Red Mango

nineteen

10:04 AM

How did it get so late so soon? Dr. Seuss may not have been addressing Cody's summer, but he may as well have been. Because before time caught up with her consciousness, Cody finds herself tying cords of fairy lights around the former cotton factory's timber pillars.

It's Blair's wedding day. The venue, itself, resembles a ruggedly elegant version of the run-of-the-mill church ceremonies. Something Blair had insisted from day one. The erstwhile cotton factory on the brim of Westbury's centre was deserted during the 1970s and now employed as an ideal festivity location. The decorations, on the other hand, share the appearance of both 1920s grandness and, per Blair's request, bohemian eccentricities.

Whilst Blair locked herself in the back-room of the factory for round the clock pampering, Cody decided to make herself useful. In her dearest pair of dungarees, she rummages around the venue, lending a hand to anyone on the decorating committee. Her converse hit the the grey concrete after stepping down from the ladder as she surveys the outcome of her task. The high ceilings of the factory compliment the coarse texture of the bricks and the umber coloured ceiling panels. Blair and Aaron really couldn't have chosen a better place to tie the knot.

Nonetheless, it's the middle of summer and Westbury's beaches have become a magnet for just about every citizen in the small town. But with an excused absence from lifeguard duty, Cody happily wanders around the air-conditioned venue. The dress code permitted guests to dress in correspondence with the bohemian theme, which, thanks to the weather, was a blessing. Still, Blair demanded the bridesmaids to sport a shade of dark red. Thank god for her wisdom of style or Cody would have paraded around in an appallingly purple gown with frills. Something she wouldn't be caught dead in. Not to forget that burgundy blends in well with the brick walls of the factory, ideal for camouflage or for Blair's benefit, to emphasise her white gown.

Georgie, Karina and Tamara, also known as Blair's entourage, have been pampering the bride since early this morning. Georgie is a long-term make-up and hair artist so Cody has left it to the professionals to work their magic. She has no intention to walk in the way of Blair's glorious but frighteningly thorough schedule. Timing is everything. Thus, as if on queue, the bouquet of congratulatory flowers that Cody arranged walks through the arched entrance. It's so large that the man waddling behind the bouquet is only identified by his legs beneath the package.

"Bouquet for Cody Matthews." After signing her name for the transfer, Cody seizes the bouquet with both arms. As she sets the accumulation of flowers on a nearby table, her three fellow bridesmaids scurry towards her from the neighbouring corridor.

"It's time, Cody," Karina, Blair's friend since high school, grasps Cody's upper arm in a panicked gesture. Every bride is allowed to experience a meltdown. Marriage, to most, is not a temporary commitment and can be, from what Cody has heard, a little terrifying. Blair is one to put on a brave face, but now, after all the organisation and forethought, she is experiencing her anticipated meltdown.

"Please don't let Aaron hear of this," Cody insists, "he'll assume she's gotten cold feet and then we have an entirely different problem on our hands." Karina nods and shares this information with both Georgie and Tamara, who look equally as alarmed as their friend.

Cody saunters through the narrow corridors to the back of the factory. For the sake of weddings, and only weddings, the authorities behind the factory's renovation decided to place two small rooms on opposite sides of the venue for both the bride and groom. Thus, at the furthermost part of each slender corridor is a tightly packed pampering room. With flowers at hand, Cody presses down the door handle and emerges from the dim passage. Blair is seated, hands on face, in her sandy coloured robe with gold lining, looking rather glum for a bride-to-be.