"Your bridesmaid? Are you fucking insane?"
"Is it that crazy? To have you as my bridesmaid?"
"Yes it is. What's your angle?"
"My angle? I just thought it would be cool."
"To have me as your bridesmaid? Is this some kind of joke? Or GTV?"
"GTV? Where's Hunter? He's usually behind that camera, ain't he?"
The shocked look on Chyna's face was the stuff legends were made of. Jess just smiled at her.
"How did you know?" asked Chyna, leading Jess away from the dressing room she was sharing with HHH.
"I have my ways. Now about the wedding..."
"You don't give up easy, do you?"
"No. I don't give up at all."
Chyna stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Jess.
"You know I went out with him for a little while, right?"
"Who? Andrew?"
"Yeah."
"No, I didn't know," said Jess, holding on to that information for further use. "So what?"
"You want to have your fiancé's ex-girlfriend as your bridesmaid? What are you on?"
"Happiness. Listen Chyna, you and I got started on the wrong foot. Hell, we got started on the wrong everything. However, I've grown to respect you. A whole lot. And I think you and I should be friends, not enemies."
"You're up to something. I don't know what... but you're up to something."
"I'm not. Trust me."
Chyna looked at this woman and slowly reconsidered everything she knew about her. Jess had never gone back on her word. Ever. She was one of the few people in the world that was actually true blue. For example, Shawn Michaels, for all he said about Chyna's talents and everything she could do in the ring, would never ever have given her the European Title, regardless of how hard she fought to get it. Jess, on the other hand, had been so happy to have Chyna win that belt, that she'd pecked her on the cheek right there in the middle of WRESTLEMANIA, in front of millions.
"You really mean all of this crap," said Chyna.
"I do. I really do."
"And when you say trust me, you really want me to trust you and you'd rather die than betray that trust."
"I don't know about dying but I'd hate to betray that trust."
"What about the other girls who'll be your bridesmaids? Lexi?"
"Lexi'll behave. Anyways, I think that the two of you have a lot more in common than you both realise."
"So you want us to be buddies. Pals, right?"
"Let's start off by being civil to each other. Okay?"
"It's better than a slap in the face I guess."
"Good. Now, come with me. The girls are looking over bridesmaids dresses."
"All right."
When Jess brought Chyna into the room, all the other women looked at her with surprise in their eyes. Chyna started to turn around, shaking her head at Jess. But the bride-to-be was not to be deterred. She shoved Chyna into the room and followed her to the table covered with bridal magazines.
Jess was hurrying to her meeting with Shane when Andrew stepped in her way. She looked up at him with a smile, catching a quick hug.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry," he asked.
"I have a meeting."
"With who?"
"Shane-O-Mac," she smiled.
"Shane? What does that little rat want?"
"I don't know."
"Well, I don't trust him. I'm coming with you."
Jess cocked her head and looked at Andrew with a quizzical look. "What," she asked.
"I don't trust him," repeated Test.
"So?"
"I'm going with you."
"No."
"Who knows what he's got planned."
"I'll handle it."
"He's bad news. I don't want you handling him alone."
"I handled his father alone. And Shane's not the snake his father was."
"Give him time."
"What's with you?" asked Jess.
"I don't want you hurt."
"Andrew, honey," she said, running her fingers over his muscular chest, "Shane can't hurt me. I won't let him. And just so you and I are clear on this and that it's never a question ever again. I handle business on my own. I am, and forever will be, my own woman. I fight my own battles and I don't need you to save me. Are we clear?"
"Like that fight you had with him before WRESTLEMANIA?"
"Exactly."
"You never did tell me what that was all about."
"And I never will," said Jess, walking away from him after throwing him an air kiss.
The bar was rather empty. Actually, the only people that were there were the bartender and two waiters, all of them busy carrying buckets of ice cubes and cartons of bottles. Shane sat in a booth which gave a view into the arena where they were still setting up the stage for RAW. Jess went to stand by the booth and watched him for a moment. This was not the man she'd first seen on TV, almost a week after being raped. All of the baby fat was gone. His face was leaner and his body much more powerful. No one would dare call him the Boy Wonder anymore. The boy in him had retreated deep inside of Shane. Only the man remained.
"Sit down Jess," said Shane, his eyes on the ring they were building some many levels below.
"Shane. Are you okay?"
"No... well, I'm deep in thought. That's all. So the wedding preparations are okay?"
"The hardest part is over with. Joanie's agreed to be a bridesmaid."
"Joanie, like Chyna/Joanie?"
"Yeah. I asked her, she had doubts and I won her over."
"She's a nice girl. Rough around the edges but once you get to know her, really know her, you realise how great she really is."
"Which is pretty much what I'm doing right now."
"Good for you."
"Shane, I'm enjoying this little talk and all but I'm not going to play around here. I don't trust you. I don't trust this meeting and I don't trust your intentions. So let's get this over with."
"I know why my mom likes you. She doesn't like people who play with words."
"Like Steve."
Shane looked at Jess and chuckled. "Yeah. Like Steve. Who would have thought that Stone Cold Steve Austin,
of all people, would have made my mother happy."
"Trust me, it came as a shock to me too. But how are you handling it?"
"I'm managing. I'm doing my best not to slug him out every time I see him."
"As if you could. Actually," she said, looking at his new bulging biceps and square shoulders, "maybe you could. Then he'd give you a stunner and you'd be out like a light."
Shane chuckled and smiled at Jess. She was surprised to see what a beautiful smile he had. Until then, she'd never seen him really smile. He usually had that self-sufficient smirk that made Jess slap it off his face.
"I'm going up against my father," said Shane, slowly.
"What?"
"I'm going up against Vincent Kennedy McMahon and I need your help."
Jess sat back in the booth, staring at Shane.
"Not now," she said.
"What do you mean, 'not now'?"
"I mean I'm right in the middle of planning a wedding. You think I have the time to engineer a coup against Vince? Are you fucking crazy?"
"I'll plan everything."
"Under your dad's watchful eye? Oh yeah, that works."
"So if I do it now, you're not going to help me?"
"Shane, ask your mother to let you read my contract. I get two months off for the wedding. I've been working hard behind the scenes, but as of three weeks before the wedding date, I'm off. Whatever you're planning against Vince is going to play out on a long-term basis. And if you launch it now, I'll only be able to help you for so long."
"So I wait until you come back from your honeymoon?"
"No. You wait until Stephanie comes back from her honeymoon."
"Why? With you and my mother, I've got all the backup I need."
"We're not getting your mother involved in this," said Jess, very matter of factly.
"We need her, she's the CEO."
"Listen, this whole mess is hard enough for her. If we move against Vince and ask for her help, it's going to be too much. We can move with ease in front of the camera. She can't."
"That whole thing with her and Stone Cold, right?"
"Not only that. Whatever's going on between your parents has to stay behind the scenes Shane. It can't bleed out into the public eye at all."
"What about at your wedding?"
"Vince is going to have food poisoning," said Jess with a sly grin.
"That's wrong," he chuckled.
"Yeah, but it works."
Shane considered what Jess had told him for a moment. While she had the time to think things over, Jess took her computerized notepad from her jacket pocket and started going over a few things she would have to take care of. As she went over her notes, the young woman thought back to her day. Her newfound friendship with Chyna and this probable alliance with Shane changed a lot of things. For one, it meant that she was easing the lines of tension that had been drawn between her and so many members of the Corporate Ministry. It meant that she was gaining momentum in the WWF. And if Vince was truly ousted, she could be projected to the forefront in a way she had never imagined before.
"I'll wait," finally said Shane.
"Good. When I come back, I'll come back with a plan, a workable plan which will involve you, me and Stephanie. Just the three of us. We might get backup from the muscle, but no more. It has to be the three of us against Vince. No more, no less."
"Yeah, but if we get HBK and HHH in our corner, it can't hurt."
"Yes it can. Because you and I both know that there isn't a wrestler in the WWF who'd do anything for Vince and Vince alone. They do stuff for you, for Stephanie, for your mom, but nothing for Vince. He's their boss but they hate his guts. They like you, me and your sister. They respect us."
"So we use our advantage?"
"No. Then we look like bullies going after an old man and his business. That's the angle Vince will use. If the three of us go at it logically, he can't play on feelings, on pity. And that's where we win."
"You're smart."
"I am. But I also have to go. Shane, hear me and hear me well," said Jess, "if this is part of a plan you have with your father to fuck me over, I'll fuck you up."
Shane winced. Jess's words rang truer than any words had ever rung in his ears. He smiled at her.
"I know."
"Good."
Shane and Jess slid out of the booth at the same time but she slid on a piece of ice, left there by inattentive waiters. She felt herself slide down toward the floor, expecting a bruised bottom but Shane caught her in time. As he gave her a boost until she was standing, he moved closer to her. In fact, when Jess finally made it to her feet, she was standing very close to Shane.
His cologne was familiar to her and very enticing. Jess suddenly became aware of the full effect of Shane's virility and of his eyes caressing her face. His hands didn't move, spanning her sides, his thumbs nestled in the fleshy part under her armpits, the rest of his fingers splayed over her upper back. Their bodies pressed close from head to toe and she barely had to look up to feel the full effect of his velvety eyes.
When Adam and Stephanie stepped into the bar and saw Shane and Jess standing there like this, the looks on their faces were ones of shock.
They said nothing and waited. Finally, Jess stepped away from Shane and started to make her way out of the bar without saying a word. She saw Adam scowling at her and Stephanie doing the same to her brother. She shook her head and hurried out of the bar.
When Adam followed Jess, Stephanie closed in on her brother, who hadn't even seen her and who was back in his booth.
"What the hell was that," she asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"First the meeting with Jess. And now Adam and I walk in and see the two of you like this. You do realise that she's going to marry Andrew, right?"
"..."
"Right? Shane, damn it, you're not going to ruin this for them, are you?"
"Stephanie, please."
"No Shane. I'm tired of you talking to me like I'm slow or something. Listen to me very carefully Shane. I love this girl like a sister. And I like Andrew. They were made for each other and if you make just one move to jeopardize their happiness, I will hurt you. Badly."
"It was just this one time," he said, justifying himself. "She slipped, I caught her. That's all."
"That wasn't all Shane."
"Yes, Stephanie it was. Well, maybe not. But it was totally unintentional."
"What was that 'maybe not' crap all about then?"
"Maybe, while we were talking, I realised how beautiful she was. And how smart she really is. But that's it."
"That had better be it. Shane, if you do just the one thing to hurt her, I swear to God, I'll sic Adam, Jason, Steve and Rock on your little Boy Wonder Ass."
"I get it Stephanie. When did you get to be such a badass anyway?"
"Lexi and Jess taught me."
Brother and sister laughed together as Shane silently resigned himself to admiring Jess from afar. He'd managed to put his feelings for Joanie aside, he'd do the same for Jess.
Adam caught Jess before the elevator doors slammed closed in his face. She sent him an angry look which would have deterred him in any other kind of situation but in this case, he wasn't going to do this halfway. He hit the STOP button and turned on Jess.
"Just tell me it was nothing and I won't tell Andrew a damn thing."
"I was planning on telling Andrew anyways."
"Why?"
"Why not? Nothing happened Adam."
"That was one hell of a strange nothing."
"I slipped on something, he caught me. And I think both of us just took a moment to realise how good looking the other one actually was."
"You're engaged."
"And you're dating my best friend. But if I do this," shot back Jess, coming to stand right in front of Adam, pushing his long locks away from his face and pressing her body close, "tell me you're not going to see how beautiful I am."
Adam looked away but her fingers grabbed hold of his chin and brought his attention back to her. He couldn't help admire her. She was beautiful. That dark skin, those naturally full lips, those high cheekbones, those fiery black eyes. There was no way to avoid that beauty.
"All right, you're beautiful," he finally admitted, taking a step back.
"And you're a hunk-a hunk-a burnin' love. But because I realize that and because I'm okay with it, it doesn't mean I don't love Andrew."
"Good. I just got worried when I saw you standing that close to Shane."
"That just goes to prove what a good friend you are to my baby."
"Yeah, I guess it does," said Adam, mostly to himself. "So the wedding's back on?"
"The wedding was never off," said Jess, hitting the START button on the elevator.
When Jess finally got to Andrew's dressing room, he was flipping through a bridal magazine, looking as bored as hell. But he did smile when he saw his fiancée.
"Bored honey," she asked.
"To tears. What's up?"
"I just had a very interesting meeting with Shane."
"Want to tell me about it?"
Jess just smiled at him, settled herself on his thighs and into this arms, and told him all about her day, including that close encounter with Shane and the conversation with Adam.
"You know I trust you, right," said Andrew.
"I know now."
"Well, I do. I always did. Even when we broke up, I never even thought you'd go out with another guy. I've always trusted you. I want you to know that."
"And I trust you. Because I know that you know that if I ever find you making out with a sleazy groupie, I'll cut off your dick."
Andrew started to laugh, until he saw the serious look on her face. That sobered him up immediately. Until Jess started to laugh so hard that she had to run to the bathroom not to pee in her pants.
It was the night of the rehearsal dinner and Jess was worried. She paced up and down the halls of the Marriott, wringing her hands. She had a problem and she didn't know how to solve it. Patty had guaranteed her that it was fine and that she could do it alone but she was still afraid. She'd tested her guts and found out that she came up missing.
She couldn't do this alone.
She turned a corner and ran right into Mr. Johnson, Patty's father. He grabbed her shoulders and smiled at her.
"Let me look into your eyes," he said softly.
"What?"
"Your eyes. Let me see them."
"Why?"
"Just look at me, would you?"
Jess chuckled and looked him straight in the eyes. He grinned at her, his lips splitting his face warmly.
"You're in love, you love your fiancé, you're nervous and you're a bit scared."
"How did you know?"
"I got married, remember?"
"Right."
"Now... what's wrong? It's not like you to miss your own parties. Usually, you stand on top of the table until everyone looks at you."
"I do not," she protested.
"You don't. But you almost do. Now, what's wrong?"
"I don't have anyone to walk me down the aisle."
"Is that all?"
"I never thought about it before. But I kept on hoping, against hope, that my parents weren't really dead and that my father would show up and walk me down the aisle."
"Poor baby," said Mr. Johnson, wrapping his arms around her.
"And now, I'll have to do it by myself. Patty said it would be okay, but my marriage is unconventional enough as it is. I just wanted that to be traditional."
"So I'll do it."
"What?"
"I'll walk you down the aisle. After all, considering the type of person Patty is, I might never get the chance to do that for her. She's more likely to elope and send me a postcard from Las Vegas so I'll jump on the chance right now."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course."
"All right you two," said Patty, walking towards them, "let's get back to this party... we have to get this whole dinner wrapped up and then it's the SHOWER!!!"
"Patty," said her father, "tell me you at least chose something tasteful."
Patty just grinned, linked her arms with her father's and Jess's and dragged them back to the dining room.
Patty's father would have been flabbergasted. Her "shower" idea for Jess was anything but tasteful. Patty, Jess, Linda and Stephanie McMahon, Lexi, Chyna and Sandy were at Club 281, Montreal's premier male stripping club. They were all seated around the stage, piles of five dollar bills in front of each of them, laughter trickling from their lips. They screamed, they hollered... and they bonded. Even Chyna became part of the group. As easily as that.
Jess found it interesting how without Paul by her side all the time, Joanie was so open and so much nicer. Take tonight for one. Joanie was wearing a nice burgundy shirt with a great pair of black jeans. She looked feminine and accessible, but she still looked strong. And she smiled and laughed and she hollered loudly enough to give Patty a run for her money.
The dancers were taking a break and all the women in Jess's party gathered closely, talking and laughing in hushed tones. They were drawing enough attention as it was. Then the announcer came on.
"A special treat for you ladies tonight. Un spécial pour toutes les dames rassemblées ici ce soir. A group of American dancers who want to impress you. Un groupe de danceurs américains qui veulent vous impressioner. So give them the warmest welcome possible. Alors accueillez-les le plus chaudement possible."
All the ladies clapped and screamed. Then everything went dark. They heard the dancers get on the stage. Then the music started. The lights came on slowly, lighting the men's legs, then their waists, their
chests and finally their faces.
All the women in Jess's party sat there, their jaws hanging down to their chests. They knew the dancers, they knew them very well. They were the top WWF wrestlers being led by none other than The Sexy Boy himself, Shawn Michaels. Test, Rock, Hunter, Edge, Christian, Matt and Jeff Hardy were all there. As was Stone Cold Steve Austin, who looked about as comfortable as Queen Elizabeth at a mud-wrestling match With Shawn counting them off, they all started to move in perfect synchronisation. With the ladies laughing and yelling, they counted off the steps, dancing, writhing their hips and making eye contact with their girlfriends and other audience members. Finally, all the wrestlers went to stand in front of their ladies and some of the audience and started dancing in a much more suggestive fashion.
As Andrew leaned over her, Jess grabbed all the bills she had left and rammed them into his very short shorts. He smiled and laughed with her, and planted a kiss on her forehead. Finally, the song ended and the men disappeared.
Naturally, Jess went backstage to investigate but she was met with a barrage of actual dancers who wouldn't let her through. But one of them did give her a note. She hurried to the bathroom and went into a stall to read it in private.
"If this doesn't prove how much I love you," it read, "then nothing ever will. Don't get me wrong. This was fun. A whole lot of fun... but be warned. There won't ever, ever be a replay of tonight. Except in the
privacy of our bedroom. I love you and I can't wait to be your husband."
Jess slid her finger along the tear which threatened to make the ink run. There was no way to tell the world how much she loved this man. And how happy she was about finally marrying him.
The wedding was tomorrow. The shower had taken place last night. Tonight was another night for female bonding. All the ladies were at Jess's place in St. Bruno for a night of facials and good old fashion gossiping. Linda looked over the cackle of the girls protectively, laughing with them, and at them, when the time called for it.
Now, they were all applying cucumber paste on each other's faces and Jess was busy cutting up some cucumbers for their eyes.
"How long do we have to keep this gunk on?" asked Lexi somewhat grouchily.
"The book says fifteen minutes," said Joanie with a smile. "That should be enough time for me to get a camera and make a souvenir for Duane."
"Don't you even joke about that," said Lexi. "My baby thinks I'm naturally beautiful and I don't intend for him to find out all my secrets."
"Oh please."
"I mean it Joanie."
Linda stilled, as she applied Stephanie's mask, expecting a fight but Jess just shook her head.
"Enough," she chuckled, "the two of you make it sound like you hate each other's guts or something. Now be nice."
Lexi and Joanie snorted at the same time, shaking their heads but exchanging a private grin.
A good hour later, they were all sitting in the den, drying their polished nails and toenails in front of the fireplace.
"So, how does it feel?" asked Stephanie.
"What? This?" asked Jess. "Well, it feels pretty damn weird. I love Andrew. I love him more than life... and I'm so nervous, I feel like I have to go to the bathroom every five minutes. But I want to do this. I was expecting to get cold feet and everything but nothing yet."
"That doesn't hit until the morning," said Linda, braiding Sandy's hair.
"Mom, are you telling me you had doubts about marrying Dad?"
"Of course I did. It's natural to have doubts. But here's the thing, I didn't let them rule my mind. I acted calmly and rationally."
"And you married a man you weren't sure you loved?" asked Jess.
"No. I loved Vince then. He was so different then. But he's changed so much in the past couple of years. I barely recognize the man I married. And that's why... that's why I'm with Steve now. He makes me feel precious, kind of like what I felt in the beginning with Vince. Not the same way, but something like that."
"That's great," whispered Joanie, her eyes fixated on the roaring fire.
"What about you?" asked Sandy, "I know you're dating Paul and everything, but are you guys thinking about marriage at all?"
"If he's anything like Duane," said Lexi, "he probably isn't. For now, these guys are obsessed with their careers. We come in second. Close to first, but not quite."
"You too, huh," said Joanie, wiping away a tear with the back of her hand.
"Oh yeah."
"Don't get me wrong. I know Paul loves me and everything. But if he'd only propose or make me feel like I'm not just wasting my time."
"You got to slap some sense into these boys of yours," said Linda.
"Maybe the wedding'll help."
"Maybe."
Jess went over to both of her friends and hugged them tightly.
They talked and talked and talked some more. Finally, at midnight, Linda reasserted her rights as the elder and sent everyone to bed. She even walked Jess to her bedroom.
"Honey, sleep and sleep well. Because if I know Andrew, you won't wink past your wedding night."
Jess stood in front of the closed doors leading to the chapel, her hand lightly resting on Mr. Johnson's forearm. Her stomach clenched and unclenched rhythmically, matching her nervous heartbeat. As if he'd felt her nervousness, Patty's father gently squeezed her hand and smiled at her warmly, winking.
Jess nodded to Shane McMahon and Shawn Michaels to open the chapel doors and slowly started her entrance. As she passed in front of Shane, Jess gasped at the intense look in his eyes. At her gasp, his eyes went completely cold, dead. Somewhat bolstered by the death of feelings in his eyes, the young woman went on walking.
When she saw her fiancé waiting for her with the priest at the altar, Jess tried to understand how she would manage not to cry. It seemed impossible. He looked so wonderful, in his black tuxedo, with the pearl grey vest and the cravat, his long hair loose around his shoulders. Jess had vetoed the ponytail over the phone earlier that morning. She wanted to see his hair in all its splendor, billowing over his shoulders. It made her think of her upcoming wedding night, when she'd have him, in bed, his hair fanned out on a pillow. The thought almost made her run to the altar.
As "The Wedding March" filled the church, Andrew saw Jess walking toward him and his heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. She looked like something right out of a Walt Disney fairytale he'd once read to his nieces and nephews, a bit like Cinderella, he thought. But the difference was that there was no paint, no brush, no painter who could even attempt at bringing Jess's beauty to a canvas. Her beauty was too alive, too bright, to be restrained to a canvas.
When Mr. Johnson and Jess finally got to the altar, Patty's father smiled at Andrew.
"Be careful with her," he said, "or she'll break you."
"Who gives this woman to be married?" asked Father Beaudry, with his charming French accent.
"I give myself," said Jess loudly, eliciting applause from the women in the church.
Jess linked her fingers with Andrew and smiled up at him, her heart filling with longing and joy.
The ceremony in itself was fairly traditional, except for the fact that Jess had made sure that the part about her obeying Andrew was cut out. She loved him and everything but even she had her limits.
All through the ceremony, her tears had threatened to make an appearance, but she'd held them in check. Until that moment when he slid the ring on her finger. That's when she lost it. Andrew knew right away and tilted her chin up, smiling at her, allowing her to see the tears brimming his own eyes.
When Jess's turn came to put the ring on his finger, she lost it completely and started to sob openly.
"Stop it," he whispered to her, "otherwise I'm going to lose it and all my friends will know I can cry."
"I can't help it," she whispered, sniffling.
Father Beaudry, upon hearing the exchange, smiled and made a quick decision to cut the ceremony short.
"I pronounce you man and woman, husband and wife," he said loudly, smiling at them warmly.
Andrew slowly lifted the veil and looked down at his bride. He stopped thinking about the guys, but thanked God for allowing him the honor of knowing her as he bent down to kiss her for the very first time as her husband.
Their kiss was soft, proper (no tongue) and absolutely romantic. It was simply, a really long kiss that made everyone in the church cheer.
Jess Warren and Andrew Martin were finally united in front of God and man.
After what seemed to be ten thousand pictures in front of the church, Jess and Andrew finally got into their limousine. They would drive around Montreal for almost an hour, and finally go to the Marriott. As soon as they were alone, Jess took off her veil, tossing it on the unoccupied seat. Then she did something that made Andrew's eyes bug out of his head.
She tore her wedding gown.
Well, she didn't actually tear it. After a rather long conversation with her seamstress, Jess had her sew a long slit in the front of her gown.
Actually, the slit was under two layers of chiffon and held together by Velcro. As she opened it, the reason why she'd done that became clear to Andrew. He smiled slowly and started to unbuckle his pants.
"How... why..."
"Honey, if you have to ask why, this is going to be one hell of a boring marriage," said Jess as she straddled him.
"Oh God!"
Jess was more hot for Andrew than she'd ever been before. From the moment she'd seen him in the church she'd wanted him desperately. And she'd been impatient to finally be alone with him. And now that she had him, she didn't want to waste any time.
With Andrew's cock popping out of his trousers, Jess slid the crotch of her panties to the side and sank down on him. He filled her in a way he never had before. As for him, Jess felt tighter and hotter than usual. Maybe it was because she was his wife. But whatever it was, it made him feel like a randy schoolboy who lacked control.
Their climax was fast and furious. And intense. Jess slumped against her husband, resting her head on his shoulders, dozing off almost immediately.
By the time they got to the Marriott, their appearance was back to normal. Jess's veil was back on, the slit in her dress closed and hidden. Andrew's trousers were zipped shut and his manhood flaccid, waiting for his wedding night.
And it was their perfect appearance that tipped Patty off as she welcomed them.
"You overdid it," she said through her smile.
"What are you talking about?" asked Jess, hugging her friend.
"Everyone expects you to make out, or something. But when newlyweds come out of an hour-long ride in a limo looking perfect, there's one thing and one thing that everyone thinks."
"What's that?" asked Andrew, squeezing his wife close to him.
"You guys had sex on the way over!!!"
In the ballroom, Shawn Michaels had taken the microphone hostage and he was doing what he loved doing more than anything else. He was putting on a show. While the wedding party got their entrances ready, he stood on the stage, making jokes, inviting various members of Jess's and Andrew's families to come up on stage and share stories of the newlyweds. It served its purpose, until the time came for the wedding party to make its appearance.
Shane sat at a table, with some of the wrestlers from the WWF. He was proud of the boys and of the more than simply decent show they were making. Everything had gone off without a hitch so far and Jess was more than certainly getting the wedding day she was entitled to. She looked... superb, stunning, beautiful, wonderful. And so much in love with her husband. And Andrew, well, he looked about as happy as a man could look when he had the luck of being married to a woman of Jess's ilk.
And throughout this happy festivities, Shane couldn't bring himself to be happy for her. At first, he'd figured it was a simple infatuation. That's what his feelings for Joanie had ended up being. And he'd acted on them. He'd gotten the crap beaten out of him by Paul, a.k.a. HHH, a.k.a. Joanie's on and off jealous boyfriend, but he'd done something about it.
With Jess, he didn't know what to do. Shane wanted her desperately. He loved her just as much as he'd been infatuated with Joanie. Her mind was sharp, her wit was quick and she had guts, a whole bunch of them. And she was one of the few people who considered him on his own, without his father's shadow constantly looming over him.
He loved her, Shane thought, his eyes lost in the red wine in front of him. But now, now it was too late. Or was it?
After her shocking, albeit accurate, declaration, Patty dragged the new bride away, although her new husband tried to hold on to her.
"Hey," he protested, "I just got her."
"I need to borrow a 'tampon'," said Patty, staring up at him defiantly.
At the mention of 'tampons', Andrew let go of his wife. His wife. He rolled the word over his tongue a few times and was surprised to see how much he liked it. It was a great feeling.
While Patty dragged Jess away, the bride turned around and looked at her husband. The word pulled at strings in her heart. It was so comforting... she jerked herself from Patty's hold on her and went back to Andrew. She stood in front of him, looked up at him and smiled. He leaned over her, a smile lighting up his features.
"You know what," she said softly, "I love you. I love being with you and I love being your wife." Jess kissed the tip of his nose and scurried away after Patty. There was a room, right off the bathroom, which served as a powder room/bathroom for Jess and all of her bridesmaids, who were waiting for her.
"They had sex in the limo," announced Patty as she closed the door behind Jess's voluminous skirts.
"Patty!"
"Jessyka Marie," exclaimed Linda.
"He always was a horny dog," commented Joanie with a smile.
"It was my idea," said Jess cooly.
Amid the laughter and the trips to the adjoining bathroom, the ladies made themselves over, refreshing their make-up, fixing up their hair, making themselves look even prettier.
Andrew and his ushers stood in the hallways, waiting for the bride and her bridesmaids. As Steve gave him tips on handling his new bride, Andrew's back was to the door when it opened and didn't know why Steve suddenly went silent. The blond giant turned around and he fell in love all over again.
Jess was a fairytale princess and he had the chance of being her Prince Charming. Her long black locks were swept up, encased in a pearl-incrusted tiara, a few curls caressing her neck, her veil shimmering around her shoulders. Delicate pearls adorned her ears and neck, and her slim arms were encased in elbow-length satin gloves.
As for her dress, it was a princess gown that was an example in simplicity. The bodice was tight and was held up by two thin straps, decorated with pearly flowers. It drew attention to her tiny waist and
her rather respectable bosom while remaining tasteful. The skirt was a large bell-shaped affair, outlining her curvy hips. One of the top layers of chiffon covered the skirt, making it shimmer. The underlying chiffon layer was thicker, completely covering the Velcro'ed slit which had been so useful before.
Andrew was out of breath at the sight of her. She'd never looked more beautiful. And then, Jess smiled at him, and he was forced to admit that with that beautiful smile, she'd never looked quite so beautiful.
As Jess moved closer to her new husband, the ushers took a good look at the women they would escort into the ballroom and had to admit that they looked rather stunning as well.
Jess hadn't gone the usual way with the bridesmaids's dresses, which was to make those dresses and the women who wore them look awful so she would shine like a diamond in the first water. Instead, she'd opted for a style that would flatter all of her friends and would make them happy to be part of her wedding party. Their dresses were short, coming to their knees. The straps were wide, covering part of the collar bone and some of the shoulder. The dresses were fitted to their upper bodies, and the skirts were looser, a thin veil covering the back of the dresses down to the hem.
"Y'all look beautiful," said Steve reverently, drinking in the sight of Linda, "now can we get this whole thing over with?"
The reception was in full swing. People were dancing, laughing, enjoying themselves. Jess was being spun around the room by some many people that she giggled happy, unable to keep her happiness all to herself. A slow song came up and she found herself in Paul's arms. She smiled at him somewhat wearily.
"Don't worry," he said, "I'm not going to bite."
"Good. I see Andrew watching us over there and I think he's about ready to take your head off."
"I know. But I promised Joanie, so I'll behave."
"Let me guess, you hate disappointing her?"
"It ain't that as much as I'm afraid of what she'll do if I do."
Jess threw her head back and laughed. She saw Andrew dancing with Linda out of the corner of her eye and winked at him. When she turned her attention back to Paul, she saw his lips moving.
"I'm sorry, but what did you say?"
"I wanted to thank you for being so nice to Joanie. Asking her to be in your wedding and everything."
"No problem. You know, she's my kind of woman. She fights with the big boys and wins... hell, sometimes she's even the no. 1 contender."
Paul laughed and spun Jess a bit faster on the dance floor. Until someone asked to cut in. Jess took a deep breath and found herself in Shane McMahon's arms.
"Shane."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"You look wonderful. And happy."
"I am."
"That makes one of us."
"Don't do this to me, Shane. Please don't do this."
"I'm not doing this to you Jess. I'm doing this for me."
"Regardless, don't do it. I was meant for Andrew, Shane. And he was meant for me. And you are meant for some lucky girl out there. Not for me."
"And you think everything works out that nicely?" asked Shane. "that there is someone out there for everyone?"
"I have to believe that. Otherwise, how can I explain meeting Andrew?"
"You should have met me first."
"Maybe you should have gone up against Andrew in Montreal instead of sending Steve Blackman to do your bidding."
"Maybe."
Shane looked at Jess intensely, seriously and she saw in his eyes that he meant it. She pulled out of his arms and straight into a wall. She turned around and saw her husband. He didn't look happy.
"What's wrong?"
"We have trouble. And Shane O'Mac, you can help."
"How?"
"Your father's here."
As if by magic, the dancing floor had been cleared of everyone, except for Steve, Linda, Andrew, Shane and Jess. At the ballroom entrance, there was only Vince.
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