Chapter 48: Preparations

The big day had finally arrived. Even though the ceremony would start early that afternoon, Rachel had been up since the crack of dawn getting ready. Her father had set up an on-site spa to pamper her like royalty. Unlike a lot of women, she did not spend hours at the salon for hair or nails or getting a massage, waxing, or facial. She was low maintenance. Her father, however, decided that it was what his daughter deserved to feel special and would have to get used to as a “Merger Mrs.”. He understood and lived by the principle that the better the wife looked, the more that reflected the success of the husband.

She had made peace with the fact that she was marrying for money and not love. Marriage for love was a recent invention, anyway. Maybe her father knew best. Maybe Kurt would change and settle down.

She put on her satin robe and began to get dressed. After she put on her favorite pair of pajamas that her late mother had given her, she heard a knock at the door. She was surprised because she couldn’t think of anyone she was expecting at that hour.

“Hello. Massage time.”

“Hello,” she said, welcoming the masseuse.

She set up the table, lit some incense and candles, and put on some music from her playlist.

“You can take your robe off now and be comfortable,” the masseuse said sweetly with a smile. “You the special girl today. So good. So fun. Enjoy.” With that she stopped talking for a while and began to encourage the knots out of Rachel’s back, shoulders, and neck while the flute played, and the scents and lighting had their intended relaxing effect.

“You so beautiful girl. Why sad? You special today.” The woman spoke with a strong accent.

Although this woman was a complete stranger to her and clearly a foreigner, Rachel found herself opening up as the woman administered massage therapy. She was not sure how much the masseuse could understand, but talking during the massage was like making a good confession, excellent for the soul.

“Oh. If sad, you cannot do. If no love, you cannot do. Oh no.” This was the sum of the woman’s response to Rachel’s monologue of pre-marital discontent.

When she was finished and packed up all of her things, she set them down and took Rachel by the hand, leading her to the mirror at the vanity wrapped in a towel. “See. You beautiful girl. You cannot do. This man no good...no good for you. We same.” Rachel felt her press something that was slightly sharp in her hand.

Rachel looked at the woman’s reflection in the mirror and staring back at her was her late mother’s face. When she transferred her eyes from the reflection in the mirror to where the woman was standing next to her, she was surprised that the masseuse and her paraphernalia were gone. Was it a dream? Was it her late mother trying to connect with and warn her? She was not sure, but what was once resolved in her mind but not her heart, began to unravel in her mind and go against her heart’s delight. She set the object the masseuse gave her on the vanity.

The rest of the morning was more normal and less paranormal. She took a bath and got her nails done. Her beautician came and styled her hair. After that a make-up artist made up her face.

Rachel decided to dress herself. She had everything any bride needed on a superficial level down to a father to walk her down the aisle. The jewels she wore on her ears, neck, fingers and wrists were a combination of the old, the new, the borrowed, and the blue. She did fine with dressing alone until it came time for the train to her wedding dress. Luckily, the wedding planner stopped by to see if Rachel needed anything.

Before opening the door, she took the masseuse’s little object and tucked it in to her cleavage, since her wedding gown had no pockets.

After helping Rachel out, the wedding planner reminded her how close it was until time for the ceremony, “Ten minutes, Miss.”

The bride was fully dressed and ready to walk down the aisle when her father knocked on her door for the last time as a single young lady. He would give her away and after the magical moment when she went from Miss to Mrs. he would become the richest man in North America.

# # #

Downstairs everything was ready to go. The wedding planner straightened and lifted the various parts of Rachel’s wedding gown, then cued the organist. As she walked down the aisle, she felt like it sounded more like a funeral dirge than a wedding march. Then she saw it. First a wink. Then a smile. And finishing with a lingering glance up and down at one of her bridesmaids by her bridegroom!

Her father released Rachel’s arm. Right when she was supposed to take Kurt’s arm, she withdrew from following through and said, “Kurt, how could you! And on our wedding day! In the church. Good riddance!”

At that point Rachel reached into her cleavage and pulled out the masseuse’s gift, a very small pair of scissors. Instantly, Rachel cut the train from the dress, then turned around and walked out of the chapel, prepared to walk away from her father’s billions for the second and final time.

Arthur did not even have to object to the marriage as he intended, but he did give her some lead time by tripping two body guards, so they would be delayed in catching up to her. Rachel ended the sham before it had a chance to begin and lead to a ‘death do us part’ that she would wish for everyday of her married life to that playboy. In the end, Arthur decided against making himself known to Rachel in the end. He was unsure if she would want to be with any man after such a p*ss poor showing of two significant ones in two different places.

Rachel grabbed her passport, driver’s license, credit cards, her keys, a leather jacket and some cash; learning from the masseuse, she looked in the mirror and said to herself, “Rachel Girl, you deserve much better; now go back and get him!” She changed into a pair of sneakers from heels, but did not change out of the wrecked dress, which she now wore as a badge of honor. She hopped on her motorcycle then put on her helmet and sped off to JFK International Airport.