The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 144

The rest of the day flew by. There were nonstop deliveries, which we'd scheduled to happen prior to the girls' arrival so that it wouldn't be quite so crazy while they got ready.

We didn't want to use environmentally unfriendly paper products, so Manny put us in touch with a guy who rented glasses, dishes, silverware, and cloth napkins. He was the first to knock on the door, just minutes after we'd finished breakfast. Part of their service was to wash them after they picked them up the next morning, which would make the clean-up process easier for us.

The alcohol was delivered next. The girls requested only beer, wine, and champagne be served to simplify things. I used one of the distributors I used to work with when I was a bookkeeper, and they gave me a great price. The fridge was stocked with champagne, white, and rosé wine, which would stay chilled until the reception. The red wine was on the counter, and a gigantic Yeti cooler was placed on the patio with beer and ice.

My dad and one of his employees brought the cake promptly at noon and placed it on the sideboard. It was frosted in white and was decorated elegantly with freshly cut pink flowers. The bottom was a classic vanilla wedding cake, the middle was chocolate, and the top was made up of rainbow-colored layers.

While my dad was placing the Mrs. & Mrs. topper on the cake, there was a big flower delivery. We'd worked with the girls and the florist on arrangements that could easily be taken home by guests after the reception so that people could enjoy them for several days following the wedding. The less waste, the better. Briya and Fallon both had very simple bouquets of multicolored blooms, and each one had some of the same flowers from the cake to tie them together.

My uncles were bringing the hot food half an hour before the ceremony, but they'd sent over everything that was shelf stable during the afternoon, as well as a few things that wouldn't take up too much space in the fridge. The menu was primarily made up of finger foods since people might need to stand to eat. I was excited to try the broad assortment of items they were serving, which reflected the girls' favorites plus things that were significant to Briya's culture.

Bri was having a tough time with her family. The wedding was being officiated by a non-denominational minister who the girls knew through an LGBTQ+ organization they belonged to, which was very different from the traditional Hindu wedding Briya's mother had envisioned. My friend was hoping that by including special foods and a few other traditions, her parents would accept things better.

In lieu of having a huge mehndi party where the bride has henna applied to various body parts, Fallon and I joined Briya and a few of the women in her family for a smaller-scale celebration two days ago. We had a delicious lunch while an artist created beautiful patterns on Bri's hands and wrists. Everyone was invited to have designs painted on them, and Fallon and I both selected to put them on our feet and ankles so that Briya's would stand out as unique. I grew to appreciate my friend's culture even more through this ritual.

Shawn and I showered an hour before the girls were scheduled to arrive. Normally we'd do this together, but we'd been abstaining from sex ever since I got my period. We had romantic plans for later that night, and building up some desire made the anticipation even more enjoyable. He changed into his handsome suit, and when he was done, I did my hair and makeup alone so that I could enjoy a few minutes of solitude before things got nuts.

"Jesus Christ," he murmured when I joined him in the living room after I put on my dress and the jewelry he'd given me. "Could you be any more beautiful?"

"Thank you. I feel very pretty right now."

He ran a hand over my ass. "No panties, eh?"

"I didn't want a line."