Objections
OBJECTIONS
CAM
You know those scenes in romance movies where the love interest is waiting for their significant other to arrive, and they’re waiting and waiting and the crowd parts or the car pulls away and their person is there looking all stunning, and the love interest loses it for a second? Yeah, that scene from those movies was about to play out right in front of me. Mom, Ron Seavers, and I were waiting for Rachel at the hotel’s entrance.
I hadn’t seen Roman or Dad yet, but assumed they were prepping somewhere or smoking cigars. As ‘I do’ time loomed, a feeling of dread and frustration washed over me. I should have reached out to Roman before. I should have swallowed my pride and attempted to repair things. Once he was joined with Britt, that was it. She would never allow us to speak again.
These thoughts swirled in my head along with the trepidation of having to see my dad, having to see my mom see my dad, and having my dad see my mom with someone else, which had me wanting to run for the nearest exit.
And that’s when I saw her.
Valet cars cleared out, leaving a black Tahoe that had pulled up. The driver stepped out of the car, opened the back passenger door, and reached for her hand. Seriously, was just like in the movies. My eyes locked on her red, pouty lips first, and it was as if I had been shocked by a defibrillator. My gaze wandered up and down her body, which was being hugged by a second-skin white dress.
“Fuck.”
“Cameron James,” she whispered, whacking me on the shoulder. She folded her arms across her chest and then leaned in. “She is stunning though, and she’s got a mischievous look on her face.”
“I realize that. I hate to say this, but I think she has a plan to get back at Britt.”
“Can’t wait,” Mom said with a smirk.
When Rachel finally joined us, she hugged Mom first and then shook Ron’s hand. Rachel and I lingered in our hug. Her cheek brushed past mine as we parted and that was it. I was officially on fire. How does she do this to me every time?
“Thank you for coming,” I said, squeezing her hand.
“Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
“ You look beautiful won’t cut it today, but there are no words to describe this dress.”
Rachel kicked her leg out and glanced down. “It’s actually part of my strategery.”
“Oh? This is part of the op?” I stuck my arm out as we all turned to walk inside, and she wrapped hers in mine.
“You bet your life it is,” she said with a sly smile.
We filtered into the lobby, which reminded me of something out of Hemingway’s Key West home. Rattan chairs, leafy ferns, and peachy décor. Since it was close to surface-of-the-sun hot outside, the wedding would take place in one of the ballrooms. We stopped at the bar to get a drink while Mom and Ron paused to chat with some people Mom knew from our old neighborhood.
“And do I get to know the details of Operation Soaring Midnight Falcon?” I kind of hoped they involved Rachel straddling me and kissing me again.
Rachel’s eyes darted around the rest of the guests in the lobby. “No.”
“No?”
“I can’t tell you. I don’t really know yet.” Rachel smiled at the bartender when she handed her a Tito’s and tonic. “I’ll think of something though. The purpose, however, is to get your brother out of this.”
“Hello, Cameron.”
The grizzly voice behind me sent frost crackling through my veins. Rachel and I turned in unison. “Dad,” I said.
His eyes grated over me before falling to Rachel.
“Hello. I’m John Nash, and you are?”
“Rachel, Rachel Kicklighter. Great to meet you, Senator,” Rachel said without missing a beat. She flashed her megawatt smile and shook his hand.
“Kicklighter? Associated with that grand furniture store off Hayden?”
“That same. It’s my family’s business.”
“Very impressive. And you’re here with Cameron?” Dad said, finally looking back at me.
“Yes,” Rachel said, wrapping her arms in mine. “Yes I am.”
“That’s wonderful.” Dad raised his glass to us. “Is your mother here, Cameron?”
I pointed past him. “Behind you.” I smiled. Dad turned to see Mom laughing and holding hands with Ron. There was a lightness to Mom that I hadn’t seen in a while, and it was everything. Dad watched them for a second before clearing his throat and turning back to us.
“It’s good to see you, Cameron. We need to get dinner soon.”
I nodded knowing it would never happen. He disappeared into the crowd, and I realized I had passed through the first gate of awkwardness tonight.
“You okay?” Rachel asked, tugging on my arm.
“Yeah.” I finished my whiskey. “I’m perfect. I’m with you.”
She smiled at me, and it lit up my entire world again. I squeezed her hand and I couldn’t help it, I pulled her to me and kissed her cheek.
Her cheeks flushed. “Uh, I’m going to the restroom before the shenanigans start.”
I laughed, nodded, and moved to my mom’s side. Twenty minutes passed and the guests started to filter out toward the ballroom. I was about to send a search party for Rachel when my phone buzzed.
Kicklighter
Go ahead and go in. Save me a seat and I’ll be right there.
Oh no, you didn’t somehow eat a shrimp, did you?
Kicklighter
Nope. I’m fine. Promise. I’ll be in shortly.
I shrugged, thinking this must be part of her plan, and accompanied Mom and Ron to our seats in the ballroom. I froze for a second seeing the exact same white folding chairs with lavender ribbons that Britt had chosen for our wedding. Acid rose in my throat. Even the aisle decorations were the same. Mom, Ron, and I took seats in the back toward the aisle so we could make a quick getaway. I was surprised to see my dad sit in the front row by himself. And there really weren’t that many people there for either side. Maybe thirty people who all seemed to be exhibiting the same level of discomfort as I was.
No one chatted and an eerie silence descended on us. It felt like we were in a library rather than a wedding ceremony. At least at my wedding, people were cheering me on even if they didn’t exactly like Britt.
The processional sounded and my chest tightened as Roman entered from the right and took his place on the stage near the minister. Only two other groomsmen joined him, and they were people I didn’t recognize. Must be colleagues from the hospital. Mom exhaled and reached for my hand. I squeezed, trying to tell her with my eyes, ‘This is almost over now. We got this.’
I checked my phone again as two bridesmaids started their walk down the aisle. No word from Rachel and I started to think I should go look for her. If she didn’t start Operation Soaring Midnight Falcon soon, she might miss her chance. The bridesmaids took their place, and finally Rachel breezed in, cutting through the aisle in front of Britt, who was waiting in the wings.
“I thought you fell in a well,” I whispered.
“Almost. I nearly fell in a toilet trying to balance on the seat so my feet wouldn’t show under the door.”
I tried to compute what she said. “Wait, what?”
“Never mind. All will be revealed soon.” Rachel pulled out her phone. “The most important thing I got out of my trip to the restroom was … Britt is not pregnant, and I have a recording of her saying it!”
With the blood draining from my head and pooling in my toes, I shivered. “So what are we going to do? We need to tell Roman.”
“I got this,” Rachel said.
People turned, and some, like me, did not stand when Britt came down the aisle with her father, who looked annoyed by the entire event. As his bride approached, I saw fear and discomfort roll across Roman’s face.
The next few minutes were excruciating. Waiting to see what Rachel was going to do while watching Britt and Roman recite their vows almost caused my soul to leave my body. I was about to pop up and shout, something, anything, when Rachel shot up from her seat.
“Excuse me!” Rachel said, putting her hand up. “Excuse me!”
The entire room turned around in their seats and stared at her. Britt’s face began to flush and Roman stood frozen with his eyes wide.
“Hi, um, hi, I’m Rachel,” she said, bringing her hand to her chest.
The minister scowled while Britt’s face twisted into a glare.
“Sit down!” she shouted. “Can someone get her out of here?”
The minister put up his hand. “What is it?”
Rachel tapped on her phone. “Well, you skipped the part where you say ‘Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.’”
The minister’s expression changed from irritation to curiosity. “And do you have an objection?”
“Oh yes! Yes, I do. Uh, can I …” Rachel motioned to the two resort staff members who were clinging to the edges of the room. “… have a microphone?”
Britt growled when a staff member scurried up to the stage, removed the microphone from its stand and then brought it to Rachel.
“I’ve got something everyone should hear.”
Rachel pressed play on a voice memo recording, and after some garbled scratchiness, Britt’s voice came through sharp as crystal. She was in the middle of speaking to her mother who, upon recognizing her own voice, sat pale-faced in the front row.
“Mother! What are you doing?” Britt insisted. “Why did you pull me in here?”
Her mother didn’t answer and sounds of her shuffling around the bathroom came through the phone.
“What are you doing?” Britt asked.
“I’m checking to see if we’re alone,” her mother said. “Hello? Anyone here?”
Sounds of Britt shuffling around in her big dress followed. “There’s no one in here, now what do you want?”
“Your father wants me to try one last time to talk some sense into you.”
“Mother …” Britt growled. “I’ve already told you. I know what I’m doing. I’m marrying Roman and there’s nothing you or father can do about it. The bonus is Cam will be watching the entire thing. That’s the best. Can’t believe his sorry ass actually came. I would’ve had more respect for him if he stayed home.”
“And when Roman finds out you’re not really pregnant, what then?” her mother asked.
A collective gasp rumbled through the guests.
“I know how to make him believe anything,” Britt continued.
“But he’s a doctor.”
“So? Once we’re married, who cares? I can tell him the entire thing was made up just to get him to marry me. If he tries to divorce me, I can take everything he has, so win-win for me.”
“Don’t you love him at all?”
“Mother, please.”
“Well, do you?”
There was a moment of silence followed by the sound of sink the running. “I did at first. I thought being a doctor’s wife would be so glamorous, but all he does is work. Honestly, who cares if he’s a heart surgeon. I have needs too. It doesn’t matter, though. He’ll be gone so much I can find someone new anyway.”
Rachel stopped the recording. No one moved, no one blinked. We all sat trying to process what we just heard. In the past, what Britt had said about me would’ve hurt, but this time, her comments blew over me like a wisp of wind. My heart ached for Mom, even for my dad, and especially for Roman, who had fallen for Britt’s lies. He had done an unthinkable thing to me, but he was still my brother.
The look on his face as he stood at the front of the room, though …
That wounded me. I guess one could say he deserved it, but I knew that pain. The pain of realizing the love you thought you had wasn’t real and wasn’t love at all.
All eyes slowly turned back to the stage. Roman’s chest heaved and he backed away from Britt, almost stumbling as he did so.
“This is over,” he hissed.
“No, it’s not,” Britt pleaded. “Roman, please. That is nothing more than a deep fake or something.”
“Since we were going to sign the marriage licenses after the ceremony, and we did not officially say ‘I do’…” Roman wiped his brow. “This is over.”
Roman rushed off the stage and out of the room, followed swiftly by Dad and Mom.
“Operation success,” Rachel said. “Let’s go.”
Murmurs erupted as other guests also started to file out. Britt’s mother was trying to calm her as she screamed at the minister, who was also attempting to exit. Britt’s father strode out in front of us, swearing under his breath. A few guests patted Rachel on the back and some from Britt’s side even gave her a thumbs-up. Mom rushed back in as we made it back to the entrance.
“How’s Roman?” I asked.
“Hard to say. He’s already left with your father.”
The cry of an enraged animal sounded behind us, causing Mom, Rachel, and me to turn. Britt had broken free from her mother and was sprinting toward us, the layers of taffeta doing nothing to slow her down.
“You bitch!” she shouted. “I’ll kill you!”
The remaining guests yelped as Britt reached for Rachel with her claws, but before Britt could make contact, Mom stepped up and punched Britt square in the face. Britt flew back and landed in a heap.
“Holy shit,” Rachel said.
Mom shook out her hand. “Been wanting to do that for a while.”
“I got that on video,” a woman from Roman’s side said. “That was awesome.”
Britt’s mother rushed to her side. “How dare you! We’re going to file an assault charge on you.”
“You do that …” Mom took a step toward Britt’s mother, who knelt beside her daughter. “And I’m going to take our recording to the local news stations so every man in Scottsdale will know what a nightmare your daughter is.”
Britt’s mother gulped and turned her attention back to her daughter.
“Well, this is one for the record books,” Ron said. “Would you like a drink, Victoria?”
“Yes, I would, but not here,” Mom said, rubbing her forehead. “I’m not sure I can be around others. I feel so relieved, but I’m so … jittery. Should we all adjourn to my house?”
“Absolutely,” I said. I extended a shaking hand toward Rachel and ushered her, Mom, and Ron out.
I tipped the valet and helped Rachel into my car, following Ron’s car to Mom’s. I felt like I had downed twenty cups of coffee in twenty minutes. What I’d heard on the recording stung. But maybe now, Roman and I could finally start to heal our relationship.