Chapter 56
As soon as the plane landed, they were met by a cab, which the pilot had called ahead for. They climbed in, giggling uncontrollably.
“Where you heading?” the driver asked.
“The closet wedding place,” Lucky answered.
“But not an Elvis one!” Liz said quickly. Lucky looked at her and laughed.
“Why not?”
“I’m not going to get married by Elvis, I don’t care how drunk I am! “ She then turned back to the driver. “Just take us to a normal one, no weird themes, okay?”
“Got it, one normal wedding chapel,” he said, snickering at how wasted the couple was.
A short while later, they pulled up in front of a cute little building. It had a neon sigh with flashing bells and the name “Chapel of Love.” They climbed out of the car and looked up at it in wonder.
“Kind of a generic name, don’t you think?” Lucky asked.
She grinned up at him. “I think it’s adorable. Come on, let’s hurry before we’re too sober to do this!”
Lucky laughed and followed her inside. When they opened the door, a quick version of “Here Comes the Bride” played, signaling to the owner that someone had entered. A moment later, a man came out from the back to welcome them. He smiled, recognizing instantly that they were drunk. After years in the business, he had gained a keen sense of that sort of thing. Drunk couples were always the best customers. They spent a lot of money, and they were usually a lot of fun to watch.
“Welcome to the Chapel of Love! I’m John, what can we do for you?” he greeted cheerfully.
“Well, we’re here to get married,” Lucky said, stepping up to the counter.
“Wonderful! All you have to do is decide which package you want, and we can get right on with the ceremony.” He pulled out a list detailing the different wedding packages, and handed it to Lucky. He glanced over it, then handed it back.
“We’ll take the ‘Super-Deluxe’ one. After all, you only get married once, right?” He turned to Liz and winked, causing her giggle .
John took the list back and grinned. The “Super-Deluxe” was the most expensive package they had, and it was rare that anyone wanted it. Either this guy was too drunk to notice, or he was loaded. “An old-fashioned guy, I see. Will that be cash or charge?”
“Charge,” he answered, taking out one of his credit cards and handing it over. John ran it through, smiling when it was accepted. Once the payment was taken care of, he reached under the counter and pulled out a velvet case. He opened it and set it in front of them, noticing the way Liz’s eyes lit up.
“The ‘Super-Deluxe’ comes with your choice of any of these rings. Just pick which ones you want. I have most sizes in stock.”
Liz squealed happily and pushed Lucky to the side, looking through all the rings, immediately finding a set she liked. Lucky agreed, so John measured their ring fingers, then went into the back for the correct sizes. While he was doing that, an older woman came out and smiled warmly at them.
“Hello, I’m Sally. John told me you’re taking the ‘Super-Deluxe’ package?”
Lucky nodded, and she clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh, that’s wonderful. He’ll be back with your rings in a moment, and he can take care of your tux.” She then turned to Liz. “Why don’t you come with me so we can find you a dress?”
“I get a dress?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course, the ‘Super-Deluxe’ comes with everything! Just follow me, dear.” She turned and walked through the curtains into the back. Liz looked at Lucky and waved, then followed her in, leaving him alone in the waiting room. A moment later, John returned with the rings.
“I see Sally is already taking care of your fiancee’s dress, so why don’t I show you where the tuxedos are? Right this way.” He went through another curtain, motioning for Lucky to follow. After a few tries, they managed to come up with a tux that fit him well, then returned to the waiting area. While they waited for Sally to return with Liz, he got the marriage certificate ready and set up the video camera. Another part of the ‘Super-Deluxe’ was your very own video tape of the ceremony!
“Okay, Sally should be done in a minute. Why don’t you give me the address where you’d like the wedding portrait to be shipped?” John asked, pulling out a piece of paper. Another part of the package was a professional portrait of the couple after the wedding. Lucky gave him his address at Kelly’s, just as Sally emerged from the back, closely followed by Liz.
Lucky’s jaw dropped as soon as he saw her. She was wearing a long white gown with a low beaded neckline, a long veil, and had flowers in her hair. The dress fit her perfectly, accentuating every curve. She giggled at the expression on his face, noticing that he looked quite sexy himself in the tuxedo he had chosen.
John grinned at the couple and clapped his hands together. “Well, it looks like we’re all set. Shall we go inside?”
They nodded in agreement, so he ushered Lucky into the small chapel, while Sally stood back with Liz. She grabbed the video camera and set it on its tripod, focusing it to the front of the room as the music began. After fidgeting with her bouquet for a moment, Liz began to make her way up the aisle, trying to keep a straight face. She reached Lucky and turned to face him. The music stopped and Sally moved closer with the camera, then signaled for John that everything was ready.
“All right, let’s begin. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.”
Lucky and Liz snickered as they looked at each other, trying to be serious, but failing miserably.
“Do you, Lucas Lorenzo Spencer, Jr., take Elizabeth Imogene Webber...”
“Imogene?” Lucky interrupted, laughing. She glared at him and hit him on the shoulder.
“Shut up Lorenzo!”
Lucky flinched and rubbed his shoulder, trying to get serious again. He looked over at John and nodded. “Sorry, go on.”
John smiled and shook his head. “Do you take Elizabeth to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in good times and in bad, for as long as you both shall live?”
Lucky took a deep breath, trying not to laugh again. “I do.”
John smiled, then turned to Liz. “Do you, Elizabeth Imogene Webber, take Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Jr. to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in good times and in bad, for as long as you both shall live?”
Still chuckling at his name, she nodded. “I do.”
John reached into his pocket and pulled out the rings they had chosen, handing one to Lucky, and the other to Liz. “Elizabeth, repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed.”
Liz took Lucky’s hand and giggled, first trying to slip the ring onto the wrong finger. She soon realized her mistake, and managed to get it on the right one. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“Lucas?” John asked, turning to Lucky.
Rolling his eyes at the use of his real name, he reached for Liz’s hand and slipped the ring on her finger. “With this ring I thee wed.”
“Then, by the power vested in me, by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Lucky turned to Liz and grinned. “We did it! Now you can’t say I’m no fun!”
“Okay, you win, you’re fun,” she said, laughing. “You’re supposed to kiss me now.”
“Oh, right,” he said, smacking himself on the forehead jokingly. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close, then kissed her so passionately, her knees nearly buckled under her. They pulled apart breathlessly, and started into each other’s eyes for a moment, temporarily sobered by the hormones surging through their bodies. John cleared his throat, grabbing their attention.
“Now you’re supposed to walk up the aisle back into the lobby,” he whispered.
“Oh, right, sorry,” Lucky said, still slightly disoriented. He took Liz’s hand and started to pull her to the doorway. She skipped along beside him, waving at the video camera, then threw the bouquet in the air behind her excitedly. Once they were out in the lobby, Sally took their picture, then brought Liz back to change into her regular clothes, while John did the same with Lucky. Once they were all done, he handed them the video tape and their signed marriage certificate.
“Congratulations, and good luck to you both,” he said with a smile, waving as they left the chapel. When they were gone, he shook his head and laughed, turning to Sally. “They won’t remember any of this in the morning, will they?”
She chuckled as she took down the video camera. “Hell, no! They’ll be lucky to remember their own names tomorrow!”
