“Shit.”
“Yup, he is about to put the spare on it, but he still has to take it somewhere to get a new tire before we get back on the road. A spare won’t be good enough to get us all the way to our destination.” Now it was my turn to remain silent before he continued, “And, he won’t be able to do that until the morning since it’s a Sunday and all the repair shops are closed.”
Luckily, there was a Hilton not too far from where we were, but they only had two rooms left; one single and the honeymoon suite. Apparently the Matssuricon was going on, an anime convention, so almost all the hotels were booked up. While we couldn’t leave the driver hanging (it wasn’t his fault the tire blew out) he wasn’t getting the suite. We could deal with sharing a room. Same difference as being in the limo together, right?
Unpacking, I threw a small hissy fit. “I can’t believe my fucking luck. You know what, I take that back. Why the fuck did Max give us so little time to get this shit together? What if something happens and we still can’t get the damn thing fixed tomorrow? We were already crunched for time as it was.”
“Calm down, you’re gonna get frown lines.”
“Screw frown lines! I’d like to get more than a few lines around Max’s neck while I strangle him! If he wanted such a short notice wedding, why couldn’t he go to a same day state like Vegas? Hell, he could have even came here!” I just wanted to hit someone, or throw something. I felt hot, I was so damn pissed.
“It wouldn’t have been that easy here either.”
“Yes, yes it would have. I looked it up when I was trying to find a way around Pennsylvania’s law, unsuccessfully. Ohio has no wait time, along with a few other states.”
“Still, I doubt you could just walk in like Vegas.” He seemed to think on that for a minute before adding, “How about you put your money where your mouth is.”
“What?”
“If you’re so sure it’s just that simple, that easy to get married here, let’s make a bet.”
“You’re nuts.”
“Maybe, but how much better will you feel if you have the chance to say ‘I told you so’ to Max.” He was right about that part. “I bet you two thousand dollars that it won’t be that damn easy to just walk in and get married. You win, you get to say I told you so, and we both know how much you love doing that.” I started to laugh so hard tears began forming in my eyes. But that laughter died when I realized he was dead serious as he continued, “We can always just get it annulled after the fact. Plus, you’ve already got the dress, and I’ve got a suit. So…” Chase held out his hand to shake on it, and I must have still been high (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it, any other reason just didn’t make sense. When in doubt, blame intoxication.), ’cause I shook it.
Before sealing the deal, we had to head to the local court house, which was conveniently only ten minutes away from the chapel, to pick up the marriage license, something I thought was going to be much harder than it actually was.
I admittedly clammed up at first when the clerk (and the woman looked just like Genine from the original Ghostbusters; glasses, nasal voice, and all) asked why we wanted to get married. I couldn’t very well tell her it was a bet. Instead, I simply told her, “Because we’re just so much in loooooove.” I even batted my eyelashes.
At her incredulous look, Chase tacked on, “I’ve been in love with this woman for as long as I can remember. So before she has a chance to think too hard on it, I would like to get married to her as quickly as possible.”
Okie dokie, that made me just a tad wet. “When the hell did you start taking acting classes?” Blurted right out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
“Ma’am?” This came from the clerk, making me realize that was the very much wrong thing to say to obtain the license.
“Oh, nothing. That was just, beautiful.” Then I added on when I noticed the dreamy eyes she was staring at Chase with, “I mean, who wouldn’t want to snatch this one up?”
“I just need both your licenses, and forty-seven dollars.” After giving the lady what she asked for, she had it all printed up in less than a minute, and was handing it to us.
“Wait. That’s it?”
My expression must have been one to behold, because Chase just barely held back his laugh. Good thing the clerk was too busy looking Chase up and down to notice.
“Yes, ma’am. Just take that right down to ‘The Wedding Chapel’, and you’re all set. You don’t even need witnesses.” Then for good measure she also added, “Congratulations.”
Before I had a chance to start stammering again, Chase gently grabbed my arm, gave the clerk a wink, and nice and politely dragged me out of the door. I was in way too much shock to utter a single word.
Turned out she was right, we didn’t even need witnesses. But, when we spotted a couple in cosplay in the lobby as King Darian and Queen Sirenia from Sailor Moon, I couldn’t resist asking them to stand with us after they said their own ‘I do’s’.
* * *
And a mere three hours after our impromptu bet was made, we were saying I do. When the official said, “You may kiss the bride,” in front of Queen Sirenia and King Darian, we sealed the deal with a kiss that left my head reeling, my hormones amped up, and a slight wonder if fate really did exist.
10
Once we were standing outside of the chapel, I kept wondering when I was going to wake up. The whole ordeal felt like some sort of dream. I almost wanted to pinch myself just to be sure, but I was too afraid to wake up if it really was one.
Determined to keep up with our ‘just have fun’ mantra for this trip. Chase grabbed my hand and asked, “Where to now, Mrs. Reynolds?”
Ever heard something that sounded both weird and right at the same time to your own ears? That’s how I felt just then. “How about you take me for more drinks and nachos with the money you owe me, Mr. Reynolds?”
Neither of us frequented Ohio enough to know what was where. But the hotel we were staying in had its own full bar, complete with pool table.
Walking back to the hotel we were hand in hand once again, and instead of questioning it I just let it be. I had to admit we both did look damn good, he in his suit and me in my accidental wedding dress. We received a ton of whistles and catcalls along the way. Some people just honked their horns or shouted congratulations from their car windows. Others wanted to take pictures of us, and we let them, even handed them our phones so we could have a few of our own. I knew in the back of my mind that none of this was real, but I let myself enjoy and bask in it anyway. Of all of the relationships I’d had, none of them ever made me feel as happy as I did right then.
You know how some people talk about getting their fifteen minutes of fame? Well, I was getting my fifteen minutes of something so much better than that. And the heated gazes that Chase kept giving me made this fantasy all the more real. Too bad he was definitely in the off-limits category. I could never truly be with him, because I would never be the cause of any friction between him and my brother.
Walking back into the hotel, I wasn’t steaming from the ears, and actually took the time to appreciate how beautiful it truly was, I was too busy freaking out about the tire the first time around to really pay it much attention. A huge water fountain stood in the center of a spiral staircase and was the first thing to draw your attention when you walked in. The couches in the lobby looked like something straight out of a magazine, and even the gift shop looked like an actual store with a real glass front. Just as I was getting ready to walk towards the bar, Chase tugged at my hand and said, “How about before heading in there for nachos, drinks, and for me to wipe the floor with you in pool, we head up to the room and check out the balcony? And enjoy one of the treats I grabbed from the stash in the limo while we’re out there.”
“Chase, I do believe you are becoming a bad influence on me, but in a good way,” I replied with what I’m sure was an idiotic grin spreading across my face.
He seemed to think about that one for a min
ute, before saying with a self-satisfied smile, “You know, I think you’re the first person to ever say that about me.”
Surprisingly, we only received a couple congratulations from anyone inside the hotel. Mainly from the older couples who were there. Most probably just assumed we were in some type of cosplay like majority of the other guests. And there were plenty; from Deathnote to Blood to Van Helsing, and there were countless Sailor Moons. Apparently, they thought we were in cosplay as some Wedding Peach. Don’t ask, ‘cause I don’t know either (but, if I was someone into all that anime stuff I would swear I thought she was Manga and not anime), but I did appreciate all the compliments I was given.
“Hmm…Peach Reynolds, that kind of has a nice ring to it.” This came from Chase as we walked into the room.
“What? Plan on your next wife’s name being Peach?” I replied over a laugh as we continued walking to the balcony doors.
“No, our first kid, if it’s a girl.”
“First off, these little shenanigans we’re up to do not include kids. Secondly, no way in hell would I name any child from my womb after a fruit.” I froze with my hand on the door handle when I caught our reflection staring back at me from the glass doors. It wasn’t just the two of us together that made me freeze, it was the look of happiness on my face that felt completely surreal. Shaking myself inwardly, I slid the doors open. “This is just amazing,” was the first thing I said as I stepped out onto the balcony. Only that wasn’t even the proper term for it: it was more like a patio, complete with a small glass dining table for two right by the rails, and a love seat closer to the wall, with a coffee table directly in front of it.
“Oh come on, I’m more than sure you’ve been to more amazing hotels than this one,” Chase commented, coming to stand beside me by the railing.
“No, I mean sure, I can afford to now. But I never really take any time out for me. Even on book tours, I just get a room where I can lay my head down.” I didn’t want to reflect on how sad that statement truly was, or how lonely, so I focused on our surroundings instead. And it really was a magnificent sight to see. “Oh my goodness, look at this view!” Not only could you see the entire city from way up here, but also the outdoor pool, and it felt like you could almost reach out and touch the clouds. “It’s beyond breathtaking, just imagine what it’ll look like at night.”
“Yeah, it is.” Before I could point out the fact that he wasn’t even looking, he continued, “What, all those mystery guys you’ve been with? None of them ever take you on a romantic rendezvous?”
“Ha!” I blurted out before I could stop myself, then started laughing uncontrollably.
“What’s so funny?”
“What you just said. How about you blaze up that special treat while I answer that deeply sad yet hilarious question.” Sitting down on the couch I told him, “Damn near every one of those mystery men that I never let anyone meet? They were pretty much assholes that wanted a free ride. Like I told you earlier, they’re the only type that ever approach me. But I never realize it until too late and my heart gets trashed. Everything goes good at first, until they see that I have some money, then it all turns to shit when I close my wallet and keep it closed.” Which is why I’d pretty much stopped dating altogether, it was pointless. How many times can a heart be ripped wide open before it grows cold as ice? The thought of falling in love with someone and going through that type of hurt all over again, was way too much.
Chase must have noticed my expression. “Hey, wipe off that sad look,” he said. “Fun only, remember?” When I nodded my head yes, and after a few more puff-puff passes he added, “Just promise yourself from this day forward, no more assholes that do not deserve you. After all, you are now Mrs. Chase Reynolds.”
“That does kind of have a ring to it. Oh, shit, did I just say that out loud?” My eyes went wide when I realized I did, but he just laughed at me. And I couldn’t stop myself from laughing right along with him.
“You sure as shit did. Admit it Mrs. Reynolds, you like me. No, you looooove me.”
“Shut up!” I said, still laughing, then threw one of the couch pillows at him. Which he caught and threw right back at me, making me drop the blunt on my dress, good thing it had gone out.
Still laughing, we started wiping the ashes off my lap. Then all laughter died when our hands touched and we looked each other, our eyes seeming to capture one another. I don’t know what it was that he saw when he gazed into mine, but I know that I became lost in the smoldering heat that I saw in his. Next thing I knew his lips were on mine and I was lost.
The kiss was gentle at first, just his soft, full lips on mine; then when I parted them, he took my bottom lip between his, his tongue tangling with mine. All gentleness went away and the kiss became something altogether different. Chase became someone other than just my brother’s best friend, something so much more. He kissed me with a passion so strong, as though he had been waiting a lifetime for just this moment. It felt like I had too.
Chase pulled back for just a minute to look into my eyes as if seeking permission. In answer I grabbed the back of his head and brought his lips back down to mine. There was no going back after that. Gathering me up in his arms, he carried me into the suite, never breaking his stride nor the kiss until we made it into the bedroom.
Setting me down onto my feet, Chase reached behind me to unzip my dress, something he did with ease this time around. Kissing and gently sucking on my neck as the dress slid down my body, he began unbuttoning his shirt. Once that last button was loosed, I stepped out of the dress, kicking it out of the way, and began undoing his pants while he threw his shirt aside. He claimed my lips once more as he lifted me up and sat me down on the edge of the bed and began kissing his way down my body, while pulling down my panties.
I had a brief second to be glad that I had shaved everywhere that morning before his lips were connecting with yet another set of my lips. Circling his tongue around my clitoris he began probing me with one, then two fingers, eliciting a moan from me, and he continued on until I was calling out his name. At some point he must have taken off his pants the rest of the way, because after kissing his way back up my body, leaving no part untouched, he pushed me farther up onto the bed. Once he got me to the exact spot where he wanted me he entered me fully, and very deeply in one smooth move.
“You were so worth the wait,” he whispered in my ear, lifting one of my legs. He went even deeper as he wrapped the other around his waist. “I’ve wanted you for so damn long, Justine.” To emphasize his point he pulled out until only the very tip of his long, thick length was left inside of me, then filled me in a fast and hard thrust that made my eyes roll to the back of my head.
“Oh, Chase.” I wasn’t even capable of any coherent thoughts anymore. The way he moved in and out of me as he rubbed and hit up against my walls. And my body seemed to be in synch with his, meeting him for each pound and thrust. He felt like the perfect fit inside of me, he felt right, like he belonged there. He was making every inch of me feel good, and not just my body, but also my heart. “Don’t stop.”
It was one of those events that seemed to last forever but still not long enough. And when we came, we came together, hard, long, and strong. After we were both spent, he didn’t just get up; he bent his head down and took my lips with his, and since he was still impossibly hard, he elicited yet another orgasm from me, one that he captured with his mouth.
Chase rolled to his back, pulling me with him, holding me close to his side with my head on his chest. On a sigh just before we both dozed off to sleep, I heard him say into my hair, “I love you Justine, and I’m done hiding it.”
And right as I closed my eyes? I heard myself saying, “Good, ’cause I think I love you too.”
11
“This is not happening. This is not happening. This is seriously not fucking happening!” I don’t know why my brain kept thinking that, if I kept repeating that mantra over and over, and over and again in my head, it’d somehow be tr
ue. I mean, if there were a genie behind the mirror listening to my one-person conversation, then maybe. But, since I have worse luck than Mufasa from The Lion King, fat chance on that happening.
What was happening on the other side of that bathroom door however, I just plain wasn’t ready to deal with. To tell the honest to goodness truth, I don’t think I would EVER be ready to deal with it.
Because once I open this door I’ll be opening up a can of worms. No, that’s not quite right. Try snakes—really big snakes, more like anacondas.
So, looking in the hateful mirror that was not being helpful in any type of way whatsoever one last time, I pulled up my proverbial big girl panties. Closing the robe provided by the hotel as tightly as I could (since I refused to pick up the dress that lay discarded in a heap in the next room) I grabbed the knob and pulled it open to see the person that I was hoping against all hope was still fast asleep, getting ready to knock on the door.
“Hey.” We said it at the same time. I swear I felt as though I were back in high school with a million butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
Chase was the first to speak. “Just wanted to check on you, been in there for a while.” He stood there looking just as good as he had when I was still under the influence, if not even more so. See, I’m one of those people that all it takes is a nap, small or long, and I’m sober all over again. All he had on was his pants, and part of me wanted to just rip them off him. “You okay?”
I looked up at him then and quite possibly for the first time ever I let myself see all of the love he really did have for me pouring off of him in waves. It was all right there in his eyes. So when I opened my mouth to just blow that question off with a simple sure, the dam broke and I started bawling like a friggin baby. The waterworks began to flow and there was just no stopping it. Instead of saying anything or ridiculing me like any of the other men I had been with would have done, he just gathered me into his arms. Placing one arm around my back and the other under my legs, he picked me up and carried over to the chair in the bedroom. He then sat down with me in his lap, and held me close. He must have grabbed one of the washcloths from the bathroom, because he also started wiping my face off.
Married. Wait! What? Page 55