"OH MY GOD! LINDSEY! WAKE UP, WE OVERSLEPT!"
Lindsey bolted upright, throwing the covers away and looking around wildly. "What?! What time is it?!"
Catie giggled. "Just kidding."
Lindsey clutched at her heart. "I hatechu right now."
"I had to make sure you were awake," Catie grinned. "Now get up. We gotta go eat breakfast."
"I'm not hungry," Lindsey answered, rubbing her eyes.
"Oh no you don't," Catie said, tugging Lindsey's arm. "You're not going the whole day without eating. Now get up!"
Grumbling the whole way down to the dining room, Lindsey tromped along behind Catie, wishing she could come up with a way to get revenge for the rude wake up. Her mind was far too foggy yet to create anything better than plopping a bowl of cereal on Catie's head.
"There she is!" Memphis grinned as Catie and Lindsey entered the dining room.
"Mornin'," Lindsey yawned, plunking herself into a chair next to Eighteen.
"Oh my goodness, I hope everything goes okay today," Chichi fussed, scanning over her list. "We didn't forget anything, did we?"
"Chichi, would you quit worrying?" Bulma scolded. "Everything will be fine."
Chichi ignored her and scanned the list again.
"I am heeere!" came a tiny voice as the dining room door opened.
"Geumbee!" Catie cried. "YAY!"
The tiny Korean girl grinned and scurried forward to hug Catie. She then hurried around the other side of the table and wrapped her arms around Lindsey. "There's the bride!"
"Hey chickie," Lindsey smiled.
"I have all your dresses," Geumbee announced to the table.
"OH NO!" Chichi shrieked, making everyone jump.
"What?" Bulma asked, sounding irritated.
"I forgot to get a dress!" Chichi wailed. "In all the excitement, I forgot my own dress! What am I going to do? I can't get a dress on this short of notice!"
Yelena rolled her eyes. "I have you dress."
Chichi blinked. "You… you do?"
Yelena nodded, taking a dainty bite of her bagel.
Chichi heaved a great sigh and sank back into her chair. "Yelena, I don't know what we would've done without you." She tossed the list on the table. "I'm done with this thing."
Yelena pulled her smartphone from her pocket and slid her fingers across it. "Is eight-thirty now. We have appointment at Salon at ten. Back here for getting dressed by four. Pictures at five…"
Lindsey dropped her fork and laid her forehead on the table.
"Something wrong?" Eighteen asked.
"Just a little nervous," Lindsey muttered. "I'll be fine."
"Well quit it," Eighteen scolded, pulling Lindsey back up and rubbing her forehead. "You're going to leave a mark."
Lindsey sighed, digging into her biscuits and gravy.
"Guests arriving at five-thirty, except for family, they arrive sooner for pictures…" Yelena continued, ignoring everyone.
"Are you packed yet?" Memphis asked.
"Packed?" Lindsey choked on her breakfast as Yorgi's expression turned dark.
"You're leaving for your honeymoon first thing in the morning, right?" Memphis asked. "After your stay at the hotel tonight?"
"Oh my gosh! I forgot to pack!" Lindsey cried (sounding very much like Chichi) and jumped to her feet.
"I'll help you," Leelee offered, her mouth full of toast. She stood and brushed the crumbs from her fingers, then headed out of the dining room with Lindsey.
"What do I take?" Lindsey asked, standing in her room, looking around helplessly.
"Everything you can carry, I imagine," Leelee answered. "You're not coming back, are you?"
Lindsey took a deep breath, looked at Leelee, and shook her head.
"I didn't think so," Leelee said, going to the closet and retrieving a large suitcase. "But you shouldn't have to pack all of this on your honeymoon, either." She considered the suitcase for a minute, then said "Well, that settles it. I'll get all your stuff packed up and shipped to Chichi's house."
"We don't have time to do that today!" Lindsey cried.
"I know," Leelee laughed. "I'll just postpone my trip with Seventeen for a few days. He won't mind."
"Your trip?" Lindsey asked.
"Yeah, we thought we'd go traveling for awhile," Leelee said, beginning to rummage through the open packages from the bridal shower. "We've always been in a group setting. We thought it would be nice to spend some time just the two of us."
"You're not going back to Japan?" Lindsey asked sadly.
"Oh we will," Leelee answered. "I just don't know when."
"So where are you going?"
Leelee shrugged, folding the lacy lingerie pieces and placing them neatly in the suitcase. "Wherever we want, I suppose. We talked about doing a road trip cross country, maybe backpacking across Europe…"
"That could take months! Maybe even a year or more!"
Leelee nodded. "I know."
"But we won't see each other," Lindsey said, a panic rising in her chest.
Leelee turned to her. "I'll write you," she promised. "And I have a phone. Besides, you'll be setting up house and you need alone time with Gohan."
Lindsey frowned.
"Oh, don't look at me like that," Leelee said.
"I'll miss you," Lindsey said.
Leelee smiled. "I'll miss you too."
Lindsey grabbed Leelee in a tight hug. "Thanks for being my friend, Leelee."
The two girls worked quickly, packing as much as Lindsey's suitcase could hold. Leelee was sitting on the suitcase as Lindsey struggled to zip it when Jenny stuck her head in the door.
"Come on! We have a full day at the salon ahead of us!" she said.
Gohan slept late that morning, finally waking just before noon. He lay in bed for a moment, trying to figure out where he was and what was so special about today. His eyes snapped wide open as it hit him. He jumped out of bed, looking frantically at the alarm clock, and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw what time it was. He had more than enough time to get prepared. In fact, he was half-tempted to go back to sleep, just to make the hours pass by more quickly. Seven hours seemed like an eternity.
"Morning, sleeping beauty," Trunks teased, opening the bedroom door. "I was just coming to wake you up."
"I'm up," Gohan answered.
"You ready?" Trunks asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Gohan smiled.
"Good. Get a shower and get downstairs," Trunks instructed. "Seriously. Get a shower. You smell funny."
Gohan chuckled as he realized he hadn't showered before bed last night. He'd been sweaty from the fight when he laid down and still had the scent of saddle leather and horses clinging to him. He took his time in the shower, running his wedding vows through his head again. Try as he might, he couldn't wrap his head around the idea that at this exact time tomorrow, he would be married. He finally turned the shower off once the water started to run cold, dried and dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants and trotted downstairs.
"There you are!" Goku grinned. "We thought maybe you got cold feet and snuck out the window."
Gohan laughed and shook his head.
"Alright, one last time before you're an old married person," Seventeen grinned, jumping and wrapping his arm around Gohan's neck. "You and me. Mortal Kombat. Now." And he proceeded into the living room, dragging Gohan with him.
"You're going down this time," Gohan warned.
"We'll see about that."
"There is no – OUCH – way that Gohan is – OUCH – going through as much trouble as I am," Lindsey whined. She looked at herself in the mirror and at the angry red spots above her eyes.
"Dude!" Sabriena said, "When was the last time you did your eyebrows? Seriously, they were like two big caterpillars on your forehead." She leaned back in the chair she occupied, letting the stylist at the salon smear green facial clay across her cheeks.
Lindsey did the same, the cold clay relaxing her as she closed her eyes. "This part isn't so bad."
"Ahh," Jenny sighed, sinking her feet in the warm water and leaning deeply into the cushioned leather chair. She clicked on the electronic massager and closed her eyes. "I need this."
"Yeah, you enjoy it," Bulma said, cuddling baby Paige. "I'm next."
"Oh it tickles!" Leelee half-laughed, half-cried. She was sitting next to Jenny, a lady scrubbing away at her feet. One foot was firmly in place, but the rest of her body twisted and writhed in the seat.
"Leelee, I'm pretty sure if you kick her in the face, you may lose a toe," Jenny warned without opening her eyes.
Catie was staring at herself in the mirror, a stylist considering her hair.
"Maybe I shouldn't have shaved half my head before the wedding," Catie said.
"Ya think?" Lindsey shouted from the other side of the salon.
"Nnnnn!" Catie stuck her tongue out at Lindsey. "Jeez, you'd think it was her special day or something."
"It's okay," the stylist said, twisting some of Catie's hair up. "I can work with this."
"Oh, I don't like it. I don't like it at all," Chichi said fretfully, flicking her new acrylic nails against the palms of her hands. "It feels weird."
"You'll get used to it," Eighteen said, admiring her own nails.
"Mommy! Mommy! Lookie! Do I look pretty?" Marron asked, tugging at Eighteen's shirt. Her blonde hair had been pulled up into two little pigtail-buns, tiny white flowers entwined in the curls.
Eighteen leaned over and took her daughter's face in her hands. "You look as pretty as the sunrise," Eighteen smiled.
Marron beamed.
"You're gonna be the best little flower girl ever," Bulma added.
"DAAAAAAD!" Gohan yelled as he pulled on his tuxedo jacket. "Have you seen my tie?"
"I've got it, Gohan!" Trunks answered, running into the bedroom. "Here. It got put with my tux somehow." Trunks was already dressed in his black tuxedo, his long lavender hair tied back at the base of his skull.
"Did ya find it?" Goku asked, strolling casually into the room, still in his usual orange Gi. "Wow! Look at the two of you!"
"Dad! Why aren't you dressed yet?" Gohan asked.
Goku scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously. "Do I have to wear it?"
"Yes, dad, you do," Gohan answered, turning back to the mirror and pulling the tie around his neck.
Goku sighed. "Oh, okay."
Trunks snickered. "I don't think my dad likes it any better than yours does."
Yelena's room was full to bursting as the ladies gathered there to dress.
"This is for you," Yelena said, handing a garment bag to Chichi.
Chichi unzipped it and gasped. The bag held a beautiful black kimono that was embroidered with brightly colored flowers; it was the traditional Japanese dress for the mother of the groom. "Oh thank you! How did you know?"
Yelena shook a cigarette from a pack and lit it. "I good at research."
"Geumbee," Lindsey said uncertainly, "what in the world is that?"
"It goes under your dress," Geumbee answered.
"Oooo!" Leelee squealed. "Is that a real corset?"
Geumbee nodded, holding it out for Lindsey to put on. Lindsey wrapped the corset around her and Geumbee hooked the busk; Lindsey slipped her bra from under it and tossed it aside. "Turn around," Geumbee said and began to tighten up the laces. The corset was silvery white with a lace overlay.
"It's beautiful, Geumbee," Yelena said. "You make this?"
Geumbee nodded again. "Yes."
Yelena considered the corset thoughtfully, dragging on her cigarette. "I will have you make me one."
Geumbee smiled and pulled the laces a little tighter. Lindsey kept stumbling back every time Geumbee pulled.
After watching them for several minutes, Yelena sighed and crushed out her cigarette. "Come here." Lindsey walked to her nervously. "Grab that doorknob," Yelena instructed, gesturing to the open closet door.
"Okay, but I don't see how this is going to helpppppp!" Lindsey's last word came out strained as Yelena put her knee in Lindsey's back and gave the laces a huge pull.
"I… can't… breathe…" Lindsey said a few moments later after Yelena had pulled the corset as tight as it could possibly go.
"Yes you can," Yelena said. "Now, go put these on." She handed Lindsey a wad of lacy white fabric.
Lindsey sighed and slipped into the bathroom. She pulled off her stretchy pants and looked over the bundle Yelena had handed her – a white garter belt, white fishnet thigh-high stockings and lacy white underwear. "Oh dear god," Lindsey muttered, but pulled them on, struggling to snap the garter straps. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. The corset gave her body an overly exaggerated hour glass shape. Her hair had been pulled up in loose, romantic curls and her makeup was perfectly done with a light smoky eye and bright red lip. She returned to Yelena's room.
"Meeeeow!" Catie called, zipping up her deep orange dress.
"Hush," Lindsey blushed. "Just get me in my dress."
It was the one garment that Geumbee hadn't pulled out yet. She quickly unzipped the garment bag and withdrew the most stunning dress Lindsey had ever seen. It was even more beautiful than the sketches Geumbee had created. "Come on," Geumbee encouraged.
Lindsey swallowed hard and stepped into the dress, pulling it up over her chest as Geumbee zipped the back. The strapless top hugged her curves perfectly, the skirt flowing outwards from her hips, a long train trailing behind. Geumbee knelt in front of Lindsey, lifting up the skirt and helping her step into the white high heels.
"Don't forget the garters!" Jenny said, handing two long, slender boxes to Geumbee, who accepted them and helped Lindsey pull those on as well.
Lindsey poked the earring from Chichi through her ears and snapped the backs on them.
"One more piece," Catie smiled, stepping behind Lindsey and draping an ornate pearl choker around her throat. "It's a wedding gift from me and Trunks."
"It's gorgeous, Cat," Lindsey breathed. "Thank you."
Catie smiled again. She reached for the veil that Geumbee was holding and tucked it into Lindsey's hair.
Sabriena suddenly burst into the room, clutching her chest and trying to catch her breath.
"What is it?" Chichi asked in alarm.
"Don't… panic," Sabriena gasped.
"Sabriena," Lindsey said slowly in a forced calm voice. "What's wrong?"
"Someone's here… to see you…"
Before Lindsey could ask who, there was a shrill squeal from the doorway. "Oh, look Kenna! Doesn't she look amazing?"
Lindsey's heart sank as she recognized the two women standing in the door.
"Cleans up better than I ever would have expected," Kenna replied, dragging on a cigarette.
"Hi," Lindsey said lamely.
"Who are they?" Catie whispered to Jenny. Jenny shrugged and shook her head.
"Ooo, pretty bridesmaids dresses, Lins," the blonde said rapidly. "I want to be a bridesmaid. How come we weren't asked to be bridesmaids?"
"Good question, McKenzie," Kenna drawled, crossing her arms.
Lindsey narrowed her eyes. "Maybe because I haven't seen either of you since dad's funeral."
McKenzie looked guilty, but Kenna squared her shoulders. "You could come see us just as easily as we could come to see you."
"Hmm," Lindsey said thoughtfully. "I must have misplaced my invitation to New York."
"We would have invited you, but we didn't really think you'd fit in," Kenna said in a sickly sweet tone. "Didn't want you to feel out of place or anything, dear sister."
Lindsey huffed as she looked at her older sisters. Kenna and McKenzie were ten years older than she was, the first set of twins born in the family. When she was young, Lindsey had idolized her sisters. She loved watching them put on their makeup, tried to mimic the way they fixed their hair, even played dress-up in their heels when they weren't looking. She was heartbroken at age eight when they turned eighteen and moved to New York to work as models. They were far too beautiful to ever stay in small-town USA and had caught a greyhound bus out of state the day after their high school graduation. Both girls landed modeling jobs almost immediately, working for big name companies such as Calvin Kline and Abercrombie and walking the runway at New York Fashion Week. They certainly weren't celebrities by any means, but they had definitely made names for themselves in the modeling world. It always gave Lindsey a jolt when she saw either of their faces in a magazine.
The lightning-bolt feeling was no different today, looking at them in person. In fact, unlike most models, her sisters were even prettier in person. They were both tall and willowy with the same brilliant green eyes as Lindsey. McKenzie wore a shocking pink cocktail dress with matching heels, her long blonde hair swept up in elegant curls. Kenna had chopped her fiery red hair into a super-short boy cut that made her facial features stand out even more and gave her an edgy look. Like McKenzie, she wore a cocktail dress and matching shoes, but hers were a deep, velvety blue.
"I don't know, though, Kenna," McKenzie grinned. "Look at her! She looks like a real lady!"
"It's about time," Kenna said with a slight laugh. "Who knew she could look so nice?"
Shorter and curvier than her sisters, Lindsey had always felt out of place when she compared herself to them now. But she looked amazing in that moment and she knew it. Her sisters may have been beautiful, but it didn't much make up for their snarky personalities.
"Who knew you could sound so nice when tossing around insults?" Lindsey countered, feeling braver towards her sisters than she ever had before.
"Insults?" McKenzie gasped.
"We'd never dream of such a thing," Kenna breathed.
"We just wanted –"
"To tell you congratulations-"
"On finding someone to marry-"
"Never thought we'd see the day-"
"Well, not this soon –"
"But here you are!" Kenna smiled.
It had always annoyed Lindsey the way they spoke, as if they shared the same mind, not simply finishing each other's sentences, but whole conversations spoken in fragments.
"Yes, here I am," Lindsey said. "And I'm happy."
"Well then that's all that matters!" McKenzie grinned in a patronizing way.
The other girls in the room were watching the sisters' exchange with a growing dislike of the two elder Blackwell girls. Catie actually cracked her knuckles.
"Where are your husbands?" Yelena suddenly asked in her pretty accent.
Kenna and McKenzie turned and blinked at her. "We're not married," they answered together.
"Oh," Yelena answered in a tone that put McKenzie to shame. "Well perhaps one day it will happen for you."
McKenzie gaped at her and Kenna tilted her chin up to look down her nose, taking another drag on her cigarette. "As if I'd ever tie myself down to one man."
"Yes, well, that would certainly hurt your career. Husbands can get in the way of sleeping your way to the top."
"Now you listen here-" Kenna began, but at that moment, Patrick burst into the room.
"Well I be go to hell!" Patrick hollered. "If it ain't my long lost sisters back from that thar fancy city of New York!"
Kenna wrinkled her nose. "You're going to the wedding in that?"
Patrick looked down at his black button up shirt, dark jeans, and black boots. "It was this or my birthday suit."
Kenna snorted and McKenzie said, "Ugh!"
"Come on, McKenzie," Kenna said. "Let's make sure we get seats in the back so we can make our get away quickly."
Without another word, both girls turned and swished from the room.
"Who the hell invited them?" Sabriena screeched as soon as the door closed.
"Shayne," Patrick muttered.
"Traitor," Sabriena hissed.
"He didn't think they'd actually come," Patrick admitted. "They didn't show when I married Sarah."
"Yelena, you're my hero," Lindsey sighed.
"The sooner you get out of this country, the better," Yelena answered.
"Welp, I'd better get a seat near my sisters, just so I can be sure to embarrass the hell outta 'em," Patrick grinned. He tipped his black cowboy hat. "Ladies."
