Chapter 3
Nathaniel stood in front of a tall, white church along with his mother and other guests all dressed formally for the special occasion.
Nathaniel wore black trousers, a white shirt and a dress jacket in the same shade as the dress shirt he had under him. Around the neck tied around, he had a bow tie bound into a ribbon in front of his throat.
"Can't believe Mr. Rossi actually bought me a brand suit for my wedding," Said Nathaniel to his mother, while he checked himself out by looking down at his body. "That must have been very expensive"
"They just wanted, that my precious baby would look great on his wedding day for the bride," Said Mrs. Kurtzberg pinching Nathaniel on his cheeks, making him blush.
"Mom don't do that. People are watching" Pouted Nathaniel embarrassingly pulling his mother's hand away from him.
"Okay I have to keep that for my future grandchildren," Mother Kurtzberg said, making Nathaniel roll his eyes.
"Mom I think it's too early to think of that"
"Haven't you and Lila thought on having your own children yet?"
"We did, but….."
"Morning Nathaniel!" Exclaimed a female voice and it was Rose wearing a dark red dress jumping at Nathaniel's back. "Your day has finally come, you're finally going to marry Lila! Isn't that exciting?!"
"It is Rose, don't yell so loud. I couldn't sleep well last night"
"Aww were you nervous or did you miss Lila?" Asked Rose.
"Or both?" Asked Juleka appearing in the same dress as Rose.
"To be honest both, but….I'm actually more nervous about the wedding"
"Don't worry it will go fine Nathaniel, trust me"
"Okay I hope you're right," Said Nathaniel and beside Nathaniel passed a brown-haired man, crashing against Nathaniel on the shoulder.
"Watch it!" Shouted that man turning around to Nathaniel and the girls.
"Uh….I'm sorry" Apologized Nathaniel a bit startled at the rude glare the man gave at Nathaniel.
"He has to apologize, Nathaniel, not you" Phrased the blonde woman at the redhead, which looked back at the tan skinned guy again.
"You're Nathaniel Kurtzberg?" Asked the man. "The one who's going to marry Lila Rossi?"
"Yeah?" Nathaniel replied questioningly at the Italian man.
"Lila was my best friend when she used to live down in Italy," The man told to Nathaniel, making him think. "I'm Carlo. Maybe she talked to you about eventually?"
"I think she mentioned you once. Your dad and hers are work pals right?" Asked Nathaniel and the tan skinned nodded. "Nice to meet you"
"So….you're excited about going to marry Lila?" Asked Carlo earning a nod from Nathaniel.
"And kinda nervous" Added Nathaniel.
"You need to drink some tea" Suggested Carlo.
"Nah I'm not a big fan of teas" Confessed Nathaniel passing his hand behind his neck.
"We still got twenty minutes left. You sure manage to drink it all in that space of time. Or at least a little bit?" Offered Carlo. "I pay the tea, I don't mind"
"Are all of you Italians so rich?" Asked Nathaniel at Carlo's offer.
"Lila and my family are the only ones I know to be rich" Said Carlo grabbing Nathaniel on his arm. "Come on down the streets is a coffee bar, it's not so far away from here"
"Okay, but I need to be here before Lila" Said Nathaniel
"Yeah I need to bring Nathaniel into the church" Said Mrs. Kurtzberg then her phone rang and she attends it walking in the opposite direction of the two men.
"Don't worry you can leave, whenever you want" Said Carlo accompanying the groom away from the cathedral.
"Good," Nathaniel said walking away along with the Italian man.
At the sidewalk, Juleka stood along with Rose, Myléne, Kagami and Ondine chatting with each other while waiting for the rest of the girls.
"Lila is on the way here," Said Kagami putting her phone back in her purse.
"It's so cute Lila chose almost all girls of your old class to be a bridesmaid," Indicated Ondine looking at all the women around her.
"All beside Alix" Added Myléne. "She didn't want to wear a dress like us"
"I personally don't like dressed either, I didn't mind since I'm only wearing it for one day"
"Same for me with those high heels" Added Myléne. "Can't wait to take them out this night"
"Same" Agreed Ondine with a chuckle.
Marinette showed up with Alya and Nino by the girls waving at them.
"Morning everyone" Greeted Marinette.
"Morning" Greeted the girls looking at the three friends.
"Is Adrien on the way?" Asked Kagami. "I've texted him and he said nothing"
"I phoned him before" Replied Nino. "He's got a hangover"
"Poor Adrien" Said Marinette neutral.
"Isn't he coming?" Asked Kagami questioningly.
"He is, he is" The tan-skinned man in a dark red suit replied.
"Love your dress Marinette" Complimented Kagami. "Did you made that embroidery by yourself?" Asked the Japanese earning a nod from the daughter of the bakers from Paris.
"It looks amazing" Complimented Rose. "So awesome!"
"A few are entering into the church, shall we get into it too?" Asked Juleka.
"I think we have to enter before Lila gets in if I'm correct" Responded Ondine.
"I only know Nathaniel has to be at the altar, then Lila's father accompanies her to him"
"Same" Added Nino.
At the coffee, Carlo sat alone at a table and got served two cups of tea from the servicewoman.
"Merci" Carlo said to the woman, which walked to the next table behind him to question them about, what they wanted to order. Carlo looked around and took out from his dress jacket a chewing gum like package, opened the cap of it and emptied out of into the tea green, crushed crumbs into the teacup and shove the cup to the other side of the table.
Nathaniel appeared taking a seat in front of Carlo and picked his cup up.
"Is this mine?" Asked Nathaniel and the Italian nodded.
"Yes" Responded the brown haired guy, observing Nathaniel take a sip.
"The tea isn't even that bad" Said Nathaniel taking another sip, then wrapped his face after he swallowed the liquid. "Forget what I said"
"Don't worry, the tea will be effective"
"How? You mean for me to lose my nervousness?"
"….Yes..."
"Ah" Nathaniel spoke drinking a bit again from the liquid, doing another grimace after it flew his throat down.
"When can we go back?" Asked Nathaniel starting to yawn.
"We can go now if you want, but before I got in my car a gift for you and Lila. I'd like to show it to you because I wasn't sure about if it's Lila's favorite color you know"
"Okay, I can check it out, if you want" Nathaniel promised and Carlo placed a cash bill on the table.
"Let's go" Said Carlo leaving and Nathaniel followed him to the exit of the bar.
At the church, almost all were waiting inside the church, except for Mrs. Kurtzberg, Luka, Juleka, Rose and Kagami. They were at the outside waiting for Lila and Nathaniel's arrival.
"He has got five minutes left to be here before Lila," Said Luka.
"I know, but I'm going to call him. He might have got distracted" Said Mrs. Kurtzberg picking he phone out, leaving them back to phone alone.
"Before I get In I need to go to the toilet," Said Luka walking to the corner of the building, making his way to a short house with two doors with two different signs on the door and Luka stopped in front of the door with a blue sign, showing the word homme. Before Luka got in he looked to the left seeing in the far park lots with several cars parked and saw a redhead and a brown haired man looking into the trunk of a car. The redhead seemed dizzy, then hold himself on the back of the car, followed by the brown-haired man putting his hand on the back from him. The redhead fell into the car and the brown-haired man glanced quickly around and grabbed the redhead on the legs, helping him up into the trunk and closed the door.
Luka raised his right eyebrow in confusion and the brown haired guy is revealed to be Carlo, which walked now along the parks making his way to the church.
"I could swear this guy looked like Nathaniel from far away," Said Luka to himself and got into the toilet to do his business.
The three girls were still present at the entrance and saw a black Escalade SUV approaching the entrance of the church all nicely decorated for the wedding with two white, long ribbons on both shelf from the car roof tied on the end, going down to the hood tied on two other white ribbons. The other two from the outside of the cowling were tied down at the towing hitch hiding inside the bumper and the other two went diagonally along the hood tied on the symbol on the cooler having two fox plushies tied on it with a bow tied under their tails. On each door handle and rearview mirror, it also had the same colored bow tie as the final touch for the dark American SUV of the Rossi's.
"She's here!" Exclaimed Rose. "And Nathaniel isn't, what shall we do?!" Asked Rose shocked and ran off.
"Calm down Rose, we still have four minutes left," Kagami said to calm down the blonde girl. Nathaniel's mother came back and looked at Kagami.
"I've called him five times and he doesn't answer. That's not normal"
"Weird...wait maybe that Carlo guy is with him" Told Kagami and behind her appeared Carlo looking a bit perplexed at the women.
"Oh did Nathaniel get into the church?" Asked Carlo.
"Nathaniel isn't with you?" Asked Mrs Kurtzberg feeling alarmed as she heard it from the Italian.
"He…...is that Lila?" Asked Carlo grabbing the door handle opening the door.
"Where's Nathaniel?" Asked Kagami sternly and Carlo looked back at the girls.
"I….don't know, where we went. He said he would be right back and he never was" Carlo told. "I went here, cause I believe he came here"
"Strange, but he never appeared" Said Juleka and Luka came back from the restrooms.
"Is Nathaniel here?" Asked Luka and from the other side of the car, Lila talked.
"What do you mean by is Nathaniel here?" Questioned Lila gazing at Luka and the others.
"Carlo just told Nathaniel had disappeared as they went to drink tea and we haven't seen him since then" Said Rose.
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know it bella, he said after he drank the tea, he needed to do something and left me back alone," Carlo said.
"But he doesn't like tea," Lila said confidently. "What's going on?"
"I suggested him tea to calm down his nerves and assured him it wouldn't be a problem if he didn't drink all of it"
Lila got from the other side out of the car and with the help of her mother carrying the back of her dress, she walked up to the friends to get more information.
"Why is Nathaniel gone?" Asked Lila and all shrugged their shoulders.
"I don't know, I've tried to call him a couple of times and he doesn't attend" Mrs. Kurtzberg explained the future daughter in law.
"Something must be wrong with him," Said Lila a bit sad. "We have to find him"
"And….what about the wedding?" Asked Carlo.
"Tell the priest we're a bit delayed" Demanded Lila and Luka nodded.
"I'm on it," Said Luka entering into the church.
"You stay here and wait for my Nathy….your son to come back, Rose you go look at the pont des arts and if he's not there, look at the other bridges, Juleka the park near the police station, look for him there. My mother is going to look at the Seine along with the driver and I go with my father looking on the other end of this isle. Is that okay for everyone?"
"Sure" Agreed Rose.¨
"Then let's go!" Shouted Lila and all obeyed her to go look for Nathaniel. Carlo was the last one to leave and before he left, he gave out a sinister grin and made his way to the restrooms, where Luka went before.