UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHAPTER 24

 

Having Adam along was actually a blessing and if every trip to Texas included him, that would be fine with Charlie. He kept her from working 12-hour days and made sure she ate well. In fact, while she was busy with meetings or working with the construction companies being considered, he looked around and made sure they went out to visit some of the local sights. On the two weekends they were there, he made arrangements for them to leave the town they were in and travel to other areas to sightsee and enjoy Texas hospitality and food. If Charlie thought Georgia barbeque couldn’t be topped, it was because she hadn’t been to Texas. She was thinking she was going to have to bring Mr. Eb to Texas so he, or his family members, could learn some new barbeque methods and sauces.

Back home, the company’s projects were moving along nicely and Charlie’s dad hadn’t been called on too often. In fact, she was positive he felt a bit down about the fact she had things running so smoothly she could be gone for a couple of weeks, checking in only by phone or email. Meanwhile, her mamma had been busy looking at venues and checking dates for the nuptials as well as making up a guest list that had to include every single person her mamma and daddy had ever known, and that was without adding the folks Adam’s family would want to invite. Charlie was so tempted to simply break her engagement or elope, she could barely stand it, but Adam kept talking her out of doing anything so foolish.

Adam talked to his parents and they’d decided they would come down mid-February. Once that was settled, Charlie’s mom called them and insisted they plan on staying with Charlie’s family. After all, they had more than enough room and would soon be family. Until they had the big wedding meeting, Charlie refused to do one single thing that was related to her wedding, which annoyed the absolute hell out of her mamma. Charlie got around her mamma’s ire by simply not answering her phone; and on one occasion, snuck out the company’s back door when she learned her mamma had come by to have a chat.

It couldn’t simply be a meeting, it had to include food. Charlie’s mamma invited everyone for an early dinner and went so far as to have it catered by the company she planned to hire for the wedding. The food was delicious and everyone approved Ruth Ann’s choices although Charlie really wanted to call a halt to the idea of a sit-down dinner and have it be a lot simpler. Unfortunately, Patricia and Ruth Ann had hit it off and worked together on the menu, so any changes weren’t likely. Still, before the cake samples were served for dessert, Charlie whispered in Adam’s ear, “Are you sure you don’t want to elope? Please, please, please.”

Adam laughed and gave her a hug, responding, “How can you even think about eloping? Just look at how happy our mammas are. They’d probably give us such a spanking we’d be unable to sit for months. Now, just relax and go with it.”

By evening’s end, a draft plan had been assembled. Charlie dreaded to think how much longer it would take to reach a final plan, but she was willing to keep you mouth shut and participate as required. But she didn’t plan on doing anything beyond what was actually required.

The first thing on the list was to choose a wedding dress and both her mamma and Adam’s mamma would participate before Adam’s parents went back north. That meant Charlie had to carve out a day or two in the next week for that purpose. Besides the two mammas, it would also include Sandi. The women decided Wednesday would be a good day and Ruth Ann said she would call and make an appointment. Then, after the fitting, perhaps they could all go to lunch.

Wednesday morning Charlie wished she had a prescription for Xanax. It wasn’t that she’d ever taken it, but another friend relied on the medication when her life got just a bit too overwhelming. Adam kissed her goodbye and suggested she do her best to hold her tongue. “Remember, it may be your wedding, sweetie-pie, but you’re not in charge.”

Charlie stuck her tongue out at him, climbed in her truck and went to pick up Sandi. They’d meet the mammas at the bridal shop. When Sandi climbed in the truck, Charlie wanted to sneer at her wardrobe, but she had no reason since she’d dressed appropriately herself in a dress and heels. “I don’t know about you Sandi, but I feel like a little kid having to participate in a function I’d rather not.”

“Oh, c’mon Charlie, you know how much your mamma’s enjoyin’ this.  After all, you’re her only child and a girl at that. Just smile and think about great sex with Adam and you’ll be fine.”
          “Think about sex with my mamma and his mamma both right there. Is that what you did?”

“Well, not when we were tryin’ on dresses because Les and I hadn’t done the deed yet; but I certainly did fantasize about it when things started to get under my skin. Course, I was all excited to be doin’ what we’re doin’ today, unlike you. You’re such a boy-girl.”

When they arrived at the bridal shop, the owner gave them each a glass of champagne and had already pulled out several dresses for them to view. There was no way Charlie was going to wear the one that seemed to have a hoop skirt. She pointed to it and shook her head no. Another one had enough ruffles for several dresses and Charlie sent that one back as well. She looked at a few others and chose three to try. She even allowed her mamma to come into the dressing room with her.

The first one was fairly plain, but felt uncomfortable once it was on her body. The second one was so tight at the hem Charlie could barely move. She couldn’t really see herself walking down the aisle. In that dress, it would be more like mincing. She wasn’t too enthused about the third dress either. It was fairly plain and simple compared with the others, made of satin with a train made of lace. Charlie’s dislike was for the fact both dress and train glistened with sequins and beads. She did like the sweetheart neckline, with small shoulder straps and the bodice ended just below her breasts. From there, it fell straight down, ending just a few inches short of the floor. The hem became longer as it moved from front to back and the train was shaped like the hemline. It was the one Sandi insisted she try.

Once she was all zipped and buttoned into that gown, she was surprised to hear her mamma sniffle. She whipped her head around and there was her mamma with tears rolling down her cheeks.
          “Oh my Charlotte,” her mamma almost whispered, “I really thought maybe I’d never see you in wedding white. This gown is the one I know it. Now, let me dry my tears and we’ll see what everyone else thinks.”

“Mamma, I guess I never really understood how important it was to you to see me married off. I’m sorry I’ve been such a stinker, but I’m glad I waited for Adam.”

“Me too, baby, me too. Now let’s wow Patricia and Sandi.”

And wow them Charlie did. She slowly walked into the room and mounted the small platform and allowed the owner to arrange the sparkling train.

“I knew that was the one the minute I saw it.” Sandi exclaimed, walking around the platform. “With your hair down and a crown of white roses, you’ll look absolutely perfect. Don’t y’all agree?”

Patricia added, “You’ll be absolutely beautiful on your wedding day, my dear. I wasn’t sure about the glitter, but it suits you perfectly.”

Patricia and Ruth Ann hugged each other happily before Charlie returned to the dressing room. While the two women celebrated and shed a few more tears, Sandi helped Charlie remove her wedding gown. Then, it was Sandi’s turn to try on various bridesmaid dresses.

Susannah, the bridal shop owner had assembled an assortment of bridesmaid dresses and said, “Since the wedding gown has sequins and beads, I thought perhaps simple dresses would be more complimentary. And, since the wedding gown shines with different colors, perhaps an assortment of dresses that reflect that shining would be gorgeous.”

Sandi came out of the dressing room in a sky-blue dress that had silver threads woven throughout the material. Its shape was similar to that of the wedding gown but the hemline ended just above the knee and followed the oval shape to the back. She looked stunning with her lightly tanned skin, dark hair and eyes. “That’s perfect for you Sandi,” Ruth Ann exclaimed. “And I see exactly what you mean by having the dresses be complimentary. The silver gleams nicely, but won’t detract from my baby’s dress.”

Charlie had lost her battle to keep the wedding party small, so there would have to be an additional four dresses for the four women Charlie had yet to invite to be part of her wedding. Ruth Ann looked at and selected the same style dress but in a pale mint green, the material again shot through with silver. “This will complement both the matron’s and bride’s dresses and Charlie, you need to get your other four attendants in here for a fitting right away, isn’t that right Susannah?”

“Oh, my yes. The sooner we have everything ordered and fitted the better, especially if you want your June wedding.” Susannah gushed back. “And don’t forget you’re going to need veils for everyone as well as shoes.”

“Don’t worry Ms. Marshall, I’m positive my mamma won’t let a single thing slip by or slide very far down the schedule.” Charlie replied, barely keeping her comment from being completely sarcastic. Crap, she thought. Now I have to figure out which four women are going to be wearing those dresses. She wanted bang her head on the adjacent table.

Sandi, sensing Charlie’s discomfort filled her glass with the last of the champagne and told her, “Drink up sweetie. I know this will help ease your pain just a wee bit.”

Charlie drank it down in practically one gulp and followed everyone out the door. She still had to get through lunch an more wedding talk. Maybe she’d just drink her lunch and let everyone else do the talking.

Amazingly, once they’d settled in and ordered their drinks and lunch, talk did not revolve around wedding plans. Patricia asked Sandi about her family and her kids and this led to stories not only about Sandi’s kids, but Ruth Ann and Patricia telling stories about Adam and his siblings and Charlie. It was a great lunch with lots of laughter and sharing and definitely put Charlie in a better frame of mind until Patricia’s final comment about children.

“Just think Charlie, in another year or two, you’ll be able to share stories about your own children. Imagine just how much fun that will be.”

Beneath the table, Sandi pinched Charlie’s leg to keep the words she was formulating from leaving her mouth. She knew Charlie wanted to wait for several more years before getting pregnant. She also knew both the mammas would undoubtedly be praying and hoping for a grandchild exactly nine months from the wedding day, if not sooner.

That evening at dinner, Charlie regaled Adam with tales from her day with the mammas and even told him how Sandi had pinched her. “She didn’t want me to ruin lunch by exclaiming how I didn’t plan on having any kids for years yet. I know my mamma’s anxious to be a granny, but your mamma already has six. Why the hurry? I am so not ready to become a mamma myself.”

Adam looked at Charlie, his face serious. “Would it be that horrible to get pregnant right away? I know I’m ready to be a dad and would love to have a houseful of children before I’m too old to get down on the floor and play with them. Or too feeble to scare the shit out of any boy that comes sniffing around my girls.”

Charlie pushed back from the table and looked at him, her eyebrows raised, eyes wide open. “Seriously? Seriously? You want to get pregnant right away? You’re barely 35 and I’m just past 30. We’ve lots of time. And, a houseful of kids. Sheesh, I guess we haven’t talked much about our future and children, but I’m not sure I’m capable of being a mamma to more than one, maybe two.”

“Oh, Charlie, you’d be great. I just know it. Look how great you are at 4everything else. Look at how flawlessly your company runs.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to give up working at my company. Just now, we’re expanding to another state. Just imagine what I could do once that Texas house is finished and marketed. Maybe the company could grow and become something huge.”

“I have confidence in you Charlie. I bet you could be a great mamma and end up on the Fortune 500 list if that’s what you wanted. And, you know you can count on me always for all the support you’d need, not to mention all the fun we’d have making them babies.”

“Aha, here we are back to sex. I’m more than happy to have all the sex you want, but we’re going to keep on being careful, so don’t go poking holes in your condoms or switching out my birth control pills.”

“Thanks for the ideas Charlie. Where do you keep your pins around here? And, I didn’t know you were on the pill.”

“Well, I’m not, but I think I’m going to go see my doctor and get some so you don’t get carried away. My wedding dress doesn’t have room for a baby bump.”

Laughing, they got up, cleaned the kitchen and headed for the bedroom. After a long sweet kiss, Charlie murmured, “Looks like we’re gonna be practicing some baby-making. Just make sure you have a condom handy.”