by Geri Watson
He unwillingly took the phone from her hand and hit the send button before holding it up to his ear. It rang several times before Mrs. Levine answered.
"Hello?" she questioned.
"Hi, Mrs. Levine. It's Tristan," he specified.
"Now Tristan, I told you to call me Kathy," she responded.
"Sorry," he said softly. "I was wondering if Captain Levine was available?"
"Sure sweetie, let me go get him," she responded. He could hear the phone set down as she went to retrieve the Captain. There was some rustling a minute later, and then his voice boomed through the phone.
"Tristan, my boy! How is everything out there?"
"Just fine, sir. Classes are going well." He stood up and started walking around the room to soothe his nerves.
"That's great to hear. Things still working out for you and my little girl?" he asked cheerfully.
"Definitely. Actually....that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Tristan felt his cheeks getting hot and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oh? Well go ahead then," he stated curiously.
Tristan inhaled deeply through his nose and looked up at the ceiling, then closed his eyes. "I wanted your permission to ask Star to marry me."
There was dead silence on the line, and Tristan wondered if he'd been hung up on or if the Captain had dropped the phone. There was a pit the size of a cannonball in his stomach, and he felt nauseated the more prolonged the silence. "Hello?" he asked timidly, not being able to handle it anymore.
"Sorry Tristan, I wasn't ready for something like that," his stern voice returned.
"Does that mean no?" Tristan's face fell.
"Did I say that, son?" Captain Levine retaliated.
"Well, no... but..."
"Did you already ask her?" he interrupted.
"I..."
"Be honest with me, Tristan," her father cut him off again.
Tristan dropped his head and stared at the floor. His entire face had turned red, and he swallowed. "Yes, sir," he whispered.
"Did she cry?" he laughed.
"What?" Tristan's head snapped up in surprise.
"I said...did she cry? I bet the ring you picked out is a looker too." his laughter increased.
"B-but...you're not mad?" he stammered.
"Son. The way you were with my daughter over Christmas, I knew it was just a matter of time before you'd ask. I knew she'd say yes, too. Of course, you have my blessing. The only thing I ask is that you wait until you kids can settle down before you have the wedding," her father requested.
Tristan's jaw dropped. "Well yes. That was the plan, sir. We want to be responsible about it, of course." He looked over at Star wide-eyed.
"Good for you. Would you mind if I spoke to my daughter so I can congratulate her?" Captain Levine asked, his voice still light.
"Sure. Thank you, Captain," he smiled.
"You're welcome, Tristan."
He handed the phone to Star and walked over to the couch in the sunroom. Once he collapsed onto it, he covered his face with his hands and took a shaky breath. He felt Zack come over and sit down next to him. "Oh God, was that excruciating." he moaned into his hands. He felt Zack's silent laughter shaking the couch.
"That was so awesome to watch." Zack blurted out. "You were such a nervous wreck!" Tristan shoved him off of the couch and onto the floor. Zack continued laughing like an idiot, holding his sides and wiping at his eyes as tears formed.
Tristan stood up and looked down at Zack. "Tell Star I'll be back in a little bit alright? I need to go somewhere." He walked off before Zack could compose himself enough to ask where he was going.
-
The pediatric cardiac ward was busy as usual when Tristan arrived. He talked to the lady sitting at the nurses’ station and asked her to page Art for him. She smiled sweetly and told him, of course, she would. Cynthia was a plump elderly head nurse, and Tristan had always gotten along with her. He was delighted it was her at the nurses’ station and not one of the snarkier women that Art had worked his way through.
Arthur arrived a few minutes later, tucking a pen in his lab coat pocket as he got closer. "What brings you here?" he asked as his forehead creased and he swapped some charts with Cynthia, collecting a few more that were waiting for him and reviewing them quickly before looking up.
"I asked Star to marry me," Tristan said slowly. No use beating around the bush. "And she said yes."
His brother reached out and felt his younger brother's forehead, which Tristan swatted away. "Knock it off. I'm serious here."
"Mom and Dad are not going to be pleased with that you know." He arched an eyebrow.
"I don't care." Tristan set his jaw. "I wanted you to know."
"You've got to knock this off, Tristan. Dad is livid you left home. He does want to cut you off. You're lucky Mom won't let him," Art broke it down. "Enough with the rebelling already."
"I'm not rebelling! I'm trying to live my life here, man. I love her! I want to marry her. She wants to marry me. Do you think you could muster maybe an ounce of genuine happiness for me here?" Tristan pleaded his case.
Art sighed. "I am happy that you're happy. I wish you would go about another way of doing these things. I don't know why you always insist on pissing Dad off. It's like a hobby of yours or something, I swear."
Tristan groaned. "I don't do it on purpose."
"Could have fooled me." Art laughed and ruffled his little brothers’ hair.
Smoothing his hair back down, Tristan glared at Art. "Well, what should I do to fix things...that doesn't involve me moving back home?"
Arthur looked him dead in the eye and leaned forward, grasping his little brother's shoulder. "Let them throw you two an engagement party."
"Oh God, no! Art, they'd invite all their snobby friends!" Tristan whined. "No way!"
"Like it or not, it's the only way you're going to get yourself out of the mess you've wormed your way into this time, kid." Art shook his head. "I've got to go. I need to prep for surgery." He slapped Tristan on the back and walked down the hall leaving him with a pathetic looking expression on his face. "Just do it!" Art yelled behind him.
CHAPTER 39
Star watched as Tristan retied his bow-tie for the third time in front of the mirror above his dresser. He looked ravishing in a tuxedo. She, however, wasn't too happy with her attire. It didn't matter that Tristan had told her at least a dozen times already that she was stunning. Tristan's mother had picked out the evening gown, and it was way more formal than anything she'd worn before.
She felt like she was attending a royal ball or something rather than a party. It was black satin, strapless, low cut, and the bust line was encrusted with what Star was pretty sure were actual diamonds. The leg slit almost came halfway up her thigh. The diamond earrings and necklace that she was wearing borrowed from the most expensive jeweler in town for the night.
To make things worse, Mrs. Montgomery had brought a hairdresser to the house to create whatever kind of up-do was currently in Star's hair at the moment. She felt ridiculous, like some over-primped Barbie doll. His mother had also insisted that Star wear these stupid five-inch heels, which Star was sure she was going to fall down the stairs wearing. She leaned against the bathroom doorframe and heaved a deep sigh.
"Will you quit sighing like that, Star? I don't want to be here any more than you do," Tristan huffed, giving up on his bow-tie being straight and slapping his hands to his sides.
"I went along with letting your mother use me like some toy doll all day, I'm allowed some deep sighs," she pouted, walking over and straightening his bow-tie for him.
He looked up at her gratefully and gave her a small kiss. "I'm sorry you have to go through this."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't you know by now that I would do anything for you?"
"You look stunning." He smiled at her and kissed her hand on her ring finger.
"So you keep telling me," she said tensely.
It had taken Tristan's parents
over two months to set up this party. Star's parents had been flown in by Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery's insistence. Last night’s dinner with the five of them had been agonizing.
Their mothers seemed to get along just fine. It was their fathers whose personalities clashed. Mr. Montgomery was his regular pompous respect-demanding self, whereas her father had tried to tone down and be lighthearted instead of uptight military and it had ended badly. Since they both wanted the other man to step down to them, the evening had finished with her parents excusing themselves and going to their hotel earlier than planned. Star had been visibly upset by the whole thing, and since she and Tristan had agreed to stay the night here at the house, she had gone up to Tristan's room and cried.
Art had come upstairs and comforted her while Tristan remained downstairs complaining to his father about how humiliating the whole episode had been. His mother finally stepped in and told both of them to calm down and that things would be better tomorrow.
When Tristan came upstairs, he was still fired up. It took Art all he had to get him to relax before Tristan's threat to call the whole thing off became a reality. If this was the way their marriage was going to be with her in-laws, Star wasn't so sure it was a good idea either. Finally, Art convinced them to sleep it off and had left them alone the rest of the night.
Around three o 'clock in the morning she and Tristan were still awake, and he had started planning ways they could elope instead of going through with a big wedding. Star had been all for it. Thinking about what had happened over dinner had upset her again, and when she thought about how much worse planning the wedding was going to be she had almost gone into hysterics.
Tristan had calmly kissed her and promised that he wouldn't let that happen. That was how the eloping plans had started. They made plans from jet-setting to Europe and getting married in front of the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower, to finding some isolated beach and being barefoot reciting their vows. Whatever Star wanted, Tristan had said, it would be perfect for him as long as she was there. He had held her close and rubbed soothing circles along her back until she'd finally fallen asleep.
Early this morning Tristan's mother had literally pulled Star out of Tristan's arms and opened the shades, blinding both of them and told Star to get herself up and ready to go. Star had shot Tristan a wary glance, and he'd shrugged and kissed the air as she was whisked out of the room not too long afterward.
The only thing that had made Star happy was the fact that her own mother was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Mrs. Levine gushed over the ring again, even though she'd already seen it the night before, and kissed Star's cheek before giving her a hug and whispering into her ear to be thankful his parents were doing this for her and Tristan. Star had complied with it all without complaining once and with a constant smile on her face.
But now the entire floor downstairs was full of the Montgomery's associates and friends. All of the furniture had been taken out, and there were caterers, waiters, hors-d'oeuvres and champagne in place. The ice sculpture in the middle of the room in the shape of two doves forming a heart make Star want to gag when she saw them bring it in. It was all too much. She felt so out of place it was disgusting.
Tristan looked over at her again and must have seen the panic on her face because he lightly took her by the shoulders and made her face him. "Hey," he whispered. "Don't let them intimidate you. You've got more class than that entire lot down there."
"Tristan...I don't know about all of this," she voiced concernedly.
He sighed. "You wanna make a run for it? We might be able to jump off the trellis," he ended with a smirk.
She chuckled at the image of her trying to climb down a trellis wearing the gown and him in his tux and her nerves dissipated some. "No. I'll be fine."
"I know you will," he wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's just money, hon. It doesn't make them better or less than anyone else." he placed a small kiss on her forehead.
Art knocked on the doorframe and walked in. After looking Star over, he let out a low whistle. "Good Lord. You're a stone fox, Star."
"Watch it, Arthur, that's my fiancé you're talking about," Tristan scowled.
Star laughed lightly. "Thanks, Art."
"Ready to face the masses?" Arthur smiled coyly, ushering them out of the room.
The three of them descended the stairs and were met at the bottom by Star's parents. Her mother kissed her on the cheek and told her she looked amazing, to which she rolled her eyes. Her father, who was also in a tux, seemed less than happy to be there but was trying to put up a strong front. Star leaned in and hugged him.
"It's only one more night," she whispered into his ear. "Thanks for trying." He smiled and tapped her underneath the chin in silent response.
Tristan led Star toward the center of the room where his parents were standing amongst their closest friends and contributors. She tripped over herself several times as she had predicted, but Tristan was there to help pull her back up with each stumble. When they reached Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery, they looked terribly pleased with themselves. Star could only imagine what they'd been saying to people about her and Tristan's relationship and sudden engagement. What she hadn't been ready for was who was hanging off of Mrs. Montgomery's arm and laughing as if she'd heard the funniest thing ever.
Emily.
Star shot a look at Tristan who also had his eyes on Emily, taking in her champagne colored slithering evening gown and looking very much at home with the Montgomery's. Emily only said one word in response to his ogling.
"Tristan." it was as venomous as the snake Star was starting to feel like the girl was.
Emily's cat-green eyes were focused only on Tristan, and she had the gall to bat her eyelashes at him! That wench! This was their engagement party, and Star wasn't going to stand there and take that from Emily. She started to move forward and felt Tristan's hold on her arm tighten, he slowly shook his head and gave her a pleading look.
A second later Emily tapped her wine glass to get the room's attention. Once everyone's eyes were on her, she smiled cattily. "I'd like to make a toast for the happy couple." She looked back at Tristan's parents with a broad fake smile. Some aww's were heard in the crowd. She turned her eyes back toward Tristan and Star and held up her glass. Star swallowed.
"When I first met Star, I wasn't so sure she was the right girl for Tristan. We all know that our parents always thought it would be Tristan and I since we've been together our entire lives," she laughed coyly.
Star's eyes widened, and she looked over at Tristan. He cringed guiltily and closed his eyes. Emily went on, happy with their expressions.
"But you know Tristan, he always goes after what he wants until he gets it." She chuckled lightly, and another fake smile flashed for the crowd as she looked around. "So he went after the girl he wanted and won her over. As much as it saddens me to say, I've met my match." Her eyes met Tristan's coldly as she raised her glass higher. "To Tristan and Star. May nothing come between them."
A chorus of "Here, here" could be heard around the room and Emily took that moment to make her exit. For a terrifying second, Star thought that Tristan was going to go after her, but he stayed.
"Your whole lives?" she whispered, her teeth clenched. Her hold on Tristan's arm tightening.
"Not now," he whispered harshly back. "It's not what you think. Don't let her win."
"That was quite a gripping speech," a gruff voice said humorously behind them. Tristan and Star turned to see Dr. Walker looking as out of place as Star felt.
"What brings you here?" she asked, holding back a laugh.
"You both missed your appointment with me this morning. I need to talk to you about the results I came up with." The professor looked over to Tristan's parents and held out a hand. "Dan Walker. I'm a professor at the college. You should be very proud of your son. He'll go far in life."
"Thank you," Mr. Montgomery answered, eying him warily. Star wasn't sure how Dr. Walker had gotten into the house dre
ssed like he was. She had to smirk at Tristan's father's facial expression that mirrored her thoughts. He was very displeased, she could tell. Tristan cleared his throat to ease the tension.
"Why don't we go talk in the study?" he suggested, holding out his arm to show the path.
"Tristan, you have guests," his father said as they started walking.
"And they can wait, Dad," he answered flatly. "This is important." He heard his father utter a curse under his breath and his mother attempting to calm Mr. Montgomery down. Sighing and rolling his eyes, Tristan opened the study doors and closed them behind him. "Sorry about that, Dr. Walker."
"It's fine, Tristan. I didn't realize what I was walking into when I came over," the professor explained abashedly. "I went to the apartment, but your roommate directed me here."
