Single Wide Female: The Bucket List Mega Bundle - 24 Books (Books #1-24)

by Lillianna Blake

  I felt bad about it, but I walked away from the mess as quickly as I could. I didn’t want to be thrown out of the wedding before the ceremony even started. I decided it might be best to sit down so I couldn’t cause any more trouble.

  Chapter 5

  The seating was done very tastefully with white wooden chairs and an ample amount of ribbons. The ribbons were laden with flowers. It was very whimsical and beautiful. Many people had already begun to sit down. I found an empty row and was about to start walking down it. When I stepped into the aisle, I lost my footing on the slick grass. I grabbed the chair beside me to try to stop myself from slipping. When I did I caught the ribbon that was hung on it around my fingers. As I straightened up the ribbon was tugged and broke free from the chair. This caused the ribbon to slump along the entire left side of the aisle.

  “What are you doing?” a voice demanded.

  I turned around to see a dream in a tuxedo. He had the kind of face that sold cologne and expensive jeans. A square jaw, wide bright blue eyes, full perfectly shaped lips, and cheekbones that could slice bread. The sight of him left me rather breathless.

  “Oh, excuse me, I’m so sorry.” I tried to gather up the ribbon and the flowers that I’d pulled off the chairs. I only succeeded in getting the ribbon twisted.

  “Just let me get it,” the handsome usher said. He pulled at the ribbon. I tried to let go of it. It would not come off of the palms of my hands. Someone must have thought it was a good idea to use superglue on the ribbon. “Let go,” he said.

  I could hear the impatience in his voice.

  “I’m trying to,” I said. “It’s stuck to my hands. Don’t pull!”

  “Listen, the ceremony is about to start. We have to get the ribbon back on. Just let go!”

  “I’m trying,” I said.

  He tugged hard at the ribbon. I felt as if I was caught up in a tug-of-war. No matter how hard he pulled, the ribbon wasn’t coming off.

  “Unbelievable,” he said.

  A woman in a bridesmaid’s dress walked over to us. “What’s going on? Kayla’s going to be walking down the aisle any second.”

  “This woman got tangled up in the ribbon and now it’s stuck on her hands.”

  “And you think that dragging her down the aisle is the solution?” the woman asked. “Really, Donald, you need to get a brain in that head of yours.”

  “I was just trying to fix it.” He glared briefly at the woman.

  “As usual, I have to fix everything for you,” the woman said.

  I cringed as I realized they either had to be family or in a relationship. Strangers did not fight like that.

  The woman reached into her purse. She pulled out a small pair of scissors. With a few quick snips she had the ribbon cut from my palms. There were still a few pieces stuck to my skin. She tied a knot in the remaining pieces of ribbon and added a bunch of flowers to cover it. Then she hooked it over the end of the chair.

  “All better,” she said.

  “Amazing.” I was quite impressed with her ability to handle the situation so quickly.

  “That’s why I’m the maid of honor,” she said. “Do you need help finding your seat?”

  I suddenly remembered that I was not even supposed to be at the wedding.

  “No, I can find it.”

  “Good, then sit. I’m going to make sure everything is perfect for Kayla. Donald, you come with me,” she said. Donald trudged off after her.

  As I watched the two walk away I wondered if Max was right about his assessment of relationships and marriage. I hoped he wasn’t. There had to be some happy couples in the world.

  As if cued by my thoughts, the wedding march began to play. Everyone that wasn’t sitting hurried to their seats. Kayla appeared at the end of the aisle. She looked stunning in a simple white dress embellished with tiny flowers.

  As I watched the bride walk down the aisle, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of envy. It wasn’t for the man she was marrying, or even for the ceremony she was experiencing. It was the look in her eyes. Her smile was filled with such anticipation. Her eyes were glazed with the type of joy that only came from being in love. The color in her cheeks showed just how excited she was.

  I wondered if I would ever feel that way. Would this moment ever be mine, or would I always be the one sitting on the sidelines, quietly envious of what was unfolding before me? Before I could let myself wallow too much, I pulled myself out of it. Crashing the wedding was meant to be fun, not meant to be a walk down woe-is-me lane.

  The ceremony was a quick one, which I liked. The vows were personal and I thought they were a little on the funny side. The kiss was magical. I sighed contentedly as the couple was introduced as husband and wife.

  Max might have a logical argument, but marriage was anything but logical. It was emotional and beautiful. No matter what Max or anyone else had to say about it, I knew that was what I wanted. Of course it was not Kayla’s husband Caleb that I wanted. It was the glow, the secretive smile between them, the celebration of everyone being so happy for them. That was what marriage was.

  As the couple walked back down the aisle, everyone stood up to clap for them. I joined in with just as much enthusiasm. They might have been strangers to me, but after watching their union I felt very involved in their lives.

  Chapter 6

  The reception was being held in the park as well. Several large canopies hovered above tables and chairs. A live band played everything from orchestra music to the latest pop songs. I was looking forward to dancing, but first I wanted to check out the food.

  I had a long history of attending weddings. There were weddings of my childhood friends and weddings of distant cousins. I’d even attended a few weddings of customers I knew from Fluff and Stuff. The best part of a wedding—aside from the romance and the happily ever after—was the food. Kayla and Caleb had gone all out by creating a buffet-style meal. Most brides wouldn’t go for a buffet, but this wasn’t chicken nuggets and corn bread. This buffet was loaded with some of the most savory food I’d ever seen.

  I walked slowly along the buffet. There was a large variety of foods to choose from. One thing I had learned on my weight loss journey was to mentally balance my food. If I knew I was going to overdo it on a delicious desert, then I would have salad for dinner and maybe even a light lunch if I really wanted the freedom to indulge. I didn’t have to calculate each calorie but I knew the big risks, and when I wanted to take them I adjusted accordingly.

  A wedding, however, was a different story. This wedding in particular was a very different story. All of the food looked delicious. I certainly did want a slice of wedding cake and with an open bar, how could I limit my alcohol? It was a real struggle to decide what to do.

  I ran my hand over the waist of my dress, reminding myself of how far I’d come. Carefully I worked my way around the biggest offenders—anything smothered in butter and cheese, anything sopping in a cream sauce. In the end, I ended up with a big helping of vegetables, a small portion of meat, and just a little more potatoes than I should be eating. It was not quite a success but certainly not a failure.

  I carried my plate over toward the tables that were set up under a large canopy. Immediately I spotted a problem. Each of the seats at each of the tables had a place card. That meant that there was nowhere for a wedding crasher to sit. I assumed that not all of the guests had made it—most of the time there were a few no-shows to things like this.

  I decided that I would linger beside the table area until most of the guests had been seated. Then if there was an empty seat remaining I would snatch it. People were so busy talking and milling about that the tables remained fairly empty for quite some time.

  I was getting more than a little tired. I leaned back on the pole of the canopy. Within a split second I realized my mistake. Just as the bride and groom were sitting down at the large table beneath the canopy, the entire thing began to tremble.

  I stood up quickly. My heart skipped a beat. Was it
my leaning against the pole that had caused that tremor? It didn’t seem as if anyone else had noticed. When I stood up, the canopy shivered again. Then it began to slowly sway. Everyone was so caught up in the festivities that no one seemed to notice what was happening.

  The bride and groom were raising their glasses to each other in celebration. They intertwined their arms and each took a sip out of the other’s glass. It was a beautiful moment. The photographer was poised to capture it on film.

  The canopy was still swaying. I panicked. I didn’t know exactly what to do. I didn’t want the canopy to fall on the bride and groom but I also didn’t want to out myself as a wedding crasher. When I heard the canopy creak and then saw it lean to the side, I knew it didn’t matter if I was caught.

  “Get out!” I shouted so loud that just about everyone turned to look at me. “Get out, the canopy is falling!”

  Then the attention turned to the canopy. People began darting out from under it. Some were in such a rush to get out that they bumped into the other poles that were holding the whole thing up. The canopy began to droop inward. The bride and groom rushed out from underneath.

  As the canopy began to droop even further and threaten to collapse, I spotted a victim that no one had thought about—the wedding cake. It was three tiers and perfect. The details of the frosting and decoration made it look like a work of art rather than a cake. I knew in that moment that my mistake was about to take away something very sacred from the bridge and groom. Without taking the time to think about it, I rushed under the canopy.

  “Don’t!” someone said behind me.

  I ignored the cry of warning. I ran toward the cake just as the canopy was fully collapsing. I felt it come down on my head. Luckily it didn’t hurt—it was soft material, but it did trap me very well. I began to feel claustrophobic. I could only see shadows through the material of the canopy. I had no real idea of what was going on, except for the shouts I could hear.

  “Someone’s in there! Someone’s still inside!”

  “The cake. Oh, no—the cake!”

  “How did this happen?”

  “Great idea to have an outdoor wedding, huh?”

  Chapter 7

  I grimaced as I realized the disaster I’d created. I kept my hands pressed up against the canopy and my body slightly hunched over the cake. Soon the canopy began to lift from above me. As it was slowly raised, I was revealed inch by embarrassing inch. Everyone was staring at me.

  I waited for the moment when I would be cursed out, thrown out, or even sued. But as the canopy was secured once more—and better than the first time—a round of applause erupted from the wedding guests. I was shocked by the reaction until I looked down at the cake. Not a rose was out of place. I hadn’t even smudged the frosting. I had saved the cake, even if it meant I had exposed myself.

  The groom, Caleb, walked slowly toward me.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I think so,” I said.

  He looked at the cake and then back at me.

  “You really saved the day,” he said. “Thank you.”

  I smiled. I felt bad for accepting his gratitude since I was the one who had caused it in the first place, but I decided it was best to keep that little detail to myself.

  “I wouldn’t want your special day to be ruined,” I said.

  “Who exactly are you?” His eyes squinted at the edges as I hesitated to answer. “Are you a friend of Kayla’s from school?”

  I could see Kayla walking towards us. I knew that the moment she got into the conversation she was going to know that I was not a friend from school. Kayla and Caleb would figure out that neither of them knew me and that I had never actually been invited. I began to feel a subtle panic deep inside of me. Was I going to get arrested for this?

  I took a slight step back. I could see the priest whose behind I had brushed, the handsome usher who I’d gotten into trouble, and the maid of honor heading in our direction. Once they all began to talk they would likely discover that I had caused all of the problems at the wedding.

  “I’m a distant cousin,” I said. “Twice removed.”

  “A cousin?” he asked. “I thought I had met all of Kayla’s family. Honey, come over here.” He waved to her.

  “Oh, excuse me. I really need to use the bathroom.”

  I walked away before Kayla could reach Caleb. I disappeared into one of the park restrooms. It wasn’t the best place to hide considering that Kayla or any other woman could follow me, but I was hoping it would allow me to avoid attention and suspicion.

  While hiding in the bathroom, I heard the dance music begin to play. I sighed as I leaned against the tiled wall. There I was in my new dress, hiding away in a bathroom. If I’d listened to Max’s suggestion I could have been out dancing, possibly even with him.

  I closed my eyes for a moment and thought about what my wedding would be like. Of course the groom was a big question mark, but the rest I could fill in with my imagination. It was nice to dream about, but at the moment it seemed like a complete fantasy. Once I thought enough time had passed, I stepped back out of the bathroom.

  The sun was just beginning to set. It furnished a beautiful glow to the grassy area that had been cleared out to serve as a dance floor. The set-up was nice. There were squares placed down on the ground to serve as a dance floor. Some of them were lit up, each in a different shade of light. It was pretty amazing to see.

  After the bride and groom had their first dance, the dance floor began to fill up with people ready to party. I could tell right away that this was a lively crowd. The drinks were already flowing and the volume of the voices in the crowd had cranked up.

  I found a safe place to sit—away from anything that I could knock over—and watched as people began to dance. I had always loved to dance. The sensation of the music pulsing through my senses always made me feel good. Clubs weren’t my thing because of the flashing lights, the crowded spaces, and the endless cloud of perfume and cologne. But this was outside, under the stars.

  I found myself longing for the opportunity to dance. Another time I might have felt confident enough to ask a man to dance. But after all of the commotion I’d caused, I did not want to push my luck.

  While I was sinking into my thoughts, I kept feeling a sensation of someone looking in my direction. I glanced toward the person. Sitting a few tables away from me—also alone—was a man who looked to be in his thirties. His hair was a little too long and his suit was quite outdated, but I had learned not to make snap judgments. I looked away, hoping he didn’t notice that I had looked in his direction. It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested. I just didn’t want to draw any attention. After a moment or two had passed I began to relax again.

  “You are stunning.” He sat down in the chair directly beside me.

  I looked up at him with surprise and a little excitement. He had a smooth enticing voice that made his long hair and cheap suit a little less cause for concern.

  “Thank you.”

  “I didn’t even want to come tonight. I thought it was a waste. But now I’m really glad I did.”

  “Oh?”

  “I have had the chance to meet a beautiful woman. I’m just hoping to have the chance to dance with her.” He looked at me with a gentle pleading that made me think he was a decent guy looking to have a good time.

  Chapter 8

  I was about to turn the guy down for the sake of hiding out, but his attention was flattering enough to make me want to take a chance.

  “Okay.” I stood up. He followed me on to the dance floor.

  As soon as my shoes hit the tiles he grabbed my hand and whipped me around so swiftly that I nearly fell over. All of a sudden I realized the grave mistake I’d made. I had agreed to dance with someone who was either an avid dancer or a professional. He gazed at me with passion as he flung me away from him once more. Not only was his style of dance drawing the attention of everyone on the dance floor, it was making the meal I’d just eaten threaten t
o come back up.

  “Excuse me, I think I’ve had enough.” I tried to pull my hand from his.

  “The song isn’t over yet!” He spun me once more.

  I was so dizzy that the stars were spinning above my head. Then to my absolute horror he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me completely up into the air. He lifted me so quickly that my legs shot straight out, giving anyone who was looking a full view of my panties.

  “Put me down!” I wriggled out of his grasp and nearly fell backwards into the same couple who’d thought I had fondled the priest.

  “Jimmy, how many times have I told you—no drunk dancing!” a woman said as she walked up to him. “I’m sorry, he’s my brother and he gets a little wild when he’s had too much to drink. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I turned and stumbled off the dance floor. I was more than a little disappointed. Not only had the dancing left me not feeling so hot, but the compliment he had paid me didn’t mean much if he was drunk.

  I sat back at my safe out-of-the-way table to let my stomach settle. The gurgling began to die down. When a waiter passed by with a tray of wine, I grabbed one to help the situation and perhaps to drown my disappointment a bit. I sipped at the wine and watched the happy couples on the dance floor.

  After a few minutes, I was seriously entertaining the thought that it just might be time to go home. I’d seen enough to know that yes, it was what I wanted, and no, I had no idea when I would actually have it. I stood up to leave, but as I turned I found myself staring into Max’s beautiful eyes.

  “May I have this dance?” he asked.

  I smiled at him as he held out his hand. Max, as usual, had swept his way into my life. He had a knack for dramatic entrances. He looked incredible in a simple black suit. I knew he’d had to dig to the back of his closet to find it. It made me feel special that he would work so hard just to join me at the wedding.

  “Of course.” I smiled as I took his hand.

  The warmth of his touch sent tingles through me. I tried to ignore them. Max was my friend. He was here to dance with me as my friend and nothing more than that.