Finally, the big weekend arrived. The Friday night rehearsal was nothing more than a quick run-through of what would be a fairly simple procedure, and it was over in a half-hour. Then the group was off to a nearby restaurant where Max had reserved a room for dinner. The dinner went well, there were plenty of laughs and drinks and toasts wishing Max and Ella all the best.
The bridesmaids cooked up a plan to throw a last-minute bachelorette party for Ella that night. They knew a place they could go where they could send her off to married life in style. Max had no objection. His own bachelor party had been the weekend before, and keeping with tradition, he would kiss her goodnight and they wouldn’t see each other again until she walked down the aisle at the church the next day. Ella was to spend the night at Carly’s place, and they all would assemble at Hannah’s house on Saturday to primp and preen and dress for the wedding.
Hannah begged off going to the bachelorette party. The other girls were all roughly the same age, a good eight to ten years younger. She watched from the restaurant entrance as the girls got into their cars and pulled out of the lot. As they were driving, one of the bridesmaids made a call from her cell phone to verify an earlier conversation. Yes, we are on, yes, at my place, the address I gave you, she said. Yes, it is confirmed, she was told. He will be there in one hour.
“So, what are you doing the rest of the night, Max?” Hannah said.
“Nothing much,” he said. “Rest up for tomorrow, I guess.”
“That doesn’t sound right. You shouldn’t be all alone on the night before your wedding.”
“It’s no biggie.”
“Look. Why don’t you to come over to the house? We can have a nightcap, talk, relax.”
Max was glad she had offered. The ceremony wasn’t till late afternoon the next day, so he didn’t have to be up at the crack of dawn or anything. Why not?
“Sure,” he said. “I’d like that.”
They got into their cars and Max followed her home.
Unknowingly, Max and Ella had just entered into a night that would have a profound effect on all of their married days to follow.
—-
Max followed Hannah home and parked his car in the driveway while she drove hers into the garage. He walked into the garage and followed her into the house as the overhead door closed behind them.
“Have a seat on the sofa while I fix drinks,” Hannah said, putting her purse and keys on a table. “Put some music on if you like.”
The living room was huge, with a large leather sofa and love seat and comfortable chairs, a stone fireplace and entertainment center. The stereo was ancient, an old component system, probably from Ella’s father’s college days, he guessed. An audiophile. Big Marantz receiver, high-end speakers, CD player, a turntable. Max didn’t feel like screwing around with records or CDs, so he found a jazzy music channel on the cable.
Max walked to the kitchen where Hannah was standing at the counter slicing lemons.
“What are you whipping up?” Max asked.
“Here, stir this,” Hannah said, touching the glass pitcher on the counter.