Love Me After the Wedding

Untitled Part 20

"You only called her yesterday, how could you let this happen?" She yelled. "This messes everything up. I can't go to the party by myself!"

"What would you have me do then, Stephanie?" Dave yelled back. "I don't want to go to jail over this...restraining order. And you never really told me how you got an invitation in the first place."

"Oh, that's not important, Dave. I have one and now I have to procure a date in less than a week. It doesn't look good for me, everyone thinks I'm crazy." She slightly calmed down. "I guess I might be, but I'm not that bad."

Dave raised both his eyebrows at her, holding the restraining order in his hand.

"I was the one who left and he was devastated." She walked toward Dave and put a hand on his chest. "I can manage and I'll live tweet the event for you, if you want."

Dave held her hand to his chest. "I'd like that, a lot." Ignoring their agreement, he swooped down and kissed Stephanie very soundly, tangling his other hand in her hair at the back of her head. He kissed her more furiously as he realized she wasn't trying to get away from him, her arms wrapping around his waist. "If we both didn't want other things, I could get very used to this," He kissed her  some more.

"I would probably let you get used to it." She said, surrendering herself.

*****

"What did Clare say when you told her about Stephanie, Niel?" Charles asked over a plate of toast, bacon, sausage, a bowl of peach yogurt and a glass of grapefruit juice. Niel paused with a spoon half way to his mouth. "Your lack of response and your actions suggest you haven't told her yet." Charles put his fork-full of sausage back on his plate as Niel lowered his spoon. "You have to tell her, Niel, or I will."

"You can't. Timing hasn't been right. Should I pull tears out of my pocket and show up with a swollen 'I've been crying' face?"

"That was low, man." They both knew he was referring to Suzette. "She was drunk and you of all people know how vulnerable drunk people can be. I'm embarrassed by this." He picked up his plate and took it to the den, yelling over his shoulder. "You tell her or I will! Today!"

*****

Natalie and Brooks were walking along the beach together when they noticed a young family with two little girls who were building sand castles. It was a rather difficult process, since they didn't have wet enough sand, but the girls were having fun. "Remember when the girls were that big?" Natalie asked her husband. "It's so weird thinking that next week we'll be in-laws."

"Oh, I know it." Brooks replied. "I just really hope Clare is happy with her decision. And that Niel can take care of her."

"I think yes to both, Brooks. I want her to be happy too." They closed the distance between each other and walked holding hands so no one could see between them. "I think it's going to be a lovely...party."