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Bridesmaid
One Year Later
"You know, I'm technically responsible for getting you two together," Natalie said with a laugh as she zipped up the wedding dress.
"And how's that?" Lori asked, trying not to laugh because that would make it harder for Natalie to zip.
"If I hadn't gotten with Shane back in high school, y'all would've never met," Natalie said with a smile.
"I guess you're right," Lori said, laughing.
"You ready?" Natalie asked quietly.
Natalie remembered how anxious she was on her own wedding day, so she understood how Lori was feeling.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Lori sighed.
"I'm your maid of honor, so, I think that makes me the designated getaway driver. Just make a bird call or something and I'll get you out of there," Natalie said with a wink, making Lori laugh.
Natalie was the first one out of the room, as she had to walk down the isle first, leading the procession. When the doors opened, Rick nudged Shane, getting his attention. Shane's head jerked around to see what Rick was motioning to. Natalie made eye contact with Shane, who was already standing up at the front with Rick, as he was the best man. When Shane saw Natalie, his face broke out into a smile. He tried to hide it by biting his lip, but he couldn't. She looked beautiful. When she saw him, she shot him a quick wink before taking her place at the front, followed by the rest of the bridesmaids. Lori walked out last, all eyes on her. Natalie smiled brightly at her best friend. She was so happy that Lori and Rick ended up together. As they said their vows, a few tears slipped from Natalie's eyes. She was so happy for them. But it also didn't take much to get Natalie emotional. Shane always teased her and said that she could cry at the drop of a hat. The reception started soon after the ceremony ended. The open bar was a huge hit with Shane. A couple drinks in, it was time for speeches.
"Thanks y'all for coming out tonight. It's time for the best man and maid of honor speeches, so I'll hand this off to the Walshes," Lori's dad said, handing the microphone to a hilariously tipsy Shane. Natalie was at a table chatting with old friends.
"Alright everybody. Let's see if I can find my wife. She's super hot, answers to Mrs. Walsh and any pet name you could conjure up," said Shane, holding his hand over his eyes, trying to shield his eyes from the light so he could see into the crowd.
When she heard his voice, Natalie looked up from her conversation. A champagne induced giggle escape her lips. She made her way towards the stage to give her speech.
"There she is!" Shane exclaimed with a smile, making Natalie laugh.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and started his speech.
"Rick, you and me have been best friends for as long as I can remember. And you are lucky to have friends like me and Nat. Because without us, you wouldn't be getting married, brother," Shane said, chuckling in his drunkenness, making Natalie giggle.
Rick and Lori were laughing hysterically in their seats at the couple on stage. Rick was happy for Shane; they really were brothers. Natalie brought out the best in Shane and everyone could see that.
"I think what Shane is trying to say is that we are happy for you guys. Before you guys were together, we used to plan out ways to get you two in the same room. We wanted you to get together so badly that we forced y'all to hang out and we just hoped y'all would fall in love eventually. They said that we should try and give you guys some honest advice, so here it is. Marriage isn't always easy. Sure, it can be fun as hell, but it sure isn't easy. So, when it's hard, find a way to love each other through it because that's all you can do sometimes," Natalie said with a smile.
"Or, you can just break out the old cheerleading uniform," Shane joked, making a laugh erupt from the crowd.
"So here's a toast to always being able to fit into your high school cheerleading uniform," Natalie said, winking at Rick and Lori and raising her champagne glass.
"And also, here's a toast to the happy couple. We love you guys," Natalie said, blowing them a kiss.
She pulled Shane off the stage by the arm, making sure he didn't make a fool out of himself.
He had a big, goofy grin on his face.
Seeing that made Natalie smile and laugh, not just because of her light buzz.
She let go of Shane's hand, going over to the table to tell Lori and Rick that it was time for their first dance.
She stood at the edge of the dance for smiling at her newlywed friends. They seemed so happy.
Natalie smiled even wider when she felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind.
She leaned her head into Shane's chest, rubbing his arms gently.
"I like this dress. It's pretty. It's a shame it'll be on the floor in a couple of hours," Shane whispered in Natalie's ear, his lips just barely touching her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
