The Bride Experiment (9 page)

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Authors: Mimi Jefferson

BOOK: The Bride Experiment
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Chapter 13
Raquel looked at the bubbles emerging from her tall chilled glass. After taking a sip, she delicately nibbled on a chocolate-covered strawberry. This was just how she imagined the morning of her wedding: cool, calm, and refreshing.
All of her bridesmaids, minus Karen, were in a hotel suite down the hall getting their hair and makeup done. The children were in another suite with James's mother. Raquel had arranged to have her own private suite. She didn't want the busy chatter of the other people in her wedding party to disturb the best day of her life. There was no way she was going to give anyone the pleasure of preventing her from soaking up every delectable moment.
The masseuse had arrived at six in the morning. After an hour-long massage, Raquel let the masseuse out and let the manicurist in. An hour after that, Raquel's hairdresser and makeup artist arrived.
The bridal suite was exquisite. To her left, Raquel could see the sprawling oak trees through her oversized bay window. It was a serene and peaceful sight. Raquel chose this hotel because it was minutes from Coolwater Church. Both were located in Fordham, Texas, a city less than an hour and a half from Houston.
Raquel and a group of other hairstylists had fallen in love with Coolwater Church over five years ago after a bunch of them had attended a funeral for their longtime supplier. They couldn't believe such a beautiful church existed. Before the funeral was over, Raquel knew she would get married in that church one day. After leaving the funeral, she drove around until she found a suitable hotel for her reception. She fell in love with the Oakley because it was almost as beautiful as the church. She had to drive up a long, winding road to get to it. The road had huge trees on both sides of it, so big they shaded the entire path. It looked like something out of a movie. When she finally arrived at the hotel, she was greeted with a building that looked like a multimillion-dollar mansion. This was no ordinary hotel. It had the “awe” factor that Raquel was looking for.
The four-poster king-sized bed was as soft and supple as Raquel had imagined. After the rehearsal dinner last night, she hurried to wrap herself within the Egyptian cotton sheets. Raquel particularly enjoyed the unique antique furniture and oversized mahogany desk. As Raquel walked through the room, her bare feet walked over a hallway elegantly designed with marble. The hotel provided several large vases of fresh flowers to add the finishing touches to the room.
All the hard work had paid off. She had pounded the pavement for years, even doing hair for free in the beginning just to get clients. It was embarrassing at times, standing outside of grocery stores with flyers and business cards while her old friends passed her, barely acknowledging her presence.
Raquel knew they would never understand her. She would only be wasting her time trying to explain. They wouldn't understand what it was like to grow up with a mother who did not really want a child and with a father who did not stay out of jail long enough to be much use.
Raquel was a teenager when her mother looked her in the face and told her she needed to find somewhere else to live. Her mother had a new man in her life and he didn't want to be bothered with Raquel. It didn't surprise Raquel to have those words come out of her mother's mouth. Mothering hadn't been one of Samantha's qualities.
Samantha wanted a job that paid the rent and supplied her with adequate funds to buy all the alcohol and food she wanted, while having enough left over to make sure she kept her man happy. That was it, nothing more, nothing less. Raquel barely knew the rest of her family, because her mother didn't keep in touch with them.
Raquel convinced her mother to let her stay for two more weeks. Her mother agreed. During that time, Raquel took off from school, claiming she had chicken pox, and braided all the hair she could. Each day, she hustled until she found someone willing to pay her at least sixty dollars for micro braids. Mostly, she stopped mothers or single fathers walking around with little girls with unruly hair. They loved the price and the fact that Raquel would do the braiding in the privacy of their own homes.
At the end of the two weeks, Raquel had enough money to furnish and rent a small garage apartment near her high school. Raquel knew she could have stayed with one of her friends, but she didn't want anyone to know about her circumstances. People thought her life was perfect because she was pretty and captain of the majorettes. The illusion was all she had, and she didn't want to risk losing it.
Raquel supported herself by shampooing hair in salons in the evening. After she graduated from high school, she pursued and received her cosmetology license and started working to build her clientele. Her goal was to be one of the most sought-after stylists in Houston. It was what she would work for in all the years to come.
 
 
Raquel looked around the suite again and smiled. She had succeeded.
It was time to take her wedding gown out of the garment bag. She wondered if she had made the right decision, excluding all of her bridesmaids from the room. The silence in the room, along with the beautiful gown, was starting to remind her of prom night. All the other girls had mothers who took them to the mall or to the seamstress to pull together that perfect prom ensemble. The hours before prom, mothers and daughters primped and giggled before the mirror.
Raquel remembered fighting back tears as she dressed and put on her makeup alone in that garage apartment. She had invited her mother to go shopping with her for her prom dress, just as she had for her wedding dress. Both times, her mother had declined.
Raquel had desperately wanted to tell her mother about the grandeur of her wedding day, but she decided it was best to wait. Her mother would walk into that wedding and know that Raquel was worthy, that she was a success. She had worked to make sure every detail of her wedding made a statement. After today, everybody would know that Raquel was to be admired.
She would have it all: a wonderful husband, a beautiful family, and a lucrative career. Once she walked down that aisle, she was going to be Mrs. James Reynolds, and there was nothing anybody could do about it. James was a good man, and Raquel was thrilled to have him. Yes, there had been other women in the past, but she was James's future. James was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and the only man she had ever loved. Life simply wasn't worth living if she couldn't have him.
All she ever wanted in her life was a family and nice things to share with them. She couldn't have that with Randall. He was a total loser. He may have been able to supply her body with pleasure, but that was it. In no way did he compare to James.
Raquel smiled. She was only moments away from completing the ultimate dream. Most weddings were attended by
supportive
family and friends, but that was not the case at this ceremony. Today, all of the people who said she was crazy for staying with James after he got Joan pregnant would be there. All of the people who saw her standing on the street corners handing out flyers in the blistering heat would be there. All of the people who said she would never get married, and all of the people who said she couldn't manage her own successful salon, and especially her mother, who thought she would end up like her, would see her shining brightly today, glowing like the star she always knew she could be.
Raquel slipped into her gown and stepped into her shoes. She glanced at the mirror. She wanted to cry at her stunning reflection, but there was no way she was about to ruin a $1,000 makeup job.
Raquel heard a knock at the door. She answered without looking through the peephole. She knew it was her wedding planner, Anna, checking up on her.
“Hello, my dear,” Anna gasped. “You are a sight to be seen.” Anna handed Raquel her cell phone. “You left this in the other room. Your hubby-to-be is on the line.”
Anna walked into the hotel room and stepped away from Raquel to give her some privacy.
“Hi, James.” Raquel used her sexiest voice as she answered the phone.
“Hello, my love. Me and my boys are en route. I was a little late because I was making the finishing touches to your surprise. I want to make sure you have no intentions of coming back home until after the wedding, or you will spoil the surprise I have for you.”
“Oh, James, you are so sweet. I can't wait to see what you have planned. And no, I wouldn't dare ruin the surprise. We are about to do a final rundown and then the photographer is coming up to take pre-wedding shots of me.”
“I can't wait to see you, my love. See you at the altar.”
“I can't wait!” Raquel hung up the phone.
Anna appeared next to her with a spiral notebook. “Everything looks great, Raquel. This has got to be one of the smoothest weddings ever. The bridesmaids, children, and parents are ready to go. My assistant at the church tells me all the vendors have arrived and are setting up.”
Anna checked her list again. “Aha, there's something I didn't ask you! Where's James's ring?”
Raquel got this scared look in her eyes. “Oh no, I left it at home!”
Anna didn't miss a beat. She got on her cell phone and started dialing. “Where did you leave it? I'll get one of my people to go by your place and pick it up.”
“Anna, I have to get it. There's no way anybody else could find it. It's in a safe I have buried under a bunch of boxes in my linen closet.” Raquel didn't want James to find the thick platinum laced wedding band she had purchased for him.
Anna looked at her watch. “We'll have to ditch the pre-wedding photo session. Let's get your stuff and get you in the limo. Then I'll get the bridesmaids to meet us in the limo. Traffic permitting, we should be able to go to your house and still arrive at the church in plenty of time.”
Raquel hurried and grabbed her things. She had just told James she wouldn't be returning home. Now she was going to ruin her surprise, but she wasn't about to let James know that, not after he went through so much trouble. Raquel grinned, thinking that James was about to be her husband and he cared enough about her to make sure their first night together as husband and wife would involve a carefully planned surprise. Raquel hated that she had to see it—whatever it was—without James for the first time. But how she loved surprises!
Chapter 14
Several of Raquel's neighbors were outside when she stepped out of the limo. They couldn't help but stare as she walked to her front door, with Anna right behind her, making sure no parts of her gown touched the ground.
Maybe James had the entire house covered with rose petals or maybe just the bedroom. Maybe he had those diamond earrings, which she had been eyeing, placed in a perfect little box and sitting on her pillow. Or perhaps he had gone through the trouble of doing some type of game, like a treasure hunt, where she would go through the house finding clues until she found the ultimate prize.
They only had one night in their home before they were off on their extra long honeymoon. Maybe James had decided that the resort suite was not enough and had splurged on a private condo on the beach, complete with butler service, and he was waiting until the last minute to tell his new bride.
After Raquel opened the door and walked into the foyer, she saw several large suitcases of all shapes and sizes. Raquel smiled. With all the wedding preparations, she didn't have time to pack her clothes beforehand, even though James had insisted. They must be leaving tonight, she reasoned, since James had taken the time to pack her clothes. Perhaps they would spend their first evening as husband and wife on a late-night flight.
She was about to go upstairs and get the ring when she saw an envelope on top of one of the suitcases. She grabbed it. After glancing at her wedding planner, she decided not to read it . . . yet. Anna gave a stern
hurry-up-we-need-to-get-you-to-your-wedding-now
look while simultaneously talking on her cell phone. Raquel walked upstairs, leaving Anna to her phone call.
Raquel walked to her linen closet. The fabric of her dress felt smooth against her skin. She imagined James's reaction the first time he saw her in her magnificent dress. It was going to be priceless.
She rushed and retrieved the ring. She was about to rejoin Anna downstairs when she realized this was the perfect time to take a peek inside the envelope. Raquel took a deep breath and tore the seal on the envelope. Just then, Anna appeared like a mother who had caught her eating a cookie without permission. Raquel put the halfway opened envelope underneath her arm and followed Anna downstairs and back into the limo.
As soon as they were seated, Raquel stuffed the envelope in the compartment right next to her seat. If she read it now, they would expect her to read it out loud. Anna looked at Raquel and her four bridesmaids. “You ladies look absolutely beautiful.” She used a sponge to blot Raquel's face. Raquel agreed with Anna, but deep down she felt nobody looked better than she did.
In the limo, it was clear that Raquel didn't really know any of her bridesmaids. They talked to each other, but they barely spoke to her. Since Karen had backed out, all of the bridesmaids consisted of wives and girlfriends of James's friends. These were women she had barely taken the time to get to know. She wanted them in her wedding because they were the props she needed to put on the opulent production she had planned.
Things had gone well. They showed up when she suggested and managed not to get on her nerves, too much. They also put together a really nice shower for her. Raquel found herself wondering what they thought of her.
Of course, they envied her, Raquel decided. Shellie was a doctor who was married to James's friend Luther. The poor thing couldn't have kids, despite years of trying. She also left a lot to be desired in the looks department. Good thing she was a doctor.
Roselyn was petite and beautiful. She was almost too beautiful to be in Raquel's wedding. However, the girl had no curves; she was as straight as a stick—no hips, no thighs, no butt, nothing. On top of that, Roselyn was as dumb as a rock. Everybody knew she had dropped out of high school and couldn't manage to pass the GED tests, despite taking it multiple times. She worked a dead-end job at a parking garage. That's where James's friend Lionel met her five years ago. She'd been working in the boring, dull garage since then.
Carol was a college professor who had never met a doughnut she didn't want to inhale. She had a beautiful face, but that was hard to notice, for her body was consumed by multiple rolls of fat. Things had gotten worse ever since she had twins three years ago. The twins had left a permanent mark on poor Carol; she still looked like she was carrying them.
Charlene was the youngest of the crew and six months pregnant. Raquel was sure the pregnancy was going to cause issues with her dress, but the expert seamstress whom Anna had found didn't have any issues accommodating Charlene's growing stomach. Charlene idolized Raquel. She was currently in beauty school and didn't hide the fact that she wanted to open her own business, just like Raquel. She treated Raquel like a celebrity, sometimes getting so nervous around her that she could barely speak. Raquel enjoyed that very much. She pondered the thought of offering her a job as she looked outside the window of the limo.
Charlene's boyfriend was in a new band. When she suggested they listen to his CD, everyone looked at Raquel for a response. Raquel didn't object. If they were listening to a CD, she didn't have to pretend to be interested in them.
Raquel figured out how to make sure nobody was late for her wedding. She deliberately put the wrong time on the wedding invitations, ensuring that even the late guests were on time.
She had arranged with the hotel where she was having her reception to offer delicious appetizers upon the guests' arrival at the church. Once they walked into the foyer, they were greeted by twenty waiters with trays of sparkling apple cider, stuffed shrimp, crab cakes, and salmon cream cheese rolls. When Anna gave the call, the staff would usher guests into the ceremony site, without them even realizing that the wedding was forty-five minutes late.
Raquel looked at the clock in the limo as they pulled up to the back entrance of the church. Raquel's heart started to race. It was almost time. Anna called her assistant. Everything was set. The groomsmen, James, and the children were all in place. Anna stepped out of the limo, taking the bridesmaids with her. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing Raquel until she was walking down the aisle. She instructed Raquel to stay in the limo.
As soon as Anna and the bridesmaids got out of the car, Raquel checked her makeup. As she was adding more lipstick, she remembered the envelope. She was convincing herself not to open it when she heard a knock on the limo door.
Raquel looked up. It was Karen, looking like her old self. She had ditched the mom jeans and bad weave. She was wearing an emerald green dress and unbelievably high silver stilettos, with a matching handbag. She had a big welcoming smile on her face. Raquel didn't hesitate to open the door.
“Wow, Raquel, you look amazing,” Karen said as she peeked inside the limo.
“Thank you, Karen. You look good too. I'm so glad you decided to come.”
“You know I thought about it, and we go too far back for that. You have worked your butt off for this day, and I want to be here to support you.”
“Thank you, Karen. You don't know how much that means to me.”
“Well, let me go. I want to make sure I get a good seat. I can't wait to see the show you are about to put on.”
With that, Karen walked away. Raquel really started to get excited. The guests were probably being rushed into the sanctuary now. After that, Anna or someone on her team would line up the bridesmaids.
Raquel needed something to do. She could feel the tears of happiness wanting to flow down her eyes. She would have to go ahead and read the envelope James had left. She would explain it to him later. He would understand. She needed a distraction. She couldn't walk down the aisle with raccoon eyes.
Raquel opened the letter and unfolded the papers inside. The first piece of paper was on letterhead from a place called Emerson Diagnostic Clinic. It had James's name and their address at the top of the page. The middle of the page had a list of tests and a bunch of technical jargon. Raquel skipped to the bottom of the page and read:
In the case of Morris, James is not the father. In the case of Alexis, James is not the father. In the case of James Jr., James is the father.
The second page was in James's handwriting and it read:
What did it feel like at the altar when you thought I was about to read my vows, only to read the results of the paternity tests? What did it feel like when you saw the two high-definition screens turn to the paternity results letting everybody in the church see the type of woman you really are? What did it feel like when “ I'm a Ho” started playing on the sound system? That was good, wasn't it? I paid a lot of money for that. And finally, what did it feel like when I pulled out one single, dead, brittle rose and crumbled it up in your face, signaling the end to our relationship and our fraudulent family right in front of all those people you desperately wanted to impress?
You deserved it. You deserved that and more for what you did to me. Now all I ask is that you get out of my house. Yeah, your name is on the mortgage, but when people find out the type of woman you are, they are going to leave your business in droves. Then when you can't keep up your side of the bargain, I'll be there to buy you out. I already packed up a bunch of your clothes. The sooner you get out of my house, the better. And yes, I did splurge for that condo. Now all I have to decide is who gets to share it with me. Will it be Joan, Pam from your salon, or maybe your girl, Karen? I've always thought she was especially hot. Farewell, Raquel. Good-bye and good riddance.
Raquel heard the limo door open. It was Anna, with a big smile on her face. “I'm so pleased everything has gone flawlessly. Your sweet little flower girl is on her way down the aisle now.” Anna reached for Raquel's hand. “It's time to make your entrance, you beautiful bride.”

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