THE VENUE:
The place where the whole wedding will take place. Considerations in choosing a venue could be because the place holds special memories for the couple or it could be sentimental to one of the couple’s parents or grandparents. But more than anything, the venue chosen must accommodate the theme of the wedding.
It was the most hectic following months of my life. I was setting up Ever After Manhattan, meeting up with potential suppliers, and hiring and training people. On top of all that, I was planning my own wedding. I had to actually get Nicole to stay in New York once in a while to help me. Leilani, my assistant in Malibu, was left in charge of the branch and Nicole and I would just fly in if there were important matters that needed our attention.
The first major problem that I had was the location of my wedding. I could easily have that in a hotel, but it wasn’t good enough for Ryder. He wanted my best idea, my top dream wedding on the table. He wasn’t settling for anything less.
“Really? Apart from the wedding you planned for Bryan, there could have been something else that you wanted… something you only thought was possible in dreams,” Ryder said to me one night when I was showing him my notes.
I sighed. There was one dream when I was younger. The first wedding idea that sparked my passion for wedding planning.
“Tell me,” Ryder said.
I shook my head. It was such a long time ago. I was barely a teenager then. I was just a kid who hasn’t even graduated from reading fairy tales.
Ryder pushed me back to bed and started tickling me. I laughed.
“Ryder, stop!”
“Come on! I can do this all night!” He laughed and then he relentlessly tickled me in spots he knew I was most sensitive.
I wriggled away from him but he refused to let me go.
“Okay! Okay!”
He stopped and collapsed on the bed beside me. He gathered me in his arms and let me rest my head on his chest.
I took a deep breath and then I closed my eyes, picturing what I thought was the dream of dreams weddings.
“When I was younger, I used to picture a wedding in a huge estate… with a huge garden. Flowers in bloom everywhere. The ceremony would be in the middle of an orchard, surrounded by trees. It would be like a fairyland. When the bride walks down the aisle, there would be a rain of flower petals. Then at night, all the trees would be illuminated by lights like they’ve been infested by fireflies, and then there would be a fireworks display.”
“Fairyland wedding,” he said. “Suitable to seal the deal on your ‘ever after’.”
I giggled. “Yes.”
He tilted my chin up so I could look at him.
“Now, I like thatidea!”
My eyes widened. “But Ryder… that will be very expensive!”
He raised a brow. “So? I intend to marry only once, love. Why not go all the way? If you had to plan the wedding of your wildest dreams, with unlimited budget, what would you do?”
“But Ryder… we don’t even have a location for that. Where could we find a large estate that has a forest or a garden that’s huge enough to pass up as a fairyland?”
He smiled and pulled me to him. “I think I know exactly the place, love.”
The next day, Ryder took me for a ride.
“Where are we going?”
“My grandmother’s house,” he replied.
“Your grandmother’s? You… you never mentioned her before.”
“Well, she’s in heaven now,” he said. “But she left my mother her estate. Just check it out.”
It was a little more than an hour drive. Then he stopped in front of a steel-gated estate. He blew the horn and waved at the CCTV camera. Immediately, the gate opened. We were entering a huge property. My jaw dropped. It was not just a mansion. It was almost like… a freaking castle!
“Your mother owns this?”
Ryder nodded. “Soon we will own it too, along with Paris.”
I stared at him, unable to believe what he’s saying. “Who lives here?”
“Butlers… maids,” he replied. “We come here for short breaks at least twice a year.”
He parked in front of the mansion… castle… estate… whatever you call it. A man dressed in a suit greeted us.
“Mr. Ryder, good day.” He greeted. Then he looked at me and smiled. “Madam Astrid. It is nice to finally meet you.”
“Good day Ben.” Ryder greeted him. “Sweetheart, this is Ben. He takes care of the whole estate.”
I smiled at Ben and extended my hand to him. He shook it. I was actually surprised that he knew who I was.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“Astrid wants to see the whole place. If she likes it, we’re going to hold our wedding here in a couple of months.”
Ben smiled. “Then I shall take you on a tour. A wedding has not been held here since Mr. Ryder’s grandparents got married. It would be our utmost pleasure to host yours.”
The whole estate was massive and completely impressive. The front of the house has a vast garden filled with flowers of different kinds and colors. There are two lavish fountains standing side-by-side each other and sculptures of angels and cupids adorn every corner.
There are two other gardens at the back of the house. One is a labyrinth. I couldn’t resist going inside it. There are benches inside the pathways, as well as lamps and posts to make it suitable for walking at night. The whole structure was only about two feet taller than Ryder.
The center of the labyrinth was an even more picturesque garden with beautifully landscaped plants, cut knee high, and form patterns of circles and hearts.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I can barely believe I was still in New York. God, I cannot even believe I was still in the human world!
Ryder and Ben led me out of the labyrinth and we proceeded further into the estate. They led me to a line of oak trees. Some branches were intertwined together to form an arc over the pathway. The end of the arc lead to what looks like an orchard, surrounded by very tall trees that shade the whole area, allowing only a little of the rays of the sunlight, even at noontime.
We walked further, until we reached the lake at the end of the entire estate.
“We can get swans to swim here on the day of the wedding.” Ryder whispered.
I stared at Ryder. Tears were brimming in my eyes. “Seriously?” I asked him.
He nodded. “It gets better,” he said.
“There’s more?”
Ryder smiled. “Guess what comes out here at night?”
I smiled, looking at the beautiful line of flowers and shrubs that border the entire estate, separating it from the lake.
“I don’t know what else could top these. Unless you have fireflies here at night too.”
Ryder didn’t answer. Ben smiled. I stared at both of them.
“Oh my God!” I breathed. “Seriously? Fireflies?”
Ryder’s eyes twinkled. “So, has the future Mrs. Ryder Van Woodsen found her fairyland yet?”
I nodded. I lunged forward and hugged him. “It’s perfect,” I said. “Just like you… it’s absolutely perfect.”
***
The following months zoomed by so fast. Maybe that was because I was too busy. I kept Nicole on her toes as well. Janis and Paris would come to help once in a while.
Ryder made Nicole in-charge of the wedding budget. I strongly argued, but I didn’t win, two against one.
“If you handled the budget, it would alter your creativity.” Nicole said to me. “You stop your wonderful ideas once you tally the bottom figure.”
Ryder agreed with her. “I already told you. Wedding of your wildest dreams, love. Nothing less.” He looked at Nicole. “Don’t even give her the subtotals. Send all the bills to me.”
Nicole smiled radiantly and gave me a triumphant look. She had a couple of out-of-this-world ideas that she wanted to try, and she was using my wedding as a guinea pig.
A month and a half before the date, a very elegant, Swarovski-adorned, white and gold scrolls encased in crystal glass tubes went out to the guests, inviting them to our big day.
A few days before the wedding, the girls planned for my bachelorette’s party, which was held in Ryder’s grandmother’s vast estate.
On the same day, Ryder was going to have his bachelor’s party. At first, I was nervous about what they were going to do. I knew Bryan was planning to do his at a strip bar. I knew it was tradition to go to those places for bachelors’ parties, but I somehow couldn’t help being worried about the fact that Ryder might be with another woman. And I hated that thought… tradition or no tradition.
But in the morning, I saw Ryder in his hiking boots, preparing some camping stuff.
“Where are you going?”
“Bachelor’s thing,” he replied.
“In hiking boots?”
He laughed. “What did you think, love? Strippers and one night stands?” I glared at him. He laughed again. “I promise. No monkey business,” he said. “Jake, Adam, Derek, John, and I are going camping in the woods close to my grandmother’s estate. We’ll trek, we’ll fish, we’ll enjoy the fireflies and we’ll get drunk. Then we’ll head back in the morning.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because that’s what I wanted to do before I got married,” he said. “Something that I only used to do when I was a boy with no responsibility in life.”
I smiled at him and gave him a hug, quite relieved that I didn’t have to worry about him being with somebody else.
But it seems that my girls have planned the complete opposite for me. They wanted me to have the whole bachelorette experience. From liquor, to kinky-looking cakes to blindfolds, and really slinky, revealing lingerie presents.
After they revealed their presents that seem to lack in material and leave almost nothing to imagination, they blindfolded me and told me to sit in the chair and just enjoy the ride.
“Strippers!” They screamed and the music blasted from the stereos.
“Guys! Please! Ryder’s grandmother might still be here watching us!” I pleaded.
I don’t like this at all. I have never been with anyone but Ryder, so I won’t really be missing out on anything when we get married.
There were cheering all around. The girls were going wild. Suddenly, I felt hot breath on my neck. I almost screamed. Masculine hands touched my nape and I felt a soft kiss on my right shoulder.
Now, I really screamed.
“Stop! Please stop!” I pleaded to the guy. I will not allow this! I raised my knees up my chair and wrapped my arms around my legs. I was almost in the brink of crying.
“Come on, sweetheart!” Janis said. “This guy is expensive! Make it worth our money!”
“I’ll pay you back!” I shouted. “Just please make him leave!”
They laughed again. They kept encouraging the guy to touch me. “Come on! Her fiancé won’t find out! Touch her!”
I felt hands on my waist, then on my thighs, forcing me to sit properly. I felt cold hands on mine and they were pulled behind me.
“Sorry, sweetheart.” Dannie said. “We can’t have you resisting the ride of your life!”
“Ryder!” I whispered. “Where are you when I need you the most?”
“Come on, Ash! One man all your life?” Somebody asked. And I recognized that as Paris.
“That one man is your brother!” I cried desperately.
She laughed. “I won’t tell.”
“Guys, stop this!” I pleaded to them. “I don’t want this.”
“You don’t know that.” Nicole said. “You just might enjoy it!”
Just then, I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and I was lifted from the chair.
I started kicking and trying to get away. But damn he’s strong! I was being lifted again and tossed over a muscular shoulder like a piece of sack. The man walked and I knew I was being carried away from the room. I could tell that the guy was shirtless. I kept kicking and struggling but he held my thighs securely over his shoulder.
“Make her scream, okay?” One of my traitor friends said.
“Make every penny count!” Another one added.
And suddenly, I could only hear my friends’ faint voices. I landed on soft mattresses and I knew that I was placed down on a bed, in a separate bedroom. I got even more scared because I suspect that we were alone.
“Damn you! Stay away from me! My fiancé will kick your ass!” I screamed.
I was pushed on the bed by a force that is a lot stronger than me. I struggled, but he held me perfectly in place, pinning me between the mattress and his body. It didn’t help that my hands were tightly cuffed behind me. The combination of Dannie and handcuffs proved to be dangerous.
Why are my friends allowing this?
“I will scream rape!” I said, almost shouting.
Somehow, I know that the guy was laughing at me, but he didn’t even make a sound. He reached for my hands behind me and suddenly the cuffs went off.
I prepared to punch, scratch and inflict pain, but he was ready for me, too. He captured both my hands and held it securely above my head.
“I will pay you! Ten times what they paid you.” I pleaded when I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape.
It didn’t seem like he was listening to me at all. I was pinned securely on the mattress, his thighs covering mine. One of his hands was securely fastened on my hip to prevent me from escaping, the other was holding both my hands above me. I felt his hot breath on my neck again. I squirmed.
“Ryder!” I prayed silently. “Please… please come save me.” Tears were streaming down my cheeks, a whimper escaped me.
But I knew Ryder was getting drunk somewhere in the woods, while a complete stranger was raping me here. I have to fight and defend myself.
He tightened his grip on me and nuzzled my neck. He was close enough and immediately I leaned forward and buried my teeth on his bare flesh. I think it was his shoulder that I bit. Then I struggled to be free of him while he was writhing in pain.
“Jesus Christ, Astrid!” He cursed.
Then suddenly, I realized that I know that voice. And instantly, relief washed over me.
He recovered from the pain and in two seconds, I was secured under him again. “God! You make me want you more and more.” He whispered against my ear. And if before I was appalled by the thought of being in bed with him, hearing his voice now made my blood stir, arousing familiar emotions within me.
Then gently, he removed my blindfold. I stared into his familiar green eyes. There was a combination of love, lust, and amusement on his face.
I was relieved and angry at the same time. “Damn you!” I started hitting him and he laughed, trapping my hands in his and securing them over my head again.
Ryder smiled at me and leaned forward to give me a thorough kiss on the lips. I kissed him back. Then he released my hands and cupped my face between his palms.
“You don’t know how proud I am right now,” he said. “Hearing you pray for me to come and rescue you, when a potentially sexy stripper is about to pleasure you… is just too heartwarming for me.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked him. “It’s your stag party, right?”
He smiled. “Well… the bachelor usually gets laid on his stag party. But I’m not really interested in bedding another woman. And I will kill any other man who lays a finger on you. So… why don’t we just sleep with each other and both our problems are solved?”
I giggled. “Sounds good to me.” Then I pushed him on his back, so that he was sitting on the bed and then I mounted him. “You’re entitled to a lap dance. How about I make it worth your while?” I smiled at him mischievously.
He grinned at me. He raised his arms and intertwined his fingers behind his head. “Now, my love, I guess it’s your turn to make me scream.”
I was a bit drunk and feeling a little bit wild. I dared to do things I haven’t done before and was afraid of trying. But the alcohol and all the euphoria caused by this bachelorette thing brought out a side of me I didn’t even know existed. Ryder had a big smile on his face when we woke up in the morning.
My cheeks turned red as the memories of the previous night flooded back to me. I saw that Ryder has a bruise on his shoulder where I bit him when I thought he was a strange male stripper.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered to him.
“I’m not complaining.” He grinned. “You, my love, are a perfect ending to the best bachelor’s party a man could ever have.”
My blush turned more violet. I buried my face against his neck, inhaling the scent of him. I guess last night my senses were dimmed by the alcohol and my fear of male strippers that I didn’t recognize Ryder. His scent… the feel of his skin… all of these are familiar to me. I didn’t need to see him, because my senses know him. How could I have doubted that he was someone else?
We went out of the room at around ten. Some of our friends were already in the gazebo having breakfast.
Ryder came with all the boys last night and everybody spent the night in the mansion.
As we got out of our room, I heard a harsh banging of the door on our right and saw John walking out of one of the rooms. He was fully dressed and looked completely pissed off, he didn’t even see us when he hurried down the stairs.
Then the door opened again and Nicole came rushing out of the room. She was still dressed in the clothes she was wearing last night.
“John! What the hell is your problem?” She chased after John.
What is going on?
I knew John and Nicole had feelings for each other, although both of them were just too chicken to admit it. John was too much of a rake, and Nicole was just too scared to trust a guy like him.
Did John finally admit it’s time for him to go after Nicole? Did he plan to start last night? Or this morning? And then… Oh my God! Did he come to Nicole’s room and find her with somebody else? Who?
The door of the room where Nicole and John came from opened again and I almost fainted when I saw who stepped out of it.
Ryder gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“What the hell is going on, Adam Ackers?” I demanded, looking at my cousin sternly.
He shrugged. “Apparently, the first girl I slept with after a long time is in love with somebody else,” he said sarcastically. But he always was so good at hiding his emotions.
“Don’t be smart with me, Adam! What happened?”
Adam proceeded to go down the stairs. I grabbed Ryder’s hand and pulled him with me. We followed my cousin.
“Nothing happened, Ash.” Adam said. “Leave it.”
I touched his shoulder and forced him to stop walking and face me. I raised a brow.
He sighed. “Your friend John was being charming to everybody, except for the girl whose heart is breaking because of him. She was drunk out of her wits, okay? I… gave her assistance. I couldn’t leave her alone in the room. I fell asleep beside her. And he found us in bed together.” Adam said. He took a deep breath. “Good for him. Maybe now, he’ll wake up and see that she’s… actually not bad at all.” His voice was even, but I thought I heard a trace of… yearning there. Then he turned on his heel went down the stairs towards the gazebo, whistling as if nothing happened at all.
I stared up at Ryder who has an amused expression plastered on his face. I glared at him. He pulled me to him and gave me a tight hug.
“You’re getting married in three days, love. John, Nicole, and Adam are no longer kids. I’m sure they will sort this out. Our wedding preparations require your undivided attention.”
I sighed and hugged him back. He’s right. They’re a bunch of smart adults. They can sort this out on their own and I have better things to think about, bigger plans to worry about.
I smiled up at Ryder and tiptoed to give him a kiss on the lips.
“I love you.” I told him.
“I love you more,” he said. “I can’t wait to make you mine forever.”
“Even after last night?” I asked remembering how I let myself a little bit loose in bed with Ryder. It was like I didn’t know I had the guts to do half the things I did.
Ryder’s eyes twinkled. “Especially after last night!” I gave him a pout and pinched him on the arm. He laughed and pulled me towards him in another heart-stopping kiss.