🔞5EX: SUSTAINED OBLITERATION🔞

The return

ONE YEAR LATER

Syd pov

We are back at The Parkstone Hotel where 18 months ago my life changed forever, and where the wedding will be held tomorrow. Security staff are busy making final arrangements to keep fans and the press out, florists and decorators are dressing the grand ballroom in varying shades of pink, white and silver. Beautiful and fragrant peonies, lilies and roses create the most magnificent floral arch under which the ceremony will take place, roadies are setting up the stage for the musicians that will play at the reception, and hotel staff are laying tables with incredible crystal glassware and the shiniest silverware I've ever seen. Everything is going according to plan thanks to Amelia, the hotels amazing wedding planner, who is surprisingly getting a lot of assistance from my newest friend Eloise! Who'd have thought that she would become one of my closest friends.
She and I are alike in many ways, we share passion for our loved ones, both have strong protective instincts and are fiercely loyal to those we care about. Of course, our methods differ hugely, she is more direct and uses aggression as her defence.
I prefer a less confrontational approach and choose passiveness and reverse psychology.
We have some very interesting, erm...... let's call them 'debates'.... about many situations, but have learned to respect each other's differing opinions. She is actually a very nice person, I often think of her as an m&m ..... once you make it through the hard shell you meet the sweet middle! She hates it when I tell her that, which I do at least once a week to keep her on her toes.
We both understand it's fun, and when it's not we will talk about it and stop the banter. Its working for us.
I tell her what a great job she and Amelia are doing, praising their efforts. The room does look truly stunning, large windows allow ample natural light into the huge space. Motes of dust dance on the rhythm of the breeze illuminated by the rays of the sun, which is beaming streams of light onto the parquet flooring of the grand ballroom. I kiss her cheek and tell her we will see her at dinner as we leave.

Laura and I return to the suite we are sharing for the night, after all, it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. Laura is showering ready for dinner and I am lying on our huge bed gazing at the two couture dresses hanging from the curtain rail, one mine, the other hers. I can't wait to wear mine, it is the most expensive and beautiful garment I've ever owned and I know I will want to wear it over and over again. Yanni will have to be pretty persuasive to get me out of it tomorrow night!

Dinner is early at 6pm to allow us all to get some much needed sleep before the big event. I'm actually getting nervous and I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to eat much tonight, but I'm going to smile and pretend I'm fine, I don't want Laura worrying about me.
We both apply our make up, then style each other's hair before dressing in outfits we have chosen for one another. It's our occasional silliness, something we've done for years actually. We have chosen some terrible outfits for each other during the course of our friendship, some just bad judgment, others very definitely deliberate attempts to embarrass the other. It's fun, usually!
Not today. Today is not fun at all. I can't go outside like this?

Think 'High class hooker with Uber confidence in herself' meets '1990's VOGUE Era Madonna' and you have a good idea of what Laura expects me to wear!
The shawl collar, pale pink Chanel blazer dress is beautiful. Perfectly tailored and double breasted with four gold buttons, it has undertones of a military style. It'd look amazing with a pair of leather trousers and heels, but that's not what Laura has in mind for me.
A sheer black bustier style ankle length body stocking is what I'm wearing beneath the dress. It is plain but for the pinstripe up the back of the leg, intended to draw the eyes upward to the impossibly short hem of the dress which is barely covering my lace covered cheeks. It's to be teamed with black calf length biker style boots with more silver buckles and chains than I've ever seen on one item of footwear!
A more shamelessly brazen beacon of gaudiness is hard to imagine for me. This outfit is so far out of my comfort zone, I'm going to be self conscious all night. It's exactly the kind of outfit Kim Kardashian would wear! Oh God!
I am at least happy with my hair and make up.
I'm naturally a lot more conservative, often wear trousers, skirts are infrequently worn but are always knee length, and darker colours are my preference as they allow me to blend into the background, standing out the last thing I ever want.