Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Except I’m not keeping my hands off her. Not really. The whole night I’ve either held her hand in mine, had my arm draped around her shoulders, or had my hand subtly on the small of her back to let everyone know she is mine. And at every opportunity, I’ve leaned in to steal a kiss.
I’ve introduced Ashley as my fiancée to my friends and family, to business associates and rivals, and it’s not just because it’s the polite thing to do, or because my mom would kill me if I introduced Ashley any other way at an event like this, where her friends and acquaintances are. But because I want to show her off. I want everyone to look at this vision of beauty and know she’s mine.
I introduce Ashley to Joan, a friend of my mom’s, a woman my parents have known for a long time.
Ashley smiles shyly and greets her, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joan.”
“Nonsense dear, the pleasure is all mine,” Joan replies as she takes both of Ashley’s hands in hers and air kisses her on each cheek.
I feel instantly jealous that she’s touching Ashley instead of me touching her. I feel lost without some part of my body touching some part of hers. As soon as Joan releases Ashley’s hands from hers, I take her hand again and kiss her cheek, feeling instantly better since I can feel Ashley’s skin against mine again.
She smiles at me, although I can feel the tension in her body through her hand, the fear that she might say the wrong thing and risk the wrath of my mom, no doubt.
Joan makes an aww sound as she looks at the two of us. “Look at you two. So in love,” she says with a dreamy sigh. “Are you nervous about the wedding, Ashley? I remember being where you are now, with my mother-in-law organizing this hugely extravagant wedding, and all I wanted was to marry John. I’d have been happy to do it in a quiet little ceremony, but that’s not the way with these society types, is it?” Joan laughs and winks at me as she describes me as a society type.
Ashley relaxes a little, I feel her grip on my hand loosening. She has found a kindred spirit. “I’m not just nervous, I’m terrified,” she confesses. “I would have liked an intimate little affair too. There’s just so much that can go wrong with a big wedding isn’t there? It’s like there are hundreds of different moving parts that all need to come together perfectly and there are so many different ways I can mess up.”
“Nothing will go wrong if Helen has anything to do with it, and I suspect she does.” Joan pats her hand. “And you’ll be fine. You want to know the best part of a big society wedding?”
Ashley nods.
Joan leans in conspiratorially. “Most of these people are secretly as out of their depths as we are. If you say or do something wrong, they’ll assume they were the ones who had it wrong and that you’re right. And even if it’s something major that they can’t imagine away, they’ll all just be so damned glad it wasn’t them making a mistake that they won’t mention it. And as the bride, the day is all about you. No one wants to be the one to upset a bride.” She leans in a little further and winks at Ashley, talking in a practical whisper now, her eyes gleaming mischievously, “Seriously, if your dress falls down and you flash the guests during the ceremony, all of the clones will be so desperate to fit in, they’ll probably all flash at you right back.”
Ashley laughs and shakes her head. “I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“It won’t, but it’s always nice to have a backup plan, isn’t it? Speeches getting a bit too long and boring? Flash and see who does it too. Used the wrong fork? Take a look around and see how many others have just followed suit. Seriously, after a few years of this, you’ll learn to just laugh along with these types.” Joan laughs.
Joan’s husband, John, comes to join us. “There you are.” He smiles at us. “Is she telling you stories about how everyone in this world is just one giant clone colony?”
I nod and smile.
John laughs and nudges Joan with his elbow. “You have to stop doing that, dear.”
“Ah, let me have my fun. It’s always nice to meet other people who feel the same way as I do.”
“Come on,” John cajoles. “Let’s go and grab a drink before you convince Ashley to do something outrageous during her wedding, and Helen has a stroke or something,”
“Now that would be a scandal, wouldn’t it?” Joan winks, but she allows John to lead her away from us.