by Calista Kyle
It was a total disaster, but I didn’t care. I was spurred on by Hanna’s and Marlene’s loud hoots, which I could hear all the way from the dance floor. I kept bumping into people and I knew I must have looked like a hot mess, but that didn’t stop me. I felt like I was gliding on air; my body felt light and weightless, while my head spun.
Suddenly, I felt a strong arm on my shoulder that stopped my movements. Looking up, I stared into the face of a middle aged man with a thick bushy handlebar mustache. He looked vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t place him at the moment. I hadn’t realized that I was just spinning around in circles until he stopped me. It took a moment for me fight off the wave of dizziness I felt and I swayed on my feet before I was led back to the bar and my friends.
Marlene and Hanna erupted into giggles when they saw me being escorted by this strange man with the even stranger facial hair.
“Otto!” I suddenly burst out, remembering his name.
He looked at me in surprise before taking a slight bow. “At your service,” he said. There was a slight accent to his voice, though I couldn’t exactly place it. It sounded vaguely European. “How do you know me?” he asked.
“We have a mutual friend,” I replied, pleased that my voice sounded relatively normal and not slurred.
He looked at me shrewdly and I wondered if he recognized me as Ryan’s date that night when he’d first brought me here.
“I see,” he finally said.
He motioned towards one of his security guards who stood nearby and whispered instructions into his ear. I strained to hear what he was saying, but couldn’t make anything out. My gut told me he was kicking us out and I felt a rising sense of shame. I looked to Hanna and Marlene who just stood there and smiled back at me as if this were the most interesting thing that had ever happened to them. I doubted they would care if they got kicked out of the club. It would be just another story they could tell their friends back home, but I had no desire to leave. I’d never gotten kicked out of anywhere before and I didn’t intend to start.
“I’ve had Marcus call a cab for you three. He’ll escort you outside once it has arrived,” Otto said. “I think you’ve had enough for one evening.”
“Wait!” I said suddenly. Otto and the girls looked at me and I suddenly was at a loss for words. “Um…” I looked from the security guard and then back to Otto and slumped my shoulders. “It’s nothing,” I finally said.
With a curt bow, Otto turned and left us at the bar. Once he was gone, Marlene and Hanna started to giggle again. At this point, their giggling was starting to grate on my nerves. Didn’t they know what had happened? We’d just been dismissed, kicked out of the club like a couple of low class pieces of trash. A part of me was feeling rebellious and wanted to start a scene, but thankfully there was a sliver of the rational Mel still in there somewhere that told me to relax and not do anything stupid.
Marlene and Hanna continued to discuss their evening, gushing about all they had done and seen and I tuned them out. My head was starting to pound and when I closed my eyes, the room felt like it was spinning. It didn’t help that my stomach was feeling a bit unsettled. Perhaps Otto was right and I really had had enough.
I didn’t know how long I’d sat like that, but I opened my eyes again when I felt a pair of strong hands on my shoulders. I had to blink several times to focus on the face in front of me but even then, it was blurry.
“Is it really you?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
I followed him out the fire exit and towards the main street. He held my arm, helping to keep me steady, and I leaned against him gratefully. I suddenly stopped and looked around us in confusion.
“Where are Marlene and Hanna?” I asked.
“They’ve already caught a cab back to their hotel. I’ll take you back in my car.”
I nodded my head. It all made perfect sense. Once I got into his car, I closed my eyes and promptly passed out.
Chapter 27: Ryan
Roman stood in front of the mirror pulling out the knot in his bow tie for the fifth time. I could hear Rob groan beside me as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
“Really Roman, is it necessary to do that again?” he asked, barely concealing his impatience.
Roman glanced at him over the mirror and frowned. “Of course it is. I want everything to be perfect. It is my wedding day after all,” he snapped back.
I watched the interaction with some amusement. I’d never seen Roman so nervous before and I couldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy the sight. It was actually pretty funny. He was a ball of nerves, constantly fidgeting, checking his watch, and retying the knot on his bow tie. Rob, on the other hand, looked like he was at the end of his rope. I was sure the pressure of the wedding had finally gotten to him, even though it wasn’t actually his wedding.
“And what are you smirking at?” Rob asked, looking at me with narrowed eyes.
“Am I smirking?” I asked innocently.
“Don’t give me that.” Rob said. “You look awfully smug this morning. Where were you last night, by the way?”
“Something came up,” I said.
The three of us had gone out to celebrate Roman’s last day being a single unmarried man. We’d all headed to our private club, Bolo. Roman decided to leave early, but Rob hadn’t been ready to call it a night yet. The two of us decided to meet at The Flying Monkey later on in the evening.
On the way there, I spotted Mel and two other women staggering down the street. They looked drunk and completely oblivious. I pulled over and sat in my car as I watched Mel lead them towards a side street just off Joe’s Record Store. Suddenly I knew where they were going. I parked my car and made my way over to the Otto club.
When I entered the club, Mel was already on the dance floor. I suppose she thought she was dancing, but it looked closer to flailing. People were giving her a wide berth and I had to hide my smile as I remembered the scene.
“Something? More like a woman,” Rob said, recalling my attention.
“Might have been,” I replied.
“You could have let me know, you know? So I wasn’t wasting my time waiting for you.”
“Bullshit,” I said. “I’m sure you found a way to keep yourself occupied.”
Rob smirked at me but didn’t say anything. I knew he’d been calling and texting Emilia since that weekend in the Hamptons. Once she made it clear to him that we were never together, Rob had no qualms taking up with her. I had to admire her spunk in going after what she wanted. I almost wished Mel had some of that initiative.
When she’d left so suddenly after our talk on the beach, I felt annoyed and upset—partly at her for running away, but mostly at myself. I knew I screwed up when she’d confessed everything to me. I should have told her then how I felt, but I was just so overwhelmed, I didn’t even know what to say. By the time I had collected myself enough to speak to her, she was already gone. I had half a mind to leave and follow her back to the city, but thought better of it.
She’d never outright said that she had feelings for me, just that her feelings for Chad had changed. Those doubts gave me pause, but ultimately weren’t enough to keep me away.
But there were things I had to do before I could even approach her again. There was still the issue of Cora. I knew she had to go, one way or another. Her actions were completely beyond the pale. I wasn’t so upset about what she had said about me or was planning, but more for Mel. It broke my heart to think she’d been so badly used by her own mother.
I knew I had to find a way to get Cora out of the picture for Mel’s sake. She’d always try to weasel, guilt, and force her way back into Mel’s life if she thought she could get something out of it.
It had been an ugly scene, as I’d expected it. She didn’t go down without a fight, and had actually threatened to drag Mel’s name through the mud if I didn’t back down. Her ruthlessness nearly took my breath away.
Luckily,
Cora wasn’t the only one with spies who knew secrets. It seemed like she was keeping quite a few herself, mainly from Mr. IRS. It was only after threatening her with the release of all the information I had that she finally admitted defeat. She must have realized I was a much more powerful enemy than she’d ever dealt with before. I had no problems giving as good as I got, and I think deep down she knew she didn’t have many friends who would come to her aid if she were ever in trouble. In fact, there were probably people lined up who would have loved nothing more than to take her down.
I gave her a respectable way to leave so she’d at least keep her dignity intact. She’d resign from her position for “health reasons” and relocate to the south of France where she’d take up as editor of a smaller niche magazine specializing in horse breeding, a passion of hers. It was a mighty fall for someone like her but not nearly as harsh as she deserved.
I marveled at how different Mel was from her mother. It was hard to believe they were related, much less mother and daughter. Mel never looked down her nose at anyone and treated everyone with respect. She was gentle and yet there was an inherent strength and stubbornness about her. She had all her mother’s drive and determination, but none of the snobbery and viciousness.
When I thought about the way she looked at me when I approached her at the Otto club, I couldn’t help the smile that stole across my face. She looked surprised at first, but then her smile brightened her eyes and she looked genuinely happy to see me. I couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at me like that, so open and guileless. She didn’t want anything from me except me, and after 36 years on this planet, I knew how rare that was.
I escorted her back to my car to bring her home. There was no way I was letting her take a cab alone. I bristled at the idea. Who knew what could happen to her? She could barely keep her eyes open as I drove her home. Once I pulled up outside her building, I parked my car and gently shook her shoulder to wake her. She groaned and turned over, facing the window.
I ended up carrying her to her apartment and placed her down once we reached her door. She revived enough to dig into her purse and open her door, albeit groggily. I followed her in and took off her shoes and helped her get into bed. A part of me was tempted to help her change out of her clothes, but I stopped myself. I couldn’t take advantage of her in this condition and I knew that once I started taking off her clothes, I probably wouldn’t want to leave her.
She needed her sleep, especially considering tomorrow was Lily’s wedding. I could just imagine the state she’d be in when she woke up. Before leaving her apartment, I filled a glass with water and laid out two Advil’s on the nightstand by her bed. Hopefully she wouldn’t feel too haggard for the wedding, but I had my doubts.
“Ok, I think I’m ready,” Roman said, staring at himself in the mirror. He took in a nervous breath and exhaled slowly. He was shaved, his suit was clean and pressed and there was not a loose strand of hair out of place. I stood up off the ottoman I’d been sitting on and went over to grasp his shoulder.
“I’m proud of you, man,” I said.
“Thanks. It’s been a long time coming, huh?” he laughed.
“But worth the wait, I think,” I said.
“Oh, definitely,” he said. “Do you have the rings?”
I patted my breast pocket and nodded. “Good. That’s it then.”
“Wait, let me get a picture of us,” Rob said. “The last photo of the Three Musketeers as single men.” He set his camera on top of a dresser and set the automatic timer. The camera beeped five times before the flash went off.
***
I stood near the altar with Roman waiting for the procession to begin. When the organist started playing, the doors of the church opened and in walked Lily’s bridesmaids. Stella came in first followed by Candace. They took their places at the other side of the altar before the flower girls and ring bearer came down the aisle. Everyone in the church was waiting with bated breath for the bride to come, but I was much more interested in the maid of honor. Finally, Mel appeared, framed by the doors of the church, her figure silhouetted as the sunlight came streaming in through her back.
I found myself releasing a shaky breath and smiled as she made her way down the aisle. She wore a purple colored gown like the other bridesmaids but hers was strapless while the others had short sleeves at the shoulders. Her stride was a little wobbly at first but she corrected herself and made it down the aisle without any mishap. As she got closer, I couldn’t help but notice the slight grimace on her face and dark shadows under her eyes that her makeup didn’t hide. I was torn between feeling amusement and sympathy for her. She must have been feeling awful, but she put on a brave face and shouldered on.
When Lily finally came down the aisle, everyone’s eyes were on her, except mine. I looked over to Mel who stared straight ahead, almost as if she were concentrating on not spilling over. She peeked up briefly and our eyes met, but just as quickly, she averted her gaze and turned her attention towards Lily who was walking down the aisle escorted by her mother.
The next 30 minutes went by in a blur. I produced the rings without a hitch and soon Roman and Lily were kissing in front of all their friends and family as man and wife. As Roman and Lily walked back down the aisle to exit the church, I waited for Mel to escort her out. She looked almost hesitant to take my arm, but finally took it since she had no other choice.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Fine,” she said quickly, not making eye contact.
We lapsed into silence after that. She didn’t seem like she was in the mood to talk and I didn’t want to make her feel worse than she already did. Even though I was anxious to clear the air between us, it seemed like she was in no state to have a serious conversation. She seemed to just barely be holding it together as it was.
Mel and I separated once we had left the church to take wedding photos. She’d kept her, doing her best to be an attentive maid of honor. By the time we made it to the reception, I was frustrated that I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to have our talk. She’d been avoiding me the whole time, and when I did happen to catch her alone, there was always some interruption or other.
It wasn’t until after the first dance that I finally spotted Mel standing alone near the edge of the dance floor. I quickly made my way over, determined that I’d finally get her alone. She looked up startled when I stood in front of her.
“Would you like to dance?” I asked.
She chewed on her bottom lip a moment in thought before slowly nodding her head. I led her onto the dance floor and then pulled her close to me.
“Um…thanks for bringing me home last night,” she said after a moment of silence.
“So, you remembered,” I said. I saw the rush of color stain her cheeks as she averted her eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have teased you,” I added contritely.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Honestly, I thought I had imagined the whole thing, but then I saw the Advil and water on the nightstand and I knew there was no way I would have had the foresight to have that ready. Thanks for that by the way.”
“My pleasure. How are you feeling now?” I asked.
“Like hell,” she answered.
I chuckled lightly. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, well I deserved it. I don’t know what I was thinking getting drunk last night—the night before Lily’s wedding. I swear I would have never forgiven myself if I screwed it up for her somehow,” she said shaking her head.
“Don’t beat yourself up. You’re here, everything went off without a hitch and Lily and Roman couldn’t be happier.”
She turned her head to look at the happy couple chatting with Roman’s mother and cousin and smiled slightly. We slipped into another fit of silence, as our bodies swayed to the music. It didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable like it had all those times before, and I could feel her finally start to relax against me. When the song ended, I led her off the dance floor and sat her dow
n at an empty table.
“Would you like me to get you something to drink?” I asked.
“No, I’m fine. I don’t think I’m ever going to drink again,” she said, twisting her face into a grimace. I laughed and pulled out the seat next to her and sat down.
“Listen Mel—”
“I wanted to—”
We both stopped and smiled at each other sheepishly.
“You go first,” I said.
“Well, I just wanted to apologize for last night. Like I said I shouldn’t have gotten drunk and I shouldn’t have gone to that club with those girls. I hope Otto didn’t ban you or something because of me. I can’t help cringing about it every time I think about it,” she said.
I reached out and stroked her arm. “Don’t worry about it. You have nothing to apologize for. I was just glad I was there to see you home safely.”
“Thanks for that,” she said softly.
“Listen Mel, I think we should talk,” I said. I knew this was the moment and I couldn’t hold back my feelings anymore. Not when she was right here sitting in front of me, and not when she looked so sad and vulnerable. She lifted her head up and her big brown eyes watched me with interest. I ran my hand through my hair and blew out a heavy breath.
“Yes?” she said.
“I should be the one apologizing to you. After what you told me that day on the beach, I should have said something instead of just getting up and leaving you there without another word.”
“You don’t have to—”
“No, I do,” I said cutting her off. “The fact is that I care for you. Very much. I think I’m falling in love with you.” I heard her take in a sharp breath of air, but I continued on, my words tumbling from my lips without pause. “I should have told you that day, but I just…I was overwhelmed. I felt such joy and hope that you weren’t with Chad anymore, but then you never said anything about your feelings for me, and then you just left without another word.”
“But I did have feelings for you—I mean I do,” she said. “I just couldn’t be around you when I knew you were with Emilia.”
