Page 192 of The Wedding

“Saul,” Luna said, stern. “Not today.”

Jenny ushered the bridal party out to their stations so the ceremony could begin. Jamie and her father were last, and while Barbarossa’s tail appeared beneath the bed, the two of them got up and followed Jenny to the sliding window overlooking the bedroom balcony.

“That’s a lot of suits,” Seena said, holding her bouquet of garden flowers. She peered out at the sea of guests in the backyard before Jenny jabbed her to get her ass out on the catwalk.

Jamie couldn’t hear the music, but she knew a small, live orchestra played serene music to accompany the bridesmaids (and Tosh) meeting up with Etta’s party on the catwalk. Although it may have looked silly to some, Tosh walked beside one of Etta’s groomsmen, a friend from Yale. Both men tried to look professional, but casual, sending off serious signals ofI am the most heterosexual man here, helping out a friend, thanks!

Natasha was the last to go in front of Jamie. Jenny had Saul and Jamie wait about thirty seconds before approaching the doorway, for this woman had enough experience to know that the moment Jamie appeared, people would stop paying attention to anything else.

Jamie had heard it all. That she was wearing Oscar de la Renta, that she had commissioned a royal dress made in Sweden, that she was wearing what amounted to a fancy prom dress because she was uncultured. When people only cared about her dress but had no verified info to go on, they would come up with all sorts of silliness to indulge. Nobody would have expected how she looked, so Jenny waited until it truly was time for the bride to shine.

“Go!” The woman lowered her arm before slamming her headset against her head. Saul took his step forward, and Jamie followed.

Although there was music and the sound of running watersomewhere in the distance, the world was reverently silent. Gasps erupted as Jamie stepped into the sunlight, and everyone watched it shine upon her gown and reflect off her jewels.

She probably blinded a few people.I don’t care.She held back tears, words of awe and admiration for her father, the only one she had to hold onto right now – and who looked too proud to speak.

As soon as she had her footing on the catwalk, Jamie looked at the display below. Hundreds of guests were elegantly spread throughout the gardens, sitting upon cushioned chairs while the colorful flowers brought out the hues of their dresses and cummerbunds. Jamie didn’t recognize most of them. Yet they gazed at her, and soon enough, she saw friends and family sitting with the best view of the top balcony. More than one person held up opera glasses.

For some reason, they stopped.

“Dad!” she hissed as Saul held his camera phone high above them. “Now is not the time for a selfie!” Out of the corner of her eye, Jenny had a conniption on her Bluetooth.

Saul smiled as he hit the photo button multiple times. “Shut up, Jam! We only get to do this once! Smile!”

To Jenny’s absolute horror, Jamie flashed a peace sign and smiled at her dad’s phone. Two clicks later, Saul put his phone in his pocket and waved to the crowd below. Jamie grabbed his hand and tried to haul him down the catwalk.

She barely had time to savor her moments walking down the aisle. Cameras went off in every direction. People scrambled to get a better look at her. Debates raged over who designed her dress. Others swooned, whether lost in romantic notions or wishing that they were the ones getting married that day. The only faces Jamie recognized were Bonita’s – because she was wandering around everywhere, whispering her name into people’s ears – the Blakes standing next to the Anderssens, Monique standing up with theaid of her sister-in-law, and Kathleen and Ira standing behind them, the latter smiling while the former looked like she was about to pass out from being at awedding.

When they rounded the corner, Jamie heard someone shouting her name.

“Jamie!” It was Nala, threatening to climb the scaffolding if her girlfriend Varen didn’t keep her back. “You look awesome!” Jamie quickly shook her head at the security coming forward to calm things down.

Who were these other people? The sheiks and Saudi princes? The Liechtensteiner royalty Jamie heard she invited without even knowing it? The CEOs of other Fortune 500 companies that traded billions of dollars with Etta every week? Celebrities?

Jamie stopped caring as they rounded the final catwalk and ascended to the main balcony.

Because she saw Etta, and she became all that mattered.

Her fiancée and soon-to-be wife stood to the left of the officiant, princely in her finest Armani suit yet. The woman hated tuxedos, but she allowed some of the style into her look that day. She had the best cummerbund of them all, a large purple rose hanging from her breast pocket, and diamond and gold cufflinks that sparkled in tune with Jamie’s dress.Who told her to wear gold?It must have been Adele. Jamie grinned as widely as she dared, the moment Etta caught her eye and smiled at her first.

This is it. My whole world is changing. I can’t walk away from this. I can only walk forward.In step with her father, who squeezed her arm with his and continued to sniff as they approached the balcony.

She felt like Cinderella on the way to the ball. She may not have had a carriage made out of her pumpkin, but she had her father, and he was sort of like a pumpkin sometimes – especially if he let his tanned stomach hang out for all to see. She also had an assortment of fairy godmothers, some evil stepsisters who would always try to make her life hell, andenough friends in high places to keep the stepsisters at bay. Tonight, it was all about the ball – her wedding. Jamie ran her tongue over her chapped lips and chomped down as hard as she dared.Don’t walk out of your shoe!

Cinderella, however, only had the one night at the ball. For Jamie? This wasforever.

Either way, Etta awaited her. She even came to Jamie as she stepped forward to meet her and Saul at the small steps leading down into the balcony.

Jamie took her hand. Soft, but strong and commanding, with every bit of force she kept stored in her body crying to show Jamie how worthy she was. Jamie didn’t need her to. She knew how wonderful Etta could be. Today, she hoped that everyone in the world saw it too.

Both Etta and Saul escorted her the final few feet to the officiant. It was here that Saul finally left her side and escaped into the house, hurrying to join his wife in the audience.

Jamie was shaking. Was there a breeze? Or was it all the cameras still going off behind her as she held Etta’s hand in front of the officiant? What could be making her shake so much? Could everyone else see her shaking?

“You’re the most beautiful woman I have seen in my life,” Etta whispered in her ear. “I have seen quite a few beautiful women. None of them are as gorgeous as you.”

Jamie tittered into the back of her hand, having to take a couple more seconds to compose herself. Rather hard to do when an officiant looked at her through weary eyes.