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23
Every night that week was reserved for practice. We only had to perfect one song, so we were well and truly ready by the event. We kept our interactions professional, and maintained enough distance between us to avoid any romantic mishaps.
My days were spent cramming in wedding preparations with Amanda, as after the awards night, I was flying back to Nashville. I had two weeks to pack up the apartment that had been my home since I left Stefan.
Unfortunately, I would have to miss Amanda’s hen’s night too, because according to Jenny, my first week back in Melbourne was already full of meet and greets, right up until the wedding. I hoped the VIP After Party tickets would make up for it.
Jenny managed to arrange everything we needed from flights, hotels, transfers, hair, make-up, and even a personal stylist to figure out what we were all going to wear. Whatever we needed, she made it happen.
* * *
Amanda and I left for Melbourne a day ahead of the boys to find a new dress for the awards night. It was obvious she didn’t venture into the big city often, as she was quite overwhelmed. We decided to stay overnight in a nice hotel, and would meet Luke and Nate at the airport the next afternoon to fly out to Tamworth.
I had Jenny arrange a meeting with the one of the best stylists in Melbourne, to see what they had available for us. Luckily my mum already had our measurements, so we sent them through prior to make the process a little easier. They were aware of the urgency, but happy to accommodate under the special circumstances.
Once we had chosen our dresses, and suits for the boys, we visited the hair salon. I had my hair cut a little shorter, and dyed a little blonder, but Amanda had the works. Haircut, layers, colour and foils, all had her looking a million bucks. By the time we walked out, she was glowing. Farm life didn’t leave much room for pampering.
We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for clothes and wedding necessities, as I didn’t know when I would be able to get Amanda back to the city. I didn’t let her pay for a thing, and she finally stopped trying. As far as I was concerned, she was family and I was finally able to share my wealth with someone I cared about.
* * *
I wish I could have taken a photo of Nate’s face when he spotted his future wife walking towards him at the airport the next day. Amanda was already beautiful, but her new hairstyle and clothing accentuated all her best features. Nate was left speechless, which was a rarity. Luke appeared oblivious to Amanda, and kept his focus on me. I smiled warmly back at him as I approached.
“You ready?” I asked Luke.
“Yeah, let’s go,” he said, hoarsely.
We checked in and took our seats on our chartered jet. Nate cosied up to Amanda, and I sat with Luke. Over the two-hour flight, I managed to give everyone the rundown of the next couple of days. It was going to be a whirlwind, but I was hoping they would manage to have a good time regardless.
Luke and I headed straight into rehearsals from the airport, whilst Nate and Amanda were free to do as they pleased. But by the looks of Nate, they wouldn’t be leaving their hotel room anytime soon. We all met up later for dinner, but headed back to our hotel suite early, in preparation for the next day.
The following day was reserved for the glamourous side of events like these. Amanda and I spent the day being primped, whilst the boys enjoyed some time at the music festival that preceded the awards night.
Once the boys were dressed, we kicked them out of our hotel suite and sent them downstairs for a drink. We didn’t need their prying eyes and impatient glances hindering us as we got ready.
“I feel like a movie star.” Amanda giggled, as we descended to the foyer in the elevator.
“A prelude to your wedding day.” I winked, as the doors opened.
We strolled out and towards the small bar in the foyer where Luke and Nate were waiting. Luke spied us first and poured the remainder of his scotch down his throat, whilst nudging Nate to turn around.
Nate gushed over his fiancé, as Luke sauntered up to me.
“How am I supposed to control myself, if you’re going to look like that?” He smirked, taking me all in.
“Lucky you’re the one sitting behind the piano tonight,” I teased and winked seductively.
Luke groaned. “Blue...”
Nate intercepted our longing gaze. “Are we ready? Our car is waiting.”
“Yep, let’s go,” I said, shaking off my desire to take Luke back to my room.
Luke’s hand grazed the small of my back, as we walked out to the waiting limo.
* * *
We pulled into the venue, and the red carpet was already a buzz. There were photographers and TV crews swamping the entrance.
