“I’m going to be sick,” Keeley groaned as she slumped into a nearby chair, her long dress piling up on the floor around her.
“Oh no you don’t!” Monica exclaimed and pulled her back into a standing position. “If you get this dress wrinkled or dirty I am personally going to beat you. That includes getting sick or sitting down.”
“I can’t do this! What if Justin changed his mind? What if he stands me up at the altar?” Keeley started ranting, her eyes growing more frantic by the second.
“What?!? I know those words did not just come out of your mouth!” the blonde exclaimed in shock. “Cari, please tell me I wasn’t this bad before my wedding!”
“No, you weren’t,” she paused, “you were worse!” Monica turned and scowled at Cari before focusing her attention back on the bride. She took Keeley’s hands into her own and began to swing Keeley’s arms back and forth gently.
“Breathe girl, breathe,” she told her friend soothingly. “Everything is going to be OK. Justin isn’t going to stand you up at the altar. He is here, in his tux, waiting for the wedding to start. Just like you.”
“How do you know?”
“Girl, just because you have to suffer and can’t see your man doesn’t mean I’m going to suffer. I had to get my morning kiss!” Monica laughed.
“Yeah heaven forbid you two spend more than five minutes apart,” Cari scoffed. Keeley giggled.
“Well I am glad something got you to laugh. Feeling better?” Monica asked.
“Yes, let’s just get this show on the road.”
“OK, I’ll go let the pastor know that we are ready to get started,” Monica told her friend as she rushed out of the room.
She wandered into the guy’s dressing room and scanned it before seeing Pastor Alex talking to Justin in the corner. She walked up to him and caught his attention.
“We’re ready to get things started,” She told the men.
“How’s Keeley doing?” Justin asked her anxiously.
“Uh, she’s doing fine,” Monica replied as she shifted her gaze away from him. He eyed her suspiciously but decided to let it slide.
“OK, you go get the girls and get into place,” the pastor told her. Justin you come with me. He led the groom out of the room and down the aisle in the sanctuary.
Music could be heard, emanating from the sanctuary. The pastor nodded and Monica and Lance began to walk down the aisle. A few beats later Heidi and JC followed, both adorning huge grins. Next in the wedding procession was Chris and Cari. Half way down the aisle Chris began to bob his head with the classical tune being played by the string quartet. Cari smiled at the crowd as she discreetly elbowed him in the ribs and whispered, “Stop it dork.” Amy and Joey brought up the end of the line. Soon the entire group was up at the front of the room next to Justin and the Pastor.
The music paused and changed and a moment later Keeley began her decent down the aisle. The smile on her face clearly displayed her awe and amazement that this was her wedding…her day, it showed her complete happiness. All the stresses and fears that had been plaguing her just moments before seemed to disappear.
She reached the front of the room and Justin stepped forward and grasped her hand to lead her up the steps to the Pastor.
Time seemed to speed up and stand still at the same time. Keeley was lost in Justin’s eyes, and he in hers. The room seemed to only contain the two of them as they exchanged their vows. Before either of them knew it they had both said “I do,” and the pastor was saying, “you may kiss the bride.” Justin stepped forward with a gentle smile and cupped his wife’s face in his hands as he leaned in to plant the sweetest kiss on her lips.
The couple turned, hand in hand, and the pastor announced, “I am proud to present to you Mister and Misses Justin Timberlake.” The crowd stood to clap and cheer as the couple made their way back down the aisle, followed by the rest of the wedding party.
The reception was held at an old southern mansion in the depths of Central Florida. Inside was a grand reception room but the most spectacular thing about the place was outside. Surrounding the home was acres and acres of flowers and trees. The landscape was breathtaking. In fact it was the luscious gardens outside that had drawn Keeley to it and captured her heart.
In the back of the house a huge white canopy was set up to hold the catered food and the tables. Just beyond that there was a huge wooden dance floor set up so that the many guests could dance the night away. To the left of the dance floor there was a DJ’s station set up to provide the music for the evening. As a finishing touch flowers of most every kind were garnishing each table and light fixture.
Inside the tent, the table where the food was laid out was amazing. In the center was an ice sculpture of two swans facing each other forming a heart of sorts. All different kinds of food were spread the length of the 30-foot table. The couple had made sure that there would be food to the liking of each of their guests. A vast array of floral arrangements accented each dish, turning the table display into a work of art.
The reception room inside the house was already full and guests were starting to wander outside by the time Keeley and Justin made their grand entrance. As they entered the room the DJ announced, “It is my great pleasure to be the first to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Justin Timberlake!” The crowd cheered and applauded as the beaming couple made their way through the room and out to the tables.
“The couple would like to invite you all to join them and enjoy the lovely meal,” the DJ said into the microphone.
In response the guests found their way to the food table. Several waiters were there ready to assist them all. Everyone was able to make it through the line fairly quick and they all found their seat marked by personalized nametags.
The crowd ate and talked happily. When just about everyone was done, Lance stood up and clinked his fork on the side of his champagne glass.
“If I could have everyone’s attention please,” he paused and waited for the room to become quiet. “I would like to make a toast to the newlyweds!” Lance announced with a smile on his face and turned to face Keeley and Justin. “You are two of the closest friends I have. I love you both dearly. I’ll warn you right now, marriage isn’t easy. But when two people love each other as much as you two do…you can make it through anything. I wish you the best of luck,” Lance concluded as he raised his glass. Everyone was about to toast when Monica interrupted.
“Wait, wait! I want to add to what Lance said,” she spoke as she joined her husband standing. Lance lowered his glass, as did several other people who had already raised their glasses to join in on the toast. “I just want to say how happy I am for you both. I have been waiting for this day just as long as Keeley has. I always knew the two of you would even up getting married. You are perfect together, that and no one else would have Justin,” Monica laughed. Justin threw his napkin in her direction. The playfulness between the two never died. “I’m just kidding. You are lucky to have each other. If either of you ever need anything you know we are all here for you!” Monica concluded and then raised her glass. The rest of the room joined in on the toast. For the next few seconds all that could be heard were words of agreement and the clinking of glasses. After the toasts everyone sat and chatted for a few more minutes. Justin was starting to get impatient. The dance floor was calling his name.
The dance floor was empty. Everyone was waiting for Justin and Keeley to make the first move. Finally, Justin couldn’t take it anymore.
“Baby let’s go dance,” Justin said as he leaned over to whisper to his new wife, his voice laced with excitement.
“Anxious much?”
“Hey we have a dance floor, why let it go to waste?” He asked her as he stood up. He reached his hand out to her. Keeley took his hand and allowed Justin to lead her to the dance floor. The DJ noticed them walking towards the dance floor and began the music. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the bride and the groom in the first dance of the afternoon.
When the first dance was over the DJ invited the other guests to join the couple on the dance floor. Soon the floor was flooded with people. Everyone was just as anxious as Justin was to get up and dance.
“Time to cut the cake,” the caterer announced. Everyone followed Keeley and Justin off the dance floor and began to gather around the table that the huge white wedding cake was resting on. The caterer handed Justin a large knife to use to slice the first piece of cake. He smiled at Keeley as she reached and placed her hands on the knife along with his.
“Ready?” he asked her. She nodded and without speaking a word they lowered the knife. It easily sliced through the moist cake. The crowd began to cheer and the photographer captured the moment on film. Justin and Keeley both had huge smiles on their faces. They lifted the knife and made another cut into the cake to free the first piece. Keeley released her grip on the knife and Justin used the knife to transfer the cake onto a plate. Keeley reached down and broke a small piece of the cake off with her fingers. She lifted her hand up to feed the cake to her new husband. She laughed when Justin tried to bite her fingers when the cake was gone.
When it was her turn, Justin broke off a piece of the cake and looked up at Keeley with an evil grin. She could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was planning something and she could already tell she didn’t like where it was going.
As he brought the cake toward her face she held up her hand catching his arm. “Stop thinking whatever it is you are thinking,” she told him.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” the blonde told her as he tried to bring his hand closer to her.
“Don’t even think you are going to smash that cake in my face. If you get any cake on my dress so help me you will be sleeping on the hotel room couch tonight!” She raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that let him know she meant business. She let go of his wrist to let him feed her the cake.
“Ouch!” he pretended to be hurt. He laughed before putting the cake delicately in her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored her first bite of her wedding cake. As she finished her bite she leaned in and kissed her new husband. The crowd cheered in response.
Soon the caterer was serving the cake to the rest of the guests. Justin and Keeley were standing over their seats, talking.
“What in the world possessed you to even think about putting cake in my face?” She asked as she shook her head.
“Well you thought it was funny when Monica did it to Lance, Lance decided you needed to enjoy the other side,” Justin informed her.
“What?!? Oh he will pay,” she said with determination. She walked back over to the table and got a plate with a piece of cake on it. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and spotted Lance, Monica, and Ashleigh chatting on the other side of the table. She began to walk over to them.
“Oh hey Keeley! Beautiful reception,” Ashleigh greeted her.
“Thanks Ash!” Keeley replied cheerfully. Ashleigh was right it was a beautiful reception, better than Keeley had ever dreamed. She planned on enjoying it, but had to settle this one little score first. “Hey did you guys get some cake yet?”
“Not yet, we’re waiting for the crowd to thin out,” Lance told her.
“Oh don’t bother, I brought you a piece!” As she said the last word she emphasized it by picking up the piece of raspberry filled cake and planting it squarely in Lance’s face. The look of shock that filled his face along with the icing was priceless.
Before turning around to march back to her husband Keeley leaned in and whispered in his ear, “don’t you ever try to give my husband any ideas like shoving cake in my face again Bass! It will definitely come back to haunt you!” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and a sweet smile. Justin was trying to stifle a grin as she walked back up to sit next to him.
“What did you tell him?” He asked.
“Oh I just reminded him that he will never win when it comes to messing with me,” she told him simply.
“I’ll have to remember that,” he told her before reaching to grasp her hand.
Cari held Shawn closely, dancing cheek to cheek with him. As the song ended she pulled away and smiled brightly at her fiancé. Over his shoulder she caught sight of JC standing near the refreshment table.
“Hey babe, I’ll be right back,” she told Shawn. She leaned in and kissed his cheek before she headed over to talk to JC. She really hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to him with all the commotion of the wedding. This was going to be her first chance to speak with him one on one.
She walked up beside him and grabbed a glass from the table. Feeling her presence he turned and met her in the eye. Realizing that his ex-girlfriend was standing next to him he turned slightly pink, unsure of what to say to her.
“Hey stranger,” she said with a smile as she filled her glass with some punch.
“Hey,” he replied.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you, but the right time just hasn’t come up until now,” she told him as she turned to face him.
As the two walked away from the crowded area of the dance floor Cari began, “For the longest time I’ve thought about you. Wondering why we ever called it off.” She glanced up to see his response. He was staring intently at his shoes. She tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn’t look up from the ground in front of him. She continued on. “I missed you and I couldn’t help but wish that we were back together.”
‘Oh my gosh, what is she doing?’ JC thought to himself. He turned and glanced back at the dance floor where Shawn was standing, chatting with Monica and Lance. ‘She’s engaged! Why is she telling me this now?’
“Whenever I called Mon or Kee I would ask how you were and if you were dating anyone. I was completely stuck on you,” she paused again to try and gauge his reaction.
“But now I realized that us breaking up is the best thing that’s ever happened to me…to us,” she said brightly.
JC’s head snapped up in response. He was totally not expecting this. He eyed her suspiciously, trying to figure out if she was putting him on.
Seeing the look of sheer confusion on his face she explained, “Don’t you see? If we hadn’t broke up I would have never met Shawn! He’s the love of my life, my soul mate. You would have never gotten the chance to meet Heidi either. I think that you guys make a wonderful couple JC. She seems great.” She looked at him honestly.
“Anyway, I just wanted to wish you luck and let you know that I am OK.” She leaned forward and gave him a brief hug and a quick kiss on the cheek before turning around to find Shawn. JC, dumbstruck, stared after her, speechless.
Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the guests Ashleigh managed to slip away. She walked over to the bartender and ordered a Long Island iced tea. Once she had her drink in hand she made her way over to the tables and took a seat at an empty one.
As she slowly nursed her drink she gazed around, soaking in all the happiness. She saw Justin and Keeley, all smiles, dancing in the middle of the floor, leading the crowd in the electric slide, a wedding must do. She smiled as she watched the older folks in the crowd getting into it.
She took another sip and her eyes fell on Chris and Cari arguing over something. She strained to listen and faintly heard something about Chris leaving her hair alone. At closer look Ashleigh saw that several strands of Cari’s once perfect up-do were hanging loosely around her face. Even in the short time she’d met Cari and seen she and Chris’ antics she could tell that they truly were good friends, almost like brother and sister. She shook her head and a soft laugh escaped her.
She noticed Lance and Monica walking away from the crowd hand in hand into the depths of the floral garden. Ashleigh was really happy that her friend had found someone that truly loved him for him. She’d always worried about him. She knew that he was a caring person and he’d had his heart broken in the past. She knew that Monica wouldn’t let it happen again.
She sipped her drink and heard the familiar slurping sound through her straw indicating that her drink was empty. She stood up to get another one and was struck with a wave of dizziness and nausea.
“What the heck?” She said outloud.
‘One drink does not give me a buzz,’ she thought in confusion. Slowly the realization hit her. This wasn’t an “I’ve drank too much” type headache. This was an “I’ve gone through Chemo” type headache.
“Damn it,” she mumbled, “Why me?”
She sat down and closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths trying to soothe her now pounding head. She reached up and massaged her temples in hopes of ridding the pain.
A couple minutes later her head was feeling worse than ever. She stood up and glanced back at the party before grabbing her purse and walking to the mansion.
She stopped at the bathroom and walked up to the sink. She turned on the faucet and gathered some water in her cupped hands. She smoothed the cool water over her face a few times. Finally, feeling a little better she turned off the water and dried her face with the hand towel. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.
“I look like crap,” she mumbled as she swiped at some mascara that had run under her eyes. Finally when she was satisfied that she no longer looked like a raccoon, she walked out the front door to the first limo she saw.
The driver opened the back door for her and she slid in. “Where would you like me to take you miss?” He asked her as he turned over the engine.
“Please take me to Mr. Bass’ house,” she said quietly.
‘Man I’m glad that Johnny provided all these limos to drive guests home,’ she thought just before she dozed off.