Chapter 1: When?
Alex woke up to a beautiful sunshining morning. She quickly rose out of bed. This was it! The BIG day. She had looked forward to this day since she was six years old, and anticipated it happily since her engagement to Pete over a year ago. Today was her Wedding Day! And not only hers, but Clover and Sam's as well. It was to be a triple wedding! Within the next 24 hours she would wed her beloved Pete, Clover would wed Clarence and Sam would wed Matt!
She thinks back over the whirlwind of the past year, and smiles. You would think one year was such a long time to prepare for something, but it truly was amazing how the time flies!
After her engagement to Pete, they had to decide on a wedding date.
"Do you have a special day in mind for the wedding, Pete?" she asked back then.
"Well, Alex, I know women look forward to June weddings, so why don't we set the date for sometime this June?"
Alex gave Pete a quick kiss, replying, "That would be wonderful!"
But, as Shakespeare noted, the best laid plans of mice and men often go agley! When Alex and Pete went to the church, they found that the first opening for a June wedding was three years from now! And the same for banquet halls in the area! They didn't want to wait that long!
Alex was a bit deflated, when she ran into Clover and Sam at WOOHP. Alex was reviewing training materials that morning, but her mind wasn't on that. She was thinking of when to set the wedding date! Maybe Clover and Sam could help. They always took their morning break together.
"What a morning!" exclaimed Clover, as she plunked down at the table. "Those agents in WOOHP – Brisbane can be soooo exasperating!"
"Why is that?" asked Sam, as she joined her friends at the table. Sam had just come from the testing lab.
"I mean, HELLLLOOOO! I'm putting together an article for the WOOHP newspaper on our different field sites, and these agents treat me like I'm some mole trying to learn some deep, dark secret! I mean, I work for WOOHP too, ya know!"
Sam giggled. "I guess it's hard to shed the secrecy, even when dealing with someone within WOOHP!"
"I guess you're right, Sammie!" replied Clover. She then turned to Alex, who has been sitting at the table lost in thought. "Helllllloooo, Alex! Are you there?"
Alex snapped out of her trance. "Oh, I'm sorry, guys! This weekend was such a bummer!"
"Why was that?" asked Sam, with concern.
"Well," Alex continued, "Pete and I wanted to set our wedding date in June…."
"Lots of luck on that!" exclaimed Clover.
Alex turned, befuddled, to Clover. "How did you know?"
"Alex," Clover continued, "do you remember Georgiana Englehart from Bev State?"
"Sure! She was a good friend of ours!"
"Well, right after Clarence and I got engaged, I happened to run into her at the dentist's office…"
"DENTIST?" exclaimed Alex, in trepidation; a large sweatdrop forming on her forehead.
"It was just for a CLEANING, Alex! Chill! You really need to get over your fear of dentists!" admonished Clover, as she continued, "As I was saying, I ran into Georgiana, and her family runs four banquet facilities in Beverly Hills. I mentioned that Clarence and I were going to get married, and when in June could we get an opening. She pulled up an appointment book on her laptop, and told me the first opening was like three years from now, in June!"
"That's what Pete and I found out this weekend!"
"Matt and I found that out too," added Sam sympathetically, "when we called around this past week! And my church doesn't have an opening in June for three years, either!"
"Same here, Sammie!" responded Alex dejectedly. "So when would be a good time to set a wedding date? Have you two set yours yet?"
"Were still trying to decide!" confided Clover.
"So are we!" added Sam. "We want the date to mean something special. We thought about the date Matt proposed to me, but seeing that's 11 months away, the church and banquet facilities are booked, so if we want that date, we almost have to wait two years! We don't want to wait that long!"
The three friends drift off into thought, when an idea pops into Alex's head. She starts to smile.
"Okay, girlfriend! Dish! I can tell by the look on your face you have an idea!" exclaimed Clover.
"Yeah, Alex! Spill! We need to hear your idea!" added Sam.
Alex smiled, a bit embarrassed by the ease in which her friends can read her mind, "Why not the day the three of us met on the playground in kindergarten? It's a Saturday, and just about one year away!"
Clover and Sam begin to share Alex's smile.
"What a great idea, Alex! I LOVE it! Let me run that past Clarence!" responded Clover excitedly.
"Talk about a day that means something special! Seeing we can't get the day we were engaged on, that is a FANTASTIC idea! I'll check with Matt!"
But all of the sudden, Alex's smile disappears.
"What's wrong, Alex? That IS a great idea!" Sam asks, with concern.
"Well," Alex responded sadly, "if we all get married on that day, I can't attend either of your weddings!"
The smile from just a few moments ago disappears from Clover and Sam's face. Alex was right! They definitely wanted to attend each other's wedding! They wouldn't want it any other way! But soon a smile creeps back on Clover's face, and she doesn't need any encouragement to spill her idea.
"Why don't the three of us get married at the same ceremony, and have the reception at the same banquet facility, on the same day, at the same time? That way we attend each other's wedding! It would also work out financially, as we could split the cost of the church and hall!"
"Clover, that's GENIUS!" remarked Alex happily.
"I LOVE it, Clover!" added Sam.
"Let's run it past the guys!" Clover happily responded, as break time ended, and the gals went back to their offices.
That evening, after work and dinner, Clover decided to get Clarence's feelings on the possible wedding date.
"Clarence?" asked Clover, as she snuggled close to her hubby-to-be on the sofa of his apartment, "I have a preliminary date for our wedding, and I want to see what you think about it!"
"Alright, my love! What date is that?" asked a happy Clarence.
"The date Sam, Alex and I first met!"
Clarence thought for a moment. Seeing the date of her acceptance to his proposal would be almost two years from now, it was as good as any other date, and it was a special date to Clover. He knows how much she cares about her two girlfriends.
"The date sounds good to me! Let's start checking churches and halls for availability this weekend!"
"I've already done that!" responded Clover, coyly.
Clarence was a little startled. But then a smile burst forth on his face.
"You'd think we were married already, Clover! You can read my mind before you even ask!" Clarence responded, as he gave Clover a playful poke in the ribs.
Clover returned the playful poke to Clarence. "That's why I love you! We may be miles apart personality wise, but we can read each other like a book!"
With that, Clarence starts to tickle Clover, who puts up a futile defense, and ends up disintegrating into gales of laughter. As he stops tickling his Clover, Clarence gives her a long tender kiss.
"Soon, we will be together all of the time," he whispers happily in her ear.
"I am soooo looking forward to that day!" Clover responds, as she returns the kiss.
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Sam meets Matt at the villa. Alex was going over to Pete's and Clover was going over to Clarence's, so Matt and Sam decided to enjoy the evening together at the gals' villa.
After enjoying a light dinner, Matt and Sam cuddle on the sofa, by the fish tank.
"Matt?" Sam asked quietly.
"Yes, Sammie?" he responded, with a nuzzle to her neck.
"I think I have a possible date for our wedding!"
Matt stops nuzzling Sam, and says, "What date is that, my Sammie?"
"It's the date Clover, Alex and I first met!"
Matt thinks for a short while. The date certainly means a lot to Sam, and he really has no preference, unless it would have been the day they first met. But that would be a year and a half from now! Sam's date is closer.
"That date is fine with me, my love!" he responds, as he nuzzles Sam's neck again.
Sam giggles a little from the nuzzling, "I glad you like it, you horse! We can start planning for it, then!"
With that, Matt nuzzles Sam a little harder, drawing giggles from Sam, until she turns to face him. They then happily melt into each other's arms, as they share a long romantic kiss.
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Alex and Pete decided to take a walk along the beach, before going to his place for supper. They walk in each other's embrace, with Alex resting her head on Pete's shoulder. When they stop, Pete gives his Alex a long romantic kiss.
"I can't wait until you're 'officially' mine, Alex!" says Pete, as he gives her another kiss.
"Nor I!" responds Alex.
They walk a little further when Alex says, "I came up with a date for our wedding! It's the date Clover, Sam and I first met! What do you think?"
Pete thinks for a moment. He knows Clover and Sam mean a great deal to Alex, right after her family, he and his family. He sees no reason why that wouldn't be a good date.
"My Sunshine, I love the idea!" he responds as he kisses Alex again.
"I'm sooo happy!" exclaims Alex. "Now we can plan for our wedding! I've already made some preliminary calls to halls and churches for that date, and we have our pick!"
Pete smiles. "You've made preliminary calls? It sounds like you already knew my answer!"
Alex gives Pete a quick kiss. "Noooo….., I just wanted to see if the date was available! That's all!" she fibbed nicely.
Pete again smiles. "You already know me too well, Sunshine! One of these days, I'll need to throw you a curveball!"
"As long as it isn't on our wedding day….." and Alex gives Pete a long romantic kiss.
"You can rest assured on that, my Alex!" responded Pete as he enveloped Alex in his arms, and they continue their walk on the beach.
