Good Things: An Urban Fantasy Anthology

by Mia Darien

  I can’t believe I’m marrying Jim tomorrow! I can’t believe how lucky I am! It never would have happened if it hadn’t been for Alex. I can’t wait to tell her I’m pregnant. I really hope she’ll agree to be the godmother. Jim and I would be heartbroken if she said no.

  Alex did a double-take as she looked up and found Jesse standing right next to her. She hadn’t even realized her ex had approached. “Jesse,” she started, unable to hide her surprise.

  “Did I startle you? I’m sorry, Alex. You seemed in your own little world. The minister says he is ready to begin.”

  The rehearsal itself was a blur, as was the dinner that followed. With nearly twenty people in attendance, Alex found her senses overwhelmed during the meal, but did her best to participate in the conversation around her. She was sitting with Linda and Penny while Danika was off trying her best to flirt with one of the groomsmen. Alex thought to save the woman some embarrassment, as the man she was hitting on preferred the company of other men, but then...it wasn’t really any of her business.

  As things began to wind down, Alex decided it was time to leave. The strain of so many ‘voices’ was starting to make her head hurt. Jesse and Jim pulled her aside before she could make her exit. Her ex was radiant, and the joy both of them felt seemed to radiate off them. She couldn’t explain why, but it warmed her own heart to know the happiness both her friend and Jesse brought one another.

  “Before you leave, Alex,” Jim began. “We, well...we have more news, and another question.” He looked to his bride.

  Beaming, Jesse took Alex’s hands in her own. “I’m pregnant, Alex. And...Jim and I were hoping you would be the godmother to our child.”

  The warmth of Jesse’s hands as they took hers caused her heart to skip a beat, and this helped her look surprised. “Pregnant?! You guys...you want me as the child’s godmother? Are you sure about that?”

  Jim answered in both words and thought. “We are one hundred percent certain, Alex. You have been so giving and supportive of us. We know it...it’s likely not as easy as you seem to say it is, but we also know the kind of person you are. We know you and your heart, and we want our child to know how to love as you love.”

  Tears welled up in Alex’s eyes as she struggled to find words. The tears spilled over when she weakly replied, “I... Jim, Jesse, I am speechless. I, honestly, I have no words. Congratulations to both of you, I could not be happier. I would be honored to be the godmother to your child.”

  Jesse and Jim pulled Alex into the biggest bear hug they could manage before letting a stunned Alex take herself home.

  * * *

  Alex stood in front of the mirror as she worked her magic on the dark blue bow tie that matched the blue in the blue and black vest that was part of her tuxedo. Once she was happy the tie was done correctly, and straight, she grabbed the tails to complete the look. Alex could be considered pretty, sure, but she was more handsome than pretty. As she adjusted the sleeves of the tuxedo shirt, there was a knock at the door. “Come!” She already knew it was Linda.

  “Well, don’t you make the dashing figure,” Linda said with a smile as she came to stand behind Alex. She casually wiped away imaginary dust from Alex’s shoulders. “It’s time to shine. Have you seen Jesse in her dress yet?”

  Alex turned to face the bridesmaid. “Not yet. And as dapper as I might be, it doesn’t compare to your radiant beauty in that dress, Linda.” She couldn’t help the smirk as she studied the woman who stood in front of her, admiring the dark blue strapless dress. She offered Linda her arm. “Shall we go collect the special woman of the hour?”

  “Let’s.”

  Danika was fussing over the train of Jesse’s gown while Penny helped the bride with her veil. It was all Alex could do to remember to keep breathing as they entered the room. Linda, though, saw the expression on Alex’s face. “Stunning, isn’t she?”

  Not trusting herself to actually form words, Alex simply nodded, and rewarded Jesse with a warm smile when the bride looked up to see her and Linda enter the room.

  “Oh my, Alex... You make a tux look good,” Jesse said before Alex could even compliment her on the gorgeous dress.

  Yes, she does!

  The errant thought came from Linda, and another one that followed nearly caused Alex to blush. She had no idea Linda thought of her that way, and wished she could bow out of the private thoughts.

  A woman in a tux...not even a ‘woman’s’ tux. Who does she think she is?

  The more venomous thought came from Danika, who moved herself between Alex and the bride. “Let me just adjust...”

  “Danika, stop fussing, and step aside. I was talking to Alex,” Jesse countered, though her mood didn’t waver. She offered Alex a warm smile. “Thank you again for agreeing to give me away. I know there are a few people who think it is insane, but aside from Jim, you know me better than anyone, Alex. We both want you to know we consider you very much a part of our family.”

  Once again, Alex found herself at a loss for words. “If you are not careful, you’ll get me crying, which will get you crying, which will get these three crying. I don’t think your makeup artist, or the photographer, would appreciate the smudged makeup.” She flashed a smirk, hoping humor would deflect from her just a bit.

  Before anything else could be said, it was time. One by one, Penny, Linda, and Danika left the room, leaving Alex and Jesse alone. Jesse smirked. “I think Linda likes you, Alex. She’s single, you know.”

  Alex couldn’t help the blush. “I was wondering...on both counts. Let’s see where the evening takes us, hmm? Besides. Today is not about me, but about you and Jim. Let’s get you hitched, eh?” The grin Jesse flashed warmed her heart.

  On hearing the start of the bridal march, Alex offered Jesse her arm and the pair walked down the aisle just as they’d practiced the night before. The minister looked at the pair of them. “Who presents the bride?”

  “I, Alex Randolph, present the bride to her future husband,” Alex replied. The minister nodded and Alex released her ex’s arm before approaching Jim. She offered him her hand, but he pulled her into a huge bear hug and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Alex wasn’t one to cry at the drop of a hat, but she couldn’t keep the tears from flowing freely through the rest of the ceremony. A small part of her might have been sad, but she felt joy for everything else.

  * * *

  The venue for the wedding reception was the Audubon Tea Room. It was a building Alex had often seen from the outside whenever she visited the zoo, but tonight was the first night she’d gotten to see inside. It was huge, but Jesse and Jim had invited far more people to the reception than to the ceremony. It was an elegant venue, and the catering had thus far been superb. Alex was doing her best to relax and mingle, but there were a lot of minds and a lot of random noise buzzing around her head. It made it hard to concentrate. It also made her head hurt.

  The telepath was thinking of calling it a night soon when a random thought caught her attention and made her blush. Not a second later, a hand appeared on her shoulder as Linda leaned down and whispered, “Jesse told me this might be the time of night you think about making your exit. I hope, for both our sakes, that is not the case.”

  The bridesmaid was leaning over Alex and pulled back so she could look her in the eye. The smirk on Linda’s face was enough to hint that she might want more than just a dance from Alex. The string of very personal thoughts confirmed what had become Linda’s agenda for the evening.

  Alex found herself smiling almost shyly as she looked at her lap. “Well, Jesse would normally be right, but perhaps you could convince me to stay.” She didn’t need convincing, but figured she’d play the game. The blush on her cheeks, though, was very real. She’d always liked Linda, and found her attractive, though she hadn’t thought Jesse’s friend was into women.

  Without skipping a beat, Linda pulled Alex’s chair out just enough so she could slide onto her lap and let one arm casually hang around Alex’s neck. Her
smirk didn’t waver as she leaned down and placed a gentle, yet sensual, kiss on the other woman’s lips. It was the briefest of kisses, but enough to get Alex’s heart nearly pounding its way out of her chest. Linda pulled back, her smirk replaced with a warm smile. “Convincing enough, elusive one?”

  The butterflies in Alex’s stomach were doing flips, but she managed a warm smile of her own as her arms went around Linda’s hips. “I’d say it’s a good start.” She gave the bridesmaid a cheeky grin, and was about to say something else when the DJ put on Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper.

  Linda jumped off Alex’s lap, took her hand, and exclaimed, “I love this song! It was my anthem when I was a teenager!” She didn’t give Alex a chance to protest and dragged her onto the dance floor. They half-stumbled onto the parquet wood floor, both already laughing up a storm as Linda started dancing. Alex did her best, but she wasn’t a big dancer, at least not to fast songs.

  There was such joy and happiness throughout the room. Even though there were a ton of random thoughts that crossed Alex’s mind, the convergence of so much happiness, combined with Linda’s pure glee, was intoxicating. Alex found herself smiling bigger and laughing harder than she had in a long time, and it felt good.

  As the song came to a close, Alex started to head back to her table. The lights on the dance floor went low and the DJ put on Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. Alex got one, maybe two, steps in before Linda grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

  When Alex turned to face Linda, the bridesmaid’s green eyes met her brown-eyed gaze. There was something solemn in the way Linda looked at her, but what impacted her more than the look was the feeling coming from the other woman. There was a sense of longing, and it was one Alex felt as well. Linda slid her arms around Alex’s neck, and Alex found herself embracing Linda as the two began to dance to the song, which Alex had never given much thought to until that moment.

  Part of her was terrified at the feelings rushing towards her. The feelings she picked up from Linda, along with her own. They seemed to become so intertwined so quickly, it was hard to differentiate between who felt what. Halfway through the song, Linda pulled her head back, locking her gaze on Alex’s once again, and then kissed her. This wasn’t a brief kiss, though it was just as sensual as the first kiss shared moments ago.

  When they broke the kiss, Alex took a shaky breath and felt herself blush. The song came to an end all too soon, and she hadn’t yet recovered enough to have her wits about her. Fortunately, Linda wasn’t quite so distracted, and escorted Alex back to their table. It was time for the bride and groom to cut the cake.

  No one seemed surprised when Jim was polite and fed Jesse her piece of cake, nor was anyone surprised when Jesse took advantage of the moment and rammed the mostly icing covered slice all over Jim’s face. After that, there was the usual delay in serving out pieces to the guests. Linda took advantage of the time to, in her mind, put Alex at ease. “Just so you know, I do like you, but I’m not expecting anything. If you might want to give me a call, perhaps go to dinner sometime, I would most likely say yes,” she said, offering a warm smile.

  “You would most likely say yes? I don’t know. There’s still a chance for rejection,” Alex teased.

  Poking the other woman, Linda laughed. “It’s no fun if it’s a sure bet, is it? We can keep it simple, if it puts you at ease, Alex.”

  Tilting her head slightly, she looked at Linda with an arched brow. “Why would I need to be put at ease?”

  “Because you haven’t dated since you and Jesse broke up, and that was ages ago. Because we haven’t seen you at all since then, and Jesse said you haven’t really been going out or being social. We are social creatures, Alex, even you. You should get out more. I’m offering to accompany you on a date,” Linda replied, her smirk turning to a warm smile as she took Alex’s hand in hers. “I meant what I said. I like you. I’ve always thought you were funny, attractive, but...not available.”

  Alex found herself without any witty comebacks, and simply squeezed Linda’s hand. “Linda, you are being too kind to me. I would love to go on a date with you.”

  Linda’s warm smile turned to a full on grin. “You would? You would! Excellent!”

  Alex laughed softly as the bridesmaid squealed with delight. Underneath the joy Linda exuded, there was a hint of jealousy. Alex turned in time to see Danika approach and place wedding cake in front of both her and Linda. She looked flatly at Linda. “Thanks for helping with the cake.”

  Rolling her eyes, Linda replied, “Relax, Danika. There are a ton of people helping to hand out wedding cake. The only one who misses my presence over there is you, and that’s because you want to try and hit on the groomsman again. I’m busy.”

  Danika rolled her eyes and walked off, causing both Linda and Alex to laugh. “I don’t think she likes me very much, “ Alex admitted,

  “No, but then she doesn’t like most people. Jesse, Penny, and I are stuck with her because we’ve known each other so damned long. We just call her on her crap. It’s effective. You should try it sometime,” Linda replied.

  By the time the two finished their cake, it was time to see the groom and bride off. Linda and Alex walked outside to fall in line with everyone else. As she looked around, Alex realized the zoo was a busy place. She knew there were more events going on, but the parking lot near the Tea Room was full. There were a lot of people heading to other venues, and she started to pick up on some of the wayward thoughts from strangers who had nothing to do with Jim and Jesse’s wedding. Most people seemed full of joy, but there was an undercurrent that tugged at Alex’s nerves.

  Looking around, the telepath tried to pinpoint what she was picking up on. The smile she’d worn since Linda first kissed her now waned, and she felt her pulse quicken. Something was not right. She scanned the crowds more frantically, looking beyond where the limo for Jesse and Jim was parked.

  Anger. Hate. Confusion.

  “What’s wrong?” Linda asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

  Alex shook her head slowly, but released Linda’s hand as she turned around, still scanning the area. “I don’t know. It might be nothing, but...something doesn’t feel right.”

  “Feel right? What do you mean?”

  Death walks here.

  The thought came in clear now, and chilled Alex to her core. She heard cheers off to her left, and it registered that Jesse and Jim had walked out of the Tea Room. Everything seemed to slow down for the telepath. Someone was not happy, and that someone was close.

  The joy coming from those cheering for Jim and Jesse interfered with Alex as she tried to spot where the more troubled thoughts were coming from. “Alex, what’s wrong? You’re starting to worry me,” Linda asked.

  Pausing for a moment, Alex looked at Linda. “There’s... It’s hard to explain, but someone nearby is angry. There’s more to it than that, but I can’t find them.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Giving Linda a small smile, she reached up and gently cupped her cheek. “I will do my best to explain later. I need to find this person.” She gave her a quick peck and then walked behind the line of people, going in the direction of the black thoughts. Jesse and Jim had just passed Linda as everyone continued to cheer. They were almost to the car, and for Alex, the sooner they were in the car the better.

  No one deserves love. Jesse... She should have been mine. They must die. Everyone must die!

  Alex’s eyes went wide as the thought slammed into her clear as a bell. She looked at the end of the procession line, opposite to where she’d been standing, and saw him. Todd. The man looked deranged. She knew him, but not like this. He had come across as a bigot and a sexist, but a killer? Looking to her left, she saw Jesse and Jim closing in on the car, and her blood drained from her face.

  The bride and groom were his targets, and she just needed to act. Time seemed to slow to a standstill as the man stepped into the middle of the procession line and brandished a gun. He aimed for Jes
se as he kept thinking, Die, die, die!

  Alex cried out, “NOOO!” She barreled her way through the crowd, and unknowingly pushed Danika to the ground. There was no hesitation as she inserted herself between the gunman and her friends. There was no hesitation as the man pulled the trigger three times before he was tackled by two of the groomsmen as everyone else screamed.

  At first, Alex thought he had missed. She looked down, and thought it odd he missed at such a close range. Somehow she ended up on her knees.

  “ALEX!”

  Jesse, Jim, and Linda all seemed to shout her name at the same time. Jesse was at her side a moment later. She looked up to her ex. “Did...did he miss?”

  “Oh, Alex,” Jesse said, her eyes welling up with tears as she gently laid her friend on the ground. One of the groomsmen knelt next to her and put pressure on her chest. It was then the pain hit her, and she found it hard to breath. She coughed and saw crimson droplets land on Jesse’s dress.

  “Oh, Jesse...your dress. I’m sorry,” Alex said, turning her eyes to meet her ex’s.

  Jesse cupped her cheek. “Shush, Alex. Stay with me, okay? I don’t care about the dress.”

  Alex tried to swallow, then coughed again as she started to shiver. “Why is it so cold, Jesse?”

  “Don’t talk, love.”

  Her eyes started to grow heavy, and Alex realized what was happening. He hadn’t missed after all. She looked back at Jesse. “You...you and Jim be happy together, and raise that child right. I’m sorry... I’m sorry I won’t be here to watch her grow up.”

  “Alex, shush, don’t talk like that. The paramedics are on their way,” Jesse said, tears pouring from her eyes. Jim stood behind her, crying with his wife. He knew Alex had likely saved his wife and his unborn child’s lives. She’d given everything she could to make sure Jesse and Jim could have their happily ever after.