Damian's Bride

"Where is she?" My father, Victor Steele, came up beside me at the wedding arch. "It's been nearly an hour and she still isn't here. Do you think she'll come?" "She'll come. She has to," I said, reining in my temper for the last thirty or forty minutes. The thing I hated most was being made to wait. "I don't think so, son. Look, everyone's getting impatient," he said, glancing at the relatives, friends, and associates from the Starvrakos side and the Mercer family who had gathered for the wedding. "Call her. Something must've happened." How was I supposed to tell him I couldn't call because I didn't have her number? After what went down the first time we met, neither of us had bothered exchanging numbers. "She'll be here. The wedding coordinator may have called her already. If she isn't planning to come, everyone would've been told to leave." "Well, maybe you're right," Dad said with a faint smile and went back to his seat. My gaze stayed fixed on the huge double doors of the Steele Regent Hotel's grand ballroom, where the bride was meant to come in. I had stared at them for so long already that my eyes were starting to sting. Damn it. She's doing this on purpose. Making me stand here while I get humiliated in front of everybody. "She's really testing my patience," I muttered under my breath, then shifted my attention to the noisy buzz of voices around me. My gaze shifted to Sebastian Mercer, who was happily talking to people, using his granddaughter's lateness to catch up with relatives and old friends. He looked as though the wedding had slipped his mind. "Hey," one of my groomsmen, Julian Cross, said, tapping my back, "you're growing roots standing there that long. I told you, getting hitched is a mistake. We're still young, let's enjoy the single life! Trust me, wait until your forties." "Not this again. I told you why, man. I've already made my decision, so drop it." "Come on, don't embarrass yourself anymore. She isn't coming. Have some pride. Let's go to the reception and start on those vintage wines. I'm thirsty, my throat's dry already." I blew out a breath and shook my head. "I'm sure she'll come." "Let's hope so," he said, pointing at the older officiating minister, already dozing in his chair, then laughed, mouthed 'bad luck,' and walked away. For the nth time, I looked at the watch on my wrist. The ceremony was already an hour behind schedule, and the entire entourage had walked the aisle and taken their places at the front thirty minutes earlier. The only one missing was the bride. I swallowed my anger, realizing I'd made a fool of myself here. Julian was right, we should've started on those vintage wines. I was about to walk out when the music began, the bridal entrance song filling the room. Every head turned toward the huge twin doors, eager to see the bride appear and make her way down the aisle. The doors swung wide open, revealing the bride. Everyone was stunned! The bride made her entrance and walked down the aisle in an all BLACK wedding gown.