CHAPTER 140
Carlos' POV
It was a miracle that most of our wedding guests weren't really paying much attention to the drama between the Plums as it unfolded. When Stephanie and I and the rest of our wedding party began to assemble in the hallway closest to the bandstand to await our introductions, we inadvertently provided a much-needed diversion for Frank to remove Ellen from the premises. Also, the atmosphere in the restaurant had become slightly more chaotic because the bandleader had just asked everyone to go to their assigned tables in preparation for the official start of the wedding reception. Alex gave the signal for the band to play a little louder while everyone was milling around and trying to find their seats. Thankfully, only those who were standing close to us heard what Stephanie's mother said and most of them were members of our wedding party anyway.
"What happened? Did anyone we know have anything to do with the cop's death?" I quietly growled at Tank, who shook his head and pointed at Javier. I asked Javier the same questions after he jogged over to us.
"I tried to tell you earlier, Superman, but you and Wonder Woman threw me out of the dressing room." Javier waggled his eyebrows at me, but I only glared in return. He sighed and continued, "I swear; we didn't have anything to do with Morelli's death. We don't even know the shooter. Our contact in the Trenton police department told us the case is being looked at as a 'domestic dispute' so far."
"Did we know Morelli was back in town?" I asked. I was working hard to not be upset with this unexpected turn of events.
Javier nodded. "We knew the guy had left Montana, so we were keeping our eyes open for him to show up here. But we relaxed a little when we found out he stopped off at an old girlfriend's house. Obviously, this event wasn't his first priority. We were ready to stop him if he showed up at your townhouse or the church this morning, but he never made it."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I glanced between Javier and Tank.
"Damn, man, stop trippin'. It's your wedding day," Tank growled. "No one wanted to ruin the mood. And you know Morelli wasn't gonna get anywhere close to Stephanie or the ceremony. We had it covered. Now chill! Go comfort your bride before the emcee starts introducing us."
I took a few deep breaths and then I was able to relax. Tank was right. Today was a very special day for Stephanie and me and nothing should be allowed to ruin it. Not Stephanie's mother's antics and certainly not Morelli's undignified death. My Army buddies had been ready for the cop to show up, so there was no real reason for me to be upset with them for not informing me of the situation earlier. Their actions had allowed me to enjoy my wedding and all the festivities so far. Now, I just had to help my Babe calm down so that we both could enjoy the rest of our day.
"Are you gonna tell me what's going on here or what?" Stephanie whispered in my ear after her father physically removed her mother from the premises. Her voice had a sharp tone, but it was a bit shaky, too. My Babe was definitely on edge.
I sighed and whispered my reply. "Morelli is dead, but none of our friends were involved. That's all I'm gonna say for now, because it really has nothing to do with you and me. As for your parents, Frank is keeping a promise. He warned Ellen not to try to spoil our day by bringing up any unpleasantness. Honestly, I'm surprised she lasted this long, but he'll be right back. Trust me, Babe, everything's under control."
"But Carlos, what about-" Stephanie began. Fortunately, the bandleader chose that precise moment to start introducing the wedding party and everyone turned to look at us. I knew Stephanie wanted more answers, but she'd just have to wait. In quick succession, Mateo with Keira Sanderson, Bobby with Amanda McCord, and Lester with Melinda Walker made their entrances and were standing in front of the bandstand.
"…and now let's put our hands together for the Maid of Honor, Tina Minardo and Best Man, Pierre 'Tank' James."
The band continued to play the jazzy riffs from Tito Puente's classic tune, "Oye Como Va," in the background as the pair walked in front of the stage and took a bow. Santos let loose a loud "wolf whistle" and yelled "You go, Tina! That's my Baby Girl, uh-huh!" This got a big laugh from the crowd.
"Well, well, well! Ladies and gentlemen, I've just been informed that the lovely Miss Minardo is engaged to Mr. Santos and they'll be getting married next month!" The bandleader gushed happily. Then he joked, "So sorry, guys; that's another one off the market already." He waited until the laughter died down before he continued, "Last, but certainly not least, let's give a big welcome to the Matron of Honor, Mary Lou Stankovic, and Best Man, Alex Mañoso!"
The music steadily became more and more quiet and then the bandleader said, "Drum roll, please." After a dramatic pause, he said, "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, let's give it up for the bride and groom, Stephanie and Carlos Mañoso!
The applause was almost deafening. I tightened my grip around Stephanie's hand and led her out onto the dance floor in front of the bandstand. My Babe's smile was radiant as she gazed around at all our family and friends. Even though my inner military self was repulsed by the overt display of emotion, I knew I was grinning like a fool, too.
"And, for their first time as husband and wife," the bandleader continued, "Carlos and Stephanie will dance to the wonderful song by Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias, 'Can I Have This Kiss Forever?' Ah, don't they look fabulous together?"
I twirled Stephanie into my embrace and kissed her gently before we began to sway to the rhythm of Our Song. This was the very same dance floor where we'd first danced together to this music. The male and female lead singers sounded just as good as they had the previous time and we allowed the smooth sounds of the band to carry us away.
Over and over I look in your eyes
You are all I desire
You have captured me
I want to hold you I want to be close to you
I never want to let go
I wish that this night would never end
I need to know
Could I hold you for a lifetime
Could I look into your eyes
Could I have this night to share this night together
Could I hold you close beside me
Could I hold you for all time
Could I could I have this kiss forever
Could I could I have this kiss forever, forever
Over and over I've dreamed of this night
Now you're here by my side
You are next to me
I want to hold you and touch you and taste you
And make you want no one but me
I wish that this kiss could never end
Oh baby please
Could I hold you for a lifetime
Could I look into your eyes
Could I have this night to share this night together
Could I hold you close beside me
Could I hold you for all time
Could I could I have this kiss forever
Could I could I have this kiss forever, forever
I don't want any night to go by
Without you by my side
I just want all my days
Spent being next to you
Lived for just loving you
And baby, oh by the way
Could I hold you for a lifetime
Could I look into your eyes
Could I have this night to share this night together
Could I hold you close beside me
Could I hold you for all time
Could I could I have this kiss forever
Could I could I have this kiss forever, forever
Everyone and everything melted away. Other than the band, it felt like Stephanie and I were the only two people in the place. There was no one else for me in the room. When the song ended, I realized I'd been kissing my Babe the entire time we danced. Honestly, I could have stayed wrapped in her arms until it was time to depart for the cruise ship, but I knew we had a program to follow here and a schedule to keep. Reluctantly, I ended both the kisses and the dance and while everyone was still applauding and whistling, I led Stephanie to our places at the head table.
Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! As soon as we sat down, the sound of silver spoons clinking against the water glasses filled the air. I raised an eyebrow at Stephanie and she gave me a saucy smile in return, so I kissed her hard and deep this time. There was a lot of hooting and whistling and I continued to duel her tongue with my own until I heard someone close by clear his throat loudly.
"Ahem!" said Alex, a knowing smirk twitched at the corners of his lips. He raised his full champagne glass, as well as his voice, and said, "May I have everyone's attention? My name is Alex Mañoso and, as most of you already know, I am Carlos' brother as well as his Best Man. Actually, Carlos is the best man here today and Stephanie is one of the most beautiful brides I've ever seen." He waited as people applauded in agreement.
"My lovely wife, Carolina, told me to keep this short, and so I will try my best to do so." Alex turned slightly more toward my Babe and continued, "Stephanie, as you well know, you have married into a large família, and we're full of all kinds of issues, so I'll start you off with an old Spanish proverb: El amor todo lo iguala. Basically, it means 'Love smooths life out.' I don't think you'll have any problems remembering that, because the love I've seen between you and Carlos is real and it's beautiful and I believe you two lovebirds will have smooth sailing for your honeymoon, as well as for the rest of your lives."
Then he turned toward me and said, "Carlos, you lucky dog! I'm going to remind you of a saying we used to hear all the time when we were little: No cantan dos gallos en un gallinero. As you know, this literally means: Two roosters do not crow in a henhouse. Now that you've joined the brotherhood of married men, I'm here to inform you, even though you've always thought of yourself as the rooster-in-charge, you're not really in charge of the henhouse anymore. Am I right, ladies?" This got quite the chuckle out of all the women.
"Anyway," Alex said after the laughter died down again, "I'm proud to be your brother and-" he had to pause to compose himself. "On behalf of our entire family, I wish you both all the best and a lifetime of joy. Felicitaciones! Les deseamos a ambos toda la felicidad del mundo. A Stephanie y Carlos, salud!" [Congratulations! We wish the both of you all the happiness in the world. To Stephanie and Carlos, cheers!]
A chorus of "¡Salud!" and "Cheers!" and "Here! Here!" went up throughout the room.
Next, I watched Tank rise to his full height. When Alex tried to give him the microphone, Tank waved it away. Alex looked surprised, but I knew there was no need for it. The clinking of the glasses began again. Stephanie giggled and I kissed her sweetly this time. I could hear several people saying "Awww!" until we stopped kissing.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Tank's deep voice boomed out across the entire restaurant, startling more than a few people who weren't accustomed to the sound of a true military command voice. "My name is Tank and I'm the other Best Man. Speaking on behalf of the rest of the groomsmen – Lester, Mateo, and Bobby – the ushers – Antonio, Diego, Javier, and Miguel – and our capable ring bearer, Ricky – we wish Stephanie and Carlos a very happy life together. We call them Superman and Wonder Woman, and together, they're the new 'Dynamic Duo'. I almost feel sorry for their future neighbors." This got more than a few chuckles from our guests.
Tank continued, "I've known Carlos for most of my military career and he's the best team commander I and many of the men here today have ever had the honor of serving with. In fact, most of us here today wouldn't even be alive if Carlos hadn't been our leader." He had to stop to clear his throat.
Tank looked directly into my eyes and continued, "I heard somewhere that serendipity is what they call it when a so-called 'fortunate accident' places you at the right place at the right time, so it must have been serendipity for all of us when Carlos and Stephanie bumped into each other. Fate took over from there, giving both of them reasons to live and live well. Even though there were a few intense moments along the way, Carlos and Stephanie are now husband and wife. So let's all drink a toast to the happy couple, to serendipity and to fate, to all of us being here at the right place, at the right time. Congratulations on your marriage and know that we're all here for you whenever and wherever you need us. Here's to your happiness!" He lifted his champagne glass to his lips to complete the toast before he sat down.
Next, Mary Lou stood up, took the microphone and began to speak, "Hello, everyone. I'm Mary Lou Stankovic and I've known Stephanie since we were in elementary school together. She's my best friend and, yeah, we've been through a lot together. On behalf of everyone from your old Burg neighborhood, I'd like to wish you and Carlos all the best."
She glanced around the room until she locked eyes with her husband, Lenny, who smiled his encouragement for her to go on. After taking a deep breath, Mary Lou said, "There's this quote from William Shakespeare, that Steph and I discovered way back when we had Mrs. Gelderman for tenth grade English: 'A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.' It's been, like, our theme ever since then. We really do understand each other and I predict we always will. In fact, I knew, from the very first time Stephanie told me about Carlos that he was 'The One' for her."
She took a moment to blot her tears with a tissue before continuing. "When Steph asked me to be her Matron of Honor, and for my daughter to be one of her flower girls, I literally jumped up and down on the bed with my little girl, Michelle – hi, Sweetie." And she waved at her daughter who was sitting on her husband's lap. Everyone chuckled and turned to stare at the now-shy girl.
"So anyway," Mary Lou continued again, "I was jumping for joy not just because I knew my best friend had terrific fashion sense, as evidenced by her booming business, and she'd pick out some amazing dresses for us to wear…not just because I knew I'd finally have a chance to get her back for all the gag gifts she gave me at my bridal shower so many moons ago…but because I'd have the honor and pleasure of standing up for her as she married the man of her dreams. Stephanie and Carlos, everyone can see you have a great love between you, so here's to the great life you're sure to share. Congratulations!"
Mary Lou lifted her glass and there was another round of cheers and more clinking glasses. This time, I nibbled on Stephanie's lower lip when I kissed her. I didn't have to tell her; she already knew her lipstick was long gone.
The last of our "official wedding toasts" came from Tina Minardo before the meal was served. She gave a quick wave of greeting, accepted the microphone from the bandleader and said, "Hi. I'm Tina Minardo – soon to be Santos – and I'm the Maid of Honor. I've been Stephanie's friend and workmate for a very long time and I'm grateful for her friendship. Stevie has always been there for me and helped me to do better and be better than I would have been by myself. I wouldn't have even met my fiancé if she hadn't met her fiancé." Tina caught Steph's shining eyes and they smiled at each other.
Tina cleared her throat and continued, "Speaking of meetings, one of our all-time favorite movies is 'When Harry Met Sally' and there's a quote from it that I think fits Stephanie's relationship with Carlos perfectly. It goes like this: 'When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want forever to start as soon as possible.' Boy, oh, boy, ain't that the truth?" Then she waggled her eyebrows at Santos who grinned back at her like the fool that he was.
Tina waited for people to stop laughing and then she said, "On behalf of all the bridesmaids – Melinda, Keira, and Amanda – as well as the flower girls – Michelle, Angie and Mary Alice – I'd like to say congratulations to the happy couple. Stevie, you've never looked more beautiful. And I am thrilled for you that you've made your dreams come true. You found your very own 'Prince Charming' and this truly is the beginning of your Happily Ever After. Live well, laugh often, love much. Cheers!"
Father Brady took charge of the microphone next and said a quick blessing over the food and then it was time to eat. Of course, my father had outdone himself and the meal was a huge hit with everyone. He basically served us the same menu from the sampler platter he had concocted for Stephanie on our first visit to Rosa's. One of the newer servers, a young man I didn't know, brought our plates of food to us.
"Señor y Señora Mañoso," the server spoke in Spanish as he placed the heaping plates in front of us. Then with heavily accented English, he said, "Congratulations! And please, enjoy your meal."
"Oh, that's so sweet," gushed Stephanie. "Did you hear that? He called me Señora Mañoso!"
Curious, I glanced over Stephanie to make eye contact with Alex, who understood my unspoken question.
"That's my sous chef's son, Mauricio," Alex whispered. "Teo used to be a cook for one of the cruise ships, but he's been with us for over a year now. His family, including his wife, Mauricio and another son, Julio, who we also hired, just joined him here from the Dominican Republic."
I nodded. It was good to know that Alex had a good heart toward people who were new arrivals to the States. There weren't a lot of job opportunities for such folks. When my business got off the ground, I too was determined to provide as many job opportunities as possible to people who wouldn't otherwise have much hope in this economy. Shaking my head to clear it of such thoughts, I looked down and noticed that Stephanie's plate was half-cleared already. Damn! My Babe can eat!
Although Papa instructed servers to take care of the head table, the buffet line for our guests was fully stocked with Ropa Vieja-shredded beef in a light tomato Cuban Creole sauce with onions and peppers; Camarones al Ajillo-shrimp sautéed in Cuban garlic sauce; Lechon Asado-traditional Cuban-style roasted pork with sweet plantains; Croquetas de Jamon-ham croquettes; Chicharonnes de Pollo-lightly floured and deep fried chicken bites marinated in Cuban mojo; and my personal favorite, Paella Valenciana-the traditional dish of saffron rice garnished with shrimp, mussels, scallops, Chorizo sausage and chicken, with sweet peas and roasted peppers.
There were two dessert tables to accommodate all of Stephanie's favorites, as well. Some of the pastries and baked items, such as pineapple upside down cake and chocolate layer cake, were from the DiPaolo Brothers Bakery. Other sweets were from Rosa's kitchen: a variety of fruit-filled empanadas; Tres Leches, or Three Milk Cake, which is an incredibly rich mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream, poured over white cake and topped with meringue frosting and a cherry; and several types of flan, including Flan de Leche, the traditional Cuban style custard topped with caramel; Flan de Queso, made with smooth cream cheese and topped with caramel; Flan de Coco, made with coconut milk and topped with grated coconut and caramel; and Flan de Guayaba y Queso, custard with guava and cheese.
Our cakes were on display next to the dessert tables. My Groom's cake was a chocolate sheet cake with raspberry filling and white buttercream frosting. A stunningly sensuous graphic of Superman and Wonder Woman entangled in an embrace was painted on the cake's surface. It was a fabulous work of art, but I figured my men would harass me about this cake for at least the next ten years.
Our official wedding cake was a multi-tiered, multi-flavored creation from the bridal collection of the DiPaolo Bros. When Stephanie first described the cake to me, I thought she'd gone a bit haywire. The bottom layer was chocolate cake and the next layer was spice cake, followed by yellow cake, then lemon, German chocolate, strawberry, coconut and finally, the top layer was white cake. Supposedly, someone would save the top layer for us in a freezer and then, on our first anniversary, we'd thaw it out and eat it. Fat chance! If my Babe wanted to chow down on year-old cake, I'd let her have her way, but there's no way I'd put something like that in my mouth.
On another table, bundles of red licorice whips were waiting under a white table cloth. They were tied with red, white and blue ribbons and each guest would be able to take a bundle at the end of the reception as an edible memento. My mother wasn't too keen on the idea at first, but I thought it definitely beat the little trinkets many of our friends and relatives had handed out at their weddings. Most of those things just ended up in the trash anyway. I preferred our festive give-aways.
Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Tink! Every time Steph or I put down our fork, another round of clinking would start up. It was beginning to annoy me. Oh, I had no problem kissing Stephanie – my wife – whenever the clinking sound wafted across the room. In fact, I enjoyed kissing my bride quite often, but I saw the mischievous glances passing back and forth among both my nieces and Stephanie's nieces. Those little girls were abusing the tradition and none of their parents were doing anything about it. I made a mental note to exact my revenge upon all of them via tickle fights in the very near future.
As soon as Stephanie seemed to be finished with her last bit of Flan de Coco, I made eye contact with the bandleader and nodded. He made an announcement, requesting everyone to return to their seats. I supported Stephanie as she rose from her seat and I smoothed the back of her dress, allowing my hand to linger on her ass for a tiny fraction longer than truly necessary. She gave me a playful shove just as the bandleader gave me the microphone and a loud squeal of electronic feedback pierced the air. That definitely got everyone's attention. My Babe winced, turned red, and gave a little finger wave as she mouthed, "Sorry!"
Now that I had all of our guests' undivided attention, I cleared my throat and said, "Before the dancing and the cake cutting and all the other activities begin, Stephanie and I wish to thank each and every one of you for coming out to our wedding today and joining us for this wonderful celebration. We could not have pulled this off without the wonderful support and assistance from our families. We love you all. Again, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts."
Then I repeated my short speech in Spanish for some of my relatives. I often made eye contact with Abuela Rosa so the others would think I was doing this specifically for her benefit. The bandleader took his cue from me and from that moment on, he made his announcements in both English and Spanish. I'm sure my sneaky grandmother appreciated the gesture, even though I now knew it was completely unnecessary.
"Now the happy couple will cut the wedding cake," the bandleader said as I guided Stephanie over to the cake table. The band segued into another round of "Oye Como Va" as background music.
We cut into the huge wedding cake with one of the sabers. Of course, my father made sure it was squeaky clean before it ever touched the cake. Antonio was waiting discreetly behind the photographers to take charge of the saber after we cut the ceremonial pieces. I enjoyed wrapping my arms around Stephanie as though I was a golf pro and guiding her hands around the saber to hold it steady enough to make the first slice. Before we could feed each other the tiny slices of cake we had agreed upon, the clinking of glasses began again.
Stephanie leaned in to kiss me and she whispered, "That was a very nice thing you did for Rosa; helping her keep up appearances like that."
I merely smirked and dabbed a tiny blob of frosting on the tip of my Babe's nose. We fed each other the cake, which was actually pretty good. If any of our guests were waiting for us to smash cake into each other's faces, they would just have to be disappointed. Instead, I made a show of licking the frosting off of Stephanie's thumb, nose and lips. After we allowed the photographers to take a few more pictures of us, the wait staff rolled the cake into the kitchen, where it would be sliced and plated and then brought back out for all the guests.
Soon, the bandleader announced the Father/Daughter Dance. Frank escorted a radiant Stephanie onto the dance floor and it was magical to watch them dance together. The Motown sound was a bit different for the Latin band, but they pulled off the Temptations' "My Girl" without a single glitch.
I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it's cold outside
I've got the month of May
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way
My girl (my girl, my girl ooh)
Talkin' 'bout my girl
(My girl)
I've got so much honey
The bees envy me
I've got a sweeter song
Than the birds in the trees
Well, I guess you say
What can make me feel this way
My girl (my girl, my girl ooh)
Talkin' 'bout my girl
My girl
Ooh
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
Ooh yeah
I don't need no money
Fortune or fame
I've got all the riches, baby
One man can claim
Well, I guess you say
What can make me feel this way
My girl (my girl, my girl, ooh)
Talkin' 'bout my girl
My Girl
Talkin' 'bout my girl
I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
With my girl,
I even got the month of May
My girl
Talkin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout
My girl
Talkin' 'bout my girl
My Babe and her dad looked so happy out on the dance floor. It was good to see them smiling together and sharing little private jokes and comments with each other. After everything his wife had put him through this morning, it warmed my heart to see Frank Plum enjoying himself at the reception. I had seen him chatting with my Tía Carmen all during the luncheon hour at the table where they were seated near each other. They really seemed to hit it off nicely and I'm sure my mother and sisters noticed them, too. I made a mental note to check with Mateo later and see what he thought about this possible new development.
Then it was my turn. I had chosen a song that was special to both of my parents for the Mother/Son Dance. I remembered watching them dance to the song when I was very little. It, too, was a "golden oldie" and I had requested a rendition that had both English and Spanish in it. The band had no difficulty playing the Tony Bennett/Juanes duet version of "The Shadow of Your Smile" and the smooth jazz transitions made it easy for me to dance a slow rumba with my mother. We had a lot of fun with it.
The shadow of your smile
When you are gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn
Look into my eyes
My love and see
All the lovely things
You are to me
Our wistful little star
Was far too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so did I
Now when I remember spring
All the joy that love can bring
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
la sombra de tu amor
en mi sonar
parece desperta sola anciedad
siento que al partir te vas de mi
no podre olvidar, ni ser feliz
la estrella que nos vio
ya se apago
talvez porque tu adios
me hara sentir
que te hice dano amor
no te supe comprender
solo guardare de ti
la sombra de tu amor
"Carlos, I love this song," my mother said to me when I pulled her in close for a few bars of the music. "How did you find this version? It's so lovely."
I grinned and told her that my father had already asked the band to add it into its repertoire. "He must be planning to make good use of it in the future," I joked and then winked at her. It was kind of nice to see my mother blushing with girlish embarrassment. Weird, but nice.
When the music faded, and I returned my mother to her seat, my father was standing there with tears in his eyes. First he hugged her and gave her a sweet little peck on her cheek. Then he pulled me into a strong, back-slapping, genuine embrace. I didn't resist. He was too choked up to say anything more than "Beautiful, that was so very beautiful."
Suddenly, I became all choked up, too, and all I could say was, "Thank you, Papa, for everything."
There's one Cuban wedding tradition I wasn't wild about, but I knew my relatives and hometown friends wouldn't consider this a "real" celebration until the Bride's Money Dance. The band was primed to play an extended version of the traditional song, "Guantanamera" and any man who danced with my Babe during this time would have to fasten dollar bills to her dress. Needless to say, I didn't want any other man touching my Babe, let alone trying to pin money onto her beautiful gown with their clumsy fingers.
Several men had already lined up along the dance floor. They were ready, but so was I. Dawson had procured for me a sheer white overcoat that Stephanie would wear just for this dance. It almost looked like a form-fitting negligee robe; however, it was covered with a multitude of tiny pockets. Everyone had a good laugh when they saw my Babe shrug into the specially made garment, which fit over her dress perfectly, but I could see the calculating glances many of the young women and their mamas threw Dawson's direction during the dance. Something told me he would be getting a lot of requests for this new "Money Dance Coat" in the very near future.
The Money Dance seemed to go on forever, but the pockets on Stephanie's diaphanous overcoat filled up quickly. She'd have a nice chunk of change to spend during our honeymoon. Afterward, it was time for more of the "fun and games" part of the reception. The bandleader encouraged all the single ladies in the room to gather together on one side of the dance floor. Stephanie positioned herself on the other side of the dance floor and held the toss-away bouquet in her hands, and turned her back to the gaggle of chattering women. Her real bridal bouquet was already safely tucked away in one of the restaurant's storage refrigerators. I don't know why she wanted to keep it, but I wasn't about to argue with her over some flowers. I guess it was just one of those girly things.
After a long drum roll and several false starts, Stephanie finally flung the small bouquet over her shoulders and single women all made a mad grab for it. There seemed to be a bit of a scuffle, with a smaller knot of ladies inside of the larger group. I even thought I heard someone growling. Then the victor emerged; it was Edna Mazur! She held the bouquet high above her head and grinned with glee.
Next was the garter toss. Javier brought a chair to the middle of the dance floor and then joined the group of single men who had gathered on one side of the dance floor. The band struck up what sounded like strip-tease music after Stephanie sat down and I kneeled in front of her in order to reach up under her dress and retrieve the Superman garter. Although it was still a tight fit, I was able to slide my fingers upward and tickle the edge of my Babe's panties with one hand before my other hand emerged from her dress with the garter wrapped around my index finger. There were many wolf-whistles, cat-calls and general sounds of male rowdiness when Stephanie gave me a smoldering look which held great promise for later.
I kissed my bride deeply and then got into position to toss the garter. I, too, made a few teasing false starts before I flung the cute little piece of silk, lace and elastic into the group of single men. Not surprisingly, there was no scuffle. In fact, several men actually stepped away from the group in an attempt to avoid catching the talisman of impending doom. When Bobby Brown realized he was holding the garter, it seemed he almost went into shock. I could see the fear and resignation in his eyes when the bandleader told him he'd have to dance with the catcher of the bouquet. Hopefully, the photographers caught that on film.
The song we chose for the dance after the bouquet and garter tosses was a fast Latin pop song, "Me Enamora" by the popular singer, Juanes. ["It Makes Me Fall In Love"]
Cada blanco en mi mente
Se vuelve color con verte
Y el deseo de tenerte,
Es más fuerte, es más fuerte.
[Every blank space in my mind
Turns to color on seeing you
And the desire to have you,
Is more strong, is more strong.]
Sólo quiero que me lleves
De tu mano por la senda,
Y atravesar el bosque
Que divide nuestras vidas.
[I only want you to take me
By the hand on the path,
And through the forest
That divides our lives.]
Hay tantas cosas
Que me gustan hoy de ti.
[There are so many things
That I like about you today.]
Me enamora
Que me hables con tu boca
Me enamora
Que me eleves hasta el cielo
Me enamora
Que de mí sea tu alma soñadora.
[It makes me fall in love
That you speak to me with your mouth
It makes me fall in love
That you elevate me to the heavens
It makes me fall in love
That your dreamer's soul be mine.]
La esperanza de mis ojos
Sin ti, mi vida no tiene sentido
Sin ti, mi vida es como un remolino
De cenizas que se van (ooooh)
Volando con el viento.
[The hope of my eyes
Without you, my life has no meaning
Without you, my life is like a whirlpool
Of ashes that escape
Flying with the wind.]
Yo no sé si te merezco
Sólo sé que aún deseo
Que le des luz a mi vida
En los días venideros.
[I don't know if I deserve you
All I know is that I still wish
For you to give light to my life
In its days ahead.]
Léeme muy bien los labios
Te lo digo bien despacio
Por el resto de mis días
Quiero ser tu compañía.
[Read my lips well
I tell it to you very slowly
For the rest of my days
I want to be your companion.]
Hay tantas cosas
Que me gustan hoy de ti.
[There are so many things
That I like about you today.]
Me enamora
Que me hables con tu boca
Me enamora
Que me eleves hasta el cielo
Me enamora
Que de mí sea tu alma soñadora.
[It makes me fall in love
That you speak to me with your mouth
It makes me fall in love
That you elevate me to the heavens
It makes me fall in love
That your dreamer's soul be mine.]
La esperanza de mis ojos
Sin ti, mi vida no tiene sentido
Sin ti, mi vida es como un remolino
De cenizas que se van (ooooh)
Volando con el viento.
[The hope of my eyes
Without you, my life has no meaning
Without you, my life is like a whirlpool
Of ashes that escape
Flying with the wind.]
By the time the singer began the second verse, the dance floor was packed. Someone rescued Bobby from Edna, who gladly went into Wilber Sneed's arms, as soon as possible. I think his rescuer was Stephanie's friend, Miranda Montgomery. She looked extremely hot and Bobby looked extremely interested. I'd have to warn my Babe to warn her friend, though, that Brown was strictly a "player" and he didn't "do relationships." I wouldn't want Miranda to get hurt.
As the dancing continued, I saw a few other couples getting closer and closer. Alex and Mateo definitely were having fun dancing the salsa and merengue with their wives. Dawson and Abuela Rosa could tango like professional dancers and the love they held for one another shone through their smoldering looks. Santos and Tina were practically glued at the hip, which was no surprise. Valerie and Alberto looked very happy together as they danced both with and without Val's two little girls. Melinda and her date, Kaz, were having lots of deep discussions, and sharing plenty of deep kisses while they danced. Even Tank seemed to be making progress with Keira. Wonders never ceased!
The biggest surprise of the afternoon was Frank Plum and my Tía Carmen. They danced together as though they had been doing so for years. When I mentioned this to Stephanie, she grinned and said, "I'm certainly not surprised. Why do you think we put them at the same table? Maybe something good will come from it and maybe not, but I'm glad they're both having fun."
As much fun as everyone seemed to be having, I was becoming more and more restless. I had gone outside with my father and several other men to enjoy the fabulous cigars and had to endure quite a bit of rowdy, but good-natured teasing. Each man had a piece of advice to give me and I tried to be patient. After making the rounds and briefly chatting with the people at each table, who also seemed determined to give us advice, I dragged my Babe back to the dressing room, where we quickly changed into our travel clothes. Miguel and Diego took our luggage out to the waiting limo and then informed the band we were ready to depart.
Finally, it was time for Stephanie and me to bid farewell to our family and friends and leave this great celebration. Our little "quickie" in the dressing room had calmed my appetite for a while, but now I was ready to move on to the "main course" – our honeymoon. While we were changing our clothes, many of our guests had assembled near the front entrance of the restaurant.
The band played a jazzy instrumental version of Our Song as we walked toward the front doors. Stephanie took a few last moments to hug Edna, Valerie and her girls and finally Frank, before we hurried through the tunnel of friends and family who were pelting us with red, white and blue rose petals while we made our way to the limo. It was surreal. As soon as the door was closed and locked, we slowly pulled away from the curb, and Stephanie waved at everyone until she couldn't see them anymore.
I wrapped my arm around my Babe's shoulder and leaned in for a long, slow kiss. I briefly thought about having another "quickie" here in the limo, but decided against it. The next time I made love to my wife, I wanted it to be our true wedding night. I wanted all the comfort available to us and all the time to truly enjoy being together as a married couple. We deserved it. Stephanie gazed into my eyes and seemed to sense exactly what I was thinking, because instead of kissing me again, she snuggled up close to my side and fell asleep. After kissing the top of her head, and removing a stray blue rose petal, I relaxed against her and joined her for a short power nap. I had a feeling we wouldn't be getting much sleep after we boarded the cruise ship and that was completely fine with me. Everything was fine as long as my Babe was by my side.
