by V, Krissy
When I let him go he smiles at me and says “I can see it was worth it for both of you. Good luck Tasha and you know where I am if you need to moan about him, I know his good sides and his bad sides” he laughs and I join in.
The door opens again and this time it is Caleb “Are you trying to steal my girl Dillon?” he asks as the two of us are laughing.
“No mate, no one can do that, she belongs to you as much as you belong to her. Congratulations to both of you” he says as he turns and walks back into the house.
“Are you ok Angel?” Caleb asks as he takes me into my favourite position, with him stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my body and pulled in against his.
“Caleb, I love you so much I can’t even begin to explain, you saved me more than once and I know that we belong to each other, you are truly my soul mate” he pulls me in even closer.
“I love you so much and I am so happy that you fell into my life like the broken angel that you were” he stands and rests his chin on my neck as we both stare out across the now blackened sea.
This is my life, this is my forever!
Six months later
TODAY IS MY WEDDING day and I'm so excited to be getting married to the man I love. This is the man who saved me when I needed saving the most. I love him with a passion that I can only describe as overwhelming, I need him to breathe.
I’m in my wedding dress and my Dad is waiting for me. My Mum has just left my room after helping me into the dress, she was crying, but they were happy tears. I slowly walk down the stairs and see Dad at the bottom of the stairs, he looks so gorgeous in his tuxedo and he slowly looks up at me coming towards him, I think I can see tears in his eyes.
“Baby girl you look beautiful, I can’t believe how gorgeous you look today, Caleb is a very lucky man and I will make sure I tell him so later” he says taking my hand as I reach the bottom.
Mum and Dad are both looking at me and I have something to say, I don’t know how they will feel about this but I think I’d better just say it.
“Mum, Dad I need to ask you something, please don’t be angry with me and I promise to tell Caleb later, but can we stop by Felix’s grave on the way, I promise not to get my dress dirty. I just need to say goodbye” I ask holding in my tears.
“I think that is a lovely thing to do Tasha of course we don’t mind” Mum says.
“Right, time to go if we are making a stop of the way” Dad says ever the punctual one.
We get into the car and drive to the graveyard. Mum helps me out and I lift my dress so it doesn’t get dirty on the grass. I walk over to Felix’s grave and I take a deep breath “Felix, hi it’s Tasha, I know you probably know that but I didn’t know what else to say” I giggle he always knew I hated awkward moments “I just wanted to thank you for setting me free and allowing me to love again. I won’t forget the time we had together before the monster within you took over, I love you and I just wanted to say goodbye” I sit in silence for a few minutes then walk back to the car. Dad is panicking thinking we will be late, but it’s a brides prerogative isn’t it?
When we arrive at the beach house Mum helps me out and then she goes inside. We had the beach house blessed so that we could get married here in our most favourite spot in the world. The ceremony is going to be carried out on the decking and then we will have a big meal and party inside, it is just our family and friends, the same group who were here when Caleb asked me to marry him.
Dad takes my arm and walks with me into the house, through the lounge (which has been cleared of furniture) and out onto the decking, all the time Dido “Thank you” is playing. As I’m getting closer to Caleb, I hold my breath I want him to turn around, to make me feel less nervous. As I think that he slowly turns and looks at me, he has tears in his eyes as he walks towards me “I can’t wait for you to get to the top” he says as he kisses me “You look so beautiful Angel” he nods at my Dad and takes my arm and we walk to the altar together. The ceremony goes without a hitch and then when it’s over he picks me up and carries me back down the aisle to the lounge. All I can hear is whooping and cheering, it is the happiest day of my life and it’s not over yet.
When we are all seated for the dinner, Caleb stands up and says “we aren’t really going to do speeches because they kind of ruin the dinner” everyone laughs “but I just wanted to say that today will go down in my books as the happiest day of my life. When I saw Tasha coming down the aisle the sun was shining behind her and she looked just like the Angel that she is. Tasha you will always be my Angel” he bends down and kisses me. Then he sits down.
I stand up and everyone goes silent “I know it’s not customary for the bride to speak, but I never follow traditions” everyone laughs because they know it’s true. “I just wanted to thank everyone here for welcoming Caleb and I into your lives, for everything you have ever done to help both of us in our lives. Caleb, I love you more than anything in the world and I have a special gift for you today that I want you to share with everyone here”.
Kammie brings over the box ,which has been expertly wrapped and has a shiny bow on the top. Caleb stands up “What about my present to you Tasha, can I give you that now too?” he says smiling.
I nod, because I want to give him my present last. He smiles at me and hands me a small box, I open it gently and when I do I see a big platinum heart with a diamond encrusted key sticking out of it. “What’s this for?” I ask.
“This is my heart and I’m giving you the key to my heart Tasha” he smiles and then leans over and kisses me gently on the lips.
“Now it’s your turn Caleb” I say handing him the box. He opens it really slowly and then I see his eyes open wide. He is speechless; he really doesn’t know what to say. He turns to look at me and I nod my head “Yes” is all I need to say.
He moves closer to me and hugs me and kisses me “You are so wonderful, this is the best present anyone could have given me Angel. I love you.”
There are cheers from the crowd “What is it? What is it?” Caleb looks at me for permission to show everyone, I blush and then nod my head.
He slowly takes the item out of the box and shows everyone it’s a pregnancy test, it’s positive. “We’re having a baby” he says as he starts to cry. “We’re having a baby” everyone cheers and people start coming up to congratulate us.
This is the perfect ending to the most perfect day!
This is the perfect beginning to the most perfect life!
The End
Caleb’s POV
Because we all love a bit of Caleb, right?
I’M STARTING TO HATE Saturday nights. I have to go to Jesters again tonight. I have to be sociable and I really don’t enjoy it like I used to. At least Dillon is coming with me tonight, he manages to avoid it most of the time, but tonight we have some serious business to discuss. We both have a half share in Jesters, it was one of our first businesses that we acquired by offering our marketing services to turn the place around. The owners couldn’t afford to pay us, but they didn’t want Jesters to be run into the ground so they agreed that we could take the club as payment. They still visit regularly and they are very happy with how we have turned the club around.
As usual it is really busy when I get there and after talking to security I go out to the back office, it is situated down the corridor from the toilets. Not particularly salubrious or anything, but it is practical for both of us to work in whenever we need to. Dillon comes in about half an hour after me and brings me a bottle of beer to help with the fact that we need to do some work on a Saturday night.
Tonight we have to decide whether we are going to sell Jesters or not. Dillon sits down after he has handed me the beer. We both take a swig at the same time. “So mate, we need to look at the figures and decide whether we still want to do this or not. Things are really busy at Blue Eye and I’m not sure I can keep coming here and holding the fort. It’s getting a bit too much.”
“Yeah I agree, I’m wrecked by the time it c
omes to Friday night, let alone having to come here during the week and at weekends. What are we going to do Caleb?”
“I don’t know. For the first time in my life, I just don’t know. Sometimes I think having Jesters reminds me of where we came from as this was our first “job”. I don’t really want to let it go.”
“Yeah, I think this place keeps us grounded and reminds us of how far we have come. I know from a business point of view it is the right time to sell Jesters, but you know what Caleb, I really don’t want to.”
We both take another swig from our beers, then something just clicks in my mind. “What about getting a manager in? Someone who can run the club and only come to us for important decisions and financing. What do you think?”
I can see the smile grow on Dillon’s face, I think he likes the idea. “That is a fantastic idea, that way we still stay in control but can relinquish some of the day to day jobs that weigh us down. We will have to put the word out and start interviewing, I suppose we just need to take our time and not take the first person who comes along. It has to be the right fit Caleb.”
“I know, this is our baby. It is going to be hard not to have such a hands on approach with the club but we really need to let someone else run it for us.”
We start making lists of what we want from a manager and what tasks we can pass over. After another hour we feel that we have the definitive list and that we will start working on getting someone from next week.
I stand up. “Come on then let’s go have another drink to celebrate making this decision.”
Dillon stands up and follows me back out to the club. We get a drink and stand by the dance floor. I know that to the outsider we look like we are trying to pick up women, but we don’t never date the women who come here. We don’t shit on our own doorstep. We love to look around and see everyone enjoying themselves, from the guys upstairs looking over the dance floor looking for their date for the night or the woman they want to take home tonight. Down to the dancers who are lost in their own world of moving their bodies in time to the beat of the music being pumped out right now. It’s busy tonight and it’s difficult to move, we must be very near out quota for security, but we don’t worry about that because our security team are very efficient and they wouldn’t let more people in than is safely allowed.
As I am standing at the side of the dance floor I see two women in the middle of the floor. One of them is a blonde, with very long, wavy hair, she is stunning but it is her friend, the red head who has caught my attention. It is like everyone around her pales into insignificance, she is more colourful than anything I have ever seen. She is truly an Angel, the lights around her are shining and it looks like she has a halo.
I nudge Dillon. “Do you see those two out there having fun? The blonde and the red head?”
“Oh yeah I certainly see them, they are very good looking women. I would safely say they are not on their own tonight and if they are then they won’t be going home on their own.”
“I hope the red head is on her own and if she is then I am going to do everything I can to make sure she doesn’t go home on her own. She can come home with me, I’ll look after her the way she deserves to be looked after.”
“What?! The great Caleb Hunt is interested in a woman who he wants to take home and possibly date. Hold the front page of the Sunday papers, this is not something that happens every day.”
“Shut up Dillon.” I nudge him. “They’re coming over. It looks like they are going to the bar.”
We watch them walk off the dance floor, laughing and chatting away. They then disappear and we can’t see them. As I am turning around slowly to see if I can see them she appears in front of me, she is holding two bottles of beer and she is trying to get past me. She is standing so close to me that I can smell her, she smells gorgeous. Just at that moment a guy pushes his way past her and she bumps into me and spills her drink down my suit.
This is definitely fate. We are meant to meet tonight. I truly believe in fate, things happen to you and you have no chance of ever changing the course of your own future.
"Whoa steady, where are you going?" I say pulling her upright.
She is still looking to the floor when she says "Oh my god I'm so sorry I tripped and I can't believe I spilt my drink on you. God I feel terrible. Let me wipe it up."
She reaches out her hand and starts to wipe my jacket with her hand. I reach out and take her hand in mine and say "It's fine. Don't worry I know it was an accident."
It takes her ages to look up and look into my face and when she does I gasp. She is even more beautiful close up. You know in movies where everyone else fades into the background, that’s what happened when she looked at me. No one else exists, just me and her. I can’t even hear the music anymore just the fast beat of her heart.
I think she feels the same as me because she says “wow!” Her friend looks at her and I smile at her.
"Did I just say that out loud? How embarrassing" she says laughing and it is such a beautiful sound. I like it, a lot. I like her, a lot.
"Wow is right! My god you are beautiful" I say pulling her upright. I don’t want to take my hand off her or my eyes, I don’t think they can focus on anything else right now. "And you're drunk. Are you sure you didn't hurt your ankle or anything when you stumbled?" I ask her wanting to reach down and rub her ankle for her. I don’t know what is wrong with me, I never react this way to women.
She blushes and I’m sure I can feel goosebumps on her arm. Between her gaze and the electric shock that is travelling up my arm, I am sure I have goosebumps on my arm too.
“No, I’m fine, I just dented my pride” she laughs. She is looking at me, studying my face, so I do the same to her. It is like she is trying to condemn my face to memory or something. “Can I? Erm, can I pay for your dry cleaning bill? I’m really sorry I don’t make a habit of throwing my drinks over men.” She laughs again, I think she is embarrassed.
"No it's fine, honestly it was going to get cleaned anyway.” I can’t ask her to pay for my dry cleaning, that would be terrible. Then again if it means she has my number, or even better, I have hers then I can contact her later and talk to her properly. I realise that I want to talk to her again. I don’t want her to walk out of my life so soon. I feel a connection between us and I think she is going to be a very important person in my life. She is looking at my lips and I run my tongue over them just to make them slightly moist. “Actually maybe you can” I say before I can change my mind. I need her number I need to talk to her again, I can’t just leave it at this. She doesn’t answer me, maybe she wasn’t listening to me. “I will take your number and then I can arrange for you to get my suit cleaned.” I smile at her and give her a little wink.
“Oh yeah sorry, of course I’ll give you my number, sorry I don’t know what’s got into me” she gives me her number. “Text me and tell me how much it is and I can arrange to get the money to you’ she says as she removes her hand from mine and turns to go back on the dance floor. As she is walking away from me she turns and smiles at me. All I can think is that she turned around. She turned around to smile at me, she must like me too.
I turn around after she has disappeared into the crowd on the dance floor and see Dillon looking at me strangely. He starts laughing. “Oh my god, I’ve seen it all now. I can’t believe you going soppy over a woman.” He nudges me until I stumble slightly.
“Stop it Dillon, I know I don’t show much interest in women, only when I need to go to a ball or something but I work hard and don’t have time for women.” I turn around to see if I can see her, but I can’t. “I’d make time for her though, she is so beautiful and did you see her smile? She is truly an Angel, Dillon.”
Dillon just laughs at me, “whatever, but I have to tell you that you have given me the biggest laugh I’ve had in a while. Thanks Caleb.” He thumps me on my shoulder and carries on laughing.
Dillon goes off and buys another beer, while I stand there looking on the dance floo
r to see if I can find her, I can’t believe I didn’t even get her name. All of a sudden I see her red hair in the middle of the dance floor. I smile and watch her, after a few minutes Dillon comes back and hands me my beer and I watch her as a guy walks up to her and her friend. She says something to him, then she walks away to the back of the club and then she is gone and I can’t see her anymore.
“Ah mate, is she the one that got away?” Dillon laughs.
I shake my head. “I hope not.” I keep looking towards the back where she left and eventually I see her, but I don’t like what I see. She is being pulled roughly by her hand, by a man who looks very angry. I stand tall and start to walk towards her but she just shakes her head. The man stops when her friend walks over to her with the man she was dancing with. The two men seem to be having an argument and I start to move towards them.
Dillon grabs my arm. “Don’t make a scene Caleb, you don’t want to come between them. They are obviously together and I’m sure the other guy won’t let him leave with her if something would happen to her.”
I stop what I am doing, I realise he is right. The man starts to walk away again but this time she is closer to him and he isn’t being as aggressive with her. As she moves past me I ask her “Are you ok? Do you need help?”
She shakes her head and all I can do is watch her leaving with fear in her eyes.
After she has gone, me and Dillon get very, very drunk. All I can think of is the red headed angel, Dillon tries to get me set up with a woman just to get her out of my system. I don’t want that, I know that I need to see her again, I need to know how she is after being pulled away from the club like that. I also know that I can’t contact her tonight, so tonight I will drink myself into oblivion. That is what we do and we do it very well.
Chapter 2
I WAKE UP AND my head is pounding. It hurts so much, why did I drink so much? I slowly climb out of bed and start waking towards the bathroom, I need to have a shower to wake me up a little bit. I look down and see that I have my pyjama bottoms on, I couldn’t have been that bad then if I changed my clothes last night. I also note that I slept alone, this is good. Obviously Dillon didn’t convince me to bring someone home.
