It was the day I anticipated. It was the day I dreaded. It was the day I had more emotions flood my body than any other day in my life…
And I wasn't even walking down the aisle.
I'd already picked out the bridesmaids' dresses so really, there wasn't much that could be done about it.
But that didn't mean my sister didn't have what to say.
Jamie took a glance over at Jessica, who was busy sitting on her hands to avoid punching her sister in the face.
"You cannot kill your sister, Jessica," the brunette whispered out of ear shot of her friend's sister. "John would not appreciate it if you got yourself incarcerated before your wedding day."
The bride-to-be thought this over for a moment. "But he'd appreciate not having to deal with his aggravating sister-in-law anymore."
Samantha leaned in to add to the conversation, "Yeah, can't say that I'd blame you. Or him. Or anyone for that matter."
Her hazel eyes focused ahead to her mother, standing beside Stephanie. Suddenly, Linda turned around.
"Don't even THINK about it," she mouthed and then whirled back around.
Samantha and Jamie found their jaws touching the floor.
"I've heard of eyes in the back of your head…" Jamie trailed off.
Samantha finished for her, "But this is ridiculous."
My relationship with my sister was always rocky at best, but deep down, I know she loves me. And I love her too.
But God forbid she's not the center of attention, all bets are off.
So as I sat there, trying to prevent myself from becoming the next CNN headline, I prayed for a miracle.
And my prayers were answered.
The frosted glass doors behind them opened with a whooshing sound.
"So sorry we're late!" a feminine voice announced. "Traffic was a bitch!"
A smile quickly spread across Jessica's face as she hopped to her feet and rushed towards the door. "Trish! Amy!"
She reached the Canadian blonde first and threw her arms around her in both excitement and relief.
Trish embraced her tightly. "Girl, I missed you! I cannot wait to try on my dress!"
"I missed you too," the younger Diva replied brightly and released Trish.
"Jessica!" Amy grinned with a wide smile and hugged her. "Has it really been four months?"
Her friend removed her arms from her body and took a step back. "Unfortunately, it has. But I'm so glad you're here!"
"You know we wouldn't miss this for the world, Jess," the redhead smiled at her. "Now show us those dresses!"
"Expect to be disappointed," Stephanie groaned in disgust as the women caught side of her for the first time since they'd arrived.
The lone woman in the room sporting her dress, to say it was ill-fitting would be an understatement.
While the slight rouching of the dress was meant to be slimming, the fabric was clinging to her tightly instead, creating an appearance of rolls.
And the fact that the dress was stretched until it was taut from behind didn't make her look any better.
Jessica ground her teeth together and spoke softly, trying not to move her lips, "Don't. Say. Anything."
"I'm sure it can be fixed," Trish stated nonchalantly. "No big deal."
The older of the sister flipped her hair behind her and rolled her eyes. "It would have been nice if he'd gotten it right in the first place."
"Steph, I'm sure it was an honest mistake," Linda assured her daughter as she placed a hand on your shoulder. "Let Bill and his assistant take a look at it and fix the measurements."
"Fine!" the woman replied with a huff and walked away into his design studio, Bill Levkoff and his young assistant on her heels.
Yet, Bill lingered long enough for Jessica to catch his eye and mouth, "Sorry."
He nodded in understanding and disappeared beyond the door.
I didn't really care that much about my sister's temper tantrum at Bill Levkoff's design studio. I mean, all she did was make a fool of herself, not me, and he got along with my mother, Samantha, Jamie, Trish, and Amy just fine. Was it anyone's fault but her own that she'd gained 10 pounds since the measurements had been taken?
Instead, I was focused on what was coming after my sister's little bitch fit was over.
I was going to shop for the last item of clothing I would ever wear as an unmarried woman…
My wedding dress.
The black limousine pulled up to a building on Madison Avenue and Preston exited the limo first, as he was closest to the door.
"Are you ready?" he asked Jessica, helping her out of the extravagant car that her mother and father had insisted her bridal party use as travel for the day.
She nodded, failing to suppress the bright smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "I just hope I find something that I like."
"In the world of wedding dresses, Maggie Sottero is a Goddess, Jessica," Preston explained with a slight laugh. "And she was dying to work with you. As soon as she found out that I was planning your wedding, I had a voicemail on my cell phone and an email in my inbox. Maggie doesn't just do anybody's wedding. She does the best weddings… and if she really wants something, she does whatever she can to get it."
"She was dying to work with me?" Jessica's jaw dropped.
With a satisfied smirk, the cocoa-skinned man nodded. "Now are you ready?"
"Preston, move out of my way. My wedding dress is in that building."
Jessica's mouth dropped the moment she entered the room. "That's it."
Maggie pulled off her glasses and stood up from her desk with a smile.
Stephanie immediately protested, "You haven't even seen the others."
The designer smiled and approached them slowly. "Once a bride has seen it, she's seen it. It's instinct."
The blonde Diva tentatively took a step towards the dress at her right and then looked up at Maggie. "May I?"
Maggie pushed her thin-framed glasses higher up on her nose and nodded. "Absolutely, it was made for you."
She took another step forward and then stopped. "Made for me?"
Maggie smiled wryly at her. "I designed a line of dresses, based on what I'd imagine for famous women who got engaged in the last year or so. I created the Eva, the Keira, the Katherine, the Nicole, and this dress. I finished this one only three weeks ago. This… is the Jessica."
Jessica's mouth dropped open and her face flushed. "I-I don't know what to say."
"Say that you'll wear it on your wedding day," Maggie urged her.
The twenty-seven year old glanced down the line of her bridal party, to Preston, and to her mother.
Then she smiled and nodded.
My bachelorette party was everything that I could have hoped for, despite the fact that all of the bridesmaids, save my sister, sprung for male strippers and I received presents I'd rather not discuss.
Bachelorette parties were typically thrown the week before the wedding or in relatively close proximity to the big day, but because of my schedule, March 15th was the only day available… the day following our little New York City adventure.
Truth be told, I was just happy to spend time with my friends. It was very rare to get all of us in a room at the same time. Trish, Amy, and I had not been together in over seven months and I hadn't seen Samantha in four.
Still, as the faux cop and fireman left the hotel suit, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on during John's party…
"Put the Polaroid away," John instructed and lowered his voice to a command. "NOW."
"Testy, testy" Randy tossed the instant camera back onto the ottoman and looked over at his friend, seated on the couch. "Afraid your girl's gonna cut you off?"
The older of the pair looked up at the scantily clad woman giving him a lap dance. "More like a specific part of my body that I'm rather fond of."
Steve laughed hysterically. "You're so whipped, man."
Matt quickly jumped to the defense of his older brother. "Steve, you had to beg your wife to leave the kids with her parents for the weekend… and John's the whipped one?"
"And Jessica could be John's sugar mama," Sean added. "She's only heir to a billion dollar company, aside from her own personal fortune."
Dan's jaw dropped to the ground. "Did you just use the term 'sugar mama?'"
"Uh… maybe."
John's best friend from Springfield College, Matt Sullivan, burst out laughing. "If I didn't have this fine-ass woman in front of me," he gestured to the blonde cowgirl, "I'd fall on the floor."
And just as John started to laugh, the stripper directly hovering over him, a flash went off.
"Orton, I'm going to fucking kill you."
"I'd just like to repeat again, Randal Keith Orton, that as soon as I return from my honeymoon, I am going to murder your ass."
"First of all, I would be very interested to see how you could murder my ass without killing the rest of me," he ticked off nonchalantly, causing John to turn a shade of reddish purple. "Secondly, it is not my fault that you are spending the rest of your bachelor party in a hospital."
"What were the first two things she said?" he challenged in response.
"Uhh… Prepare to be amazed..." Randy looked up at John from his tan industrial chair in the waiting room.
John nodded and coaxed him on, "Correct. And what was the second…"
"While she is on the hippity hop, don't make any sudden move-" the green-eyed wrestler stopped. "Oh."
"I do believe that jumping to your feet to applaud counts as a 'sudden movement,'" John replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.
Randy shrugged. "I stand corrected."
Dan Cena turned to look at the man who was the same age as he. "Uh, shouldn't you get up then, man?"
"Uh… no sudden movements, Daniel!" Randy pointed out as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Duh. Remember what happened LAST time?"
"Yeah…" Matt clapped a hand on his bulky shoulder. "I don't think that applies anymore."
The next three months went very smoothly. Preston and I finished up everything left that had to do with my end of the wedding, everything typically required of a bride, including the bouquet, flower arrangements, etc.
I must admit, though, there was very little left outside of the bride-only category of decisions that John didn't have something to do with. In fact, he pretty much figured out the design for the cake all by himself and relayed it to the fabulous Sylvia Weinstock using such proper terminology, even her mouth dropped open.
Then again, my fiancé's last name means dinner in at least two languages. What exactly did I expect?
*
"I know it's really sudden," Jessica replied to the person on the other end of her phone call, picking up her pocketbook from the conveyor belt. "But it's just something I really need to do, John."
"Baby," John started and then dropped the volume of his voice as he walked through the sliding glass doors from the currently-small gathering of family and friends in the pool area of the posh Long Island hotel they'd rented out for the next two days, before all of the guests headed to their accommodations at Oheka Castle, clutching the phone tighter to his ear. "We're getting married in two days. Don't you think you're cutting it a little close?"
Jessica sighed and put her boarding pass back into her bag. "Yes, but… I wouldn't feel right if I didn't go, John. It's not that long of a flight and I won't even stay overnight. I won't even stop at home."
"There aren't a lot of people here yet and it's only ten. They're just getting started on breakfast," he informed her, turning around to scan his turquoise eyes across the patio. "And you know most of our friends don't start their off-days until well after lunch."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Well, thank God for that."
"Yeah…" John trailed off in reply with a half-hearted laugh.
"John," the blonde addressed her fiancée as her heels clicked across the tiled floor of LaGuardia Airport. Since her decision to leave Long Island had been rather hasty, Jessica hadn't been able to change out of the outfit meant specifically for the party and that meant a pair of stilettos until she managed to find a more comfortable pair of shoes in the terminal. "I'm coming back, you know that, right?"
He nodded for his own benefit. "I know..."
Despite his reply, she could still sense his uneasiness. "John Cena, you listen to me. There are a thousand things in my life that I've second-guessed and I'm sure there will be a thousand more in the future… but I want that future to be with you. No second-guessing, no uncertainty. In fact, I've never been more certain about anything in my entire life," she stated firmly, but without an edge in her voice. "My flight is a little over an hour. I'm not even going to stop at the house. I'll be back in time for dinner, I swear."
The six foot, one inch Massachusetts native rested his forearm on the sliding door and pressed his forehead below it against the cool glass. "I'll be waiting."
A full week went by and I could barely sleep at night. I chalked it up to pre-wedding stress and worries about whether or not everything would go as planned.
John and I had arrived at the Glen Cove Mansion on the Friday afternoon before our wedding on the twenty-second, which fell on a Tuesday. All of Saturday would be spent poolside and by the patio with our families and closest friends. Aside from our immediate family, this included cousins, aunts, uncles, as well as all of our coworkers who were wrestlers, in order to avoid any sort of drama, and the wedding party.
And it wasn't until Saturday morning, when I woke up with a start, that I realized what was keeping me awake at night.
As a result, I had to skip out on breakfast and lunch. I didn't think that anyone would notice that I was gone, as there would be so many people and only one bride. Surely, they'd think that I was somewhere else in the party and John could play into it.
As I'd later find out, John had only informed his brothers, Matt Sullivan, my bridesmaids, Shane, Marissa, and our parents. They'd managed to fool the rest of our seventy guests into thinking I was in random places that they weren't.
And by the time John had convinced my recently-arrived Uncle Rod that I was upstairs, obsessing over what bathing suit I should wear to swim…
I was somewhere I told him I wouldn't go.
After making a quick stop at the house she'd practically grown up in for a pair of sneakers, ratty clothes, a shovel, gloves, and a bucket, Jessica packed it all into her faithful Sunfire and drove off into the afternoon sun.
The one good thing about Massachusetts was the fact that while it might be eighty in New York, it was in the high sixties near Boston. And if there was ever a day that she'd need it to be cooler out, this was it.
As the car crunched up the gravel road, she found what she was looking for.
Even though she overwhelmingly felt as though she wished it didn't exist at all.
"All done," the blonde young woman proclaimed, patting down the rest of the dirt beside the hard tablet and rising back to her feet. "That's certainly not all of them, but I figured these belonged with you more than they belonged with me."
The light breeze satisfied her need for an answer enough to allow her to continue.
"Don't worry, I still have plenty at home," she replied with a hint of a smile. "Lilies are my favorite too."
Jessica knelt back down and placed her hand on the stone.
"I've got some great news, Grandma," she smiled at the inscription on the headstone. "John and I are getting married on Tuesday. Although, I'm sure you already knew that."
The wind blew lightly again and Jessica laughed.
"You always did know everything." She shook her head. "I'm so sorry you weren't around for this. You knew all along we were meant for each other, but we were both too stubborn to do anything about it."
She reached back behind her and pulled an envelope out of her purse, placing it on the headstone in front of her. "This is for you. It's the invitation we sent out to everyone. I know that you can't be there in person, but…" she bit down on her lip and stopped speaking to compose herself.
"I just want you to know that I love you and I miss you, Grandma," Jessica glanced upwards, her eyes brimming with tears. "Whether I'm in Tampa or any other place around the world, my heart will always be in West Newbury… because you are my heart, Grandma. And I hope that someday, I'll be half the woman that you were."
Six hours later, back in her original outfit and with touched up hair and makeup, Jessica McMahon nonchalantly strolled onto the pool deck of the Glen Cove Mansion.
Almost instantly, she felt an arm slip around her waist and she smiled, resting her hand on the man's much larger one on her right hip. "Everything taken care of?"
The blonde nodded as they walked forward and all of those who had been in on the secret took notice and instantly relaxed.
"Yes," his fiancée answered as she waved at his mother. "And I think that I will be able to sleep at night again."
"No more pre-wedding paranoia?" John laughed heartily, still gliding with his future wife across the wooden panels.
Jessica reached up a French manicured hand and twirled the 'Princess Diana' lily behind her ear. "You know, I have a feeling that everything's going to be okay."
A/N: I apologize for not updating sooner, but my life has been incredibly hectic over the last two months. I started finals in the beginning of May and started an absolutely fantastic internship at Atlantic Records in New York City. The good thing at Atlantic is that in the last three days, I've been in elevators with Rob Thomas and Jason Mraz. Unfortunately, the internship requires me to be out of the house at 7:30 in the morning and I return around 8:30 at night, so as you can imagine, my stories are rarely something I want to pay attention to once I come home. My day off is usually spent by sleeping in and watch TV shows I missed, while my nights are spent watching my beloved Mets.
To be honest, I re-wrote this chapter twice and if it wasn't for How I Met Your Mother, this chapter wouldn't have gotten posted for at least another month. So, thank you, HIMYM!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. You can check out the actual place they stayed at, called the Glen Cove Mansion. I've been there. I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven.
There's a little piece of this chapter that will be relevant at the end of She's a Rebel IV, but it's nothing game changing. It's just something you'll read and smile at.
The next chapter might be a little while, as it IS the wedding chapter and I want to do it right. However, I wrote their wedding vows over two years ago… so that part is WELL taken care of.
Jessica wanted to invite you all to the wedding of course, so please check out my profile page for your official invite to the wedding in her portion of my profile. It can also be found on my twitter!
Without further adieu, here goes business per usual… SHOUT OUTS!
Hotpocketbandit – Thank you, I hope you enjoy this one too!
Sideways anger – Thank you for the birthday wishes, first and foremost. I still, two months later, have to stop when someone asks me how old I am to make sure I say nineteen. I'm glad to know that the way I've personified John has made you like him more, as I've really drawn from how I've found him to be in real life. Sorry I took so long to update.
WinchesterAngel3389 – Thanks for the birthday wishes, Marina! I'm totally stoked about the wedding and have been thinking about it for months. I've slowly been compiling everything, so we're just about there!
Jun6293 – It's okay, I certainly understand the lack of time! I've been everywhere, following the team in the last two months. I went to DC, Boston, Baltimore, and Philly (bleh) and might get to Chicago and Florida by the end of the season. I hope you get to meet David and even Jose (fingers crossed he returns soon), who has a sense of humor that is just amazing. For Jose, you really should brush up on your Spanish. Once he knows you speak the language, he can talk your ear off! And David is the sweetest guy ever. He knows who I am at this point, because of my website, and often jokes that when I go on road trips like these, I should just follow the bus down since I go to their batting practice sessions anyway. Carlos Beltran FINALLY signed my ball, after I complained to Ryan Church , another sweetheart who always takes pics and signs baseballs, that I just need Delgado and Beltran to sign the ball to have the team. Ryan went over and dragged Carlos to the left field corner for me. Carlos apologized for taking so long. SWEETHEART! Which game did you wind up going to? If you ever need BP advice, I'm your girl!
Enigmatic Lotus Leaf – I'm SO glad you like the story! Lucky 21-year old! How did you enjoy Wrestlemania?
Goddessofthenite – Ooh, but there are some things you don't know. IE: Their wedding vows. That's ONE thing no one knows but me!
Da-Real-Mrz-Cena102100 – Yes, poor John and his adorable mouth. Haha! Crazy coincidence about me and your brother!
Queen Chaos-Hardy – So, when I went to write your response, I went to write "Charizard." Wow. And! You never showed me the bridesmaid dresses. Should I be afraid of looking like a cow?
Vjsimpact – Oh, Stephanie's such a nutter. I love red… crimson especially. Thanks and THANKS!
Pr0udpnaii x33 – Despite this being your first time reviewing, I am still appreciative of your support! Thanks for the birthday wishes and hopefully, you can review again sometime!
AlexiaCalaway – Yes, a castle. LOVE IT.
RatedRCouture – Thank you… I thought it was poignant. And now that everyone knows, it's official!
ThatGirl54 – Aww, thank you! I could never let all of you McCena fans (including myself!) down!
Nic-002001 – You know, I'm not sad that John is getting married as much as I am disappointed. I mean, I was had delusions of us getting married, but I always thought he'd pick someone in the business or within the company, who understands the nature of sports entertainment. I feel like she ditched him when things got too rough and then came back when it got good again. I'm also of the opinion that if a boyfriend/girlfriend doesn't get along with your parents, there isn't much of a future for the two of you ahead. I know this from personal experience. Let's put it this way… I'm the mama's choice. And that's worked out well for me thus far. That being said, thank you so much for the praise and for following me on Twitter!
CraftyTink529 – I'm so glad you liked the update and I hope this one was worth the wait! You'll have to wait until I do. In the meantime, check out the Glen Cove Mansion. Also droolworthy,
Cena-holic8 – Thank you! I have yet to see 12 Rounds, but will get it on DVD when it comes out. It just came out at an awful time for me. I can't wait to see it!
Chain Gang Princess – I had a fantastic day and was totally a center of attention, especially at batting practice! A pink birthday crown got me lots of attention indeed! And I too love the image of John, asleep in a limo.
Westfan – Girl, I AM a chicken with her head caught off. I'm sorry about Davey's latest injury, but of course, I will come to see him on a weekend/day off. It was great to see you in Boston during the Mets series and I cannot believe how much the little girl has grown up! And you're right, they totally deserve a perfect wedding. And Dave will, of course, show up on his own. Do not worry. Plus, he only kissed her in the name of love and to help his two friends! MISS YOU!
iNdy MiLk – Thank you for the birthday wishes. I had a GREAT time! John is a horrific snorer. I'm telling you, I know these things. Hope I didn't make you wait too long.
Rossi's Lil Devil – Thank you! Hope this wasn't too long of a wait!
So there you have it, Rebels. Chapter 22… be on the lookout for Chapter 23 coming as soon as possible!
And in case you haven't already, come and follow me on Twitter. Just a few of the things you are missing: sneak previews of upcoming chapters (including this one) and, most importantly…
THE TITLE OF SHE'S A REBEL IV!
So what ARE you waiting for? Check me out on Twitter, user name Jewelgirl04 or go to my profile here on the site and click the link!
Rock on, Rebels!
Danielle