The Breakup Mix (36 page)

Eddie. I didn’t know if I wanted to hug him till he suffocated or push him in front of a bus. I would have a solid answer after this visit. “So Eddie told you I was going to Naples, but he didn’t know why.”

“No, but there was a lot of speculation and rumors. No one could figure out why you’d up and leave your job, your life . . . none of it made sense until I started doing the math.” He bit his lip and mumbled, “I thought you were pregnant.”

My eyes widened as I said, “Pregnant? Tony, we haven’t slept together in well over a year.”

His eyes dropped as he whispered, “I know.”

The panicked look on his face, the desperation to know the truth, the look of relief when he saw Alissa—it all made sense now. “Tony, there hasn’t been anyone since you.”

He took a deep breath. “All I could think was you were pregnant and maybe had come down here to get married like . . . like we’d talked . . . and I thought you were gone. Like forever gone.”

My nose tingled and eyes misted as I watched his pain exposed. “Nothing like that, Tony.”

He looked at me. “Then what? Well, I guess I know a big part of the situation, now that I’ve seen Alissa. And holy shit that was a shock, but such a relief.”

Don’t think, just feel.

I had never lied to this man outside of telling him I didn’t want to spend my life with him. I wasn’t about to start now. “Alissa found out she was pregnant after Mark broke up with her. About the same time, Dani found out she’s barren. Alissa has never wanted children and would never consider abortion, so adoption was the only option. The problem is that Mark knew she was pregnant. She went to him to do the right thing and have him sign off his parental rights, but he flew off the handle and said a lot of awful things to her. He told her to get rid of it, so she let him assume she was having an abortion.”

“So she had to leave town.”

I nodded. “She had to leave town, yes. She offered to give the baby to Dani, legally of course, and begged me to come with her. I didn’t have any reason to say no and thought maybe the . . . distance from St. Louis would help me gain perspective.”

“And did it?”

I took a deep breath. “Yes and no. More yes than no. Actually, all yes.”

“So what’s the verdict?”

My heart pounded and hands began to shake. “Why did you come here, Tony?”

“I already told you.”

“What were you going to do if you found me with someone else? Found me pregnant?”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “I was going to tell you I love you then ask you to help me bury the bastard’s dead body.”

I laughed. “Oh, that’s great. Have a pregnant lady help you bury a body.”

“I’m kidding. I don’t know. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I guess I just needed to know. I knew you weren’t going to answer my calls or texts, so that left one option. I hopped the first flight I could catch out of St. Louis and here I am.”

“But how did you find the street?”

He smiled slyly. “I’m a journalist, Chance. I know how to get the scoop.”

“Fair enough, but you’ll tell me someday.”

He grinned. “Maybe. Now, tell me; what’s the verdict?”

I slipped my hand into his. “The verdict is that no matter where I go, no matter how much I try to chase you out of my mind and heart, I love you and only you, and I’ll love you the rest of my life if you’ll let me.” I held my breath and thought,
Holy shit, I can’t believe I just said that.

He stared at my face until I met his eyes. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He pulled a package from his pocket and popped the lid on the blue velvet box. “Marry me, Chance. This weekend. On this beach at sunset.”

I stared at the diamond standing proudly in the box shining and eager. I wondered how long it had been cooped up in that little box waiting for this moment. I thought about all the reasons I’d said no before then remembered the pain and regret I’d lived with afterward. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered, “Deal.”

He flopped back on the blanket spread eagle and yelled, “Holy shit, she said yes!” He kicked his legs and pumped his arms in a full-out giddy-fit as my grandmother used to say and laughed his perfect belly laugh before flipping onto all fours and crawling onto me.

I squealed, “Tony! Shit!” as he pinned me under his body and looked at my face.

“Say it again,” he panted.

I bit my lip then kissed his nose. “Yes, I will marry you on this beach this weekend at sunset. On one condition, though.”

His eyes darkened and his eyebrows kissed with worry. I could tell he was holding his breath. “And that is?”

I whispered, “I have to stay here until Alissa gives birth.”

A slow grin spread across his face. “A thousand things ran through my mind, and I was ready to agree to any of them. You never cease to surprise me. Chance.” He sighed and whispered, “I’ve been so lost without you. When I saw you in St. Louis, I knew you felt the same way. She wasn’t my girlfriend. Ever. She wanted to be, but how could I ever downgrade when I had the top of the line?”

“True. So true,” I smiled.

He pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me. “If I stay on top of you much longer, we’re going to get an early start on the honeymoon.”

I whispered, “‘Florida’ . . .”

He smiled. “You’re going to marry me.”

I nodded and bit my lip to stop the tears from falling. I whispered, “You’re really here.” I touched his face and slid my hands down his chest. “I longed for you.”

He tilted his head. “All you had to do was call.”

“All you had to do was come.”

He curled his arms around my body and pressed against the small of my back—that magical place that ignites every nerve ending in my body. He knows that. I groaned. “That’s playing dirty.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Let the games begin, my beloved. We have approximately thirty-six hours of toying to do before we say our vows. I intend to create a smoldering inferno in you until then.”

I smirked. “I know you’ll find me a worthy opponent. Game on, brother.”

“I almost forgot something,” he said as he pulled away from me. He bent over, grabbed the blue box holding the engagement ring, and dropped to one knee. He reached for my hand, slid the ring on my finger,. “Now, it’s official.”

Chapter Forty

From This Moment On

Michelle

I pressed my face against the window. “They’re looking pretty comfy out there.”

Alissa waddled up behind me and craned her neck to see Chance and Tony on the beach. “What do you think he’s saying? He looks pretty intense.”

“How can you see all that?”

She outlined his body with her finger. “See how he’s leaning toward her? Oh, they’re really talking about some shit.”

“Well, she’s not throwing sand in his face, so I’d say it’s going well.”

Dani called to us, “You guys, get away from the window and give them some privacy.”

I gasped. “Holy shit! Is he proposing?”

Dani and Katie raced to the window and squeezed between Alissa and me. Katie gasped, “Oh my gosh, I think he is.”

I sucked in my breath. “Let the sand fly in three . . . two . . . one.”

We watched as Tony flung himself on the blanket then kicked like a kid having a tantrum. “I’m guessing she said no?”

Alissa mumbled, “She’s the dumbest bitch I’ve ever met if she does.”

Katie pointed. “No look! Guys, I think she said yes.”

Dani whispered, “I think she did too.”

I gasped again. “Oh she totally said yes.”

We all jumped up and down squealing and hugging each other. Katie said, “This is the best thing ever. Like getting a front-row seat to a real romantic comedy.”

My eyes were glued to the two figures on the beach. “I want to see him put it on her finger.”

“I bet the poor bastard lost the ring when he threw himself on the blanket,” Alissa said.

Dani nudged her with her elbow. “You’re a mess.”

“Lis, do you have binoculars?” Katie asked. “I want to see this shit!”

Alissa laughed. “Absolutely not. We’re prying enough as it is.”

“He’s doing it! He’s dropping to one knee,” Katie squealed.

I laughed. “Well, his nuts aren’t in his throat yet, so I’d say that’s a good sign.”

“Oh shit, they’re coming to the house.” Alissa turned from the window. “Quick. Disperse. Act like we don’t know.”

We flew into various parts of the living room and took seats in random places. Dani picked up a baby magazine, Alissa grabbed her iPad, Katie redirected her path to the kitchen island and I curled up on the couch with the smart phone I still didn’t quite know how to operate. Five seconds later, we burst into laughter at how ridiculously posed we all looked and knew Chance would give us one look and know we’d spied.

Chance barely had the door open before Katie flew into her arms squealing, “Lemme see, lemme see, lemme see.”

I shook my head and mumbled, “Way to act cool, Katie.” We lit on them like kids on birthday cake and all took turns hugging both of them and admiring the rock on Chance’s hand.

Alissa grinned and hugged Tony. “Well done, well done.”

He faked a hat tip. “Thank you, thank you.”

“Well ladies, I have some news,” Chance said.

I laughed. “I think it’s a little too late for your big news, Chance.”

She grinned. “But wait, there’s more.” She pointed to Alissa and asked, “Want a new project?”

Alissa waved her off. “Oh Chance, I don’t have patience to train Tony for you.”

Chance giggled. “No, but perhaps you’d like to put your excitement to good use and help me find a minister and a place to get a marriage license. We’re getting married this weekend on that beach out there.”

I’m pretty sure some glass shattered and dogs five miles away heard the shrieks that erupted from the teenage girls still deep inside each of us. Alissa paced and ticked the list of things to do on her fingers. “Okay, it’s Friday, so everything is open. You just want someone ordained, right? Not like a specific denomination? Good. We need to go to the courthouse and get the marriage license. I’ll make a few phone calls . . .” her voice trailed off as she got lost in planning mode and engrossed in her iPad.

Chance shook her head. “That’s when she’s at her best. Look at her go.”

“I didn’t bring anything suitable for marrying the woman of my dreams, so I need to find a place to get slicked up,” Tony said with a grimace on his face.

From across the house Alissa shouted, “Hot damn, there’s no waiting period for out-of-state residents! Tony, I’ll text you the address so you can get the marriage license while you’re out.”

“Thank you!” Tony said, “I’m all over it.”

“We need to go dress shopping.” Katie smiled at me before throwing herself on the couch and sighing. “Best vacation ever.”

I looked at Dani. “What do we do?”

Dani shrugged. “You can be the flower girl.”

I leaned against the island and laughed. “All we really need for a wedding like this is the bride, groom, minister, and wine. Lots and lots of wine.”

“Yes, wine.” Dani said. “You and I will work on the area where they get married. We’ll do something to make it pretty.”

The bride-to-be had something to say about that. “No, I just want it to be us on the beach with the sunset in the background.” She blushed. She actually blushed.

I nodded. “I love it.”

Tony excused himself from the house and went to start his whirlwind expedition. I bellied up to the mimosa bar and helped myself to the remainder of Chance and Tony’s bottle. I stared at my friends all bustling around giggling and wondered which one of us was getting ready to win the lottery. It seemed like a natural progression to this dream-filled day. I just hoped it would be me.

Chance is getting married tomorrow at sunset. Chance, my Chance, our Chance, the eternal bachelorette, the woman scared shitless of permanent commitment is tying the knot. While I’d always hoped to see the day, I never thought I’d actually
see
the day. Everything in the universe seemed to be righting itself just as it should be. Dani and the baby, Chance and Tony, my marriage to Brandon . . . well, let’s not get too carried away. He’s still a troublesome little peckerhead, but I love him anyway.

Alissa stood. “Okay, we’ve got some shopping to do. Load up, ladies.”

I linked arms with Katie. “Didn’t we just do this?”

She smiled at me. “Leave it to us to go from baby shopping to wedding dress shopping within four hours.”

“I know I’ll sleep well tonight.”

We walked into the first dress shop we saw and were greeted by a gaunt though elegant woman who seemed to float in her three-inch heels and pencil skirt. She had teeth big enough to write a week’s worth of groceries on and eyes that disappeared when she smiled. I had to stifle the giggle bubbling in my throat. Every time I looked at her, I envisioned an awkward county fair caricature. The harder I tried to stop it, the bigger the giggle grew. I locked eyes with Alissa who widened her eyes and bit her lip as she shared my thoughts. The woman reached for Dani’s hand. “You must be Alissa. I’m Beatrice. We spoke on the phone.”

Dani shook her hand and pointed at Alissa. “Actually, she’s Alissa. I’m Dani Miscato. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Beatrice glanced at Alissa’s pregnant belly and blinked forty times in a row. “Oh, well, Alissa, it’s nice to meet you.”

Alissa smiled and shook her head. “Relax, Beatrice. Allow me to introduce you to Chance Bradley, the bride-to-be.”

Beatrice exhaled and smiled at Chance. “Congratulations, Ms. Bradley. You’ve come to the right place. Let’s see, you’re about a size eight, right?”

Chance’s head snapped back. “Wow, you’re good.”

Beatrice smiled. “It’s my job to know women’s bodies. What kind of dress would you like for your special day?”

Alissa leaned in my ear and whispered, “Did she just sound like a pimp, or was it just me?”

The giggle I’d tried to stifle erupted in a hearty guffaw that echoed through the elegant showroom. Beatrice eyed me then guided Chance to an area of dresses on display. I looked at Alissa. “You got me in trouble.”

Alissa grinned. “I wish I had popcorn and a soda right now. Watching Chance get fondled by the dress drill sergeant is going to be epic.”

I pointed at Katie who was two steps behind Beatrice hanging on her every word. “I’m pretty sure Katie was a cat in a former life.”

Alissa considered it then said, “Nah, I’d always figured her for a Labrador retriever.”

“Want me to throw my phone and see if she fetches?”

Alissa laughed into her hands to soften the sound and shook her head. “No, but I think we should stir up Beatrice a little.” She sauntered toward them and asked, “Do you have anything backless, strapless, and perhaps cut above the knee?”

Beatrice did the fast blink thing and offered the thinnest line of a smile. “Alissa, if that’s the kind of dress you desire, I’d recommend a bath towel. It would offer much more class than that style of wedding dress.”

Alissa winked. “See Michelle? That’s what I said, too, but I wanted to hear it from the best.”

Beatrice turned her attention to Chance. “Why don’t I bring you a few dresses that sound like what you’re looking for, and you can try them on.”

Chance nodded. “Yes, that’s fine.”

Beatrice excused herself, and Alissa took her turn on the showroom floor. She walked, or should I say waddled, and imitated Beatrice’s deep, slow speech when she said, “Now, Ms. Bradley, would you like to wear something that makes you look elegant or fuckable?”

Chance threw her shoulders back and responded, “Oh, Ms. Franklin, I’d like to try on the bath towel, please.”

Chance was summoned to the dressing room, but we were instructed to stay in the half-circle sitting area in front of a string of mirrors. Alissa stood on the platform and admired her figure from all angles. She looked at Katie. “What do you think, Katie? Does this belly make me look pregnant?”

Katie said, “Oh, not at all. In fact, I think you’ve lost weight since I saw you last.”

Alissa spun around and whispered, “How pissed off do you think Beatrice would be if I tried on dresses?”

Dani laughed and shook her head. “Will you stop it?”

“Well, damn, did you see the scathing look she gave me when I dared bring my eight-month-pregnant belly up in her store looking for a wedding dress?”

Dani shrugged. “I doubt it has anything to do with your condition.”

“It’s cool,” I said. “I told her you two were married already, so you weren’t living in sin.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “You would say that.”

I giggled. “Not really, but I wish I had, now.” I looked around. “Think she’s got drinks here? I wish I’d brought my mimosa.”

Katie set down the bride magazine she’d flipped through. “Yeah, we should be drinking right now. So like, technically, this is the night for the bachelorette party, right?”

Dani wagged a finger. “Am I the only one that remembers you nearly having to stop halfway down the aisle to vomit in your cousin’s purse?”

“Oh god, that was completely awful.” Katie sat back and sighed. “At least Chance is getting married in the evening.”

“Am I the only one having a hard time wrapping my brain around that sentence?” I giggled.

They all raised their hands.

“While I always figured one day she’d get married,” Alissa said, “I just never thought she’d ever really get married. It’s weird.”

Chance appeared in a floor-length white flowing gown with exaggerated, loose sleeves and the saddest looking bustle I’d ever seen. The boatneck style slid just below her collarbones making them look like completely stunned protruding, hairless eyebrows. She said, “I look ridiculous.”

Alissa’s hand flew to her mouth then she bit her lips. She gestured for Chance to take her place on the platform so we could get the full affect. Alissa said, “This is an . . . interesting choice.”

Chance scowled. “I look like fucking Princess Leah.”

We laughed and agreed.

“Go take that thing off. I can’t let you do this. Run.” Alissa pointed in the direction of the dressing room.

The next dress was even better. It was a sleeveless white dress that hugged her hourglass figure and had elaborate, puffy stuff around her breasts and ankles.

“Are you going as a Q-tip for Halloween?” Alissa said between giggles.

Chance laughed until tears shown in her eyes. “Um, I don’t think we’re going to find anything here that matches my taste. You should see what else is in the dressing room. It’s awful.”

Beatrice appeared and clapped her hands together. “Oh, that’s exquisite. Like that dress was tailored just for you.” She beamed. “I think that’s a keeper.”

Chance offered a tight smile. “No, ma’am, I disagree. While I’m grateful for your time, I believe we’re late for another appointment.” She looked at Alissa. “Unzip me. Get me out of this thing.”

The next two dress shops were more of the same and I was half-expecting Chance to ask for a new bath towel. And that’s when she saw it in the window of the fourth boutique. She pressed her face against the glass and whispered, “That’s it. That one right there.”

I smiled and nodded. “It’s beautiful, Chance. Let’s go try it on.”