The rehearsal dinner.

The rehearsal dinner as they were calling it, wasn’t really one at all. Alexa and Daniel hadn’t had a practise run of the ceremony at the hotel that day, they were saving it all for tomorrow. It was just a last informal meal for Alexa and Daniel’s extended family plus the wedding party. A chance to get the two sides integrated and break down some barriers.

Alexa was sitting with her mother Katherine and father Harvey discussing details of the service.

“And what was the name of their priest?”

“Father Tobias, Mom,” Alexa repeated for the hundredth time if not more.

“I really wish you’d let me bring Reverend Stanley. He’s been so lovely since joining the congregation this year.”

“Father Tobias has been a part of their family for nearly fifty years,” Alexa explained.

“Will he be able to make it through the wedding ritual given his age? He sounds positively ancient. How old is he exactly?”

Alexa sighed and turned to her dad for help, but he had a blithe, far away expression on his face. It was how he’d managed to last twenty plus years of marriage with Alexa’s mum.

“Alexa, are you listening to me? Harvey, make her pay attention.”

Alexa hadn’t been listening at all. At that moment, Daniel along with his groomsman had entered the bistro. Her eyes had captured Vinny and she’d been lost. Thoughts of her and him together flooding her mind’s eye.

“Alexa. Alexa!”

“Sorry, mom, I just saw Daniel,” Alexa covered. “What were you saying?”

“Father Tobias, how old is he?”

“I believe he’s in his sixties but very hale and hearty.”

Alexa had to pull her wits together as Daniel came over to her along with his brother Kyall. Vinny and Christopher had separated themselves and were making their way to the group of Alexa’s bridesmaids.

“Hey Honey,” Daniel greeted his beautiful fiancée by leading down and giving her a kiss on the lips. She returned it and he straightened to greet his soon-to-be mother and father-in-law. “Katherine, Harvey, it’s a pleasure to see you. How was the drive up?”

“Oh, Daniel, please call me Mom. We’re only a day away after all,” Katherine Victors babbled.

Her mom sure did love Daniel, Alexa thought to herself. Mother dearest would practically die of shame if she knew of Alexa and Vinny’s affair. She’d never be able to show her face around her church again and could kiss goodbye to the lovely Reverand Stanley ever coming over for morning tea again. The idea of exposing such a scandal and shaming her mother made Alexa smirk in self-indulgent glee.

After promising Mrs Victors that he would start calling her Mom, Daniel checked with Alexa that she was all right with him leaving her and joining up with his own mother and father. She nodded her acquiescence and they exchanged a second parting kiss this time.

At the Rigby family table, Daniel greeted his parents while Kyall gave an only moderately frosty hello to his former wife Leanne. She was no longer a Rigby but a Winters having remarried a business acquaintance of his; Brian. With Leanne was Kyall’s son with Leanne; Nathan, and Leanne’s stepdaughter with Brian; Tiffany. Kyall and Leanne’s divorce had been completed nearly 8 years ago but his parents still treated her like their daughter-in-law and she was forever invited to any Rigby social occasion. It meant that Kyall had to always see Brian’s bulbous face. 'Where was the toad' Kyall thought not seeing him sat next to Katherine.

“Brain couldn’t make it?” Kyall asked hoping he sounded polite.

“His department is completing a merger this weekend and couldn’t make it, unfortunately,” Leanne said cooly.

“That… is… a damn shame,” Kyall tried to look sincere while unconsciously shaking his head at the same time.

With his Dad and Uncle there Nathan nudged his stepsister Tiffany in the elbow and motioned with his head for them to get up.

“Where are you off to sport?” Kyall asked when the two teens got up.

“I saw Coach Chris over there, I was going to go and talk to him about offers,” Nathan said.

“Go ahead,” Kyall nodded. “No drinking. ok? Even if Vincent is offering to get them for you.”

Back at the Victors' table, Alexa had started to rub at her temples in frustration. Both at her mother’s attempted interference in her daughter’s big day as well as her budding arousal at being so close and yet so far from Vinny. Alexa’s spiralling horniness made her decision easy. She would do whatever it took to be with her secret lover one more time tonight. Fucking him knowing just how much her mother would be mortified by the situation would be pleasure enough to get her through marrying Daniel tomorrow.

“Mom, do you have one of your sleeping tablets with you?” Alexa asked interrupting her mom’s thoughts on the choice of wedding cake she and Daniel had picked out.

“Yes, why? Are you feeling sick?”

“No, I’m just thinking I might be too excited for tomorrow and I want to make sure I get a good night’s rest is all.”

Katherine Victors rummaged through her handbag and pulled out the bottle of pharmacy medicine she carried. She uncapped the plastic container and shook out a small white tablet.

“Thank you, Mom. I’m just going to check on my bridesmaids, do you mind?” Alexa said as she deposited the pill into her jeans pocket.