Here Comes the Bride, page 3
She shouldn’t have pried. It was childish. She couldn’t help it though. Janet had crashed the wedding, then threw herself on Ethan. It all seemed so bizarre.
They finished getting ready, then walked to the wedding. Set on a white balcony overlooking white-crested waves of turquoise, the wedding felt romantic. A chuppah had been placed at the end of the balcony. Bright orange and red tropical flowers dripped from the edges of the wedding canopy. The same fresh flowers had been tied to the chairs at the end of each aisle. The air was warm and dry. She remembered what Jill had said about weddings stirring up romantic feelings in couples. However, if any wedding bugs were flying around, there was also a gigantic frog named Janet who was hungry to devour them.
“Is a rabbi marrying them?” she asked, looking at the chuppah.
Ethan shook his head. “I think Melanie’s dad is marrying them. He’s a preacher.”
Though Ethan was friends with both the bride and the groom, they sat on the groom’s side and watched as the guests filed in and took their seats. She loved to people watch and wasn’t disappointed by the guests at this wedding. The bride and groom’s families could not have been more opposite.
She’d never seen such a mix of people, and it was like someone had drawn a line down the middle of the aisle, and made signs with arrows that read “If you wear loud hats, speak with a drawl, and have ever made biscuits and gravy, you belong over here. Everyone else sits on the other side.” Ethan knew almost everyone at the wedding. People either waved to him or stopped to talk.
Melanie’s parents’ names were Cash and Honey—the mother was Cash and the father was Honey.
“Darlin’, you are just as cute as a new piglet in hay.” Based on the kind tone in Cash Hail’s voice, and the way she touched Cate’s chin when she spoke, Cate took this as a compliment. “And a skinny little thing too!” She threw her head back and laughed. “I told Honey when we left for the Cancun airport that I’m on a diet this weekend.” She paused. “The all you can eat diet. Pack on calories and fat at your own free will. You can join me if you want. There are no losers on this one! This diet leaves everyone with a sense of accomplishment.”
Her booming laughter was so contagious that Cate couldn’t help but join. “I think I already do that every day anyway.”
“I tried to lose weight before the wedding, and I finally just realized that dog ain’t gonna hunt.”
The music began, a mariachi band. “Well I guess that’s my cue,” Cash said as the sound of Spanish bugles filled the air. “I gotta head back to go give my baby away.” She reached for a handkerchief and began to dab at tears as she waddled away.
Cate remembered Melanie speaking with a slight accent, but she was definitely not as Southern as the rest of her family. She came down the aisle with her parents to “Guantanamera.”
The bridesmaids all wore long silver evening gowns with flip-flops. Melanie started crying as soon as she saw Lance, and mascara ran down her cheeks like mud.
Cate sat next to Lance’s cousin, Gil, who didn’t bother looking up from his cell phone once. He text-messaged people the entire time. The ceremony was going well, but she sort of wished they would speed things up. Every five seconds she could feel something crawling on her calves and up her arms. Skinny hair like little legs tickled the back of her neck. The place was infested with mosquitoes. She should’ve applied a layer of bug spray all over body instead of the fruity lotion they seemed to love. If they didn’t hurry up she’d probably have the West Nile virus by the time the reception was over. She wasn’t the only one. Every two seconds she could hear people slapping their own arms or groaning in disgust as they picked insects off their bodies.
Lance had written his own vows, and when he read them there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience. “You are the love of my life, and the thing I look forward to the most is waking up to see your dimples every morning,” he said. “I know I can get through anything when I have you by my side.”
Ethan took Cate’s hand from her lap. When she looked at him he whispered, “I love you.” Thank God he was being bitten by something other than mosquitoes.
The reception had a Spanish theme. A sombrero and a pair of maracas waited at each guest’s place setting and the mariachi band provided all the music. Cate and Ethan found their table, and she felt slightly annoyed when she noticed Janet sitting next to one empty seat. They needed two seats—one for Cate and one for Ethan. They were short a seat because of her. She was never supposed to be at the wedding to begin with, and she’d taken one of their seats. Oblivious to her bad manners, she put on the sombrero that was intended for one of them. “Uh-oh,” she said. “It looks like they didn’t put enough seats at our table.” She waved her maracas.
Cate felt like holding up her place card, the one that said Cate Padgett Table #15, and asking her if she had one too. Then she realized it was sort of sad and embarrassing to think of how ill-mannered Janet was. Obviously, no one had ever taught her any manners, and her lack of common sense was sort of pitiful.
Ethan squeezed Cate’s shoulders. “You stay here. I’ll go find us another chair.”
It seemed like forever while Cate stood next to the table, waiting for Ethan to return. The first toast started, and she sat in the only empty chair so she wouldn’t block anyone’s view. Ethan finally returned with a busboy who held a folding chair.
“Would you hurry up? I’m missing the whole damn toast,” someone yelled while they squeezed into the crowded setting.
This comment was followed by a loud and irritated, “Shhhh!” from the back of the room.
The new chair was smaller than the rest, and when Ethan sat down he looked as if he were sitting on the ground. For once in her life, Cate felt taller than him. She sat in between Ethan and Janet.
As soon as the toast ended, Janet’s head shot in front of Cate and she was forced to lean back so she wouldn’t get knocked out by the sombrero Janet had stolen from them. “What have you been up to?” she asked Ethan.
“Really busy with my catering business and . . .” he looked at Cate and smiled, “. . . hanging out with Cate.”
“I always knew you would start your own business someday,” she said. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks. Listen, I’m really sorry about your house.”
Cate watched a tear roll down her cheek. “Well, it’s been really hard. But I’m doing better. I think I’m going to move to San Diego.”
Cate nearly spat her margarita onto the table.
“Nothing is set in stone yet, but I have a few interviews at restaurants next week.”
“Great. Let me know if you need any help.”
Cate felt sorry for her, but at the same time something about Janet made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was because she hadn’t acknowledged Cate once since they’d sat down. Rather, she pretended like Cate didn’t even exist, leaning over her and tapping Ethan’s arm every time he said something funny.
Luckily the first dance came sooner than expected, and her incessant gabbing was interrupted. They watched as Melanie and Lance took to the dance floor. They looked so in love, never taking their eyes away from each other for one moment. Cate took a bunch of pictures of the happy couple. If they turned out good she would send them to Lance and Melanie. It might save them some money with the photographer.
“Aren’t they the cutest thing ever?” Janet looked at Ethan.
Cate had never been to a place where busboys served margaritas from pitchers the same way they gave away water. They dined on enchiladas and salads. There was a brief moment when she wondered if she should eat the lettuce. It was, after all, Mexico, and who knew what kind of water the lettuce had been washed in? But they were at a five-star resort, she reasoned.
The rest of the wedding was a blast. They danced to the mariachis and shook their maracas. It seemed as if every time her gaze stumbled upon Janet, she was watching them with a frosty stare. Several times, Ethan had been twirling Cate on the dance floor and she’d caught Janet’s eyes thinly fixed on them.
After the reception they took a long stroll through the hotel grounds, their arms linked. The air was damp and warm, and she could feel her hair frizzing, but she didn’t mind. Sure, she’d rather have straight, sleek hair around him, but they were at a comfort level in which he’d seen her with frizzy hair enough times that she was pretty secure he wasn’t going to be turned off.
“I had fun tonight,” he said. “I’m really happy for Lance and Melanie.”
“I know. They seem really happy. That’s what happens when you find true love. It’s so amazing.” He stopped to kiss her. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” His hands felt warm on her face, and as they kissed again she felt her whole body growing warm all over. They could hardly keep their hands off each other the rest of the way back to the room. As they undressed each other in the dark, she smiled to herself. He’d been bitten by the wedding bug.
• 4 •
Bitten by Something
Nausea hit her like a tidal wave in the middle of the night. Drowsy, she tried to ignore her need to vomit. Sleep would make it go away. If she could just fall back to sleep she’d be fine. She did everything in her power to force her weak body back to sleep. After she could no longer resist the inevitable, she sprang from the bed, ran to the bathroom, and threw up. She knew she should’ve never trusted the lettuce, even if they were staying at a five-star resort. It was the oldest rule in the book. Never eat uncooked produce in Mexico, and she should’ve known better. Cold sweat oozed from her pores before she vomited again. Damn. Why did this have to happen? On their vacation?
Her insides constricted like snakes, and her throat burned when she began to dry heave. She was just starting to wonder if she was waking the entire hotel when she heard Ethan’s voice behind her.
“You okay, Catie bear?” He crouched down behind her and rubbed her back the same way her mother had when she was a child. She hadn’t bothered to dress after the sex they’d had earlier, and she sat in the nude next to the toilet.
She shook her head, and when she glanced at him she noticed that he wasn’t dressed either. She was afraid if she opened her mouth to speak she might start crying tears of frustration. She wasn’t supposed to get sick on their vacation. This was supposed to happen during the school year when she could miss work.
He gave her a hand towel.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Four thirty.”
“You can go back to bed.” She didn’t expect him to sit on the bathroom floor with her while she barfed in the buff all night. Close as they were, she didn’t really want him to see her vomiting stomach bile like a bald eagle regurgitating food for its young.
“Do you think you can drink some water?” he asked.
“Maybe just to rinse my mouth with.” The sour taste of acid intensified her nausea. Worse, her entire body itched. She was covered from head to toe in mosquito bites.
“Do you have any bites?” she asked.
He held out his arm. “Just this one.” It was the size of a sunflower seed. “Geez!” he shouted when he looked at her arms and legs. “You’re covered!”
“I know. I think they liked the sweet taste of my lotion.”
“As soon as the shops open I’ll walk to town and get you something at the pharmacy.”
He filled a glass with water then helped her to her feet.
She swished the water in her mouth before spitting in the sink. “I actually feel a little better.”
He helped her back to bed.
She struggled with sleep for a couple hours before falling into a light doze. She dreamt that Ethan had proposed. The ring was adjustable, similar to those found in gumball machines. Instead of a diamond, a tiny plastic golf ball rested in the setting.
When she woke she felt overcome with nausea, and again ran to the bathroom. Her body racked as she vomited nothing but stomach acid.
When she returned to the bedroom Ethan was pulling a T-shirt over his head. “It’s ten,” he said. “The pharmacy has gotta be open by now. I’m going to town to see if I can get you something.”
It seemed like he was gone forever, and she felt too sick to read. Three of the five channels they got were news. The other two stations were in Spanish, so she watched CNN. The bites on her ankles itched the most, and she scratched them with her toenails. She knew she shouldn’t indulge in scratching them, but the temporary relief was too satisfying to resist.
She looked at her camera bag sitting on the dresser. As she thought about all the unused film and time she was wasting in the hotel room she felt totally helpless. They should be out exploring, bargaining with the vendors in town, or taking the ferry to Cozumel, not wasting away in the hotel. There was nothing she could do to make herself feel better, and she hoped that Ethan found some potent drugs at the pharmacy.
He finally returned carrying a huge bottle of Gatorade and a plastic bag. “Feeling better?” he asked.
She shook her head.
She noticed a billowy white fabric sticking from the bag. “What’d you get?”
“Well, I passed a few vendors on the way to the pharmacy and I thought since we’re in Mexico you need a Mexican shirt.” He unfolded the fabric and held up a loose white blouse with orange and red flowers embroidered over the chest. It was beautiful.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s adorable.”
“They didn’t have any men’s, but next time we go into town we’ll have to look for something Spanish for me. I went to the pharmacy and the guy told me that he could give you pills, but you’ll probably just throw them up. He said what you need is a shot. He asked me if I could give it to you . . .” He laughed. “Of course I said no. So he told me to either bring you back to the pharmacy so he could give it to you or get the hotel doctor. I didn’t really want this guy giving you a shot, so the hotel doctor is coming in ten minutes.”
“Do you think it’s safe to get a shot in Mexico?”
He reminded her that they were at a five-start resort, and it wasn’t like they were going to some shaman in the middle of the jungle.
While they waited for the doctor he rubbed anti-itch ointment over every single one of her bites. Sure enough, ten minutes later the doctor arrived. He carried a small case and wore crisp khakis, a golf shirt, and a Rolex watch.
“Tell me your symptoms,” he said in perfect English.
She explained what had happened. “I have to give you a shot. You will just throw up the pills.”
“Okay.” She sat on the bed.
There was an awkward pause, and the doctor frowned. “So, uh, turn over.”
“Oh,” she said, suddenly realizing where he was going to stick his needle. She rolled onto her stomach and pulled her shorts just beneath her butt.
She never thought it would be possible to feel closer to Ethan, but as she lay there with her bare white butt smiling at the ceiling and Dr. Carlos standing over her with his syringe she felt as if she had just moved to a new level of intimacy with her boyfriend. If he’d planned to propose on this trip she hoped he wasn’t changing his mind.
The doctor advised her to stay out of the sun for the rest of the day and drink a lot of fluids. “You can return to the beach tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll be feeling much better by then.”
Ethan paid the doctor, and she hoped that whatever he’d given her would work wonders and bring back her appetite and craving for booze so she could take full advantage of the free drinks and food they were supposed to be stuffing themselves with.
“You can go to the beach,” Cate said as soon as the doctor was gone. “I don’t expect you to sit here all day and rot in this room with me.”
“No. I’ll stay.”
He stayed with her all day. The only time he left was to go on a quest for plain white rice and bananas for her to eat. It took all her willpower to eat, and she knew she had to take a few bites if she wanted to get her strength back. They lay around all day, recapping parts of the wedding from the night before and playing cards. She taught him to play dice, and by sunset he was a pro. By the time they went to bed she felt a little better, and she snuggled into his warm body. As she drifted off to sleep she didn’t feel like the day had been wasted at all.
• 5 •
The Invasion
The following morning she felt much better. Her appetite hadn’t returned, and she still felt weak, but she was definitely ready to soak up some sun. They walked to two empty lounge chairs by the pool and set up camp. “So,” Ethan said. “This is what I propose.”
Her ears perked at the word propose. “I propose that we lounge around all day today and maybe if you’re feeling up to it we can do something mellow like snorkeling tomorrow. We’ll have a few hours before we catch our flight.”
“That sounds good.” She was still thinking of how he’d used the word propose. Then she realized that it wasn’t going to happen this weekend. Food poisoning. Ethan’s ex-girlfriend watching them like a hawk. It wasn’t exactly a setting for The Perfect Proposal. The truth was, she had no idea when he would ask. Just because she’d found a brochure and he’d been bitten by the wedding bug, she really had no clue. It could be months—years, even. She knew he wanted to be with her. They’d talked about how many kids they wanted and where they’d build their dream home, but they’d never been specific about when their relationship might become permanent.
“I think I’m going to head to the bar,” Ethan said. “You want anything?”
“Just water.” She’d listened to all her friends rave about the benefits of staying at an all-inclusive resort. Descriptions of a constant flow of margaritas and a steady supply of nachos had given her something to look forward to. Of course, her stomach felt like a hurricane while she had her opportunity to indulge.
Instead of getting drunk with Ethan she decided to take pictures of the view from the pool. She could see the ocean, dotted with parasailers and Jet Skis. She snapped pictures of the Mexican vendors that set up their jewelry and pottery around the bar. There were tropical birds, an iguana, and several interesting Europeans that she caught on film.
