A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding

by Cindy K. Green

  The girls smiled at Kari and Randy as they started to leave. When Kari finally found her voice, she yelled after them, “No, girls, wait…”

  “Too, late, Dr. Montgomery,” said Randy playfully. “So, the rumor of our engagement has yet to be quashed, huh?”

  “I guess so.”

  “How do you think these rumors started?”

  “I have no idea,” said Kari looking squarely into his blue eyes, liking how they sparkled in the dim light.

  “Well, I have my suspicions.”

  “Yes…?”

  “It’s probably all my fault,” said Randy as he stared down at his empty plate.

  “Why do you say that?”

  He glanced up again. “Because I haven’t shown an interest in anyone since I’ve been at Grace Community. I guess people started talking when I was so attentive to you at the wedding. Those rumors must have carried back here with so many of your old friends, not to mention some of your students, attending the wedding.”

  “That’s ridiculous. Why would people assume…I mean it was so innocent…”

  “Innocent, yes, but you know how people like to talk.”

  “I suppose. I mean, I only heard about it from Emily and…”

  “And…?”

  Kari didn’t know if she wanted to tell him about Geoffrey and then she realized why not. She wasn’t pining for Geoffrey. She may as well let Randy know the truth.

  “My ex-fiancé, Geoffrey Hudson, also heard the rumor and asked me about it.”

  “I’m sure you straightened him out.” Randy had a strange almost hurt look on his face as he waited for her reply.

  “Actually…” she gave him a culpable smile.

  “ Kari …”

  “…I never did clear it up,” she finished.

  “Kari Montgomery…I’m surprised with you,” he said in mock disapproval. “I never would have imagined you to do something like this.”

  “Like what,” she said as she sat up straight in her chair.

  “I don’t know…something other than completely honest. Isn’t that what you expected of me the day we met?”

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I was just so angry at Geoffrey.”

  Randy raised his chin as he spoke. “What did he do?”

  “Well, he’s already gotten engaged to someone else, his girlfriend before me, Blair.”

  “And you were…jealous?”

  “Jealous? Of Geoffrey? No. I guess I just wanted him to think I was out of his grasp.”

  “Well, aren’t you?”

  She signed out loud. “I thought so, but the last time I saw him he acted like he thought he could still spend time with me and be engaged to Blair.”

  His eyes flooded with concern. “He didn’t?”

  “Yes he did. I can’t believe I was ever interested in him.”

  “But you did say you would marry him. At some point, you must have thought you loved him.” His eyes took on a sharp, assessing quality as he gazed at her squarely in the face.

  The intensity was too much for Kari. She peered down at the table, playing with the condensation left behind from her glass. “Yes. I thought I did. But I also thought he was a different person.” She glanced back up. “When he revealed his true nature, I knew I could never marry him.”

  “I’m sure God has a plan for you, Kari, and whatever that plan is it will be better than you could have even imagined.” He seemed so sure in his estimation but Kari just wasn’t sure where her life was going. She tried to not even think about those kinds of things anymore.

  She stared at Randy, wondering what it was about him. Why was she able to talk so freely with him? Usually, she kept her feelings bottled up, well, except with Emily. And even then, in recent months she hadn’t even felt comfortable sharing everything with her. With Randy, there was something different. She felt safe confiding in him. Maybe it was because he was so honest and open with her. She wasn’t used to that. After her break up with Geoffrey, she had realized he’d never really been honest with her.

  “I know you’re right. Thanks for listening. I’ve needed someone to talk to and Emily has been busy with her wedding and now her fledgling marriage.”

  “I’m glad I could fill in,” he said with certain sarcasm to his voice.

  “No, really, thanks, Randy.” She placed her hand over his in a reassuring gesture.

  He gave her a beaming smile. “Hey, you called me Randy, not Mr. Steele or Pastor Randy.”

  “Well, I guess we’ve moved beyond formalities.”

  “Yes, we have.”

  As Randy walked Kari out from the park and down toward the college campus, the sound of her name rang out, “Kari, Kari, wait up.”

  Kari turned around to see Geoffrey of all people coming towards her with Blair at his side. She glanced over at Randy while her heart did a tap dance in her chest. “Well, here’s my chance to clear up that misinformation with my former fiancé.”

  A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your Wedding

  A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your Wedding

  Chapter Seven

  Randy watched as Kari’s previous fiancé neared them with who he assumed to be his new fiancée. It didn’t take long to size up Geoffrey—confident to the point of being vain and so self-assured nothing got in the way of what he wanted. Randy had met plenty of that type when he was in college, studying with all the other trust fund pre-law majors. It was one of the reasons he knew it wasn’t the career for him. He wasn’t a suave bulldog; he was what he was—sometimes transparently so. Following God’s will in his life had turned out so much better than the life his father had planned out for him. He much preferred playing games and doing his best to touch the hearts of young people for Christ than writing briefs and arguing cases before a judge among the rich and famous.

  “Kari,” came Geoffrey’s silky voice again. “Am I surprised to see you.” He approached them with a smug look on his face, pulling his companion along with him. When they stopped in front of Kari and Randy, Geoffrey took his arm and wrapped it tightly around the petite shoulders of the young woman next to him as if flaunting their relationship in Kari’s face. “It’s great to see you. This must be your pastor.” Geoffrey turned his eyes on Randy with an expression of obvious dislike.

  Kari opened her mouth to say something, but Randy decided to take the lead. He placed his left arm lightly around Kari’s shoulders and thrust his right hand in front of Geoffrey. “The name’s Randy Steele; you must be Geoffrey.”

  Geoffrey didn’t look as confident as when he’d first approached them. He seemed stymied by Randy’s friendly attitude and intimidating stature. Taking Randy’s hand he said “Uh, hi…nice to meet you.” Then as if a second thought, he added, “And this is Blair.”

  Blair broke loose of Geoffrey’s grasp and shook both Kari and Randy’s hands. “It’s nice to see you again, Kari.”

  Blair seemed sweet natured. She had delicate, pale features and a kind smile. Kari, apparently moved by Blair’s sweetness, smiled back at her. It impressed him that even though Kari had been hurt and probably damaged by this Geoffrey character she still had the goodness of heart to treat him and Blair so pleasantly.

  “We were just leaving,” said Randy, trying to save Kari from more embarrassment in continuing this charade.

  “Come have some dessert with us,” offered Blair. “We were just on our way to…where were we going again Geoff?” she asked as she looked up at him.

  “The Tea Shoppe,” he answered while he shared a look with Kari, who didn’t appear to be one bit happy with his reply.

  “We really should get going,” said Randy.

  “No, Randy,” said Kari, looking over at him and placing her hand familiarly on his chest. “Let’s go share a sweet treat together.” She shifted her gaze to Geoffrey’s face. “It will be fun to catch up with Geoff and Blair.”

  “All right,” said Randy. “I’m always ready for dessert.”

  They walked a few yards
down the street until they came to the quaint Tea Shoppe. As they entered, the faint sound of Mozart filled the room along with the delightful smells of chocolate, cinnamon, and chamomile tea. Each of the round tables was covered in a floral patterned table cloth with a bud vase on top containing a single daisy. In the back were a couple comfy green couches decorated with lacy-frilled pillows.

  After taking a seat at one of the tables, a teen-age waitress approached the party to take their orders. “Good evening and welcome to The Tea Shoppe. Can I bring you a pot of tea?”

  Geoffrey spoke first. “I’m sure Kari would like her usual pot of Green Tea with Jasmine and I’ll have…”

  “No, Geoffrey,” interrupted Kari. “I’m capable of ordering my own tea. I’d like to have the Prince of Wales Tea and a piece of chocolate cheesecake.”

  Geoffrey appeared baffled. “No strawberry short-cake?”

  “You’ll see my tastes have changed, besides it was never my favorite,” Kari replied. “What would you like Randy?” she asked as she moved closer to him in her seat.

  Randy was enjoying this scene far too much. That is exactly what it was, like a scene out of one of the plays he had participated in during his stint in his high school’s drama club. “I think I’ll have the same—Prince of Wales tea and chocolate cheesecake.”

  “So, Kari, where did you and Randy meet?” Geoffrey asked after the waitress left with their orders.

  “Meet, uh, we...” Kari struggled to answer.

  “We met at a church function,” broke in Randy who reasoned that it was a church function, Emily’s wedding, so technically he wasn’t lying. “She took my breath away at first glance or maybe it was I who took her breath away.” His eyes met Kari’s.

  “At any rate, it was jarring to the both of us,” continued Kari, still looking at Randy. They both laughed together.

  Geoffrey shifted in his seat uncomfortable with their interaction.

  “Yes, I guess you could say my cousin Emily introduced us, at least, it was her idea that we both attend the…uh…the event,” said Kari turning her gaze over to Geoffrey and Blair.

  “That’s right,” said Randy with a huge smile as he put his arm around Kari once more. “And it was just meant to be. We’ve enjoyed every moment together since.” He liked being close to Kari like this and smelling her sweet rose scented perfume. The role-playing was making him wish it were all true.

  When the waitress arrived with their desserts and hot drinks, they busied themselves with eating and talking about the festival. Blair seemed to really enjoy it and told them about all the art she had considered buying for their new home.

  Shortly after all the dishes had been cleared away, Randy stood. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Blair, and you too, Geoffrey; but we have to get going. We have church tomorrow.” He shook both their hands again and moved out of the way for Kari to exit the booth.

  “Yes, it was nice to see you both,” said Kari. She looked at them sincerely. “I wish you all the best and really hope God blesses your marriage.”

  They exited The Tea Shoppe together into inky blackness, the only illumination coming from the few street lamps overhead. Since the festival had closed for the night, revelers were still moseying around the streets. The weather outside was getting that brisk early fall feeling while a light breeze blew a few loose leaves around by their feet.

  After walking past a couple shops, Kari laughed out loud. “I can’t believe that.” She laughed some more.

  “What?”

  “That whole performance. I especially can’t believe you took this whole fiancé thing so far. It’s one thing to let Geoffrey believe a misconception; it’s another to basically lie to him.”

  “You’re right. We should have told him the truth. I’ll go back and clear it up.” He started to turn around and walk back to The Tea Shoppe, but Kari grabbed onto his arm.

  “Don’t you dare.”

  Randy eyed her hand on his arm and then placed it into his hand. “All right, but then I guess this means we’re engaged. I’ve never been engaged before. Is it supposed to feel like this?”

  “Oh you’re real cute…” Randy raised his eyebrows at her. “…I mean funny,” Kari countered, completely disoriented. He loved how she crinkled her eyes when she got flustered. She drew her hand away from him and pulled her jacket closed. “Walk me home. I’ll just have to clear this up at some later date…or never…oh, I don’t know.” She crinkled her eyes and nose in frustration at him.

  “Maybe you won’t have to. Maybe we’ll just get engaged for real and get married just to show off to Geoffrey.” He smiled at her playfully, but inside he wished it was true. He could easily imagine himself married to Kari. In his mind’s eye, he could see them in his little house making dinner together or her sitting on the small sofa reading a book or grading papers as he worked at his desk. He could really see her working by his side as he ministered to the youth. It was the first time he had been able to view any woman of his acquaintance able to take on that role.

  “You are incorrigible,” she told him with a laugh.

  “That I am ma’am. That I am. And just think we’ve only just met. ”

  A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your Wedding

  A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Your Wedding

  Chapter Eight

  “Emily, I love what you’ve done to this apartment,” said Kari, sitting at Emily’s dining room table as she moved her eyes around the dwelling. “When you moved in here it was so…”

  “Ugly…white…sterile,” inserted Emily.

  “Well, yes, and now it’s…a home.”

  “It does look nice, doesn’t it? Lucky for us, the owner of the building had no problem with us making improvements. So, I painted, added the border, and put up these curtains. It was fun. I feel like a real homemaker.”

  A warm sensation flowed over Kari, as she glanced at her cousin’s homey improvements. The apartment was small containing a dining room, kitchen, tiny living room and only one bedroom. But it was evolving into a lovely home. This is what she had imagined her first apartment with Geoffrey would be like. It would have been fun to paint together and make their new place into their own home sweet home, but now that was never to be.

  “I miss having you back home, you know. Do you like it here in the city?” asked Kari, trying to take her mind off of what might have been.

  “It is definitely different; but now that I’m married, I don’t mind at all. I’m adjusting. John has been great getting me and mother settled. But I miss everyone and you most of all. I don’t think I’ll ever see you move here especially now that you’ve got tenure at work.”

  Kari smiled, proud she’d been given tenure last year. “I feel pretty well settled for the time being.”

  “Well, don’t shut the door on other possibilities.” She paused for a second. “I heard you spent some time with Randy Steele last weekend.” Emily smiled while the lights bounced off the dark flecks in her deep, blue eyes.

  “Yes,” said Kari, sensing the blush moving up her neck and across her face. “His sister, Alice, asked me to spend the evening with him at the art festival since she ended up having other plans.”

  “And that’s it? That’s all you’re going to tell me? Kari, we’ve been each other’s confidants for as long as I can remember. You can tell me.”

  Kari gave Emily a sideways glance from her place across the dinning room table. She stood and walked over to the kitchen window looking out at Emily’s plants on the back deck. “There really isn’t anything to tell. I’ve enjoyed my time with Randy.”

  So, its Randy is it?”

  Kari turned around and looked at her cousin. “He told me to call him that. He actually did me a great favor the other night.”

  “Yes and what was that?” She raised her eyebrows expectantly.

  “We saw Geoffrey at the festival.”

  “Really.”

  “He was with Blair.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kari.
”

  “Don’t be.” Kari sat down at the table again. She smiled at her cousin. “Geoffrey was still under the impression that I was engaged to your Pastor Steele and, well, Randy played along.”

  “Did he really? I should have known. It sounds like something he’d do.” Emily paused and took another sip of her coffee. After placing the mug down on her lace placemat, she spoke in a low tone. “Kari, what do you think of Randy? I mean really.”

  “He’s nice; he’s fun. I enjoy being around him.”

  “But that’s it?” She raised her eyes from their lowered position as she spoke.

  “I guess so.” Kari knew she wasn’t telling Emily the whole truth. But what was the truth? She just didn’t know anymore.

  “Kari, I think he could care for you in a way Geoffrey never could.”

  “I can’t believe you said that. But now that you mention it, I think you’re right.”

  “You do? So, you’ll go out with him? You haven’t been out on a real date since Geoffrey.”

  “Don’t get so excited. I realize Randy is special and he will make someone a great husband one day, but I don’t think it will be with me.”

  “Why not? I think you have a chance with him. I’ve known Randy as long as I’ve known John and that’s like nine years. He’s had his pick of girls, yet he has always been very particular. For some reason he’s interested in you.” She gave her a wry smile. “And I think you should give it a chance.”

  “Emily, I don’t think I’m in the place where I can be with anyone else, not yet. I’m just not ready.”

  “Well, come with us to church tomorrow. Randy’s preaching because our pastor is on vacation this week. Come hear him. I think you’ll be impressed.”

  “Come hear Randy preach? This I have to see. Okay. I’ll stay over and go with you tomorrow.”

  ****

  Randy arrived early for church on Sunday to make sure everything was ready for his sermon. He set up his slides in the projector and organized his notes. Walking through the sanctuary, a calm spirit encompassed him as he silently prayed for God to work through him today and guide his words as he preached. He continued through the courtyard to the youth building to prepare for Sunday school with his teenagers. As he placed the song booklets out on the chairs, John Richards walked in.