“Mom! Mom guess what? I’m getting married!”
I could only hear Chris’ side of the conversation, but could tell that her mother was not pleased by the announcement, if the frown on Chris’ face was any indication.
“What did she say?” I asked.
Chris held the phone away. “She said we can’t get married without them here.”
“Oh, shit,” I grumbled. I did not want to wait, not now. This was not what I wanted, and I always got what I wanted.
“Blackie, don’t do it,” George whispered in my ear.
“Don’t do what?” I retorted defensively.
“Don’t think about yourself for a change. Think about her,” he stated, nodding at Chris.
I was so furious, I could feel my cheeks flush.
“You’ve got some set of balls on you, George,” I fumed.
“Thank you,” he said dispassionately.
I stared at him blankly, and then I laughed. George was that inner voice in my head that I never wanted to listen to before. But now, I couldn’t block it out. He was right. As much as I wanted to get married, I had to consider Chris’ feelings too. Of course she’d want her parents to be at her wedding. She liked them as much as loved them. I wish I could say the same about mine. She deserved the wedding of her dreams, with a beautiful gown, and her family beside her. I doubt this was something she had dreamed about, being surrounded by people she didn’t know, on the streets of San Francisco.
“It’s okay, Chris. We don’t have to do this today,” I told her, although I wasn’t sure she heard me.
“Mom, I understand how important it is for you to be with us,” she said into the phone. “I want that, too, but don’t you understand how important it is to us to be married on this day of all days?”
I looked into her liquid eyes and my heart melted. “No, Chris,” I said, moving very close so that her mother could hear me over the phone. “We don’t have to get married today. It’s really okay.”
She shook her head. “Listen, Mom. We can still have a wedding when we get back, and I hope you’ll help me with it.”
We moved up to third in line to be married, and I knew that I had to do something in a hurry to appease both of them, but I didn’t know what. Then an idea popped into my head.
“Chris, I have an idea. Tell your mother that you’ll call her right back. Then I’ll conference her in with your father on FaceTime, and that way they both can be at our wedding.”
Chris grinned and kissed my cheek. “Hang up, Mom, and I’ll call you back.”
It was a little trick I’d learned from one of my father’s young secretaries, right after we had made love. Father had demanded that I join a conference call he was in, and she showed me how to do it. I knew my new cellphone couldn’t be much different from what I had back then. I was wrong.
“Kate, help!” I pleaded, holding my phone out to her. I knew that she knew how to make conference calls using FaceTime. I provided her with the latest cellphone when we hired her, and instructed her to learn how to use it, just in case. Smartest thing I had ever done. Well, except for today.
Kate laughed, took the phone from my hand and began making calls. While Chris gave Kate the phone numbers to call, I took Chris’ phone and called Charles. I didn’t know if they’d be able to get here in time, but I did know that Norma would kick my ass if I didn’t let her know about the wedding. I smiled at that thought, and then I called Charlotte next. We moved up to second in line, and no one was there yet. I was getting anxious now. I wanted Norma with us as much as Chris wanted her mother to be with her. Maybe I could stall the proceedings with some money?
Chapter Five
Do You Take This Woman? — Chris Livingston, Melinda Blackstone, and all of San Francisco, California
Melinda was craning her neck trying to find Norma in the crowd, but Norma was nowhere to be seen. She pulled out her wallet and was about to hand the
I could only hear Chris’ side of the conversation, but could tell that her mother was not pleased by the announcement, if the frown on Chris’ face was any indication.
“What did she say?” I asked.
Chris held the phone away. “She said we can’t get married without them here.”
“Oh, shit,” I grumbled. I did not want to wait, not now. This was not what I wanted, and I always got what I wanted.
“Blackie, don’t do it,” George whispered in my ear.
“Don’t do what?” I retorted defensively.
“Don’t think about yourself for a change. Think about her,” he stated, nodding at Chris.
I was so furious, I could feel my cheeks flush.
“You’ve got some set of balls on you, George,” I fumed.
“Thank you,” he said dispassionately.
I stared at him blankly, and then I laughed. George was that inner voice in my head that I never wanted to listen to before. But now, I couldn’t block it out. He was right. As much as I wanted to get married, I had to consider Chris’ feelings too. Of course she’d want her parents to be at her wedding. She liked them as much as loved them. I wish I could say the same about mine. She deserved the wedding of her dreams, with a beautiful gown, and her family beside her. I doubt this was something she had dreamed about, being surrounded by people she didn’t know, on the streets of San Francisco.
“It’s okay, Chris. We don’t have to do this today,” I told her, although I wasn’t sure she heard me.
“Mom, I understand how important it is for you to be with us,” she said into the phone. “I want that, too, but don’t you understand how important it is to us to be married on this day of all days?”
I looked into her liquid eyes and my heart melted. “No, Chris,” I said, moving very close so that her mother could hear me over the phone. “We don’t have to get married today. It’s really okay.”
She shook her head. “Listen, Mom. We can still have a wedding when we get back, and I hope you’ll help me with it.”
We moved up to third in line to be married, and I knew that I had to do something in a hurry to appease both of them, but I didn’t know what. Then an idea popped into my head.
“Chris, I have an idea. Tell your mother that you’ll call her right back. Then I’ll conference her in with your father on FaceTime, and that way they both can be at our wedding.”
Chris grinned and kissed my cheek. “Hang up, Mom, and I’ll call you back.”
It was a little trick I’d learned from one of my father’s young secretaries, right after we had made love. Father had demanded that I join a conference call he was in, and she showed me how to do it. I knew my new cellphone couldn’t be much different from what I had back then. I was wrong.
“Kate, help!” I pleaded, holding my phone out to her. I knew that she knew how to make conference calls using FaceTime. I provided her with the latest cellphone when we hired her, and instructed her to learn how to use it, just in case. Smartest thing I had ever done. Well, except for today.
Kate laughed, took the phone from my hand and began making calls. While Chris gave Kate the phone numbers to call, I took Chris’ phone and called Charles. I didn’t know if they’d be able to get here in time, but I did know that Norma would kick my ass if I didn’t let her know about the wedding. I smiled at that thought, and then I called Charlotte next. We moved up to second in line, and no one was there yet. I was getting anxious now. I wanted Norma with us as much as Chris wanted her mother to be with her. Maybe I could stall the proceedings with some money?
Chapter Five
Do You Take This Woman? — Chris Livingston, Melinda Blackstone, and all of San Francisco, California
Melinda was craning her neck trying to find Norma in the crowd, but Norma was nowhere to be seen. She pulled out her wallet and was about to hand the
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