Wings of Love (20 page)

“Don’t worry,” said Amy.  “I’m sure
after a good night sleep, I’ll feel better.  Good night
Adam.”

“Good night.”  Adam beat her to her
farewell line.  “Sweet dreams babe.”

***

“Would you look how beautiful my little girl
is,” Mrs. Makowski said as Amy came out of the dressing
room.  “I think this dress was made for you.”

“It’s breathtaking,” Janet and Angie both
agreed.

Amy stared at herself in the mirrors that
surrounded her.  She had never felt so elegant in all her
life.  All she could think of was the expression on
Adam’s face when he’d see her in this wedding dress for the first
time.  She pirouetted on one foot watching the gown swish
as it followed the movement of her body exquisitely.

“This is it,” Amy was positive of her
choice.

“I second the notion,” said Janet as she
unhooked the train and laid it out behind her.

Mrs. LaPointe, Laurel, and Michelle all
nodded their heads, speechless as they watched Amy walk forward
with the train trailing behind her.

“It’s perfect,” Angie smiled at Amy
wishfully.  “I simply love it.”

“Then it’s unanimous,” Amy was elated with
her decision.  “Now I get to have fun watching you all
pick out your dresses!!”

By the time they left Connie’s Bridal
Boutique it was nearly six o’clock.  All the dresses had
been chosen and alterations were scheduled individually for the
following week.  Janet’s dress was red and all the others
where pink to coordinate with the Valentine’s Day scheme of
things.  The flowers had been ordered in the same red,
pink and white combination.  Amy decided to treat all the
ladies to dinner at the Riveria Restaurant which was just a short
distance down the street.  The group of woman spent a
couple hours enjoying their meal and discussing all the wedding
plans she and Adam had already arranged.

“It so exciting,” Angie
exclaimed.  “What a lovely bride you will make.”

“It was a fun afternoon,” said Mrs. LaPointe
as she rose slipping her jacket on to leave.

“Thanks for dinner, “Michelle and Laurel said
as they took their mother’s cue.  “We’ll see you
soon.”

“Thanks for coming.”  Amy realized
how lucky she was that Adam had such a wonderful family.

“I’m going to take off too,” Mrs. Makowski
smiled at the girls.  “What a nice day we all had.”

“Bye mom,” Amy stood up and gave her a hug
and kiss.

“Bye Mrs. Makowski,” both Angie and Janet
waved then watched her walk out the door.

“Girls’ night out!!”  Janet danced
in her seat.  “What happens at Doogles stays at
Doogles!!”

“Sounds good to me,” Angie nodded her head in
agreement.  “Joey is out of town at a hockey camp this
weekend.”

“Considering this may be the last time we get
to hang out together before the wedding,” Amy pondered out
loud.  “I guess I can’t refuse!”

The three of them all drove to Doogles in
Angie’s car as they listened to the radio singing along
to 
You’re No Good
 by Linda Ronstadt.  By
the time the song had ended they were pulling into the parking lot
which was already packed.  When they entered Doogles the
dance floor was crowded with wanna be disco queens and their
coordinated leisure suit partners.  The juke box had even
jumped on the bandwagon as it blasted out 
Stayin
’
Alive by The Bee Gees. 

“This is a riot,” said Amy as she boogied to
the music.  “Once in a while you come up with a good
idea!”

“And don’t you forget it,” laughed Janet as
she wandered off dancing with a John Travolta look alike.

“Woo!  I need a break,” said
Angie.  “Let’s go find a table.”

Amy followed Angie to the last open table in
the bar.  They watched as Janet danced with some old
boyfriend she knew from junior high school. 

“Now I remember why I broke up with
Tommy!  He is such an asshole.”  Janet laughed
as she sat down with the girls.  “Do you remember the
time we played seven minutes in heaven?  We were all in
7th grade. You know the time you and Bobby had to go in
the closet?”

“No, I don’t remember,” Amy blushed trying to
change the subject.

“I went in with Tommy and he couldn’t even
last for seven minutes!  Now I remember!  You
and Bob did go into the closet for well over seven
minutes!”  Janet downed her drink and turned to Angie as
she continued to make her point.  “Bobby was always after
Amy.  He probably got his rocks off that night.”

“Would you stop,” Amy rolled her eyes at
Janet who obviously had too much to drink.  “Nothing
happened.  I swear.”  Amy hopped off the bar
stool as 
Shout
 by Otis Day & the Knights came
on the juke box.  “Come on let’s dance.”

Amy headed back out onto the dance floor
before Janet could press her any further about the silly middle
school game.  She loved Janet like a sister but sometimes
she could piss her off.  Amy did remember that night but
she certainly couldn’t tell Janet that or how totally off base she
was about what went on for those seven minutes. 

Amy could see how it appeared to Janet, but
she wouldn’t tell her the truth.  Her friendship with Bob
was something she couldn’t explain, without destroying him, and she
cared too much about Bob to want to hurt him.  He had
been hurt enough in his life by people he thought he could
trust. 

I Need A Lover
 by John
Cougar came on next.  Amy shook her head as she watched
Janet flirting with the guy in the cowboy hat.  Amy was a
one man woman whereas Janet was more the love the guy you’re with
type.  Well, at least he had diverted Janet’s attention
off of her. 

After the bar they all stopped at Denny’s for
breakfast as did half of the people at Doogles including Mr.Studly
Cowboy who decided to join them. 

“Hi Angie!”  Crystal, the waitress,
stood by their table with her pencil and pad in hand.  “I
had such a good time at the New Year’s eve party.  Your
friend Bob is a riot!”

Amy had been almost asleep but the change in
conversation woke her up.  “That’s right I remember he
was making you laugh hysterically!” 

Amy watched as Crystal walked away after
taking their order.  The wheels in her head turned as she
was hatching another one of her matchmaking
schemes.  “How do you know Crystal?”

“I work with her at the
hospital.  She is one of the sweetest girls I ever
met.  Present company excluded.”  Angie laughed
as Janet took the time from her conversation with her lover boy to
give her a look.

“Do you have her address?”  Amy was
wide awake now that her plan was in action.

“Yes, I have it right here.”  Angie
dug in her purse and pulled out her address book.

Crystal walked up almost on cue with the tray
of food and began setting it on the table before
them.  “How’s the wedding plans going?”

“Wonderful.”  Amy smiled that this
was going even better than anticipated.  “I was just
getting your address from Angie.  I’ll mail you an
invitation.”

  By the time they finished at
Denny’s it was nearly three o’ clock in the
morning.  Janet rode off into the sunset with her cowboy
and Angie dropped Amy off at her house.  She unlocked the
front door, her thoughts of the night interrupted by the phone
ringing in the kitchen.  She tossed her purse on the
couch and ran to answer it.

“I have a collect phone call from Bob
Prusinski at the Sanilac County Jail.  Would you accept
the charges?”

“Yes,” Amy answered as her heart pounded in
her chest wondering what could be wrong.

“Amy?”  Bob was quite
upset.  “I really screwed up this time.  I need
your help.”

“What happened?”  Amy questioned a
part of her afraid to hear the answer.

“I got pulled over and they busted me with
open alcohol and possession of pot.”

“Oh Bob,” said Amy as she
exhaled.  “How can I possibly help you with that?”

“I have some money stashed in my bedroom,”
explained Bob.  “It should be more than enough to bail me
out.  It is hidden in the back of the right speaker of my
stereo.”

“Okay.” Amy jotted down the address Bob gave
her for the County Jail.  “I’ll be there as soon as
possible.”

Amy checked the clock on the kitchen wall of
Adam and Bob’s house scanning the refrigerator for something to
drink.  It was four o’ clock and she needed some caffeine
if she was going to drive to Sandusky without sleep.  She
grabbed a Pepsi out of the refrigerator and shut the door, then
decided to grab another one for the ride back.  She
stuffed the envelope of money into her purse and headed out the
front door on her rescue mission. 

Amy drove white knuckled down the main
highway, the snow swirling across the asphalt in front of her
car.  The headlights didn’t manage to help much with the
heavy snow falling around her.  She could feel the wind
as it smacked against the car taunting her for being out at this
time of night. 

Amy made a left hand turn onto Elk Street and
pulled around the back where the Sanilac County jail was
located.  She found a spot next to the three sheriff’s
cars in an otherwise empty parking lot.  Amy walked
through the back entrance where an officer was watching a portable
black and white TV.  He stood up from the swivel chair
and slid the glass door open.

“Can I help you?” 

“I would like to post bond for Robert
Prusinski,” Amy said nervously.  This was the closest she
had ever been to the vicinity of a jail.  Amy handed him
the amount Bob owed for bond cost and fines. 

“It will be a few minutes.”  The
officer closed the window and left Amy alone in the small waiting
room.  She sat down on one of the orange plastic chairs
and pulled her coat tighter as if to warm her body from the cold
dismal room.  She thumbed through a two year old Reader
Digest as she waited for what seemed like an eternity.

“Take it easy Bob,” said the officer as he
opened the heavy gray door. 

Bob appeared through the door and broke out
in a smile.  “There’s my angel!”

“Hey,” Amy placed the magazine back on the
table.  “You ready to go?”

“Hell yeah.”  Bob held the door for
her while the snow blew in across the floor.  “Thank you
so much Amy.  I would have been stuck here if it hadn’t
been for you.  Out of all the people I know, you are the
only one I can count on.”

“Do you want to drive?”  Amy held
up the keys as she walked out the door.  “It was
miserable on the way here.”

Bob started the car up and cranked the heat
on as Amy got into the passenger side.  He took the brush
out of her backseat and cleared off the windows which had
accumulated about four inches of snow since it was parked.

“Man, it’s a blizzard out there,” Bob hopped
in the car rubbing his hands in front of the heater
vent.  “Are you okay?”

Amy had been shivering since she got into the
car.  “I must have got a chill.”

Bob took his jacket off and placed it over
Amy’s shoulders.  “Here that ought to warm you up.”

“Thank you,” Amy felt her body stop shaking,
as the heater and the coat shielded her body from the cold.

“I’m the one who should be thanking
you.  I’m sorry I made you go out on a night like
tonight.”  Bob turned the headlights on and drove out of
the parking lot.  “I got to try to tow the
line.  I can’t afford to get in any more trouble.”

“Hey, we all make mistakes.”  Amy
came to Bob’s defense with the realization that this could have
happened to any of them.  “I won’t say anything about it
at the center.  How would you explain that you got
arrested to little Bob or Billy?  They all worship the
ground you walk on.”

“I know. You’re right Amy.  I
wouldn’t want to let them down.  ” Bob concentrated on
the road which was barely visible.  “You get some rest
Amy it’s going to be a slow ride home.”

Amy snuggled up against the door as she heard
the wipers keeping rhythm with the song Bob had found on the
radio.  Before Amy knew it she fell asleep listening to
the music of Rush’s 
Fly by Night
.

Chapter 16

Amy was lying on the couch when Joey and
Angie came in after going to the movies for the
afternoon.  She hadn’t been feeling good at all
today.  She tried to eat but couldn’t keep anything
down. 

“Amy, you don’t look so
good.”  Angie rushed over and felt her
forehead.  “You’re burning up.”

“My stomach is killing me,” Amy admitted as
her teeth were chattering.  “I can’t stop shaking.”

Angie felt her stomach noticing it was
bloated.  Amy flinched when she gently pressed on her
lower right area of her abdomen. 

“I think we better get her to the hospital,”
Angie looked up at Joey.  “It might be her appendix.”

“Please call Adam,” Amy
pleaded.  “I need him.”

“I’ll call him as soon as we get you to the
hospital.”  Joey assured her as he helped her with her
coat that Angie took out of the hall closet.  He lifted
her up in his arms and carried her out of the door.  “I
promise.”

***

Adam sat next to her bed, his head resting on
the metal rail as he held Amy’s hand.  He hadn’t left her
side since he flown in late last night from New
Hampshire.  Her appendix had ruptured, and the doctor had
given her heavy doses of antibiotics before they were able to
perform the surgery yesterday afternoon.  Adam looked up
as Bob entered the room holding a large card in his hand.

“The kids at the center made this for
her.”  He set it on the nightstand among the other cards
and flowers.  “How is she doing today?”

“They said she is out of any danger now.”
Adam watched her breathing then looked up at
Bob.  “Thanks for staying with her until I could get
here.”

“It was the least I could do.  I
was afraid for awhile we were going to lose her.  It did
not look good at all yesterday morning.  What would we
all do without Amy?”