My name is Jake.
For more than ten years, I had built a reputation as one of the best wedding planners in North America. Celebrities, politicians, billionaires, and influential families all competed to hire me.
My schedule was booked months in advance, and anyone wanting me to organize their wedding usually had to reserve a date at least six months ahead.
That was why he couldn't understand my current situation.
Earlier that morning, a convoy of black SUVs had stopped my car.
Now he was sitting inside a secure room. A man in a black suit stood silently beside the door.
"I know my rights," Jake said, trying to remain calm. "You can't just kidnap people. Do you have any idea who my clients are? One phone call from me and you'll spend the rest of your lives dealing with lawyers."
The agent remained perfectly still.
"Hey, I'm talking to you."
The man didn't react in the slightest.
A few moments later, the door opened. Nick Fury walked into the room and motioned for the agent to leave. The agent nodded once before quietly stepping outside.
Jake looked Fury up and down. "So you're the one in charge. What is this supposed to be? Extortion?"
Fury calmly shook his head. "No."
"Then what?"
"I need you to organize a wedding."
Jake stared at him for several seconds. "A wedding?"
"Yes."
Jake leaned back in his chair and laughed. "For yourself? You're already an old man. The only major ceremony left in your life should be your funeral."
Fury didn't react to the insult. "It's not my wedding."
Jake folded his arms. "I don't care whose wedding it is. My answer is no."
"You can refuse."
Jake smiled. "Good. Then we're done here."
Without another word, Fury picked up the remote on the table and switched on the large television mounted on the wall. The screen immediately showed footage from the Battle of New York.
Jake frowned. "What does this have to do with me?"
Fury pointed at the man fighting across the screen. "You're planning that man's wedding."
Jake looked at the man effortlessly tearing through alien forces. "So?"
"If I tell him you refused, he'll probably say 'okay.'"
Jake smirked. "That doesn't sound so bad."
Fury looked directly into his eyes. "The problem is that I also know him. Most of the time he's a reasonable person."
Jake's smile slowly disappeared.
"But if you happen to catch him on one of the rare days when he's in a bad mood, there's a decent chance you'll be thrown into space before you even realize what happened."
Jake laughed nervously. "You're joking."
"I've watched him do insane things," Fury replied without changing his expression. "Trust me, compared to them, throwing a human into orbit wouldn't even qualify as exercise."
Jake turned back toward the television. The footage showed Luke stopping a massive alien creature over New York as though it weighed nothing.
Jake swallowed. After several long seconds he looked back at Fury and let out a defeated sigh. "Okay... I'll do it. Planning a wedding for someone capable of doing all that seems a lot safer than refusing."
Fury gave a satisfied nod. "Good."
Jake assumed that was the end of the briefing. Unfortunately, Fury wasn't finished.
"There is one more thing you need to know before you meet your clients."
"What is it?"
"The wedding has one groom and nine brides."
Jake stared at him in complete disbelief. "...I'm sorry."
"I thought you said nine brides."
"I did."
Jake rubbed his temples, convinced he was developing a headache. "Wait... all nine women actually agreed to marry the same man?"
"Yes."
"How is that even possible?"
Fury shrugged. "I already told you none of them are normal."
"What exactly do you mean by 'not normal'?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't be worried about the groom."
"Then who should I be worried about?"
"The brides."
"The brides?"
Fury nodded. "There are several extremely dangerous women among them."
Jake chuckled awkwardly. "They can't possibly be that bad."
Fury's expression remained completely serious. "Trust me, they are." He paused for a moment. "One of them is borderline psychotic."
Jake's smile gradually disappeared.
Fury continued as though he were reading an ordinary personnel file. "The rest aren't much less dangerous. If they wanted to, they could level cities without much difficulty."
Jake slowly leaned back in his chair. "This doesn't sound like I'm organizing a wedding."
Fury looked him straight in the eyes. "No. It sounds like you're organizing a peace conference."
For the first time in his career, Jake seriously wondered whether any amount of money was worth taking this job.
***
Even after two full days of shopping, the nine women still hadn't chosen their wedding dresses.
The boutique had practically become their second home. Dress after dress was brought out. Collection after collection was displayed. Yet every design had something that could be improved.
Luke sat on a nearby sofa with a completely exhausted expression.
The store manager walked over with an unusually cheerful smile. "I sincerely hope you have another wedding like this in the future, Mr. Luke."
Luke slowly turned his head and gave him a deadpan look. "It seems money has affected your brain."
The manager laughed without the slightest embarrassment. "Of course you're our most valuable customer."
During the past two days, the boutique had received an order worth several million dollars. The nine brides hadn't selected a single ready-made wedding dress. Instead they had commissioned custom designs.
The boutique had already contacted several internationally renowned designers, paying enormous deposits to have exclusive dresses created specifically for the wedding.
For the manager, this single order was worth more than months of normal business. Naturally he couldn't stop smiling.
Luke rubbed his tired eyes. "What if they don't like those designs either?"
The manager answered confidently. "We've already contacted designers from several other countries. Their newest collections should begin arriving tomorrow."
Luke stared at him for several seconds. "You were actually prepared for that possibility?"
The manager nodded proudly. "A customer like you only comes along once in a lifetime. We'll continue bringing in designs until every bride finds the perfect dress."
Luke looked toward the nine women, who were still discussing fabrics, embroidery, veils, and countless other details as enthusiastically as they had on the first day. He slowly leaned back into the sofa.
For the first time in his life, he genuinely understood why some people described wedding preparations as more exhausting than the wedding itself.
*****
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