It was already August, and CJ felt as if she had
almost nothing done for the wedding. She was still
having the dress fitted, and there still were many
things to do in California. Luckily her parents were
taking care of most of that. There was just one more
thing she needed to do.
"Donna," CJ said as she came up to Josh's assistant's
desk, "may I speak with you for a moment?"
"Yeah, sure. What do you need?" Donna asked.
"Well, I was wondering if you would be one of my
bridesmaids for the wedding. Please?"
"I'd love to. Thanks CJ."
"I'll show you the dress I picked out, and give you
directions to the shop later."
"Okay."
As CJ was talking to Donna she saw Gina walk by. She
hurried to catch up to her. "Gina do you have a
moment?" CJ asked.
"Yeah, what do you need?"
"Well, you know that Toby and I are getting married
during Labor Day weekend."
"Yeah."
"And since the entire first family will probably be
at the wedding, you will be in California."
"Yeah."
"Well, what I'm trying to do is ask you to be one of
my bridesmaids, if you don't have to work."
"Well, I think they could get one of the other agents
to cover for me during the wedding. I'd be honored to
be one of your bridesmaids."
"Thanks, listen I'll let you know about the dress and
stuff later."
"Okay."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm glad I found both of you together." Toby said
as he found both Josh and Sam in Sam's office.
"What do you need Toby?" Josh asked.
"I have a question for both of you."
"Okay, what's the question?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, ask away. If it's in our power, we'll do it."
Josh joked.
"Okay... Well... Damn this is harder than I thought
it would be."
"You know it might be easier if you just say it."
Josh said.
"Yeah it might." Sam said.
"Okay, Sam, Josh..."
"Yes, Toby" Josh said.
"We're waiting." Sam said.
"If the two of you will shut the hell up I might be
able to speak!"
"Okay, I'll hush." Josh laughed.
"Me too."
"What I'm trying to say is ... Will both of you stand
up with me at my wedding?"
"Yeah." Josh said.
"No problem." Sam replied.
"Thank you." Toby turned to leave the office.
"Don't think this means I think of either of you as
friends."
Sam and Josh both laughed.
"You're asking me to be one of your groomsmen, but
you don't want me to mistake that for friendship?"
Josh said. " You know that's really good Toby."
"I don't know why I would mistake you for a friend.
I mean all you ever do is change every word I write.
You pick on me nonstop. And if you give me more time
I'll come up with some more things you do."
"Shut up Sam."
Toby turned at the door. "You two still will do it
won't you?" He asked uncertainly.
"Yes!" Sam and Josh cried at the same time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I hate flying commercial." Toby said to CJ as they
were getting on the plane to go to California.
"Airforce One does spoil you, doesn't it." CJ
replied.
"Yes it does." Toby laughed.
"Do you realize that in less than forty-eight hours
we will be married?" CJ asked as she slipped her hand
into Toby's.
"Yeah." He replied softly. "Forty-eight hours till
I get to see your dress."
"I really loved how you tried to open the garmet bag
to see it earlier today."
"Unfortunately, you were able to stop me."
"Yeah."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CJ sat looking out the window in her old room in her
parents house. She could see the place where she
would be married tomorrow. It was three o'clock in
the morning the night before her wedding, and she was
unable to sleep. When the cell phone on the night
stand rang, she rushed to answer it.
"Hello"
"Hey, CJ." Toby said.
"Toby, I thought you would be asleep."
"I couldn't sleep. Hey I didn't wake you did I?"
"No, I couldn't sleep either."
"I'm glad I didn't wake you."
"It's probably because it's six in D.C."
"I think it's the same reason I can't sleep."
"Which would be?"
"I miss you."
CJ laughed. "Yeah that would be the reason I can't
sleep. I miss you."
"We could just talk all night."
"Yeah, but it's not the same."
"No, it's not. I just wanted to hear your voice."
"You're being very sweet Toby. If I didn't know
better, I'd think I was going to marry you tomorrow or
something."
"Very funny. There is one thing to keep in mind
tonight."
"What."
"This is the last night we have to spend alone."
"Yeah."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I think the weather is going to be fine for you
today, sweetheart." Alexander Cregg told his
daughter.
"Yeah, it looks like it to me too Daddy. Are you
okay? You look a little sad?"
"My little girl is getting married today. It's a day
that I've looked forward to, but dreaded for so long."
"Why have you dreaded it?"
"I just have. Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy
for you. I know that you have finally found the person
you are meant to spend the rest of your life with.
But I have to finally realize that my little girl has
grown up."
"I always thought I grew up a long time ago."
"When you have a child of your own you'll realize
what I'm talking about."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I love your dress CJ." Donna said as she was
helping CJ get into her wedding dress.
"Thanks. You know Toby has aggravated me so much
over this dress."
"How?" Gina asked.
"He has been trying since the day I picked the dress
out to find out what it looks like."
"I can't believe that." Gina said
"How'd you keep him from finding out?" Donna asked.
"I have my ways." CJ replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam was searching nervously through the pockets of
his jacket. "Okay it HAS to be here," he mumbled, "I
know I put it here." He continued searching. "Okay
maybe not." He said to himself.
"Sam." He heard Toby calling for him "Oh shit." Sam
thought to himself.
"Yeah Toby."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Why do you ask." Sam asked nervously.
"I don't know. Maybe because you're acting strange
and you seem to be searching your jacket pockets for
something. Oh dear God please tell me you haven't
lost the rings!"
"Okay, I won't tell you that I lost the rings."
"You lost the rings didn't you Sam?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"You THINK so!! You don't know if you lost the
wedding rings! I'm going to kill you! You know that,
right!?"
"Yeah I know that. I can't begin to tell you how
sorry I am."
"You're going to THINK SORRY WHEN I GET FINISHED WITH
YOU!!"
Josh walked up to Toby and Sam then. "Umm... Toby why
are you yelling at Sam?"
"Because the damn idiotic imbecile lost the wedding
rings!"
"No he didn't Toby. I've got the rings right here."
Josh said as he pulled the rings from his pocket. "I
took them from Sam because I thought he might lose
them."
"And you didn't inform ME of this Josh! I swear I'm
going to kill both of you before this day is over."
"Hey, it's fine now. No reason to worry." Josh
said. "Look it's almost time. So we should go."
"Yeah okay. Give Sam back the rings, but keep an eye
on him." Toby said.
"Okay." Josh replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the window seat in her room, CJ could see the
guests arriving for the wedding. She glanced at the
clock and saw that she had five minutes before she had
to go downstairs. Donna and Gina had gone a few
minutes before, because CJ wanted a few minutes alone
before she was married. She looked in the mirror one
last time. Although she did not consider herself to
be a vain person, like most women she wanted to look
perfect on her wedding day. "Toby probably would have
been able to find the dress she had chosen if he had
looked in the magazine," she thought. It was a cream
colored Empire style gown. It was floor length and she
was wearing cream satin flats under the gown. She
fingered the pearl necklace around her neck for a
moment before reaching for her bouquet. She looked at
the clock one last time before leaving the room. It
was ten minutes until she married the man she loved
more than she had ever thought it possible to love
someone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Toby glanced at his watch for what was probably the
millionth time that day. He wondered if the hands
were actually going backward instead of forward, it
was taking so long for the time to get here. And now
the time was almost here.
to be contiued...