“It depends on your definition of ‘afew.’”
“Three or four…afew.”
“Right, so our definitions are a bit different. When I say ‘a few,’ I’m talking in thehundreds.”
“Agh, Kyle! Just spit it out! You’re starting to pissmeoff.”
“We’ve got a few hundred fans and paparazzi gathered outside the church. But the local police are on it, and so there’s nothing to worryabout.”
“The local police, now? Are we going to have a problem getting to thereception?”
“Um…,” he hesitated again. “Youknow.”
I glaredatKyle.
“It might be best to take the pictures in the church, is all I’msaying.”
“Why?”
“We’ve got an overheadissue.”
“Overhead? As in ahelicopter?”
“… -ers,” Kyle corrected, wincing. “As inplural.”
I could feel the frustration bubbling over. “So let me get this straight. We’ve got a militarized operation going on right outside the church doors, is that what you’retellingme?”
“Hey,” Kyle said, throwing his hands up. “Don’t bust my balls. I’m just the delivery boy, here to escort you to those on the security team that actuallymatter.”
I glanced back over to the other building, trying to decide what to do, but in the end, the approaching thump of rotary blades made the decisionforme.
“Shit! Take me toVadim.”
* * *
The long hallwaycurved around the back of the church, connecting the bride’s room with the groom’s. I’d been here before; had taken this exact passageway to sneak back to Mitch and the guys after the secret rendezvous with Casey a little over two years ago. Arriving at the end of the corridor, I shifted nervously outside the door where Casey was waiting for the ceremony to begin. Chances were pretty damn high she wasn’t going to appreciate my last-minute intrusion. The meeting with Vadim, the head of my security team, had taken longer than I’d expected, and now I was cutting it way tooclose.
I’d hoped my self-preservation instincts would kick in and I’d be able to just push the entire discussion until after we were married, but that approach had me feeling like a fraud. She needed to hear this before we were wed. This was no little white lie I’d been withholding from her. No; this was a life-altering truth, one big enough to put an industrial-sized damper on all our lofty hopes and dreams. How could I, in good conscience, bind myself in holy matrimony to Casey, knowing I might not be able to give her what she wanted most in the world? Dating her was one thing – she still had an out – but strapping myself to her side till death did us part, under false pretenses, well… someone needed to warn the poor girl, and that someone, unfortunately, had tobeme.
Openingthe door to the bride’s waiting area, I was assailed by the surging backdraft of cheap hairspray and high-end perfume. Unprepared for the onslaught of noxious chemicals, my reaction time was too slow, and before I had time to take cover, I’d already snorted up the poisonous vapor like a line of coke. The unwelcome olfactory stimulation drew an almost instantaneous pounding in my head, and a steady stream of toxic tears dripped frommyeyes.
Still determined to find my bride, I stumbled my way through the plume only to find myself blocked once again, this time by a barrier of wall-to-wall green. I’d almost forgotten Casey had chosen this specific accent color until it assaulted my senses. Green … oh, wait, sorry:mint.She’d been very specific about that distinction, as if mint were not even a distant relative of the green family. In hindsight, I should have put my foot down on her color choice. And maybe I would have had I not lost my veto power after casually throwing out the idea of dressing the bridesmaids in black. Casey’s highly sarcastic response had been, “Ooh, yes, great idea. We could dress up the flower girls in some black lace, smoky eyeliner… maybe add an eyebrow piercing or two … or better yet, Jake, a necktattoo.”
It took a moment to realize the excited buzz that had greeted me upon entering the room had now been replaced by hushed whispering, and every female in the place was staring back at me in horror. I usually got a better reception from women. Wiping the tears from my burning eyes, I took a step back, surprised by the adverse reaction I was receiving. Okay, so maybe I’d underestimated the breaking of the ‘Do not see the bride before the ceremony’ wedding ritual, but did Casey’s nearest and dearest really have to act like I’d broken one of the TenCommandments?
“Jake!” My mother swiftly crossed the room, appearing suddenly nauseous. “What are you doing? You can’tbehere.”
“I need to talk toCasey.”
“The wedding is about to start. Does your father knowyouleft?”
“I don’t know. I don’t run everything by him. I really need to talk toCasey.”
Her eyes darted around nervously. “You’d better not be doing what I think you’re doing,” she whispered, gripping my arm and trying to steer me fromtheroom.
“Mom!” I dug my feet in and pulled my arm fromherhold.
Casey’s voice sounded from somewhere beyond. “It’s okay,Michelle.”
