Just You and Me

I had barely knocked on the door when Lynn threw it open and shrieked.  "It's about time!  I'm so excited!"

"Where have you been?" Lauren asked, frowning at me.

"Having breakfast with my soon-to-be-husband, Mother," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Speaking of your mother, she came here looking for you about 20 minutes ago," Lynn said.  "You should call her and let her know you're here."   I fished my phone out of my purse and did exactly that.  While I was on the phone, someone knocked at the door.  It was the stylists that were coming to do our hair and makeup, and I was pleased that we had decided to spend the extra to have them come here.  I didn't really feel like trekking out anywhere right now.  I let my mom know that I was here and she said she'd be around in a little while.  I also sent a text to Jen, who texted back immediately that she and Thalia would be there in a few minutes.  I'd invited them both to get ready with us and they had happily agreed.

Erin, the stylist that would be doing my hair, directed me to a chair and got started on my hair.  Everyone else was getting their makeup done as well, but I'd be doing my own.  I never liked it when I got it done, and it was one thing I could have full control over today, which eased my nerves slightly.  I showed Erin the picture of what I wanted for my hair, and she seemed a little disappointed that I wanted something so simple.  But it fit my requirements: down, out of my face, and would work perfectly with the beautiful jeweled combs my mom had given me.  When it came to my hair, my usual style was relatively simple, and I didn't want to do anything too drastically different.  Erin quickly hid her disappointment and got to work curling my hair.  

Jen, Thalia, and my mom all arrived shortly after, and we all sat around chatting while Lauren and I got our hair done.  Lynn and my mom would be next, then Jen and Thalia.  While Erin was working on getting my curls just right, there was another knock at the door.  I gave Lynn a weird look, because she was the only person in my current line of sight, and Jen jumped up to answer the door.

"Ken?" I heard her say.  "What's this?"

"Special delivery courtesy of the groom," came Ken's voice.  Jen laughed, and my mom got up and walked over to the door as well.

"Whatever it is, thank you, Ken!" I called.  "I can't move my head or I'd come say hi."

"You're welcome, Olivia," he called back.  "I won't interrupt, I'm just the errand boy.  Enjoy your day!"

I thanked him again and then saw what Jen and my mom were carrying in.  Several to-go cups from the nearby coffee shop, a bottle of champagne, plastic champagne flutes, and orange juice.  Jen handed me an envelope, grinning.  "Did you know about this?" I asked her.

"Yes," she replied.  "Someone had to make sure all the coffee orders were right!"

I laughed as Lauren said, "You guys are already thinking alike."  I had sent a bottle of nice Scotch with Alex for him to give to Brody for them to enjoy.

I carefully took the cup Jen offered me.  "Large dirty chai for you," she said.  She handed out the rest of the coffee as I sipped mine, then set it to the side and opened the envelope.

Inside was a card, and on the inside of the card, in Brody's crooked, boyish handwriting, was written, "I figured you could all use some caffeine to get you through your marathon of getting even more beautiful than you already are.  Then I thought that the caffeine might make you even more jittery than you probably already are, so I threw in some champagne to help you with that.  I've been looking forward to this day since I first met you, and I can't wait to see you.  I'm sure you'll be even more beautiful than I can imagine, and I'm already the luckiest man in the world.  I love you."  

I bit my lip, this time a little overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness.  Lynn said, "If you're going to cry, do it now before you have makeup on!"

"Like that will stop her from doing it later," Lauren quipped.

"Shut up!" I said, laughing.  At least laughing stopped me from crying.  The rest of the morning and early afternoon passed quickly, and it wasn't long before my mom was handing me a sandwich and insisting that I eat something.  I did as she asked, chewing mechanically, barely tasting anything.  We opened the champagne and drank mimosas with our lunch.  The champagne did little to calm my nerves, which were now in full force.  I was looking forward to seeing Brody in a couple hours when we did our first look, because I knew seeing him would help a little.

When it was time to put on my dress, shoes, and jewelry, I got oddly calm.  That lasted all the way until my dad knocked and came into the room.  When he saw me, his face lit up, but then he blinked hard a couple times.  "Don't you dare," I warned him, feeling my own emotion bubbling up in my throat.  "I just finished my makeup and I have to go take pictures."  Lauren, Lynn, Thalia, and Jen excused themselves, leaving just me, my mom, and my dad in the room.

"Sweetheart, you look beautiful," my dad said, smiling at me, his face filled with emotion.

"Thank you," I said shyly.  "I feel...nervous."

"You don't look it," my mom said helpfully.  I smiled gratefully at her.  My dad pulled me into a careful hug, conscious of my hair and makeup.  "Here," my mom said, handing me a champagne flute.  "Finish it up."  I laughed.  I knew I could count on her to not be too sappy.  She was just like me--a hopeless romantic failure.  I sipped the delicious champagne as my mom and dad chatted for a couple minutes, then when Lauren texted me that the coast was clear and Brody was where we were meeting for our first look, we walked to the elevator.

Much to our photographer's disappointment, we didn't want him in the room for our "first look".  We wanted the time together to be intimate and without an audience.  The hotel had allowed us to use one of their smaller conference rooms that wasn't being used for another event, so it could be completely private, but so we could still check out of our rooms.  One of the hotel staff directed me to the right room while my parents joined Lauren and Lynn, who were waiting in the lobby.

I pushed the door open, and Brody--who had been looking out the window--turned as I came in.  I wish I could describe the look on his face, but I think the most obvious indication of his feelings was that he had absolutely nothing to say for several seconds.  He just stared at me.  "Hi," I said softly, feeling a little self-conscious.

"Liv," he replied, closing the space between us with three steps.  "You're absolutely gorgeous."  He placed his hands on my upper arms, holding me at arm's length while his eyes traveled up and down.  He reached out and gently touched my necklace--the one his mom had given me.  "Wow."

"You look pretty damn good yourself," I replied, laying on my hands on the lapels of his jacket and smoothing invisible wrinkles away.  I bit my lip, trying not to get emotional.  "Thanks for the coffee and the champagne," I said to distract myself.

"You're welcome," he said, pulling me closer  "And thank you for the Scotch."  He kept his hands on my arms but leaned down and kissed me softly.  "Can I hug you?  Or will I ruin your hair and makeup and dress and day and life?"  I laughed and hugged him, feeling much calmer.  He hugged me back carefully.  "I have to admit I was little nervous," he said, his arms still around me.

"About what?"

"I was nervous you wouldn't look like you," he said.  "I always see people's wedding photos, and I think, 'Nope, that's not you.'  It's weird when people don't look like themselves on their wedding day.  You look like you, and you look beautiful."  He very gently touched a curl of hair, then grinned and said, "I have something for you."

I narrowed my eyes.  "We weren't going to do gifts," I protested.

"It's not a gift," he replied.  "It's something you need.  And anyway, what do you call that expensive Scotch you supplied us with?"  He had me there, and I shrugged.  He turned and grabbed a small flat wrapped box from the table behind him.  I hadn't even noticed it.  He handed it to me and I carefully removed the ribbon and the paper, then opened the box.

I gasped as the gorgeous diamond and pearl bracelet was revealed.  "Brody..." I said softly.

"You have a necklace and earrings, I didn't want your wrists to feel left out," he said, smiling at me.  He lifted the bracelet--which coordinated amazingly well with the jewelry his mom had given me--out of the box and then gently took the box from my hand.  I held out my right wrist and let him clasp the bracelet around it.

"It's beautiful," I murmured, turning my hand this way and that so the diamonds caught the light and the slightly iridescent pearls shimmered.  I raised my eyes to his.  He was watching me, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.  "Thank you," I said, stepping towards him and reaching for his hands.  I tugged him closer and kissed him.

"You're welcome," he replied, his lips moving against mine.

We took a couple more minutes to ourselves, then emerged from our little room into the world.  We had picked out a pretty park to take some pre-wedding family and wedding party photos at, and we all got in vehicles to go there.  We had a shuttle running from the hotel to the wedding venue, and everyone else would head back there after pictures to get the shuttle, while Brody drove the two of us there.

By the time we were almost finished taking photos, I was starting to get crabby.  It was a combination of nerves and just being over being told to smile and look this way and sit like that.  Brody, picking up on my crabbiness, asked the photographer for a break.  He focused on taking some pictures of our small wedding party, my parents, and Brody's family.  Brody, meanwhile, was making stupid faces at me behind the photographer's back.  He soon had me cracking up, and our photographer managed to snap a few quick, candid pictures of me laughing my ass off and Brody making ridiculous faces at me.  Those are probably getting framed.

Before I knew it, it was time to head towards the venue.  The photographer was following us there because there were a few pictures we wanted to take in a spot closer to the venue.  We got there just in time to get the sunset pictures that I wanted, then headed to the restaurant.  I jiggled my leg nervously as we drove until Brody reached across the center console and laid his hand gently on top of it.

Lauren was waiting outside the restaurant when we got there, and she walked up to the car. "I'm supposed to wait with you, Liv," she said.  "And you," she looked at Brody, "Are supposed to go inside right away."

Brody must have seen the anxiousness in my eyes at that, because he squeezed my leg reassuringly.  We both got out and I walked around to his side of the car and let him pull me into a tight hug.  "I can't wait to marry you," he said, smiling at me.  I smiled back.  He laid his hands lightly on either side of my face, just like he had that morning.  "Don't be nervous," he said softly.  "Just you and me, remember?"  I nodded and closed my eyes as he kissed my forehead, then pressed his lips to mine.  "See you soon," he said, grinning at me. "I love you."

"I love you too," I replied.  I took a deep breath and watched him walk toward the restaurant.