“Look okay?” he asks her.
“Looks great.” Meg hands back the mirror and settles down onto the padded table, gripping the edge with her hands.
“Now, keep your eyes closed. I’ll talk you through it the whole way.” With gloved hands, Nate organizes everything he needs. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Take a deep breath and hold it.”
I watch her take a breath and involuntarily jerk, making a huffing sort of grunt as Nate shoves the needle through, then quickly puts the stud through the hole, adjusting it with a quick, practiced twist.
“Ugh,” Meg whines as tears run down both her cheeks. Nate dabs at her nose with paper towels, wiping blood away.
“A little bit of bleeding is normal. How do you feel?”
“Like someone headbutted me in the nose.”
Chuckling, Nate switches to a clean paper towel, still dabbing gently until the blood stops. “That’s normal. Everyone tolerates pain differently. You did great. Who’s next?”
I raise my hand. “Me.”
Within a few minutes, I’m seated at the table, holding my breath as Nate shoves the needle through my nose. Sharp pain shoots up my nostril, my eyes immediately begin to water, and blood trickles out of my right nostril.
“Lordy,” I gasp. It hurt, but not as bad as I anticipated. And not nearly as bad as the beating I’d taken in Chicago.
“You okay, cuz?” Barbara Jeanne asks from beside me.
“Just fine.” I dab at my eyes with a tissue Meg hands over while Nate adjusts the stud in my nostril. My nose feels like it’s on fire, throbbing, and when I speak, my nose moves, shooting pain up through my face.
“You did good, Sally. I have a solution for you to clean it with, twice a day. Be careful of makeup for a while, it can clog up the hole. And try to wait six months before you take it out or change to a different stud or a hoop. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to give me a call or stop in.”
“My turn!” Barbara Jeanne practically shoves me aside, taking her place on the table. While Meg was stoic and I was nervous, Barbara Jeanne’s excitement practically bleeds out of her pores. She barely flinches through the procedure and then calmly takes a breath when Nate’s done. I never would have figured her for being so tolerant of pain. I shake my head in wonder.
Chapter 33
Nolan had just stepped out of the shower and donned his undershirt and boxer briefs when he heard the front door open.
“Hey, old man! Where you at?” Drew’s voice carried all the way to the back of the house.
Nolan hollered in return. “Back here gettin’ dressed. Your stuff is in the guest room. You heard from Sandy?”
“Sally told me he’ll be here shortly.” Sandy was part of the wedding party also, having graciously agreed to walk Meg down the aisle.
The three men would be wearing identical, classic style, black tuxedos. The jackets sported a one-button closure, silk shawl collar, and side vents. Crisp white shirts with black buttons and black satin bow ties completed their ensemble. Nolan and Drew finished dressing, then paced nervously as they waited for Sandy. Nolan wasn’t sure why he was nervous, but he had the jitters just thinking about standing up with Drew. He took his responsibility as best man very seriously. Maybe his nervousness had more to do with being in a church with Sally in formal attire.
Nolan kept peeking out the front door in anticipation of Sandy’s arrival. After what seemed an eternity, Sandy’s Cadillac pulled into the drive and the dapper, older gentleman stepped out and bounded up on the porch with a spring in his step. Since the door was open, he let himself in.
“Okay, boys, we got a wedding to crash! Y’all ready?”
Nolan looked at Drew, who was sweating profusely and had the look of a man about to vomit. “Sandy, we better get him to the church before he passes out.”
Sandy chuckled. “He does look a little green around the gills. Put him in the car, best man.”
Within a few minutes, they arrived at the small country church decorated with fresh flowers and ribbons in various shades of purple. Drew’s grandmother had insisted they get married in the historic local Presbyterian church. Nolan’s family had worshipped there for generations, although he hadn’t attended regularly since before his wife died.
The wedding was going to be small, with just a few guests attending, as Meg had no family, and Drew’s immediate family consisted of Nana. When the guys entered the sanctuary, they found Sally conferring with the minister. After finishing her conversation with him, she walked toward the trio at the back of the church.
Nolan watched her approach, mesmerized by her appearance. She was stunning in her plum colored long dress with a sheer lace bodice and sexy, leg-baring slit. His mouth went dry and he was unable to speak.
