by Odette Botha
“I do.”
“You may now exchange the rings.”
Jack gave me Joshua’s ring and gave my ring to Joshua.
The minister went on explaining what a wedding ring meant and how this was a symbol of commitment and love.
“By the power invested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. Joshua you may now kiss your beautiful bride.”
Joshua kissed me, I held on to that kiss for as long as possible.
He gave me a hug and said in my ear softly, “I will love you forever.”
I looked at him and whispered, “I will love you forever.”
“Mr and Mrs Scott.” Jack said before he congratulated us.
“So where will we be going to celebrate?” Dean asked
“We are going to the casino and we are gambling, I think we have had a pretty lucky day,” Alex said.
I was standing next to Joshua I had my arm around him; he kept on kissing me on the side of my head.
I looked at my ring it was amazing, I could not have picked out a better one myself.
It was a platinum setting, with a big yellow diamond and smaller white diamonds on either side.
“Do you like it?” He asked looking down at it.
“I absolutely love it,” I said kissing him.
His ring was a plain platinum band.
“Let’s go celebrate,” Jack said pulling Joshua’s arm.
“I think we should go back to the hotel first so we can change, I am not walking around Las Vegas in a suit,” Joshua said pulling at his jacket.
“Very well let’s go back to the hotel, but I am timing you two. No private celebrations till later tonight,” Jack said pointing at us like we were two naughty kids.
We got back to the hotel; I took the key out of my handbag and opened the door.
The place looked totally different than before, it was decorated in flower petals and candles. It was very romantic. There was a bottle of champagne on ice waiting for us.
“Joshua look,” I said with a gasp.
“You weren’t supposed to see this till later,” he said.
“But oh well seen as you already seen it-” he started kissing me.
I threw my handbag down and put both my arms around his neck.
He pulled my dress up and picked me up. The dress would have been too tight if he just had to pick me up.
He carried me to the room but before he could put me down on the bed I said, “I don’t want to be the one to spoil the fun but lets go celebrate with the others first, we can always make an excuse to come back early and then we can enjoy this beautiful room and the cold champagne, besides I have a small surprise of my own.”
He sighed.
“Alright then lets get this over with, I don’t like waiting on surprises,” he said with a smile on his face.
“Oh this one is worth the wait; I don’t like waiting either so I will give you a clue.”
I started teasing him.
“It’s black and it’s made of lace.”
“That’s it, we aren’t going anywhere I want my surprise now,” he begged.
“No we are going and you are going to behave,” I said firmly.
He sighed and put me down.
The night life in Las Vegas was unbelievable it looked like people didn’t sleep there. Dean and Alex were back to there affectionate selves.
Jack was commenting on all the girls that walked passed him, he was walking next to Joshua and he kept on asking, “What do you think of that one?”
He just pointed to girls at random. Jack was a typical bachelor; it was weird thinking of him in a relationship.
Joshua had told me once that he had been married. He married his high school sweetheart but it didn’t last. She realised that she needed more out of life than to be a married woman. She left him one day when he was at work, the only thing left of her was a note saying that she was too young to play house with him. She did tell him that she loved him but she couldn’t be with him any longer, she felt stuck.
Josh said that he was so broken that he didn’t leave his apartment for weeks. At the time Josh wasn’t an A list actor yet. But Jack managed to find him small roles in movies and commercials.
They were best friends; Jack being his agent was just a small part of their relationship. I didn’t say anything about his comments about the woman because in a way he wasn’t being a jerk, I could see he was just lonely.
Since Joshua’s career took off, Jack’s number one priority was Joshua.
“You never had a bachelor party? Maybe we should arrange something,” Jack said so I couldn’t hear, little did he know that I could hear him.
“I don’t think so; I have had more than enough bachelor ‘parties’ in my life. I am a married man now,” Josh said.
“Do you mind if I have one?” Jack said pointing at a girl sitting at the bar.
I didn’t understand it at first because how could he classify a one night stand as a bachelor party. Ignorance on my part I realised.
“You can but I think that one is a bit out of your league,” Josh said laughing.
“I will just throw around some names and she will be putty in my hands,” Jack said making eyes at her.
She was looking at us; she probably saw that we were talking about her.
“Just don’t throw around my name,” Josh said firmly.
“Are you kidding? Having you is better than having a puppy, you are a way better chic magnet,” Jack said seriously.
“Jack I don’t think she is what you think she is,” Josh said.
“Oh but I think she is. Would you like to put a wager on it?” He asked.
“Alright I will put up ah lets say 10 000,” Joshua said taking out his wallet.
“You are on,” Jack said getting up.
He fixed his hair and took his drink. He walked over to the woman.
I saw them talking she smiled at his pick up line, he was very charming, I could see he knew how to get a lady’s attention.
“What is this about?” I asked Josh.
I saw him smiling at them standing there talking.
“Just wait for it,” he said.
He was clearly expecting something would happen.
I looked over my shoulder to see what Alex and Dean were up to; they looked so happy.
Alex was gambling and Dean was sitting by him for moral support. They were laughing out loud, I was happy for them.
“Look,” Joshua said pointing at Jack and the woman.
She got up and stood against Jack she whispered in his ear. He put his hands on her lower back clearly still applying his charm.
He was whispering something to her when all of a sudden the woman slapped him. “Ouch…” Josh said pulling his face.
“What happened?” I asked shocked at what I just saw.
The woman walked away and Jack just stood there.
After a couple of seconds he took his drink from the bar and walked back to us.
“She wasn’t a prostitute,” he said shaking his head.
“I could have told you that,” Josh said laughing, he couldn’t stop laughing.
“Yes you could have told me before she slapped me in public. That was cold brother,” Jack said clearly disgusted.
“I am sorry you are right,” Joshua said still laughing.
“How did you know?” Jack asked him.
“Because I have seen her before. She is a reporter.”
I realised why he was so sure of himself and why he was laughing.
“That was cold Josh, very cold,” Jack said still rubbing his face. “I will write you out an IOU.”
“Its fine it was great entertainment it was worth every sent,” Joshua said.
Dean and Alex joined us, they were very excited about the money they had just won. Dean was telling me in greater detail how the
slots and tables work. He definitely loved everything about Vegas.
We told them about what had just happened to Jack, Alex couldn’t stop laughing either.
“I am not getting laid, am I?” Jack asked looking very disappointed.
“Josh cant you call someone and pull up some favours?” He asked looking hopeful.
I turned to Joshua and gave him a disgusted look.
“I don’t have anyone to phone for favours, sorry buddy.”
“What about that girl that use to come to your hotel room, what was her name? Monica I think?” Jack asked clearly not thinking.
“Yes Joshua why don’t you phone Monica? I clearly don’t know allot about your past and coming to Vegas brought out all the skeletons,” I said angry.
I got up he still tried to grab my arm, but I moved so fast he could not get hold me.
“I will be at the bar having a drink, if anyone is looking for me. FYI if someone tries to pick me up I think I won’t hit him. Maybe I should create my own experiences so we are on level ground Joshua.”
I turned and walked away, I still heard him yelling my name but I didn’t look back. Every impulsive decision has its own repercussions.
It wasn’t that I was doubting my decision to marry him, I was getting worried about the things I didn’t know about him. I understood what life was like for a young celebrity, they have everything at their finger tips. Drugs, alcohol, woman everything. Was I that ignorant to think Josh was different? Me thinking he was just so young in the game, he wasn’t touched by the harsh world of money and stardom. “Tequila, make it a double,” I said to the bar man.
He poured and I drank, I thought more and more about what Jake said, maybe I did have a drinking problem. Nah I thought, what did he know and why was it affecting me on my wedding night? The same wedding night I wasn’t speaking to my husband, what a disaster.
“Didn’t you ever think that he loves you more than when he was rich and lonely?”
I heard Jack’s voice.
“Why is he rich and not lonely now?” I mocked.
“Stop being such a bitch. Stop switching between happy and angry every second minute it’s making me dizzy. You know actors, you work with them every day, don’t tell me you didn’t know he might have been a bad boy. He wasn’t half as bad as you think. But yes he enjoyed the perks of being a celebrity.”
I just looked at him I didn’t say a word because in my mind I had a lot to say. I looked down at my drink and smiled.
“Screw you Jack, go crawl into a strip club and get laid, why don’t you?”
I saw that Joshua was looking at us and he saw when my body language changed.
He got up and walked over.
“Is everything okay here?” He asked worried.
“Yes Jack here told me I should stop being a bitch and I told him to bugger off and get laid. Other than that we are just peachy,” I said downing tequila.
“You said that to Katie?” Joshua asked Jack.
“I did, she just needs to understand who you are,” Jack defended himself.
“So you want to say that according to what you told me, Josh is a bad boy batcholar that likes to abuse his power as a celebrity?” I asked Jack.
“That is not what I meant,” Jack said angry.
“I understand perfectly well what you meant and I think you should get out of my face before there is a problem,” I said frowning at Jack.
Josh was just standing there he had never seen this side of me and by the looks of things he didn’t want to get involved.
Dean and Alex also came to stand there.
“Seen as she is already angry with the both of us, maybe it would be a good idea to tell her now that you are moving to New York after the movie is finished.”
Josh looked at Jack as if he wanted to tell him that he thought Jack was being a total idiot.
“You are moving?” Dean asked in disbelief.
I just looked at Joshua I was trying to get my mind as far as to form the words but I couldn’t, he saw my face and gave a sigh. I could see he didn’t want to talk about it tonight but he couldn’t avoid the subject any longer.
“Before we got together I made an offer on a penthouse apartment on the Upper East side of New York. I haven’t got a fixed address due to me travelling with my movies. After our movie I was going to take a break, so I looked around for a place to stay. I didn’t want to live out of a hotel room forever,” he explained.
“So are you saying they accepted your offer?” I asked.
“Yes they did, by the time the movie is done filming they will be out and I or let me rather say we can then move in,” he said.
I looked at Dean’s face he was disappointed because neither he nor I ever thought it would come down to me moving. I downed another shot of tequila, I was happy that I had told the bar man to keep them coming. I got off the bar stool and stood as close as I could to Jack and said, “you are an asshole.”
And I walked away.
As I walked away I heard Josh arguing with Jack. Dean and Alex ran after me. “Katie wait,” Dean pleaded as he ran after me.
I stood still in my tracks.
“Don’t be angry with Joshua please. This has been a rocky trip granted but Jack had too much to drink and his ego took a knock with that reporter. You told him what you thought of him so let it go.”
He was right. The last couple of days felt like I was trapped in a drama that just never came to an end.
“I want to go home,” I said to Dean.
“Tell Joshua, we can be home before morning,” he suggested.
I looked over at Joshua and Jack still having an argument. I took a deep breath and walked back to them.
“You had no right,” I heard Joshua say.
“Joshua come let’s get out of here please,” I said putting my hand on his arm.
“I am sorry Katie,” Jack said. I could see he was being sincere.
“Its fine Jack I am not here to fight with you, I want to go home back to Los Angeles,” I said looking over at Joshua.
“And so the honeymoon ends,” Jack said sarcastically under his breath.
“We are not done here,” Joshua said.
He took my hand and we walked towards the exit. It felt as if he was dragging me behind him because he was so much taller than what I was. Every big step he gave I had to give about three just to keep up.
Dean and Alex also followed us out of the casino. When we got outside Joshua just gave this irritated angry sound off, almost like he wanted to scream but he couldn’t.
“I think if it’s okay with you, that you and I go somewhere alone,” he said not looking at us.
He was facing the road in front of the casino with his hands on his hips. He was taking in deep breaths of fresh air. I looked at Dean and Alex. Dean walked up to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek and Alex rubbed my arm before giving me a hug good night. They both said goodnight to Joshua he didn’t turn to them he just waved. It wasn’t him being rude, it was him still being very upset and he didn’t want us to have yet another fight in front of them. They left and I stood there waiting for him to say something.
Chapter 24
“I didn’t tell you about New York, not because I didn’t want to, I didn’t tell you because of Dean. I thought that if I had some time I could think of a way to tell you so that it doesn’t seem that I just married you and then I am moving you away.”
I stood there looking at him he was still standing with his back to me.
“I know,” I said softly.
“Since we got here all we have been doing is fighting. I have been made the Villon more than once and for what? For things I did when I was still single and might I add lonely and struggling with the idea of stardom,” he said shaking his head.
“I know,” I said again.
“I am not going to defend what J
ack said to you, because he was wrong being so rude to you. But what did you expect Katie, I am not perfect and although I would have loved to be perfect for you I can’t. I can’t change who I was and what I did. I never in a million years thought that I would fall in love with a girl who cares about me and not my bank balance. A girl who would give me a chance not worrying about what she would get out of it,” he said as he rubbed his forehead.
“I am sorry.”
He turned around and put his hands on my arms.
“I don’t want you to be sorry, I want you to understand, I want you to understand me. I have a pretty screwed up past and unfortunately you are living most of it tonight. I can’t change it,” he said looking into my eyes.
There it was again the sadness was back. I wasn’t only now at battle with myself but with him as well and he didn’t deserve it. I was hurting him again; it was becoming a pattern with me.
“If you want to go home then we go home,” he said.
“I just want to go back to before things got so out of control,” I said softly.
He put his arms around me and held me, I started crying. I couldn’t control it, I couldn’t stop it.
“I love you,” he said over and over.
That made my guilt worst. I felt him put his hand over my face almost covering it. I took it off and looked up at him.
“Why are you…” I started but then I realised it was because he saw a reporter taking photos of us.
“They are everywhere,” he said getting angry again.
“Kiss me.”
“What?”
“Just kiss me,” I demanded pulling him closer by his shirt.
I was going to make the most of it, using the reporter to my own benefit. If they saw us kissing they wouldn’t publish a story about us breaking up or what ever nonsense they could think up. I pulled my sleeve up and put my hand on his cheek so that my wedding ring would be clearly visible. I stopped kissing him and smiled at him. “Smile for the camera baby, I am going to make you famous,” I said winking at him. There were two more reporters.
He smiled at me and shook his head.
“Miss Roberts are you now Mrs Scott?” One asked.
I looked at Josh almost asking him with my look if it would be okay to make a comment.
Josh turned to the reporter and said, “since three hours ago yes.”
It was very unlike Josh to make comments without Jack’s permission. The others also ran over because they saw we were answering questions.
“We should get out of here, you know those seagulls,” I said joking.