by Vicki Green
“Well, I…. I never really did this before. Mom was always so busy and my friends…. Well, they didn’t do this sort of thing so I….” I swallow hard and look at Pearl. “I guess I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to do.” Pearl leans over and hugs me then sits back up and wipes some tears from under my eyes. She looks at Jade and then back at me and smiles.
“Oh, you sweet thing. We’ll show you, don’t you worry.”
I’m feeling a little weird and totally out of my element but I shrug and they both remove my makeup bag and start going through all my stuff. Pearl hands me a plate with some food and a bottled water and they start applying makeup on my face. I feel odd letting them do it but if it makes them happy then I’m ok with it, I guess. Still seems weird. We spent hours together and I ended up having a lot of fun. They did my makeup, curled my hair and then pinned it up in different places and painted my fingernails and toenails. This wasn’t so bad after all.
Pearl rises, walks over to her closet, opens the double doors and walks in. Geez, her closet was probably the same size as my room at my old apartment. She walks back out carrying a garment bag and lays it gently on the bed. “Stormy, come look!” I push myself up and walk over, noticing Jade is right behind me, and we watch as Pearl pulls on the zipper and pushes back each side of the bag. My hands cover my mouth in a gasp as I look at the most beautiful wedding dress I’ve ever seen. “Remember this? You picked it out of a magazine and said this is what you wanted to wear when you marry Bo, some day.” I can only nod and watch her remove it from the bag, my heart beating fast and the feeling of happiness washing over me. This was my dream wedding dress. I remember showing it to Pearl when we were looking through magazines one day at my apartment. How could she have remembered this? “Go on. Try it on.”
I take a step back, shaking my head. “Oh, no! I couldn’t. I’ll end up ruining it or something.”
She giggles and looks at Jade. “Silly girl, sure you can. We’re having girl time and it’s a perfect time to see how it would look on you. Go on!” My hands are shaking as I grasp the silky hanger with one hand and put my arm under the length so it doesn’t drag on the floor. As I start to walk towards the bathroom, I stop and turn my head.
“Are you sure? This doesn’t feel right.” They both smile and wave their hands at me, telling me to go so I keep walking until I’m in the bathroom, shutting the door with my foot and am looking at myself in the mirror, still holding the dress. The makeup they applied on my face makes me look beautiful. I’m shocked and astounded on how well it looks. Carefully, I hang the dress up on the hook on the back of the door and unzip the back, removing it from the hanger. I’m still shaky as I step into it, pulling it gently up my body until I have it all the way over my breasts then reach behind me and zip it up. I turn around and look in the mirror and gasp. It looks perfect, just like I’d imagined. Off the shoulder, slim bodice, and silky material with lace covering it all the way down. I jump when knocking sounds on the door and Jade and Pearl start yelling.
“Come on! We want to see!”
I rub my hands down the front of the dress and slowly walk to the door, turn the knob and they both almost fall into the room when I open it. Tears spring to Jade’s eyes and Pearl gasps, much as I did. “Oh, Stormy! You look beautiful. It’s perfect on you!” Jade says smiling.
“I don’t…. I don’t understand why you have this, I….” I can’t speak. I’m so at a loss for words, and I feel the wetness in my eyes. Maybe I’m just hormonal or maybe I’m just not used to all of this attention. Either way, I’m gonna ruin their makeover, I just know it.
Pearl steps behind me and pushes me out of the room. “Oh, don’t worry. We just wanted to see what it looked like with you in it. Now, put your feet into these shoes.” I look down at the matching shoes that are there before me. Turning my head quickly to her, she nods, winks and smiles at me. I slide my feet into the shoes, grabbing her shoulder to steady myself and she turns me to a full length mirror on the wall. “Now, let’s see what this looks like with the dress and shoes.” I see her arms move around in front of me from the mirror, and when she brings them behind my neck I see a sparkling diamond necklace. My hand rises and lays over it as my eyes move up to see hers and I start to turn my head. She quickly puts her hands on my head, keeping it straight, shushing me. “Oh, no! Not yet.” She moves around to my side and holds out diamond earrings that match the necklace.
“But….” She shakes her head, smiling and pushes her hand at me. I take them one by one, putting them in my ears and look at myself in the mirror. “Everything’s so beautiful. But I don’t understand.” My brows crease, and my confusion is apparent on my face.
“Isn’t this fun?” Jade squeals. “Come. Let’s go show the boys. They’ll just die when they see you.” She grabs my hand and leads me out of the room, my head turning and see that Pearl is following us and I’m even more confused than I was before. I follow her down the stairs, holding my dress up in one hand, looking down and watching every step so I don’t trip. When we reach the bottom I look up to see James standing there, in a tux.
“What?” I look at Pearl and then at Jade then back at James. “I’m so confused, I….” I shake my head and look into his eyes. He takes my hand, pulls it through his arm and smiles.
“My dear. Today, you’re marrying your childhood sweetheart and I’d love the honor of giving you away, if you’ll let me.” My heart beats so fast it feels like it’s lodged in my throat. My eyes shift around to everyone and my confusion starts to clear. “I haven’t been in your life when you needed me. Please, let me make that up to you beginning now.”
My chin quivers but my smile spreads and I fight to keep the tears away. “I’d be honored if you’d give me away, Dad.” Now his chin begins to quiver as he leans over and kisses my cheek.
Jade and Pearl both smile at me and run upstairs. Dad looks at me with such love that I’m taken aback by all my emotions. “I’m supposed to detain you for a few moments while they change,” he laughs.
“So…. whose plan was this or did you all conspire this together?” I smile and he laughs again.
“Hey, I’m an innocent bystander. Well, ok. They brought me in last night and just went over everything but they had it all figured out by then.” He stands there and just looks into my eyes. “You have your mother’s eyes, so beautiful, just as I remember them.”
“Don’t make her cry, Jim! She’ll ruin her makeup!” Pearl screams from her room and we both burst out laughing.
It’s only a few moments longer and they both descend the stairs, looking so beautiful in their dresses and once they reach the bottom by my side, Pearl hands me a gorgeous bouquet of roses in various colors. My head snaps up towards to the back of the house when I hear music playing and I look at Dad who’s smiling, his hand patting mine that’s laying on his arm. “Are you ready to get married?” Am I? Oh, hell yes!
Nodding quickly, my smile wide and my eyes blinking to expel my tears I watch as Pearl and Jade walk out of the room and then back at Dad. “I’ve been ready for this my entire life.” He pats my hand again and we begin to walk.
Epilogue
I’m a nervous wreck! It’s taking too long. They’ve been up there for hours! What in the hell do girls do for that long? I’m pacing the deck and biting on my fingernails as Dad sits calmly in a chair and just watches me. How the fuck can he just sit there? “Dad, maybe….” I stop in my tracks. My head snaps towards the door, when the music starts playing. Dad stands, grabs my arm and walks me down the deck steps and I almost have to jog to keep up with him down the dark peach colored rug until finally we enter the big tent and everyone turns around looking at us. We make it up to the minister. Dad kisses my cheek while shaking my hand, and smiling, then he takes a seat in the front row with Mom and Pearl. In my nervousness, I never even saw them pass us on the deck and come in here.
Dad, Mom and I had asked a lot of our regular customers, food critics and people that we’ve gotten to know to share this with us today. They all turn around and look at the opening in the tent and I look there just in time to see Stormy and her Dad walk in. She looks like an angel in that dress. Her long dark hair curled and pinned up. The glow on her face giving her a radiance making her more beautiful than I’ve ever seen before. She looks around, smiling, and then looks at me and I swear I could hear her breath hitch. The music changes and they begin to walk towards me. When they get close they stop and turn to each other.
“Go, my baby girl. Go to the love of your life. You deserve each other.” James kisses her cheek and she kisses his and I swear I hear her choke on a sob before he takes her hand and places it in mine. I can’t quit staring at her.
“Who here gives this woman to this man today?” The minister speaks out.
“I do! Her dad.” We’re still looking into each other’s eyes and I reach out and wipe away the tear on her cheek as he speaks. Then I pull her to me and we turn to face the minister never taking our eyes off each other.
I hardly hear what the minister says but I look at him when Stormy and I turn to each other and hold hands then I look into my love’s eyes. “I remember the first day I told you I was gonna marry you one day.” She lets out a quiet giggle and so do others in the room. “You were eight years old and I was nine but I knew, right then, that you were mine and that we’d always be together. You once asked me if I could forgive you, but it was me that needed forgiving.” Her eyes fill with tears, and I just smile. “I figured out that you can’t always protect the one you love but you can forgive them.” I watch a tear slide down her face and hear her sniff, lean over and kiss it away then stand back again. “I’ll always protect you, forgive you and love you with everything I am. Marry me.” A burst of laughter leaves her sweet lips and others in the room begin to laugh.
She looks at me with such love in her eyes and grows serious. “There’s never been anything to forgive you for, my love. You’ve always been there for me, protected me and loved me even when I didn’t deserve you or your love. But know, you’ve always been in my heart, in my mind and soul and I could never love anyone but you. You fill me, you complete me and you have me until my last day on earth. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The minister starts to speak, but I pull her to me. My mouth on hers quickly and I feel her arms move around my neck as my arms wrap around her waist. Her fingers glide into my hair and everything and everyone fades around us.
“Uh, well. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. Dunway,” I hear the minister say but I don’t want to stop. Stormy breaks our release first and smiles into my mouth, I move back, take her hand and we turn towards the yelling crowd. I pull her down the aisle with me not looking at those who are yelling at us, barely feeling them patting my back and arms. I just look straight ahead at the tent opening until we are through and pull her around to the side of the tent, and my mouth latches onto hers again.
“God! Can we just go away? I want you so bad!” I say into her mouth. She doesn’t stop, our hands are all over each other, frantically, and my cock says we should leave now. A coughing sound makes us turn our heads. Our lips still stuck together and a big smile on Dad’s face makes me finally release her.
“Uh, your guests are in the reception tent. Thought you might want to know.” He puts his hands in his pockets, bows his head and laughs as he walks away. I turn my head to Stormy, who’s about twenty shades of red, and smile.
“Think they’d miss us if we just leave? There’s tons of food and booze in there to keep them happy for days.” Her eyes are glistening as she smiles, her beautiful teeth looking whiter in the Tiki flames glow and she looks more beautiful than ever. Her hands leave my back and move around to the front of me and I take them both in my hands and just stare into her eyes. “I did it. I finally married you. Told ya I would.” She bursts out laughing as I release one of her hands, and we start walking back around the tent and towards the other one. She turns her head and looks up at me with that beautiful smile still on her face.
“I can’t believe you went to all this trouble though. I would have married you anyway.” She smirks and then winks. “But I’m glad you made an honest woman out of me. God knows….” I tug on her hand and pull her close and stop dead. Her eyes search mine, my brows creasing and heart pounding.
“Stormy. You’ve always been an honest woman, more so than many. I hate when you say that about yourself, Peaches.” Her eyes now glitter with wetness and I rub my thumb over her cheek. “Nothing but happiness now, nothing but love and….” My other hand lays over her flat stomach, and I smile wide. “Family. I love you Stormy Dunway.” She leans up on her tiptoes, her mouth presses against mine and I can feel all her love pouring into me. My forehead rests against hers and I feel her cheeks rising with her smile. “Come. Let’s eat, dance and mingle so we can hurry and leave for our honeymoon.”
She steps back, her eyes widen and the look of shock on her gorgeous face is priceless. “Honeymoon? Where are we going? But the restaurant!”
Pulling her back to me, I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. “Mom, Dad and Pearl have the restaurant covered and the new hostess Mom hired is working out great, so much that she’s made her into another manager, and I’m not telling you where we’re going just know to pack for hot weather. Or….” I lean back a bit and tilt my head. “Don’t pack any clothes at all. I’m good with that.” She smacks my arm, lightly, letting out her cute giggles and with my arm still around her shoulder, holding her close in my side, I take her to the tent to greet all our guests. I wonder how fast we can eat, mingle and then get the hell outta here.
We walk into the tent and everyone stops and begins clapping and hollering. We both smile and I raise our hands up high in the air. People start walking up to us, patting our shoulders, giving kisses and their congratulations, Stormy showing her ring to everyone. Finally, Dad walks up and puts his arm around my shoulder and starts leading us up front to a long table. We walk around the back and I pull out a chair for Stormy. She smiles sweetly, kisses me quick and sits which makes everyone yell out their ‘Awww’s’. Two servers bring us each a plate heaped with good food, and I watch Stormy take a grape from the fruit platter sitting on the table and pop it into her mouth. Oh, to be that grape. We are about halfway through eating, talking and laughing when Dad stands, raises his glass of champagne and hits it several times with his spoon. Everyone’s chatter dies down and all turn to him, raising their glasses as well. I pick up Stormy’s glass of half empty champagne as I wouldn’t let her have much, hand it to her, and then pick up mine.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you will. Please join me in a toast to the newlyweds.” He turns his head to us and I see Mom on his other side already with tear streaks on her face. “Son. You’ve always been one of the lights in our lives, have always made us proud and now we have Stormy as our new daughter. But she isn’t really new to us. We’ve been blessed to have her in our lives since she was that small, dirty, sand covered little girl….” Stormy squeezes my hand, and I shift my eyes to her tear filled ones and remove my hand, putting my arm around her and holding her closely. “That we’ve loved a lifetime. This just makes it more official. Here’s to you both, son and daughter and to our soon-to-be grandchild.” There’s ‘Oh’s’ and gasps in the crowd, apparently some not knowing about the pregnancy but I guess they do now, making it feel even more real. We all take a drink and as he sits down and Pearl stands, next to Stormy and mimicking his moves.
“As Dad said, Stormy has been in our lives since we were very young and now after all this time she is officially my sister and I couldn’t be happier for her and Bo. Growing up with her I not only found a new sister but a best friend, one I hold close to my heart. I love you guys,” she wipes a tear and leans down, kissing Stormy on her cheek and then walks behind he
r and gives me a big wet kiss on my mouth. “That’s payback, Bro.” Everyone laughs as she returns to her seat.
We turn our heads to see James stand from his seat next to Pearl and clears his throat. “I’m new to this family. Some of you I’m sure don’t know that I’m Stormy’s father.” She looks up at her dad and smiles, the pride showing clearly on her face. “I was as surprised as she was to find out that I had a daughter but no matter how much time we missed together, we will be making that up ten-fold. Not only do I have a wonderful daughter that I’m so very proud of but I have a son-in-law and a grandchild on the way. Congratulations, Bo and Stormy.” He begins to take a sip of his drink but Stormy pushes back her chair and take the few steps to him quickly, her arms moving around his neck and kisses him. Pearl grabs his drink in the commotion and everyone claps loudly.
When she returns to her chair, I bring her into me and hug her tightly as she sobs into my chest. I know these are tears of happiness so I rub her back and let her get them out but when done she leans back and smiles. “Is my makeup all over my face?” She sniffs. I laugh and rub under her eyes and shake my head while smiling. God, I love her!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
“We need to dance faster so we can leave,” Bo whispers to me on the makeshift dance floor outside the tents. I laugh and kiss him then put my head back down on his shoulder. We continue to move slowly, swaying with the music. The aroma of peaches fill the air with the small cool breeze blowing around us. This night has been perfect and I couldn’t have planned a better, more romantic, wedding myself and am amazed at all he did. I can feel his hard cock pressed up against me, and I know he’s about to explode. I’m enjoying myself so much and also having fun with his frustration. But, I must admit, I’m just as horny and am about ready to tear his clothes off right here.