Page 51 of One Night Only
“Annndbigsmiles!” The photographer waves madly to get a flower girl’s attention as we stand in one big group outside the tent. “Look at me, Sinead! Look at me!” The girl, who can’t be more than five, pouts toward the front.
“Big smiles, big…” He exhales noisily, wiping his brow. “Can we get this girl’s mother?”
“I’m so embarrassed,” Annie mutters for the millionth time as I adjust her skirts. Her fainting spell lasted for only a few seconds but had set off another woman in the middle row, who had to be brought outside.
“Afierceattention seeker,” Mary had muttered to me afterward. “That’s not the first time she’s caused a scene. Always trying to take away from the bride.”
“It was the heat,” I say to Annie now. “Everyone knows that. It’s not like you left Paul at the altar.”
“Though you looked like you wanted to,” Paul says beside her. “I’ll take fainting any day.”
“I was like a sickly Victorian lady,” Annie mutters.
“You were hungover,” Paul says and only grins at her glare as Sinead’s mother stands beside the camera, gesturing to an exaggerated smile on her own face.
“Just like me, Sinead! Smile for Mummy!”
“Are these the last ones?” Annie asks, stretching her neck.
“The last group one,” I say a little smugly. “Then you’re doing individual shots.”
“Can’t we take them after we eat?”
“You’ll be bloated. Hey,” I say as Annie groans. “You’re the one who wanted to be a bride.”
The rest of the guests mill around us, chasing children with bottles of sunscreen and drinking the glasses of ice water being passed around by waiters. An ice cream truck from the village had spotted its opportunity and is parked nearby with a line of people waiting their turn.
“And that’s it,” the photographer calls as we smile once more. “Thank you, everybody.”
I make my excuses and step away, wanting to freshen up before it’s time for the speeches but the photographer stops me immediately, and gestures to Declan who’s lingering at the side of the group.
“Before you go,” he says, motioning us to stand together. “Best man and the maid of honor please.”
Declan doesn’t hesitate as he strides toward me, turning to the camera.
We stand together, close but not touching and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so awkward. I wait for him to make a joke, to say something,anything, but he stays mute. And I know if I was the one to break the silence, it wouldn’t be good. I’m one more glance away from grabbing him by the lapels and screeching into his face like some deranged maniac.Tell me I look pretty!
But before I can say something to break the tension one of the flower girls approaches with poorly concealed glee. She doesn’t even wait until Declan turns to her before she throws a handful of petals at him and runs off with a delighted shriek when he chases after her.
Fine.
I sulk my way back to the hotel as the photos continue on the lawn, but my mood instantly changes when I see what they’ve done with the place. I was too busy with Annie to notice this morning, but as soon as I step inside, I feel as though I’ve entered another world. The bare, echoing room has been transformed. Fairy lights drape across the ceiling with large oak branches decorated with silky white ribbons. Irish moss artfully decorates each table. With the good weather, the patio doors are wide open and non-wedding guests are already peeping through the windows, hoping for a glimpse of the bride.
“Thirty-two degrees,” Mary says when she sees me. She’s standing in the middle of the room, directing staff with the final touches. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“You’re not doing too bad.”
“If we keep the doors open we might get a breeze.”
“We’ll be okay,” I say, but before she can respond there’s a loud rumbling sound from the lobby and a second later two overly large industrial fans are wheeled into the room.
“Leftover from a movie shoot last year,” Mary says as I stare at them.
“Well,” I say as a waiter attempts to drape a vine of ivy over them. “At least they’re—”
The fans sputter to life, roaring into the room and promptly blowing a decorative wreath to the ground.
Mary and I share a glance as a waitress scrambles to fix it.
