22- A Royal Wedding

The Castle on the Hudson was like a private tour inside a Royal palace. The medieval castle was surrounded by servants, men and women, wearing black tuxedoes. The uniformed staff welcomed guests as they arrived in limousines, Rolls Royces, Bentleys and stretch-Mercedes. As guests walked through the candle-lit foyer, violinists played romantic music that echoed softly throughout the halls. Rose petals littered the shiny, hard wooden floors.

Nicky put her arm around Alex’s arm as they walked inside the foyer. She had gone to many weddings, but this was by far the most elegant event she had ever seen. As they walked inside, Nicky started tallying the cost of the wedding in her head, but after she hit $250 thousand, she stopped adding.

“Whose side of the family do you think has money?” Nicky whispered to Alex.

“Definitely not Wade’s,” Alex whispered back. “He is middle class like me. This wedding had to cost at least 50-thousand dollars.”

The ceremony was scheduled to begin at 4pm, with a sunset overlooking the castle. But by 4:45pm, the guests started to get restless. When 6pm came and left, whispers started circulating among the guests. Nicky and Alex could hear other couples around them talking.

“Is it true?”

“Oh my God, did that really happen?”

“How is the bride taking it?”

Nicky looked around at the wedding guests. She saw the woman in front of her put her hands solemnly over her eyes. Across the aisle, a man looked like he was snickering, while his date whispered in his ear. Another woman wiped her eyes with a silk handkerchief. Nicky could sense something was unfolding, but she didn’t quite know what. She and Alex weren’t close with any of the other guests, so they couldn’t just pry. Yet, it was the white elephant in the room, and both Alex and Nicky knew they had to get to the bottom of it.

Nicky leaned forward to the guest in front of her, and tapped a 75-year-old woman gently on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, Ma’am,” Nicky whispered. “Is everything okay?”

“The bride must be devastated. I’m not sure if they’re going through with the ceremony now. It’s so sad,” the elderly woman said.

Nicky leaned back in her pew and told Alex what she said. Just then, a bridesmaid walked up to the microphone, her high heels echoed throughout the silent castle. She grabbed the wireless microphone, and tapped it to see if it was working.

“Hi everyone, I’m Becky.”

The microphone screeched. Becky pulled the microphone away from her mouth, while the audio man adjusted the sound.

“We’re really sorry about the delay with the ceremony. I know you’ve been sitting a long time and are probably getting tired.”

Becky cleared her throat, and looked down at her feet. She stuttered when she talked. Her hand holding the microphone was shaking.

“I don’t know how to say this, but, the photographer had a heart attack, and he passed away a short time ago in the kitchen.

The “ooohs,” “aahhh” and whispers mumbled through the audience.

“But don’t worry, the bride and groom are committed to each other and they have assured us they are going through with their nuptials tonight.”

The wedding guests started clapping.

Nicky leaned into Alex and whispered, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one sees it, did it really happen?”

Nicky snickered. Alex put his index finger over Nicky’s mouth.

“Hopefully, we can all share our wedding videos from this special day,” Becky said. “We’ll begin the ceremony in a few minutes.”

Shortly after 7pm, the bride walked down the aisle with a train that ran 30 feet. Two little flower girls with braided hair followed the bride, making sure the train remained perfectly stretched. The bride dazzled the crowd with her long blonde hair and perfectly applied makeup. Her tall father walked her down the aisle while a man in his seventies, followed the bride with an amateur camcorder.

The seating chart for the reception must have been choreographed by a personality specialist because every table in the formal dining room was riddled with conversation. Nicky and Alex sat at table 23, which had ten attractive people, all in their early thirties, sitting around a large, circular table. An engaging pretty blonde, Elizabeth Rosenthal, sat next to Alex. She was monopolizing the table’s attention with her animated expressions and story-telling delivery.

“So Alex, based on this psychology test,” Elizabeth looked down at her napkin, which had a few words jotted down on it. She kept it close to her heart, so no one could see what was written. “I’d have to say, you are an extrovert. You’re creative and witty. You meet people easily, but it takes them a long time to get to know your personality. You like to take charge, but in bed,” the women at the table leaned in, “I’d say you probably like to be spooned.”

The women started laughing, while the men made fun of Alex. Nicky had her arms crossed at the table. She gave a fake laugh.

“Okay, enough, enough,” Alex said. “I think you’ve revealed enough about me. Let’s move onto another victim now.”

Two of the girls prodded Elizabeth for more. Alex was now blushing.

“You know, I should have told you this earlier, but I love that shirt-tie combination,” Elizabeth said to Alex. She reached into Alex’s coat to feel the texture of his tie. Nicky watched Elizabeth’s hand move slowly from Alex’s tie back to the table.

“Thank you, I got it for this wedding,” Alex said.

“Well, you have great taste. It’s a handsome combination for a handsome man,” Elizabeth said.

“How did you learn all of these personality tests?” Alex asked.

“I’m a television producer with ABC. I have to understand the human psyche,” Elizabeth said.

Everyone at the dinner table leaned in after Elizabeth said she worked in television. They all asked questions at once, overlapping each others voice: Have you ever interviewed anyone famous? What is a television producer? Do you know Diane Sawyer? How do you guys determine the news? I want to be on tv.

“So what does your understanding of the human psyche tell you about this table? Who here has baggage?” Nicky asked.

Everyone at the table laughed. One guy said he didn’t want to go there. Another person joked, speak for yourself.

“Well Nicky, don’t we all have baggage?” Elizabeth asked. “If we’re giving a part of ourselves, we’re bound to lose a part of our soul each time. In fact, I’d go so far as to say if you don’t have baggage in your thirties, then you’re not truly living.”

The table was silent. Everyone took a minute to digest Elizabeth’s cerebral observation.

“Nicky, you’ve been so quiet tonight. So tell us how you and your boyfriend met,” Elizabeth asked.

Nicky cocked her head.

Boyfriend? She thought. It sounded so fresh and even eerie hearing the words Alex and boyfriend together. She looked at Alex.

“My boyfriend? Oh, no, Alex and I are just very good friends,” she said.

“I would have assumed you two were together,” Elizabeth said. “You’re so comfortable with each other.”

Elizabeth and Nicky picked up their Chardonnay glass and took a sip of their wine at the same time. They looked into each other’s eyes as they drank. It looked like they were both trying to read each other.

“Alex and I have known each other for almost ten years,” Nicky said. “We work together.”

“So that explains why you two, despite the great chemistry, aren’t together,” Elizabeth said. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop prying. You’ll have to excuse me for being so inquisitive. I’m a journalist, so I’m naturally curious.”

“No, please, go on. I’d like to hear your observation of us,” Nicky said.

“Yeah, me too,” Alex said. “Just don’t tell the table any more secrets of me or I’ll never be able to face you guys again.”

The table laughed.

“Are you kidding?” Elizabeth said. “You two are so much fun. I better see you again. Here, take my business card Alex and give me yours. We have to meet up in the city.”

Elizabeth pulled her business card out of her Coach purse, and wrote her cell phone number on the back of her business card. She handed it to Alex. He put it in his wallet, and gave Elizabeth his card. Nicky watched their hands touch as they traded cards. Elizabeth kept her hand on Alex’s hand for a second longer than normal.

“So why do you think we haven’t been together,” Nicky asked, pointing to herself and Alex. “I mean, your psychology tests have been so accurate, I feel like we should call you Doctor Rosenthal.”

Elizabeth looked at Nicky, then Alex without saying a word.

“I’d say Alex doesn’t want to risk your friendship. He values it too much.”

Nicky smiled at Alex. Alex smiled at Elizabeth. And Elizabeth’s date smiled at another man across the table.

“I do value our friendship,” Alex said. “Nicky is probably my best friend.”

Nicky put her arm around Alex and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Elizabeth smiled at them.