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On Friday, while Drake lay in bed for the morning and recovered from his bachelor party, Elaine, Christie and I went to Elaine’s favorite day spa for the full treatment. We arrived before 10:00 a.m. and dressed in the spa’s thick white robes and slippers, then went for a massage, followed by a manicure and pedicure. Then we all had our hair washed and set and I tried out a hairstyle for my wedding day. I’d brought along the veil that I would wear and the stylist tried several hairstyles that used it.
In the end, we settled for an updo with a couple of long tendrils falling in curls around my face. Drake had asked me to keep my neck bare and so I expected he had some piece of jewelry that was meant to signify our new relationship. A collar of some sort that would be known and understood only by the two of us.
We went for a nice lunch at Elaine’s favorite restaurant near Central Park and I gave Elaine and Christie a small gift each to commemorate the wedding. Pearl drop earrings in white gold. Then I was home at about two o’clock. When I arrived, I saw that Drake had showered and dressed and was sitting on the couch with his feet up watching some game.
“There you are,” he said when I came over and gave him a kiss. “How did it go?”
“Good,” I said and touched my hair, which was still up. “Do you like this? And this?” I held up one hand and one foot to show him the mani/pedi results.
“Mmm,” he said and grabbed my foot, kissing my toes. “I like it. I like everything. The whole package.”
He pulled me down and kissed me on the mouth this time.
When I pulled back, I looked in his eyes, which were still bleary. “How are you feeling?”
“Rough,” he said. “Serves me right.”
“We have the rehearsal dinner tonight. I hope you’re up for it. Dave and Ken will be coming. Maybe you should check with them and make sure they’re good to go.”
“I already did,” Drake said. “They’re fine. They both moderated themselves all night. Colin kept up with me and isn’t feeling too good, but he’ll be fine. All of them will be ready for the wedding and reception at the Tea Room.”
I nodded and sighed, a twinge of anxiety about everything in my gut. “Is everything set? I’ve been checking things off on my to-do list.”
“Everything’s set. All we have to do is go to your father’s for the rehearsal and then the dinner, and then show up for the wedding. That’s it.”
“Good,” I said and glanced around the apartment. “Are you packed?”
“Packed and ready to go. I have a limo arranged to take us to The Ritz after the reception, and one to take us to the airport when it’s time to catch our flight on Sunday. Then it’s nothing but sun, surf and sex for a solid week. You can relax, Ms. Bennet,” I said and stroked her cheek. “I’ve taken care of everything. I’ll have you home and ready to get back to work on your thesis on the following Monday.”
I sighed once more, trying not to be too stressed out about everything, but I wanted things to go perfectly once we finished our vows. After the wedding ceremony was over, it would be a limo to Central Park for pictures, and then to the Russian Tea Room for the reception. I could relax. Someone else would make sure everything ran smoothly.
“Come,” Drake said and pulled me down. “Lie beside me for a while.”
I did, my arm around his chest, his arms around my shoulders. I scooched in closer to him, his warmth so comforting. Drake turned off the television and switched on the sound system using the remote and we listened to some soft music and cuddled for the rest of the afternoon, speaking in soft voices about our plans for the 8th Avenue apartment once we came back from our honeymoon.
Finally, at about five o’clock in the afternoon, we started preparing for the rehearsal dinner at my father’s. According to tradition, Drake’s family should have hosted it, but since he had no family around, my father wanted to have everyone over to the penthouse.
“But you’re already hosting the reception,” Drake protested when Elaine suggested it earlier in September. “Let me put something on for everyone.”
“Nonsense,” she said. “Besides, it’s easier for Ethan to do everything at our place and going out to the Tea Room for the reception will be stress enough. He doesn’t like to go to a lot of fuss, what with handicapped parking, the wheelchair, and everything. He’d prefer people to come to our place for the rehearsal diner. You understand.”
Drake nodded and held his hand up. “Of course,” he said softly. “I understand completely. I don’t want to let down my side of the bargain, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry,” Elaine said. “As long as you show up, you’re holding up your side of the bargain.”
“You have no worries on that score,” Drake said with a grin.
“We’re only too happy to host the dinner at our place,” Elaine said. “It will be fun. Besides, I have caterers doing everything so all I have to do is show up and smile.”
And so it was that both the rehearsal dinner and wedding were being held at my father’s apartment on Park Avenue. The wedding reception was still at the Tea Room but everything had been arranged so that there would be the least amount of hardship on my father.
I touched up my makeup and wore a new dress bought specifically for the rehearsal dinner. It was a sleeveless black chiffon dress over a black sheath, with a v-neck but not too deep to be vulgar. I was well contained, in other words, but still was sexy. I wore the diamond collar necklace with the black velvet choker that Drake gave me on New Year's Eve. The diamond fell perfectly at the base of my throat. I wanted to wear it because it was symbolic of our first commitment to each other and I thought it went well with the black dress.
“What do you think?” I said and stood in front of Drake, who was at the mirror in the bedroom, fastening his tie. “This is my new dress.”
He stopped what he was doing and came over to me, his hands on my shoulders. He glanced up and down and then turned me around in a circle.
“You look delicious. Completely edible.”
