Tapestries and bunting, tablecloths, and all that glittery paraphernalia that showed up at receptions that no one knew what to do with, napkins, towels, cloths, all in muted pinks and powder blues and sunny yellows, spilled across tables laid out in long rows that seemed to stretch on forever. It was an affront to the eye. Especially given the size of the convention center.
A sign with WELCOME TO THE WORLD’S LARGEST BRIDAL EXPO hung limply from stretched-out strings tied to a second story railing that ran the length of the immense building.
It was a stadium, an aircraft hangar, a big building. The second story was a thin line of offices and meeting rooms that took a little room on the edge of the open area, tenuously holding to the walls, trying to stay out of the way.
At the far end of the mall, a television, 80-inches at least, hung from the railing, playing the same things over and over. Maps of the setting, ads, images of happy brides with happy grooms standing under happy white roses strung on happy arches.
And below that, table after table of vendors.
It seemed like thousands of booths. Millions. Hundreds of millions that reached to infinity. The barbarian horde, so sure of it prowess, paused at one and tried to digest the current mission. There was one booth in all that mess that mattered. It was a race, but no one knew where to start. There was awkward shuffling, muted whispers as the groups regrouped into smaller gatherings to figure things out while women in their bridal best advanced on the men uncertainly, carrying large baskets slung over their arms, and offering handfuls of samples.
“A garter for your...partner?” offered the foremost of them, holding out a bright satin circlet with a ribbon tied around it, bearing a coupon for wedding night finery. She passed through the crowd, bestowing her tokens with a certain sort of dogged determination that spoke of someone hired to do a job, and by God she was going to do it. Luke stared at the bit of blue lace and ribbon in his hand and felt the blood rush to his cheeks, though he pocketed it all the same.
After all, it was a coupon of the “Buy one get one free” variety.
First, though, he needed to find his bride.
More relaxed now that they were there, and the world was apparently not ending just yet, Luke found that he wasn’t worried anymore so much as he was pissed off. And frustrated. And very, very tired. This all was way too much like the whole wedding planning fiasco of two weeks ago. Except that had far fewer vendors. And much better quality stuff.
Luke nudged the guy next to him, who was staring in fascination at the table in front of them. “If you think that’s a place setting, you should see what they can do if they put a gold charger under the plate and then combine it with something like those black tablecloths over there. You might think the black is a little out there, but for an evening reception...”
Luke stammered to a halt, aware that the eyes of a dozen men were on him, and no small number of women, too. He kind of shrugged. The group looked at each other. There was a great deal of ethnic diversity. The suits seemed not so out of place when surrounded by mannequins wearing wedding dresses.
It was a man with a decidedly Asian cast who broke first. With a wild look at his compatriots, he raised a fist still holding a garter and yelled “Elaina!” before running full-tilt into the display area.
“Thanks,” Luke said sarcastically to Edwin as the older man took off in a different direction.
William stood still at the entrance, a calm rock around which the rest of the men flowed. They split and took off in every direction, leaving William alone in the tumult.
Thomas walked up to him as the last of the tsunami rushed past. “You must show me how you do that,” Thomas said.
Luke silently agreed.
“Do what?” William blinked.
“Okay,” Luke said, having had enough of this whole mess already, and they’d only just arrived. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to grab his fiancée and find another exit. Preferably one somewhere on the opposite side of the building. Let them find the damn bird. “I’m going to find my bride.”
“NO!” William said, grabbing Luke’s arm. “You’re the only one who knows what the thing looks like.”
“I, uh...” Luke swallowed and looked at the large television showing a different happy bride with a different happy groom. The happy white roses looked the same, though. “I can’t remember what it looked like.”
“Seriously?” William asked, staring at Luke as though he’d just grown another head.
“He’s your boy?” Thomas raised an eyebrow.
“Nice,” Luke said and pulled free, shaking his head. The question was which way to go. He couldn’t exactly go running through the throng, yelling ‘Dani!’
On the other hand, there was a great deal of shouting going on from all directions. Mostly a single word: “Elaina” coming from voices who were not used to speaking English. It was like a strange game of Marco Polo, only without the water.
The lunatics had escaped.
And his father bought them each a ticket.
“This would be a hell of a lot easier if either of us had a cell phone. Like normal people,” Luke muttered, and with a resigned shake of his head he took off, heading into the thickest part of the expo with no clear idea at all how he was going to find the woman he loved.
He only knew he wouldn’t stop looking until he had her safe in his arms again.
Which was all well and good, provided no one got shot first.
Behind him the doors slammed open. A new set of shouts erupted. The authorities had arrived in all their uniformed glory.
Their luck had finally run out.
Luke began to run.
DANI GRABBED MARCUS by the arm, towing him down the first aisle. “Maria, you and Elaina see what you can find that way!” she shouted over her shoulder. In moments the two mothers were lost to view, and she and Marcus were alone—as alone any two people could be in such a press of people.
It was more crowded than she’d expected, even having re-formed her opinion of wedding planning in recent weeks. If it hadn’t been for Uncle Benny’s ploy, she would have had no idea what half this stuff was for. Suggestions for bridesmaid’s gifts, trousseaus, table decorations, and flower arrangements met her at every turn. Because every table had a giveaway, it seemed, there was a constant press of little knots of women filling out tiny cards, giving out more personal information than they should have been comfortable with. On the other hand, some of the prizes were quite outstanding.
‘Honeymoon for two to Costa Rica’ looked particularly interesting, and if they weren’t in the midst of a crisis she might have been tempted to fill that one out for herself.
Provided she was truly engaged.
No time to think of that now. Focus.