Chapter 22: Wedding Planner
"I have a dilemma, Tank," Ranger said. "Stephanie told me she doesn't want a big wedding. In fact, she said she only wants two witnesses and the minister."
"Sounds good to me," Tank agreed.
Ranger frowned. "I want to give her what she wants, but I don't think that is what she really wants. She told me this right after she escaped from that dungeon they were holding her in. She was distraught, exhausted and still worried about finding her captors. She's really close to her family, and I think she'll regret it if they aren't there."
"So, you're going to go against her wishes and have a huge church wedding?" Tank accused.
"No, the wedding will be small and will be held at our new house, which Stephanie still hasn't seen. She wants it to be a surprise. But I was thinking of asking our parents and a few friends to be there."
Tank snorted. "You just don't want to have to deal with your mama's disappointment if you get married and she can't cry at your wedding."
"Well, there is that," Ranger chuckled, "but it's more than just our families being there. I want this to be a special day for both of us. I think Stephanie is remembering her first wedding, which was a big Burg church wedding with all the trimmings, and it ended in disaster. We can have our own distinct ceremony that does not remind her of past events. I just need to plan it carefully and keep Stephanie in mind at all times."
"I'm glad it's you and not me doing all of this," Tank said.
"Oh, by the way, you're my best man," Ranger quipped. "So, you're going to be in the thick of all of it. Your first assignment is to find us a minister." Ranger walked out of the office, whistling "Here Comes The Bride."
...
She waited impatiently at the curb and finally picked up her cell phone and called. "What are you doing up there? Bedazzling your outfit? Get your ample ass down here, now," Steph demanded. "I need my maid of honor to help me pick out my wedding dress."
Two minutes later, Lula sashayed out the front door of her apartment in a chartreuse yellow spandex tube dress with a newly bedazzled emerald crystal bodice. She yanked open the passenger door of the RangeMan SUV and plopped her ample ass on the seat cushion. "What was that reference to my finely sculpted derriere? 'Cause it's exactly the size it's supposed to be," Lula insisted. "It's your ass that's way too skinny."
"Skinny or not, I have to find the perfect wedding dress to squeeze me and my ass into. I want to wow Ranger when he sees me walking toward him."
"That man's eyes light up every time you walk into a room, no matter what you're wearing. But leave it to Lula. I'll find you a great outfit that'll have his tongue hanging out."
"I don't want anything hanging out, not Ranger's tongue, or my ass, or my..." Steph glanced down at her chest. "Not that I have all that much to hang out." She sighed as she glanced over at Lula who was spilling out of her tight spandex dress in several places.
"So, you're really going to have only Tank and me at your wedding?" Lula asked. "That just seems like such a waste of a good party. All your family and friends have been waiting for the two of you to finally pull your heads out of ... the sand. And now that you have, no one but Tank and me gets to share your special day with you. It's a shame the two of you are finally tying the knot and you're not gonna share it with your family and friends. Not even your grandma? Isn't that sacrilegious?"
Steph's brows furrowed. "I know. There are a few people I'd really like to have at my wedding, but I've given this a lot of thought. It boils down to the Neverending Story."
"Huh?" Lula scowled.
Steph sighed. "If I invite my sister, then Ranger has to invite his five siblings. And they all have spouses and children. If I invite Mary Lou and Connie, then Ranger has to invite his best friends, but how does he invite one or two RangeMen and not the rest of them? Don't you see? It's never-ending. The list just keeps growing and growing and pretty soon, there are too many people to fit into the Bat Cave, and we'll have to move it to the PNA Hall, and I refuse to do that. So, it's the required two witnesses and the minister. That's it."
"I'm just sayin', that's not much of a celebration. And you and Ranger deserve a really great celebration. I mean, it's taken you years to finally get to this point. You should have a whopper of a wedding, with lots of friends and ... fireworks. Yeah, you need fireworks."
"No fireworks," Steph insisted. "Let's just get me a wedding dress, okay?"
"What kind of wedding dress you gonna get?"
"Something simple ... and elegant," Steph said.
"What? It's your wedding. To Batman! Simple just ain't gonna cut it," Lula declared. "I see you dressed like a princess, no, a queen. Something regal. Yeah, lots of satin and lace, and maybe those Sarkozy crystals, the real ones," Lula said, looking down at her rhinestone bodice, "Not the cheap stuff like this."
Steph shook her head. "No Swarovski crystals and no lace. I had the big poofy dress with lots of lace when I married Dickie. With my big poofy hair, I looked liked a frizzy balloon."
Lula glanced over at her friend and said, "You may have a point. Elegant is the key, then. But nothing simple. Leave it to me. I know just the right look for you. And it'll have Ranger drooling, too."
"Nothing too slutty. This isn't a distraction," Steph stated. "Ranger's seen me in enough vampy clothes. I want him to be proud of me." With a sly smile, she added, "And maybe there can be a little drool."
...
Stephanie smoothed down the glistening white sheath hugging her hips. It was a beautiful gown, elegant yet sexy. Nothing like the hideous frou-frou ball gown she'd worn the first time. Why was she even comparing? There was no comparison. She let all thoughts of the past float away from her mind. Today was about today ... and tomorrow. And all the rest of her tomorrows. Hers and Ranger's!
As for the Bat Cave! She hadn't been able to explore everything yet. Ranger had brought her here a few hours early so that she could get ready for their wedding. As they drove north toward Lawrence Township, she got an inkling that the Bat Cave was going to have a very special setting. She was not disappointed. They were still only minutes from downtown Trenton, but the area was a world apart from the Trenton she was familiar with.
The area was very upscale with all the homes on large lots. But the Bat Cave was a home apart from all the others. In fact, she couldn't see any of her neighbors, the lot was that large and was surrounded by thick woods. The house itself was spectacular. Like one of the old stately mansions she'd always fantasized about living in. All stone and grey brickwork, covered in a glorious profusion of dark green ivy. There were so many big windows, she knew the inside would be filled with tons of light.
Ranger had led her on a quick tour through the house so she could get a glimpse of all the rooms, and the views! The house sat on several acres of land and had wonderful views of the woods around the house. The interior was sumptuously furnished and decorated. She couldn't wait to explore each room at her leisure. Ranger had been very clear in his assurance that she could change anything she wanted to, from the color scheme to the furniture. Right now, she couldn't imagine changing a thing.
Ranger had settled her in one of the guest rooms; there were many. He said he would show her the master bedroom later that night. She would just have to be patient.
"Lordy, but this place is sparkly from head to toe," Lula exclaimed as she burst into Steph's changing room. "Those big picture windows and those ceilings... I haven't seen ceilings that high since I went to Midnight Mass last Christmas." Lula was wearing a sapphire blue dress that accentuated all her curves, but for once those curves were nicely contained inside the dress. And she'd kept her hair its natural color, though she did have a matching blue fascinator tucked into her upswept afro. Lula looked like the poster child of a fashion-forward, stylish maid of honor.
Steph laughed at Lula's obvious appreciation for the house. But she needed Lula's help. "Should I wear my hair up or down? It rained last night and I can't seem to tame the frizz."
Lula looked Steph up and down before speaking. "A bride should be the center of attention, but that floating cloud you call hair is big enough to be the center of the universe. I say we pull it together into an updo and pin it down real good."
An hour later, Lula finally let Steph look into a mirror. Steph's mouth nearly dropped open. "Lula, when did you learn how to do this? I have curls again, but the way they cascade down from the back is magical. I can't even see the pins." She touched a strand of hair that swirled from her temple, giving her just the right touch of imperfection to offset the rest of her masterfully contained mass of curls. Lula held up a hand mirror so that Steph could see the back better. "Oh, I love the tiny jewels," Steph exclaimed, gingerly touching the sapphire-blue sparkles dotted throughout her hair.
"They match the orchid bridal bouquet Ranger had made for you. That man has thought of everything. He even got me my own bouquet to hold when I stand up for you. I'm taking notes for when I get married, someday." Lula went silent.
"I'm sorry, Lula, about you and Cal," Steph murmured.
"Hey, no biggie," Lula perked up. "We had a fantastic time for a while. Cal's a great guy, but he isn't really marriage material. I learned a lot from him, though. I can hit my targets now, so don't you be giving me a hard time about carrying when I'm on the job."
"Who's your partner now?" Steph asked.
"Ranger's been sending Jake, now that Cal's been promoted at RangeMan. Jake's young and inexperienced, but I'm teaching him all I know. At least he's easy on the eyes. He ain't no Cal, but he's okay to work with."
Strains of music came drifting upstairs. Stephanie had expected Ranger to pick something classical, but the melody that reached her ears was "Lovely Day," a contemporary song she had commented on months ago. Ranger had remembered. She started to tear up and then heard Lula admonish her.
"No, no, no. No crying. Your mascara's waterproof, but even that can only hold up for so long. Save the waterworks for later."
"It's just that ... it's finally happening. Ranger and I are getting married. Now. It's someday!" Steph sniffled. "I kind of miss my parents ... and my grandmother. And Mary Lou. I know they are my past, and Ranger is my future, but they're a part of me, an important part." She straightened her shoulders and gave a tiny shake of her head. "But today is about Ranger and me."
"Your family and friends are still an important part of your life, even after you're married. You just focus on Batman today. It's time to get you downstairs. I'll go first."
Steph reached out and touched Lula's arm. "Thank you for being here for me. I don't know what I'd have done without you. Who'd of thought we'd both be here today, from where we started when we first met?"
"I ain't ashamed of my past, but I am so thankful it's all in the past. And that's because of you, Steph. I'd still be hookin' if you hadn't suggested I work for Vinnie, not that Vinnie's the greatest boss, but my life has certainly taken a turn for the better since I met you."
"Mine, too," Steph agreed.
They gave each other a heartfelt hug. Lula took one last look in the mirror, adjusted the girls so they were front and center, gave Steph a wink and, as the music downstairs changed to Etta James' "At Last," out the door she went.
Steph took a deep breath, stared at her image in the mirror, smiled and, as the familiar melody of Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" played, she made her way out the door and toward the top of the staircase.