I caught his gaze. He gave me a look of complete shock, confusion, and surprise, all mixed together. His mouth was opening…it seemed like it was doing so in slow motion.
Cambridge tried to laugh it off. I saw his big belly heaving as he laughed. “Just a little misunderstanding,” he said, chuckling loudly so that everyone could hear them.
The ceremony leader looked confused. “Should I continue?” he said, seeming to mouth the words with a gurgle-like taste to them.
“Of course,” said Cambridge.
With the slow motion effects of my emotions, I felt like I saw Cambridge for who he really was. I saw deep inside him, past this outer shell of gold watches and fancy clothes, although I suppose that was all wrapped up in who he was…everything we do is who we are, in a sense. I saw that Cambridge Whitehead didn’t give a shit about Colton, and didn’t give a piss about me…he just wanted his money. This was just an investment to him, and he was just doing what he could to protect his investment.
“Keep going,” said Cambridge, growing perhaps a little frantic, although trying to appear calm. But his slightly rising voice gave him away a little. “Keep going,” he said again, waving his hands, and practically shouting at the ceremony man.
“Very well. Where was I…. Yes, you may then kiss the bride…No, sorry, that’s a bit later on…Where was I…”
“Stop!” I cried.
I made my move.
All the eyes were on me.
Everyone had turned around in their seats. Everyone was staring at me. I saw their expressions grow to confusion in slow motion…But who cared? Half of them were actually paid actors…out of work never-been and never-would-be actors who were just struggling along, trying to gain a foothold in a notoriously difficult industry. No doubt they were all hoping that one day Cambridge would represent them, and arrange a fake ceremony for them.
My rage grew. I hated their falsehoods, their pretensions, the absolute phoniness of the whole thing, of everyone here.
I was even mad at Colton. I knew I loved him. But how could he do this to me?
I saw a big ceramic pot, in which a plant grew. I jumped up on it in a single leap. Now I was a coupe heads above everyone else. The branches from the potted plant were tearing at my dress, but I didn’t care.
“Katy,” said Sara in a loud, hissing whisper. “What the hell are you doing, Katy?” I knew she was just looking out for me, or trying to, but nevertheless I took my small clasp purse and threw it at her.
“This is an abomination,” I cried. The words came pouring out of me, full of fury and anger. “This is nothing but a huge lie! The bride and groom barely know each other.”
“Ain’t nothing wrong with that,” said Cambridge, still trying to laugh the whole thing off. “Hell, that’s the way I got married, right? Never did me any harm.”
A couple people laughed along with him.
“Yes,” said another man in the audience. I wasn’t sure where Cambridge had dredged him up from… But to me he was just pond scum, mere algae, whether he was a paid actor or just here for the free food and drinks. “Isn’t that right honey?” He nudged the woman next to him, who looked uncomfortable, and didn’t say anything. I didn’t even know if they knew each other, let alone whether they were married.
But it didn’t matter.
“This whole thing,” my voice taking on a pedantic tone. I sounded impossibly loud to myself, as if I was speaking into a megaphone. “This is just a sham. It was set up by Cambridge Whitehead, the agent of my boyfriend, Colton. Colton is only doing this for the money and the fame. These two…Colton and this cute young country singer…they have never even been on date. This is an arranged marriage of the worst kind. It was set up not by their parents, but their agents. It is going to be dissolved in a month, and it serves no purpose other than to boost both of their careers, and to gain traction in the tabloid papers.”
I held my breath, pausing for a moment, waiting to see what the reaction would be.
I could now tell exactly who the paid actors were and who the poor saps were who had been dragged into this thing, thinking it was a real marriage.
Half the audience didn’t react at all. They were just wondering whether they would still be paid or not.
The other half of the audience let their jaws drop. Evidently they had no inkling of what this ceremony really was…
Colton looked on with his mouth open. He was staring at me. I couldn’t read the expression on his face. But I didn’t care. Whatever sympathy I had felt for him had vanished… I felt nothing but rage for him now. How could he go through this, when he knew I loved him so much? At that moment, I wanted nothing more to do with him… What kind of man would do this to his woman? What kind of man would have the love of his life plan his own marriage to another woman?
I caught the country singer Sheila’s gaze. She wore the fury on her face clearly. Her expression said one other thing, aside from anger and that was: vengeance. I knew then and there she was going to try her hardest to get vengeance, through whatever means necessary.
“I…” I started to say… But the words didn’t come out. Tears began flooding down my face. My anger was now mixed with sadness. A horrible sadness, a depression that seemed to corrode my very soul.
I turned, to make my descent from the ceramic pot. But the potted plant got caught on my dress, and as I descended, I tripped and fell…
My dress tore. It tore all the way up to my waist, a huge slit in the beautiful elegant dress that I often wore to fancy weddings.
“Katy!” said Sara, reaching out trying to catch me.
But she didn’t make it.
I fell onto the hard ground. My knee scraped on a stone.
The whole place was completely silent, except for my sobs and my tears.
I got up quickly, before Sara could reach me.
I sprinted away, into the building.
I didn’t know where to go. My dress was torn and bloodied from my scraped knee.
I found myself in the women’s bathroom. I didn’t want to look at myself in the mirror, but it was right there in front of me…a huge mirror, showing me exactly as I was.
There had never been a moment in my life more than now where I didn’t want to see myself.
But I had no choice. I saw myself clearly in the mirror, head on, so to speak.
I looked horrible. My face was a mess of makeup and tears. My elegant dress was torn. There was more blood on it than I’d thought. I looked like a lunatic.
I was still sobbing.
I heard the door open.
I dashed into a stall, slamming the door behind me, and locking it.
The sounds of someone breathing were right outside the stall. I was growing nervous… who was it? What were they going to say to me? Was it Colton?
I felt many things at the same time. I was enraged at Colton…but I also didn’t want him to see me like this… But then again, what did I care? I knew I didn’t want to have anything to do with him any more.
“Sara?” I said, between sobs. I was hoping against all hope that it was Sara on that other side of the stall door.
“It’s me, Sheila,” said Sheila, the young country singer’s voice. It sounded nasty and nasally, entirely unpleasant. I knew right then and there that while maybe she was a country singer by profession, she was an actor at heart. Whatever nice demeanor she wore for others, she completely dropped it now for me. While I couldn’t see her face, I could hear the falseness falling away from her voice. She was speaking to me from her true self, and it wasn’t pretty.
“What do you want?” I said, sobbing.
“I want to let you know,” said Sheila, her voice unapologetically nasty and hard…She wasn’t here to comfort me. She was here because I was weak and vulnerable, because she wanted to strike me when I was already down, when I was already wounded. “I want to let you know that you cant’ stop me. I’m going to have Colton, one way or the other. Do you think this little stunt you pulled is going
to have any effect? If anything, the papers will just write that you were a crazy fan of Colton’s and wanted him for yourself. Colton’s furious with you, you know. I saw it in his face after you ran away. You think he’s going to want to have anything to do with you, now that you’ve ruined his fake wedding? It may have been a fake wedding at first but we’re going to continue with the ceremony after a twenty-minute break. And then, I can assure you, that’s it’s going to be a real marriage. You only succeeded in pushing Colton closer to me. Don’t you see that, Katy?”
I sobbed. I couldn’t say anything. She was probably right. I wouldn’t be surprised if Colton hated me now…. Not that I cared… But I knew I did. I knew I still loved Colton more than ever…even if I was mad at him…. I didn’t know what to think. I was confused, and Sheila’s words were only making me more confused, making me cry harder.
“You know I’ve wanted this for a long time,” said Sheila. “And that’s one of the advantages of being a hot young country singer…. I can get the men I want. Don’t worry, Katy, I’m quite the seductress. After tonight, Colton won’t stand a chance against my advances. And I know you recognized me from that night at the country bar. What you don’t know is that when you were in the bathroom having your way with Colton…. What you don’t know is that that was me, coming into the bathroom, to redo my makeup. Yes, that was me. I heard the whole thing. I heard Colton groaning as you had your way with him… But what I want you to know Katy, is that I can do so much more than that to him… I’ll make him experience pleasure he never thought possible. Did you really think you had a chance against me? Didn’t you take a look at me? My friends may have to wear corsets, but I sure don’t. Why do you think I’m famous? I may be able to sing but it’s my body that sells records. All the men in America want me, and Colton’s no different. He’s a red blooded cowboy like the rest. And I can give him what he wants.”
I couldn’t take any more of it.
I pushed against the bathroom door.
It burst open, smacking Sheila in her pretty young face. “Ouch,” she said, falling backward onto the bathroom floor, her wedding dress flying up around her face, revealing her tan young muscular legs and thighs. I saw that she wasn’t wearing any underwear, revealing a very pretty vagina that was far too cute…with no hair, completely shaved. The thought of Colton entering it made me cry harder.
I ran from the bathroom. I think I stepped on Sheila’s face or hair as I ran away.
I ran and ran, far away from the wedding…
I was dashing through the streets, crying. I was a mess. People were staring at me, because of the blood, because of my torn dress, because of my tears. But no one stopped to help me.
I was alone.
Completely alone.
29. COLTON
Colton was running frantically around. He was looking for Katy. He didn’t think she could be far. But he had checked all the rooms. The last place to look was the bathroom.
“Have you seen Katy?” cried a woman, who he didn’t recognize. “I’m Sara, her friend,” said the woman. She looked completely frantic, but not as frantic as Colton.
Colton didn’t have time to answer.
He dashed towards the bathroom, his cowboy boots clapping heavily against the floor. He was running so fast he had to hold onto his new cowboy hat. It may have been a fancy hat, but it didn’t fit his head nearly as good as his trusty old hat…but Katy had that one. She’d kept it as a souvenir after his injury.
Something caught his eye.
It was a flash of grey. It looked like cloth as it whipped around the corner of the main building. Was it Katy? Was it her dress?
Colton didn’t know. He had to make a snap decision.
He made the wrong one.
Instead of following the grey dress around the corner, he dashed into the bathroom.
“Katy!” he said.
“She’s gone,” said Sheila.
“Sheila! What happened to you?”
He looked down to see Sheila on the floor, looking horrible.
“Are you OK?” said Colton.
“No,” said Sheila, making her voice as sweet and pleading as possible. She really was a master actress, a master deceiver and manipulator. “I need your help baby.”
But Colton saw right through her act.
He didn’t know how he knew, but it was as if Katy was telling him what was really going on….
Colton didn’t even need to make a decision. He didn’t even need to choose between Sheila and Katy. He knew right then and there, looking at Sheila on the floor, that it was Katy he loved. It was Katy he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. If Katy didn’t want him to have this fake marriage, to Sheila, then that was it, he wouldn’t have it. His mind was made up, and nothing could convince him otherwise.
“Where’s Katy?” said Colton, a commanding tone taking over his voice.
“Stay with me, baby,” said Sheila. “Please, I need you. I’m hurt. And Colton, I can make you so happy. Stay with me and I’ll make you happier than you ever have been. I’ll make you feel good, Colton, really good.”
As Sheila said this, she spread her legs wide open. Her dress was still pulled up around her, from the fall. She positioned herself so that she could be sure that Colton could see everything, everything laid bare.
“Where’s Katy?” said Colton, immune to the temptation, his voice growing harsher. “What have you done with Katy?”
“She’s gone,” said Sheila, her sweet and pleading tones dropping away. She now sounded vicious, revealing her true self to Colton. “You’ll never have me now, Colton,” she said.
“Good,” said Colton, turning and leaving her lying on the bathroom floor. He rushed out of the bathroom, the door swinging wildly. He knew that Sheila wasn’t in any real danger. His years in the rodeo had given him a sixth sense when it came to judging the gravity of injuries. He knew there was nothing really wrong with Sheila. The person he was worried about was Katy.
“Colton,” said someone, blocking his path.
“What?” said Colton, full of adrenaline, not really yet registering on who was speaking to him.
“Where are you going, Colton? We still have the wedding ceremony. You look like you’re rushing out of here.” Of course, it was Cambridge Whitehead, looking dapper in his wedding clothes. He was even wearing extra jewelry for the occasion.
“I’m going to find Katy,” said Colton.
“Colton, let me give you a friendly piece of advice.” Cambridge was speaking slowly, drawing out his words. Colton was practically jumping in place. He didn’t have time for this. He just needed to find Katy. “Forget about that girl, Colton. There’s plenty more where she came form.”
“She’s special,” said Colton, abruptly. He didn’t want to have to waste any more time than he had to, but Cambridge Whitehead was a big, imposing man, with wide shoulders. He was blocking Colton’s’ path.
“Let me through,” said Colton.
“Colton, if you leave here now, then I’m afraid I can’t keep working with you. What I would advise you to do is to march yourself back up there and say your vows. This is the big change you’ve been waiting for. If you don’t take it now, there’s nothing more I can do for you. I can’t work with such impulsive and irrational clients. If you leave now, you go back to being a rodeo star for the rest of your life. You might be the best rodeo star there ever was, but I can promise you no one will ever know your name again, Colton. I’m a powerful man, Colton, and I’ll make it my job to make sure your name never sees the light of day. You could be the best rodeo champion for twenty years running and that’s all you’ll be…nothing more. No one will ever no your name. You’ll never be a celebrity. You’ll be just another nobody until you get trampled some day by an overly vigorous bull…”
“Fine,” said Colton. His mind was already made up. He didn’t even need to think about it for a second. “Get out of my way. I need to find Katy.”
“Colton, I’m warning you…�
�
But Colton had already had enough.
Putting his right shoulder down, he charged at Cambridge. It was an old football maneuver he had learned in high school pick up games. And it worked. Cambridge practically went flying. He was a big, heavy man, but he was no match for Colton’s power, force and speed.
Colton bolted past him, not even bothering to look behind him.
He had already looked everywhere on the property.
An idea flashed in his head. That grey fabric he had seen disappear around the corner…that had been Katy. Why hadn’t he realized it before? He knew she had been wearing a grey dress…
If that had been Katy, then it meant that Katy was off the property, running…
Colton ran to the parking lot. His truck was still there, with the Triumph motorcycle on the back.
Katy didn’t have her own car here. She must have left by foot.
Colton would find her…but he needed a vehicle.
He got into his old beat up truck, slamming the door behind him.
He jammed his foot down on the clutch, and turned the key in the ignition. He was still in the habit of leaving the keys in the ignition, no matter where he was. The only key he took with him was the key to his Triumph…
The engine whined. It didn’t sound right.
Shit, though Colton. The truck wasn’t starting.
Colton cursed and banged his fist into the dashboard.
He jumped back out of the truck, and looked around wildly. The first thing that popped into his head, was the Triumph motorcycle. But he remembered how much Katy had hated riding on it.
No, thought Colton, he couldn’t take the bike.
“Hey Colton, what’s going on with the wedding? They sent me out to see if you’re still here…” It was one of Colton’s buddies from the rodeo practice ground. Colton had convinced him to come along with the promise of free food, booze, and the possibility of getting lucky with one of the female guests.
Colton didn’t say anything at first. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to find Katy. That was all that was on his mind. But he also needed a ride.
Wild Ride: A Bad Boy Romance Page 15
