Thomas went to work that week, the longest, squirmiest week of her life. They’d opted to just get married quickly and quietly. It was tough to wait for their wedding day, but she busied herself making all the arrangements for their makeshift ceremony.
Thomas offered to spring for a giant, elaborate affair, but Cheri was too impatient for that. Instead, she filed the paperwork and paid the fee so Tony could officiate their wedding. It didn’t seem the least bit negative or morbid for the arresting officer to perform their nuptials, and for the right amount of money, practically anyone in D.C. could do the honors. Tony was all too happy to serve. Their wedding audience was made up of cops and Thomas’s employees. As a surprise, Thomas had talked Cheri’s old boss into forgiving her, so some of Cheri’s former office mates also attended.
They decided to have their official, civil service in D.C. for their first wedding, then hold a more private, romantic ceremony in the mansion overlooking the bay, with just the two of them. Just as Thomas wanted, they planned to ride into the historic town as a married couple, but they would also get married there. As far as Cheri was concerned, she had no qualms about marrying the man twice.
The weather was brisk, but it promised to be clear for their journey, and Cheri was so excited about the ride. She hadn’t ridden in some time, though, so her anticipation was mixed with a little fear, especially since it would be her first real long-distance on the highway on the back of his Harley. Most of the highway to Occoquan from D.C. was lined with trees, in the throes of their seasonal turn. While she was nervous, she hoped that colorful canopy would be something she could remember for a lifetime. In fact, she likened the stunning fall foliage to rows of guests, there to witness their very special union.
The other fun part was that the chilly weather warranted a leather jacket. Since she was going to marry a motorcycle man, Cheri felt comfortable shopping for motorcycle apparel. Deep down, she liked riding as much as he did. She even wanted her own helmet, one she knew no one else ever wore before and never would.
Truthfully, Cheri shopped more for the bike than she did for her wedding ceremony, but she had a clear vision in her head of what she wanted her wedding town to look like, something hot but old-fashioned at the same time, something that would almost match the endearing antiquity of the house. Just as Thomas had found her engagement ring at a resale shop, Cheri found something very similar in a consignment shop in D.C., more shopping time being another upside of her unemployment. She really only tried the local shops as part of what she thought would be a process of elimination and was sure she’d ultimately buy her dress online and have it shipped straight to the mansion, but in the first shop she looked in in Adams Morgan, the perfect dress was waiting for her.
It was all lace and Lycra, but hardly revealing. The neckline was chaste, and the sleeves were long, ending in belling ruffles. It was very form-fitting throughout the torso and hips but flared out slightly at the knees in graceful folds. When she tried it on, it was so flattering that she drew the attention of the other shoppers around her. She knew many of the compliments of the shop owner were part of a sales pitch, but she also knew Thomas was going to eat her up as soon as he laid eyes on her in that dress. She looked like a cake-topper, and the love that garment would lead to would be sweeter and richer than any wedding cake ever made.
As she admired herself in the dress, knowing what kind of pleasure it was going to give Thomas, she drew up her long hair, trying to get some sense of how she should style it on their special day. She always wore it straight because it was long, and the weight of it lent itself to sleek hair. With the lace of the dress, she thought ringlets would go nicely, and she would finish it off with some costume pearls or sparkles.
Next, she turned her focus on her honeymoon negligee. Thomas and she had shared just about everything physically that two people could share, but each time they were together there was a newness and wonder to it, as if they were rediscovering each other. Cheri chose a very simple satin teddy for the occasion. She also invested in a body glaze infused with honey, one that would make her skin feel, smell, and taste divine. Even before she dressed herself in all those wonderful things, she felt more beautiful than she ever had before, and she knew she was in for a magical few days.
Despite all the healing they had done, the gut-wrenching honesty they had shared, and despite knowing that Thomas had committed himself to her, she wasn’t able to bring herself to stay in his house. Instead, she stayed at her house and resolved to deal with all the hard feelings later. She wanted to enjoy her last few hours as a single woman in her own space, the place that had been home to her for so long, even before she met him. She was looking forward to spending the rest of her life with him, but before she could do that, before she could step into that love with him that she hoped would endure forever, she had to say goodbye to the life she’d only spent with herself.