UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask

by Heather Carnassale

  Remi whipped up a faux smile, just for pacification. At that moment, Abby’s sister Sophia announced a toast. All the guests held up their champagne filled glasses and listened. “To Abby and Andy, wishing you all the happiness in the world, and a long, fabulous life together.”

  Everyone seconded the sentiment, and after Remi had sipped her glass, she excused herself. Needing fresh air, she ran outside to the front entrance, where she took refuge on a wrought iron bench. Having felt stifled inside the cold, biting air was just the remedy she had been seeking, even better, was a few flurries trickling down from above, pelting her face. It was invigorating until an unwanted intruder ruined her moment of solitude. “Well, well, look who’s here,” Mitchell Denton snidely remarked. Surprised to see him, Remi didn’t say anything at first. “Cat got your tongue?” he asked, grinning smugly. She got up and tried to maneuver around him, but he grabbed hold of her arm, tightly wrapping his grimy fingers around her slender wrist. She looked at his hand then quietly demanded, “Let go of me.”

  “Not until we have a little chat,” he said, tightening his hold, while deliberately invading her space. “We have nothing to talk about,” she countered. He laughed, and and that’s when Remi wished she had her gun, which happened to be inside her purse, hanging on a chair inside the restaurant. “I’m not going to hurt you; I just want you to deliver something to your boyfriend.”

  “He’s not my…” she began to say, but Denton squeezed harder. “Tell Liam, to meet me at the date and location written on this note,” he said, slipping a small white envelope into her hand. He curled her fingers around it, perversely rubbing her hand in the process, to which at that point, she’d had had enough. She wriggled out of his grip then forcefully shoved him aside. She then gave a stern warning, “Don’t you ever touch me again!”

  He snickered then sauntered away. She cringed, not only from Denton’s skeevy touch but because of the shit storm Liam was in, was now getting worse. Before going back inside, she debated if she should call Liam or just wait to tell him. She opted to wait. Seeing Remi visibly shaken, Melanie asked her what was wrong. Not wanting to ruin the dinner, she replied that everything was fine then sat back down at the table to eat. The dinner didn’t end until ten, and Remi was exhausted. Luckily, Melanie had her car, so she rode home with her. When they got into their apartment, Melanie hightailed it to her bedroom to get some sleep. Something Remi needed to do as well, but she still had the conundrum of Denton’s note. “Wait until the morning or get it over with?” she muttered while holding the envelope. Remi chose the latter.

  Liam had just nodded off on the couch when a faint knock awoke him. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly stumbled to the door, and before he could ask or look to see who was there, Remi called out to announce herself. He instantly unlocked and opened the door. As she walked inside, he yawned while asking, “How was the rehearsal?”

  “Oh, it was great until Mitchell Denton showed up.”

  “Wait—what?” he asked, fully awake now. “I had gone outside to get some fresh air, and that’s when he approached me,” she said, looking slightly flustered. Liam’s immediate instinct, as always was to jump into protective mode. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

  “Well, first he grabbed my arm.”

  “He touched you?” he asked, anger filling his voice. He then looked Remi up and down to make sure she was okay. “He didn’t hurt me; he just gave me the creeps,” she said. “Especially when he ran his slimy fingers over mine.”

  She shuddered, just thinking about it and could tell just how furious Liam was when he angrily shouted, “I’m going to kill him!”

  “No, you aren’t.”

  “I’m not going to let him get away with touching you.”

  “Liam,” she said calmly. “He said for you to meet him at the date and location that’s written inside this envelope.”

  She handed it to him as he was still noticeably irate. “What the fuck could he possibly want?”

  He then went on to say, “Like I really needed more shit to deal with.”

  She didn’t respond, as Liam gazed into her eyes, trying to get a handle on her demeanor. “Are you sure, he didn’t hurt you?”

  She chuckled nervously. “He didn’t, but I wish I had my gun with me, cause I would have pulled it out on him.”

  That garnered a proud grin from Liam.

  “I shot Tom, and you’ve seen me, I’ve gotten pretty good, I wouldn’t have hesitated to use it on that bastard.”

  “I wouldn’t mess with you,” quipped Liam. “But I don’t like him talking to you and especially touching you.”

  Liam’s stern tone when referring to Denton putting his hands on her, made her wonder if that was solely directed at just Denton or any man for that matter. But having been schooled in not reading too much into anything Liam said or did, Remi took it with a grain of salt. “Are you going to meet him?” she asked. “I don’t know,” he replied then questioned, “How did he know where you were tonight?”

  Remi shrugged. Liam got quiet for a moment then surmised, “That son of a bitch is following you.”

  She gulped.

  “Or he’s having you followed.”

  “Why would he do that?” she questioned.

  “To get to me,” he said, staring at the envelope.

  “Well, at this moment, I need to get some sleep, or I will look like a zombie walking down the aisle tomorrow,” she said while stepping towards the door.

  “In spite of everything; I hope you have a great time,” he said, then told her to be careful. Even when they weren’t getting along, he still worried about her, which made it hard for Remi to stay mad at him. She left and predictably, Liam peeked out the door, to watch her get inside the apartment safely. He then opened up Denton’s note and read it:

  Sunday at 7 pm – Chester’s Sports Bar

  Liam crumbled up the paper, hurled it against the sliding glass doors then shouted, “Fuck!”

  He then went outside onto the balcony and looked towards the city. He suddenly felt as if he were on some downward spiral that he couldn’t ascend. Denton confronting Remi and touching her, was a disgusting thought that made his blood boil. In fact, he had to resist the urge to hunt him down and beat the shit out of him. Instead, he sat down on the lounge chair and watched the flurries fall from the night sky. Liam had no control over what was happening around him, something he desperately needed to rectify before it was too late.

  Saturday morning, Remi and Melanie, scampered around the apartment, trying to shower, get dressed then hurry to the hair salon, where they would be joining the rest of the bridal party. Melanie called out from the kitchen, “Remi, we have to go!”

  She threw on the first t-shirt that caught her eye, which happened to be the Cornell one. Matched with her comfy black yoga pants, she rushed down the hall while carrying her dress, a box containing satin navy blue shoes, and a large pink cinch sack, filled with everything else she needed. Within in minutes, the two headed out.

  After an intense workout at the gym, Liam arrived home and called Chris to tell him about Denton giving Remi the note. “That guy is such scum,” remarked Chris. He asked him to stay vigilant and keep an eye out at the wedding. Chris said he would but had to ask, “Are you sure you just don’t want to do that yourself?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied, not very convincingly.

  Liam then said, “Have a good time,” which sounded even less convincing. Chris quipped, “Don’t worry, she’s in good hands—no pun intended.”

  Liam smirked but did his best to stay unaffected. That was until they hung up and he recalled Remi asking him, “Will you be my plus-one for the wedding?”

  He soon found himself standing in front of an opened bedroom closet, staring at his favorite Armani black wool tuxedo. With his arms folded, he then remembered Chris’ words from the other night, “Would it kill you just to allow yourself to be happy for once?”

  Five minutes later, Liam called Chris back bu
t didn’t even have to utter a single word, because his best friend beat him to the punch. “Have fun at the wedding.”

  Liam just laughed then dashed out to get that tousled mess on the top of his head cut.

  With their hair all coiffed and nails done, the entire bridal party congregated at Abby’s parents’ house. “I’m sorry Liam couldn’t make it,” said Abby. Remi played it like it was no big deal. The last thing she wanted to be was a Debbie Downer. So she sucked it up, fully determined to get through the day without pulling the woe-is-me crap. As Remi and Melanie stood in front of a floor length mirror, staring at their reflections, Abby threw her arms around both of them, and whispered, “Can you feel Jenna with us?”

  At the same time, Remi and Melanie replied, “Absolutely!”

  Abby informed the two that Jenna’s family had regrettably decided not to attend, they were still struggling with Jenna’s death. All three huddled in close to say a little prayer for their dearly departed friend. Then it was time for pre-wedding photos. As the young women all gathered around, Remi spotted Justin, who had just gotten back from his trip to Detroit and stopped by before heading to the church. Though happy for Melanie, she was envious. “Come, girls, you need to get in close together,” the overly enthusiastic photographer ordered. He then shouted, “Smile!”

  Melanie nudged Remi’s arm and said, “We’re going to have so much fun today; you won’t even have time to think of what’s-his-name.”

  The outward smile she managed to conjure was fantastic, but knew she had a long day ahead of her. Just keep smiling, she thought.

  When Liam returned to the apartment, he shaved off the scruff and showered. Before slipping on a brand new white French cuff tuxedo shirt, he checked out his freshly shorn locks. He was a little sad to say goodbye to the slightly longer tresses, but it felt good to have less again. Even he had to admit; the almost buzzed head gave him a more polished look. He was then ready to don the Armani. With a notched lapel jacket and single button closure, it was all about the appearance. There were no shortcuts. Everything to Liam had to be perfect. He chose a pair of cap toe oxford black leather shoes, topped off with a simple black bow tie.

  It was almost one o’clock, and still needing to pick up a card, he headed to Bala Cynwyd. When he arrived at the church, he drove around the corner to find a parking spot. Surprisingly, the ceremony hadn’t begun yet as the bridal party had been running late, so Liam just quietly sneaked into a back pew and took a seat. A group of teenaged girls sitting a few rows in front of him kept turning around to peek at the amazingly gorgeous man behind them. One whispered that the eye candy was conspicuously alone. Of course, Liam was oblivious to the girls’ adoration. Instead, he just listened to the lovely voice of a woman, singing Ave Maria.

  When the bridal party arrived, the group of young ladies along with the mother of the bride exited the limo and headed inside the church. At 5-foot, 3-inches tall, Remi was the shortest bridesmaid, so she stood at the back of the line right in front of the maid of honor, Sophia. While they waited, Remi took a few short breaths, to calm her nerves. As soon as a violinist began playing Pachelbel Canon in D, Remi knew the procession had begun. The first bridesmaid walked in and started her descent down the aisle then each followed in succession. Liam watched each one, including Melanie walk by, but didn’t see Remi until she finally stepped into view. There, in her navy blue strapless lace body hugging dress, one could say Mr. Matthews was utterly blown away by how stunningly beautiful she was. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t already aware of that fact; it was just the dress or more especially the color, looked incredible on her. As she began walking down the aisle, it was at that moment that Liam realized he’d made the right decision in attending the wedding.

  Everyone rose up when Abby appeared, but Liam’s eyes remained fixated on Remi, who was now standing up at the front. He noticed she was fidgeting with her bouquet, which prompted him to grin. Once the ceremony began, it was only natural for Liam’s thoughts to dwell on his own future and what would most likely never happen for him. Though he had never pictured himself married or ever wanting to get married, the notion that he would never get the opportunity to make that choice, suddenly hit him when Abby and Andy exchanged their vows. The entire ceremony only took fifteen minutes and soon the party was making its way back up the aisle to the rear of the church, but Remi didn’t see Liam as he purposely avoided the quintessential meet and greet line while the rest of the guests maneuvered through it. After what seemed like an hour, everyone congregated outside while the wedding party ventured back inside for photos. As they entered, Liam stood off to the side, until Remi appeared. That’s when he deliberately moved towards her. Catching a glimpse of someone coming up on her side, startled, she quickly turned and saw that it was Liam. “What are you doing here?” she asked, the look of complete surprise on her face.

  “Let’s just say someone gave me a much-needed kick in the ass.”

  She knew the who that he was referring to, and asked, “I guess Chris isn’t coming then?”

  Liam grinned while shaking his head no. “Wait,” she said. “Are you here because you want to be or because you’re afraid creepy Mitchell is lurking nearby?”

  “Both.”

  Her entire face lit up with a definite sparkle in her blue eyes, and Liam knew that if nothing else, witnessing that put a lot of things into perspective. “You asked me to be your plus-one then I bailed and let you down,” he said, having her undivided attention. “But you’re here now,” she said, unable to stop smiling.

  Just then, Sophia yelled to Remi, “We need you up here for photos.”

  “I’ll be right there,” she yelled back. Liam told her to go and that he’d see her at the reception. She reluctantly stepped away, but before she got too far, Liam stopped her and whispered, “By the way, you know you weren’t supposed to upstage the bride.”

  “What?” she asked, but he was already exiting, so she didn’t get an answer. As she watched him go, she suddenly felt like the luckiest girl. She giddily skipped to the front of the church where predictably Melanie remarked, “I gotta hand it to him the man knows how to dress.”

  She then asked, “Is he going to the reception?”

  Remi’s perpetual smile said it all. Another bridesmaid tapped Remi on the shoulder and asked, “Does he have a brother?”

  Remi giggled, but not just because of that comment; it was because Liam felt he had let her down. Proving ever so slightly, that he does have emotions, and maybe that rift between them wasn’t so big after all.

  Liam had driven to the Promenade Hotel and decided to have a beer in the lounge before entering the ballroom. While sitting at the bar, his mind went back to right after the heist when he and Chris had that discussion about Liam playing the hero. He thought about how things were now vastly different from what they were that night. While Liam silently reminisced, Justin pulled out the stool next to him. The two nodded hello to each other as they shook hands. “Relegated to the wedding party date purgatory,” quipped Justin. Liam laughed and offered to buy him a drink. “Melanie told me you weren’t coming,” he said.

  “Yeah, I wasn’t, but I changed my mind.”

  “I don’t know Remi that well, probably cause for the past month, she’s been living at your place,” he said. “But she’s pretty cool.”

  Liam didn’t acknowledge what he had just said but he most definitely agreed with him. After, the bartender brought over two drafts; Justin thanked Liam for buying then the two men talked about their respective jobs. It was a nice opportunity for Liam to converse about inconsequential things instead of the investigation or Mitchell Denton. Soon the wedding party arrived, and Remi quickly dropped her stuff in the designated bridal room then searched for Liam in the ballroom, where most of the guests were noshing on mini-spinach quiches, shrimp cocktail, and spring rolls. When he wasn’t there, she found him at the bar and couldn’t help but still feel pure joy that he showed up to be her date. As soon as she joined him, he as
ked her if she wanted something to drink. “Just water, please.”

  He accommodated her request while Melanie unsubtly dragged Justin away, giving Remi and Liam some time by themselves. “Have a seat,” Liam suggested, pulling a stool out for her. She thanked him as her feet were already hurting. She bent down to take off her shoes for a moment, and while she sat back up, her eyes slowly checked out Liam. “That is one fabulous tux.”

  “It should be for what it cost,” he said, handing her a glass of ice water. She took a sip but couldn’t stop smiling. “What are you smiling at?” he asked.

  “I’m just shocked you came.”

  He suddenly leaned in real close to whisper in her ear. “I’m going to tell you my plan.”

  Her eyes grew large with anticipation. “For today and tonight only, I’m going to pretend I don’t have a care in the world,” he said. “Except having a good time—with you.”

  He pulled back just enough to make eye contact with her. “How’s that sound?”

  “I think,” she said then cleared her throat. “I think that sounds great.”

  She took another sip of the water and was about to ask him what he had said in the church but was interrupted by Abby’s mother, who told her the wedding party was about to be announced.