"Bridesmaids, each take half a step to your left," Justin said. "No not that much! God, I'll just make some kind of markings so you know where to stand tomorrow. Forget about it. Pastor, get your thing on."
Pastor John laughed. "Right, well, I'm going to make a few jokes, which I'll keep to myself for now. I want to get you laughing on your wedding day. I'll do the normal spiel about love and what this commitment means. Normally right now, I would just have you practice reciting the vows after me, but you've decided to read your own vows, correct?"
James squeezed my hands. "Correct."
"Well, then after you exchange vows, I will simply say, do you James take Penny to be your lawfully wedded wife?
James ran his thumbs against the backs of my hands. "I do."
"And Penny, I'd say, do you Penny take James to be your lawfully wedded husband? And you'd answer 'I do.' But don't say it now, it's only the rehearsal."
I laughed. "I do," I mouthed silently to James.
He raised his left eyebrow.
"And then I'd say, by the power vested in me, by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride. And you'd..."
James pulled me against him and pressed his lips against mine. His tongue darted across my lips and I opened my mouth, inviting him in. His fingers tangled in my hair as mine pressed against his neck, deepening a kiss that was already too sexual for public.
"Ow ow!" Melissa yelled.
"Get a room," Rob said.
I laughed and pressed on James' chest.
"God, I can't wait for tomorrow," he said.
I kept my hand on his neck and smiled up at him.
"Less tongue tomorrow, yes?" Justin said from the seat he had taken in the second row. "Now after that, you'd walk hand in hand back down the aisle with huge wedding bliss smiles. I love newlyweds."
James gave me a playful smile.
I wanted to tell him to follow Justin's instructions. But that smile of his was my favorite. It meant he was so caught up in this moment, that nothing else in the world mattered. Just him and me. "Whatever you're thinking of doing, do it. I dare you."
"Dare accepted." He leaned down and lifted me over his shoulder.
I squealed as he put his hand on my ass. I wasn't sure if he just wanted to touch me or if he didn't want me to moon all of Central Park. I laughed the whole way down the aisle.
"Piggyback time, Melissa!" Rob said from behind us.
I heard Melissa laugh and I didn't doubt at all that Rob was giving her a piggyback ride down the aisle.
"No!" Justin shouted. "No, no, no! The exit is supposed to be elegant and...ugh! I give up. Rehearsal done."
James set me back down on my feet. "I'm pretty sure we just got hitched."
"I didn't say 'I do'."
"I saw you say it, baby." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"No paper, no proof."
"You got me there. Tomorrow I'll get the signed evidence."
"I can't wait."
Devotion - Chapter 9