Natalia

by Jami Alden

  Speaking time, what time was it? Staff from the catering company was supposed to arrive at eight to finish setting up for the reception and the pre-ceremony cocktail party that would be held in the great room of the big house. Her thoughts began to race as she mentally went down the check list of everything she needed to accomplish before the ceremony at four pm.

  Behind her, Ian stirred, and she felt the hard press of his erection against her ass. The hand that rested on her hip moved up her ribcage to cup her breast. “Morning,” he whispered and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her neck. The warm shiver that raced through her at the touch wasn’t enough to distract her from all of the tasks that awaited her.

  “Sorry,” she said and gently moved his hand from her breast. “I’m not really - I don’t think I can-”

  “It’s ok.” He rolled to his side with a sigh. “I imagine you have a lot on your mind. It is your big day, after all.” The sleepy grin he gave her made her wish she could turn off her over active brain for just a few minutes. Then she saw the time on the clock on his bedside table and a jolt of panic rippled through her.

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  “Of course. Just make sure you save a spot on your dance card for me.”

  “Will do.” She bent and gave him a lingering kiss before scooting out of bed. She retrieved her clothes and underwear from the floor and quickly dressed. She turned and caught Ian watching her with a heated blue gaze. One arm was tucked behind his head. His other hand was conspicuously under the covers.

  “Taking care of business?” she smirked, arching an eyebrow at him.

  He grinned at her, unabashed. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” She watched as the covers moved. A hot flush spread through her body at the thought of his big hand wrapped around his hard, thick, cock. The thought of him pleasuring himself sent a rush of heat pulsing between her legs. She wanted to watch.

  But not today. “Just make sure you leave enough in the tank for later.”

  “Honey, when it comes to you, my tank is infinite.”

  She picked up her sandals from the floor and padded through the main room of cabin and out the front door. Gravel poked at her bare feet as she minced to his truck to retrieve her purse, and then up the driveway to the big house.

  She opened the door and closed it soundlessly behind her. She tiptoed up the wide staircase and was halfway up when Olivia appeared at the top of them. Her blond hair was rumpled and she was dressed in a pair of light cotton pajamas. At the sight of Natalia, her mouth pulled into a knowing smile.

  Natalia felt her face heat. Not that she was necessarily embarrassed or ashamed about being with Ian. But getting caught doing the walk of shame was never any fun. She guessed she could call herself lucky though, that it was Olivia who caught her and not Louise or Don.

  “I knew something was up when you and Ian left early,” she said as she started down the stairs, pausing when she reached Natalia. “It’s obvious just from looking at you that you had a great time.”

  “How so?”

  Olivia’s grinned widened. “You’ve got that ‘just been fucked to within an inch of my life’ glow about you. Not that I remember what that’s like,” she frowned. “Guess I’ll have to get my glow from Tina, like always.” She was referring to Tina, a makeup artist she and Cora regularly worked with, who, in addition to another makeup artist and two hairdressers, had been flown from New York to do hair and makeup for the bridal party. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll make some coffee.”

  After a shower, Natalia gulped down a cup of coffee and left Olivia in the kitchen checking her phone to go make the rounds. She went through the great room, whose French doors opened onto a stone patio and a wide lawn where the ceremony would take place. An altar that Ian and Wyatt helped her build was erected at the far end of the lawn. Behind it, the mountains of the Gallatin Range jutted up into the bright, cloudless sky.

  Beyond it, the reception tent was set up in the pasture as Natalia had insisted. It was open on the mountain side so everyone could enjoy the gorgeous view, just as Natalia had envisioned.

  When the caterers arrived, she reviewed the place settings one last time so every member of the wait staff would know precisely where to place every plate, napkin, and piece of cutlery. The florist arrived soon after, and Natalia was relieved to see that the centerpieces and bouquets were exactly as she had specified. Thank God Nathan had come through with the peonies.

  While the catering staff placed the centerpieces on the tables, Natalia took Josie to the barn to put the finishing floral touches out for the photo shoot.

  Everything looked perfect, just as she had imagined.

  By the time she got back to the house, Tina and Janine, the other makeup artist, were setting up camp in Cora’s bedroom along with the hairdressers, Megan and Andrea.

  “Natalia,” Louise said as she bustled into the room, followed by Cora and Olivia. “Is everything going smoothly?” She settled into a chair and closed her eyes as Janine wiped a cotton ball soaked in cleanser over her skin.

  “Like silk,” Natalia said, then knocked on wood just to be safe.

  While Janine went to work on Louise’s makeup, Megan wrapped her chin length gray bob around hot rollers. Tina and Andrea teamed up to work on Olivia as Natalia settled on the bed next to Cora.

  “How are you feeling?” she reached out and covered Cora’s hand with her own. “Are you excited?”

  “Yes, and a little nervous too. I can’t believe it’s actually happening. I can’t believe that when I wake up tomorrow I’ll be Mrs. Charles David Morehouse the Third.”

  “And you’ll never get to touch another penis again,” Emily said as she walked into the room. She smiled cheekily and her blue eyes twinkled. Louise huffed in disapproval and gave her a sideways look.

  “I think I’m ok with that,” Cora smiled. “Honestly, I’m really looking forward to the honeymoon. Not for that,” she said when they all laughed and hooted. “Well, partly that, but mostly just to spend time with Trey. He’s been working so much and traveling for work, I feel like he’s barely been home for the last six months.”

  At that moment, Krystal shuffled into the bedroom. “A week on the beach in Bora Bora. Doesn’t get better than that,” she said, her eyes on the phone in her hand.

  Tina glanced up from dabbing blush on Olivia’s cheeks and grimaced. “Looks like I’ll have my work cut out for me with that one. You look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards.”

  Krystal, who was glued to her phone, looked up long enough to shoot Tina a glare.

  Though maybe a bit harsh, Tina wasn’t wrong. Krystal’s green eyes were red and framed by dark circles. Her skin was blotchy, and her hair looked like she’d styled it with a weed whacker.

  “What time did you even get in last night?” Emily asked as she sipped from the cup of coffee she’d brought with her.

  “I ended up crashing at the hotel with Amanda,” one of Cora’s friends from college. “She gave me a ride out this morning.” Her phone dinged to signal an incoming text. Krystal’s mouth pulled into a sly grin as she quickly typed out a reply.

  The glam squad finished up with Olivia and Louise and motioned for Natalia and Krystal to take their places. Janine really was a miracle worker, Natalia mused as she watched the other woman go to work on Krystal. She blended foundation, concealer, and highlighter into Krystal’s skin, transforming her blotchy, sallow complexion into a flawless canvas for blush and contouring.

  Natalia tried not to fidget as Tina dabbed and blotted at her own skin while Andrea divided her hair into sections and wound them around the barrel of a curling iron. She needed to get back downstairs and make sure everything was still going smoothly and on schedule.

  After what felt like an eternity but was more like half an hour, Natalia was declared done. She looked in the mirror to evaluate her look. The make-up was heavier than she liked, and the fake lashes were a little over the top, but they would show up reall
y well in the photos. Her hair looked amazing, cascading over her back and shoulders in the kind of loose tousled curls she could never seem to manage on her own.

  As Cora and Emily settled into the makeup chairs, Natalia excused herself to go check on the caterers. “Remember we’re meeting at the barn at two thirty sharp for the photo shoot,” she said as she headed for the door.

  “How could we forget when you’ve told us a thousand times?” Krystal griped. “We’re not toddlers.”

  “Lay off,” Cora said. “It’s her job to keep us on schedule so everything goes smoothly.”

  “And you’re doing a wonderful job, dear,” Louise chimed in. “It was a blessing in disguise that Mindy Turner ran off with our money.”

  Natalia warmed at the praise and the knowledge that she had done a damn good job cleaning up the other woman’s mess and giving Cora the wedding of her dreams.

  Don’t jinx it, she warned herself as she went downstairs. The day isn’t over yet.

  “There she is,” one of the catering staff said as Natalia entered the great room.

  A man dressed in a slim fitting black suit and skinny black tie introduced himself as Mark Sumner, the photographer sent by Town and Country Magazine to chronicle Cora’s big day. Natalia shook his hand and gave him a brief overview of the schedule and took him on a tour. He oohed and ahhed, snapping pictures of the table settings and centerpieces.

  “This will be fabulous,” he exclaimed when she showed him how they had decorated the barn. She excused herself to get dressed and left him to take more photos.

  By the time she pulled on her midnight blue tulle and surplice sleeveless bridesmaid’s dress and slipped into the strappy silver sandals to go with it, it was already two twenty eight. Great, after all the harping she’d done on everyone to be on time for the photos, she was running late. As she hurried down the gravel drive as fast as her heels would let her, she saw Ian emerging from the equipment shed.

  He let out a low whistle and sauntered towards her. “Nice dress.”

  “Thanks,” she said and continued to the barn as he followed.

  “It’ll look even better on my floor tonight.”

  She smacked him on the arm but couldn’t stop her mouth from pulling into a grin. “Speaking of, I hope you have something nicer to wear than that.” Not that he didn’t look positively yummy in his faded jeans, t-shirt and battered cowboy boots.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get cleaned up for you,” he winked. “Anything you need me to help with while you’re doing pictures?”

  She shook her head, touched by his consideration. “All good. And crossing my fingers it stays that way.”

  He left her with a tip of his straw cowboy hat and a smile that promised all kinds of things once she was off the clock.

  She arrived at the barn to find Cora and the rest of the bridal party waiting for her. Cora looked absolutely stunning. Her honey blond hair curled softly around her face and Tina had done her make up to play up Cora’s delicately beautiful features. Her veil and gown were out of a fairy tale, the custom design perfectly accentuating her slim figure.

  “Oh my God, you look amazing,” she breathed. “I mean, I know I went to like a thousand fittings with you, but the full effect is just incredible. Aren’t you stunned?” she turned to fiancé, Trey, who, with the rest of the groomsmen, was standing next to one of the hay bales.

  They were breaking with the tradition dictating that the bride and groom didn’t see each other before the ceremony. Cora had been hesitant at first, until Natalia reminded her that if they waited until after the ceremony to do photos, they would feel rushed so as not to keep the guests waiting.

  “I’m always stunned by my girl,” Trey said as he gave Cora a fond smile.

  Out of the corner of her eye Natalia saw Krystal roll her eyes. Natalia had never particularly liked Krystal. She was vain and shallow and, in Natalia’s opinion, insanely jealous of her cousin.

  She brushed the unpleasant thoughts aside as Mark directed everyone into position. For the next hour and a half, he snapped what seemed like a thousand photos of the bride and groom, the bridal party, the groomsmen, and every configuration in between.

  Afterward, the groomsmen went back to the house to wait for the ceremony while the bridesmaids gathered in front of the house to be shuttled down the driveway to meet the horse and buggy Ian had procured for her. While Cora lingered in the barn, Natalia took a quick look through some of photos on the camera’s digital display.

  “You got some amazing shots,” she said, giddy. “Look at that one, with the horse.” She pointed at a shot of Cora standing in front of one of the stalls with Grover, a chestnut gelding’s head draped over her shoulder. “We’re lucky he didn’t eat her bouquet,” she laughed.

  She went back into the barn where Cora still lingered. “Tina is waiting back at the house to give you a touch up,” she said, then froze when she got a look at her friend’s face.

  Just a few minutes ago Cora had been the epitome of a glowing bride, now her face was white as a sheet. Her jaw was tight, her expression grim. “Are you ok?”

  Cora looked startled, almost as though she hadn’t noticed Natalia standing there until that very moment. “Ok?” She laughed and the slightly hysterical note made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “Why wouldn’t I be ok? I’m marrying Trey, the greatest guy on the planet, right?”

  Natalia wouldn’t go that far. “Yes, you’re marrying the man you love in,” she looked at her watch, “twenty minutes. So, we should probably get you back to the house.”

  Cora stood, frozen, clutching her bouquet so hard her arms shook. “I feel like I’m about to throw up.”

  “It’s ok, it’s just pre-wedding jitters,” Natalia said soothingly. “As soon as you see him, standing up at the altar, waiting for you, everything will melt away and you’ll be just fine.”

  Cora gave her a look she couldn’t quite read, then took a deep, cleansing breath. “You’re right, I will be just fine.” She started to march out the door.

  Natalia hurried after her. “Wait!” She bent and gathered the hem of the dress from behind. “You don’t want it to drag on the ground.”

  She left Cora with Louise back at the house and hurried out to meet Olivia, Emily, and Krystal. Wyatt pulled up in his Suburban and they all piled in so he could take them to meet the horse and buggy.

  When Natalia had come up with this idea, she hadn’t considered what it would feel like to ride in a wooden wagon with no shock absorbers over a rutted gravel road. By the time they pulled around the house where all the guests were seated, she was sure her butt was black and blue.

  “I’m sending you the bill for my chiropractor,” Olivia said under her breath as they gathered on the patio of the big house to join the groomsmen waiting to escort them down the aisle.

  Off to the side, a string quartet played Pachelbel’s Canon in D in over the murmur of conversation as the guests waited for the ceremony to begin. Natalia left them to go check on Cora, who was waiting in the study off the living room with her parents, both of whom were walking her up the aisle. She opened the door and saw only Cora’s father, Don.

  “Where are Cora and Louise?” A sizzle of alarm ran down her back, and she told herself not to overreact. According to her watch they still had two minutes until the ceremony was supposed to start.

  “Cora needed a minute to herself. She was going to meet us down here, but Louise just went up to hurry her along.”

  Just then, the clatter of high heels moving quickly across the hardwood floors echoed into the study. Louise was alone, and the look on her face sent alarm bells echoing in Natalia’s head.

  “I can’t find her,” Louise said, her voice strained.

  “What do you mean you can’t find her?” Don said, his brow creasing in a frown.

  “Exactly that,” Louise snapped. “She wasn’t in her bedroom, her bathroom, or any of the other bathrooms or bedrooms for that matter.”

  Nata
lia’s stomach swooped down to her shoes. “What could she be thinking?” She hurried out of the study and through the great room where the caterers were cleaning up after the cocktail hour. None of them had seen Cora in the last twenty minutes. Natalia hurried through the house, resisting the urge to bellow Cora’s name.

  Having a wedding planner/bridesmaid hollering after the bride while the ceremony was supposed to begin would raise a few eyebrows. She hurried through the house, but like Louise found no sign of the bride.

  By the time she got back downstairs, nearly fifteen minutes had passed. “What do we do?” Louise said.

  Natalia shook her head, at a loss. “I’ve never had this happen at a wedding I’ve planned.” She’d had a bride hyperventilate to the point of passing out right before walking up the aisle, and another who threw up all over her maid of honor after too much pre ceremony champagne on an empty stomach. But she’d never had a bride just up and disappear.

  She looked outside, her stomach sinking further as she could see the restlessness in the guests, their curiosity and irritation as they looked around, as though they’d happen upon some explanation of what was going on.

  Olivia and Emily spotted her and hurried over. “What’s going on?” Olivia whispered.

  “We can’t find her,” Natalia said. “She’s not anywhere in the house.”

  “Cora would never bail without a word,” Olivia said. “Oh my God,” she clutched at Natalia’s arm, “what if she’s been kidnapped!”

  Emily rolled her eyes. “No one is going to drive all the way out here to kidnap her on her wedding day.”

  “But why in the world would she leave on her own accord? She loves Trey and was so excited to get married.”

  Through the open French doors, Natalia’s attention turned to the sound of dozens of phones beeping, chirping, and vibrating at once. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd and she hurried outside. One of the groomsmen was staring at his screen, mouth agape.

  “What is it? What’s going on?” Natalia snatched the phone out of his hand before he could answer.

  There were photos of a man and a woman. In bed, presumably naked going by their bare shoulders, grinning into the camera as they took a selfie. It took a few seconds to register that the man was Trey and the woman was Cora’s cousin Krystal.