The Circle of Friends

XII - Princess For A Day-2

He also made a mental note to have flowers delivered to Lori’s dorm room when she returned to college.

Jason’s birthday fell on the last Saturday of March. Lori took him out for a nice meal to celebrate before returning to the house. His birthday provided the frat members with an excuse to stage a party, although she imagined the antics were somewhat subdued. Lori wondered if the boys had planned something even more outrageous and her presence forced them to drop the idea. Jason appeared to have a good time regardless.

Lori spent the remainder of the school year training as hard as she had during competition. Generally, she did not attend many meets outside of school, as they required her to travel, but she did not want to lose her competitive edge during the off-season. She also took special care to ensure her grades remained perfect. If finishing second in a race was unacceptable, so was getting anything but the highest marks in all her classes.

There appeared to be no end in sight of the wedding details. Her mother called twice a week, asking what she wanted and what color and how many. Aware that Rhonda simply wanted her daughter to enjoy the perfect, storybook wedding of her dreams, Lori appreciated the effort. The guest list continued to grow, as her mother kept adding to the invitations. Once swim season ended, Lori sent out another batch of invites, including one to James.

As finals approached, Lori realized she would not see Jason again until they returned to Greenville. They continued talking on the phone every night, providing a much needed diversion after hours of studying. Judging from the comments in Sarah’s emails, Lori realized everyone was feeling the stress. She wondered if Sarah and Heather would still be friends at semester’s end, too.

Lori was never so happy to complete her exams. Her father arrived the next day to transport her possessions back to Greenville. Once they were on the road, her eagerness to see Jason compounded. Phil lamented his daughter intended to desert him the second they arrived home.

“Daddy, no I won’t! I’ll be there at least an hour or so!” she teased.

Her father smiled. “Well, Pumpkin, I’m pleased you and Jason accepted our offer to live at the house. Bad enough I’m losing my only daughter to another man!”

“You’ll always be first,” Lori assured him, “and we appreciate the invitation.”

Lori’s sentiments were sincere, too. Her parents had offered the entire second floor to the couple once they were married. They certainly could not have stayed at Jason’s house and renting an apartment just for the summer would have been pointless. Surprisingly, Jason liked the idea of living at her parents’ home. Privacy would not be an issue and there was more than enough space for two people.

The first two days in Greenville were spent moving Jason’s possessions into her house. He brought all but the essentials, as he would remain at his parents’ house until Friday. Lori kept reminding herself that this was now their place and allowed Jason to rearrange a few items. By the second morning, amidst all of the unpacking and clutter of boxes, they both had to laugh. Neither had ever shared a room and the new living conditions would require some adjustment.

“We can do it, though!” cried Jason, giving Lori a hug. “And you thought you were just getting me in this deal.”

“I get you and all of your stuff!” she laughed.

“Eventually it won’t feel like an invasion.”

“No, go ahead and invade,” she enticed, stepping over a pile of clothes. “I promise not to complain. This will be your space as much as mine.”

“At least the bed will be ours,” Jason said with a grin.

Her parents had already purchased a bed and a wardrobe as their wedding present. The massive, king-sized bed completely occupied the space of her previous bed. Lori had already spent one night in the new bed, and she eagerly awaited Jason’s presence as well.

They looked forward to Friday and the opportunity to relax and enjoy one another’s company in private. Lori never realized there was so much involved in a wedding and she spent the week assisting her mother with last minute details. Sarah helped with the process, too. Lori noticed a change in her friend’s attitude and wondered if it stemmed from having a roommate as challenging as Heather. They had certainly butted heads often enough during the school year.

On Wednesday night, Matt held a bachelor party for Jason. Lori told him to behave himself and have a good time. Matt promised he would not allow the party to get too out of hand. All of the groomsmen except Jeff were involved, along with a dozen of Jason’s other friends. Even John arrived in Greenville in time to join the fun. Lori felt better knowing he would be at the party, as John would keep Jason in line.

When he called the next day, Jason was still recuperating from the evening. Lori had to suppress a laugh when she heard his groggy voice on the other end of the receiver.

“Wild night, huh?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you about it sometime,” he replied. “But you can ask any of the guys. There were no girls last night!”

“I believe you.”

“Not that Matt would’ve minded, but I think he’d been too drunk to do anything about it!” Jason said in an amused tone.

“You going to be okay by tonight?” Lori asked.

Jason yawned. “Six o’clock? I’ll be good to go by then. Promise!”

After the rehearsal, the wedding party went out for dinner. Cindy had arrived just in time for the rehearsal, completing the wedding party. The girls were much more alert and lively than the boys, some of whom still felt the effects of the bachelor party. Matt appeared the most hung over and Heather badgered him all through dinner. Fortunately, Jason felt great and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

When the evening ended, Jason walked Lori to her parents’ car. He gave her a kiss, his arms securely around her body.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at seven,” he said softly, his eyes bright.

“I can’t believe it’s tomorrow night,” she replied, her right hand running through his hair.

Jason grinned and gave her one last kiss. “And I can’t wait until it’s just you and me!”

Her parents joined the couple and Jason told everyone goodnight. Lori thoughtfully watched as he climbed into his parents’ vehicle. The next time she saw Jason would be at the altar. Up until now, she had felt calm, but butterflies had begun to dance in her stomach. Lori hoped she would sleep tonight. It would not do for the bride to appear awful on her big day!

At three o’clock, the girls met at the beauty parlor to get their hair styled. They spent the afternoon giggling at one another’s hairdos as one by one the curls appeared. Lori requested that not all of her length be piled atop her head and the woman left almost a foot of curls hanging out the bun. Small blue bells adorned her hair in place of a veil, creating a perfect balance.

They reached the church before six o’clock and slipped in through a side door. Lori’s mother had arrived earlier with the dresses and bouquets and escorted the girls to the correct room.

“Don’t you all look cute!” she exclaimed as they scurried into the dressing room. “Lori, your hair looks wonderful! The flowers are a perfect touch.”

“Thanks, Mom,” she said, pulling out her makeup.

“Now, do you girls need anything else?” Rhonda asked, surveying the room. “Remember the photographer is taking pictures after the ceremony. You can return for your things after the photos.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and Lori’s mother closed the door. While the other girls dressed, Heather assisted Lori with her makeup. She normally wore very little and knew she would need help today. Heather dabbed blush on her cheeks and made up her eyes dramatically.

When finished, Heather dressed while Lori stripped down to her underwear. Self-conscience in front of the other girls, she again wondered how unnerving it would feel to be half naked underneath her dress. Sarah assisted with Lori’s gown and helped fasten the straps. She could definitely feel a breeze through the open latticework on her back.

Everyone else had dressed by this time and the girls were working on their makeup. Lori glanced around the room, pleased with her decision regarding the bridesmaid’s dresses. A simple sleeveless sheath, the deep blue, satin dresses could easily be used again for a night on the town.

When the girls were prepared, the photographer entered the room. He snapped several shots of Sarah placing the garter on Lori. He had already taken the men’s photos and commented they appeared quite sharp, especially the groom.

“But not nearly as gorgeous as you, my dear!” he informed Lori. “Your photos will be wonderful. I’ll have to place a shot of you on my studio wall.”

Lori blushed and quietly thanked him. Once the photographer departed, Sarah attempted to fasten her long train. Lori patiently waited beside the mirror, her eyes facing the window.

“I think that’ll do it,” said Sarah, backing away from her friend.

Lori turned her head toward the full-length mirror and examined the train of her dress. Everything appeared to be fastened correctly. She pivoted slightly, craning her neck to view the open latticework down the full length of her back.

“I just love that part of the dress,” said Cindy, who was seated next to the mirror. “It’s so sexy! I can’t believe your parents let you get that dress.”

“Believe it or not, my mom loved it!” Lori replied, running her hand down her side. “Although I’ve never worn so little under a dress before. My back feels so exposed!.”

“You could wear a shawl,” Maria offered, and Heather laughed aloud.

“She’d look like an old granny!” cried Sarah, exasperated by the suggestion. “No, it’s perfect. Shows just enough skin to make Jason nuts!”

Heather laughed again and glanced at Jennifer. “Honey, you’re not hearing this, okay?”

“Since she’s talking about my cousin, I wish I wasn’t!” Jennifer exclaimed, flopping down in a chair.

Lori smiled, her eyes returning to the mirror. Jason would indeed enjoy how much of Lori the dress revealed. She really did like the cut, and the ladies at the bridal shop had raved how wonderful she looked wearing the dress.

The coordinator stuck her head in the door. “Are you girls ready?”

“Yes!” cried Jennifer, grabbing her bouquet.

Cindy stood up and began searching for hers among the bags. Maria attempted to pick up Lori’s train and swing it in the opposite direction. Lori did not move, however. She stared at the mirror, still trying to absorb the image it reflected.

“Lori?” asked Sarah as she touched her arm.

As she slowly turned to face her friend, Lori’s gaze fell on the other girls, all dressed in beautiful blue dresses and anxiously waiting. The truth of the moment suddenly hit Lori. The first time Jason kissed her flashed before her eyes and she felt overwhelmed by the turn of events. Her beautiful dream had become reality.

“Sarah, I’m about to marry the man of my dreams,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Oh, Lori, don’t cry now!” Sarah exclaimed, giving her a shake. She pulled tissue from a nearby box and held it to her friend’s face.

“That’s really great and I’m really happy for you, but you can cry about it later!”

Lori laughed at her friend’s observation and allowed Sarah to wipe away the tears. She squeezed her hand, thankful for Sarah’s sensibility. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the bouquet in Maria’s hands.

“My cousin is the man of your dreams?” asked Jennifer, her skepticism emphasizing every word