The next few weeks flew by smoothly and while getting ready for her bachelorette weekend, a spa trip with Tracy and Gail, Andy got a text from Jerry reading: "Don't worry! We'll bring him back in one piece tomorrow!"
In the car waiting for Gail, Andy shows the message to Tracy and asks, "Do you know what they're up to?"
The grin on Tracy's face gives it away, but she vehemently sticks with "I'm not saying anything."
The rear side door opens and Gail collapses into the back seat with a moan of pleasure.
"Now a massage would be a dream,"
Andy laughs.
"And I thought today was about me and my wellness program. Is everything okay?" she eyes Gail.
"Oh my mother..." the blonde rolls her eyes.
"She's still up in arms about the whole gun business and how complicated and dangerous and yada yada yada... That I am involved is her personal nightmare I think."
Gail had Andy blindfolded on the last stretch through the Canadian countryside and when she finally hears the tires braking on gravel, Andy is a little bit excited. She was curious about what her friends had actually planned for her.
When the blindfold is removed, Andy is a bit irritated at first.
"That's..." she begins and Gail nods. "Yes, that's the resort for your wedding, but today we're going to use it in a relaxed and organized way."
She emphasizes the word organized with an eye roll and a nod to Tracy.
Andy has to smile. Her maid of honor really had a keen sense of perfection in these things.
The three moved into three adjoining rooms and so they were able to rehearse perfectly, how it would be before the wedding. Tracy had arranged for a hairstylist and make-up artist to try out the hairstyles and make-up with them, followed by the massage requested by Gail in the hotel's spa.
Everyone had a relaxing day and after a hearty dinner, the friends looked for a table in the hotel bar.
"Now we're going to have some real fun," calls Gail and disappears towards the counter. Andy and Tracy are confused at first, but when they see which bottle the bartender is reaching for and handing to Gail, they look at each other and laugh out loud. "Tequila,"
And completely correct. Gail comes back to the table with a tray, glasses, a bottle of tequila, lemon, salt, and juices.
"We mix it ourselves," the blonde grins, handing out the first round of shot glasses.
The girls have a fun evening and try different concoctions. So after a while, they're getting pretty tipsy and laughing at all sorts of things when all of a sudden three guys show up at their table.
"May we sit down?" asks the first and before Andy or Tracy can react, Gail already answers with big arm movements.
"It's really not worth it. She's getting married, she's got a kid and I'm dating a cop. Actually, we're all cops."
The guys look at each other and grin. The slight slurring probably didn't add enough credence to the statement, so Andy adds "We'd like to be left alone," and waves her hand shooing them away.
Tracy's mouth still hangs open and she stares at Gail in confusion.
After the guys have left, Andy turns to the blonde and tilts her head.
Gail picks up the tequila bottle and fills a new round of shot glasses without batting an eye. She raises her glass and starts to drink until she realizes that her friends are still sitting there petrified.
"What?" she asks with an annoyed undertone.
"You're dating a cop?" Tracy blurts out in disbelief but curiosity.
"Oh, did I say that out loud?" Gail wonders and empties the glass in shock.
Afterwards she is silent again and refills the glass.
"Aren't you going to tell us who it is?" Andy asks and Tracy adds "we'll find out at the wedding anyway!"
Gail remained silent as a fish afterwards, adamantly refusing to say who her cop was, constantly changing the subject back to the reason for their weekend getaway. Andy's wedding and subsequent celebration.
The next morning, Andy rolls out of bed around 10 a.m. and her head is pounding. "It was probably too much tequila!" crosses her mind as she reaches for the faucet in the shower in the bathroom.
A little later she meets her friends downstairs in the bright breakfast room and has to grin a little. Both, like her, wear sunglasses.
"Don't laugh," Gail groans theatrically, "it'll only give you more headaches." And Andy can't help but laugh briefly and then fall onto the chair with an "ouch".
Tracy peeks over the top of her glasses and asks "Why do we have such a hangover? It was only tequila" when the waiter comes with the trolley and prepares the table with all sorts of delicacies for an extensive brunch.
The young man smiles politely and asks what drinks he would like. Gail orders a vitamin smoothie and a large pot of coffee for all three of them.
"So for yours," Gail begins and Andy corrects "ours", but the blonde waves it off. "We need better liquor for your wedding. Honestly, when the three of us look like that after a bottle of tequila and juice... our men really run away."
"Ha, now you mentioned him sober... now you have to give us a hint." Tracy hits the table once with the palm of her hand and all three flinch.
"I'd like to wait a little longer. It's all very new and I don't want to jinx it," Gail murmurs a little sheepishly, bowing her head.
After brunch, Tracy organized another whole day of wellness for the three of them. Almost as if she knew they might need it. And when it turns evening again and the first stars twinkle in the sky, the three of them find themselves back in the bar.
This time they make sure there is a large pitcher of water and tentatively order just one wine.
In this relaxed atmosphere, they talk again about the music and the evening program of the wedding ceremony and when Gail's phone starts ringing.
"And I thought we had agreed on emergencies only," Tracy exclaims.
"And if it's one?" Gail grins and hits the green button as she walks away.
"Could you read the name?" Tracy then asks Andy, who only shakes her head.
"She'll tell us sometime. Do you think we know him?"
The two can speculate no further as Gail returns to the table and they have a quiet evening before it's back to normal after breakfast the next morning.
When Andy unlocks the front door, she sees Luke's bag in the hallway and smiles. So we have the whole day to ourselves.
She turns the corner into the living room and immediately sees that Luke is lying face down on the sofa. The feet hang over the backrest. She inevitably laughs.
Hearing bell-like laughter behind him, Luke shoots up only to immediately sink back onto the sofa with a groan.
"Stop laughing!" he growls and Andy goes into the kitchen for a moment "I'll get you some water and an aspirin!"
Shortly thereafter, she holds out the glass and tablet to him. "You look like I felt yesterday. What did you do?"
"The boys said we could relive our Academy days..."
The next week flies by and Andy, Luke, and all their friends find themselves back at the beautiful resort making the final preparations for the wedding.
Tracy and Gail help Andy into her dress and she has a few minutes to herself before her dad hands her over to Luke. It was the part of the tradition both men had insisted on, even if Andy thought it was overkill.
Otherwise nobody would really be standing next to them. Tracy, Gail and Jerry, and interestingly Sam would each sit in the front row and go about their duties from there.
Andy thinks again about the last two years. She had become a police officer, started making friends and made new ones, and most importantly, met the love of her life.
A gentle knock on the door pulls her out of her thoughts and she smiles at her father.
During the wedding ceremony, Andy has a few tears running down her cheeks, the words Luke chooses move her immensely and it is almost a little liberating when the minister finally declares them husband and wife. Their kiss seals their future together.
At the party that follows, they are congratulated extensively and Andy and Luke have a lot of conversations. Andy keeps finding herself looking out for Gail, but so far she hasn't seen the blonde talk to a specific man. When she sees Tracy for a moment, she shakes her head.
Gail had said she would bring her mystery friend.
"Collins? What a pleasant surprise," Luke addresses a young man whom Andy had subconsciously sorted into Luke's friends because she didn't know him.
"Congratulations to both of you. My, my girlfriend invited me," he holds out his hand to both of them, somewhat uncertainly. Luke shakes it briefly and vigorously.
"Andy, this is Nick Collins, a rookie in my division. Collins, my wife Andy," Luke makes the introductions.
After the meal, when everyone is dancing to the music, Andy sees the young man again. And when she recognizes the girlfriend he is dancing with, her jaw drops briefly.
She and Tracy were already wondering if Gail had just screwed with them but her friend was really beaming and laughing at the charming man.
"How did she meet him?" Andy mumbles under her breath and Luke twitches. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, Gail and Collins. She's dancing with him," Andy replies tersely, and Luke spins her around to watch the spectacle.
"Okay, should someone warn him? Or what do you think?"
"No, I was just wondering how they know each other. They look very familiar with each other,"
"Then just ask." Luke replies dryly and Andy rolls her eyes before jokingly taking her hand off his shoulder and saying, "Okay,"
Luke grips her waist a little tighter and pulls Andy close. His lips lock hers in a firm kiss until her fingers land on his shoulder again. "Later," he murmurs briefly between kisses.
And Andy laughs brightly.
Later that evening Andy, Tracy and Gail find themselves together outside on the patio.
Andy leans against the railing and takes a sip of her champagne.
"Nick seems very nice and charming." she just says to herself and watches how Gail reacts.
The blonde flinches and then smiles, almost embarrassed.
"Are you blushing?" laughs Tracy and Gail shakes her head. "It's just that stupid champagne!"
After that, Gail softened a bit and told them both that she had known Nick for a long time and that they happened to meet again here. Andy smiles at the memory of the so gentle, almost insecure Gail and shakes her head slightly.
"Is everything okay?" Luke murmurs into her ear from behind and takes her in his arms.
The party "officially" ended half an hour ago, but Andy didn't want to go to the room yet. She's still electrified.
"Yeah, I'm just happy for Gail," she replies, slowly turning in Luke's arms.
Both stare deep into each other's eyes and smile at each other.
Suddenly Luke pulls on her hand.
"My feet are starting to hurt," he says, pointing to a lonely chair. "Will you keep me a little company?" he grins mischievously and as soon as Andy only hints at a nod she finds herself on his lap.
After a minute's uncertainty, she puts her arms around his neck and kisses Luke long and deep.
When it is necessary to take a breath, Luke gets up carefully and doesn't let Andy down.
She raises an eyebrow briefly and looks at him askance, but Luke just smiles and walks on undeterred with his bride in his arms.
"We got married today. Let's celebrate now," he winks while Andy skillfully calls the elevator and laughs.
"I look forward to the rest of my life with you," she murmurs before their lips find each other again.
The end. I hope you enjoyed my little experiment here. Future plans include Gail and Nick and that Vegas wedding that never was... and of course my silly self wants to go play around with Andy and Nick. But no timetable is set for those adventures. Until next time :)