Don't Tell the Moon

by LILY TEEGARDIN

  “It’s a long story that will be better told over wine and a nice fire. It will keep,” she said, patting his knee.

  “Good. I’m much more anxious to start our own stories tonight,” he said, kissing her cheek as the limo pulled into a large, winding drive and stopped.

  “Matisse?” Sara stared out the window remembering her dinner with Stuart over a year ago, the same evening Alex had first made love to her.

  “Yes. I want your memory of that night to be only of me,” he said, his eyes twinkling in amusement. “This is my one selfish pleasure.”

  “Mm, believe me, that is one night that will stay in my memory forever, and not because of the lobster bisque.”

  “Don’t bring up lobster, please,” he laughed, reaching for her hand to help her out of the car.

  As they entered the luxurious dining room, Sara was slightly taken aback.

  “It looks… different…” She stared around the large establishment. “Where are all the people?”

  “Mr. Fleming, Miss Evans. Welcome.” The smiling Maitre De gave a short bow and led them to the center of the room where a single table was set with sparkling china and silver.

  As she sat in the chair that was pulled out for her, the lights dimmed, and hundreds of candles suddenly glowed around her, surrounding them in a shimmering circle.

  The intake of her breath made him smile and he reached for her hand.

  “I couldn’t bear to share this moment with a room full of strangers.”

  “You… you mean we’re alone?”

  “Not exactly.” He raised his hand.

  Music started to play, and amongst the candlelight she saw several violinists in black tuxedos, smiling and nodding as their bows stroked the air.

  “Alex,” she whispered. “This must have cost you a fortune.”

  He grinned with a shrug. “Why not? I made a killing in those poker games.”

  “That was the most extraordinary meal I’ve ever eaten,” she sighed, putting down her spoon.

  “I think we both worked up an appetite this afternoon.” He gave her a wink and was surprised to see her redden. “Oh my, the lady blushes.”

  “You caught me reading your mind.” She exhaled, her cheeks pink and warm.

  “If that’s the case, your face would be much redder than it is now.” He chuckled, taking her hand and kissing her finger tips.

  “This was one of the best days of my life,” she spoke softly.

  “What would make it better?”

  “I can’t imagine - maybe never having to wake up from this dream.” Her eyes filled suddenly with tears, moved with emotion.

  “If it still feels like a dream, perhaps you need something solid and tangible to hold on to. Dreams are really only smoke and mirrors.”

  “How about it if I just hold on to you? Will you be my rock?” She curled her fingers around his.

  “But there are times when I’m not with you. Perhaps you need another rock to remind you of me.”

  He reached in his pocket and taking her hand, slipped the ring on her finger. “Will you accept this as my promise that I will always be with you, even in those moments when we aren’t together?”

  “I sure hope you’re going to kiss me right now,” she said, tears spilling over onto her cheeks.

  And he did.

  As they started to leave the building, Alex turned, as if having second thoughts.

  “You know, we’ve never had a dance. I hear that there is a fine dance floor on the second story.”

  “Yes, that would be fun, but there are no other patrons here tonight. I don’t think you have enough poker earnings left to hire an orchestra just for one dance.” She pulled him back to her in laughter.

  “Perhaps I can convince the musicians with the violins to go up there with us. I’m certain I’ve paid them through the night,” he said, holding his arms up in the air. “I believe I’m entitled to one dance.”

  “Alright,” she agreed, the lovely tunes still ringing in her ears. “I will take any excuse to be in your arms.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said.

  As they entered the quiet lounge, empty but for a janitor sweeping the dance floor, he took her in his arms and swayed her gently.

  “There’s no music,” she giggled.

  “I’ll sing,” he said, shrugging, and hummed into her ear.

  “The Way You Look Tonight!” She wrapped herself tightly into him, the glow of her cheeks outshining the few dim lights in the room. “Alex, that’s always been my favorite song, but I’m sure I never told you that. How did you know?”

  “A little birdie told me.” He continued humming, and suddenly there was music as well. The violinists had joined them and were on the stage, and now there was also a piano player, and a drummer.

  “What little birdie?” she asked, as the song ended.

  “That one.” He pointed, and Sara saw a figure in the dark approaching her.

  “Beth!” She gasped, as her best friend came closer, followed now by the other girls from their Friday night Alex Club, mouths agape at the sight of their matinee idol.

  Sara screamed in delight, as did the others, and soon they were all wrapped together in a bundle of hugs.

  More faces suddenly appeared out of darkened corners, joining them.

  “Stuart and Bridget!” She waved her hand furiously in excitement. “And Emily, and Liam… and Ian!”

  Neighbors and friends were coming out of the woodwork, all wearing beaming smiles.

  “Colin!”

  “Wouldn’t have missed this for the world, although you’re definitely with the wrong bloke,” he grinned, a drink in his hand.

  For the first time Sara noticed that the bar in the corner was now open and fully operational. Waiters in white jackets were bringing in trays of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, passing them around to the ever increasing numbers of people.

  “Alex, what have you done? How on earth did you manage all of this?”

  “I had a bit of help from Stuart - and from this one as well, especially with the balloons.” He turned her around in time to see Myrtle approaching, clad in an outrageously garish, orange gown.

  “Myrtle!” Sara hugged her. “You look simply splendid!”

  The stout woman reddened at the compliment. “Now I wouldn’t be coming to your special party wearing just any old thing, would I?” She took a few steps back and pulled on the arm of a very short, bald man, who had been entirely hidden behind her body. “This is my Harold. Say hello sweetheart. This is the lady I’ve told you so much about.” She nudged him with an elbow.

  “How do,” he spoke barely above a whisper, his eyes on his shoes.

  “Harold, why don’t you and I go to the bar and find a drink? I’m just a bit dry.” Alex clapped him on the back as Harold eagerly fell in step.

  “Ah, that’s a good man you’ve got there, Miss Sara,” Myrtle chortled. “I couldn’t have picked better myself. I mean, if I didn’t have my Harold.”

  “I think you did very well.” Sara’s dimples deepened as she stared at the amazing life that was around her - their life.

  “You’re looking quite relaxed tonight.” Ian’s voice came to her from over her shoulder. “Could it be because the old goat finally found his way home?”

  “Ian, come and talk to me,” she whispered, taking him by the elbow and leading him to a quiet corner.

  Most of the guests had now found seats at the tables or the bar, a few partnered up on the dance floor.

  “What is this I hear about Alex needing to attend a twelve step program for his addictions?” she said, glaring into his face. “Did we go a little overboard with the plot?”

  “I plead innocence,” he cried, his hands in the air. “I might have mentioned a small problem with gambling, but she was the one who…”

  “Ian,” she said, trying to appear stern and failing miserably, “Alex doesn’t gamble. You’re the one with your ear to the phone every other night when the ponies are r
unning. Alex doesn’t know a mare from a stallion. Were you perhaps projecting a bit?”

  “Sara, I needed something. She wasn’t going to let him go to another woman. She needed something to help her save face, so I threw in the least damaging thing I could think of.” He now looked a bit pained.

  “Well, it was brilliant!” She laughed, deciding to stop teasing him. “Are you kidding? Did you really think that I was angry with you? Have I been away so long that you’ve forgotten how I love to put you on?”

  “I did wonder for a second. I thought perhaps you had heard…” his expression was sheepish.

  “Heard what?”

  “Well, er, Sophia seems to be quite smitten with me.”

  “Oh no — Ian, I never meant for you to get into any difficulties on my account.”

  “Well, the truth is, I don’t really seem to mind it. She is spoiled and needy, yes, but you know me. I’m a spoiler at heart.”

  “Well, that is an understatement, for certain. But Ian, are you sure?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing serious. We have a lot of fun together and the sex is…”

  “Too much information, Ian!” she shouted over the rhythm of the music.

  “I was just worried that my dating Sophia would put a wedge between us. When I received the invitation to this soiree, I sweated telling you about it.” His eyes searched out hers.

  “Oh my darling, nothing will ever keep me from loving you,” she answered, kissing his cheek.

  “Well, this figures.” The rich tones of Alex’s voice interrupted their conversation.“The other man in my girl’s life is back. Well, nothing for it. I may as well get used to it. Just don’t make me attend those dreadful amateur videos that he insists on starring in, Sara.” The smile on his face accompanied his outstretched hand. “Something tells me that I owe you, Donnelly, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.”

  “Alex,” Ian said, shaking his hand and returning the smile, suppressing the urge to counter with his own quip. “Congratulations are due, and it’s about time.”

  “You’re telling me.” Alex rolled his eyes and took Sara by the elbow. “If you’ll excuse me, Ian, I have something I must do, and Sara has to be by my side.”

  Walking with her to the stage, he motioned for the orchestra to finish their song, then took the accepted microphone from the singer.

  “Can I have your attention?”

  There were numerous cheers and some cat-calls from the rowdier of their friends.

  “I have asked you all here this evening to be my witnesses,” he said, raising his arms to still the noise and the continuing chatter.

  His velvet voice seemed to cast a spell, and a silence fell over the room.

  “There are some false reports going around this town. I want to set the record perfectly straight, and the best way I can think to do it is in the company of our closest and dearest friends and family.”

  With a brief theatrical grimace, he lowered himself to one knee and took her hand.

  “Sara Evans,” he began, his eyes looking up into hers. “You are not only the love of my life… you are my life.”

  A murmur or two came from the room as the attendees now became aware of the significance of the moment.

  She nodded at him, his words reflecting her own thoughts.

  “Sara, will you marry me?” he whispered, his face abruptly gone bright red, as if suddenly not certain as to how she might respond.

  She let a full minute go by, measuring her breaths, wondering how she might truly erase any uncertainty in his mind.

  “Um, I don’t know,” she said, and heard a gasp from the back of the room.

  His eyes held a glint of panic.

  “Are you willing to share your cheesecake?” she said, her own twinkling.

  A grin spread across his wide and full mouth. He hung his head in a dramatic and exaggerated angle, his own pause worthy of Shakespeare.

  “I suppose you want the bigger piece,” he finally spoke, sighing.

  “No.” Sara removed her very high heels, her height now almost even with his kneeling posture. “I’ll share it with you equally, Alex Fleming. For the rest of my life.”

  She stepped in close to him and kissed his warm lips.

  “And yes,” she said, as the kiss ended. “I will marry you.”

  Applause broke the silence, sobs and sniffs coming from much of the female side of the audience.

  When he finally pulled her into his arms and went for a deeper kiss - a proper snog, his school mates had once termed it - the cat-calls began again from the male population.

  “Go ahead, go ahead.” He nodded to the crowd, taking Sara by the hand and rising. “That is another reason I have gathered you all here tonight,” he said, grinning broadly. “To tell you that I don’t want to see any of your faces on my doorstep for at least three months. Sara and I will not be answering the doorbell.”

  Laughter rippled throughout the room.

  “What about your underwear, Mr. Fleming?” Myrtle called from the side. “Won’t you need someone to do your laundry?”

  “He won’t be wearing any,” Colin shouted, reducing the crowd once again to gales of laughter.

  Alex squinted into the room and pointed a finger at Colin. “Good point!”

  Giggles and guffaws followed on the heels of his comment.

  Sara took the microphone from his hand.

  “I just want to thank you all for the part you have taken in our lives to finally bring us together.” She blew a kiss to them, tears streaming down her face.

  “Well said,” Ian cried out, wiping his own cheek.

  The applause was deafening.

  “So what do you think?” he murmured in her ear, moonlight playing on his shoulder. “Was it a good surprise?”

  “It was the most incredible time of my life,” she said, stroking his arm. “I don’t think even the presence of Elton and an elephant from India would have shocked me.”

  “He was invited, you know,” Alex whispered. “Couldn’t come - previous engagement. Stuart even suggested an elephant in his place, but the manager of Matisse put his foot down,” he laughed.

  “How did you round up my friends?” she asked with a wide eyed blink. “I feel a bit guilty, though. I didn’t get to spend much time at all with them.”

  “A bit of sleuthing; I needed something to occupy my time while I was avoiding Sophia. I set Stuart on it, and being the all-knowing producer, he had that information in no time. But not to worry, they are pleasantly ensconced at the Ritz Hotel in the city, and you will have ample time to visit with them before they have to return.”

  “Did you get to meet them?” she asked.

  “Only Beth. And what is this about her wanting to accompany me to my next haircut?”

  Sara giggled. “You don’t want to know.”

  “I do. I want to know everything about you. I want to see all your little girl pictures. I want to meet your widowed father. I want to fly to America and lord my stardom over all of your past boyfriends,” he said, pulling her close to him. “Yes, now you know. Your great movie idol is very often insecure and possessive and selfish. Do you think that you can live with that?”

  “I’m not entirely selfless,” she said,

  “You? You are the most generous and giving person I know. Almost to a fault,” he grinned.

  “Not really,” she hooded her eyes.

  “Do you have something to tell me?” His fingers raised her chin.

  “You know that cheese cake that you had in the freezer?”

  “What? The one I was saving for a midnight snack?”

  “Um, well, you might want to rethink that.” She swallowed hard, with mock guilt.

  “Wait just a minute. You ate the whole thing? I thought you promised before witnesses that we would always share the cheesecake.”

  “Oh, well, that was a metaphorical cheesecake, Alex. You didn’t really think that I was talking about the real stuff.”

  “So
you’re telling me now that you snuck into my freezer and pilfered my cheesecake?” He glared at her.

  But I baked you something special, instead,” she said, snuggling up next to him.

  “Special? I’m guessing the chocolate brownies – the ones with the nuts and the icing? In that case, I might forgive you.”

  “Nope, not brownies,” she said, scratching her nose. “Something much better.”

  “Don’t keep me in suspense, woman. My mouth is watering.”

  “It’s your favorite thing in the world, Alex. Steak and kidney pie!”

  “I, um, uh, well, um… “

  “Ah. You must be speaking proper Eeeenglish. Don’t understand a word of it, I’m afraid,” she tittered.

  He slid his hands under the sheet, inserted his fingers into her ribs, and tickled.

  “Alright, alright, uncle, uncle, uncle!” she shouted.

  “Well, you’re not off the hook. I was really looking forward to that cheese cake.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t suppose you have anything to offer in trade?”

  “I might,” she whispered, running her hand along the silky down of his navel. “Come closer… “

  And he did.

  “Oh dear,” Myrtle muttered.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Sara had just finished making her bed and was entering the kitchen, ready for her first cup of coffee. Alex had long since left for his office, hoping to finish his work early.

  “You’ve made the news,” Myrtle said starkly. The normally cheerful housekeeper sat with her head bowed over the folded paper in front of her, her mouth turned down in a deep frown.

  “Hm. I’m surprised. It’s been two weeks since the engagement party and not one word. I was beginning to hope that we would just be ignored.” She took a cup from the cupboard and filled it to the rim. “Read it to me, Myrtle, please. If I don’t actually see it in print, it might not exist,” she chuckled, her mood still light, despite the other woman’s sinister tone.

  “Oh, it exists, alright, and the mister is going to be having a fit over it, if he hasn’t seen it already in his office. It will serve them right if he goes after the blighters and tells them all to bugger off. He can be fierce when he’s in a mood.”

  “Oh dear, that bad?” Her forehead crinkled as she slumped into a chair across from Myrtle. “Well, go ahead, then.”