and Anna found their seats amongst the guests, trying to find a group to sit with that was somewhere near their age range. Sadly, the bridal party was all seated at the table of honor at the front of the room. But Anna was Anna and she was more than capable of snagging them decent seats and making small talk with their fellow table members while Brooke just ate her chicken and contributed appropriately to Anna’s easy conversation.
Brooke's whole goal was to not let herself get lost in her thoughts. She was determined to stay present and happy for Nate and Mel. She looked at her watch, it was only just past seven. The sun was finally starting to set, though, so soon the real party would begin. From her seat, she could see the DJ getting set up in the tent opposite the one they were currently in.
As dinner wore on, and as liquid encouragement started to seep into the crowd, it was clear that everyone was really excited to move over to the other tent and get their dance on. Brooke and Anna amongst them. Nate and Mel were up first. Their first dance was beautiful and sweet. It was choreographed, but in such a way that they were able to be confident in their steps. Nate did far better than Mel had feared and they both beamed with pride as the song came to an end. Next up was the traditional father daughter dance. Mel and her dad seemed to be genuinely decent dancers. Brooke was impressed with Robert’s ability to lead.
She had been so worried about how horrible her own family had the potential of being towards Mel’s family, that she had never stopped to consider how well the Anderson’s might be able to hold their own. And so far, they were everything she could hope for her own younger brother to marry into. After Robert and Mel delighted everyone with their lovely dance, the dance floor was opened up to more immediate family. Nate pulled Sybil out for a spin, Mel switched to dancing with Augustus. There was some swapping back and forth until Mel ended up back with her dad and Nate somehow ended up with Mel’s mom, Diane, and Sybil and Augustus ended up together. When Nate and Mel made the last swap to dance with each other, the dance floor began to slowly fill with everyone else.
Anna quickly finished her drink and dragged Brooke out on the dance floor and Brooke was all too happy to let her. Brooke let out a happy chuckle as Anna threw her arms around Brooke's neck and snuggled in tightly.“I’m so glad you brought me,” Anna whispered, leaning the side of her face against Brooke's.
“I’m so glad you came,” Brooke responded, tilting ever so slightly to kiss Anna’s temple.
The song changed to one that was much faster, more bass, more of a club beat. A whoop went out through the crowd and a ripple of a laugh spread throughout the tent as all of the older couples did their best to get off the dance floor and all of the younger couples quickly made their way onto it. It was a bit hard to shake it in a well tailored tux, but in comparison to the rest of the crowd, Brooke managed just fine. And what was truly important was how much fun Anna seemed to be having.
Brooke scanned the crowd, happy to see that Martin and Jasmine were dancing and were incredibly cuddled up. And best of all, Nate and Mel seemed to be having the night of their lives. She looked back down at Anna, who had less than subtly spun so that she could press her ass into Brooke's front. Brooke let out a happy laugh. She hadn’t felt as genuinely elated as she had on this trip in so long. She wrapped her arms around Anna’s waist and swayed with her. She wasn’t concerned about who might be able to see them or how anyone else felt about their moment. She just wanted to move with Anna to the pulse of the music.
“Do you want to get some air?” Anna asked after a few songs had played through.
The corners of Brooke’s lips curved upwards into a smile. Did she want to go somewhere more private and secluded with just Anna? Absolutely, yes. She nodded and let herself be led out of the tent. Anna led them over to a little veranda attached to the main house. Still close enough to be able to see the tents, but far enough away that none of the other guests had really wandered out this way yet.
Anna wasted no time before she pulled Brooke down into a blistering kiss. It was hot and needy. Brooke traced Anna’s bottom lip with her tongue. God, she wanted this. Desire coursed through her. Anna Fourchette was more than she could have ever imagined. When they finally broke apart, Brooke was about to ask if Anna was ready to head home, when they saw a lone figure slowly walking through the lawn towards them.
