Wilmington Woman's Club Ch. 33

October 1987 -- Goings on at Janet's Wedding

Val slipped her jeans and her white tank top off. She hung up those clothes before pulling out her underwear out of her suitcase. Val preferred wearing thongs, almost all the time. But it was a special occasion. She took off her white bra and panties, and hooked the lacey black bra around her

She still couldn't believe that Janet was getting married. Val laughed and thought about how surprising it was that she was marrying an older guy like Nick Fitzgerald, but Janet swore he had swept her off her feet.

After college Janet had, in her own words, "Gotten very lonely." To Val and Janet's other friends that meant she was drinking more and more. Then she met Nick Fitzgerald. Nick seemed nice. He had money and he had class. He was the type of guy that any girl's parents would be thrilled to be interested in their daughter. And he was heavily involved in a local church. To top it off, Val's husband, Joe, thought Nick a social equal and did a good amount of business with him.

Still, Val remained puzzled about their relationship. There was something about Nick that seemed off-center, but she couldn't pinpoint it. Still she couldn't deny that he had been a great help to Janet with her drinking problem. Now, instead of downing glass after glass, Janet sipped from a glass of wine and kept track of what she consumed. Both Val and Bernie were grateful for that; she and Bernie had on more than one occasion discussed whether to take her in to a clinic to dry out. They had never figured out how they, as friends, and not relatives, could do it legally; but the subject kept coming up until she had gotten engaged to Nick.

Val began applying her makeup, touching up, actually, and while using the eyebrow pencil, her mind began to wander. I always figured Bernie would be married by now, yet she doesn't even seem close to it. She was a serial monogamist in college. Basically getting a new boyfriend every semester, with several others filling in on the occasional weekend. But her problem is her exhibitionism. She claimed it heightened her orgasms. Worse, she didn't care who knew it. Well... with certain exceptions, like her parents and family members and certain prudish boyfriends.

Val laughed dispite herself. Bernies exhibitionism had given them both some good laughs. Val recalled the time she was talking to a guy ... what was his name again? Lennard? No. Jon? Yeah, Jon, for Jonpold. He was a Russian transfer student going to North Carolina State for a year. Val summoned him to her mind. He had been tall, lean and strikingly handsome. He claimed to be related to the former Czar, but she and Bernie had not believed a word of it. Although it sounded great. Bernie had him on the phone, was teasing him sexually,. Bernie swore that he was sensational in bed and Val was tempted to see for herself, but he was Bernie's, and she was seeing Joe, so that was as far as it went.

"So you say you'd do anything for me," Bernie said into the phone, while Val held her sides from laughing at Bernies antics. Evidently, Jon had agreed, for Bernie told him to pull on a pair of sweatpants and meet her at the Crabtree Valley Mall in 45 minutes. She hung up and stripped, pulling on a pair of black panties and slipping into a short mini-dress.

"Val, you'll drive."

"What, why drag me into this?"

"I want an audience."

"You're going to screw his ass in the car and you want me to watch?"

"No, I want you to watch, yeah, but we're not doing it in the car. We're doing it in the open, where anyone can walk by and see us."

Despite her protests, Val had gone along and they arrived at the mall at approximately 9 PM, but did not enter the Mall; instead Bernie parked the car across from the Mall's entrance. Val recalled there had been a lot of traffic passing by, and objected when Bernie asked her to dash across the roadway with her to a single brightly lit telephone booth.

Hand-in-hand, the girls ran across the busy thoroughfare and on reaching the booth, Bernie deftly opened the door and slipped inside, saying, "There he is! See, he's coming out of the yellow Volkswagen."

Jon trotted over to the booth and laughed on seeing Val. "Are you joining us for tonight's fun?" he asked, and Val had to admit, with his good looks and Russian accent, he was very sexy. But she knew that Bernie didn't share her lovers, at least she hadn't ever offered Val dibs on any of them.

"No, not me, just Bernie, but I understand I'm to witness this ... um, event."

He turned to Bernie and said, "This... this is where you want me to ...."

"Fuck me... and yes, it is!" she said finishing the sentence for him.

"Good! Then we will fuck like the bunnies, eh? And you, pretty lady can watch us and lust after my body!"

Val wanted to laugh at him, but the situation was so bizarre that she didn't dare. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that the passing cars were slowing down as they passed, at least those with male drivers. The few women passing didn't give the trio standing by the phone a second thought.

"How to do this, eh, Bernie?" Jon said, taking his formidable cock out of the fly of his sweatpants.

"Oh, Val!" Bernie gleefully chirped, "He's so ready for me!"

"Bernie... you do realize the booth is lit up... anyone can see what's going on."

"That's the idea Val; I want them to see us. It makes it much more exciting." Bernie slid gracefully into the phone booth, picked up the receiver, and pretended to make a call. "Jon, come stand behind me."

Jon entered the booth and stood behind her holding his erection in his right hand, as he kissed the back of Bernie's neck.

Val took note of the passing cars. They were now all slowing down, with several driving erratically, almost crashing into the cars parked on their side of the street. "You guys are going to cause an accident," she said in warning. Both Bernie and Jon laughed. Jon already had Bernie's short skirt bunched up around her waist. Val wasn't certain, but he appeared to be inside Bernie, moving energetically back and forth.

Bernie confirmed Val's suspicions, calling out, "Sock it to me, Jon. Sock it to me!"

"Take those magnificent tits out!" Jon yelled. Two cars, both with several male passengers, had already pulled to the curb alongside the telephone booth to gawk.

"Yeah, let's see 'em!" One of the passengers bawled out.

Bernie was now bent over, holding onto the telephone directory shelf as Jon pumped vigorously behind her. Val hoped that none of the men in the nearby cars would get out and approach her. Belatedly, she realized just how hot she had gotten from watching the couple fucking in front of her. She knew that if a cock were proffered, she would jump at the opportunity to work it into her sodden pussy. She was thinking about how to get Joe to come over and fuck her brains out as soon as she got back to her apartment, and she wouldn't have cared if Bernie and Jon watched them.

Jon's energy impressed Val so much that she would measure Joe's next performance and judge him accordingly.

One of the onlookers got out of the car and began approaching the booth. Bernie was alert enough to spot him and urged Jon to finish. Jon, a cavalier if ever there was one, obliged her by pumping twice and ejaculating into Bernie's sodden vagina.

By the time the man was seven feet from the telephone booth, and with more and more cars pulling over to watch the sexual display, Bernie had her skirt back down to its normal level and Jon had tucked his wet penis back into his sweats staining the front of them, but at the very least he was no longer exposed in public.

The three then made for Bernie's car, holding their hands up to ward off any on-coming traffic. Val was amazed that no one interfered with their progress, and heard a light spatter of applause from several of the stopped cars. Bernie started the engine, put the car in gear and drove off, with Val in the back seat. She drove around the Mall and returned to where Jon had parked his Volkswagen laughing all the while as kissed him goodbye.

*****

Snapping back to reality, Val finished the last applications of her makeup and thought about Janet's soon to be husband, Nick. She really didn't like him, he seemed nice, but there was something elusive that she didn't quite understand about him that had raised a red flag as far as Val was concerned.

Admittedly, Janet was a huge flirt. She always wore low-cut tops and short skirts that showed off her ample cleavage and curvy legs. And she would toss her red hair, (Val would have sworn it was dyed), and giggle at all the right points. Janet also had a habit of flirting her way into getting free drinks, free food, free access to clubs, and all the attention she wanted. Yet Nick seemed not the least bit jealous of her actions. Val knew her Joe would not allow her to get away with much of Janet's shinanagins, and felt secure because of it. But she also thought that Nick should feel the same as her Joe, but he obviously didn't. Maybe that was why she felt the way she did, she told herself, and decided to forget about it. After all, it was Janet's day, and Nick was her man, not Val's.

Val recalled that Nick and Janet had met for the first time at her sister Hannah's wedding several years before, but nothing had come of it, at least not then.

"I'm so happy for her," Bernie said. "I can't believe that she's really getting married."

"Bernie, I haven't asked... I guess I figured you'd tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Well... what happened with Jon?"

"No. Jon and I broke up, last month."

"Oh?" Val said. She paused again, not hearing the usual distress in her friend's voice, and she couldn't help but make a comment. "Again huh?"

Bernie laughed a little, but it was forced. "No, I'm afraid it's permanent this time."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause he knocked some girl up."

"OH!" The shock was apparent in Val's voice.

"Yeah. She's only eighteen as well. Was at a party, and she started flirting with him, and he was too drunk to stop her, so he says. And one thing led to another, next thing you know, she's pregnant."

"Oh, my God, Bernie! When did he tell you this?"

"Just a few weeks ago. I didn't call cause it's the same-old-thing. Me expecting him to change, and he never does. Well, I learned my lesson and so did he. Cause she wants to keep the baby."

Val didn't know how to react to Bernie this time. Her attitude towards Jon was completely different from previous encounters. "How is he handling that?"

"He's not. After confessing this to me, he was crying, begging for my advice. He had no idea what to do. He hoped the girl would have an abortion, but she wants nothing of the kind. Her parents are even more Catholic than mine are. I told him that he's asked a lot from me in the past, but asking me how to deal with his pregnant fuck-toy is going too far."

"Good for you."

"I told my parents. Who as you know, never believed my side of the story. And after they learned it was true, they told me I should never even talk to him again."

"Well, I'm sorry, none-the-less."

"So am I, but it's probably good for me. I always went back to him. I mean it sucks now. But in a week or a month, I'm going to meet someone great."

"You will too. Maybe even at the wedding."

"I can hope, can't I?"

"Hey, a goodlooking woman like you. I'd say you can't miss."

The conversation trailed off after that. They finished with their faces and took the dresses out of their respective boxes. "Oh...my... God!" Bernie yelped when she saw herself in the mirror. Val had to put her hand over her mouth to stop giggling, "It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? It's purple! It's Fucking PURPLE!"

It was awful, Val thought, but couldn't bring herself to admit it to Bernie. She examined the dress carefully. It was purple from head to toe. Three-quarter length sleeves, with lots of lace, and a big bow on the back of the dress and it rustled loudly after Bernie tried it on and walked from one end of the room to the other. And finally, to top it all off, purple colored heels.

Of course, this wasn't the first time that either of them had laid eyes on the gowns. Still, Val tried to sooth Bernie by making one excuse after the other supporting Janet's selection of the putrid color. "It'll look better during the daytime; We won't feel this way walking down the aisle of the church; and... and the others will be wearing them too...."

But reality was setting in. The dresses had been purchased, and both women were actually wearing them. There was no going back. It was Janet's wedding day.

"It's the worst thing I've ever seen. It's worse than that cranberry colored thing you wore at your sister Heather's wedding. At l least that didn't have all this. Val started laughing hysterically, rolling on the bed of the hotel room.

"I don't know what you're all laughing about," said Bernie, "You're going to look as stupid as I am."

Val continued laughing. "I guess what they say is true," she said as the tears ran down her face, "The bride chooses a color so that the bridesmaids look so awful, that she looks gorgeous by comparison."

Bernie finished putting on the dress, through lots of moaning and groaning. She then went into the bathroom to finish the rest of her makeup. Val still heard a few choice remarks prefaced by a loud "FUCK!" coming from the bathroom. Val was positive the extra mirrors in the bathroom weren't making the dress look any better.

Finally Bernie came out and Val went in and took in her own appearance in the mirrors. She was 27 years old and it was the second time that she was going to be a bridesmaid. She looked at herself in the mirror. Val had black hair, was on the tallish side, and had a supple figure. That supple figure was about to get lost in the folds of the purple colored fabric of the gown. To be perfectly honest, with her moderate-sized breasts and big hips, Val looked better in jeans and a t-shirt than she ever did dressed up, unless one considered how she looked in the classic black cocktail dress. Then she was special, very special. She owned fourteen of them. She knew she was special.

*****

"Okay, now zip me up please," said Val to Bernie as she turned around. Val felt Bernie's hands move the zipper up, as she called from behind... "Will you finally admit that these dresses are ugly?"

Val laughed, "It's not that bad, Bernie. It's not as if anyone is going to be looking at us, their eyes will all be on Janet."

"Like hell, we'll be scrutinized walking down the aisle too, and you damn well know it. We'll be laughstocks at the Reception too. Wait and see."

"I'm sorry. You know I was kidding."

Bernie paused a moment, before snapping the back of Val's bra before zipping it up and fastening the buttons. "OUCH! What are you in 7th grade?" said Val.

"Serves you right," said Bernie.

Val grabbed the bottle of perfume out of her bag and started to spray herself. Bernie grabbed the hairspray out of her bag and applied it one more time. The two of them joined each other in front of the mirror, a ritual they had developed back in college. "So how do we look?" said Bernie.

"We look better than most mortal men ever deserve," replied Val.

"Damn right! We should remember that always!" said Bernie. They held up pinky fingers, intertwined them and headed out the door.

***

The wedding ceremony went well with everyone commenting on how nice everyone looked and how beautiful the bride was. Bernie accompanied Nick's brother Stephen down the aisle, and Val was paired up with her husband Joe, who happened to be a good friend of Nick's.

Each of them made their way down the aisle, the photographer clicking pictures the whole way. On the girls side there was Val, Bernie and Leah, Janet's younger cousin. On the guys side there was Joe, Rich Shropshire, and Phil Moriority, Nick's best friend and best man.

Nick joined the party at the altar. He looked very good in his tuxedo. They had gone with the three piece black tuxedo with no tails, and Purple ascots to match the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. The Purple didn't look any better on the guys, but they seemed to be fine with it.

The organ began playing "Here Comes the Bride." Janet started down the aisle with her father, the air seemed to leave the room. Val thought she had never seen her friend look more beautiful. Janet wore a very understated, off the shoulder lacey white dress with a large veil and long train. It was pretty without being too sexy. It was classy without being old fashioned. She thought the style of the dress fit Janet perfectly. Janet carried lovely Purple colored roses, which matched the corsages that all of the girls wore. It was a perfectly lovely ceremony. Val smiled over at everyone. When she looked at Bernie, though, she noticed that Bernie had a very strange expression on her face. Like a dark cloud had come across. She started to get concerned. This was not the time for a Bernie meltdown.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Val tuned out most of the ceremony worrying about Bernie. But she did well up and start to cry when the reverend said, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you: Mr. and Mrs. Nickolas Fitzgerald." She took the time to look over at Bernie, who applauded as well, but she looked like she was in another state. Just going through the motions.

***

They walked out to the receiving line, and greeted everyone who came through, even though they recognized only a few people. However, they were greeted by a familiar face, although it was one they were not all that pleased to see.

"Hi ladies!" said a man their age with slicked back blonde hair, sparkling teeth, and a smug look on his face.

"Oh my God!" Val gasped, "Jon Grunfeld!"

Val had been certain he was the one for her best friend. He wasn't actually a bad guy. He had no qualities that you would warn someone about. But there weren't many good ones either. He always tried to hard. He wasn't subtle in his leering at other girls. And for a banker, he was really really cheap, and he always thought of himself as much cooler than he actually was.

"Hey, babies!" he called out as he attempted to encircle both Val and Bernie in his arms. Val managed to avoid his clutches, but Bernie was ensnared and seemed furious about it.

"What are you doing here?" Bernie asked, coming out of her stupor.

"I bumped into Janet a few weeks ago and she invited me. I thought about bringing a date, but it's better to go stag to these things. Never know when the bridesmaids will want to ride the Johnny Jon Express."

"Uck," said Val, genuinely disgusted by the comment.

"You're pathetic, Jon!" said Bernie.

"Doesn't matter, ladies. But I will expect to see you two lovelies on the dance floor this evening!"

The two of them exchanged glances as Jon wandered out of the church hall.

***

The reception was rather nice. Janet wanted it informal, so they had a DJ instead of a band. The meal was decent, and Val ended up talking to her husband and Rich Shropshire most of the evening. Both Joe and Rich were feeling no pain, and Val tolorated Rich's harmless flirting. She had her man and he was right there next to her.

After dinner, Rich leaned over to her. "We definitely have to get one good dance in, Val." She nodded, and placed her hand on the side of his face. "we'll make it a slow one, alright, Rich?"

Bernie on the other hand was getting completely wasted, downing Champagne as quickly as she could get it. By the time dinner was over, she was slurring some words and had that same look on her face that Val had seen in the church.

Everyone danced quite a bit. Janet pulled both Val and Bernie onto the dance floor when a Bruce Springfield medley started. He had been their "main man" back in college.