Matters of the Heart

by Catherine Maiorisi

  Andrea grabbed Darcy’s rear end as she rolled away. “You mean I’m going to have to pay you back for all those orgasms last night?”

  Darcy’s grin was mischievous. “Hey, remember we do tit for tat.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Much later they were sitting on the deck waiting for their weekend guests to appear. The group would cook together over the weekend but they were responsible for dinner tonight. Andrea was making her specialty, pasta con le Sarde, a Sicilian dish with sardines, fennel, pine nuts and breadcrumbs. In addition, the chicken they’d marinated overnight was ready for the grill, a huge salad was prepped and the broccoli di rape was ready to be sautéed with oil and garlic. The fresh fruit salad for dessert was chilling. Andrea smiled. They were a good team in the kitchen as well as the bedroom.

  Andrea thought they must be glowing and she fully expected Tori to immediately launch into a weekend tease. They were in for it but she didn’t give a damn. She squeezed Darcy’s hand. She was thrilled that Darcy had come so far so fast. She’d made love to Darcy several times this morning. Darcy hadn’t been able to give up control but Andrea was confident that would change. But it hadn’t been as one-sided as Darcy had hinted when she invited Andrea into the shower. She’d made love to Andrea again.

  Darcy cleared her throat. “I haven’t mentioned marriage before because it means honeymoon and that means sex and I was scared out of my mind that I would die if we had sex.”

  “Hmm.”

  Darcy slid off the chair onto one knee. “I don’t have a ring but will you marry me and share my life forever?”

  “Yes.” Andrea took Darcy’s face in her hands and kissed her. “Yes, I will.” She reached up to finger the emerald pendant. “And I don’t need a ring.”

  Darcy grinned. “Let’s pick a date and place.”

  Andrea pulled Darcy to her feet. “What about here? I love this house.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that. But we have to do it soon before the weather changes.” Darcy sat and held out her arms.

  “The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.” Andrea moved into Darcy’s lap. “Let’s keep it small, okay?” She kissed Darcy, then put her head on Darcy’s shoulder. “Whenever I’ve thought about marriage I pictured myself in a tuxedo.”

  Darcy held Andrea away so she could see her face. “You’d look wonderfully sexy.”

  “It wouldn’t freak you out?”

  “Andrea, my love, are you trying to tell me you’re a butch?”

  She blushed. “Maybe.”

  * * *

  They were putting the finishing touches on dinner prep when Elle and Tori, Francine and Jennifer, and Julie and Karin arrived. As they greeted everyone, Francine raised her eyebrows at Andrea. Andrea blushed and nodded.

  During wine and hors d’oeuvres on the deck Andrea was tense waiting for Tori to sniff out the fact that they’d finally had sex, mind-blowing sex, not just the usual eye sex. By the time they sat at the table for the fig and prosciutto appetizer, she couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at Tori.

  Tori was watching them with the sweetest smile on her face. Damn, she knew. And, Andrea could see that Tori was happy for them, no teasing about it tonight. Andrea smiled and lifted her glass in Tori’s direction, silently toasting her. Tori threw her a kiss and stood to make a toast. “To friends, friendship and love. Thank you, Darcy and Andrea, for sharing your lives and your love with us.” Everyone raised their glass and drank to them.

  When they had eaten, Darcy stood. “Since I know everyone is wondering and for some reason, Tori, nobody in this usually intrusive crowd has mentioned it, I’m happy to report that Andrea and I have finally done…it. Made love.” She grinned. “Many times.” The group laughed and shouted congratulations. Darcy waited for everyone to calm down before proceeding. “And, we wanted you all to be the first to know we’re getting married in three weeks.”

  With that the group was on its feet hugging and kissing the blushing brides.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Almost four weeks later, on a gorgeous Indian summer day in early October, they stood at the rear of a platform built on the beach, Andrea in a tuxedo and Darcy in a gorgeous blue suit.

  When they sat down to plan, a small wedding turned out to be impossible and they gave in to the inevitable. After all they would only get married once. And now the more than two hundred guests, family and friends, who had been invited to witness and celebrate their marriage stood on both sides of the red carpet.

  The chamber group that had played all afternoon as the guests assembled broke into the “Wedding March” to accompany them down the aisle. First, Andrea and her parents, followed by Julie and Karin, walked down the red carpet to where Tori waited, grinning. Darcy with Maria and Carlo, followed by Elle and Francine, came next.

  When they were all standing before her, Tori, a newly certified Universal Life Minister, smiled at Darcy and Andrea, then spoke to the guests. “Please be seated. Since I’m in charge today, I’m going to take a few minutes to make some comments before I join these two ravishing women in matrimony.”

  “Oh, oh,” Darcy whispered.

  “I was in love with Darcy first.” She stopped and smiled at Andrea. “Then I met Andrea and I have to tell you if I was unencumbered—”

  “Unencumbered?” Elle snorted.

  The crowd laughed.

  Tori smirked. “I meant to say, if I wasn’t already married to a marvelous woman, I would have pursued the gorgeous, kind, loving Andrea myself. But what I would have done really doesn’t matter because these two, Darcy Silver and Andrea Trapani, from the start, only had eyes for each other. In the last six months, Darcy and Andrea have experienced more in sickness and in health stuff than any couple should in a lifetime together. Yet they’ve come through it strongly committed to each other and with a love so bright and true it’s blinding, yet restorative to those of us lucky enough to spend time with them. Darcy and Andrea hold a special place in my heart, as I’m sure they do for many of you here today to honor them, and, it is my pleasure to be the one to join them together in matrimony. Darcy and Andrea please face each other.” They turned and gazed into each other’s eyes.

  Tori leaned in and whispered. “No eye sex during the ceremony.”

  Andrea stepped forward onto Tori’s foot. “Behave yourself.” She spoke softly.

  Tori smiled. “Darcy, take Andrea’s hand and repeat after me: I, Darcy Maria Silver, take you, Andrea Claudia Trapani, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend and my faithful partner from this day forward.”

  Darcy repeated the words in her strong, husky voice, then continued with her own words. “Andrea, you are the love of my life, the reason I chose to live, the reason I will always choose to live. I promise to love you always, to trust you always, to confide in you always, to be with you always as long as I shall live.” She looked at Tori who prompted her to repeat the rest of her vows.

  “In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

  “You may put the ring on Andrea’s finger.”

  Elle handed Darcy the gold band and she slipped it onto Andrea’s finger. “Andrea, my soul mate, love of my life, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my unending love.”

  Tori turned to Andrea. Repeat after me: “I, Andrea Claudia Trapani, take you, Darcy Maria Silver, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend and my faithful partner from this day forward.” Andrea repeated the words, then spoke her own.

  “Darcy, love of my life. I’m grateful you chose to live for me so now we can live for each other. I promise to love you always, to trust you always, t
o confide in you always, to be with you always as long as I shall live.” She went on to repeat the rest of her vows, then turned to Julie for the ring. She placed the ring on Darcy’s finger. “Darcy, with this ring I give my heart and soul to you. It is a symbol of my love and commitment and as it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my unending love.”

  “By the power vested in me by the State of New York,” a sob escaped from Tori. They each extended a hand to touch her. She grinned. “It is my pleasure to pronounce you wife and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Darcy wrapped her arms around Andrea. “Kiss me, wife,” she whispered.

  “Yes, my love.” Andrea lowered her head and met Darcy’s lips, then deepened the kiss. As they separated, Andrea realized the crowd was clapping and cheering. She blushed.

  After the cocktail hour, the DJ announced their first dance as a married couple would be to “At Last” sung by Etta James. At the first notes, they embraced and began to slow dance to the song that said it all for them. Andrea overflowed with love and gratitude and happiness. She straightened so their eyes met and the current between them that hadn’t diminished one iota after a mind-boggling amount of sex in the last four weeks, shot through her.

  Darcy sang softly. “You are mine.”

  “And you are mine.” Andrea lowered her head and kissed Darcy. She blushed at the cheers and whistles but for once she didn’t care.

  As night fell the party moved into the heated tent for a formal dinner followed by dancing. In between, Andrea and Darcy posed for photographs and talked to their guests. The party broke up late, but Darcy had arranged for drinks, food and music until the last guest left, and ferries until the caterer was finished for the night.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  The eight of them sat around the table eating the breakfast feast the wedding party had prepared for the brides: cottage cheese pancakes, vegetable frittata, home fries, fresh fruit salad, champagne, orange juice and coffee. Tori, Elle, Julie, Karin, Francine and Jennifer would be leaving this evening but Andrea and Darcy would remain at the beach house for a couple of days then head back to spend two days with Maria and Carlo and Andrea’s parents in the city before the four of them flew to Sicily. That night, Francine and Jennifer would move into the basement apartment to house sit and Andrea and Darcy would fly to Greece the next evening.

  After a few toasts, they settled down to eating and rehashing the wedding.

  Elle turned to Darcy. “I was surprised to see Gerri there. I figured after the fiasco with Candace, she’d never speak to you again.”

  “That and the fact that I treated her like shit when we were together, you mean?”

  Elle laughed. “That too.”

  “Andrea and I decided I should try to make peace with her. After all, she was responsible for bringing us together. And aside from that, she made sure I was taken care of before she left.”

  “And Candace?” Tori asked.

  Darcy glanced at Karin. “We’re talking. I’m working on it in therapy. And when we get back, Candace and I are going to see a family therapist together. I hope we’ll be all right.”

  Tori reached for another pancake. “Julie, did you notice your surgical team drooling while these two lovebirds were dancing?”

  “Well, in their defense, they did hear some intimate things during the surgery,” she smiled at Andrea who was in full blush, “and they feel a certain amount of ownership of the relationship. I believe many of them are in love with the fair Andrea.”

  Darcy kissed Andrea. “My blushing bride. Between orgasms and embarrassment, she’s always rosy-cheeked.”

  Andrea tucked her head into Darcy’s shoulder. “You all are going to kill me.”

  Francine grinned. “On a lighter note, have you finalized your honeymoon plans yet?”

  Andrea put her fork down. “We’ve left it loose on purpose, but we’ll spend about a month in Greece and Turkey, a lot of the time on the beach relaxing but also doing some sightseeing. Carlo and Maria are spending the month in Trapani with my parents so they can check out whether they want to settle there. After Greece, we’ll go to Trapani and spend a couple of weeks with Maria and Carlo and my parents. I’m hoping Maria and Carlo will decide to live in Trapani so our families will be close, but we’ll help them settle wherever they want. And then after New Year’s week in Paris with all of you and the rest of the inner circle, we’ll fly home to start our life together.”

  Darcy kissed Andrea’s temple and fingered her hair. “Speaking of our life together, should I tell them my news, sweetie?”

  Andrea looked up. “Yes.”

  Darcy grinned. “My father-in-law is writing a book about the Italian resistance and when he heard from Carlo that I had a half-completed manuscript on the subject, he insisted on reading it. He loved it and suggested we combine our efforts to jointly write the book. With him as co-author it’s almost guaranteed to be published.”

  “And that’s not all.” Andrea grinned. “Tell them the rest, Darcy.”

  “When I studied with Gaetano at Columbia, he encouraged me to get a PhD in history. Now, thanks to him, I’ve been hired to teach two courses during the spring semester.”

  Tori’s eyes filled. “Oh, Darcy, you always wanted to teach at the college level. It’s wonderful that the woman of your dreams comes with the job of your dreams. Oops, did I say come, Andrea? Why does it always come down to sex with you two?”

  Andrea reddened and threw a leftover pancake at Tori. “You are an evil woman.”

  Tori snorted. “And what about you, Andrea my love? Does the marriage come” —Tori wiggled her eyebrows— “with anything besides the gorgeous, intelligent, sexy Darcy for you?”

  “In fact, it does, smartass. I get to share her impertinent friends. And, Darcy and my mom are going to fund and I’m going to run a low-cost clinic for women and children in the Bronx.”

  “I’m really excited.” She kissed Darcy.

  Tori laughed. “I won’t comment on that, Andrea, but you are the perfect straight woman, even if you are a lesbian.”

  “Be nice to my sweet doctor, Tori.” Darcy hugged Andrea. “Come on, let’s clean up breakfast and take a walk on the beach.”

  With good conversation, good food and lots of laughter, the rest of the day flew by. After dinner they walked their friends to the dock and waved as the ferry carried them back to the city. Darcy took Andrea’s hand as they strolled to the house, really alone for the first time in several weeks.

  “Happy?” Darcy asked, when they entered the house.

  Andrea squeezed her hand. “I’m finally alone with my wife, why wouldn’t I be happy?”

  “It’s cool tonight. How about I build a fire in the suite? I’d love to see you naked in the firelight.”

  Picturing them both naked in front of the fireplace, Andrea’s internal fire sparked immediately. She pulled Darcy close, cupped her buttocks and nibbled her earlobe. “You’ll be naked too?”

  “Of course, my lovely sexy doctor wife. You know we always do tit for tat.”

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