Married. Wait! What?

by Virginia Nelson

  “It’s the newlyweds! Come on up, Mr. and Mrs. Hyde!” the singer announces at the end of the song. We look around, then turn back to him. He points at us and waves us up to the stage. Zach takes my hand, and I follow him up to stand by the singer.

  He turns us to face the audience. “These two wonderful people were married Monday night. We sang for their first dance, and would like to sing for them again. What do you say?” He waves an arm toward the audience. “Should we do it again?”

  Applause fills the area, and the band starts the first strains of the song. It builds, and the singer starts the first words to “Thank You In Advance” by Boyz II Men, my absolute favorite song. I’m mesmerized as Zach pulls me into his arms to dance.

  “Your favorite song would be our wedding song,” Zach chuckles as we move around the small stage.

  “If it were up to you, it would be “Baby Got Back”, I giggle as we continue to sway together.

  I glance at the audience, and all the other couples are dancing too. I lay my head on his chest and hold on to him a little tighter, eliciting a sigh into the top of my head. His hands rub my back, up to my neck and then back down, gently massaging as he goes. I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of him against me and the song surrounding us.

  The last notes of the song fade, and I reluctantly pull back from Zach. We face the audience as they clap for the band.

  “We’re going to take a break now. Thank you very much.” As the crowd disperses, the singer says, “Congratulations! How’s married life so far?”

  “We’re on a pilgrimage to find out what happened that night. We can’t remember anything about it,” I tell him.

  He smiles consolingly. “It seems that way with quite a few couples here. Just think twice before you decide to get an annulment. Sometimes when people do things while intoxicated, it’s something they always wanted to do subconsciously, but never had the nerve.”

  “Where and when did we meet you on Monday night?” Zach asks.

  “It was about ten p.m. We were packing up for the evening when a man who said he was your father approached us. He asked if we could stay for another hour to play for his son’s wedding party, and he handed me a big wad of cash. He promised that it would only be an hour and he would treat us to a late dinner. Of course we said yes. You and your wedding party came along about fifteen minutes later, and we played for you all.” He takes a sip of his water.

  Zach pulls his phone out of his pocket and tries to call his father again, putting the phone to his ear. “Damn! Voicemail again. If he would just answer, we wouldn’t have to go through all this. He could just tell us what happened that night.” He puts the phone back in his pocket.

  “What’s your name again?” I ask the singer.

  “Sam. We had a great time singing for your wedding! You all were so nice. Anytime you need a band, just let us know and we’ll be there.” He shakes both our hands.

  “Is there anything else you can tell us about Monday night?” Zach asks.

  Sam thinks for a minute. “You spoke with your mom on the phone.”

  “How do you know it was my mom?”

  “You said something to your father about speaking with her, and your dad told you that if she called again, to ignore her calls. I didn’t hear him tell you the reason, but it must have been fine, because every time she called after that, you pressed ignore and told your father it was her.” Sam looks at his watch and then at his band. “Time to go back to work. Congratulations again, you two.” He takes a drink of water and steps back onstage.

  Zach pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials his mother this time. He gets a frustrated look on his face. “Her phone is going straight to voicemail too. What’s going on with them?” He looks at the bar a hundred yards away from us. “It looks like they’re open now. Hopefully we’ll get some answers there.”

  I grab his hand and pull him toward the bar. Hopefully the bartender who was there Monday night will be there tonight. We could really use some answers, and it all started at this bar.

  We take stools at the bar and order a drink. “Only one drink tonight,” I warn.

  “I agree. It all started here, and we don’t need a repeat of Monday night.” He shrugs sheepishly. “Even though we’re already married. What more can we do, right?”

  We both look up and down the bar for the bartender who served us Monday night. We don’t see him, so we ask the bartender who serves our drinks about him.

  “Rob won’t be in for another hour. Wait, are you the ones who got married Monday night?”

  We both nod.

  “Oh man! It’s an honor to meet you all! You’re the talk of the strip! Everyone’s talking about your story and how everyone you all came across was invited to the wedding. I’m so mad that I took off Monday night—I miss everything,” he rattles.

  “What happened?” I ask.

  “After you all had been drinking for a while, you two told everyone the story about how you were left at the altar the day before.” He motions toward me. “Everyone was sympathetic, and then a few things happened and you were married. You’ll have to wait for Rob to come in to tell you the rest. All I know is that it was a big party starring you two. I’m around if you want to do it again tonight.”

  “Not until we find out what happened that night. But if we party again, we’ll definitely invite you,” Zach promises.

  We sip our drinks and wave back to people who wave at us. Evidently we were very popular on Monday night. We keep asking people what happened, but they don’t remember. Evidently we got everyone just as drunk as we were.

  Finally, a humongous tattooed guy steps behind the bar, and we wait impatiently while he gets settled in and talks to the other bartender. He points our way, and Rob’s face lights up in recognition. He makes a couple of drinks and comes down the bar, setting them in front of us.

  “Hi, guys! Congratulations on the marriage. Try this drink—I made it in honor of you two. It’s called ‘bliss’.”

  I study the purple drink for a second before taking a sip. I smile, because it has grape juice, one of my favorites.

  “Thanks! This is good.”

  “Anything for my favorite newlyweds!” He places his hands on the bar. “What can I do for you this evening?”

  “We’re piecing together Monday night. We just need to know what happened after we started drinking. We kind of blacked out.” I move around in my seat until Zach’s hand lands on my thigh, stilling me.

  “Sure. I’ll be happy to tell you. Give me one second and I’ll be back.” He moves down the bar to a new customer, getting their drink order.

  “I hope we’re finally getting to the bottom of this,” I say as I watch Rob move around the bar, getting drinks for the customers lining up.

  “It looks like everything starts here. This is the key to our night.” Zach looks up hopefully as Rob approaches us.

  “As you know, you came in and started drinking Patrón shots right off the bat,” he tells us.

  “Yes. And then what?”

  “You two polished a whole bottle off by yourselves, then really started talking to everyone. You,” he points at me, “told everyone about how you were left at the altar just the day before, which was a good thing because you’ve always been secretly in love with your best friend, who you were sleeping with up until you met Mike—I mean Mark? Whatever his name is.”

  I touch my hot cheeks with my cool fingers and hear Zach chuckling. I roll my eyes at him and look back at Rob. “What happened next?”

  “Zach admitted that he always loved you too and was ecstatic when Mark left you at the altar. He said it was his chance to make you his.”

  It’s Zach’s turn to blush, and I admit, I do have a small smile on my face.

  “The whole bar encouraged you all to get married. But you,” he points at me, “said that you wouldn’t get married without the right dress and ring. There were people here that night who sold those things, and they were willing to open their shop
s for you. You two hesitated until this man walked in the door, saying he was your father. You two look just alike, so no one questioned him. You three drank some more, and he listened while the rest of the bar tried to talk you into getting married.”

  Zach picks up his phone again and tries his father, getting his voicemail again. This time he leaves a message. “Dad, I know you’re in town. Call me back, please.” He hangs up the phone. “Rob, did my father tell you the hotel where he was staying and why he was here?”

  Rob shakes his head. “He didn’t. He did talk you two into getting married. They opened the shops for you, and you picked out a dress and rings before going to the chapel two doors down to get married. I wasn’t there for the ceremony, but you all came back here after. You were so happy.” This big, tattooed guy actually has a dreamy look on his face.

  “How could you tell?” I blurt out. “We were both blackout drunk off our asses. We don’t remember anything that happened Monday night.”

  “I’ve been behind this bar for ten years, and I can tell when someone has something real. You two,” he moves his finger back and forth between us, “are definitely the real deal. So whatever you do, don’t get a divorce as soon as your time is up. Please figure it out, because you will be miserable without each other.” He looks down the bar. “Be right back.”

  “At least we know what happened now. I just need to know where my father came from and why he isn’t answering my calls. My mother isn’t even answering my calls. Why are they here? Did they follow us, or was it a coincidence?”

  I reach over and touch his arm. “I’m sure we’ll find out when your parents decide to show their faces. Until then, let’s find out the rest of the story and enjoy the rest of our week.”

  “Like I said Monday night, I’m all in.” He leans in to me and kisses me on the forehead.

  5

  Zach

  I glance over, and she’s lost in thought. I know all the revelations of the day have been a lot to take in—we’ve found out a lot in the time we’ve been out and about today.

  Rob makes his way back down to us. “I’m just wondering. If you were married Monday night, why didn’t you find out until today that you were married?”

  A beautiful blush creeps its way up Rigby’s face. My chest puffs out a little. “We were in bed until late this morning.”

  A slow smile makes its way onto Rob’s face. “I told you that you’re the real deal.”

  “We’d still be in our room if she hadn’t made me get out of bed to get some sun and do a little sight-seeing,” I complain.

  She slaps me on the arm, then hides her face. “Stop.”

  “We’re married. Isn’t it something that comes naturally to us?”

  Her face turns beet red, and she slaps my arm again. “Please stop.”

  Rob chuckles and walks away from us, and she looks at me, the red starting to recede. “Why do you have to announce to the bar that we were in bed for two days? It’s embarrassing.”

  I pull her chair closer to me. “What we did and do is a natural part of life. We’ve never been able to get enough of each other, and that hasn’t changed. Get used to it.”

  I tip her face to mine with my fingers and kiss her on the lips. She responds quickly, and I have to pull back before I forget where we are.

  “We are going to spend the rest of the week in bed,” I mumble in her ear, and even as the color creeps up her face again, she nods.

  We hang around the bar a little longer, talking to Rob, the other bartender, and a few of the patrons, before deciding to go to the wedding chapel to see if we’re able to find out any additional information there. Rigs excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and I tell her that I’ll meet her outside. I try to call Dad again, and leave a message when it goes to voicemail. I do the same thing with Mom’s telephone number. Waiting for Rigs, I think about what Rob said while we were in the bar.

  “The way you two were with each other while you were sober…and then you were the same while you were drunk. You two know each other so well, and the things you do make you fit. You seem to be the yin to her yang.”

  The thought of what he said brings a smile to my face. I just need Rigs to realize it too.

  Rigs walks out of the bar, straight to me. “Ready?”

  I nod and take her hand.

  We stroll the two doors down to the wedding chapel. At least it’s a nice one. I know that Rigs would have been unhappy had we gotten married in a trashy one. I open one of the large white double doors for her, and she walks inside. We approach the counter, and the lady at the desk looks up. “Welcome to The Wedding Chapel. Are congratulations in order?”

  I guess she recognizes us, because then she says, “It’s you. You two got married Monday night! Everyone is talking about you! What can I do for you?”

  “First of all, why is everyone talking about us?” Rigs asks.

  “It was the weirdest thing. You had the biggest wedding party we’ve ever seen in this chapel. Everyone we asked how they knew you said they didn’t, but were invited along as you all were walking down the strip. Then there was the man with you who kept throwing money at everyone. He looked just like you,” she points at me, “so I assume he had to be your father. He bought the most extravagant wedding deal we have. He tipped so much. Since we were about to close, he invited us to dance and eat with you all. We danced the night away, and then went to the buffet which had just opened, and he treated us all. All of you were so nice!” She sits back and sighs.

  “By any chance did that package include a video of the wedding?” I ask. Maybe Rigs would feel better about this if she could see the wedding.

  Her head bobs up and down enthusiastically. “Sure does!”

  Rigs perks up. “Can we get a copy of it?”

  “Definitely. Give me a couple of minutes.” She stands up and goes into the back.

  Rigby leans against me. “We can go back to the room and watch the video of us getting married. Way to make memories.”

  If only she knew.

  ***Rigby

  The receptionist comes back with the video. “Here you go! It was a pleasure seeing you again! Congratulations!”

  “Thank you very much.” Zach hands her a tip, and we walk out of the front door.

  We walk back to the hotel in silence. We take the elevator up to the room and settle down on the couch before putting the DVD in the player. Zach sits back down beside me and presses play.

  It opens with our wedding song. It shows me walking up the aisle with Steve, Zach's father, giving me away. I'm looking at myself, and I actually don't look too drunk, which is a positive in my book. I'm wearing a white slip-type dress that drapes down my body. I have a wreath of white flowers in my hair.

  Steve escorts me down the aisle to Zach, who is wearing a classic black-and-white tuxedo. The smile on his face is the biggest I've ever seen. He doesn't look drunk either. We reach Zach, and Steve places my hand in his. We turn toward the minister, who starts the ceremony. He reads an exceptional Bible verse, and we say our vows. He pronounces us man and wife, then we kiss. In the background, there are a ton of people watching our ceremony. I look back in the corner, and notice Ramona, Zach's mom.

  "Pause the tape!" I tell Zach.

  He picks up the remote and stops the DVD. "What?"

  "Right there, in the corner." I point. "Isn't that your mom?"

  He looks closely at the television. "It is. I wonder why no one figured out who she was. Hmm."

  "At least your parents were at our wedding."

  He grabs my hand. "I'm sure if your family had known about it, they would have been there. My parents weren't at your wedding. The other one, that didn't happen."

  "But they sent a kickass gift." I play with his wedding band. I love that it matches mine. "At least we don't look as drunk as we really were. It was a really nice wedding, and the dress was my dream dress.”

  Zach looks into my eyes. "It was the wedding of my dreams too." He shifts in his sea
t a little. "Let's go have some dinner and find a club to dance the night away." He leans down and nuzzles my neck. "I really want to keep you in bed for the rest of the week, but we do need to see some of the sights."

  I hold in the moan that he's eliciting from me. "We really do."

  We go to dinner and find a club on the strip. We walk inside, and of course there are some people who recognize us from our wedding. I don't think we pay for a drink the whole night. We make a conscious decision not to get drunk again, so we don't make any other hasty decisions. Although what else are we going to do?

  6

  Zach

  The rest of the week is spent sightseeing and in bed. We can’t get enough of each other, which is the way it's always been with us. Even if she had gotten married to Mark, we would eventually have come back to each other. I know. I've broken up with so many girlfriends because of her. Sex was fun before Rigs and I had sex, but when she told me she was ready and she wanted it to be me, I was hesitant at first. She explained to me that it would either be me or Robert Jones. I jumped at the chance and haven't looked back. I haven't slept with any other woman since her. I know that she hasn't slept with any other guys, because she told me.

  I feel her fingers crawl down my stomach and grab hold of me. The soft touch of her hand stroking me causes me to instantly harden. I lay my head back and close my eyes, enjoying the sensations she's evoking in me. Her lips languidly follow the same path as her fingers as she kisses down my abs to my cock.

  Her lips slowly drag up the length of my cock until she reaches the head. I feel the heat and wetness of her tongue when she licks the slit, immediately forcing a deep moan from me. She kisses the tip once before slowly drawing me into her mouth. I lift my head just enough to be able to watch as my cock disappears deep into her mouth and down her throat. She stops when her mouth reaches the base and her nose brushes against my skin. She holds it there for a second, then swallows. The pressure of her throat squeezing my cock means I'm fighting my body, hoping I don’t blow too soon.