Tara took Ms. Mary’s hand and held it, soothing the woman who had become her friend this past month, despite the fact that she had the judgment of a five-year-old when it came to chemistry.
Andy leaned over from two chairs down, “I sure hate to see this end, means I have to go home and work.”
Tara smiled at him. “You’re a nice man, Andy. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. You too, Ms. Mary. ”
As Preston Weichert entered the chapel, all eyes turned to him and the envelope he held in his hand. It contained Kelsey’s choice of grooms.
Tara blew out a breath of anxiety and turned toward Preston, awaiting the final chapter of “Whose Bride Is She Anyway? ”
* * *
August stifled a yawn as Preston did the whole le t’s keep them in suspense thing. Asking the audience, whose bride was Kelsey, anyway? What shocked August even more was the fact that he was as calm as the day was long. He just didn’t give a crap anymore—not even with the live audience watching him with bated breath. Kelsey took her place between August and Vinny, linking arms with the both of them.
August thought once more of that really gross rash and cringed inwardly. C’mon already, let’s do this. Hush, he scolded himself. This was Kelsey’s big moment. It wouldn’t be nice to spoil it.
Yeah, yeah.
Preston opened the cream-colored envelope and dramatically unfolded the slip of paper inside that Kelsey had prepared prior to the ceremony.
He read the name of the groom with great flourish.
August rocked back on his heels as he heard his name called and wanted to stick his tongue out at Vinny.
Big surprise there.
Kelsey threw her arms around August and kissed him soundly on the mouth.
Oh, yuk!
Preston Weichert shook August’s hand with a broad smile and asked him how he felt about being chosen groom number three in the third hit season of “Whose Bride Is She Anyway? ”
“I’m thrilled, Preston. ” Just peachy. “But…”
Preston gave August’s hand one last congratulatory shake asking him to wait a few more moments to give his answer to Kelsey and then moved discreetly to the left of the set. Curtains went up, revealing a minister with a big, shiny diamond in his hand. One of the camera men zoomed in for a close up of the ring.
Sheesh, it was like the Hope Diamond.
The nice minister handed the ring to August and Kelsey held out her greedy hand to him, awaiting the rock of Gibraltar’s new residence with obvious anticipation.
It was now or never.
The muses in his head chanted, August, August, August!
The minister asked August to wait once again before answering Kelsey and to face the crowd as the cameras prepared to roll the video, depicting an overview of their courtship.
August’s stomach turned as he held his breath and waited for whatever was about to happen. Kelsey’s fingers dug into August’s arm. She no doubt was waiting for her moment in the spotlight with spiteful glee. Leaning into him further, she whispered, “Oh, August we’re going to be so happy together…”
August twitched.
Preston’s low, hushed voice began a narration of August and Kelsey’s first meeting.
A summation of love in bloom.
A big screen popped up behind the pews and each head in the audience turned dutifully to watch. Kelsey snuggled up to August, tucking him close to her confidently as she prepared to watch their supposed romance unfold on tape.
A rhapsody of love in G-minor, it wasn’t.
All hell broke loose in a rush of life size bodies filling the room on the screen.
Limbs flashed, tangled and woven in unity.
Flesh, in lurid quantities, flew past each eye glued to the screen as low moans reverberated through the chapel.
Sweat glistened on bare asses.
Lewd and lascivious words struck the silence like bullets, spraying out over the gasp-filled air.
Blonde curls, flaxen and perfect—whipped to the frenzied tune in an up and down motion of lust.
Sheets crumpled and fell to the floor, their luxurious four-hundred-thread count cotton forgotten in mind-boggling passion…
And the camera man, George sat on top of them—with Kelsey riding him to victory.
Silence filled the perfumed air as each guest in attendance, all of the camera crew and the jury sat in stunned, motionless disbelief.
Seconds ticked by agonizingly, turning into long, drawn out minutes.
And then the silence turned to a deafening noise as a roar went up in the crowd. Utter chaos ruled when Kelsey fell to the floor in a puddle of white. In slow motion the crew came to life and scattered every which way. Some ran to help Kelsey off the floor, others set about putting out the candles that toppled before a fire broke out—as the press rushed to be the first to get to Kelsey. The rest of the crew did a beeline for the video tape, diving for the tape player in a huddle of bodies. Microphones in all shapes and sizes were shoved in Kelsey’s face as she lay on the floor. When she proved non-responsive they headed toward August.
August couldn’t move. He was rooted to the spot—his eyes wide with disbelief and his mouth hanging open. He looked over at Tara who sat on the edge of her chair with the same expression. Where the fuck had that come from remained unspoken.
Ms. Mary had her hand over her mouth, but her eyes crinkled at the corners. Giovanni, Diana, Andy and Walter all jumped from their seats to try and help, they just couldn’t seem to figure out what to help with.
Henry Abernathy stood in a darkened corner, furiously shouting orders as flowers fell and chairs tipped over in the crush of bodies.
* * *
Vinny snuck off, throwing himself into the crowd and running with it to the nearest exit, chuckling the entire way. And he’d been worried? Shit, who’s your daddy?
* * *
“August, I’m so sorry. I don’t know who would do such a thing. ” Henry Abernathy offered his apologies to August amidst the last of the chaos. The press had been corralled to another part of the island, thankfully.
August did his best to appear devastated, still unsure as to how he and Tara had escaped certain demise at the hands of George. “Thanks, Henry. I’ll be all right. I mean what’s left after you decide the girl of your high school dreams isn’t the love of your life after all? I thought about it long and hard for the past week now and I just couldn’t marry her. To see this kind of behavior—on video tape no less … well, I just don’t know what to say, but it helped confirm my belief that Kelsey Little just wasn’t the girl for me.”
Henry smiled sympathetically. “So you were going to say no to marrying her?”
August nodded and continued, “I thought I’d escaped when Aaron was picked, but then his brother … well, anyway—when I thought about it last night, I just felt in my heart there was something so wrong in marrying her. Sort of like this distance I couldn’t bridge with Kelsey, you know? And now I know who that bridge was … George. “ August shuddered for effect. God, that was beautiful if he did say so himself.
Henry masked the fleeting anxious glimpse he gave August and smiled once more. His tone held understanding, “Look, August, we’re going to make it up to you. I would never have guessed this would happen. We’ve never had anyone not choose to marry the girl. I know you were thrown into this by default because of Aaron’s brother, but Kelsey certainly never let on that she wasn’t interested in you. If you look at all of that video footage of the two of you on your dates she appeared rather besotted. I’m just sorry you were made to participate in it. But you know… the contract and all. Oh, to have the vision of hindsight. I only know that we will make every effort to find out who put that tape in there. It was utterly disgusting. ” Henry shook his head sadly. “How about a vacation on us? Anywhere in the world you want to go.”
August sighed. Long and suffering—because he needed to play this right. “Can a vacation make up for losing the woman of my dreams—then finding out
she’s a— well…” August sighed again. “I think not, Henry. ”
Oh, August! he chided himself, you are disgraceful. This is just a bit much, don’t you think? But still, it was kinda fun…
Henry nodded his head in understanding. “We’ll think of something. I promise you. The whole damn season is a waste now. I don’t know what we’ll do. Although Kelsey’s contract allows for all disclosure…”
August watched the slick wheels of Henry’s mind turn and left it at that. “Thanks, Henry I realize you have no control over such … such…” August cringed again for effect, “such blatant disregard for the rules of the game. I had no idea this was going on. ”
“None of us did. Surely, had we known, Kelsey would have been sent packing and so would George. Apparently it was all about the money. ”
August exhaled, long and deep, keeping his head hung low to hide the gleam in his eyes and his relief that he and Tara hadn’t been caught … yet, anyway. “Money can’t buy you love … I think I’m going to go lay down if you don’t mind. I don’t feel so well. ”
Henry’s look was filled with concern. “Of course. It’s been a trying day for you. Tomorrow this won’t seem as awful as it does tonight. Can I get you anything before you go?”
August shook his head slowly, “No, thank you. I’d just like to go now. ”
Henry gave him one last thump on the back and August ducked out the back door as quickly as possible just as Henry located the elusive cameraman, George. Kelsey sat in a corner alone, tears of fury coursing down her cheeks, leaving big splotches of mascara on her bridal white lap.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Naaa-na-naaaa Naaa-na-naaaa Naaa-na-naaaa!
(Work with me) Hear the Charlie’s Angels theme song?
August ran a finger around the neck of his bowtie, loosening the tight knot. He tore it off and threw it on the bathroom sink.
“Mr. Guthrie, I’d like an explanation, ” Tara’s voice, smooth as silk, pricked his ears.
“Ms. Douglas, how did you get in here?” He smiled at her reflection in the mirror.
She sauntered over to stand behind him, and the sleek sway of her hips in that black dress gave his cock reason to stand up and cheer. “As jury foreman, I believe it’s my duty to console the poor, grieving groom. ”
Tara slipped her arms under his and kneaded his chest.
“Yes, it’s such a tragedy. I don’t know if I can be consoled.” His mock suffering made even him la ugh. Tara’s fingers drifted to his swelling cock, rubbing it with the heel of her hand.
“There will be no consolation until you tell me what the hell that was all about back at the chapel.” Turning, she unzipped her dress and shimmied out of it. “However, I think a real pity party is headed your way, courtesy of me, if you give it up.”
Tara threw the dress at him and wandered naked into the bedroom.
August followed close behind, peeling his clothes off. He grabbed her by the waist and nuzzled her neck. “Well, last night, I went to talk to Vinny after I left you. I made him an offer to help pay off his gambling debts if he’d just gamble this one last time that Kelsey would pick me. So he gave me the pictures and whatever else I could wrangle out of him. Then I went to find George, who was conveniently absent.” Cupping her breasts, he grazed the soft underside of them.
Tara turned in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, kissing his jaw in soft nips. His cock brushed her belly, straining toward the silk of her skin. “An offer? What kind of an offer would you make him? He’s slime, August.”
August slipped his fingers into the warmth of her pussy, fondling her slowly. She purred in response. “Yeah, but he’s also desperate and in order to make sure he didn’t show those pictures of us to the producers, I was going to give him the money to clear up his debts.”
Tara’s face held disbelief as did her tone. “August Guthrie! Are you insane? How much does he owe? And … and…” her face took on a softer look. “You would do that for me?”
August pressed his lips to hers, lingering gently on the soft surface. When he pulled away he looked her square in the eye and said, “Well, yeah, silly woman. And Vinny owes a lot too, just in case you doubted my sincerity. ”
Tara kissed him back, hugging him closer to her. “Thank you, but I can’t let you do that. If Vinny went to the producers I’d just deal with it. Now I guess neither of you have to worry. But I think Kelsey and George might.”
“I don’t have to give the money to Vinny, honey. He’s going to come and work for me, in an office I want to open in California. He’ll earn back the money he borrows from me. Believe me, he was more than willing to find somewhere safe to keep hiding from his bookies.” He nuzzled her neck and nipped at her ear.
“Still, what does that have to do with what happened tonight?” Tara wondered aloud as she wrapped her hands over his cock and stroked him.
“I have no clue. I only know Vinny said okay to my offer and we were square. I couldn’t find George and I sure as hell wasn’t looking for Kelsey. As the ‘wedding’ drew closer I just prayed George would keep his mouth shut. I was gonna do my part and dump Kelsey at the altar and deal with the fallout later. The press usually harasses only the last two men left, but if I said no to Kelsey, Vinny was pretty much home free. The press would be too busy looking into why I said no to a million bucks. I didn’t figure it would be easy, but I know what the truth is and that was all that mattered. I’d have found a place for us to be in peace somehow. I just kept telling myself that eventually a new season would start and they’d forget about us.”
A sharp rap on the door had them both whipping around guiltily as Tara shot August a look of fear before scrambling as fast as she could back to the bathroom. August put his finger to his lips as he followed her, grabbing his shirt and pants he threw them on, hurrying to open the door.
“Ms. Mary? ” August said, surprised and hopefully keeping the thread of guilt out of his voice. “Are you okay? Do you need something? Is everything all right with the grandbaby? ” Ms. Mary’s face was unreadable as she pushed her way past August and peered inside the room.
August felt it. She knew … they were still fucked.
Ms. Mary cackled a sharp laugh as she followed close behind him. Her grey eyes twinkled. “Yeah, everything’s fine. That’s not why I’m here. I have a little something to tell you. So tell Tara to come out from wherever she’s hiding and get her butt out here too.”
August waffled, shuffling his feet and scratching his head, he avoided Ms. Mary’s eyes. “I have no clue what you mean. Tara isn’t here. I haven’t seen her since I left the chapel. Why would I see her? I mean she’s a juror and that’s against the rules, we could be sued for that. I can’t afford to be sued. It costs a lot of money and I have a business— with employees and…”
“ Tell Tara to come out here and stop dilly dallying. I have to get back before Henry has a nervous breakdown. ”
Tara poked her head around the corner of the closet door. She’d thrown on one of August’s shirts and was looking down at her feet. “Um, Ms. Mary? First, I want to apologize and tell you that August didn’t do anything wrong. I made him … well, I didn’t exactly make him, I—well, I just—we just sort of…”
Ms. Mary held up her hand and Tara bit her lower lip, waiting for the axe to fall.
August came to stand beside her. “Look, I’ll take complete responsibility for this. Tara tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t quit chasing after her. So go ahead and tell whomever you like, Ms. Mary. I’m in love with Tara and I don’t care who knows it.”
August thrust his jaw out and wrapped his arm around Tara.
“Oh, I’m not going to tell anybody anything,” Ms. Mary assured them. “That diva got what she deserved in spades. I am going to tell you that I’m the one who put that video tape in there and why and then I’m going to let you get back to what you two seem to do best.”
“What!?” Tara and August shouted in unison.
; Ms. Mary shuffled to the bedside chair and eyed them both. Folding her hands she smiled cattily. “Kelsey Little is responsible for the death of my Josiah. I can’t prove it, but I sure as hell wanted to see her pay for it.”
Tara went to Ms. Mary’s side and held her hand with a frown. “I don’t get what you mean. Kelsey hurt Josiah? How?”
Ms. Mary shook her head, a forlorn smile curling the edges of her mouth. “She didn’t physically hurt him, she swindled him out of money at that ad agency she works for with her cute act. As a result, the stress of losing so much money killed Josiah. ”
Tara rubbed Ms. Mary’s hand. “I don’t understand. I thought Josiah worked in pharmaceuticals?”
“He did and he wanted to start a campaign to boost sales for our family-owned pharmacy. So the boys would have something when we were gone. It was a small-town place and the bigger corporations were taking over. Josiah thought it was a wise business decision. I thought he was cracked and I was right! I just wanted to retire and live in peace. Do the grandmother thing, you know? But he wouldn’t let it go and then he met Kelsey…” Mary smirked and gave a snort. “We lost some of our retirement fund so she could have breast implants… Her plastic surgeon prescribes drugs from our store. When I saw her name on the prescription, I just knew where our money went. So I hooked up on the internet and did a little hacking into her accounts… And that’s all I’ll say. Josiah became so ill because we couldn’t really prove where the money went. Josiah trusted far too easily and well, it’s complicated—how Kelsey got her hands on our money, but … it pissed me off when I figured it all out!” Ms. Mary’s face turned hard. “I won’t go into the details, suffice it to say, nobody messes with my Josiah. In life or death. When Kelsey tried out for the show, it was just sheer luck that I happen to be a big fan of ‘Whose Bride Is She Anyway?’ and saw her face plastered all over that website… So I tried out for the jury and they picked me. I was only going to let her know who I was and watch her squirm because I knew all of her secrets. She never even batted an eye when she heard my last name. What kind of a woman steals an old fool’s money and doesn’t remember his last name?”
Whose Bride Is She Anyway Page 27