Life After Dark: Book Two of the Dark Series

Chapter 21

"How's my tie?" Nikolas whispered to Tommy. Dressed in matching black tuxedos, they made a handsome pair as they stood at the altar. The two lit torches glowed brilliantly in the moonlight and shone brightly on them as they waited for the procession to begin.

"It's fine," Tommy whispered back. He smiled at Nikolas and patted him on the shoulder. Then, his eyes went in search of Gina. She stood to the side next to Emily. Both of the young women looked beautiful for the late-night ceremony. Emily wore a mid-thigh length crème-colored slip dress with a matching shawl, while Gina wore an ankle-length violet dress with short sleeves and a v-cut. Gina's golden blonde hair hung in loose curls on her shoulders and when she smiled at Tommy, he felt the breath catch in his throat. Lately, every time he saw her, he was amazed at how beautiful she was.

"You have the rings, right?" Nikolas whispered.

"Yes!" Tommy answered, dragging his eyes away from Gina. "Now, ssh!"

Nikolas took a deep breath and forced himself to remain quiet. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He loved Dawn and he wanted to marry her. He never wanted anything so much in his life. Somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, he believed that it was all too good to be true. He couldn't voice his fears to anyone, but he was afraid that something would go wrong. He hoped he was only being overly anxious.

~*~

"How do I look?" Dawn asked Lizzie. They were still in the stateroom, waiting for Lucky to come and escort Dawn down the aisle.

"You look beautiful," Lizzie reassured her. She smiled at her dear friend who was a beautiful vision in white. Dawn had had misgivings about wearing white, but Lizzie reassured her that white was a fine choice. Nikolas was the first man she had ever been with, so technically in a weird way, she was kind of like a virgin. Kind of.

Dawn glanced in the mirror again. The strapless dress was covered in lace. The bodice had a v-cut which dipped just low enough to give a hint of Dawn's ripening cleavage. The back was bare until the mid-section where the fabric met in a column of tiny pearl buttons which trailed down to the small of her back. The dress continued to the floor where it complimented her white high-heeled sandals. The bouquet of red and white roses she held in her hand made a striking contrast against her dress.

Lizzie placed her arm around Dawn's waist and gave her a light squeeze. Dawn smiled at her and admired Lizzie's dress again. The pale-yellow dress with the spaghetti straps was an excellent choice to compliment Lizzie's tan skin. The dress was simple, yet elegant. It clung to Lizzie without appearing to do so. The bodice was square cut and dress extended down to the floor. With her brown hair hanging loosely on her shoulders, Lizzie was just as beautiful as the bride.

"Come on, Lucky should be here soon. Let's wait in the hallway," Lizzie suggested.

As they moved into the hallway, Lucky rounded the corner. He released a low whistle and beamed at the two beauties. He gave Lizzie a brief kiss and whispered, "You look amazing."

"So do you," Lizzie said, indulging herself in the first time she'd ever seen Lucky in a tux. "You clean up good."

Lucky laughed. "Thanks" He turned his attention to Dawn and said, "There's still time."

Dawn poked him in the ribs and said, "Shut up."

Lucky laughed softly and said, "You'll do fine." He gave her a kiss on her cheek and offered her his elbow. As Dawn accepted it, they could hear Sly begin the intro of the song Nikolas and Dawn had chosen. Right on cue, Lizzie moved down the hallway and Lucky and Dawn followed.