Sorry for the long delay in updating, but I shall make it up to you by updating at least a chapter every day for a while. Let me know what you think :D x
Chapter 4
Jenny leaned over towards the mirror in her hotel room, pursing her lips and applying a layer of rouge lipstick, feeling butterflies fluttering in her stomach uncomfortably. This generally wasn't like her at all; she didn't get nervous about things like this. She was usually a natural exhibitionist, preferring to be in the spotlight rather than looking on in from the side lines. Well that was how she used to feel anyway. Now however, she couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Maybe it was because of joining the anomaly project, but now, as she thought about it, she felt rather uncomfortable being the centre of attention, perhaps because she felt if people took too closer look at her life that they'd see through her closely guarded secret. The secret being the anomalies of course. What else would she be keeping to herself?
She stood back and smoothed her black silk dress down, taking a deep breath. She was absolutely dreading this evening; any amount of time spent with her mother was always torture, and to be stuck in a room with her all night was her idea of hell. In fact, hell would probably be a nice reprieve in comparison. A lot of other women would be there of course; old friends, aunties, cousins, the lot. But her mother always had the knack of getting Jenny to sit next to her at events like this, and so she was always driven to pounding the Chardonnay whilst being bombarded with passive-aggressive comments. Tonight, however, she did have Abby and Sarah there, which would be a welcome relief. She enjoyed their company, unlike most of the other women she was to encounter this evening, with the exception of a couple of close friends and cousins she had grown up with. They were so different to any of the other women Jenny had met before, and when she was with them, she felt more herself than ever. Which was very strange, as she was sure her 'old' self wouldn't have found their company as endearing. Maybe she had changed. But she was sure it was for the better; she certainly felt like a better person now that her life was about more than fashion and money. She felt like she finally had a purpose, and despite what her mother felt, it was not just to marry a rich man and have beautiful children. She was helping people, and it felt good; it felt really good.
There was a knock on her door, and Jenny closed her eyes for a second, sighing inwardly.
Please don't let it be my mum . . . she prayed, slowly walking to the door.
Thankfully, it wasn't; it was Abby and Sarah.
"Hello," Jenny said, surprised. "Is everything alright in your rooms?"
"Oh, yes everything's amazing," Abby replied with a smile. "I've never stayed in a place as lovely as this before."
"We just thought, well, we didn't really know where to go, so we thought we'd go down with you," Sarah added.
"Yeah, that's fine," Jenny smiled. "Just let me get my purse . . ."
She rustled around her room for a second, finally locating her bag on the other side of the bed.
"Right, lets go," she said, locking her door behind her.
As they walked down the corridor, Jenny noticed how lovely they were both dressed. Abby was wearing a light blue floaty dress with white heels, and as Jenny was used to seeing her in combats and a tee-shirt, she looked very unusual, but beautiful at the same time. Sarah was wearing a tight red dress, and looked stunning.
"So, what's this thing going to be like then?" Abby asked curiously as they waited for the lift.
"Probably a soul-crushingly dull sit around," Jenny sighed.
"You didn't organize it?" Sarah enquired as the lift opened in front of them.
"Unfortunately no," Jenny informed them, pressing the button for the Lobby. "My Maid-of-Honor did, Olivia. She's been my friend since school."
"Why do you think it's going to be dull then?"
"Because my mum will have had it under her own strict regulations," Jenny pointed out.
"Maybe they'll surprise you and a male stripper will burst in mid-way through?" Sarah suggested with a rye smile.
"I wish!" Jenny laughed. "But I think my mum would have an aneurism or something!"
They all giggled until the doors opened on the ground floor, and as they stepped out, Jenny immediately spotted Cutter and the rest of the team milling around, talking and looking incredibly awkward. They all looked handsome in their suits, especially Cutter who looked surprisingly dashing. He could really carry off a suit, Jenny had to admit. As they approached, the men all turned, looking (for lack of a better word) gob-smacked at their appearance. Conner in particular was in danger of needing his tongue rolling back into his mouth as he gapped at Abby.
"Ladies," Cutter nodded, glancing at Jenny before quickly looking overly interested in the plant pot next to them.
There was a murmur of general greetings, except for Conner, who looked as though he would never speak again.
"So, I think you lot are in function room C . . ." Jenny strained to remember where the stag party was taking place. "It's down that corridor," she pointed to a hall to the right of the Lobby, "and take the second left, and then the first right; it's a massive room, you won't miss it."
The men all nodded and said their goodbyes, walking off together down the corridor, Cutter glancing back at her as he went.
"Right, come on then," Jenny sighed, indicating the opposite corridor they were to follow to get to the hen party. "Let's get this over with."
"It might not be so bad," Abby reasoned as they walked.
"Hmm," Jenny said doubtfully. "I'll remind you that you said that when you're engrossed in a debate of whether it's more important to marry a self-made millionaire, or a man with good breeding."
Thankfully, Jenny found herself seated by Abby and Sarah after milling around the party for an hour, making small talk with everyone. Having not eaten much that day, the champagne had gone straight to her head, and by the pleasantly glazed looks on Abby and Sarah's faces, the feeling was entirely mutual on their part. The room they were in was massive, and had a buffet table across one wall that Jenny hadn't made it too, and nor did she predict she would if the alcohol kept flowing. Two gigantic pink couches curled across in a concave shape facing each other, big enough to seat all the women in the room quite comfortably.
Everyone was settling down around them, Jenny's mother taking a seat opposite, next to Mark's mum, who Jenny also detested. As Jenny made small talk with Abby and Sarah, she heard her mother's voice reign out over the noise to a terrified looking waiter.
"This isn't absolute Gin," she scoffed at him, gesturing down at her drink. "I ordered absolute."
"I assure you Mam, it is absolute," the waiter squeaked, the hand that held the tray of drinks shaking violently.
"Oh, big mistake," Jenny whispered to Abby, cringing inside.
"Are you calling me a liar?" her mother snapped; the poor man cowering under her rage. "Because if so, I would like to speak to your superior."
Everyone in the room had gone quite to watch the argument, most of them looking in agreement with her mothers unreasonable request.
"No, of course not," the waiter stammered, taking the glass out of her hands. "Let me get you another . . ."
He scurried off as fast as his legs could carry him, still shaking from head-to-toe. Jenny's mum looked back around at the group with a satisfied smile.
"Like it's a hard job to do," she tittered, and everyone in the room bar Jenny, Abby and Sarah laughed.
"Absolutely right, Felicity," Mark's mother nodded. "These people! They think we'll pay a fortune for substandard service."
"They just need a firm hand Mary," she replied, nodding wisely. "They're obviously not the brightest bulbs in the box. I mean, serving for a living - "
Jenny glanced around at Abby and Sarah, who were surveying her mother as if they couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"What would she say if she found out I'm a zoo keeper?" Abby asked in a whisper to Jenny, who felt a burning embarrassment in her stomach.
"Who cares," Jenny reassured her as the noise of the party grew around them again. "And by the way, you're hardly a zoo keeper any more are you?"
"Yeah I am, I just deal with completely different species now," Abby smirked. Technically, that was true, but a more appropriate term would be probably be a dinosaur-wrangler, Jenny thought to herself with a smile.
This party had turned out a lot better than Jenny had expected, and she was actually enjoying herself. A while ago, she had been physically forced into a joke veil by a group of her cousins, which was good fun, and even her mum seemed to be on her best behavior after the waiter fiasco. As she and Abby were teasing Sarah over the rather stunning sight of Becker in a suit, the sound of tinkling could be heard. Jenny's friend Olivia had stood up on top of the couch, swaying alarmingly, and was tapping a spoon against the crystal glass in her hands.
"Just a short speech, I promise," she laughed as the group fell silent. "I just wanted to make a toast . . . to our Jenny," she raised her glass, smiling at Jenny, who grinned and raised her own glass. "Tomorrow, she finally joins us in the bitter old wives club. Now some of us thought this day would never come," she looked around at the group with a mischievous grin. "We thought, what man would ever be able to tame this shrew!" Everyone laughed, including Jenny. "But thankfully, Mark stepped up to the challenge. You two make a beautiful couple, so at least if things don't work out, your children will be Hollywood stars with those genes," again, everyone laughed. "So here's to Jenny," she raised her glass even higher, and everyone followed suit. "And to her maidenhead, which Mark will be claiming tomorrow."
Jenny shrieked and clasped her hands to her mouth, and everyone fell about with laughter.
"I think that was claimed a long time ago!" another of Jenny's friends, Claire, shouted out, making everyone laugh harder, except Jenny, who buried her face in her hands, mortified that that was said in front of her mother.
However, when she looked up, her mum seemed to be taking it in her stride, and was laughing along with everyone else.
"And to celebrate this iconic stepping stone in her life," Olivia continued, beaming at Jenny. "We have a little treat . . . well it's more of a treat for Mark tomorrow night, as what sort of friends would we be if we sent you into married life without your war gear? So Tina . . . HIT IT!"
Bemused, Jenny looked towards a side door which everyone had focused on. Music suddenly boomed out from the sound system, and in walked a six-foot-something leggy woman Jenny didn't know, donning a pure white corset, coupled with white french knickers. She strutted into the room, turned and struck a modeling pose, before walking out of the door again. She passed another woman who took her place, this one wearing a red bra-and-knickers set with a see through magenta wrap.
"Oh my God," Jenny breathed sinking down the couch with shame as everyone clapped joyfully to the music.
"You have to pick one Jen!" Olivia shouted over the noise, plonking herself back down. "I reckon the white one, you can wear it under your dress!"
"Maybe we should send these along to the boys instead!" Claire laughed.
Woman after woman trotted out, wearing every type of sexy underwear imaginable, making Jenny sink lower and lower, feeling herself growing bright red.
After Jenny reluctantly, and after much cajoling, picked out the white corset set for her wedding night, everyone settled down, and were chatting away happily.
"I hope you won't be making us wait too long for grandchildren Jennifer!" Mark's mother slurred over to her.
Jenny felt her heart sinking as the conversation she was dreading reared it's ugly head.
"Yes," Jenny's mum agreed. "I expect to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet immediately!"
"After picking that underwear, I'd be surprised if they weren't announcing she's pregnant next week!" Olivia interjected.
Jenny could feel the pressure of their words mounting on her; the same way she felt any time anyone from Mark to her mother brought the subject of babies up. She did want children eventually, but with working at the ARC, and what with Mark being . . . well Mark . . . she was nowhere near ready to start a family.
"Don't count on it," she informed them, accepting another drink from the waiter. "We're not - well, we're not really thinking about that at the moment."
"Mark told me he want's children as soon as you're married," Mark's mother interjected.
Jenny sighed; why did he have to be such a bloody mummy's boy? That truth was he had been pestering her about kids for a while now, since they'd moved in together in fact. She had always put him off, saying that she wanted to wait until they were married, but it's not like that excuse would hold out any longer. In truth, the reason why she didn't want children was that the thought of being stuck at home with screaming babies while Mark was working all hours was her worst nightmare. Especially since she loved her job; she wouldn't give that up for anything or anyone, not even Mark.
"You alright?" Abby's voice roused her from her thoughts.
"Yes," she said, looking up with a fake smile hitched on her face. "I'm fine . . . but I think I might go and get some air," she added, standing up, unnoticed by the rest of the party.
"Do you want us to go with you?" Sarah asked.
"No, I'm fine," she repeated. "I'll be right back . . ."
She meandered her way out of the room, craving fresh air on her face to wash away the tension that had mounted up so suddenly and unexpectedly inside her. Why was everyone putting so much pressure on her to procreate? It's not like she was some mindless baby machine; why did everyone think that she had no more to offer the world except for that?