That Last Little Spark

“Oh my god. Why did that have to end?” Chloe groaned when they had all left the spa. For the last two hours they had been pampered with massages, manicures and pedicures, and facials.

“I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight.” Jess stretched before admiring her French manicure. All of the girls except Kelsey had to get fake nails because theirs were too short to do anything with.

“Me too, but we still have the rehearsal to go through.” Erica yawned in agreement when they were in the elevator.

“Are you nervous yet?” Chloe asked her.

“Yes and no. Yes because I can’t believe it’s actually happening...like, everything for the last few months has been about the wedding...and now it’s time. And no because I feel like everything’s fallen into place and I’m ready.” Erica twisted her engagement ring around her finger. The doors opened and let them off on their floor.

“Look at this!” Jess exclaimed when they were back in the suite. Someone had hung the dresses up in the closet in their bags and left a huge heart outline made of Dove chocolates on Erica’s bed. There was also a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice with five glasses on the table, and a note in the center of the bed, once again congratulating Erica on her marriage.

“I want to make a toast...if I can get the damn bottle open.” Ashleigh giggled helplessly.

“Step aside, let the bartender do it!” Erica took the bottle and expertly popped the cork.

“Anyway,” Ashleigh continued when the champagne had been poured. “I want to make a toast to you, Erica. I hope you have a long and happy marriage and you and Aaron get everything you want in life.” she smiled.

“Will you just say it, Ashleigh? Erica, what Ashleigh’s trying to say is she hopes yours and Aaron’s life is filled with the best sex a person can have.” Kelsey smirked.

“Kelsey!” Chloe, Jess, and Ashleigh all exclaimed as Erica burst out laughing.

“What? I would toast to that.” Kelsey winked.

“What would I do without you girls?” Erica wiped tears from her eyes and held up her glass.

“You probably wouldn’t have such a dirty mind.” Jess suggested and clinked her glass with Erica’s, the other girls following before they all drank to the strange and slightly perverted toast.

-

"Alright! Let's go!" Erica clapped her hands 15 minutes later as Chloe finally finished getting ready. They still had the rehearsal dinner to get out of the way before they could come back and sleep.

And where was the rehearsal dinner being held? At the club, of course. It was closed to the public for the night for Erica's and Aaron's family and friends. Erica had told everyone it wasn't going to be a black tie affair, but they should still dress nice.

"Oh my god, Jess is wearing pink!" Ashleigh teased Jess as she walked out of the bedroom she, Kelsey and Chloe would be sharing

"Oh my god, you're wearing blue!" Jess mimicked her sky blue button down top, because Ashleigh usually wore dark colors.

"I'm starving, let's go!" Kelsey groaned from the hotel room door.

"Yes, bottomless pit, we're coming." Erica laughed and followed her out into the hallway.

-

"Aw, look at that!" Jess smiled as the group entered the club and Erica ran right to Aaron.

"They're going to be together for a long, long time." Kelsey grinned.

"Isn't that the entire purpose of getting married?" Chloe asked with a laugh.

"You know what I mean." Kelsey nudged her with a sigh.

"Come on, let's get this show on the road!" Ashleigh laughed and managed to push all three of them closer to the crowd.

"Excuse me!" Erica tapped on a wineglass with a knife to get everyone's attention. She tapped a little too hard, though, because the glass shattered.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as everyone around her began laughing and someone stepped forward to pick up the broken pieces.

"Only you would manage that!" Jess exclaimed above the laughter.

"If we can get started, we can all eat faster!" Aaron laughed beside his fiancee.

The practice for the ceremony was a lot shorter than the actual ceremony would be. It was just a run through of who was walking with whom, where the bridal party and groomsmen would be standing during the ceremony, how the vows were going to happen, and a test of the music Erica would be walking to.

The dinner was simple: grilled chicken breast with alfredo or several different kinds of pasta. Dessert was a buffet style table of small cakes, cookies, and cupcakes.

"Can you believe this is actually happening?" Jess linked her own arm with Erica's as both of them looked around at all of the people mingling together.

"I can't believe you just said that, but yes I can believe this is happening." Erica giggled.

"What's wrong with what I said?" Jess asked.

"Come on, Jess. That's such a cheesy line to throw out, even for you." Erica looked at Jess knowingly.

"Yeah, I know. But someone had to say it." Jess sighed.

"Someone already did. Aaron's grandmother cornered me by the dessert table and asked me the exact same thing, then told me she didn't want to be a great grandmother just yet." she blushed.

"Are you serious?" Jess started laughing.

"Yes!" Erica exclaimed. Jess laughed even harder.

"Are you killing the maid of honor already?" Aaron walked over and looped his arm around Erica's waist.

"I was telling her how your grandmother told me she doesn't want to be a great grandmother yet." Erica looked up at Aaron.

"She gave me the same line." he shook his head with a smile as Kelsey, Ashleigh, and Chloe joined them. They all stood silently, smiling and watching the guests laugh with each other and toast the couple.

-

11:13 pm

“Hey, Kelsey?” Jess whispered in the dark as Chloe’s soft snoring filled the room. They had all gotten back from the dinner around 9:30, most of them wishing they could go back to the spa after walking around for two hours.

“Yeah?” Kelsey whispered back.

“This is really random...but you remember the night that Bam and I got back together, when we were all at the restaurant and he asked me to dance?” Jess asked.

“Yeah, why?” Kelsey said.

“Where did you and Dunn and everyone else go?” Jess whispered.

“We went back to the club to talk to Chloe and and Erica and everyone about the odds of you and Bam getting back together. That’s when that bet was made that Chloe lost.” Kelsey giggled quietly.

“Do you realize that all of our friendships are based on bets? You and Chloe flipping a coin for a bed, everyone betting on Bam and I getting back together, and God knows how many other bets we’ve made with each other?” Jess smiled in the darkness.

“It makes life more interesting that way.” Kelsey yawned. Jess thought back to that night under the twinkling lights as she and Bam kissed for the first time in years.

“Yeah.” Jess whispered before closing her eyes, dreaming of thousands of twinkling lights surrounding her and Bam.