The Bachelor and Bachelorette weekend is upon us, which not only means that we have a weekend of extreme fun and severe handovers ahead of us, but it's also the 4-week countdown to the wedding of the year. Noah and the boys are off on their whiskey tour, whilst me and the girls are taking Rachel to a spa getaway across the border in Cabo San Lucas. We have the usual suspects, Rachel's Mom and Sister, June, Linda, and of course myself, a couple of Rachel's cousins, some of her friends from college, and then oddly Chloe.
Chloe's last-minute addition to the guest list had come when she had booked a surprise visit to LA. She had some unbooked vacation time and a clear diary at work, and so had hopped on a plane to see Noah. The thought, albeit sweet, had come at a terrible time because we were due to fly out the next day, but luck had seemed to take pity on her because one of Rachel's old college roommates had to drop out at the last minute with a broken leg.
As much as our initial meetings hadn't gone very well, I had grown to become friends with Chloe, and whilst I had no intention of not getting fully involved in the group, it was nice to have someone there other than Rach and the parents that I considered to be my friend just as much as hers.
Rachel had asked for nothing too overboard because she wanted her Mom to attend, and if I'm honest, I didn't really want June or Linda to see me doing anything smutty or rude, or I'd never be able to look them in the eyes again. That didn't mean we couldn't have a lot of fun, and drinking a lot was definitely still on the table, but we were aiming more for massages and sunbathing than drunken debauchery.
The first order of business as we sat waiting for the plane was to give out everyone's T-Shirts. They were rose pink in color with gold printing on the front that said things like Bride, Maid-of-Honor, Bridesmaid, Mother of the Bride, Mother-in-law of the Bride, and Bride Squad in a swirly font. We all take it in turns to trudge off to the restroom to change into our weekend uniform, then it's group selfie time, which I upload straight onto insta receiving a like from Noah in record time.
After a short flight over the border, we take a taxi ride to our hotel. It's a beautiful rustic villa-style resort with a huge free-form pool in the middle of a sunlounger-covered terrace that sits right on the beach. I'm sharing with Rachel and as an extra surprise, I've arranged for a chilled bottle of champagne to be waiting when we arrive. The room is spacious and looks like something you would see in a magazine, with exposed stone walls, beds that we'll just sink into, and a rainwater shower next to a huge roll-top bath. Its crowning glory however is through the french doors, where we have a little terrace with a bistro set and a view of the crystal clear waters and the golden sandy beach.
For a moment, I wish I was here with Noah, this would make the most romantic of getaways, that is until I hear a pop and a squeal as Rachel opens the bubbly and takes my mind off of missing him. She looks so incredibly happy, something that I have seen growing day by day. I love how much she loves my best friend, they are perfect, and I want to have the chance of this trip to show her how excited and happy I am that he's marrying his dream girl.
After exploring the hotel, we get ready for dinner and after eating spend the evening in the hotel's cocktail bar. We quickly lose track of who is drinking what, but they're all colorful, delicious and topped off with paper umbrellas and sparklers. As the evening draws on and the drinking continues June and I drunkenly put ourselves down for a turn at the karaoke. One song turns into several, encouraged by the cheering crowd, and ends in a very drunk performance of 'Hold On' by Wilson Phillips.
The next morning we all wake up feeling less than perfect, and I find myself tagged into a few Instagram posts, but I also wake up to a very lovely text from Noah albeit with an accompanying request not to break his Mom. After breakfast, the morning is spent on the beach sunbathing and relaxing, as well as a few quick swims to cool down in the sea. Rach is beaming and having such a good time, I know I have gotten the tone right for her perfect bachelorette.
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The beginning of everything else
FanfictionSix years after going their separate ways to Harvard and USC, Noah boards a plane bound for LAX hoping that it is not too late to start forever.