by Betty McLain
“I love you very much. I think I started falling in love with you as soon as I saw you on the train,” he whispered. “Say you love me, too.”
“I do. I love you, love you, love you,” she whispered back. Their lips met again. They clung to each other tenderly as if to seal the love they had for each other.
“I have loved you since I looked over and saw you sitting all by yourself on the train. It was all I could do to stop myself from coming right over and introducing myself,” Greg told her. “I was afraid I would frighten you.”
They had parted slightly, but he still had his arm about her. He looked deep into her eyes as he spoke. “We are meant to be together.”
“I know,” she said. “When I looked over and met your eyes it was if something flowed over me.” With a soft groan he pulled her close once more. Their lips met again with a fire that, when they pulled apart at last, they both were breathless, but happy. They stood, with arms around each other, with her head on his shoulder. They were both very happy.
“Dody,” said Greg, softly.
“Yes,” she said, just as softly.
“I love you. Will you marry me? Will you be my wife?” he asked.
Dody drew back and looked up at him. “I love you, too. I can not think of anything I want more than to be your wife. Yes, I will marry you.”
Greg gave a cry of joy and pulled her close once more. He rained kisses all over her face, eyes, and neck before once more settling on her mouth to kiss her with even greater passion than before. Dody met him kiss for kiss. She was as involved in their passion as Greg. As their kissing marathon ended, Dody snuggled into Greg’s arms. “I wish that we did not have to wait,” She whispered. “I want to be your wife, now. I do not want to have to wait for all of the planning that goes into a wedding. I do not want to take a chance on losing you.”
“You do not have to worry about that. I may never let you out of my sight again,” replied Greg. “We are in Nevada. Maybe we can be married tonight. I do not know. But, I can find out. Are you sure this is what you want?” He looked at Dody closely. “I do not want to rush you.”
“Oh yes, I am very sure. If it can be arranged, I want to be your wife as soon as possible,” she exclaimed.
“You are sure?” he asked. “This is what you want. You are very sure?”
“Yes, I am very sure,” she replied.
“All right, then,” he agreed smiling. “I will see what I can do.” He took her hand and led her back inside. The room had almost cleared while they were out on the patio. Greg looked at his watch. It was nearly one o’clock. Greg spotted Ron and Carolyn over by the punch bowl and started for them, pulling Dody along with him. Ron saw them and raised his hand in a salute.
“Hey,” he called. “I was just wondering if you had deserted the party.”
“No, we were just out on the patio,” answered Greg. He filled two glasses with punch and handed one to Dody. He then put his arm around her and pulled her close.
“Ron,” said Greg, softly. “Would you happen to know where Dody and I could get married?”
“Married?” repeated Ron stunned.
“Yes,” said Greg. “Do you know?”
“No, I don’t,” said Ron, after a pause. “But, maybe Carolyn does.” They all turned and looked at Carolyn. They waited expectantly for her answer.
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” she stammered. “I can take you to the place.” She seemed as stunned as Ron looked.
“Well, come on, let’s go,” said Greg
“What about the other guests?” asked Carolyn.
Greg looked around. There were only three guests left besides them. “Bring them along,” he said. He turned and smiled at Dody. He hugged her closer to his side as if he could not bear to not be in contact with her. She smiled back at him, happily.
Carolyn explained to the other guests. They were excited to be going to a wedding. They rushed off to get their coats. Everybody loved going to weddings. They all piled into two cars and started out, Carolyn leading the way. Ron sat in front with Carolyn and Greg and Dody sat in the back seat. When they were on their way, Greg pulled Dody close and kissed her, softly. Ron, turning and looking back saw that they were occupied, and turned back to the front. They checked three places before they found someone awake and open. At the third place there was a couple leaving as they pulled in. They went inside, where they were met by an elderly couple and ushered forward. Greg explained that they wanted to get married. The Justice of the Peace filled out their marriage license for them, asking them questions as he went along. They both signed their names, and then Ron and Carolyn signed as witnesses. They stood before the Justice of the Peace and said the words he told them to say, while looking in each others eyes. Greg slipped his class ring onto Dody’s finger, promising to get another as soon as possible, and they sealed their marriage with another kiss. They were congratulated. Greg paid the Justice of the Peace, then they all found themselves back outside. It had all been very fast and easy.
“Well,” said Ron. “Let’s go find a place where we can toast the bride and groom. I will buy the champagne.” They all piled back into the cars. Carolyn drove to a place she knew. Since it was so late, or rather early, the place was almost empty. They were shown to a large table. Ron ordered a bottle of champagne. The waiter poured drinks all around.
“Now,” Said Ron, raising his glass. “To a beautiful bride and handsome groom, who just so happens to be my best friend. May you have many years of happiness together?” The toast was seconded all around the table. Greg gave Dody’s hand a squeeze as they drank to their future.
“Now,” said Greg. “You all stay and celebrate. Dody and I will take a taxi back to the hotel.” As he spoke, both he and Dody rose from their chairs.
“You are not going to leave the party, are you?” protested Ron.
We have had enough partying. We will see you tomorrow.”
There was a chorus of goodbyes and good lucks as Greg and Dody made their way out. Outside, Greg hailed a taxi. They got inside and Greg gave the address of the Carolton hotel.
“Are you staying at the Carolton, too?” asked Dody.
“Yes, I am staying there. Are you staying there? Now, that is a silly question. I know you are going to be staying there, now.” Smiling, Greg pulled her close and kissed her. Dody kissed him back, then sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder. She snuggled as close to Greg as she could get.
“Were you registered at the Carolton?” asked Greg as he kissed her hair.
“What?” asked Dody, “Oh, the Carolton. Oh, yes, I am in room 307. Sue made the reservation for me.”
“307? That is strange. I am in 311.”
“That is nice,” said Dody vaguely. They got out of the taxi at the hotel. Greg paid the driver and they went inside. The lobby was deserted. They went straight to the elevator and pushed the button for the third floor. When they got off the elevator, Greg paused.
“Would you like to go to your room first to get anything?" he asked.
“I do not need anything or anyone but you and you are right here.”
He drew her close and kissed her. Then, drawing his key card from his pocket, he opened his door. He swung Dody up into his arms and carried her inside. Dody made a purring sound as she put her arms around Greg’s neck and held on tight. Greg eased her legs down to the floor, but did not release her lips. His hands were busy caressing her back and shoulders. Dody had busy hands, also. She had pulled Greg’s shirt out of his trousers and was running her hands up and down his back. She and Greg both got busy with buttons and snaps. Their clothes seemed to melt away. Soon, they were both able to rub bare skin against bare skin. Dody sighed. She never felt like this before in her life. She could not get enough of touching Greg everywhere. When she felt Greg start to enter her, she tensed, then she relaxed. This was Greg. Even, if it hurt a little, it would be all right. She felt Greg pause when he came to the barrier, then he was past it. He waited for her to adjust, but she was
impatient. She could not help moving. She wanted more of the wonderful sensations that she was feeling. They kept moving together. The tension built. Dody tossed her head from side to side. Greg sought her mouth and kissed her deeply as the feeling exploded in both of them. Greg rolled them onto their sides. He did not withdraw yet. Dody loved the feeling of closeness. She snuggled up close as she could get to Greg and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Greg withdrew from her and went to get a wet cloth to clean them up with. He brought the cloth back to the bed and gently washed Dody and himself. Dody never stirred. She was sound asleep. Greg picked up their clothes and neatly folded first Dody’s and then his and placed them in chairs. He then crawled back into the bed and pulled Dody close. She snuggled closer. He smiled as he closed his eyes and joined her in sleep.
Chapter 5
When Dody awoke the next morning, she was lying on her side facing the window. She lay very still, trying to get the room into focus. It swam round and round before it began to clear a bit and she could make out things better. She put her hand to her head and pushed her hair out of her face. She had a splitting headache. It felt as if the top of her head was going to explode. There was a small travel clock on the table next to her. It had ten thirty in the digital window. Her gaze traveled on until it came to rest on her clothes. They were piled on a chair. It was then she realized she had no clothes on. She must be in her hotel room, she decided. At least, it looked like her hotel room.
She closed her eyes and groaned softly. As she groaned, there was a movement as though someone was turning behind her, and an arm was placed over her. Dody froze in place. She was afraid to move. She was afraid of what she would find. Then, very slowly, she looked at the arm. The arm, where it lay across her, seemed to burn into her. She eased, very slowly out from under the arm. Then she very slowly looked over to see who the arm belonged to.
Dody stared in horror at the man in bed beside her. Her hand went to her throat. She felt as if she were choking. She could hardly catch her breath. “Oh. God,” She mumbled. At the sound of her voice, Greg shifted once more. Dody froze once more. Although he was lightly covered, she did not need the pile of men’s clothes, stacked in another chair, to tell her that he was without clothes, too.
Dody eased her legs to the floor and forced the rest of her body to slowly follow her legs out of the bed. She was very careful not to disturb Greg. She then snatched up her clothes and shoes, and ran quietly into the bathroom. Once inside, with the door locked, she leaned against the door, breathing hard for a minute. She then put her clothes on and straightened them as best she could. Her hands were shaking so bad, it was hard to do anything. Her head was still pounding so hard she could hardly see straight. She ran her fingers through her hair to try to straighten it a little and put on her shoes.
When she was finished, she opened the door a crack and peeped through. Greg was still sleeping. She opened the door further and tiptoed out, and toward the door. She spotted her purse on the table by the door and snatched it up. She noticed a key card lying beside it. When she looked at the card, it had 311--- Carolton Hotel printed on it. She eased open the door and looked at the number. Sure enough, it had 311 on it. She laid the card back on the table and gazed back at Greg for a minute. Then, with her eyes full of tears, she closed the door gently behind her.
Dody rushed down two doors to her room. After fumbling around in her purse, she found her key card and opened her door. She went in and made sure the door was locked. She stood there for a minute, her whole body trembling and tears streaming down her face. She stumbled over to the bed and fell across it. Sobs racked her body, as she cried long and hard. When she finally began to pull herself together, her first thought was, “I have to get out of here. If I have to face that man again, I will die.”
She grabbed her suitcase and began throwing things into it. Then noticing her appearance, she laid out a change of clothes. She changed quickly and finished packing.
She took her bag and went down to check out and retrieve Sue’s check. She did not relax until she was out of there and on the way to the train station. At least there, she did not think she would be running into Greg.
When the train began to move, Dody stared out of the window. She vaguely thought of eating but decided she needed to take some aspirin for her headache more. She did not think she would be able to swallow anything else. She searched in her purse and found a tin of aspirin. She quickly took two and laid her head back to let them work.
“Oh, how could I?” she thought. “How could I go to bed with a man I just met? I do not even know his last name. How will I be able to live with myself?” She felt tears threatening again, but she blinked them back. “Oh, how did I get there? I wish I could remember. How could I not remember going there and going to bed with him?”
While Dody was making her torturous journey home, back at the hotel, Greg was just waking up. He looked at the clock. It was nearly two o’clock. Then, he remembered Dody. He looked around for her. Her clothes were gone and the bathroom door was open. He smiled to himself. “She must have gone to her room to change,” he thought.
He rolled out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. He took a quick shower and shave. Greg glanced at the bed and saw something. It was his class ring. It had been too big and must have slipped from Dody’s finger while she was sleeping. “Oh, well,” he thought, “I was planning to get her a real ring today, anyway.” Greg slipped the ring on his finger. He then dressed and headed for Dody’s room. There was a maid coming out of the room. She had just closed the door when he went up and knocked. She turned to look at him. He looked so very handsome and happy.
“I beg your pardon, sir,” she said. Greg turned to look at her. “The young lady in 307 has checked out.” The smile faded from Greg’s face.
“Checked out?” He echoed blankly.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“When?” asked Greg.
“Why, this morning, sir. It was just before dinner. I was just cleaning the room.”
Greg stared at her for a minute, as if he did not see her. Then he turned and walked slowly back to his room. The maid looked after him.
“Such a nice young man,” she thought. She hoped he would not be too upset over his lady friend leaving.
Greg, when he got back to his room, went to the phone and called the desk.
“The young lady in 307 checked out this morning. Did she say why or where she was going?” he asked.
“No, sir,” answered the clerk. “All she said was she had a train to catch.”
“Thank you,” said Greg. He hung up and sat there thinking for a minute. On impulse, he started looking for a note. He was disappointed again, for there was nothing to be found. What he did find, though, was their marriage license, neatly folded on the dresser, where he left it the night before. He opened it up and read it. He started with surprise. The address that Dody had given was the same as his. He had given his parent’s new address. He folded the certificate thoughtfully and placed it in his inside pocket. He then went next door to wake Ron. He had to knock several times before Ron, sleepy and clad in pajamas, opened the door.
“What are you doing up so early?” asked Ron, falling back across the bed.
“It is not early. You might say I am a little late,” said Greg dryly.
“Where is Dody? Why aren’t you with your bride this morning, instead of waking up sleepy friends?” complained Ron.
“If I knew where she was, I would be with her,” said Greg quietly. He walked over to the window and was staring out.
Ron looked at Greg, puzzled. “What do you mean, if you knew where she was?” he asked.
Greg turned to face him. “I mean just what I said. When I got up she was gone. I checked her room. The maid told me she checked out. So, I called the front desk. He told me she checked out and she had a train to catch.” Greg continued to look at Ron, but it was as if he was looking through him.
Ron lay back on the bed
, stunned. “Well, I’ll be,” he said.
Greg grimaced. “Yea, I know.”
Ron was out of the bed with a bound. He began to pace back and forth. “Did you look and see if she left a note?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes, I looked,” said Greg.
“There was not any?” Greg shook his head. “Why would she run away that way, without leaving a note or anything?” asked Ron, looking puzzled.
“I have been asking myself that same question,” said Greg.
Ron was silent for a minute while he studied his friend. “Do you have any idea where she might have gone?” he asked at last.
“No, but her home address is on the marriage license. I thought I might look for her there. It happens to be nearly the same as my parent’s new address. The box number is just a couple of digits off.”
“So, you are going to try to find her.”
“Yes, I have to,” replied Greg.
“Yes, I guess you do,” agreed Ron after a pause.
Both men were silent for a few minutes longer, thinking. “Well,” said Ron, “give me thirty minutes to change and throw my things together and we will see what we can turn up.”
“You do not have to come with me,” said Greg.
“I want to,” said Ron simply.
“Thanks,” said Greg.
Ron laid his hand on his friend’s shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. “Take it easy, Greg, we will find her.”
“Sure,” agreed Greg, managing a weak smile. He then left to go back to his room to pack. The two of them met at the elevator and went down to the lobby together to check out. They caught the four thirty train for home.
