Dhampir Love (19 page)

     “What?”

     “He’s been shying away from me.  I’ll call and he’s either busy or trying to get some sleep.”

     “I bet it’s nothing.  He works the night shift too, you know.”

     “Yeah, I know.”

     “I do have a big day tomorrow and I do need some sleep.”

     “I’ll go to the sofa then.”

     “You’ll do no such thing,” I said pulling the covers back.  “You’ll sleep here.”

     “I’ll get ready for bed then.  Be back in a jiffy.”

     Malinda went to the hall bathroom and I lay back on my pillow.  I thought of Tony and Mike and what they were doing, hoping they were having a good time and Tony wasn’t missing me as much as I was missing him.

     Malinda came back in the room and crawled
in on Tony’s side of the bed.  “So, how do you want your hair tomorrow?” she asked.

     “I was planning on wearing it like I always do.”

     “Oh no you won’t Jess.  May I, please, do your hair tomorrow?”

     I sighed, but agreed she could do it.  “I don’t want it all piled on top of my head, okay.”

    “Okay,” Malinda agreed.   “Just leave it to me and I’ll make you stunning for Tony.”

     “I need to sleep.  I can barely keep my eyes open.  We’ll discuss my hair over breakfast in the morning.  Goodnight Malinda.”

     “Okay then, over breakfast.  Goodnight Jess.”

     I rolled over to face the edge of the bed and closed my eyes.  As tired and sleepy as I was I couldn’t sleep.  I thought of the wedding and the butterflies came back to my stomach.  I wasn’t nervous about marrying Tony.  I was nervous about walking down the aisle in front of everyone.  Would I stumble and fall down on my way to the altar?  Would I cry uncontrollably and wash my makeup off because I was so happy?  The questions piled up as I tried
to clear my mind.  With all the questions crossing my mind, sleep was nowhere in sight.  Getting out of bed I went to the kitchen.  One bottle of soda sat on the empty shelf in the refrigerator.  I didn’t go grocery shopping knowing the honeymoon was approaching and didn’t want food left in the house while we were gone. 

     Grabbing the bottle, I went to the kitchen table and sat down.  Seeing the shadows of the trees, I got up and opened the back door.  The sky was brightly lit with stars and the moon was full in the west.  I walked outside and sat in the gazebo. 

     “I miss you Tony,” I whispered. 

    I don’t know how long I sat in the gazebo.  All I thought about was Tony and everything we had been through together.  I smiled as I thought of the first time I saw him and thought he was the burglar.  I wouldn’t think of the time he did leave me.  It was a memory I pushed in the back of my mind refusing to remember.

     Tony was all I would ever want.  Of all the guys I knew, Tony was the one who stole my heart the first night we met in the diner three and a half years ago.   His crooked half smile, muscular build and the way he came to check on me the night Detective Cooke and Detective Sean were at my house. 

    I was positive, Tony and I would have a long and happy life together.

     Getting up, I went back into the house and back to bed.  Malinda was snoring, but I didn’t care.  It made me think of Tony lying beside me. 

     Crawling into bed I closed my eyes and thought I was being silly for having butterflies. 
Did all brides, before their wedding, go through them too?

     Walking down the aisle I grinned from ear to ear thinking this is best day of my life. I looked up to see Tony waiting for me at the altar, but it wasn’t Tony.  It was Mark Malone who waited for me.  Stopping in the doorway of the church I started screaming.  Everyone in the church turned around to face me.   Looking over the faces, I couldn’t find his.  “Where’s Tony?” I asked.  No one answered.  Dropping my bouquet I yelled, “Where’s Tony?” 

     “Jess,” he said from behind me.

     I turned to see him with a girl, I didn’t know, holding his hand.  “I wouldn’t miss this day for the world,” he said.  His lip curled up playfully as he walked past me taking a seat in the front row.  Shocked, I ran to where he was sitting.  I wanted to say something to him but I couldn’t think of what I wanted to say.  In disbelief I watched as he kissed this girl then slowly turned to me. 

     Mark grabbed my arm pulling me away from Tony.  “Jess it’s our day.”

     “No,” I screamed.  Pulling my arm from Mark’s grip, I ran out of the church into the pouring rain.  Jerking the veil off my head, I ran with nowhere to go.  I just ran until I was out of breath. 

     The abandoned farmhouse which belonged to Old Man Jenkins was in my view so I ran to take shelter from the hail falling from the sky.  Inside the doorway, catching my
breath, a shadow crossed the room.  The floor in the room where I stood was riddled with holes and I stepped around the widest hole in the floor and went to the bedroom where the shadow had gone.   In the doorway, I saw myself lying on the bed with my arms and legs bound with scarfs to the bedpost.  A woman was sitting on the edge of the bed stroking my hair.  When she turned to face me, it was Charlotte with her fangs extracted.

      Gasping for air, I sat up in bed.  I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room.  Malinda had opened the curtain and I heard footsteps coming toward the bedroom.  Malinda peeked around the corner of the doorway with a cup of coffee in her hand.  “Good you’re awake,” she said handing me the cup. “I made coffee and breakfast.”

     “Thanks,” I said trying to shake the dream.

     “You have a big day today, so let’s get moving.  I have to make you extremely beautiful for Tony.”

     When she said Tony’s name, I looked up at her, smiled and forgot all about the dream.  “I do, don’t I.”

     Sitting on the edge my bed I told myself it was just a dream.  Tony was at Mike’s getting ready to marry me and I needed to get ready myself.  Standing up, I went to have breakfast.

     “Well I didn’t actually make breakfast,” she said putting a plate on the table.  “I went to the diner and had Frank make it for us.  Here,” she said pulling out the chair.  “Sit.  You eat; I’ll go get your train case.”

     I sat at the table, but I wasn’t hungry because the butterflies were back.  Malinda took off for my bathroom.  Soon she was back with the case.  Sitting it on the table, she opened it and started sorting out the makeup to see what she was going to use.  “Jess, you have to eat.”

     “I don’t think I can.  The butterflies are back.”

     “The only way the butterflies are going to go away is eat.”
     Picking up the fork I stabbed the scrambled egg, popped it in my mouth, chewed and swallowed.  My stomach did feel better and I ended up eating everything.

     “Now don’t you feel better?” she asked.  “It’s time to get your hair and makeup done.”

     “Yes, I do.  By the way, Thanks.”

     “You don’t have to thank me.  I’m happy to do it.”

     Malinda worked on me as I sat and thought of Tony.  In just a few hours, I would see him and I couldn’t wait.  There would never be another night we weren’t together.  He was mine and for the rest of my life.

     Around one o’clock Malinda was finished with my hair and makeup.  It was now time to put on my dress.  Malinda helped me and I was thankful she was here after all.

     “After the wedding will you take my dress for me?”

     “Of course I will.”

     Malinda dressed, put on her makeup and it was time to head to the wedding.

     In the car I asked, “Where is the wedding?”

     “Tony didn’t tell you,” she said surprised.

     “No
, he didn’t.  I don’t even know where he’s taking me for the honeymoon.”

     “We’re almost there and I’m sure where ever he’s taking you, you’ll have a fantastic time.”

      Malinda pulled up to the high school gymnasium.  The parking lot was full of cars.  She pulled around to the back door and parked.  “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

     Malinda got out of the car and walked around the building towards the front.  The back door opened and she motioned for me.  I got out of the car and went into the gym.  Soft music was playing I didn’t recognize. 

     “Follow me,” she said.

     I followed her to the girl’s locker room where my veil and going away dress were waiting.  She helped me with my veil and then turned me to the mirror.

     The girl in the mirror I didn’t recognize.  Could it be me?  “Oh, Malinda,” I said trying not to cry.  “What are you doing as a waitress?  You should be a professional makeup and hair artist for the movie stars.”

     “Oh
, stop it.  This is your special day.  I told you, I wanted you to look extremely beautiful.”

     Malinda had done a magnificent job. I should have been a model for a bridal magazine.  My hair was flowing down my back to my waist.  The sides she pinned up with a comb I didn’t recognize.  “Where did the comb come from?”

     “It’s my wedding present to you.”

     The comb was made in the shape of a rose. Small yellow diamonds embedded around the edge of the rose.

     “I love it.  Thank you.”

     “You’re welcome.  You wait here and I’ll be right back.

     Malinda left the locker room.  Pacing back and forth I waited for her to return, for what seemed like an hour, before she returned.

     “Malinda, I thought you had forgotten me,” I said, nervously.

     “Jess, it’s the butterflies.  Now let me look you over one last time.”

     I turned around in a circle. 

     “Is my dress fine?”

     “It’s perfect.  Tony is going to be so pleased.”

     Malinda grabbed a basket off the only table in the locker room.  “I need you to count to ten then come out.  Turn right and go to the double doors.”

     “Okay,” I said.

     Malinda left and I went out in the hall.  I started counting to ten when I heard the music stop.  Mumbling echoed down the hall and the butterflies came back. 

Deep breaths
, I thought. 
Deep breaths,
I thought again
.  Tony is waiting.

    
When I reached ten, I started down the hall.  Turning the corner, I saw the double doors on my left.   Malinda wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

     “I can do this.  I have to do this.  Tony is waiting for me,” I whispered softly. 

     Taking in a deep breath, I walked to the double doors.  Scanning the room, I didn’t see Tony.  To my left was the archway and I knew he had to be standing in front of it waiting for me. The gym was decorated in baby’s breath and yellow roses.  Balloons hung down from the rafters in nets.  A red carpet was laid where I was to walk.  Yellow rose pedals were strewn on the carpet.  

     The music started up again, but this time it was the traditional wedding march.  Everyone stood up and turned to see me standing in the doorway.  I could feel my cheeks turning red and my knees turning to jelly as I scanned the room with everyone looking at me.  

     “Jess,” Detective Sean said.

     I turned to see him standing on my left.

     “May I give you away?” he asked.

     I didn’t say a word because I couldn’t.  I just nodded
, yes.

     Detective Sean held out his elbow and I grabbed it.  He gently pulled my arm so our arms interlaced.  “Breath Jess,” he whispered.  “You look like you’re about to fall over.”

     Deep breathing wasn’t helping and the butterflies were fluttering in my stomach because every eye in the gym was on me.  I wasn’t one to be center of attention and here I was with the entire town in the gymnasium at my wedding.

     We walked until the aisle was separated by another one.  Turning to my left, I looked for Tony.  There he was in a tuxedo at the altar patiently waiting with a smile on his face.  My world shined as I fixated my eyes on him and the butterflies disappeared.

     Detective Sean and I walked slowly up the aisle.  I watched Tony’s eyes look me over and the smile grew even bigger.  He was pleased with my dress. 

     Detective Sean gave Tony my hand.  I gazed into his eyes with a small smile.  Tony winked at me.  Handing Malinda my bouquet I took both of Tony’s hands.

     Father Malcolm performed the ceremony.  I recited my vows to Tony and then he recited his.  Father Malcolm asked Tony if he took me as his wife.  Without hesitation Tony hollered, “I do” and everyone laughed.   Father Malcolm asked me if I take Tony to be my husband and I whispered “I do” making everyone strain to hear me.  Tony heard me and that was all that mattered.  Tears started forming in my eyes, but I swallowed hard to hold them back.

     I had taken my ring off my finger giving it to Tony before he left for Mike’s.  He placed my ring back on my ring finger of my left hand where it would stay for the rest of my life.  I took Tony’s ring from Malinda and placed it on his finger.