Bonus 10: Two Days Before
Nina
It was two days before my wedding. The house was quiet, a lull of calmness in the storm of preparation. I was at home that evening, half lost in the endless list of last-minute arrangements and half lost in daydreams. Enzo was out, running some errands.
I didn’t expect anything out of the ordinary. But as it turned out, I was in for a huge surprise. A knock echoed through the house, the sudden sound pulling me from my musings. I opened the door to find Jessica and Lori grinning mischievously.
“Hey, guys,” I said, opening the door a little wider. “I wasn’t expecting you- “Grab her!” Jessica shouted.
Before I could react, Lori grabbed me by both arms. A bridal sash was thrown over me, a tiara was plunked on my head, and I was unceremoniously. dragged out of my house..
I glanced over my shoulder, certain that Enzo would come home and think that I was kidnapped. And technically, I supposed that I was kidnapped. “Wait, what’s going on?” I stammered. as they pulled me into a car, laughing. at my confused state.
“You’ll see.” Jessica winked as Lori began to drive down the road. It wasn’t long before we were pulling into town. My confusion quickly dissolved into shock and then bloomed into delight as we parked alongside the local club. Lori and Jessica put their hands over my eyes and guided me inside, where they pulled their hands. away and shouted, “Surprise!”
There, amidst a sea of familiar faces, was a large sign that read, ‘Nina’s Bachelorette!’ “You guys!” I exclaimed, whirling around to face Lori and Jessica.” What’s all this?!”
“What do you think, dummy?” Lori teased, punching me in the arm. “Your wedding is in two days. Obviously you have to get piss drunk and dance the night away before Enzo steals you from us.”
Before I knew it, a strong drink was shoved in my hand and I was pushed unceremoniously into the throng of familiar faces. Alongside Lori and Jessica, I recognized several classmates who I was acquaintances with.
“Come on, Nina!” Jessica hollered over the loud music, taking my hand and twirling me around. I laughed, letting myself be swept away by the rhythm, my feet moving almost on their own. My tiara twinkled under the neon lights, a beacon of my soon-to -be-married status.
The DJ dropped a crowd favorite, and a cheer erupted around us. The atmosphere was electric, a palpable energy that coursed through everyone, uniting us in our shared revelry. We formed a circle, each of us taking turns to step into the center, showing off our most ridiculous dance moves amidst laughter and cheers.
Melania, the newest addition to our group, was there without Luke; I felt oddly transfixed by her ethereal beauty as she swayed on the dance floor, moving and gyrating in sync to the music like a flower swaying in the breeze.
The night transformed into a blur of dancing, laughter, and well-wishes, I found myself lost in the rhythm, soaking in the happiness that radiated. from everyone. But, in the midst of it all, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Enzo, a look of surprise mirroring my own.
“Enzo?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the loud music. “What are you doing here?” “I could ask the same question,” he shouted back, grinning with a drink in his hand. “Did you get dragged here against your will, too?”
I nodded. Just then, the hockey team, including Matt and Luke, suddenly appeared out of the crowd. Our two respective parties practically froze in surprise. Jessica stomped up to Matt, jabbing her finger into his chest.
“I told you we were having the bachelorette party here!” she shouted. “You were supposed to go somewhere else!” Matt, however, shot her a confused look. “I thought you said that you weren’t having it here!”
Enzo and I watched, unable to control our laughter as Jessica and Matt bickered. It wasn’t long, however, before Melania eventually found Luke and pulled him back toward the dance floor. I watched with a grin as his head disappeared into the crowd, and I did the same with Enzo.
Before we knew it, both parties had converged on the dance floor. Our laughter melded into the thumping music. The night took an unexpected turn, our separate parties merging into. one epic celebration. Friends from both sides joined in the revelry, the club. reverberating with the amplified cheer of our combined groups..
The rest of the night was a whirlwind of music, laughter, and non-stop dancing. Our friends formed a raucous conga line, weaving through the club with Enzo and I at the helm. Drinks flowed freely, toasts were made, and stories were shared.
At one point, Enzo pulled me aside. He led me over to the bar for a refill on our drinks, the contents of which had sloshed out onto the floor more than they had actually wound up in our bellies.
Taking a breather from the dancing, Enzo leaned on the counter and held up two fingers to the bartender, who nodded. I didn’t even know which drinks the bartender would bring usi next; I just knew that he would bring two of them.
“Did you ever imagine our bachelor and bachelorette parties combining?” Enzo asked as he looked over at me, his eyes twinkling with mirth and his face red from a combination of the alcohol and the dancing.
“I didn’t even know I was having a bachelorette party until an hour ago!” I laughed, leaning against his shoulder. I tucked a stray strand of sweaty hair behind my ear and let out a peaceful sigh.
His laughter rang out, adding to the symphony of joy that filled the room. ” Well, this is definitely a night to remember.”
A few moments later, the bartender brought us our two mystery drinks. Enzo handed mine to me, then we clinked our plastic cups together and took a big gulp.
“Mmm,” I said, grimacing as I swallowed the bitter yet also somehow sickly sweet flavor of vodka and cranberry juice. “Tastes like shit.”
Enzo chuckled. “Yeah,” he said. “See why I prefer wine?” As the night wore on, the energy never waned. We danced until our feet ached, laughed until our sides hurt, and celebrated like there was no tomorrow. The surprise had turned into an unexpected delight, a night filled with memories we’d cherish forever.
Finally, as the music died down and the first light of dawn peeked through the windows, we all stumbled home. Tired, but exhilarated, we all said our goodbyes, promises to see each other at the wedding echoing in the cool morning air before Enzo and I practically fell into the back of the Uber that was waiting to take us back to our house.
And as I fell into bed just as the sun began to rise, Enzo’s arm wrapped itself snugly around me. I couldn’t help but think of how truly magical the night had been. I closed my eyes, a smile on my face, knowing that tomorrow would be another day filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories. And after that…
We would finally be married.
