Mr and Mrs Nemesis Say 'I Do'

Chapter Two - Under the influence

Charlotte

I hadn't considered how difficult it would be to find a venue. Elijah doesn't care - he doesn't quite understand why it's so special. As long as there's a bar and a marriage licence, he says. Obviously, I snapped at him for that, and he at least pretends to be a little interested now.

It took several viewing across several venues. Nine, to be exact. Castles and hotels and barns, but the one that caught me - caught us, sorry - was the Manor estate out in the countryside. Doubling as a hotel, it's perfectly private, allowing us the full weekend at a leisurely pace. The main room is huge, and the staff are well accustomed to turning it from a ceremony to a wedding breakfast to the party hall under pressure. The garden is a gorgeous setting for pictures; rolling hills in the distance, the white gazebo's trellising strung in ivy and spring blooming flowers, and it neighbours on the farmland, where horses frolic all day long.

Considering our winter date, I - we, for fuck sake - aren't expecting it to look quite like this. Still, if we're lucky enough to get a sheet of crisp white snow and a clear sky with a warm winter sun, I think it could look even more beautiful. Though, I'm also fairly superstitious, and they do say rain is good luck, so I'm trying not to get too hung up on the weather.

It's our third visit, this one not just to discuss the day with Kaylee, our wedding coordinator. We've booked a tasting event, along with several other engaged couples, to decide exactly what we want our our menu. There will be wine tasting too, which is exactly why I invited my mum and dad along. Not that I'm calling them alcoholics, but they're much more familiar with good complimentary wines than me or Lijah, who stick to bargain bottles from the corner shop.

My dad parks the car, and Lijah offers me his hand as we walk up the cobble front. As he always does, he finds my engagement ring with his finger and starts brushing it across the diamond. He's going to work it loose one of these days.

"So, what are we eating?" My dad rubs his hands together as we enter, and the floor staff that hands us a glass of Prosecco each poorly attempts to stifle her smile.

I smack his arm. "We're not just here to get you a meal dad. We need to make comments on everything. Canapés, starters, mains, sorbet, dessert, wine, everything."

"So I'm not allowed to just enjoy?" My mother pulls a look - a tongue in cheek sort of expression that used to scare me shitless when I was a kid - and it effectively shuts my dad up.

The woman before us gestures at the table in front of her. "We just need a quick tick next to your name, and then if you want to grab a pen and note sheet, you can go straight through to the dining room and find the table with your name places."

"Thanks love," Eli says, and I watch her eyes widen with a child like sort of adoration as he flashes her one of those lopsided smiles. There was a time I might have been jealous, another girl clearly attracted to Elijah, but he's about to get married to me, so they're shit out of luck.

"Whose designated driver on the way back?" My dad asks as we sit down, his grin huge as he accepts the wine poured by our waiter. He takes a swift gulp, smacking his lips together as he pretends to savour the flavour.

"I'll drive," my mum says, but she points in warning. "But that doesn't give you the right to get shitfaced drunk Craig. I mean it."

"I'll only keep up with Eli." He defends, but my fiancé shrugs.

"Free booze Craig. We'd best make the most of it."

"You'll be on the sofa tonight if you embarrass me." I threaten him, but I hardly scare him anymore, and he just lifts my hand to his lips as the waiter assured that our starters will be out shortly.