Chapter 2: ~ Chapter 2 ~
I stared at the ring for a moment as I waited at the table for the girls to show up. They had all been asking me what was going on, how the date went, and when I was moving in. That was three days ago and I hadn't given a single piece of information. I had wanted to show them all at the same time, and this lunch was the first chance we all had to get together.
I took a sip of the wine I had ordered for the table and then grinned as I heard the chatter. The room I requested was separate from the main dining room because I knew them, they would all squeal on me. I stood as they walked in and I hugged each one, waving at them to sit.
"I ordered some wine," I told them and three pairs of eyes narrowed at me. Okay, so wine wasn't always my choice of drink, but it was when we were celebrating, and they would want to celebrate.
"What's going on," Kris asked and I shrugged.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Bullshit!" Ashley exclaimed and I ducked my head. I didn't have to tell them outright, they would figure it out, and I shrugged again. "We know you better than that, so don't try that game. Why haven't you talked to any of us? Why haven't you said anything?"
"I called you all here because I need your help in planning something and it was just easier to have lunch where I could see you all rather than a phone call or a group thread." Alexa grabbed my left hand and her eyes opened wide. If there was any friend who would notice, it would have been her. And if there was any friend who would have been quick to hit someone up, it would be Kris.
"He didn't!" Alexa said, and I grinned.
"He did." She yanked my hand out to the middle of the table and the other two girls gasped. "I need your help planning a wedding!" I told them and they all grinned. I had no doubt in my mind that with their help, I would have a grand wedding in just months, which was perfect given that Howie and I had discussed it and we wanted it around the time of our anniversary, that was the only stipulation. Oh well, that and that we wanted it on a boat of course. But I still had no doubt that these ladies would help me with something this big and massive.
"Did he design that?" Ashley asked and I nodded.
"It's a one-of-a-kind piece for a one-of-a-kind woman," I told him, quoting Howie.
"He's too lame," Kris said as she took the hand to examine the ring. "However, he has a hell of a mind for what works. Are those blue and black diamonds?"
"Yes, it is," I started. "The colors represent the water since that's where we met. I found it to be rather sweet. And as the diamond sits on the bed of them..."
"It looks amazing," Alexa finished.
"And makes for one hell of an expensive ring. Just wait, she's gonna be popping on those Facebook's videos where they show the most expensive rings of Hollywood's couples and yours will be at the top." I rolled my eyes at Kris's statement, but I wasn't going to dispute it because it was true, I knew the ring wasn't cheap, the huge-ass Marquise cut diamond gave it away that it wasn't cheap.
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"So, what are you thinking?" Ashley asked as she opened her planner as we sat around my living room after lunch. They wanted to come back here and start planning; bless them. "A year? Longer?" I stayed silent and twisted my lip. The other ladies finally caught on to the silence and looked up at me.
"You want it less time, don't you?" Kris asked.
"Yes," I squeaked out. "Maybe like six months?" I ducked my head as they started to shout at me. I knew they would be pissed off by that, but I also had no doubt that they could all manage to pull this together to make it work.
"Are you fucking crazy? How?" Alexa asked and I shrugged.
"There's all of us. Come on. We wanted to get married on our anniversary. Look, I can book the private cruise line; I just need help with everything else."
"You want me on a God damn boat?" Kris yelled at me. Did I forget to mention that my best friend hated boats? Okay, well I forgot she did. And she was just going to have to deal with the fear because I needed her there. "For fucks sake, Theresa! God damn it. When my lame ass gets married I'm making you fucking wear some type of hot pink number just so you can be pissed!" Well, I suppose given how much she hates boats and I hate the color pink, we were even.
"Deal," I said, giving her a smile that she totally ignored.
"Okay, well, let's start with a guest list," Alexa said. I started off with a list of names for Howie, which was his family and mine, and then some of our closest friends. We wanted this to be a more private affair but a grand one as well, and my friends would get this.
And as Alexa and I talked about the list, Ashley was on the phone with the likes of Valentino, Armani, and Versace seeing who would be able to make a custom dress for me. And on the couch, Kris was typing away and when I questioned it, she said she was working on the invitations. Yes, as hard as it may be, six months wasn't hard to pull off, but I just knew they loved me enough to try and make it work.
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Four months later, I stood in the dress at a private Armani store and turned every which way, smiling at what had been done. Being on a boat, I didn't want a long dress, but I did want a beautiful one. And the lace and crystal's made this floor-length gown a beauty all its own. I walked out of the dressing room and stood in front of the girls, all of who sat in awe.
There had been more hiccups along the way for this planning than I wanted to admit, but the majority of things had been done. The cruise had been booked and paid for, taking a little chunk out of us. The invitations were sent and almost everyone responded. And try as hard as we could to keep it private, the media had heard about it and was talking about it and how it was the wedding of the year for Golden couples; did I mention how I hated that title?
I guess on the other side of that, it was our names that got half the things we wanted and that fast. Like this dress. When I finally was able to get through, it was a fast yes on Armani's side to get it done. And when I sat down with the design group the next day to go over it, they were thankful for both the fact that it wasn't a long gown and the fat paycheck I was giving them.
"Oh, girl, you look utterly amazing." I smiled in the mirror at Kris, who had walked up to me. "It's you and then it's not."
"I know, the whole dress thing, especially all the lace." She wrapped her arm around me and squeezed.
"I think it's perfect," Ashley said, walking up to me. "We can pin your hair back, and have a little veil so the wind won't kill you as we leave." So the whole idea was to have the wedding as we left port so that by the time our 'I dos' came along, we were technically in international waters and therefore wed be internationally marriage. And that was a special license we had to get, but it was worth it for as crazy as we were.
"I don't think I would change anything," Alexa added, her hand brushing along the bareback as she walked up behind me too. "And personally, knowing you two, I doubt this wedding dress is going to stay on long enough." I grinned as she winked at me. Okay, so beautiful it was, sure, but I still had quite a bit of skin showing and I knew it would drive my future husband wild.
"I do believe that's the whole point," I told her. I turned again before hugging my girls. "God damn, I can't believe I'm getting married. Like, that cruise is something I was so dead set against, and look at this, I'm getting married!"
Just last night, Howie and I were discussing how insane it was that everything was working out and that we were getting married in just a few months. For sure not something either one of us saw happening, especially on that cruise and after all our pain and heartache. We were both so certain that the cruise would be a waste and yet here we are, planning our wedding for our anniversary. And my best friends would be there, supporting us, kind of like they had been the whole time, just this time as part of the picture.
My only wish, from here on out, would be that nothing major happened to ruin this. I swore that sometimes drama followed us around and the last thing I wanted, or needed, was drama coming around and showing its ugly head. The invites even said to leave drama at the door. I just couldn't shake the feeling it was coming in waves I didn't want.
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