I drove back to the cemetery. The gates were locked, but I prayed in Thomas’s rental. I spoke to my father. “Daddy, I’m in love. I miss you. I’m sorry I got a tattoo, but I’m sure you understand. Please guide me. I think of you always.”
I drove with urgency, the roads now open and free of traffic. Tumon’s roads were still in party mode with tourists. I rushed to the room. As I expected, Thomas was still asleep, still real. I placed the ten pages I composed at the end of the screenplay and rewrapped it as best I could. I placed a hand-written note on the repackaged love story and placed it on the desk in the room next to Thomas’s laptop.
Thomas was in the exact same position as when I left. His face finally relaxed and as glorious as ever. The room was frigid, so I turned down the thermostat. I undressed quietly, remaining in my lavender bra and panty, and lay on my left side on top of the sheets next to this golden god. Thomas’s linen shirt splayed, I gazed at the fiery phoenix intricately designed on his chest. The steady rise and fall of the bird made it come to life.
I wanted to stay in the moment forever; but it was almost one in the morning. Thomas had been asleep for four hours and I wondered if it was selfish of me to wake him now. As I gently ran my fingers in his amber locks, the exhaustion I accumulated from the day caught up with me. I touched the bandage over my new tattoo and let my hand rest on my hips. I had gotten used to sleeping without hurting my wound. My right hand stayed near my fresh tattoo like a guard. This new day, my own crazy actions should seal the deal with Thomas. I would no longer be that stupid reluctant princess.
Chapter 20
We Have Lift Off!
I had one of those moments when you think you’re doing something in real life, but you’re still asleep and dreaming. Like in the mornings, when you’ve hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and doze off, believing that you’re taking a shower, dressing, eating breakfast only to find that you actually shut off your alarm. In reality, you finally wake up and you discover that you’re still in bed and almost late for work or school or whatever. I hate when that happens. I call it the dreaming to live phenomenon. I wondered if I exhausted the snooze button on my relationship with Thomas.
My dream was of me seducing Thomas like a pro, which I am not. We finally consummated our relationship. The fact that we were tattooless should have told me it was just a delicious dream.
At sunrise, the smell of coffee wafted through the room and stirred me from sleep. The windows were open, but the curtain was still drawn, keeping the room dim. Something considerate Thomas was responsible for, I thought. A thin sheet covered my nearly naked self. My hand was covering my bandage protectively. Did he see it?
The warm Guam morning crept through the room and the humidity was comforting. I wondered how long he had been awake. His internal clock most likely still on California time. I smoothed my hair back, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and realizing more fully where I was, did a breath check. Thomas was nowhere in sight, so I made a quiet break for the bathroom. The soreness on my hip reminded me that what I did last night was real.
The gift near Thomas’s laptop was left untouched. I needed him to read my words before this day could proceed. I crept back to bed and drifted back into unconsciousness.
After what felt like seconds, I was pulled out of the throngs of sleep by the sensation of cool fingers on my hip. I immediately reached to the bandage to feel Thomas’s hands there instead. I met his gaze and he looked at me so tenderly.
“Good Morning.” He said in a deep voice. “Actually, neni, it’s Good Afternoon.” Thomas calling me baby in Chamorro rocked me to the core. He looked refreshed and happy despite our rocky evening. I was certain, as probably he was too, that this morning should have played out differently. We would have been in each other’s arms, completely spent from all the love making that would have happened. But, expectations don’t turn into reality often enough.
“Good afternoon, Thomas.” My voice came out huskier than I expected and I giggled, then cleared my throat. “Let me try that again. Good Afternoon Thomas.” I exaggerated a high-pitched girly voice. Thomas smiled in response, but his eyes became fixated on my bandage. I glanced at the desk and saw the red foil wrapper in a scrunched ball. The pages of his screenplay flipped to the last section that I wrote. So, Thomas knew I got a tattoo and he probably wanted to know what was inked on my hip, since I didn’t reveal it in my writing.
“May I?” He traced the white square bandage on my hip. His touch shot energy through my veins. A smile sizzled on his lovely mouth.
I responded by sitting up, pulling his face to mine and kissing him. I then fell back onto the plush pillows, taking a moment to be conscious of the movement of my hips—my inner belly dancer emerging. I raised my arms over my head seductively and smiled as I pulled my hair up and let my locks fall over my chest. If my life was a movie, this would be the slow motion sequence. I didn’t want to fudge it up.
Thomas noticed and his eyes wandered up and down my body in appreciation. My blood raged throughout my body in anticipation. Thomas shook himself out of his state of hypnosis and began to slowly, considerately peel away the clear medical tape.
My tattoo lacked the color of Thomas’s phoenix, but it was bold and definite and never-ending like the Celtic knot of his heritage. I watched his face intently, the sunshine peeking through the fluttering curtains, bouncing off his flawless face. As he removed the gauze, the realization that there was a tattoo over my scar, the scar Thomas witnessed coming to being, was evident on his face. His gray eyes watched me. I couldn’t read his face now. Did he approve? Was this an immature move on my part? God, what if we broke up? I didn’t want to think of those things. I wanted to be rooted in today. With him. Thomas’s mouth gaped open slightly and he reached for his golden pendant. He pulled the pendant to his muted, beautiful mouth and I desperately wanted to know his thoughts. Thomas answered me with a flow of tears. Thomas bent down to my body and began to kiss me. He was cautious and gentle around the tattoo. I squirmed at each soft kiss. My back arched in response. Thomas viewed my puffy tattoo up close again and after realizing that I had truly done this, he created a path of kisses up my body. Each kiss Thomas planted on me brought him closer to my lips. He became more insistent and certain.
“I love you, Phoenix.” Thomas’s voice was so bold.
I placed my hands in Thomas’s thick hair and brought his face to mine. Eye to eye I spoke from my heart.
“Thomas Patrick Roberts, I love you too.” I kissed him tenderly. “Forever.”
Our passionate evening that should have been turned into the passionate afternoon that was.
Chapter 21
The Princess and the Hot Frog
“Thomas and Phoenix, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” Thomas sang into my ear as the plane took off that cool paradise morning on Guam. I rested my head on his shoulder and couldn’t get over the triumph I felt in my heart. After three glorious weeks with Thomas on Guam, I bid farewell once again to my family, my beloved father and my Rachel. It was like we were just coming home from a honeymoon.
Thomas completed his screenplay while on Guam, in between our many love making sessions and sight seeing for new photographs and tying up loose ends with my dad’s affairs. I even started my business plan for a customer evaluation company of my own. Angelica and Ty were still going strong and excited that we were finally coming home. Angelica signed on as my business partner, glad for the opportunity to be working in Oceanside closer to the Camp Pendleton Marine base, therefore nearer to Ty.
Throughout the flights we needed to finally get back to San Diego, Thomas was constantly holding my hand. Was he afraid that I was going to bolt again?
“Are you worried about anything?” I asked matter-of-factly, as we sipped coffee on our wait in Los Angeles.
“No. I was just wondering since we’re together forever, coordinating tats and all, if maybe we were going to take this to the next level.” Thomas stated tentatively. I wasn’t sure wh
at other level there could be. We branded each other after all. We made love enough times in these last few weeks to make up for the angst of the last six months.
“Pray tell, kind frog. What would the next level be?” He couldn’t be talking marriage. In my eyes, we were committed. We were soul mates. Marrying in church wasn’t a guarantee, Bradley and me as evidence.
“Let’s make it official on all levels.”
“What? Like wear each other’s blood in vials around our necks?” I joked. His face was stone serious. I conceded. “Tell me, Thomas. What can we do?”
“Marriage.” He stated it so confidently. He took my hands in his. Thomas knelt in front of me for all present to see. I closed my eyes. God, was this really happening? On a grand scale? It wasn’t the first time I was engaged, but it was the first time it was done with such emotion, where the spotlight was on me and not on the groom to be. Thomas removed his sweatshirt and revealed a cheesy tuxedo t-shirt. He winked at me and I welcomed his kitschy sense of humor.
Thomas was on bended knee smiling deliriously and I transformed into a shivering heap of sweaty awkwardness. Thomas looked at his watch then over his shoulder. On cue, my mom, Pharaoh and Rachel appeared from out of nowhere. I gasped and almost expected my dad to make an appearance. God, how I wish he was here to see this. How did they board the plane without me knowing it? Who paid for all those tickets?
“Thomas, what? Are you really doing what I think you’re doing?”
“No.”
I deflated. Thomas looked at his watch again. My mom kissed me. Pharaoh patted my head. Rachel squeezed me tight. Then I heard from the crowd, “We’re here! We’re here! Tom-Tom, we’re here!” Tamara and her husband, James with baby Cassidy asleep in her stroller emerged.
“Hi everyone,” I laughed through tears. “Thomas, okay. Now, really are you going to propose?”
“No.” He smiled.
God, I was confused. Was a minister going to emerge next to have us marry right here in the middle of LAX? That was so rock star, but not me. My mom’s tears as Pharaoh held her told me this was it. A proposal. Thomas looked at his watch again and gave a thumbs up to someone in the now growing crowd of on-lookers. Then, I saw them. Angelica and Ty, hand in hand, racing towards us. My Uncle Tony trotted behind them. His smile so large he looked like my father for a second. I buried my face in my hands. I heard Tamara on the loudspeaker.
“Hello LAX, I would like to take this opportunity to give my baby brother the floor.” Tamara’s voice cracked from emotion. “Phoenix and Thomas are sharing a special moment with you all. Tom-Tom, I’m so proud of you. Phoenix, your dad and our dad are shining down on this moment. Please, proceed.”
Our Jason Mraz song played from Tamara’s Ipod as she placed it near the PA mic. I looked at Thomas, or tried to through my never ending tears. God, I was going to look so puffy and disheveled, but hell, I didn’t care. Thomas kissed my hand, then placed his hand on his chest. Touching the unseen Phoenix there, I knew. His tears flowed too, but his voice was steady.
“Phoenix Rose Lee Lizama. Would you do me the honor of being my best friend for life. My soulmate. My wife. The mother of my children?”
James walked baby Cassidy to us. Her vibrant gray eyes matched her Uncle Thomas’s. She carried a little Hello Kitty gift bag and handed it to him. She hugged Thomas. The flock of supporters made a collective, “Awww.” Thomas pulled out a red velvet box. He ceremoniously opened the box and everyone went still.
I stopped breathing. The ring within was blazingly beautiful. It was a masterpiece, a twinkling platinum band embedded with a Celtic knot. Sparkling diamonds nestled in each knot. It was unreal, like it was forged by hobbits in a volcano. For a moment, my eyes flashed to Tamara who probably had a say in its radiant design. The knot matched her mother’s pendant. I smiled warmly at my new sister. Her body shook with emotion and when I gave her a thumbs up she laughed.
“Thomas Patrick Roberts, descendant of the Roberts Clan of Ireland…” I joked, even now, I joked—and the people around us giggled, but wanted my answer. I made a dramatic pause, then brought my hands to my chest. “Yes. Yes!” I said loudly for the benefit of my family and complete strangers. “Yes, I would be honored to be your wife and all that other wonderful stuff.” Needless to say we made an obscene display of affection.
In a flash, we stepped into the L.A. morning. Tamara and James had two vans waiting to take this newly formed wedding party down to Oceanside. The women and Thomas piled into one van and the men and the luggage were in the other.
“Thomas, you are amazing.” I pinched his arm. “Are you for real?” He beamed and raised my newly engaged hand into the light streaming through the window. He kissed my hand and hummed a beautiful melody in my ear as Rachel, Tamara, Angelica and mom debated wedding details.
I wasn’t sweating the particulars because I already had my prince. I leaned into my fiancé. “So what did you and my dad ‘talk’ about?” Thomas smiled my favorite smile.
“First, I introduced myself. Secondly, I told him that I loved you with all my heart. Thirdly, I asked for your hand in marriage. And finally, I explained to your dad that if I could get you to eat off my plate and sleep in my bed at least once, that you would become the princess I always knew you could be. My princess.”
I kissed my handsome prince and my fairy godmothers cheered. From that moment on, Princess Phoenix and Prince Thomas set out to rule the world together.
Table of Contents
Other Titles By Tanya Taimanglo
Copyright
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dedication
Chapter 1 Stand by Your Chieftain
Chapter 2 Meet my Friend, Gym
Chapter 3 Bag It and Blonde It
Chapter 4 My Fairy Spa Mother
Chapter 5 Becoming a Golden Girl
Chapter 6 Enter Sandman
Chapter 7 Hello, Kitty!
Chapter 8 Two Coffee Shops and A Boy
Chapter 9 Man and Ex-Wife
Chapter 10 Popeye, My Hero
Chapter 11 Karaoke Therapy
Chapter 12 Yes, I’m from Guam
Chapter 13 Our Two Dads
Chapter 14 Humid Homecoming
Chapter 15 If We Took a Holiday
Chapter 16 Funerals Suck
Chapter 17 A Phoenix is Forever
Chapter 18 He Loves Me, He Really Loves Me
Chapter 19 My Tongue is in a Celtic Knot
Chapter 20 We Have Lift Off!
Chapter 21 The Princess and the Hot Frog
Secret Shopper Page 24
