This is the third in a series about Rochelle and me. It's probably okay as a stand-alone, but if you want to know what led up to this point, you should read the first two.
Rochelle and I didn't want to waste any time, so we scheduled our wedding for one month out. Rochelle invited her four friends, and I asked my friend Joel to be my best man. I hadn't met Rochelle's friends, but I was guessing they were all around her age, 41 or thereabouts. Joel was my age: 36, and he was in really good shape, being a jogger, regular gym guy, and marathon bicyclist who joins in rides with names like, "24 Hours in the Canyon" and "Torture Cross Country Mountain Bike Race". I do a bit of jogging myself, and attend the gym now and then, but not with the dedication that Joel has, and bicycling is not my thing.
Jane, one of Rochelle's friends, works as a specialist in wedding preparations, and so we hired her to handle everything. We explained that we wanted a simple, no-frills wedding with just her and her friends and me and my best man, and she took it on.
The ceremony was scheduled in a local park on a Saturday evening. There was a lovely lighted archway decorated with flowers and ribbons under which Rochelle and I would recite our vows. The four friends wore turquoise dresses which cinched at their waists and accented their breasts and hips, cascading out and down in glorious array. Joel and I were dressed in well-fitting, smartly tailored rented tuxedos.
Jane had arranged for a string quartet to play background music until we got to Wagner's "Bridal Chorus", and when they struck it up, I turned to admire Rochelle as she slowly, gracefully walked toward the archway and me. She wore a similar turquoise dress, but with more frills and decorations than her friends. Oh, god, she was gorgeous. Beautiful; big beautiful woman, breathtakingly beautiful, and I get to have her; I get to go to sleep beside and wake up beside this big beautiful woman for the rest of my life. I get to make babies with her and raise them with her. Oh, lucky man; happy man.
When I was married to Rochelle's daughter Delia, we tried hard to have children, but it didn't happen. I didn't know what to think: was it because Delia was already full of cancer and on her way to dying? Or, was it maybe because I was sterile? Would I be able to impregnate Rochelle? Would she still want me if I couldn't give her a baby?
Our vows were given before a friend of Rochelle's who is a Buddhist bhikkhuni (priestess), who then pronounced us "woman and man, wife and husband." And then we all adjourned to my house--now to be our house--where an informal reception was planned. Jane had arranged for a ceremonial cake and both non- and alcoholic beverages, along with the string quartet, which was situated in the dining room to make room for us in our fairly spacious living room. Furniture had been shoved back and rearranged to allow for a serviceable dance floor.
At last Rochelle introduced me to her friends.
Jane I had already met. She was a dark-skinned beauty of about 38 years, single, with a neatly trimmed afro hairdo, intelligent sparkling eyes, and a winning smile with pearly white teeth. Her figure was much slimmer than Rochelle's, but still curvaceous and eye-catching.
Sirenia was also a dark beauty, at least Rochelle's age 41 or older, and a hairdresser who owned her own shop. She was divorced and wore her hair in dreadlocks. She was heavier than Jane, almost as big as Rochelle, and very shapely, just as Rochelle is.
Jennifer was a white woman about Rochelle's age, who owned and ran a bakery shop in the neighborhood and had gotten to know Rochelle as Rochelle visited her shop regularly for coffee and breakfast kolaches and pastries. The two had known each other for several years and become friends outside of Jennifer's work environment. Jennifer was a larger woman like Rochelle, every bit as shapely and attractive, with a curvaceous body, large breasts and hips, and lovely thick cascading brunette hair that curled around her shoulders, down her back, and across her breasts.
Fidelia was a brown-skinned woman obviously of Latinx descent, although I couldn't guess what country. She worked as a loan officer at a local bank. The two had become friends in high school, drifted apart after graduation, and then reconnected when Rochelle started doing her banking where Fidelia worked. Fidelia was probably in her late 30s. She had a son, aged 19, by a man who had abandoned them shortly after the child was born, and had been making her way alone ever since. She was attractive in a subtle kind of way; not what I'd call beautiful, but eye-catching nonetheless, with a slim figure, lovely straight black hair down to her waist, and dark, piercing eyes.
My friend Joel was single, of Puerto Rican descent; brown-skinned and handsome with thick black close-cropped hair, a dark moustache, and a winning smile. He was a lawyer in a local law firm.
As the reception commenced and the quartet began playing, I realized that there was an unfortunate imbalance of men to women: two guys (Joel and me) versus five women. It wasn't fair. I pulled Rochelle off to the side and asked, "Do you mind if Joel invites a few of his friends over to dance with the ladies?"
She gave me a searching look. "What else will they be doing with the ladies?"
"I guess that will be up to the ladies."
"What kind of guys are these?" she asked.
"They'll be the same kind of guys as Joel is. They'll like female attention, and they'll be out to get it, but they won't become belligerent or force themselves on anyone. Whatever happens will be mutual, or it won't happen."
"How do you know that?"
"I know Joel. He wouldn't put us in an awkward position. I trust him, Rochelle. He won't bring trouble over here."
"All right, I'll take your word for it. Tell Joel he can invite three friends. No more."
So I spoke to Joel: "Hey, look, we didn't really plan this out very well. Rochelle's got four friends here and I've only got you. Do you have some trustworthy friends you can invite over to show the ladies some attention, who won't get all drunk and crazy and ruin the reception?"
"Wow, it's kind of late for that, but I'll see what I can do. How many?"
"Three, if you can, to balance the scales."
"Let me get on the phone. I'll explain to everyone that this isn't a wild party, it's a tame reception."
"Well, you know, I don't mind if it gets a little wild, as long as no one gets hurt or assaulted and the cops don't come and throw us all in jail."
"Trust me, I know better than to spend the night in jail."
So I left Joel to it, and about twenty minutes later, three guys showed up at our front door. I opened to them, and they introduced themselves. "Hello, sir. I hope we have the right address. We were invited to celebrate a wedding, and to dance with and entertain some lovely ladies. I'm Franklin, this is Jeremy, and this is Marcus."
"Hello, gentlemen," I said. "You have the right place. Come in, make yourselves at home. Drinks are on the counter; help yourselves."
Jane had also arranged some hors d'oeuvres on a tray on the counter, in which the guys indulged as they took drinks and began to sip from them and eye the ladies.
Marcus and Jeremy were both tall, well-built men with dark skin, curly hair, broad shoulders and narrow waists. Franklin was a bit shorter and not as muscular, with light skin and sandy-blonde hair.
"Everyone," I said, clapping my hands, "Some introductions are in order. First of all, gentlemen, this is my beautiful bride, Rochelle, and I'm Ritchie, the lucky groom. Now, please allow me to introduce the ladies. Gentlemen, this is Jane, who planned and arranged this whole affair." (applause all around)
"This is Sirenia. She is a local hairdresser who owns her own shop." (applause all around)
"Gentlemen, this is Jennifer. She owns and runs the Sweet Inspiration Bakery on 14th Street." (applause all around)
"And this is Fidelia, who is a loan officer at First National Bank." (applause all around)
"Ladies, please allow me to present to you Franklin, Jeremy, and Marcus."
There was an uncomfortable silence after that. Rochelle turned her head to me with a worried look. I also was concerned that things were about to bomb, but then Marcus approached Jennifer, proffered his hand, and said, "Jennifer, I'd be honored if you would dance with me."
And she smiled and accepted.
Taking the cue, Franklin approached Sirenia and asked, "Will you dance with me, please?"
"Yes, thank you, I will," she answered, and they began to move to the music of the string quartet.
Jeremy approached Jane and executed a deep, exaggerated bow. In a low baritone voice, he intoned, "May I have the pleasure of this dance, milady?" Jane giggled and curtsied, and off they went to the designated dance floor.
Fidelia smiled at Joel and blushed. Joel held out his hand palm up, tilted his head slightly, and arched his eyebrows questioningly. She smiled and took his hand, and they joined the others.
When all our guests were on the dance floor, the quartet began to play, "Dance With Me" by Orleans, which was perfect for what was developing among them.