7:18 am -- Issue: The Mother
The second shot of espresso prepares me for the chaos on this island. An unexpected storm last week caused air travel delays so now everything is rushed at the last minute. The day of the wedding. I'm wearing a flowing sundress with my long hair tamed by a loose braid, holding a tablet on my forearm to remain up-to-date on everything.
Early in the morning I check the venue to make sure everything will be ready for the wedding at noon. Then I check the vendors to make sure the services will be ready before, during, and after the wedding. With over 70 guests in attendance from different parts of the world, top notch service is a must. I go to the kitchen to ensure that the hors d'oeuvres are being prepared, along with the steak and lobster for lunch.
This may sound tedious, but I can assure you this is my dream job. I've always been a people pleaser and creating someone's dream wedding is the peak. Happy couples, happy families, extravagant parties with an array of flowers. It's life at its best. Plus I love the chaos. It gives me an adrenaline rush like nothing else.
Before leaving the kitchen, Mrs. Habsburg comes into the scene with her trademark air of sophistication. She's the woman bankrolling this entire event (including my fee) and she acts like it. In the build-up to the wedding, it's often the mothers who are the fussiest, but she takes it to the extreme. In the last week I saw her tearing people down for the flimsiest of reasons. A few employees even cried in private.
We make small talk and exchange pleasantries, hers being passive aggressive. She acts like she's checking on the kitchen staff, but really she's checking on me. A part of me thinks Mrs. Habsburg is motivated to upstage her future in-laws, using this wedding as a show of force. It's one of the many games that can happen on wedding days.
As our banter ends, she holds out a finger to stop me from leaving.
"Oh, and another thing. I have other children who may get married in the near future. Do a fabulous job today and perhaps we can keep doing business."
"I appreciate that, Mrs. Habsburg, and rest assured, today will be marvelous."
"Good, because the opposite is also true. Anything less than stellar and everyone will know."
Dealing with veiled threats of career destruction is part of any job, but from Mrs. Habsburg, it feels real. The threat of her ruining my career is thinly veiled between her pleasant smile and aristocratic behavior. As a professional, I smile back, matching that same energy.
Truth be told, I've only been running my event planning business for a year. I previously worked as an assistant for the legendary Jacques Pierre, and before he retired, he recommended me for this wedding. He never explained why I'd be a good fit for this gig. But he told the Habsburg family, "This is the best option for your daughter and the bridesmaids. End of discussion."
And just like that I netted the biggest payday of my budding career. I was trained by the best. I'm potentially the next go-to person for big events amongst certain crowds.
I remember Jacques Pierre telling me during his retirement party, "Don't fuck up, darling."
8:46 am -- Issue: The Bridesmaid
The exclusive spa area offers special amenities and privacy for VIP guests. The bride and the bridesmaids are wearing silk robes and they're being served by different employees. Everything from foot massages to manicures to facials. They'd already had their bath treatments and the area smells like fragrance.
Is it normal for the bride and bridesmaids to be getting detailed spa treatments on the morning of a wedding? Not really. But again, the storm last week made it impossible for all of them to be together. Two of the bridesmaids had just arrived last night.
"Everyone having a good time?" I ask.
They express their overwhelming agreement and nervous excitement for the day, partly fueled by the multiple rounds of espresso they'd had earlier. The women look eager for the next step of the process. As expected, if I don't offer a reminder, they'll be late.
"Great, great. Quick update, babes. Now we swap the robes for the gowns. Hair and makeup maestros are ready to work their magic at 9 o'clock sharp in the bridal suite, so we can be dazzling by 11:30. The day is only getting started."
Nicole Habsburg, the woman of the hour, encourages the gang to leave at their own pace because her facial mask is being removed and she needs moisturizing. The women getting manicures are getting final touch-ups. The women getting foot massages are the first to be able to leave.
I stand around in the back to make sure they're moving at a fast enough pace. I check my tablet and see incoming texts for things I need to handle soon.
A bridesmaid named Ling catches my eye after she stands and downs a mimosa. There's another empty glass on the table next to her. There's a frowning expression on her face and she hurries out of the spa area. Her body language suggests trouble is brewing, and when you factor in alcohol, it's a bad sign.
I send fast texts to my assistant while also following Ling out of the spa area.
"Do you have a moment?"
Ling stops and turns to me, her lips are borderline pouty and her eyes are on the brink of tears. I saw her earlier this morning and she was nothing like this.
"Yes?" she replies.
I take her inside a private sauna and close the door. Everything is dry and hasn't been used today. Ling sits on the bench and hangs her head, her silk robe opening and I can see the center of her bare chest, which she doesn't bother to cover.
"What's going on?" I ask. "Something is clearly an issue. I'd like to help."
"This is so embarrassing."
"It's okay. I'm here for you."
"After the wedding, Nicole is moving to the east coast. Forget it. It's embarrassing. You wouldn't understand."
At first I struggle to understand why this would be so heartbreaking. Best friends are supposed to cry tears of joy during a wedding, not tears of... whatever this is.
Then the subtext of the situation hits me and everything becomes clear. Ling's eyes remain looking down at her feet, the side of her robe threatening to fall off her left shoulder, which she still doesn't bother to cover.
"You and her?" I ask.
"Lovers. Well, obviously not. She's getting married. I guess you can call me the occasional fling. My parents would disown me if they knew. It's all over now."
"You'll find someone, I promise."
"There's no one like Nicole."
Ling shakes her head and then tosses her hair back. She runs her fingers through her long and dark hair, which seems like a habit she does, and it causes the left side of her silk robe to fall. Her tiny breast and dark nipple are showing. She's a rail thin woman with fair skin and seeing her big black nipple is oddly enticing.
I try doing the decent thing by reaching over to pull her robe, but when I do that, she grabs my hand and rubs it against her face. She might have thought I was making a move, or that I wanted to be affectionate with her. Alcohol will do this to a person.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Do you want to stop?"
She continues to rub my hand against her cheek. Her eyes are closed as if this gesture is somehow soothing her soul when she needs it most.
"Maybe you've had too much to drink."
"I know, I'm sorry. I had some other drinks in my hotel room."
"This is all because of your relationship with Nicole?"
"I don't usually drink. I'm a freaking advertisement executive. I work all the time."
"We'll get you some water, electrolytes, and food. You'll be perfect for the wedding."
"Can you do something else for me?"
Ling pulls my hand lower, grazing her big nipple, which is now erect, and with some hesitation she pulls even lower. She opens her robe and brings my hand to her crotch. It's obvious what she wants. She looks at me with pleading eyes and presses my hand against her skin. I can feel her labia.
I'm stunned while her eyes are filled with shame and lust. She's persistent and uncurls my fingers, pressing my palm against her.
"Ling, we shouldn't."
"It's been aching since my wet dream of Nicole last night. I need this and I'll be okay."
My hand gives a faint stroke to her labia and she quivers. She leans back against the wall and enjoys this, even though I actually hadn't agreed to do anything. I turn and look at my tablet on the bench. Messages are incoming and I'm behind schedule. I can only imagine how peeved the assistants and staff are while waiting for me. Worse, the idea of Mrs. Habsburg sending me unanswered messages or searching for me makes my skin crawl.
I curl my index finger to see if that simple gesture would solve the problem. Stroking her labia makes her breath harder, but it's the bare minimum. Ling keeps her eyes closed and her body is tense with anticipation. She wants to cum. And she wants it done with my hand.
I'm left with no choice but to touch her clitoris, which makes Ling moan and squirm. It's my first time doing anything with a woman's vagina, much less while working the biggest job of my career, but that's what it takes when every minute counts.