The doors open and the wedding march starts to play. An angel, that is the only word to describe what I am seeing right now, appears before me. She looks stunning, I never envisioned what she would look like walking down the aisle, but this, this is far beyond what I ever thought she would look like.
“Welcome to the club,” my brother whispers to me, watching the tears fall continuously from my eyes. Goddamn it, I can’t help it. I look into the audience and see everyone else is crying. My focus comes back to Olivia and she too is crying. What is going on? Her father squeezes her hand as she walks toward me, looking so regal, so beautiful, an absolute vision. Thank you up there for delivering this woman to me.
Olivia is now standing before me, hidden behind her veil and I can’t stop staring at her, she is breathtaking.
“Who here gives this woman to this man?” the priest asks.
“I do,” her father replies as he places Olivia’s hand into mine. I give him an appreciative nod which he returns before taking his seat next to her mother who is trying not to show any emotion, but is failing miserably.
“Hey,” I whisper to her as we hold hands.
“Hey.” She looks up at me through tear soaked eyes behind her white veil.
“You look so beautiful,” I whisper again. I know I should be listening to the priest, but he is talking about some religious stuff. I just need to know when I have to say I do and I’ll say it.
“You look so handsome.” Seriously can we skip the ceremony? Let’s just say I do, because I want to kiss the ever loving hell out of her and take her back to the honeymoon suite, discover what is hidden under all that material and ravage her. Shit, I am getting a hard-on at the altar on my wedding day in front of all our family and friends. I need to think of something, anything else to take away the images of my head underneath all those layers of material and eating her out. Shit! Abort those thoughts, abort those thoughts.
***
“You may now kiss the bride.” The priest finally says the words I have been wanting to hear all day. I lift up Olivia’s veil, placing it carefully over her head making sure not to mess up her hair. I know what chicks are like, especially on their wedding day. Now, I know your wedding kiss should be polite as we are in a chapel and all, but I don’t care, you only get one first kiss as a married couple and this is it, as I go in for the kill. I hear a couple of cheers from my friends and that’s when I know I may have gone a little far.
“Let me introduce to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor,” the priest proclaims, and those words sound amazing. I take her hand, I give it a quick kiss as we make our way down the aisle, our family and friends congratulating us as we walk past.
“I can’t believe we are married,” Olivia squeals, exiting the chapel. I pick her up in my arms and kiss her once again.
“You better believe it Mrs. Taylor,” I growl, sharing a quiet moment before we are inundated with well wishes. “You’re stuck with me for eternity.”
“I think I’m okay with that.” She smiles back at me, warming my heart.
***
After what seems like an eternity for photos, we are finally being announced into the Grand Hall, where the ballroom is. Derrick is of course our MC. Who else could do it better?
“Please put your hands together for Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.” The room erupts as we enter the ballroom. Wow, it looks like a florist has thrown up everywhere, there are so many pink flowers. I really can’t complain, I did tell Olivia she could have anything she wanted for the wedding, as long as she turned up on the day, that was all I was worried about, but maybe I should have paid attention a little better in the planning stage, oh who am I kidding, the complete and utter look of happiness on her face means more to me than drowning in a million shades of pink.
We take a seat at the bridal table, which has two golden thrones. Apparently they date back to 1598 royalty and the French nobility have sat upon these thrones hundreds of years ago, just like we are today. That is kind of cool, steeped in such history is mind boggling, and now here sits a rock star and his Lady. This makes me grin. There are tables scattered throughout the ballroom, each one with a tower of pink flowers in the center. I think there may be two hundred people here for the reception. I’m pretty sure I know most of them, well I hope so anyway. Olivia had certain people she had to invite because of family protocol, which is fine, it makes her family happy, and if it scores me extra points with them then I am okay with that.
The table is set extravagantly. A tiny rush of nervousness fills me as I look at the many sets of cutlery displayed in front of me. At least I know the food will be amazing as Sebastien is catering the event. He did my brother’s wedding and our family Christmas last year, I still dream about the food, it was that good. A waiter comes over and pours us both a glass of champagne. “Sorry, can I grab a beer as well.” I ask, he nods and rushes off.
Settled into our seats, I let myself finally relax for a moment and take in the day, as everyone tells you it goes by so quickly and it is. I catch sight of the California Bros. at their table and the Sons of Brooklyn boys too; they all look like they are having a great time. Then I hear someone tapping a crystal glass, it’s Derrick.
“What are you doing?” I hiss at him.
“You’re supposed to kiss the bride anytime someone hits their glass.” He smiles sweetly at me.
“Is that true?” I ask Olivia.
“Yes, it is.”
Derrick starts it again and many more people join him, I lean over and kiss my bride, I think I might like this tradition as the room erupts into cheers.
***
“Where’s my bride?” I ask, looking around the dance floor.
“She’s with her sister out in the garden I think.” I head out to where Derrick points. What are they doing out here? It takes me a little longer to get outside due to well wishes stopping to congratulate me and when I do make it outside, I can’t see them anywhere. I strain and look into the darkness and I notice a row of bodyguards standing in a corner. What is that about? And where did they come from? That’s when I notice Olivia and Penny standing together, not looking happy, in front of some guy in a suit who has a deep scowl on his face. I start to head toward them until one of the guards stops me, halting me in French.
“Hands off, fucker, this is my wedding and that is my bride.” I point to Olivia.
“Axel,” she calls to me, hearing the commotion.
“What’s going on?” I look at her with concern and see Penny is now crying.
“Axel Taylor, I am a big fan of Dirty Texas,” the guy in the suit states, his accent is French, I think.
“And you are?” I growl, wondering who the hell this guy is interrupting my wedding and upsetting my sister-in-law.
Olivia tugs my arm. “That is the President of France,” she whisper yells. My brows rise looking between Penny and Olivia. What the hell is going on?
“Julien Soucy.” He holds out his hand for me to shake.
“I’m so sorry, Axel, for interrupting your wedding.” Penny looks exhausted, defeated even, her make-up has run, her eyes are puffy and red.
“You haven’t done a thing. But are you okay?” I don’t care if this guy is the king of the moon, if he is upsetting my new sister-in-law then he is going to have to deal with me.
“He found out about the baby,” Penny whispers, rubbing her hand protectively over her belly.
“I saw you in the press.” He looks hurts by this. “You never told me.” I can understand him being upset finding out he is going to be a father through the gossip magazines.
“Like I said, Jules, I contacted you. I contacted your office and left messages and no one returned them. So, as far as I am concerned I am going to be a single parent,” Penny argues, crossing her arms defensively.
Julien runs his hand through his hair, a look of frustration mars his tanned face. “Like I told you, Penelope, I never got those messages. If I knew you were contacting me, I would have replied.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway, you know now. I promise nobody knows except the two people here, your secret is safe.” Julien looks a little pained by Penny’s comment.
“I’m guessing you haven't been keeping up with French news then?” She shakes her head. “Marion and I announced our divorce last week. She fell in love with someone else and wanted to marry him.” Penny looks pale. “It was announced that we have been separated for a while, that we both require our private space.”
“I don’t understand,” Penny says. “What about your campaign? This scandal will ruin your chances.”
“I never wanted to do a second term, the party pressured me to, that’s why Marion and I decided to divorce.” Penny gasps. “She was my excuse to leave politics.”
“But…I don’t understand,” Penny says in disbelief.
“I’ve done my duty to my country, Penelope. Now I want to live life again. I owed that to Marion, she stuck with me until my term was up but she couldn’t do another, we both were extremely unhappy putting on the facade. She is my best friend, but that is all. She is the one that pushed me to chase after you, told me I needed to tell you how I feel.”
I squeeze Olivia’s hand, not sure I am believing what I am seeing before me, it is like an episode of The Young and the Restless. Penelope shakes her head.
“I want a life with you Penelope.”
“No, I …” Her words trail away.
“You know that I’ve loved you from the moment we met,” Julien confesses as Olivia squeezes my hand hearing his words.
“Julien, no. I can’t.”
He shakes his head. “Finding out that you are carrying my baby, Penelope, God, you have no idea how happy I am.” This gets her attention.
“You are?”
Julien grabs her hand. “Of course, mon cheri, you are giving me a gift. One I never thought I would ever have.” Penny stares at him and they are both lost in a moment together, I kind of feel like an intruder. Penny pulls her hand away from him. “You think that because you are now divorced that it changes everything?”
“Oui, of course. We can be together.”
“But what about me, what about what is best for my daughter and I.”
“We are having a little girl?” Awe fills Julien’s face.
“No, there’s no we.”
“Penny,” Olivia interrupts.
“No, Liv. There is no happily ever after for me, not like you. I’m sorry, Julien.” She turns on her heels and runs back into the reception, Olivia hot on her heels after her. He looks utterly defeated watching the woman he loves run away from him.
“I am sorry I interrupted your wedding, Mr. Taylor.”
“It’s Axel,” I say. “Do you mean it? What you said?”
“What?”
“That you love her?”
“With every beat of my heart. I understand you know the story of how Penelope and I met. It was unconventional but there was something about her. It was not a love match between my wife and I, it was always a political move. I’m not saying that I did not love her, she is my best friend, but she is not the love of my life.”
“But Penny is?”
“Yes, she is. For the first time in my life I felt alive. Marion knew this, I mean she met the love of her life too, but we needed to finish my term as President before going our separate ways. When Penny married Edmund, it killed me, but I assumed she was happy, so I let her go.”
“Until you found out the child wasn’t his?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you not come to her sooner?”
“I had to wait, to do it right, make sure that the scandal would make the party chose another, I needed to make sure that I was able to leave.”
“And gatecrashing my wedding was the right time?”
Julien looks justifiably ashamed. “Ah no, I have only just found out she was in the country, and as soon as I did, I had to explain things to her.”
“How did you get in? Security is tight.”
“Remember I am the President of France.” This makes me laugh.
“Give her time. These Pearce girls are awfully stubborn, so trying to change their minds is hard. She will eventually come around, I promise you.”
“Merci, Axel, Merci.” He shakes my hand. “Here.” He hands me a white card with gold embossed writing on it. “This is my private phone number and email. Would you please just help me? Just, keep an eye on her for me, and if she needs anything, and I mean anything, please let me know. She will have full security detail around the clock looking after her.”
“Of course, I can give you mine, if you like.” He pulls out a fountain pen and another embossed card and I write my number on the back. “I guess this kind of makes us family now, huh?”
He chuckles, “I think it might. Congratulations once again, and I am sorry to invade your special night.”
“Look, you are more than welcome to stay,” I say and he shakes his head.
“That would lead to too many questions, but thank you.” With that, he turns on his heel, his guards following him into the night. Seriously, did I just give love advice to the President of France on my wedding day? I shake my head and walk back into the party.
***
It’s close to midnight and the party is in full swing. We are all standing out on the back terrace overlooking the gardens as the clock strikes midnight and fireworks start flying off into different directions from the top of the castle, lighting up the night sky. My arms are wrapped around my wife. My wife, I still can’t get used to saying that. I look around and see my brother with a baby in his arms. He’s looking down at the sleeping princess and Ness is doing the same with the other, only she is screaming at the fireworks display and Ness is trying to console her. My parents are cuddling, watching as the night sky lights up. Even Olivia’s parents are holding hands, smiling, enjoying the pyrotechnic display. I’m feeling pretty damn lucky at the moment and I can’t wait to see what the first year of marriage brings for us.