“I look like a hooker,” Liberty complained, fidgeting with her pale chiffon dress which had a very pale pink beaded corset. She pulled the corset up, pushed the flowing gown down her legs and adjusted the waist.

“Hookers don’t wear silk chiffon,” Raya argued, applying a dab of lip gloss onto her lips while looking in a gold encrusted mirror hung over the glass table she sat at.

“This dress,” Liberty said, gesturing grandly with her bouquet to the dress she wore. “Look at it! I‘m wearing a CORSET! I can barely BREATHE! You know, breathing is essential in life.”

“It gives you awesome cleavage, Liberty. Think of that and the pain goes away,” Raya replied, standing up as her mother fitted a glimmering tiara on her head, fluffing out curly brown locks which fell down her back elegantly.

Liberty stopped moving about and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Pleased, she said, “Hmmmm,” then turned to Raya, “But I still look like a hooker.”

“At best, you look like a high class hooker. Maybe get Samantha to tone down your makeup.” Raya made a face at Liberty’s reflection in the mirror. “Is that BLUE eye shadow? I said go natural!”

“I didn’t do it,” Liberty cried, immediately in defensive mode. A petite, pixyish girl, Samantha, bustled up then brandishing a tissue at Liberty’s face with one hand while the other hand held tightly to a pallet of eye shadows.

In five minutes Liberty’s face was decked out in cream colored eye shadow paired with light charcoal and her lips were sparkling with orange-pink lip gloss. Her sun-tinted caramel colored hair was curled, and she looked immaculate, just like the bride that stood before her, though not outdoing Raya, for this was her day.

Claire Scott, Raya’s mother, stood back admiring her youngest daughter. Elizabeth, Raya’s half sister from Claire’s first marriage, was standing to the side by herself holding her bouquet of yellow roses. She had just turned 28 and was a successful publisher in England, but she was also very shy.

"And besides, the other plus to wearing a corset is once you take it off, you're all breathy and such." Raya added, looking at herself in the mirror.

"That's because you can't breathe while you're wearing it," Liberty remarked, plucking at her beaded corset, but without much conviction. She seemed to agree with Raya, though she wouldn’t admit it.

“Breathiness is a huge male turn-on. And since Dom is a male, I'm sure he'll enjoy it tonight."

Liberty cocked her head to the side and stared at herself in the mirror, “Yes, he is male.” She turned away from the mirror, “All right. It looks lovely, I’m fine. Let’s get on with it, shall we?” She walked towards the door and muttered under her breath, “I need to be cut out of this thing later.”

“I heard that,” Raya retorted sternly, “And don’t you DARE cut that fabric.”

Claire sighed heavily, “Where the bloody hell is Anaka?”

“ANAKA!?” Liberty hollered, turning back to them, her eyes flashing with nervousness mixed with horror, “Anaka is your maid of honor?”

“Oh mother, you know her. I wouldn't worry. And yes, Liberty, she is my maid of honor.”

Liberty clenched her fists at her side, “Do you think I'll need to put a leash on Dom to keep him by my side? Or will Anaka behave herself and not rip his clothes off right in the middle of the ceremony?”

Raya smiled slightly at Liberty’s obvious distress, “Well seeing that this is MY ceremony, any false move on either account will result in their shunning from my inner circle.”

“If you shun Dom from your circle, what will happen to me?”

“Oh, Liberty dear, I wouldn't treat you any differently. Dom would just, perhaps, be more like a figment of my imagination.”

Liberty considered this, “I wouldn't be able to bring him round with me when you have parties. I'd be at your parties ALLLLL by myself with only Billy for company.”

“Billy is a nice bloke to be with at parties, he keeps good company and you'll never get bored.”

“That is true. Okay, then. I guess I'll....just be civil to Anaka.”

Claire broke into their little heart-to-heart talk, “Someone from outside told me Anaka's arrived. About bloody damn time too, I was about to strike her from the list.”

Liberty feigned concern, “That would have been tragic!”

Raya put on her best warning tone, “Liberty…”

“Sorry,” Liberty replied, actually feeling sorry, “I’m sorry, Raya. This is your day and I’m not going to ruin it just because I’m selfish and worried that your best friend in the world is a piranha and may or may not attempt to attack my boyfriend.”

Anaka rushes in, looking immaculate in her own corseted dress (which was the pale pinkish color, but the same design as Liberty and Elizabeth‘s dresses), her blond hair flowing down her back. Though she was in a hurry, it doesn't show because she looked as calm and collected as ever. She walked over to give Raya a quick hug paired with a kiss on each cheek, her bouquet of pink roses bobbing up and down in her hand.

“You look lovely, Raya,” she gushed.

“As do you, of course, not enough to stand up the bride, which is always a good thing when only a bridesmaid.”

Liberty cleared her throat, “I think that music signals we're supposed to begin.”

“Where IS the wedding planner? she should be here telling us these things,” Claire demanded, sneaking a peak out the side door of the room.

Raya put a hand gently on her mother’s shoulder, “Mother, I am the wedding planner.”

Claire gasped and put a hand to her heart, “You didn’t HIRE someone?”

Liberty walked towards them hesitantly, “Mrs. Scott, Raya did a magnificent job by herself.”

“Oh...well, I do suppose.... but you could have hired someone!” Claire looked positively scandalized.

“Mother, dear.... how many times will I ever get married?” Raya asked, sounding a little sad.

“Well,” Claire pondered this question. “If you’re anything like me, three or four times.”

“I was hoping you wouldn't answer with that,” Raya replied.

“Of course, Raya will only be marrying Orlando…because they love each other very much…” Liberty paused. “And oh, good Lord. The music’s gotten louder.” She turned to Raya, biting her bottom lip, “Where’s your dad?”

“Stop biting your lip, you’ll take the lip gloss off before we even begin. I don’t know where he is---” Raya trailed off as Dom and Billy had suddenly entered the room with her dad, Richard, standing in between them looking sullen.

“We found your father playing golf in his car to calm his nerves,” Billy explained.

“Like on a hand held?” Liberty asked.

Dom shook his head, “No, on an actual green. And I'm serious about that too.”

Claire begins to walk to her seat in the front of the church. Liberty steps towards Dom and Billy, “How does that work?”

Raya is remarkably calm, “I don't know but the wunderkinds should leave immediately.”

Anaka started to walk past them, but Raya held her back. “Not you, Anaka, you’re right before me.” She gestured for Elizabeth to come out of her corner, which she did.

Billy shrieked the second he saw Anaka, and right after he heard her name. Dom paled considerably.

“I think that’s my cue,” Liberty said, nodding to Raya; she started to walk slowly out the door, Elizabeth following her.

Anaka stepped up to the doors and adjusts her corset so it shows a bit more cleavage. Dom leaned over to Billy, “Do her lips look blue to you?”

“Lips?” Billy asked, gawking at Anaka’s abundance of cleavage. “She has lips?”

Dom shakes his head, “Oh forget it.”

“Shouldn’t you two be up at the altar with Orlando?” Raya asked them; they both squeaked with horror and ran through the side door. Once in front of the congregation, they waved looking as if they were at a movie premiere. Some people waved back, but most scowled. The two of them, looking saddened, stood beside Viggo, Orlando’s best man. Orlando glared at them as they take their spots, looking remarkably nervous.

Anaka began to walk down the aisle, looking as if she were a model on a runway.

Richard cleared his throat and his daughter wrapped her arm in his, “Getting married is like golf,” he began, sounding nervous.

“What, the more negative your score, the better off you are?” Raya asked, clutching her bouquet and fluffing out her long, flowing train.

“Er, no, not in that aspect, Raya, dear.”

“Well, make your pep talk quick, Daddy, our cue is coming up.”

Richard tugged at his collar, “Right, okay, so getting married is like golf. You, er...It's necessary....I find it imperative that... “

The beginning notes to “Here Comes the Bride” began and Raya becomes stonily calm, “That was wonderful, Daddy.”

Richard looked pleased, yet perplexed, “Oh why thank you, Raya.” The two of them, then, started to walk down the aisle.

Liberty narrowed her eyes at Claire in the front row, who was dabbing at her forehead, “Is she sweating?”

“I believe she’s crying,” Anaka replied.

“Would you look at that!” Dom whispered happily to them. “It’s a medical marvel!”

“She’s CRYING from her FOREHEAD?” Billy gaped.

“She must have had facelifts?” Liberty questioned Anaka.

“Of course, she’s had several, she’s well over fifty.”

“Is she REALLY?” Liberty asked, fascinated. “She doesn’t look a day older than thirty!” She then realized she’d been speaking normally to Anaka and became quiet.

Raya reached the altar, smiling happily up at Orlando, who grinned nervously back. Liberty, Billy, Dom, Elizabeth, Viggo and even Anaka found themselves smiling at the happy couple.

The ceremony then began. When the priest got to the bit where he asked for anyone who objected, Dom put his hand over Billy’s mouth, just in case. It wasn’t like Billy would object, but he may have caused a disruption which could have been misconstrued as an objection.

“Get on with it!” Dom yelled, when the priest had taken a rather long time waiting for objections.

Orlando glared at him, but Raya patted his arm sympathetically and said, “It’s all right. He’s just excited.” to which Dom nearly fainted from shock.

The priest cleared his throat, "Do you Raya Abigail Elspeth Grace Marie Nicollette take....Orlando, as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Raya smiled, “I do.”

Billy leaned towards Viggo, looking uncomfortable, “Vig, I need to go to the loo.”

Viggo wiped at his eyes, “Quiet. This is beautiful.”

“And do you, Orlando, take Raya Abigail Elspeth Grace Marie Nicollete---” Billy gave him thumbs up and the priest wiped his sweating brow and smiled, “as your lawfully wedded wife?”

Orlando nodded shakily and then said, “Yup!” Viggo jabbed him in the ribs and Orlando yelped. “I do! Geez, Vig---”

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest continued, “You may kiss the bride.”

Orlando scooped Raya into his arms, bent her back, and kissed her.

Dom winked at Liberty and leaned towards her, “Raya and her extremely long middle name Scott-Spencer is now Raya and her extremely long middle name Scott-Spencer-Bloom. It’s quite a mouthful.”

Billy laughed and then hurried out the back way to the loo while everyone else walked back down the aisle, following the newlyweds.