Invisible Crown

by T. A. Hardenbrook

  “Danielle is going to be here in a couple minutes. Are you getting out?” Stuffing the toothbrush into my mouth, I turned to look at Reid, who gave me a snarl and turned back around in the shower. I just gave that man my entire shower time, thus making me a little bowlegged and a little disheveled for the day……at least he could answer me without turning all caveman single sound answer.

  “Don’t be an ass,” I commented after spitting the toothpaste into the sink and rinsing my mouth. Turning the water knob off, Reid replied with another grunt, accompanied by his longer middle finger.

  “You have no right to get all pre-teen hormonal and shit on me this morning, Mr. Chambers. I am not the one who drug you out of bed to have sex in the shower. Your own two feet carried you into the bathroom this morning, and I do believe it was your hands that bent me over while your penis invaded my nether region. You got exactly what you wanted, and all I asked was if you were coming with us this morning. Pretty sure that could have been answered by a simple yes or no.” Turning around, I dropped my towel, and slowly squatted to pick it up off the floor.

  “I love you,” Reid called out from the bathroom, instantly sending a smile across my smug face.

  “Love you, too.”

  Squatting naked always did the trick.

  Chapter 10

  The larger the breast implant, the better your IQ score……right?

  The venue was impressive with its large windows and exposed steel frame on the inside. “Art deco modernized even facility,” the booking agent called it. Pretty fancy smancy title for a massive open room, but what the hell did I know?

  “Booking this room would not require us to use your contacts, correct?” Danielle asked suddenly. Why I even had a wedding planner outside of Danielle was still a mystery to me, considering she did all the planning and basically directed the poor planner on how things were going to be.

  “Usually, we require our preselected business to be in on the booking, but for an occasion for this I’m sure management wouldn’t mind writing in a separate clause in the contract.” All the lady saw was dollar signs in Danielle’s eyes, and I was betting a wetness in her panties when she watched Reid walk off the elevator, too.

  “What do you think?” I whispered to Reid, who was currently captured by the stunning views of the sound.

  “As long as you love it, Molly Anne, then it’s perfect for me.” Grabbing my hand away from my mouth, Reid locked our fingers together before swiftly bringing them to his lips for a soft kiss.

  Glancing over my shoulder slightly, I watched as the agent melted into a pile of blue pant suited goo on the dark cement floor. Yep, that would be a woman we would have to watch out for in our private dressing area. Those are the types that hide naked behind a door and jump out at the most inappropriate times, ready to dry hump any available body part.

  “It’s nice.” I shrugged. Danielle was the one with the vision, and all I wanted to do was show up, make some people say wow, then eat cake.

  “Molly Anne, this is your wedding. It needs to be more than just nice. I want you to love it.” Reid glanced down at his phone, and a scowl developed on his face. “One second,” he said quickly, letting go of my hand and walking away a few feet before answering the call.

  Wandering back over to Danielle, she was balls deep in directing the poor lady on her epic version of the rock and roll wedding of the century. “Oh, Molly. I wanted to drape the inside walls with fabric in deep red and black, then back light it with a soft glow, giving it some warmth. No cool colors here, I want the space to burn.”

  “Sure, sounds great.” I faked a grin, nodding my head like a well-trained lap dog. Looking back over at Reid, tension racked his once calm body, instantly making me wonder who he was on the phone with. Curiosity killed the cat, but damn it if that cat didn’t have nine lives anyhow.

  I started to casually walk over to where he was now pacing, his knuckles white from gripping the phone to his ear while his other hand wildly waved around in the air. Whoever had obviously pissed him off wasn’t going to be in a good mood when he got done reading them the riot act. Luckily, for a hot headed, mood switching, two faced rock star, he was managing to keep his voice a lot quieter then I had thought possible.

  Stopping a few feet away from him, I strained to hear what he was saying through his clenched teeth. It wasn’t until he said her name that my once decent mood completely plummeted and no longer did I fucking care about wondering how the conversation was going. She always had to ruin absolutely everything. “When is karma going to come kick her ass?” I grumbled out loud.

  “We need to sign the contract today in order to save the space, Molly.” Danielle shouted across the room, beckoning me back over to her.

  I really should have made sure it was completely okay with Reid, but watching his attitude with her on the phone made me want to stay far away from their conversation. Punching her in the face wasn’t an option, so signing off on another something for the wedding would hopefully satisfy my need to have that woman break down over the upcoming nuptials. I hoped her insides burned every time she read or heard something on us; considering I still hoped for man eating hamsters attacking her every single night during prayer.

  “Got it,” I yelled back at Danielle, forcing that once again famous trademark loser beauty queen smile. I didn’t want to know the cost, but I was sure my mother would have approved with writing the check for something this grand. Too bad the bitch would not be there to see me walk down the aisle; I’d almost invite her to just to see her reaction. But, then again I was not that insane……..at least not yet.

  ***

  “So, what was all that bullshit on the phone?” Danielle never did beat around the bush much, just going in straight for the kill was more of her style.

  “Some crap about announcements.” Reid’s eyes were fixated on the road, not letting any emotion being shown as he drove down the interstate.

  “I’ve already sent out the save the date cards. There shouldn’t have been any issues with that. And, didn’t we finalize the red and black invitations on Friday, Molly? I’m sure I had the wedding planner already order those.” Danielle immediately whipped out her phone and started scrolling through her text messages. “Yeah, see, I have the confirmation right here.”

  “Birth announcements.” Reid sneered through this clenched teeth.

  Looking in the rear view mirror, I noticed Danielle’s eyes grow wide. Yep, she was keeping her mouth shut on that topic.

  “But, the thing isn’t even born yet?” I exclaimed quickly. Letting out a snort, I crossed my arms firmly underneath my breasts, and sulked down in the leather seats. We couldn’t even spend one damn day without the mention of Satan being brought up. Just mentioning her name brought all the little black rain clouds over head, and there wasn’t enough whiskey to drown the bad thoughts of her stupid pregnant self out of my mind.

  “Molly Anne, I know,” Reid clipped.

  I knew the tone he was using didn’t give room for a follow up remark without knowing that my ass would have been walking home. He loved me, yes, but this woman drove even the best of men to a slow painful death of insanity. Why he put his penis inside her was something that I would never understand, or even forgive for that matter. If he could have just refrained from getting his dick wet, there would have been no issues at all. Abstinence solves all problems, especially with questionable results on one’s paternity.

  “Have you thought about your boobs yet? I can call and get you an appointment with my surgeon this week.”

  My heart about leapt out of my chest as I quickly looked around the seat and shot Danielle a ‘shut the fuck up’ glare.

  “You’re not getting your tits done, Molly Anne.” Reid’s head snapped away from the road, throwing me a ‘this is not negotiable look’.

  “She can do it if she wants, Reid,” Danielle challenged him from the back seat. World war three was about to erupt in the car, and the causality would be my life if I didn’
t change the subject quickly.

  “Danielle, I already told you the answer, and Reid, you don’t have to worry about it. Now, what I really want to know is when we are going to do the cake testing. Everyone knows it’s all about the cake.”

  Holding my breath, I had to silently send up a prayer that Danielle would get distracted by the cake comment, and Reid would believe my comment enough to let the subject go without dragging it through the mud a little further. He didn’t need to know that I was seriously considering it deep down inside my insecure self that no one would ever freaking know, but, that was for my knowledge and no one else.

  “Oooh…..I know the perfect bakery up on the hill that would be perfect,” Danielle shrieked, instantly sticking her nose back in her phone and scrolling through her contact list to make the call.

  “Bingo,” I muttered quietly, letting out a sigh of relief.

  “This conversation isn’t over, Molly Anne,” Reid said sternly, shooting me an irritated glance out the corner of his eyes while taking the exit back for the house. Pursing my lips tightly together, I only nodded my head; there was no hiding what had been said in the car even if I tried to bury it with wedding plans. Boobs or no boobs, my day was deflated in all areas.

  I waved to Danielle as she got into the SUV with Tiny. Reid hit the garage door closer and then stormed into the house. Trying to stifle out a worried giggle, I covered my mouth and headed up the steps into the house. I knew the moment I walked into the kitchen there would be questions asked, voices raised, and tempers flared. That was our relationship, neither of us kept our cool very well during heated discussions.

  “So why do you all of a sudden want boobs, Molly Anne?” Reid asked, startling me with his calm demeanor. My mind had been preparing the perfect come back for his angry comments, but now all I could come up with was …….

  “Because.” Tossing my purse on the counter, I silently mouthed “what the hell,” to myself before turning around to face him.

  “I just don’t understand why you think you need something like that.” Opening the fridge, Reid pulled out a bottle of water and tossed it at me. Barely catching it, I offered him a smile and crawled up on a barstool. “I love every inch of you, Molly Anne, including your boobs. There is no reason to blow them up with silicone; it’s not going to make you more attractive to me.”

  “Well, actually, they would be done with saline.” Taking a drink from the water bottle, I dropped my head back to the ceiling and uttered a few curse words. “It’s just something that was mentioned when trying on dresses. I never said I wanted them, nor did I ask Danielle to set me up an appointment. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Why would you even consider something like that? Have I ever pressured you into being someone that you are not?”

  “Why in the hell is it always about you, Reid? Maybe I wanted them done for me…….maybe I am tired of my little girls and wanted to amp them up a bit? It’s hard not to think of doing a little something to yourself when you live in this lifestyle. The short dresses, long legs, tan skin, big knockers, bleach blonde hair……….it all can drain a person, you know?” Sliding off the bar stool, I scampered out of the kitchen and down the steps to the couches.

  “Where in the hell is all this coming from, Molly Anne? Were you brainwashed into thinking that conforming to what society demands is the only way to live in this industry? Fuck, Molly!” Hooking his hands behind his head, Reid’s eyes bore straight through my now self-questioning body, letting the doubt I had downplaying for so long rise to the surface once again.

  “Be yourself, Molly Anne. There is no one better, more attractive, more amazing than the woman who wasn’t wearing fucking underwear, rocking purple and black hair, and definitely put me in my place the first time we ever met.”

  “I am myself, Reid. I’m still the same Molly. I still trip over my own two feet, have massive amounts of unexplainable bruises in random places. I’ll still pick my black chucks over designer shoes any day of the week. I have not changed.” Pacing the floor, the anxiety level inside my body was rising. All the words that were spilling out of my mouth were one hundred percent true……..kind of.

  “Bullshit. You have this need to please everyone, and even if it’s at the expense for your own damn happiness. When is the last time you did something for yourself? Your hair is still fucking blonde from your dad’s funeral!”

  Mentioning my dad had me frozen mid step. That was the turning point for everything. I lost my father without ever being able to make amends, solidified the broken relationship with my mother and sister during the events afterward, and came back from the aftermath broken, battered, and bruised.

  “Just because I’m still blonde, doesn’t mean shit, okay?” Ripping the ponytail from my hair, I whipped my head around, creating massive tangles around my face. Huffing, I tried to blow the hair out of my way, but just got more irritable when the stupid thing wouldn’t move. Raking my hand over my face, I pushed the strands away from my eyes and shot Reid a nasty glare before stomping out of the living room.

  “Run away, Molly Anne. Perfect way to solve our problems.” Reid called after me.

  Throwing up the bird above my head, I bounded up the steps quickly. “A fucking rubber would have solved all of our damn problems!” I shouted while disappearing down the hallway. I could dye my hair whatever color I wanted, whenever I damn well chose to. My issue was easy to fix, his……not so much.

  Chapter 11

  Ice cream and tight crotches go hand in hand.

  That was what wedding planning did to a couple. You stressed out over stupid things, start running your mouth for ridiculous reasons, then ended up alone and crying in a spare bedroom closet. No wonder why so many marriages ended in divorce. They were sick of each other during the planning process that the man ran away, knocked up the first chick he saw and bam……….two point five kids later you were heading for a divorce. Technically, all of our issues right now stemmed from knocking someone up before our damn wedding, and the whole logistics behind that story was something that we fought about anytime the slightest of things got mentioned. All the stress wasn’t good for one’s mental stability, and I feared mine was heading right down the bathroom throne. One quick flush away from disaster that couldn’t be solved with a plastic plunger.

  “Molly Anne¸ come out of the closet already.” Reid’s voice was muffled by the solid wood door, but I knew his tone was sincere. It was all or nothing with that man, and he wouldn’t have come to try and mend fences with me if he didn’t mean it.

  Reaching up, I turned the knob and pushed the door open, still firmly fixated on the closet floor. Looking up from my tear stained lashes, I caught an amused smirk on Reid’s face as he stepped into the large closest and sat directly across from me.

  “You know I love you.”

  “I know,” I replied. There was never a doubt in my mind that he did love me, the issue was loving myself and all the mistakes in life that went along with it. Sometimes things made me crazy, and once that threshold of sanity had been crossed, most people would deem me as a lost cause, and rightly so.

  “Nothing is easy, Molly Anne. You and I both knew this wasn’t going to be all rainbows and sunshine. But, for some strange reason, you feel the need to complicate things tenfold……” Reid snickered and grabbed my cold clammy hand. “But, no more hiding in closets. We are adults and can have disagreements civilly.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to!” I barked back, ripping my hand out of his grasp and wiping it off on the top of my jeans. It was hard to not resort to childlike behavior when you knew comments made earlier were just plain mean and dumb.

  “Knock it off.” Reid rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the floor. Offering me a hand, I snarled while taking it, letting him pull me out of my pathetic sulking mood. Fighting with Reid never went anywhere but getting naked and fucking our frustration out on one another. Strangely, this argument didn’t end with us naked doing the mambo on any surface readily avai
lable.

  “I’m hungry,” I huffed, batting my eyelashes in his direction. After landing in the hospital for lack of nutrition, feeding me was one thing that Reid now did well and willingly.

  “I have a working dinner with Stephanie and the guys tonight, but you’re more than welcome to join us.”

  “Oh, I’m welcomed to join you, by golly that’s so sweet of you guys. But, whatever shall I wear, Reid? A girl needs proper time to plan these kind of things. I just don’t know if I can pull myself together in time for the festivities.” Playfully bumping into his shoulder, I offered him a smile. Sure, we might fight like two crazed swamp rats vying for that last tasty morsel after the local carnival came to town, but in the end it would always be just the two of us, and I was always willing to share my cotton candy with him any day.

  “Well, I’m partial to your black Converse and some jeans, but if you really feel the need to wear a dress I’m okay with that, too.” Grabbing the back of my neck, Reid pulled me in for a passionate kiss, making my knees weak the second his lips touched mine. Pulling back just as quickly, he slapped my butt and grunted, “Now go make me a sandwich, woman.”

  Smacking him upside that hard skull of his, I let out a small laugh and stepped out of the closet. Stupid thoughts might cloud my judgment at times, but I could always rely on my partner to bring me back to the reality I loved to cause chaos in.

  ***

  “Please tell me there is a bachelor party in the works,” Brody exclaimed loudly over the table. Of course the only thing that crossed his mind was booze and strippers when we were talking to Stephanie about the wedding. Who cared about the happily ever after as long as Brody got some easy access to tits and ass, accompanied by a shit ton of booze.

  “How are you still single, Brody? It just amazes me that someone hasn’t snatched you up and claimed your last name.” Scooting my noodles around on the plate, I rolled my eyes at the idiot across the small table from me. Most women should be appalled with his behavior, but for some inexcusable reason, they thought he was wonderful and God like.