The pink flowers reminded her of that day. Other things reminded her, too. White lace, a clear blue sky, and the sound of the ocean. She picked up the bouquet of pink flowers and held them to her nose. The scent took her back. She closed her eyes and there it was. She had been anxious all week waiting for the weekend. It couldn't come quick enough. As the tasks on her list dwindled down, her nerves only became more tangible. If someone where to walk by her, they would surely feel the nervous electricity surrounding her. At least, that's how she felt.
When the day came, she couldn't contain herself. All the hard work from the past week were finally coming to fruition. She was prepared for any mishap and she was not disappointed when they did happen. Calmly, she would flip through her notes and find her plan b or plan c or plan d…it depended on the situation. As her directives were handed out, she felt a certain satisfaction. She knew a lot was riding on this, but she was in the home stretch.
It was time for all the final touches. Tweaking this and that, straightening linen here and there, making sure that everything was just so. Everything had to be perfect. Nothing could be missed. She was often asked, "how do you do it?" And she would laugh and say, "I have no idea." But, she did. She wasn't going to admit to the bottles of Tums that she would go through a week nor the hours of planning, researching, crying, and screaming. The social life that was lost and any idea of a relationship a thought in the wind. She decided what was more important and this was it. Besides, if she doesn't put in the hard work now, how will she survive? Things out there are so competitive. She refused to be just another face in the crowd. Standing out was her standard. This is why everything had to go right. Every choice she made could make or break her. The wrong color, the wrong fabric, the wrong anything and she was done. As people passed by, she flashed her megawatt smile. No could see the wheels that were turning in overdrive, checking off the mental checklist as the minutes crept closer to the start. Once it started, there was no turning back.
She took a final walk around, reviewing each detail, comparing it to the mental pictures in her head. Not a thing was out of place. Even the pink flowers, those hideous pink flowers, worked. It softened her hate for them. She walked over to a centerpiece and inhaled the sweet aroma. It seemed to reassure her, letting her know that the right choice had been made.
She stepped back from the table and went to get them. Part one was over, the part she really didn't have to do much for. Now it was "prime time." She adjusted her ear piece and made sure she had enough battery life. She made it into the lobby just as everyone was arriving. By the look on her assistant's face, everything had gone on without a hitch. But this was the time when things could go horribly wrong if not dealt with quickly and effectively. Any mistakes made needed to be hidden by all means possible. OK, within reason. This isn't a Navy SEALS mission after all.
She was greeted by grins when she saw them. Smiling and waving back, she approached them.
"Is it time to see it?! I have been waiting so long!" her client gushed.
She couldn't help but smile. "Of course. Right this way." She led the way down the corridor to a set of heavy wooden, gilded doors. She gave a gentle knock and the door softly opened as if by themselves. Placing some people behind them waiting to open them was a last-minute touch.
"Oh. My. Gosh! Jason…this is beautiful!"
She stepped back and watched the couple as they wandered around the ballroom, enraptured.
"This is exactly how I pictured it!" the bride gave Jason a kiss.
"Anything for you." He smiled down at his new wife.
