Chapter Twenty
About a quarter to midnight Aaron knocked on the door and I opened it. He was in his Jedi outfit. He smiled, kissed my hand, and said, "you look beautiful bride-o-mine."
I took his arm and he walked me down the stairs and then down to the Fraternity Room.
I was surprised when he walked me to the front pew and seated me on the end, away from the aisle.
He left and the silence was complete. With me and ten men in the room, you'd think there would have been some chatter, but it was silent.
The only sound was the clock ticking.
At five minutes to midnight, he was standing in the door with Paula, and she was in a wedding gown just as I had worn. They stood, dramatically framed in the doorway, until the clock clicked over to 11:59.
He walked her up the aisle and, as he had done with me, he turned her to face the room. He reached down, grasped the hem of her shift, and slowly lifted it. Just as I had done, she lifted her arms to allow him to strip her bare.
She stood, head high, and I thought she looked stunning.
As I watched, her nipples hardened, very pink on her small pale breasts.
"Brothers," Aaron intoned in that stage voice, deep and breathy, "before you, naked and unashamed, stands Paula who would join the Order. As is done with every Initiate, the decision of the Order must be unanimous." (Each capital letter was, once again, clear from his inflection.)
"Now I will call the roll and you will respond with Aye or Nay," he said.
"As always," he went on, "alphabetically."
He paused, again I'm sure for dramatic effect. She stood still and I could empathize. I remembered how naked and utterly exposed, I had felt in her position.
"Andrew," he intoned.
Drew stood, faced Aaron, turned slightly to face Paula, pushed the hood back, and said "Aye."
"David," he said.
And we went through every one of the ten each saying his "Aye" after pushing back his hood.
He surprised me by saying, "Rebecca."
I stood, pushed back my hood, faced Aaron, and then turned slightly to face Paula.
I took a deep breath and said, "Aye."
"And Aaron, President, also votes "Aye," he said.
"Now Paula, turn and face the Table," he said.