by Eric Vall
Renee’s group would arrive sometime in the afternoon I suspected, and I assumed that Tara would eventually drag Betty and all the other girls off to get dressed up for the event.
At the moment, though, the platinum blonde was barking orders and was fussing over every last detail. I rolled my eyes at her antics, but as I looked around I had to admire what she’d done.
I knew the other girls had helped as well, but Tara was the mastermind behind it all, and it truly looked spectacular.
Chairs were all arranged in the middle of the courtyard to face the archway that they’d created. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was made of, but it was wire of some sort, and they’d attached flowers all over it so that it looked as if it had grown like that naturally. The girls had also found some old christmas lights in Rolly’s shed from when the school used to decorate. The lights were strung up over a section of the courtyard that I presumed was meant to be where dancing would take place.
There was also a single flower on every single chair laid out for the ceremony, and on one of the picnic tables there stood a three tier wedding cake.
“How in the hell did they have time to make that?” I asked as I gestured to the cake.
“I heard Tara talking about it yesterday,” Kimmy told me as she stoked the fire. “They worked on it while we were finishing up with the deer.”
“Who did it?” I asked.
“I think it was Marla and Betty,” she answered.
I was astonished that this wedding had come together so well in just a matter of days. Then again, I knew better than to doubt the girls when it came to a party. They’d put on an entire Thanksgiving at the last minute just because they felt like it.
Besides, they all loved Rolly and Betty, and I knew they’d do whatever they could to make them happy.
“Did you make the barbecue sauce?” I asked Kimmy.
“Got it all ready over here,” she said with a gesture to a huge pot that sat beside her.
“That’s a lot of sauce,” I chuckled.
“We have a lot of people coming,” she reminded me. “It just has to heat up, but I figured we would do that last.”
“Works for me,” I agreed.
Kimmy and I worked on the meat all morning, but once afternoon hit Tara came and dragged her away so I was left by myself. The day was hot, and being in front of the fire for hours on end had done nothing to help with that fact.
I was a sweaty mess when Renee’s group arrived, but I had managed to get all of the meat done and ready. Before I put Kimmy’s barbecue sauce on, though, I walked over and greeted the fort leader.
“Renee,” I called out as she hopped out of her military jeep wearing a long floral dress.
“Tav,” she said, and she stuck her hand out, but as I got closer she raised an eyebrow at me.
“Right,” I said, and I pulled my hand back and ran it through my wet hair. “It’s good to see you, I’m glad you all came.”
“Happy to be here,” the dark haired woman said as she looked around. “This place is gorgeous, I can see why you all haven’t wanted to leave yet.”
“About that,” I said with a smile. “We’ll talk later.”
“Oh?” Renee asked, and a grin spread across her face.
“Later,” I repeated with a laugh.
“Whenever you’d like,” she chuckled. “I’m just happy to hear it.”
“Tav!” Tara’s voice shouted from behind me, and I turned around to see the platinum blonde headed straight for me.
“The meat’s done,” I said quickly, afraid of the wrath of the non-bride bridezilla.
“It better be,” she said, then she leaned around me and addressed Renee. “Renee, good to see you.”
“Uh, you, too,” Renee said with an awkward smile.
“Tav, you need to go take a shower and get ready,” the platinum blonde ordered.
“Alright, alright,” I laughed. “I’m going. But somebody needs to heat up Kimmy’s barbecue sauce.”
“I’m sure I can handle that,” Renee offered. “Where is it?”
“In a large pot by the fire,” I said. “Thanks, Renee.”
“Thanks, Renee,” Tara called as she practically dragged me into the dorm building.
Tara pulled me upstairs to the floor past where she and I usually stayed.
“All the men are in there,” she told me. “Shower first.”
“I will,” I said, and it was then that I realized she had on a full face of makeup. Her eyelashes were long and dark as always, but she had on some sort of shimmery eyeshadow underneath, and her cheeks were made pink by some blush. Her usually pouty lips looked even poutier and they were coated in a gloss that made them shiny and slightly pinker than usual.
“What?” the platinum blonde asked me. “Why are you just staring at me?”
“I’m sorry,” I said with a shake of my head. “You just look beautiful is all.”
“Oh,” she said, and her cheeks darkened with embarrassment as she looked down. “Thanks.”
“Of course,” I told her with a soft smile.
“Okay, now go shower,” she told me, and she headed back downstairs.
I opened the door to the common area and found Dan, Henry, and Rolly all sitting on the couches with glasses of whiskey in their hands.
“Hair of the dog, eh?” I chuckled.
“Nervous,” Rolly said, then he looked up at me and his eyes widened with surprise. “What in the hell happened to you?”
“You look like you just came out of the river,” Dan said.
“I was cooking in front of the fire all day,” I said dryly. “Plus it’s like a hundred degrees out.”
“It’s not that hot,” Henry laughed. “That fire must have got to you bad.”
“Tara insisted that I shower,” I said.
“I’m gonna insist that, too,” Rolly chuckled, and he pointed to the bathroom. “Get in there.”
“Yes, sir,” I said with a smile, and I headed to the communal restroom.
There were towels in there already, so I grabbed one before I turned on the water in one of the stalls. I was overheated as hell so I turned it to cool, stripped my clothes off, and stepped into the icy water.
I could feel the sweat run off my body as the water cascaded over me, and after a minute or so, I turned the heat up just a little bit so it was more comfortable.
I did a quick scrub of my body, washed my hair and beard, and then rinsed myself off. I stepped out into the open air feeling ten times more refreshed than I had a few minutes before, but I had no idea when these festivities were set to begin, so I quickly dried off and found my tux. If I was the one responsible for holding up the wedding, then Tara would definitely have my head, and I wasn’t about to let that happen.
I towel dried my hair and beard as much as I could, then I pushed my hair back so that it looked like it’d been styled purposefully. Once I was dry, I threw on my tux and the dress shoes the girls had picked out and headed back out to the common area.
“Much better,” Rolly said, and he walked up and reached for my untied bowtie.
I glanced down at the old man as he worked on my tie. He had on his tux already, and it looked good on him. It was a slender fit, and it made him look taller than he actually was. The silver of the vest complemented his hair well, and in his left chest pocket there were some small white flowers along with one large red flower. I wasn’t sure what they were, but they were nicely arranged, and they complemented the suit well.
“All done,” the old man said as he stepped back and clapped me on the shoulder.
“You look good, old-timer,” I told him with a grin.
“I better,” he chuckled. “It’s my wedding day.”
“She can’t exactly find a divorce lawyer nowadays,” Henry teased.
“True,” Rolly laughed.
“I’m glad you’re marrying grandma,” Dan said. “She really loves you.”
“I love her, too, son,” Rolly said softly.
<
br /> “I know,” the young man replied.
“Tav,” Henry said, and he walked up and handed me the same boutineer that he and Dan had on. “Don’t forget this.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I wouldn’t want to endure Tara’s wrath for that one.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Rolly said with a shake of his head.
A knock came on the door, then, and we all turned to look at it.
“Everybody ready in there?” Marla’s voice asked.
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Rolly said, and he let out a long breath before he downed the rest of his whiskey.
“You’re gonna be fine,” I told him with a clap on the shoulder.
“I’m still nervous,” he said with an almost amused expression. “It’s been well over forty years since I last walked down the aisle.”
“We’re right behind you,” I told him.
“I know,” he said, and he looked at me with milky blue eyes and a soft smile. “I know.”
After another deep breath, Rolly straightened his tux, lifted his chin, and opened the door.
“We’re ready,” he told Marla.
“You look great,” she said with a smile. “Come on, we’ve got to get you into place.”
Even though it wasn’t my wedding, I felt myself grow slightly nervous as Marla led us down the stairs and out to the courtyard. Everyone was seated already, and though they were people I knew well, it felt vulnerable to be in front of them like that. I could only imagine how Rolly felt right about then.
The evening was setting in, and the day was cast in the orange glow that made everything around appear to light up like we were in a movie. After Henry, Rolly, Dan, and I took our places near the archway, the old man turned to give me a nervous look. I replied with an encouraging smile, and we waited for the girls to come out.
As we waited, I noticed that Marla was off to the side, and she had Tara’s phone in her hand. She was clearly in charge of taking photos, and I was happy that Betty and Rolly would have this day captured for them.
First down the aisle was Tara, and she looked absolutely stunning. The dresses that they’d picked out were a beautiful teal blue color, and it complimented her blonde hair well. The dress was long and airy, and it flowed behind her slightly as she walked quickly down the aisle with a large grin on her face. Her platinum blonde hair hung down around her shoulders in large curls, and her makeup looked even better in this light than it had when I’d noticed it inside.
Instead of taking a place near the archway, Tara moved to sit at the piano that had been brought out for the ceremony. It was to the left of the arch, and the platinum blonde looked elegant and regal as she slowly took her seat, lifted her chin, and laid her dainty fingers on the keys.
The ever famous wedding song began to play, and everyone turned in their seats to face the back of the aisle.
First into view was Rosy, Henry’s granddaughter. I hadn’t realized that she was in the wedding, but she smiled big and began to dance down the aisle as everyone laughed. The little girl wore a puffy white dress with a teal colored ribbon at the waist. She had a basket of flower petals that she threw here and there, and once she made it down to the end she quickly gave her grandfather and Rolly a hug before she sat down by Tara.
After a moment, the girls began to march down one by one. Jenny was first, and the redhead looked adorable in her own teal dress. Unlike Tara’s, which was strapless and showed off a good portion of her cleavage, the top of Jenny’s dress was made of a delicate lace while the bottom was the same flowy material as Tara’s. Betty’s granddaughter carried a small bouquet of white and purple flowers, and she smiled happily at those around her as she made her way to the arch. Once she got there, she kissed Rolly on the cheek, then stepped back into her spot as maid of honor.
Paige was next down the aisle, and her dress, while still the same color, was different from both Tara and Jenny’s. The teal dress had large straps that met just below her breasts so a small amount of cleavage was visible on either side. It tightened at her waist, then flowed down as the wind blew around her. Her long, chestnut hair had two small braids that pulled the hair back from her face, but the rest hung down her back in a cascade of curls. I noticed then that the brunette didn’t have her usual glasses on, and Tara must have done her makeup. She had pouty pink lips and dark eyelashes that she looked up at me through. She was absolutely gorgeous.
Bailey was next in line, and she came down the aisle in a spaghetti strap version of the teal dress. It fit her tightly down to her hips, then the material flowed freely around her legs. There was a large slit up one side, and I could see the smoothness of her skin as she walked. Her shoulder length blonde hair was curled so it framed her face, and she smiled at me with pink colored lips. She was stunning, and the light from the evening reflected off her blonde hair and made her appear to glow so she looked even more beautiful.
Kimmy came into view in a beautiful halter neck version of the dress. Her slender frame showed under the flowy material, and she walked confidently and quickly down the aisle, as if this wasn’t her first time in a wedding. Her curly hair hung down around her face, and she had on dark mascara like the others, but instead of pink lipstick she wore a darker red color that complimented her skin tone wonderfully. The beautiful woman smiled at me as she pranced down the aisle, and I had to smile back at her confidence.
Anna came down the aisle then in a one strap version of the teal dress. She was taller than the other girls, and the flowyness of the dress only made her legs appear that much longer as she took elegant strides down the aisle. Her long red hair was curled like the other girls’, and she had dark mascara on with a soft pink lipstick. The red of her hair and the blue of her dress reminded me of a sunset on the ocean, and I smiled at her as she bit her lip nervously.
After Anna took her place, the music stopped for a second, then we all waited for Betty.
Rolly’s bride appeared at the end of the aisle wearing the most gorgeous wedding dress I’d ever seen. It was flowy like the girls’ dresses, with a long train in the back that got caught by the breeze. The top had small sleeves that hung slightly off her shoulders, and a heart shaped neckline. There was a small lace band around her waist, and her salt and pepper hair was pulled back into a beautiful, ornate bun with a few small strands left out to frame her face. She had a small veil attached to the bun that flowed down her back, and a pearl necklace that laid on her collarbone.
I heard Rolly pull in a tight breath when he saw her, and I turned to look at the old man’s face. He was in absolute shock, and the look of utter joy that overtook him was contagious. I felt myself smile in response, and I turned to see Betty smiling as well.
Tara picked the music back up, this time a bit slower, and Betty started her march down the aisle. I looked over the crowd and saw some of the women crying, and some of the men pretending not to cry.
Betty made her way to the arch, and she and Rolly grasped each other’s hands and looked at one another with eyes full of love.
Tara took her spot with the other girls, then Henry started the typical dearly beloved speech. The ceremony itself didn’t take very long. Betty and Rolly each shared their own vows, and I nearly cried as Rolly professed his love for the woman in front of him. I hadn’t been to many weddings, and I’d certainly never even teared up at one before, but there was something pure about their commitment to each other.
Once the vows and I dos were done, they were officially pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Rolly Elderbroch. The crowd went crazy as they kissed at the altar, and Rolly even went so far as to dip the old woman, which only garnered another cheer from the audience.
Tara hopped back onto the piano, then, and we all walked back down the aisle and into the dorm building.
“Nobody get undressed!” Marla called out as she came into the building behind us. “Let’s get some photos first.”
I followed everyone back outside and over to the arch where I was forced to pose a million differen
t times with large groups, smaller groups, and everything in between. The only saving grace was that I got individual shots with Betty, Rolly, and each of the girls, who pressed themselves against me tightly.
Once the photos were finally done, or at least my part in them, I took my suit jacket off, undid my bowtie, unbuttoned the first few buttons of the shirt, and rolled my sleeves up. Even though the sun was setting, it was still way too hot to be in a full suit. The girls had chosen airy, flowy dresses to wear, but unfortunately you didn’t have that option when it came to menswear so we were all stuck in pants and long sleeves.
Once I fixed my outfit, though, I felt much more comfortable, and I went over to the table where all the food and drinks was set up and grabbed myself a whiskey. I noticed that Renee’s group had brought several large jugs of their homemade vodka. It was gearing up to be a fun night.
Suddenly, music began to come from nowhere. It was an old song that I recognized as Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight. I quickly looked around and found Kimmy near the dance floor set up behind a small table that had some equipment on it.
“How did you pull this off?” I asked with amazement.
“I’d been working on some stuff anyway,” the dark skinned beauty said with a smile. “But when they told me about the wedding, I decided to focus on this one. It’s just a CD player and some speakers, but it’s better than nothing.”
“It’s amazing,” I told her. “You’re amazing.”
I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d heard real music.
“Thanks,” she said, and she looked down and blushed before she looked back up at me. “You look nice in a suit.”
“Thanks,” I replied with a grin. “It was too hot for all that, though.”
“Unfortunately, they don’t make men’s dress shorts,” she teased.
“Actually, they do,” Tara said as she came up behind me and handed Kimmy a drink.
“Ew,” Kimmy said in response.
“Yeah, they’re not great,” the platinum blonde agreed.
“I’m guessing you did all the hair and makeup?” I asked Tara.
“Of course,” she said, and she took a drink of her vodka. “I couldn’t trust anyone else to pull this off.”