by J. P. Comeau
“So much for no dry cleaning,” I murmured.
Then, I felt someone stir beside me.
My eyes drifted over to her, and I couldn't have beheld a more beautiful sight. With her hair covering her face and one heel cast off her foot, Kelly’s dress had rolled up to just beneath her ass cheeks. Part of me wanted to reach out and rub those smooth, porcelain legs of hers. But, I kept my cool. I kept myself in check. Because she was in charge of it, and I promised myself I’d move at her pace.
And while last night was wonderful, she hadn’t made a move.
So, neither did I.
“Mmmm, morning,” she murmured.
She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.
“Morning, gorgeous. You hungry?”
She giggled. “I’m always hungry.”
“Noted. Do you want me to order something from room service?”
She paused. “Actually, can we go downstairs and eat? I think I saw something down there last night. Like a… cafe, or something?”
“The Bellagio has both. A cafe and a restaurant that serves the same menu room service does for the hotel.”
She looked over at me. “Can we do that?”
I leaned down, capturing her lips softly. “We can do whatever you want.”
I nuzzled my nose against hers, feeling her sigh softly against my lips. I pressed mine softly against hers again, needing more of her than I ever thought possible. I wanted to feel her. All of her. I wanted to invade her and hear her moan. I wanted her to cling to my hair with my face buried between her legs. I wanted to show her things no man ever could. Not even my fucking brother.
I wanted to take her right then. Just wake her up with my cock and a nice orgasm to get our hunger flowing.
But again, I resisted.
“You don’t taste so terrible first thing in the morning,” she said.
I chuckled. “I’ll take the compliments wherever I can get them.”
She leaned up. “Come on. Let’s get changed. I’m not wearing these heels a second longer.”
The two of us got dressed in more comfortable clothes, then we made our way down to the restaurant. I had no idea a woman could look so beautiful in an oversized sweater and shorts, but damn it, Kelly was breathtaking. With her hair up in a messy bun and no makeup on her face, she was the epitome of perfection.
And after we ordered our coffee and food, I took her hand from across the table.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“You know, I actually feel okay.”
I squeezed her hand. “I’m glad. That makes me happy.”
“You’ve made me feel very comfortable. Thank you for that.”
“That’s the goal, Kelly. That’s how I want you to feel through every step of this process.”
She nodded. “I’ll be able to talk more after caffeine.”
I grinned. “Not a morning person?”
“Never.”
“I’m usually not, either.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “But you are this morning?”
I shrugged. “I woke up with a beautiful woman next to me. So, sue me if I’m already up and ready to go.”
“Hope you wore some baggy pants, then.”
I chuckled. “You’re cute, you know that?”
She blushed, and it only added to her beauty. Damn it, that woman was hotter than anyone gave her credit for. Including myself. It seemed like everything had simply fallen into place. Not that I hadn’t worked to make it that way. But, I still expected to drag myself through hesitant conversations with Kelly before it all took place. She seemed relaxed, though. When she told me she felt okay, I actually believed her.
Like we’re made for each other.
I shoved the thought away. “What are you most excited about after all this?”
Our coffee came, and she fixed hers up before taking a long pull.
“Honestly? I’m ready to hit the dating scene after all of this. You know, take this newfound confidence for a spin.”
That shut down my thoughts quickly. And honestly? I was glad. The last thing I needed was to see it as more than it was.
An agreement between two friends.
“I bet you are,” I said. “Got any guys in mind?”
She shrugged. “Not really. After my last date, I deactivated all of my online dating apps. But, maybe I’ll open a couple of them back up.”
“How many do you have?”
She paused. “Five.”
I almost choked on my coffee. “You have five dating apps on your phone, and you haven’t found someone yet? How the hell is that possible?”
She giggled. “That’s what I’ve been telling everyone. I don’t get it.”
“I don't get it either, now.”
Our food came to the table, and things fell silent between us. I was much hungrier than I anticipated, and I practically wolfed down my food. Whereas Kelly was cutting things up with her fork and her knife before taking the smallest, cutest little bites I’d ever seen anyone take.
“Huh,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just wondering about something.”
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“I could’ve sworn this came with a cinnamon roll. I was going to split it with you.”
I stood from my seat. “One cinnamon roll coming up.”
“Oh, Brenden. You don’t have t--.”
I held out my hand. “What my bride wants, she gets. Give me five minutes.”
She smiled. “Okay. Sounds good.”
I walked my happy ass over to the waiter and tapped him on the shoulder. After offering up my grievance, he apologized profusely and went to go check the kitchen. But, when I turned back around to approach Kelly, I was hit with something I’d never felt before.
A wave washed over me, threatening to drag me under. Like a rip current with a small child in its grasp. I tried to fight it. I tried to stuff down the urge. But, when my eyes settled on Kelly in her short little shorts with her long legs dangling, and her oversized sweater falling off her shoulder with little wisps of hair tickling her eyes so much that she brushed them out of the way… I found myself entranced.
I’m in deep, deep, deep shit.
I strode to get back to the table. I carved out a pathway through the crowd to get back to Kelly. My bride. Well, not really my bride. But, for the next week, she was. And I wanted to treat her with all the honor and respect a wife should have from her husband. Someone cut me off, though. They slipped in front of me with a silver tray balanced on their fingertips with a white envelope gracing the top. The cut-off was enough to throw me off my rhythm, and I almost tripped over my own two feet.
Until I saw the man with the silver tray headed for Kelly.
Until I saw him usher the tray in front of her face.
Until I saw her eyes study the envelope before her face turned white.
And the panic in her eyes was enough to feed me with the strength I needed to get back to her.
9
_____
KELLY
“Your wedding certificate, ma’am.”
I stared down at the silver tray holding the white envelope.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I asked.
“Your wedding certificate. I was instructed to make sure you obtained the certified copy sent to our front desk earlier this morning.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “Th-th-th-th--the what?”
I looked up at the very confused man before he motioned with his head down to the envelope. I plucked it from the tray with my fingertips and held it in front of me. Mrs. Kelly Hearthstone. The damn envelope was addressed as ‘Mrs. Kelly Hearthstone’. And as my trembling fingertips pressed the golden seal upward, I felt my heart drop to my stomach.
This is some kind of joke, right?
I heard scuffling beside me before shadows laid across my body. I didn’t pay attention, though. The only thing I focused on
was sliding those pristine papers out of their confines. My eyes danced across the top of the first page, and I recognized the document. It was the waiver I had been instructed to sign last night. I couldn't catch my breath. I replayed that scene over and over in my mind’s eye.
Congratulations!
“That’s why she seemed so sincere,” I whispered.
I looked back down at the paperwork as I felt my body being shifted in my seat. I felt my arm press against the wall before something warm wrapped around me. A soft kiss was pressed to my temple, but it didn't pull me out of my trance. Because right there, at the top right-hand corner, was the official City of Las Vegas raised, embossed stamp.
Holy shit. The papers were real.
“What is it beautiful? Talk to me,” Brenden whispered in my ear.
But, all I could do was show him the papers. I couldn't get my lips to start working with me.
“Bre--Brend--it--they’re, uh…”
His hand pulled from around me as he took the papers from my hands. I lifted my eyes and stared off at the wall on the other side of the restaurant while our food grew cold. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't see straight. It felt like I had dropped into another dimension. I felt Brenden tense beside me before he slammed the papers down against the booth table.
And finally, something startled me out of my trance.
“We’re married,” I breathed.
He ripped his phone out. “There has to be a mistake. There’s no way.”
I slowly looked over at him. “Look at the stamp.”
He held the phone to his ear. “Come on, assholes. Pick up.”
I placed my hand on his thigh. “Brenden. Look. At the stamp.”
I watched his eyes fall to the glossy stamp at the top of those stapled papers. He let out the breath he had been holding.
“They aren’t picking up. We have to go see them. Now. There’s clearly been a mistake.”
He took my hand and pulled me from the booth. I snatched up the papers just in time as we abandoned our breakfast and headed straight for the doors of the Bellagio. He whistled for a cab, and one screeched to a stop in front of us. Then, we practically shoved our way inside.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“Pristine Angel Wedding Chapel. As quickly as you can,” Brenden said.
The driver chuckled, and I wanted to wring his neck. It wasn’t funny. None of it was funny. None of it was supposed to be real! And yet, there I was, clutching papers that apparently proclaimed the fact that we’d actually gotten married the night before!
I felt myself growing sick.
“I can’t--I can’t breathe.”
He rubbed my back. “It’s okay. We’ll get this sorted out.”
I placed my hand over my heart. “I can’t--it--oh, God. I can’t--.”
“Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh. In through your nose, and out through your--.”
“That shit doesn’t work, Brenden! It never works!”
His hand fisted my hair, and he pulled my eyes to meet his. The command of his touch forced my lungs to inhale. He glared down into my eyes before they softened. I felt his hand relinquishing my tendrils, but something in the pit of my gut didn’t want him to.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He softly kissed my forehead. “Just focus on me until we can get this sorted out.”
He massaged my scalp with his fingertips, and my eyes fell closed. The motions were relaxing, and I felt myself melting against his side. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, doing everything in his power to calm me down. It was cute. It was romantic. It was caring.
It wasn’t at all like the Brenden I knew.
All too soon, the cab ride was over, though. And the two of us tore out from the back seat. Brenden practically threw money at the cab driver to make sure he stayed put. Then, he tugged me up the steps and inside the small chapel. I stood there as he headed for the receptionist’s desk. The place looked so… different, now. There were no snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. There was no plush, white carpet. The Christmas tree in the corner with twinkling lights had been taken down, and in its place was some fake rose bush that looked like it needed some serious sprucing up.
Or, a replacement.
“This isn’t the wedding of my dreams,” I whispered.
And as tears rushed my eyes, I heard Brenden incessantly ringing a bell off in the distance.
“Excuse me. I need to talk to somebody. Now!” he roared.
A man scurried into the foyer, and I recognized him. Santa Claus. The young, rosy-cheeked man that had actually married us last night didn’t look a damn thing like Santa Claus. Which hurt, for some reason.
Everything hurt, for some reason.
“What happened last night?” Brenden glowered.
I walked over to his side as the man stumbled over his words.
“Well, there was a bit of a mix-up with the paperwork. But, but it is my duty to deliver certified copies of--.”
Brenden shoved the paperwork against the man’s chest. “Where the fuck was the waiver!? How did this get mixed up!? How did our information get on this paperwork if we didn’t even fill it out!?”
I rubbed his chest. “Try to take some deep breaths.”
The man’s eyes grew sullen. “Look, Mr. Hearthstone. The receptionist that helped you coordinate all of this quit a few days ago. And we tried to pull together everything we could. But, I think my new receptionist got a bit confused last night, and it just--.”
Brenden’s eyes grew hard. “Let me get this straight: the woman I spent working and re-working this fake wedding with for the past week and a half quit, and you didn’t tell me?”
The man held up his hands. “I called her, and she walked me through where everything was. She was convinced this would go off without a hitch, even if she didn’t work here any longer. That’s why I didn’t panic about it.”
“You should have told me!”
“I’m so sorry, sir. I really, really am.”
“Look at those papers.”
The man swallowed. “Mr. Hearthstone--.”
“I said, look at them,” Brenden commanded.
The man sighed, but he looked down at the papers. And the guilt that washed over his face made me feel so bad for him.
“Does it look like things went off without a hitch?” Brenden asked.
While the men continued to bicker back and forth, I mindlessly pulled away from them both. I wrapped around them and opened the small chapel doors, taking stock of the plain atmosphere that greeted me now. The wooden pews needed waxing and filling. The stained taupe flooring felt unforgiving beneath my flip flops. My eyes scaled the walls, taking in the water damage that had seeped in from the ceiling somewhere. And as my eyes began to water, I slowly walked down that aisle. All the way to the front.
I slowly turned around.
It wasn’t the beautiful church I saw myself getting married in. There were no stained-glass windows. There was no glorious pipe organ to play processions. There wasn’t room to fit both sides of our families or beautiful hardwood floors that could be coated in rose petals. There was nothing in the place. Nothing but faded memories, moldy walls, and the faint smell of mildew hanging in the air.
I let the tears fall freely as I sat down, curling my knees against my chest.
“Kelly?”
My lower lip quivered as Brenden walked down the aisle to me.
“Kelly, can you hear me?”
I felt tears flooding my neck as I stared off into nothingness.
“I think I’ve found a solution, Kelly.”
“I’m married,” I whispered.
He sat down next to me. “Not for long. We can go to the courthouse on Monday and get this all taken care of. We can file for an annulment. The chapel owner has even given me a note signed by him stating the mix-up.”
I felt the world spinning around me. “I didn’t even have a decent dress.”
He rubbed my back. �
��We’re going to fix this. I’m going to fix this for you. And once we annul the marriage, it’ll be like it never happened. You won’t have to report it if you file for another marriage license. You won’t ever have to tell anyone what--.”
I sniffled. “It won’t be the same.”
“Sure it will.”
I slowly looked over at him. “No. It won’t. And I don’t expect you to get that.”
He sighed. “I’m so sorry, Kelly. I should’ve been more attentive to what we were signing.”
“I knew something was wrong, with the way that woman was talking. How sincere she seemed in her congratulations. I should’ve had enough of a backbone to stand up for myself.”
“Kelly, you couldn't have--.”
I shot up. “If I had any sort of a backbone, I wouldn’t be struggling with a third of the things I struggle with on a daily basis.”
“Don’t talk about yourself like that. I can’t stand that kind of talk.”
I spun around on him. “Yeah, well, get used to it. Because until further notice, we’re married. Which means your life, as well as mine, isn’t going to ever be the same. Even if we do get this annulled, or whatever.”
“I’m trying the best I can.”
“Well, it’s not good enough. This was a stupid idea. I never should have agreed to it just to sleep with you. I should’ve just told you how I felt, asked you to take my virginity, and fucking left it at--.”
I felt something tug against my wrist before I almost stumbled off my feet. And when I tripped, I fell into the most comforting embrace I’d ever experienced. My tears fell quickly. I sobbed against his warm chest while his heart beat ticked against my nose. I clung to his shirt, shivering as his arms blanketed me. Trying to protect me from the harsh reality of our existence.
“I know it hurts now, but I’ll do my best to get us both laughing about this before Monday. You have my word,” he murmured.
“My God, I’m married to you.”
He chuckled. “Could be worse.”