They watched her walk out, her cute butt outlined by the snug, low-rise jeans. Tyler turned to Nick.
“Did we screw up big time, or what?” he asked.
The Visine, the tea bags and the heavy-duty concealer did seem to help. The several large cups of coffee she’d downed served to keep her alert, though her shaky hands were going to be pretty obvious as she carried her bouquet down the aisle ahead of Avery. Dammit.
What had she been thinking? Okay, sure, she’d wanted one wild night, but did she have to do it the night before her best friend got married? She closed her eyes, standing there in front of the full-length mirror in a Wirth guest room, then opened them again to study her reflection.
The bridesmaid dress was very nice, as bridesmaid dresses went. At least it wasn’t pouffy and hideous, and powder pink was a good color for her. Strapless, like Avery’s, the knee-length skirt was fuller, not straight, and a big satin bow tied around the waist. She held her arrangement of pink lilies, amaryllis, speckled green phalaenopsis orchids, pink dendrobium, and dusty pink calla lilies. Honeysuckle foliage trailed in a free-flowing cascade and she lifted the flowers to her nose to inhale their sweet scent. God, she hoped Avery liked them.
She sat on the bed to slip on the bronze shoes, sling backs with a pointy toe and an elegant heel. Okay. She was ready, on time and though maybe not looking and feeling her best, she’d have to do.
She left her room and knocked on Avery’s door.
“Who is it?”
“Me. Kaelin.”
“Come in.”
She opened the door and walked in. Avery was still there alone, dressed, breathtakingly beautiful. She faced Kaelin and smiled. “You look gorgeous, Kaelin.”
“Oh my god, so do you. So beautiful.”
Avery literally glowed, her skin golden against the white dress. The dress did in fact look stunning on, fitted to Avery’s curves, her small waist and slender hips. Her blonde hair sat on her head in a simple, gleaming updo and the long necklaces of pearls and rhinestones added sparkle to the dress in a sophisticated way.
“See what Scott gave me?” Avery tipped her head.
“The earrings?” Kaelin moved closer.
“Yes.”
Ginormous diamonds studs winked at her from Avery’s lobes. “Is that to make up for last night?” Kaelin asked with a smile.
Avery laughed. “I think he had these before then.”
“You’re not mad at him anymore?”
Avery sighed. “No. Everything worked out okay. Thanks again for your help. That Brent seems really nice.”
“Ha!” Kaelin couldn’t stop the word from exploding out of her mouth. “He gave me a speeding ticket today!”
“What!” Avery gaped at her. “Is that why you were running late?”
“Er…yes.” Kaelin swallowed. “Forget that. Where’s Maddie?”
“Right here,” she said from behind them. They turned to watch her, in her identical pink dress, cross the room. Maddie and Kaelin helped fasten the pink orchids into Avery’s blonde hair, then Avery added a little highlighter to Kaelin’s face. “You look a little washed out,” she said. “That’s better.”
Two hours of sleep would do that to you. Two hours of sleep and six hours of wicked hot sex. Don’t go there.
When a knock on the door sounded, Kaelin opened it to see Mrs. Wirth standing there. Her blonde hair also shone in an elegant up-do and more diamonds sparkled at her ears. She, too, wore pink, but a deeper rose pink that flattered her creamy complexion and her toned figure.
“Oh, Kaelin.” Mrs. Wirth smiled and tipped her head to one side. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
“Is Avery ready? Can I come in?”
Kaelin turned and cocked an eyebrow at Avery who nodded. Kaelin let Mrs. Wirth in. She stopped and lifted her hands to her mouth, regarding her daughter.
“Avery. Honey.” Tears trembled on her mascaraed lashes. Hopefully it was waterproof. Weddings had a way of bringing on a few tears.
Mrs. With touched a fingertip to her eyes. “You look absolutely gorgeous, honey. That dress is incredible.”
“I thought you might be disappointed.” Avery looked down at herself.
“Oh my goodness, how could I be disappointed? You look so elegant and glamorous. It’s totally you.”
Now Avery’s eyes got all glossy and she and her mom hugged.
After innumerable posed photographs in the Wirth back yard in front of Mrs. Wirth’s rose garden, the limo took them to the church.
“He’d better be there,” Avery muttered as they neared the church. Kaelin shot her a startled glance.
“Are you worried about that?” she asked.
“Not really.” Avery grinned. “I just don’t want anything else to go wrong.”
“It’s going to be fine.” Surely to god nothing else could go wrong.
They entered the church through the side door and waited upstairs as guests entered, listening to the faint strains of guitar and piano. Kaelin faced her friend, putting all her own crazy thoughts and memories out of her head for her friend’s big moment. She smiled at her. “Almost time.”
“I’m ready.” Avery smiled, her lips shiny, eyes shinier.
Tyler appeared in the door. “Okay,” he said. “We just seated Scott’s parents and Mom and Dad. Time to go, Sis.”
“Oh.” Avery took a breath. “Okay.”
“Sure you want to go through with it?” Tyler asked.
“Tyler!”
“Just kidding. Don’t hit me with that bouquet, you could kill someone with that. It weighs a freakin’ ton.”
“It does not.”
Avery’s cascade of flowers was three times the size of her bridesmaids’. And this was keeping it simple. Ha.
The musicians changed to Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto in D Major and Maddie went down the aisle first. Kaelin followed her, hoping her hands weren’t shaking too badly, a smile pasted on her face. When she passed Nick, seated right on the aisle, and caught his eye, his reassuring smile, she relaxed. A little. Tried not to think about him naked. No. Not now. Her hands started shaking again.
Tyler stood at the front of the sanctuary, gorgeous in a black tux. He, too, caught her eye, but instead of reassuring her, the wicked glint in his eyes had her almost hyperventilating.
They all turned to watch Avery come down the aisle, radiant and beautiful. The ceremony was mercifully short, though Kaelin wondered if she actually fell asleep standing up for a few moments, it seemed so short, and then it was done and Avery and Scott were man and wife.
They turned to walk back up the aisle, Hardeep holding out his arm for Kaelin. And then something weird happened. The pianist and guitar player finished their song, the church went quiet, and then strong, beating guitar chords throbbed through the church. The music sounded familiar… Kaelin frowned, trying to place it. The chords beat on and on, and just as she realized what it was and turned wide-eyed to Avery, the Black Eyed Peas started singing “I Got a Feeling”.
Avery grinned.
She’d planned this! Kaelin laughed out loud, caught the eye of Tyler, who was smiling too, then she took Hardeep’s arm. Avery waved them to go back up the aisle and so they did, moving to the uplifting beat of the music as it picked up tempo. Kaelin got a glimpse of the shocked look on Dr. and Mrs. Wirth’s faces, in contrast to everyone else in the church who seemed highly amused. Just at the door to the vestibule, Hardeep twirled her in a dance move and she laughed again, turned to watch Maddie and Tyler coming, smiling and laughing, and Tyler gave Maddie a spin too. Then Avery and Scott danced up the aisle in some moves they’d obviously practiced, laughing and looking so triumphant and happy, the jubilant music making everyone’s spirits lift, making everyone smile, and there could not have been a happier, more celebratory end to the traditional ceremony. It was indeed going to be a good night.