Lies and Weddings(61)
At this point, Christian’s voice cracked and he put down the mic as he choked back a sob, before catching his breath and continuing, “The one woman who can put up with all my shit too. Mandy, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d ever meet anyone like you. You are so kind, so generous, and you bring so much joy to everyone who knows you. I feel like the luckiest man on the planet, and I cannot believe I get to spend the rest of my life with you.” Christian glanced down at his bride, whose face was wet with tears as well, before continuing, “And last but not least, I need to thank someone amazing that’s here with us tonight. As many of you may know, two years ago I went surfing in the Great Barrier Reef and a friendly shark decided to give my leg a little kiss. This crazy girl over here”—he looked across the long banquet table at Martha Dung—“who, as many of you know, has more bodyguards than the Mossad, dove right into the water from her yacht and scooped me out herself, not thinking of her own safety for one second. And within minutes she had me in her chopper and I was being flown to Cairns Private Hospital, where they were able to save my leg. Because of you, Martha, I am quite literally able to stand here today and get ready to walk down the aisle and marry the love of my life.” Christian began to clap, and the entire crowd rose to their feet and began clapping as Martha cracked a quick smile before casting her eyes downward, clearly embarrassed by the attention.
Rufus stared at Martha and felt as though he was having a premonition. He had a sense that this woman—who had saved Christian’s life and made it possible for him to marry the woman of his dreams—was somehow going to change his life as well.
Skip Notes
*1 “Stop worrying!” in Cantonese.
*2 The legendary designer who pretty much invented “Moroccan style,” Bill designed the Morocco residences of such icons as Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, J. Paul Getty Jr., Marella Agnelli, and Marie-Hélène de Rothschild. You may not know it, but he’s the reason you bought that Moroccan shag rug with the curled corner you keep tripping over from CB2.
*3 Speaking of AI, this is how ChatGPT rewrote this line in the style of a certain author to make it funnier: “You won’t believe how Christian and I became BFFs. He invested in my start-up! But not just any start-up. Oh no, this one’s a game-changer. It’s a pubic-grooming AI, and let me tell you, it’s got more blades than a Gillette Fusion ProGlide. With our cutting-edge technology, you’ll never have to worry about nicking your nether regions again. Plus, we’ve got a new feature in development that’ll make your downstairs look like Michelangelo’s David. I mean, who needs friends when you’ve got a start-up that keeps you trimmed, primed, and ready for action?”
II
KSAR CHAR-BAGH
LA PALMERAIE, MARRAKECH ? EARLY THE NEXT MORNING
With its intricately carved Moorish arches evoking the Alhambra, perfectly sculpted topiaries in hidden cloisters, and elegantly curated antiques mingling with chic minimalist furnishings, everything about Ksar Char-Bagh—a fourteenth-century-style palace set among ancient palm groves—exuded a serene, regal glamour. Rufus and Rosina arrived on a shuttle with other wedding guests at the crack of dawn, and they took their seats on cushioned stone benches placed along one side of the majestic central courtyard facing a tranquil reflecting pool.
“You know, I have to hand it to Christian and Amanda—they’ve managed to keep their wedding so personal and unpretentious. Just a nice dinner last night and now a simple ceremony in a courtyard, bright and early, no fuss,” Rufus said approvingly.
“You must be a morning person,” Rosina remarked.
“I’m usually up at dawn to catch the morning waves. That’s when the surf’s best.”
“I’ve never in my life had to wake up so early for a wedding!” Rosina grumbled as she adjusted the angle of her saffron-colored hat, which had a brim so wide it kept poking Rufus in the cheek every time he turned to talk to her. “Thank goodness my butler could help me with my updo. I wonder how the other guests found hairdressers to come and service them at five in the morning.”
Rufus peered at the arriving guests and saw Martha Dung flanked by two bodyguards who looked like they were ex-Mossad. As Martha took her seat next to Phineas, the Chinese man who never took his dark glasses off, a low drumbeat could be heard emanating from someplace deep within the palace. The rhythmic drumbeat continued to build, closer and closer, until a line of Berber drummers appeared through a doorway and marched through the courtyard. Their drumming was joined by the sound of violins as everyone discovered that there was an orchestra playing on the terrace right above them.
The massive chiseled-and-hammered-copper double doors on the east side of the courtyard opened slowly as four men cloaked in hooded white and gold djellabas astride four white horses were silhouetted in the doorway. The horses cantered into the courtyard and came to a standstill by the central fountain, and the riders jumped off their horses and flung off their hoods, revealing themselves to be the two groomsmen, the best man, and the groom. The assembled guests applauded at the audacious entrance.
Then, as the iconic overture from Maurice Jarre’s “Theme from Lawrence of Arabia” filled the air, the massive matching doors on the opposite end of the courtyard opened to a procession of three bridesmaids entering on foot, each holding a hammered-bronze platter of rose petals, which they scattered along the pathway as they walked. They were followed by the bride, making her entrance atop a camel festooned with jewels and rose garlands while her father walked by its side leading them in. Amanda dismounted gracefully from the camel via a set of mother-of-pearl steps with a gallant assist from her father, allowing everyone to admire her ivory silk tulle gown by Giorgio Armani Privé with its pleated silk tulle cape fastened at the shoulders by two art deco diamond-and-emerald brooches. She took the hand of her husband-to-be, and without a word to the assembled guests, they proceeded out the north doors followed by their entourage, still scattering rose petals.