Bridesmaid Lotto (24 page)

“Welcome Miss Singleton,” the assistant said and closed the door again.

Oh great, I thought. I heard Jennifer sigh beside me.

“Please come with me, Miss Wilson,” someone said to Jennifer.

I could hear shuffling beside me as Jennifer got up. Bobbi Lynne’s chatter died down a little on the other side of the room. I assumed that the assistants had finally let her go and it was now Jennifer’s turn to be poked and picked at. Someone sat down in the empty chair beside me. Almost immediately the makeup application on me stopped.

A few seconds later, I risked opening one eye. The makeup artist had moved on to Rebecca who was sitting in the vacated chair. I wanted to get up and walk around a bit, but I knew I should probably sit as much as I could before everything started. Who knew how long I’d have to stand in high heels after it all started.

The primping continued for several minutes until there was one last secret knock on the door and a tired looking man announced that we had five minutes. Every body except the four Bridesmaids jumped into action. I don’t really know what everyone was doing, but they were all certainly making a point of looking busy.

The man returned what I’m sure was
exactly
five minutes later, and led the four of us further down the long hallway.

We were each handed a bouquet of flowers.

“Oh shit,” I said quietly to Jennifer. “I’m allergic to eucalyptus.”

“What? You’ve got to be kidding me,” an assistant said frantically. “Well it’s too late now. They’re already playing the warm up music. Just try not to let it touch you.”

We lined up in the order that we were supposed to walk out. I looked around but couldn’t see Emma anywhere.

The double doors opened in front of us. What seemed like a thousand people all turned to look at us. The walk up song began.

Bobbi Lynne left on her mark. The wedding planner was there and signaling frantically, even though everyone knew the cues. Rebecca left as the music hit her mark. It was my turn next. I took a few deep breaths waiting for my cue. It hit. I started walking.

Please don’t let me trip, please don’t let me trip, I repeated over and over in my head. All my concentration was focused on three things. Fake smile, don’t wobble in heels, walk in time to the music. It worked flawlessly until I neared the front of the aisle. And then I saw him.

Jake was looking positively delicious in his tuxedo, and I thought I was about to faint when he looked at me and smiled. For a moment, I imagined that I was the bride, walking toward my groom. A motion beside Jake caught my attention. Eric VanHorn was smiling broadly, the light catching his braces. Our eyes met and he actually winked. Ew. My daydream instantly screeched to a halt. I somehow made my way to my assigned spot beside Rebecca.

Jake kept his eyes on me, and unfortunately so did Eric. I very consciously did not make eye contact with Eric again, and kept my eyes fixed on Jake until Jennifer was taking her place beside me.

Just as she was taking her last steps, the bridal march began. The whole thing was choreographed to the millisecond. Everyone stood simultaneously and I could only assume that Emma had entered the hall based on all the ooohs and ahhhs that were making their way through the crowded room.

What seemed like several minutes later, Emma finally came into view. She looked spectacular in her custom Alfred Sung. I could see now why she wasn’t worried that our gowns were beautiful. She’d made sure she would still outshine us all in her gorgeous beaded gown. Her hair was down over her shoulders and the look was set off with a short veil.

The ceremony went by slowly. The first fifteen minutes were fine, but it wasn’t long before my feet began to hurt. A couple of the groomsmen were getting fidgety, particularly Eric VanHorn, who I’m sure wasn’t used to doing something so strenuous as standing for fifteen minutes straight.

I looked down and realized that the eucalyptus must have touched my neck. Red splotches were starting to form.

Oh great, I thought. Why the crap do I have to be so pale? As soon as I saw the splotches, my neck began to itch. I resisted the intense urge to scratch.

Finally, after Emma and Alan had each given their very long vows to each other, and an excruciatingly long kiss, the ceremony came to an end. I cringed as I took Eric’s arm to head back up the aisle and let go the second we were out of eyeshot of the guests. It was difficult not to shudder.

We were escorted back to the room where we’d been getting our last minute touch ups done. I plopped down on the first chair I saw and took off my shoes.

“Good Lord that was a long ceremony,” I said.

“I know what you mean, these shoes are the worst,” Jennifer said undoing hers.

“Don’t get too comfortable girls,” one of the assistants said. “They’ll be calling you for photographs in fifteen minutes.”

Several people were still in the room apparently awaiting our return so that they could get back to work on us.

“We’ve barely moved!” Jennifer said flinching back from a giant powder puff. “It’s not even possible that we need more makeup.”

“Oh yes it is,” the powder puff lady said. “All the lights, all the shine.” She dabbed at Jennifer’s forehead.

I giggled a little at the wincing face that Jennifer was making. The powder puff turned my way. But instead of dabbing my face the lady gasped.

“Oh my God, what happened to you?” she asked, panicked.

“What?”

Jennifer looked at me and suddenly her eyes grew wide. “Josie, you’ve got big red welts all over you!”

I groaned. “It’s the stupid Eucalyptus.”

The powder puff lady began talking frantically into her headset. “SOS in the Bridesmaid lounge, I repeat, SOS in the Bridesmaid lounge.”

Jennifer and I exchanged confused glances.

The door burst open and Millicent Munroe flew into the room.

“What! What’s the emergency?” she asked.

The powder puff lady didn’t say anything. She slowly pointed to my chest.

“Gah,” Ms. Munroe said and jumped back a step. She began frantically digging through a pack that was around her waist. “Thank God for the emergency pack,” she said and produced a small bottle of antihistamines.

“I think it’s the Eucalyptus,” I said and bowed my head. “Sorry.” I was a little afraid to make eye contact.

“Take these,” she demanded, handing me two of the pills. She started to gather up all the bouquets. She thrust them at one of the assistants. “Have the Eucalyptus removed. Substitute with the Holly leaves.” She turned to me. “Are there any other allergies you’ve forgotten to tell us about?” She had her hand on her hip and looked very disappointed in me.

I shook my head.

“Why didn’t you fill out that you were allergic on your entry form?” Jennifer whispered to me.

“I didn’t fill out the stupid form. I guess my mother forgot about my allergy,” I said.

“Oh my God,” she said, looking at my neck. “I hope those pills kick in quick.”

“Me too,” I said. I lightly rubbed my hand over it. It did very little to relieve the itching. “It must look horrible. I just want to scratch the shit out of it.”

Miss Powder Puff oh so generously held up a mirror in front of me.

Gee thanks, I thought. How very helpful you are.

The splotches were pretty bad. They weren’t quite the crimson color my dress was, but they were close.

“Just relax,” the wedding planner said. “Stress will make it worse.” She turned to the assistant. “I’m going to go see if I can buy a little time. Make sure she stays calm.” Ms. Munroe gave Miss Powder Puff a glare and stormed back out of the room.

I am definitely going to have to remember this one for the Disaster Diary, I thought to myself.

Someone fetched me a cold cloth to hold over my neck to try to soothe the hideous red patches.

Several minutes later they called us for photos. A quick check in the mirror told me that the swelling had gone down and most of the red had disappeared.

I’m going to have to find out what kind of antihistamines those were, I thought.

“You look so much better,” Jennifer said. “I’m sure no one will even notice.”

Ms. Munroe stopped me on the way out. She pulled my shoulders square to her and scrutinized my neck. She let out a little sigh. “Well, at least it’s better. We’ll have to try to keep you ‘til the end,” she said.

Great. I thought I was looking pretty good again. Apparently not.

They ushered us into our waiting cars. Each Bridesmaid and groomsmen rode in separate vehicles.

“They really don’t want us fraternizing with each other, do they?” I said to Gary as I slid into the car.

He just chuckled a little.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Out of the city. There are some cliffs near the river south of town that Emma wanted to get pictures taken at.”

“Really? That’s weird. The helicopters will be able to track us there, won’t they?”

“I’m not sure. I think it’s a military no fly zone or something.”

“Ah, smart,” I said as we drove along.

“Was the wedding nice?” he asked.

“Yes. It was nice. But long.”

He nodded.

“Not to mention that I was having a horrible allergic reaction to the flowers.”

“Really?” he said. “You look fine to me. I never would have noticed anything.”

“Thanks. You’ll have to tell the wedding planner that. She thinks I’m a wretched mess.”

He chuckled again. “I doubt that, Miss McMaster.”

I felt a little better now that Gary hadn’t noticed the red splotches. Even though I knew they weren’t, in my mind they’d been becoming oozing red boils.

I used the time in the car to quickly write down the hive incident on a cocktail napkin I’d found near the fresh bottle of Champagne, and also to wonder where the hell my Disaster Diary was.

The view was spectacular from atop the cliff that Emma and Alan had picked out. There was a backdrop of forest and a running stream below the cliff.

I’d been dying to get a minute alone with Jake. It seemed like forever since we’d talked, even though we’d been in the same room several times.

Wait a minute… we
had
been in the same room several times, I thought as I accepted Gary’s hand to help me out of the car. The banquet last night, today at the wedding. Oh God, was Jake avoiding me? Wait Josie, don’t get ahead of yourself, obviously he couldn’t talk at the ceremony, and he had definitely made some eye contact. But I wonder if he could have found the time to talk to me at the supper last night?

“Hey,” a voice shook me out of my daydream freak out.

“Oh, hey,” I said, turning to see Jake.

Okay. Whew. He’s not avoiding me.

“How’ve you been?” he asked. “I feel like we keep missing each other.”

“I was just thinking about that,” I said, smiling. “I thought maybe you were avoiding me last night or something.”

His smile weakened my knees. “I thought the same thing about you.”

“Come on!” Ms. Munroe was shouting, and clapping her hands. “We don’t have all day people.”

Jake rolled his eyes and walked me over to the area where the photographer was and let go of my arm.

And that was the last moment we had together until the reception.

~ 18 ~

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Hall!” the MC announced as the bride and groom made their way into the reception.

The rest of us were already seated. I was relieved to finally be back beside Jennifer, though yet again, I was about a mile and a half away from Jake.

“I am never going to get to talk to him,” I complained to Jennifer.

“Who?” Bobbi Lynne interrupted with her toothy grin.

I hadn’t imagined that she would eavesdrop on our conversation. “Never mind,” I said and stared at the plate in front of me.

Jennifer gave her a ‘what the hell?’ look. Bobbi Lynne didn’t seem phased at all. I was sure that sort of thing happened to her a lot.

Jennifer kicked me lightly under the table.

“What?” I said.

She nodded toward the centre of the table where Rebecca was sitting. Rebecca was staring right at me, or more correctly, glaring.

“What did I do?” I said quietly.

Jennifer shrugged.

Even after I’d caught her staring, she didn’t stop. The bride and groom were finally being seated after several handshakes and ‘congratulations’ as they’d waded through the tables.

Rebecca turned and hugged Emma as if they were best friends. Jennifer let out an unladylike scoffing sound.

The dinner was very formal and was followed by a very long program where several of the couple’s friends make speeches. Jake got up and gave the best man speech, but it was one of Emma’s actual friends that did the toast to her.