All persons participating in sexual activities are over 18
I love weddings. I guess most women do, but what's not to like? Beautiful dresses, flowers everywhere, dancing, wine, more dancing -- and we can usually convince our men to wear something other than cargo shorts and a polo shirt. Heaven!
Ronnie and I looked forward for months to our son's wedding to Ashley. She's a fantastic girl, and we knew that she and Lucas were going to be wonderfully happy together.
Ashley's dad, Paul, was springing for a very expensive wedding at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville. We'd already been there for a couple of days -- Ashley's mom had paid for a day at the underground spa for most of the women, while Ronnie funded a round of golf at the Don Ross-designed course for the men.
I couldn't help remarking on my sweetheart as we got dressed on the day of the wedding. My Ronnie is a hunk -- strong and tan from getting his hands dirty with our landscaping business, and as loving and kind a man as I've ever met. And he cleans up very nicely!
The wedding was at 2pm, and my son had decided on morning dress for the groomsmen. Ronnie was our son's best man, and he looked incredibly sexy in his black cutaway coat and light blue waistcoat over grey striped pants and well-shined dress shoes. It's a wonder I let him leave the room.
The bridesmaids (and I) were wearing ivory beaded halter dresses with short trains that set off the blacks and grays of our male counterparts. I wasn't sure yet what my future daughter-in-law was going to wear, but I was sure that it would be fabulous.
We assembled on the Vanderbilt Terrace on a perfect late April afternoon. There was not a cloud in the sky and the wind was almost non-existent, making the 70 F temperature feel perfectly comfortable. The wedding itself was limited to just about 60 people, but the reception was going to include many more, probably mostly Paul's business associates.
The Blue Ridge Mountains served as the perfect backdrop to the gorgeous young women and the handsome young men waiting to help our son and his love start their new life together. I didn't even try not to cry.
Mr. Parker walked Ashley down the aisle to the strains of Mendelssohn. She was wearing a white high-necked gown but as she got to the front, I could see that the back was bare almost all the way down to her cute rear. The train was pure white and enormous. Beautiful, daring, sexy -- I had never been happier for my son. Ashley was a treasure.
The ceremony was beautiful and moving and I cried happy tears along with almost everyone. Seeing my sweet boy and his gorgeous bride exchanging vows under an arch of white flowers, with the ageless mountains behind them, was so perfect it made my chest ache.
The wedding party stayed outside for a few minutes to take pictures while the rest of the guests headed into the reception area. There was a cheer a few minutes later when Ashley and Lucas walked ahead of the rest of us into the ballroom. Ashley paused for a moment, fiddled with her dress, and then the train fell away, leaving her in a white halter mini-dress. "All right, y'all! Let's dance!"
The older family members were happy step out to a few tunes, but then we left the dance floor to the groomsmen and bridesmaids and other younger members of the party. The families intermingled and got to know each other, and Paul held court among some of his customers.
Ronnie nudged me a few minutes later and nodded towards the door into the hotel. I looked up just in time to see Paul furtively looking around before pulling one of the younger-looking bridesmaids along behind him towards the rooms. What an ass.
Lucas came over with Ashley not long after that. "Mom, Dad, can you guys do us a favor? Ash's stepmom is drinking herself into a mess. Would you mind helping her back to her room?"
We looked over at where Hannah was sitting, alone at a table with two or three empty champagne bottles lying on their side. I hadn't had much of a chance to talk to her as Ashley's mom had neglected to invite her to our spa day.
She was much younger than us, maybe thirty. Lucas had described her as a trophy wife, but he and Ashley seemed to get along well with her. The story was that Ashley's mom had found the two of them in her bed, which resulted in her taking Paul for a sizable chunk of money. And Paul was loaded.
We walked over and she barely registered our presence. "Hannah, you don't seem to be having a good time. Why don't you let us get you out of here?" She sighed, and let Ronnie help her to her feet. She was tall, even without the spike-heeled sandals she was wearing. And man, was she stacked! I was pretty sure she had very expensive bolt-ons under her tight dress. I might have been a little jealous.
We walked her through the stone-walled Great Hall, past the walk-in fireplace, and up the elevator to the wing where all the parents had suites. As we got off the elevator, Hannah suddenly straightened up and got much more lucid.
