To Have and
to Hold……
Three days before the wedding, Isabel was outside the
Crashdown waiting for it to open. She paced back and forth, frowning when Maria
finally opened the doors.
“Good morning.” Maria said pleasantly.
Isabel pushed inside, her phone in hand, highly agitated.
“Don't you open at
Maria walked away, but kept turning back just to keep an
eye on Isabel as she set up her marriage headquarters in the Crashdown, wheeling
and dealing, threatening and screaming into her cell phone for the entire day.
“Is she okay?” Liz asked in alarm.
“You
want to go over there?” Maria asked.
“Um, no. I have to work here … pressed into servitude.
You … you, my dad pays well. You take her.”
Maria glanced at her watch. “Well, he gets me only for a
couple more hours, and then I need to get to my
Liz sighed dramatically. “Three of my classes were
cancelled for end of the quarter project reviews and reading days. Why me?”
“Just born lucky?” Maria smiled. “Talking about
lucky, my mom is on her way home today! She’s taking a four day holiday to be
here over the wedding, and soon as the bouquet is tossed, and she makes sure I
don’t catch it, she’s off to
“How’s he doing?”
“Good. He’s dating three girls at once. Mom says their
customers love him, and just come back endlessly. The clients love him. It’s
that charisma thing.”
Liz had to agree. “He really is very charming.” She was
quiet for a moment thinking about her history with Sean. “He is your
cousin,” she pointed out.
“That he is, but we’re not supposed to talk about
that.” Liz laughed as Maria made a face. “Yeah, my mom said she’d be down
for the wedding, but I think she’s feeling the need to kick some manager’s
butt in the store here. She has it up for sale.”
“Really? I thought she was going to run one, and
eventually Sean was coming here to take over this one.”
“
“
“The new store Mom and Sean are looking at. She wants out
of the alien business, and the artist gallery and shop is going so well, now
she’s looking at
Liz looked over as Michael came through the door in his
guard uniform. He was yawning, and didn’t seem to notice Isabel, though Isabel
was on the phone and hardly gave him a glance.
“Are Isabel and Michael still fighting?”
Maria turned at Michael’s name, and smiled at him. “No.
They’re good. Spaceboy was a good boy, and he decided to put away his feelings
and let this be about Isabel.”
“Wish Max would do the same. He hasn’t spoken to Isabel
since he got back from
“Hmm. Want me to have Michael take him down?”
Liz laughed. “How about just talk to him.”
“Hmm. Right.” Maria took a menu and coffee and went to
intercept Michael. “Morning!”
“Thank god! Coffee.” Michael kissed Maria’s cheek and
then sat back to watch as the black liquid poured into his cup wishing the cup
was bigger.
“Tiring night?”
“Long.”
Maria rubbed the top on his shoulder as his one arm went
around her waist. “I told you we didn’t have to go to the movies and out to
eat. You could’ve taken the time to sleep before work.” Michael shrugged.
Between his evening shifts at the Crashdown, school and Meta-Chem, he only had
from ten in the evening to two in the morning to practice on dating Maria. He
couldn’t afford to sleep away his time.
“I’ll survive. Quick breakfast, and if I hurry I might
get almost two hours of sleep before you wake me up for our ten o’clock
class.”
“You’re going?”
“Yeah. Better. I dumped three of the classes lately.”
Michael rubbed the back of his neck. “What’s due?”
“Test.”
“Oh damn! Over what?”
“I’ll get you the notes. You can scan them as light
reading before you crash.” Maria glanced at the door as the other members of
Michael’s grave shift crew walked in. ‘Maria!’ they all called in unison.
“Boys are here. I’ll go have the cook slaughter a pig.” Maria kissed the
top of Michael’s head, but then suddenly leaned down and kissed him softly on
the mouth. “And I need you to take care of the Max talking to Isabel
situation.”
“Maria, I need sleep.”
The guys all scooted into their usual places. “I know.
Look we have a break from eleven to two. You take care of that, and I’ll take
care of you. Nap at lunch time, and I’ll even give you a back rub.”
Michael was so damn tired, he’d agree to anything as long
as his reward was a damn bed. “Okay. That and a few slices of pizza.”
“Agreed,” Maria turned to the others. “I already set
up your coffee cups, guys. I’ll bring more coffee over in a minute, plus your
orange juice and waters. Did anyone want anything different, or is it the
usual?” Maria took a minute to make note of changes in menu and quickly went
to put the order up. The sooner Michael ate, the sooner he could get home to
sleep.
Steve lifted an inquisitive eyebrow at Michael. “She’s
going to take care of you? A nap and a backrub?” Steve smiled. “That sounds
promising.”
“Is she going to leave the uniform on while she does
it?” Fly asked, his brain working on the picture. Monk elbowed him hard.
Luckily Michael was too tired to comment.
Steve ignored Fly too. “It looks encouraging, Mike. You
ask her to be your date to the wedding yet?”
“No. She assumes we’re going together, and she’s
right.”
“Cheryl said that it doesn’t matter. You still need to
formally ask her. Even if she thinks it’s the same, if you ask … it’s not.
It starts her thinking about you differently.”
Michael groaned. “I’ll add it to my growing list. Talk
to Max. Ask Maria formally to be my date to the wedding. Sleep...” Michael put
his head down on the table to rest, and when Maria came back, she passed out
things to the others, her one hand coming to rest on the back on Michael’s
head, her fingers stroking his neck. They all beamed at her.
~~~
Michael closed his apartment door and almost ran into Max
leaving the bathroom. “Hey.”
“How was work?”
“Breakfast was better because work is over, and now I can
sleep.”
“I’m through in the bathroom if you need it. I think
there’s still hot water.”
Michael nodded. Good idea. Hot shower, and then he was
going collapse on the bed. “Thanks.” Michael went to go into the bathroom,
but stopped. “Hey, Maxwell …”
Max turned and waited.
“About Isabel …”
“I’m not talking about this.”
Michael shrugged. “Yeah, that’s fine. I really don’t
want to talk about it either. That would cut into my precious little rest time.
So you can just listen.” Michael rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed too
tired to do this. “You miss your sister’s wedding; you’ll never come back
from that.”
Michael shut the bathroom door. Turning on the shower, he
sighed. There he did his duty. God, his life was so much easier before he became
this talky, talky touchy feely guy.
~~~
Michael groaned as he felt the tension leave his back.
Maria was quietly talking to him, his stomach was full of almost an entire
pizza, and he almost had three hours of time in which to sleep.
“You need to do something about your work schedule.”
Maria told him.
“I know. I’m trying to save money for our move.
Graduation is just over six months away, Maria.”
“I know.” Maria’s hands moved over his skin as she
stared at his back. He had a wonderful back. It was firm, his skin was clear,
and it felt good beneath her fingertips. “I also think that you can’t keep
running on nothing. We’ll talk again when you’re not falling asleep under my
hands.”
“I love your hands,” he said not really hearing what he
was saying as his mind shut down. “I love you.”
Maria laughed at his sleepy voice already gone as he
slipped into sleep. “I love you too.” Slowly getting off him, she pulled a
cover up over him, and her hand moved slowly down his back, stroking his skin.
Staring at his sleeping face, she was always caught by how young and innocent he
looked when he was asleep. Her eyes stared at the long lashes on his cheek.
Reaching down, she nuzzled his skin breathing in his smell before kissing his
lax mouth softly. She left him to sleep.
For once, Michael was too tired to dream, which was a pity
since he was working on a nice series of fantasy dreams of Maria as Jeannie, and
him as Major Nelson.
~~~
“How long as she been here?” Michael asked Maria as he
put another finished order up in the window. Maria took it on her side and
finished the order.
“According to Liz … all day.” Maria glanced over at
Isabel. “It’s not going well, and now she only has two days.”
“What’s wrong?”
“From what I can gather. Everything. The printers, the
floral arrangements, the dress, the entire reception … basically, anything
that could be wrong, is wrong.”
Michael glanced over at Isabel and shook his head. He
didn’t have the power to help her, and this was totally out of his area of
expertise. The better part of valor was to retreat to safety. “I need to get
some sleep before my next shift tonight. You mind if I cancel on you after
work?”
“No. That is fine. I’d rather you slept anyway. You
need it.”
“I do. This is my last shift until after the wedding, so
I can do some catch up then. Is Mom home?”
“Yep. Called as soon as she hit
Michael breathed easier. At least something was normal.
Maria started to move away, but Michael remembered
something on his list. “Whoa, don’t go.”
“My order is getting cold.”
“Okay, go drop it and come around. I need to ask you
something.”
Maria smiled at him cheekily as she picked up her orders.
“The answer is yes!”
Did she read his mind? “What?”
“You know … am I the most beautiful woman you know …
the answer is definitely yes!”
Michael smirked when she went off. Going back to the grill,
he punished the burgers taking out his anxiety over asking Maria to the wedding.
When Maria walked into the kitchen, she was sucking on a
vanilla shake. Michael quickly wiped his hands and pushed her out of the
kitchen. He was not going to ask her out over a grease pit. Taking her shake, he
took a drink to fortify himself.
“So whassup?”
“Go to the wedding as my date.” Michael said quickly
making it more a command than a request.
Maria frowned. “I’m sorry. Maybe it was a bit
presumptuous of me, but I thought we were going together.”
“It was, and we are.” Michael took a calming breath,
needing to do this right. “I just wanted to ask you formally, you know since I
screwed up the Prom last year, and I wanted to get you something to match your
dress. That sort of thing.”
“Oh.” Maria was taken aback. She searched his face, and
for some reason she felt … shy. Laughing at herself, she shook her head in
mirth at her own reaction. “I’d love to go with you.”
~~~
The Crashdown was closing, and Maria already sent Michael
home to sleep. Liz and Maria were doing the final end of night breakdown and
clearing as Isabel still sat at a booth on the phone.
“Good night.” Maria said to the last customer as she
closed and locked the door.
“Well, I ordered the floral arrangements three days ago.
I still need them here by Friday.” Isabel made a face at the phone obviously
not liking the response she was getting. “No, I don't want a refund, I want
them here on time or else. Trust me, you don't want to know what that means.
Flowers. Friday. Or else.” She disconnected. Groaning, she sunk her tired head
in her hands.
“More pie?” Liz asked gently.
Isabel peered at Liz and Maria through her fingers. “No.
Liz, thank you. I'm sorry for being such a bitch today.”
“No, just don't even worry about it. I don't even know
what I would be like three days before my wedding.” Liz confessed, almost
positive that Isabel was much more composed.
Maria made a snorting noise. “How 'bout me? The thought
of marriage or even dating make me break out in hives.”
Liz laughed at Maria’s quip, then sighed, actually
thinking the entire wedding, Isabel’s parents disagreement, and the trouble
Isabel had with the boys was … well, it was romantic. “Well, I mean, are
you? Are you nervous at all? Not about the wedding, but about, you know, getting
married? It's for the rest of your life.”
“Honestly, no.” Isabel smiled. That was the only thing
that was going right. How she felt. Isabel sighed wishing it could be easier
though.
Maria heard the sigh. “You're that sure?”
“I guess I am.” Isabel sat back resting as Maria and
Liz piled into the booth on the other side. Her bridesmaids, and the closest
thing she had to girlfriends. It was nice that they were going to take the time
to talk to her. No one else was.
“Hmm. I really respect that.” Maria admitted. She
couldn’t imagine herself ever being that sure.
Isabel laughed at the look on Maria’s face. “Thanks.”
Isabel searched Maria’s face. She knew that Liz and Max
considered themselves in love, and she couldn’t imagine marriage not being a
goal in their relationship. Then there was Michael and Maria. Everyone …
everyone except Maria seemed to realize how Michael felt. Or maybe it was easy
for her and Max to know since they watched Michael give up his dream of going
home for Maria. There was little doubt how Michael felt after that. Isabel felt
the need to test the waters.
“Maria, say hypothetically you were to marry … say
Michael, how do you see that day? I mean would you be nervous?”
“Hypothetically?” Maria pondered. Her face clouded as
she imagined Michael as married, and trying to put another woman there, she
couldn’t. She couldn’t image a life without Michael. It wasn’t just
marriage, it was everything. Children. Maria smiled slightly imagining little
Michaels all about the place, the look on their faces as they slept so much like
their father’s, the sweep of their lashes on their cheeks, and …Maria shook
her head to clear it. The other two girls watched her, enchanted by the soft
loving expression that moved over her face. “I think it would be …” Maria
couldn’t find words. She could never imagine being unsure of Michael in
anything.
Liz quickly came to Maria’s rescue. “Oh, god, I know.
Could you imagine? What if I had to marry Max?”
Grateful for the save, Maria was happy to ponder a Max and
Liz marriage. Isabel listened as Liz and Maria's voices faded away. Isabel saw
herself standing near giant windows with curtains billowing in the wind. A man
walked up to her, and they kissed. She startled awake suddenly.
Liz and Maria saw Isabel reaction, and frowning Liz asked,
“Are you ok?”
Isabel quickly smiled shaking off the strange dream.
“Yeah, I'm ...Fine. I'm fine.”
~~~
Maria went to find her mom. Amy hadn’t come home, and she
suspected that the shop was the culprit. “Mom?”
“Back here, honey!”
Maria walked through the shop to find her mother in the
back among tons of unopened boxes. “Maria, sweetie, I’m so sorry. I
haven’t been home in months, and look at me!”
“What’s going on?”
“That idiot manager, he over-ordered everything. I’ve
got a ton of money tied up in these boxes, and I need an internal audit to
inventory if I want to put up the shop for sale.”
Maria sat down on a work table. “You sure you’re ready
for that, Mom?”
Amy put her clipboard down. “I don’t know. I think
so.” She came to sit next to Maria. “It’s strange, huh?”
“Kinda.” Maria looked around. “This place has
supported us for so long, and I don’t know how I feel about it being gone.”
“It won’t happen until after you graduate. There are a
lot of things to get done. Even finding a buyer might take some time.” Amy
looked at her daughter, worried by how she was playing with her fingers. “What
is it? You can tell me.”
Maria laughed. “Things are changing so fast, and it’s
like once I have a handle on one thing, something else alters.” Maria thought
about Michael actually asking her to be his date. “I guess I am either
fighting the increasing tide, or trying to wade through it to get to the safety
of the other side. I really hate being a coward.”
Amy hugged her daughter. “You aren’t, Maria. You are
very brave in so many things. So your heart is a little tender, and you guard
it. That is not being a coward. I don’t want to see you hurt, so you take all
the time you need.”
“Isabel asked me a question tonight, a hypothetical one
about Michael.” Maria took a deep breath. “She asked how I would feel if I
was marrying Michael.”
Amy held her breath, and in a husky whisper, she had to
know, “What did you say?”
Maria laughed at herself, shaking her head. “I got out of
it. Liz saved me.” She turned to look at her mom, “The thing is …
truthfully, is that I didn’t feel nervous or unsure. I could never be unsure
of Michael. What bothered me wasn’t thinking of him married, but thinking of
him as a father. I could almost see his boys, and the thing is … they felt
like they belonged to me too.”
Amy took Maria’s hand in hers. Yes. She saw Michael’s
future children too. They always had a lot of their mom in them … a lot of
Maria. Amy’s hand tightened on her daughter’s and she wondered if she was
ready for this next step. It was coming. The first seeds were there, planted by
a thought. Maria might not be ready to acknowledge what was so apparent, but
unconsciously, she was already there.
~~~
Kyle was working on a tour bus at the garage with a tour
manager at his elbow harassing him.
“Well? Well? Well? Come on, I need an answer.” The man
insisted into his phone.
“I'm still looking!” Kyle told the man for the
umpteenth time.
“Not talking to you.” The manager told Kyle rudely
before returning to his call. “Hello? I I'm talking to you, Phil. Make sure
the same time slots are gonna be open for us Saturday. Yeah, well, you'll find
out.” The man put the phone against his body and turned his attentions to
Kyle. “Ok, so what's the deal? Ok? Hello, I'm talking to you now, Gomer.
What's wrong with the bus?”
Kyle put down his too. “Well, Mr. Karter …”
“No, no, no. No mister, no last name, no first name, just
Karter with a "k".”
“Ok, look, I don't know what the problem is yet, so why
don't you and the band go get a little cup of coffee and come back in an hour or
two?”
Karter returned to talking on the phone. “Great, we're
stuck for two hours in some rat hole called
“
“Not talking to you.” Karter said rudely. “Let KZAB
know we have to re-book the interview. Yeah--wait, who am I talking to?”
Isabel walked into the garage to find Kyle. She stared at
the manager for a moment, utterly unimpressed by him. “Hey, you got a
minute?” she asked Kyle.
Kyle looked at the bus and then at the rude manager. He
tossed his tool. “I got all the time you need.”
Kyle took Isabel off for coffee as she told him about her
erotic dream while awake in the Crashdown. Kyle, who had a love of the erotic,
was the perfect person to talk to.
“I don't know. It was just the strangest dream, right. It
was like it was me, but it wasn't me.” Isabel continued as Kyle handed her the
cup of coffee. “Ooh, thanks. Like I was saying and doing things I had no
control over, like it wasn't me, but … It was me.”
“Yeah, you know, they say you should write down your
dreams as soon as you wake up.”
“I don't know. The whole thing just felt really, um …
dangerous. But I was thrilled by it, by this man, this familiar man. It was
pretty erotic. I mean … don't tell anyone … But when I woke up in the
Crashdown, I was so disappointed, I literally had to take a cold shower.”
Kyle’s interest piqued. “That's quite a visual.”
“Shut up.”
“Look, don't let it get you, don't--I mean, don't you
really think this is a case of the pre-wedding jitters infecting your dream
life?”
“Jitters?” Isabel made a face. “Surely you jest.”
“No, and don't call me Shirley.”
“Shirley.” Isabel repeated laughing as her phone rang.
“We are spending way too much time together.” She told Kyle as she answered
the phone. “Come on. Hello? What?! Are you out of your mind?” Isabel’s
face clouded as her voice rose in anger.
“No jitters there.” Kyle said watching her.
Isabel waved him off. “Oh, thanks, Kyle.” Isabel
started to leave the garage talking as she went. “No, no, that's not gonna
work. No, I'm not changing the date, it's not an option.”
Kyle shook his head. “God, I hate cell phones.”
“I don't understand. How do you run a business this way?
You take an order, you take my payment …” Isabel was so angry and so
distracted she didn’t notice her parents as she was walking down the street.
“Isabel.” Diane said to get her attention.
Isabel finally noticed them. “Hi.”
“How--ahem.” Philip was not sure how to ask. “How are
you?”
“Fine,” Isabel started to walk away.
“Honey, wait.” Diane hated this, and she couldn’t
just let Isabel walk away. “I know that you're hurt and you're angry, and we
understand, but …”
“… but you need to understand the reason we're not
coming isn't because we don't love you.” Philip finished.
“Of course not …” Diane tightened her hand on her
husband’s. “But we can’t support this. It's …”
Isabel turned her back on her parents and walked off. She
went back to her conversation on the phone. “You listen to me. This is my
wedding and no one will screw it up! No one!”
~~~
Isabel met Max at the park. She had been surprised to get
the call from him. They were walking and talking as they went to a table, and
sat down.
“So how was
“Not quite what I expected.” Max glanced at Isabel,
noticing the dark rings under her eyes, how tired she look, and generally how
unhappy. “How's, uh … How are you?”
“Under a lot of pressure. Two days and counting, you
know.”
“Yeah.”
Isabel sighed. “Just say it, Max. You don't want me to
marry Jesse.” Isabel waved it off as commonplace. “It's ok. Believe me,
people aren't exactly jumping for joy when they hear the news.”
“Everyone's just a little concerned. It's not that we
don't like Jesse.”
Isabel nodded having heard it all. “It's that you don't
know Jesse, it's how sudden this is,” Isabel recited, “it's that you don't
want me to make a mistake I will regret for the rest of my life.” Isabel shook
her head tired of it all. “I know. I have heard it all.”
“Don't you think there's a reason that everyone keeps
telling you the same thing? Like maybe we're right?”
Isabel wouldn’t even consider that possibility. “Or
maybe you could trust me. I would like to believe that my family would find a
way to be there for me.”
“You know we will.”
“No, I don't. Mom and Dad aren't coming to my wedding.”
Isabel’s voice dropped and went husky. “My parents aren't coming to my
wedding. I can say it, but I can’t quite make myself believe it.”
Max’s eyes softened. Thank god Michael had talked to him
in his own special way, because he hadn’t realized how bad it had gotten for
Isabel. “I'm sorry, I didn't know.”
“It doesn't matter, ok? All that matters is that I know
that Jesse is the one.”
Isabel looked over to see her intended walking towards
them. She hadn’t realized it was so late, and that Jesse was on a break. She
had asked him to meet them in the park during his lunch hour.
“Hey!” Jesse said to the brother and sister, kissing
Isabel on her temple.
Max glanced between Isabel and Jesse. “What's this?”
“Oh, this is a set-up.” Isabel informed her brother.
“Hello, Max.” Jesse shook Max’s hand.
“Hey.”
Jesse looked at Isabel with a question in his eye. She had
something planned, but what he wasn’t sure. “Hi. What's up?”
“Well, I thought I'd let you ask, dear. Tradition,”
Isabel informed her bridegroom.
“Right.” Jesse smiled knowing they talked about it, but
he hadn’t known it was a go. “Ahem. I, uh, I know we don't know each other
too well yet, but since we're going to be family, I thought that … actually,
Isabel and I thought that maybe we could start things off on the right foot by
asking you if you, um, you'd consider being my best man.”
“Your …” Max wasn’t sure he heard right. “Best
man?”
“Yeah, well, what do you say, Max?” Isabel asked
hopefully needing someone in her family to be in the wedding party.
Max couldn’t miss how important this was to Isabel, so he
nodded. “Ok. Yeah, yeah, I'd--I'd be honored.”
“Ohh, great!”
~~~
Max got back to the apartment, he woke a half dead Michael
to plan an alien strategy meeting. Michael and Max were talking while Michael
made food. He glanced at the clock. He had a few hours of free time, and his
last shift at work wasn’t until two in the morning. Staring at into his
refrigerator, he frowned at the amount of food missing. “Max, man you need to
contribute towards groceries, or at least replace what you eat. Maria is
currently buying all the groceries in this house, and she’s not even here as
much.”
Max didn’t seem to hear. “First we need a sample of his
blood, make sure he's not an alien.”
Michael took out the milk. “Oh, yeah, that'll be easy.”
He dug around for cereal.
“Then we check into his background, talk to his family,
his friends, try and find out everything we can about this guy.” Max stopped
making notes on the paper outlining his plan of attack. “We can’t let Isabel
know. She already feels abandoned by most of her family. If she knows that I'm
not into this …”
“Max, you're not into this,” Michael pointed out with
his mouth half full of cereal and milk.
“I know. I know, but …” Max waved that off as
unimportant. “Now that I stupidly agreed to be best man, I can’t let her
know that. Not until I have something solid on Jesse.”
“So he must be some kind of loser if he needs you to be
his best man.” Max gave Michael an insulted look. “I’m just saying,
isn’t that usually a position held by his very best friend? So what? He has no
friends?”
“Good point. We’ll ask about his friends. If no one is
close enough to be his best man, then maybe those few that actually might know
him can shed some light on why he’s a loser.”
“Right. I mean I have you, Kyle, Maria, and the guys. Who
only has like one best friend?”
Max seemed to think about that. What disturbed him was that
in truth all he had was Michael. Hmm...
~~~
The next morning, Maria opened the Crashdown standing aside
so as not to be trampled by Isabel. “Good morning.” she called cheerfully.
Then she frowned when there was no Isabel. Sticking her head out cautiously, she
looked around. No whacked out alien girl. Maria bit a finger nail as she looked
up and down the sidewalk in worry.
The dreams she was having were disturbing. Isabel
couldn’t shake it. The image of her talking to a dangerous man that didn’t
approve of her marriage. Maybe it was her unconscious mind reflecting all the
opposition, or maybe it was more. Isabel was sitting on her bed looking at
drawings she had made, when Maria knocked.
“Hi.” Isabel said surprised to see Maria.
“Hi.” Maria was hugging her jacket close. She had
pulled it over her waitress uniform and rushed over to the Evans house. “Is
everything ok?”
“Yeah, fine.”
“Uh, Liz and I were a little worried when you didn't show
up, so when I got a break, I thought I'd just pop on over and see how the
wedding's going.”
“Oh, my god, what time is it? What day is this?” Isabel
startled, shocked that her mind had forgotten everything but the dream.
“It's Saturday,
Isabel’s eyes went big, and she couldn’t breath.
“God, oh, my god, Maria, I'm really late. Um, I was supposed to be at the
pavilion an hour ago to, um, to meet with a florist, and--and I've gotta pick up
your bridesmaid dresses right now. Right now I have to do that. I was supposed
to do that a really long time ago. Actually, if I had had more time, and I
actually have to, um,” Isabel’s voice went loud as the enormity of the day
overwhelmed her, “drop off the check at the lodge … or they're gonna give my
space away to someone else. Jeez!” Isabel covered her face with her hands as
she slowly lost control of everything.
Maria quickly sat on the bed her voice dropping into a
soothing modulation, one she used on Michael to get him to do things for her.
“No, no, it's ok.”
“Oh, my god, I'm gonna …” Isabel was off the bed,
damn near hysterical.
Maria pulled her back down, “… sit down, sit down, and
don’t worry about it. Just--just don't worry, there's no problem. Everything's
gonna be fine, I promise you. I promise you, I'm gonna help you, ok?”
Isabel stared at Maria in wonder. “You're gonna help
me?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Maria.” Isabel hugged Maria,
almost in tears, relieved to have someone on her side, someone to help. “Ok,
ok … you can start with, um … um … you know what, you just start with
everything.” Isabel pushed everything onto Isabel.
Maria looked at it in shock. The amount was staggering.
“Um, Isabel, you could take care of so much of this if you used your powers. I
mean the placards, the flowers, the …”
“I know. I don’t want that. I’m not telling Jesse
about what I am, and I don’t want to cheat. I want to do this the human way
… normal.”
Maria laughed shaking her hand. “That’s so
Bewitched.”
Isabel looked around the room. “I gotta go.”
“Wait, you're gonna go?”
Isabel frantically gathered clothes. Maria reached over and
grabbed a sweater shaking her head. Uh-uh. Not that! “Yeah, I gotta run.”
She stopped long enough to hug Maria tight. “Um, thank you so much, so much,
Maria.”
~~~
Maria walked into the apartment. She found Michael and Max,
and Max took one look on Maria’s face and quickly excused himself. “I’ll
go get some groceries. Back in just a little bit.”
“Michael … I’ve been mugged by an alien.”
“What?!” Michael rushed to her, his hands on her,
checking her out.
“Isabel mugged me. I … she was helpless, and I … it
was there. I just opened my mouth, and it flew out before I could stop it! Then
she … she tossed it all in my lap, and …” Maria grabbed Michael hard.
“She ran away!”
“Ran away?” Maria nodded. Michael took a deep breath
realizing that she hadn’t been really mugged. “Maria, you’re babbling.
What happened?”
“Isabel. I told her I’d help her with the wedding and
she dumped it all on me.” Michael bit back a smile. “This is not funny,
because if I have to help, then so do you!”
“No! No, Maria. Absolutely not!” Michael frantically
searched for a plan, any plan to get him out of this. “Maria, this is girl
stuff. I am already booked into the guy crap.”
“What?”
“Max …” Michael thought of something. Anything.
“Max, just got roped into being the best man … yesterday. He has no tux. We
have to go with Jesse to his fitting, get wedding crap for ourselves, and Maria
…” Michael’s voice lowered in a quiet hush. “Max hasn’t even planned
the bachelor party.”
“Skip it!” Maria told him. What? A lap dancer jumping
out of a cake was more important than her sanity? She didn’t think so. “Who
has your name tattooed on their inner thigh? Me or Max?”
Max walked in. “Whose name is tattooed where?”
“None of your business!” Maria glared at Max. “Have
you or have you not planned the bachelor party?”
Max turned pale. “I have to do that?”
Maria groaned. She punched Michael hard in the stomach.
“Okay, you’re with him. Fitting. I’ll start working on the bachelor party,
but you and Max will need to find out everything you can about Jesse! We have to
invite his friends, tell them where to go.” Maria put a hand over her eyes,
not seeing the look Max and Michael shared. Oh yeah, they would find out
everything. “I’m desperate. I need to call in extra help.” Maria took out
her phone and dialed a number. She walked away from the two to talk on the
phone.
“Did you tell her that we were going to investigate
Jesse?”
“Don’t be crazy. She’ll make us stop.”
“Sheriff Valenti … Jim. Listen I have a desperate
emergency. Uh-huh. I need a bachelor party on the hoof, pronto, a.s.a.p., and I
need you to get with Michael and Max at,” she glanced at Isabel’s notes as
to where the fitting for tux’s was being done quickly telling him the place.
“No. Really, I’m begging you! You’re a man, and Michael and Max,” Maria
glanced at the two alien boys who barely functioned on the planet earth, “are
not. They’ve never been to one, so unless you want a version equal to National
Lampoon’s movie, they need serious guidance.” Maria smiled. “Bless you!”
“She’s good!” Max approved in admiration.
Michael stared at his sassy mate. “Absolutely!”
“Maybe we should include her in our plans.” Max
suggested.
Michael shook his head. “She’ll still make us stop.”
~~~
Liz and Maria sat in the Crashdown staring at the piles of
papers, as they tried to work on the wedding plans.
Liz could believe how disorganized it all was. “This is
so not like Isabel. Something's gotta be wrong.”
“No argument, but you know what? The wedding is tomorrow,
and what I've been able to gather by just glancing at everything is that there's
like a million things that should've been done yesterday, so here's what I'm
thinking. We should just jump into this right now with both feet and take
control of the situation …”
“… or we could sit back and let it all fall apart.”
Liz added.
“Exactly.” They weren’t going to do that. Isabel was
a friend, and she was in need.
“So what's the most pressing emergency?”
Maria’s stomach soured. “Uh, my dress, your dress, and
her dress in that order.”
“My dress and your dress?” Liz saw Maria’s face, and
what she saw made her blood run cold.
“Let me just show you what she picked out for us.”
Maria cruelly held up the picture. Liz gasped in fright as a look of shock
graced her face.
“Maria!”
Maria rubbed her head. “I know. We’re screwed.” Maria
sat back. “We’re only lieutenants, Liz. Worker bees. We need a general. A
queen.” Maria clicked her nail on her teeth. “But where? Where?” Suddenly
her face brightened, and she sat up. “I’m so stupid! Of course!” She
grabbed Liz’s hand and dragged her out of the Crashdown with her.
“C’mon!”
“Maria!”
~~~
Amy DeLuca cleared her throat. “Girls, this is a mess.”
“Wedding is tomorrow, Mom.” Maria said pleading for the
only person she knew who could change water into wine. Her mother was a
businesswoman who got things done. “Mom …”
“Maria, be still. I didn’t say no.” Amy paced for a
moment. “Okay, time to activate the wedding plan!”
Maria clapped her hands excitedly. Liz leaned over. “The
wedding plan?”
Maria whispered back as her mother took out her phone, and
started to move earth and realign planets, “When I was born, my mother started
planning the perfect wedding for me. She has this huge repertoire of assets,
favors, and friends ready to bend to her persuasion. She didn’t want to be
caught lacking on my most important day!”
“She’s so incredible.” Liz said in awe as she stared
at Amy DeLuca.
“I know!”
“Walter, do not tell me that the room can’t be ready.
It will be ready by this evening because I have a special decorating crew coming
in after
Maria and Liz smiled as Amy DeLuca ran over half of the
merchants in
“Honey, you and your friends will have to decorate the
pavilion and the reception hall tonight late. How many can you get?”
Maria gave it some thought. Isabel might not want to use
alien powers, but she had no problem with it to make everything perfect. “Liz,
Max, Kyle, Michael and I can do it after the bachelor party.”
“I’ll get the keys and make the arrangements.
Everything will be waiting. You find Michael, send him to me. I need him to run
a few errands.” Amy read her new list, so much more organized than Isabel’s.
“Liz, you’re to order the cake, including the bridegroom’s cake, and
arrange the catering though the Crashdown. Can your family business handle
dinner for a hundred?”
“We have a chef that has classical training and he would
love to make something wonderful.”
“Good. Tell him no burgers, three main courses, and no
dry chicken.” Amy clicked off the item. “I’ll be by shortly to go over the
menu and main ingredients.”
“Yes, Mrs. DeLuca.”
“Maria, you take care of the music and keep an eye on the
bachelor party. I’m afraid you can’t find the time to give Isabel a party
with all that needs to be done, but I think she’ll take this as a present.”
Amy made a sound of distress staring at the bridesmaids’
dresses. “This is too horrific for words.” Liz and Maria both nodded,
totally agreeing. “I saw the perfect dress for you, honey, just last week in
Maria hugged her mother hard. “Thanks, Mom!”
~~~
Max and Jesse were trying on tuxedos, and Michael was
hanging around checking out something to wear on his first official date with
Maria. He wanted to look nice, but not a freak in a penguin suit. Seeing a nice
Gucci black silk shirt with black ivory buttons, he paused. Okay, that he could
wear. It had an Emperor collar. Nice. Expensive. Michael discretely changed the
cost to make it more in his budget.
Jesse looked in the mirror and shook his head. “No, I
don't think I can do this shawl collar. Let's try the double-breasted.”
“Hey, Jesse,” Michael said holding the shirt up to him.
Should he get his hair cut? He better call Steve, or specifically, Cheryl.
“Hey.” Jesse said glancing at Michael.
“Uh, congratulations. All the best. I mean, you're really
getting a great girl.” Michael saw a pair of black leather pants. Um … maybe
not.
“Thanks, um … Michael. We met in …”
“
“Exactly. I'm bad with names.”
“Oh, no, don't sweat that.” Michael waved it off. It
wasn’t like he really had wanted to know the lawyer anyway. “So twenty-four
hours and counting. You've gotta be getting nervous.”
Jesse flashed a huge smile. “Oh, you know it.” The man
helping Jesse held up another style.
“Oh, that's sharp right there.” Michael told the other
man. Damn Maria and her fashion sense. It was rubbing off on him.
“Thanks.” Jesse noticed what Michael was putting
together. Nice. The boy didn’t look fashionable, but he was putting together a
nice ensemble.
“Um, so Max tells me that you're a local boy.”
“Yeah, born and raised.”
“And then you went to Harvard.”
“Yeah. First I did my undergraduate work at Cornell.”
Max joined them staring down at his tux. It needed
altering. “That's in, uh, upstate
Jesse shrugged. “A couple reasons. Scholarship was one.
Mostly just wanted to get out of
“Yeah, I can relate.” Michael said. He spent his whole
life dreaming of leaving
“No, no, nothing like that. Uh, this restless feeling,
you know?” Jesse explained. He loved his family. “Just an overwhelming
desire to see something outside my window besides the desert.”
“Yeah, I know that feeling. I'm dying to get out of this
place.” He was working his ass to get out of
“Oh, it was beautiful. Sits up on this hill overlooking
“Anyway, I didn't make the law review, so I knew I
wouldn't be clerking for anyone on the Supreme Court.”
“No, of course not.” Michael said absentmindedly after
talking to Jim privately. They had most of the arrangements done for the
bachelor party at the Cow Patty.
Max continued asking questions. “Wait, can we go back for
a minute? You said you changed apartments between your second and third year at
Harvard. Why'd you move?”
Jesse laughed at all the questions. “What, are you guys
interrogating me or something?”
“No!” Max said quickly.
Michael made a face. “No, no, no!”
“Just curious,” Max reassured Jesse. “You know, small
town boys eager to hear about the outside world.”
“Wow, that's sharp.” Michael said looking at Jesse as
he picked up a pin and Jesse’s jacket.
“I mean, you've been a lot of other places that we really
haven't, so …” Max continued and Michael made a gestured behind Jesse at Max
to cut it out. He was being too obvious.
“Right. No, it's true, I understand.” Jesse told them.
“
“Yeah, you can say that again.” Jesse smiled. He was so
ready to be married. He looked at the shirt and reached back to get the jacket.
Michael adjusted the pin in the sleeve.
“Here, here. Try this on.” Michael said helping Jesse
into the jacket.
“Ouch!” Jesse said as the pin stuck him.
“You ok?” Max asked.
“There's still a pin in there.” Jesse explained.
“Oh, I'm sorry about that.” Michael said making a face
at Max.
“Still a pin in the jacket,” Max said in wonder.
Smooth.
Michael handed Jesse a handkerchief. Jesse quickly pressed
it to the bleeding part of his arm before he got blood on his clothes. Michael
took it back with a blood spot on it, and folded it up to pocket it.
Michael gestured to Max. “Oh, Max, we gotta go because we gotta do that
thing we gotta do.”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry.” Max nodded. Right. Bachelor party.
Test Jesse’s blood. It was all in a day’s work.
Michael waved to Jesse. “Yeah, it was nice talking to
you.”
“Yeah, you, too.”
“Good luck.” Michael took his new clothes to check out.
“Thanks. All right, Max. Thanks, guys.” Jesse went back
to looking at his jacket.
~~~
Michael was looking at the blood under Max’s microscope
at his apartment while talking to Max on the phone. “We've got bad news,
Maxwell. Jesse Ramirez is … Ta-da! Human. Yeah, nice red blood cells. Not a
green one in the bunch.” He
frowned when there came a knock at his door. It wasn’t Maria. She would just
walk in. “I gotta go.” He told Max as he hung up. The knocking repeated.
“All right, I'm coming, I'm coming!” Michael opened the door to find a
nervous Isabel.
“Michael, I'm in trouble. We may all be in trouble.
There's an alien out there somewhere and he's after me.”
Michael calmly listened as Isabel told him about the
dreams, about the mysterious man. He listened and shook his head.
“You know, it might just be a dream, Isabel. You're under
a lot of pressure, a lot of anxiety.” Michael suggested. Hell, he just bought
the clothes to take Maria to the wedding. “And what's so strange about
dreaming about an alien?” Hell, he dreamed about Maria all the time, and
nothing was more alien than Maria.
“No, this is an alien who--who knows me, who's …
intimate with me, I mean--I mean, what if it's--god!”
“Who?”
“Khivar. What if it's Khivar?”
“So what if it is? It's probably still just a dream.
Yeah, ok.” Isabel didn’t look too convinced. “Think about it for a second.
Who's Khivar? He's a man you had an affair with …”
“No, that wasn't me. That was that other person.”
Isabel said. She wasn’t Vilandra. She wasn’t her. Michael wasn’t getting
it. Why was she dreaming of Khivar, and not him? Whatever she used to feel, it
was obvious that Khivar was the one in her heart, the one she meant to be with.
She wasn’t that person anymore, and she didn’t want this to mess up her new
life.
“That was you on another planet, ok?” Michael corrected
her, not willing to let her pass off her past so easy. Ignoring it never got any
of them anywhere. “And how did this illicit affair turn out? It got us all
killed.”
“This isn't helping.” She didn’t have time to deal
with blame for a past life.
“Because you're not listening.” Michael said
emphatically. “Don't see what's going on? It's just a dream, Isabel. Your
subconscious mind is screwing with you. I mean, you know guilt? You feel guilty
about what you did back then.”
“I don't even know what I did back then for sure. I mean,
all I really know is that I betrayed you and Max and my whole family for this--
this Khivar.” Isabel collapsed into her usual overly dramatic hyperbole, as
Michael tried to be supportive. “Oh, god, why? What is wrong with me? I mean
… who does something like that? What if I betray Jesse the way I betrayed all
of you?”
Michael caught her before she melted down. “Hey, no, sit
down.” Michael pushed her onto the sofa and sat next to her. “None of us
know what happened in that life. All we know for certain is who are in this
life.” Michael knew that to be a fact, since his past meant nothing to him.
Only this life, this time and reality meant anything to him. “And in this
life, you're Isabel, and Isabel isn't the kind of person who's gonna betray her
husband.”
“What if they're not just dreams? What if Khivar is
really trying to contact me?”
“So what?” Michael made a face. That ship had sailed so
long ago. “Khivar isn't here. He's up there somewhere on a different planet.
If he's trying to contact you, then we'll deal with it.”
“Ok.” Isabel took a huge calming breath. “Yeah,
ok.”
“Good.” Michael was glad that was over. He was late. He
had promised to go see Amy, run some errands before the bachelor party.
Isabel finally calmed down, and she noticed the microscope
in the coffee table in front of her. “What is this?”
Michael swore under his breath and quickly lied. “Uh,
school project.”
“Huh.” Isabel glanced in the view piece for a moment,
and then sat back suspicious. “Whose blood is this?” Michael’s face was
blank, fused with innocence. Isabel’s mouth flew open in outrage. “Is this
Jesse's blood? Are you testing his blood now?”
Michael made a wide gesture and a face. “And he
passed!” Michael said dramatically quickly assessing blame where it was due.
“Because I knew he would pass. I told Max …”
“Max is in on this?” Isabel said, not believing it.
Those two would go so far … behind her back, and …
Maria opened the door and rushed in unaware that she was
saving Michael from a full Isabel rant. Michael glanced at Maria, and swearing
under his breath again, he quickly covered the microscope before Maria saw it.
“Oh, thank god you're here!” Maria said seeing Isabel
in relief. “Oh … okay, um, here's the situation. Uh, there's a slight kink
in the plans. Your … your dress is in
“What?” Isabel stood up, her face fusing with color.
“What?! Oh, God.” She rushed out of the apartment.
“Isabel?” Maria glanced after her. Opening her mouth,
and then closing it, she stared at Michael shaking her head. “I think she took
it pretty well, don’t you?”
~~~
Max was just leaving the Evans house when his parents
entered laughing. They stopped when they saw him noticing the pair of black
dress shoes in his hands.
“Hi.” Max said.
Diane was surprised to see her son. “What are you doing
here, Max?”
“I, uh, I needed …” Max waved the shoes at them.
“For the wedding,” he explained.
“So you're going?” Philip asked. Last he heard, Max
didn’t approve either.
“Yeah, it's … it's kind of complicated, but I'm the--
the best man.”
“Really?” That was news to Diane. “I thought you
didn't approve.”
“Well, not entirely, but, you know, family.”
“So …” Diane hated to ask, but she really wanted to
know. “How is your sister? I mean, she must be getting nervous.”
Philip waved off the thought of Isabel not completely in
control of every situation. “Knowing Isabel, I'm sure she's got everything
completely wired right down to the number of petals on the roses.”
“Well, actually, she's been having kind of a tough
time.”
“Oh?” Then Philip remembered what Jesse told him
earlier, before he went to pick up his wife. “Yeah, the, uh, dressmaker lost
her wedding dress, so …” Philip made a face, “ha …”
“So you're still not going to the wedding.” Max asked
his parents.
“She's making the biggest mistake of her life, Max.”
Diane said, “I can’t stand there with a smile on my face and pretend to be
happy about it.”
Max remembered how he felt, it being the same, but
Michael’s words came back to him. “If you don't, you'll lose her. You and I
… we're having problems, and … I don't know what to do about that right now,
but I hope that eventually we'll work it out. But you miss your own daughter's
wedding, and I don't think you'll ever work that out.”
~~~
Jeff Parker walked into the kitchen of the Crashdown to
find Liz and a group of people bustling about. “Liz, what the hell is going
on? I just got a call from the bakery about a wedding cake.”
“Uh, yeah, I'm catering Isabel's wedding.”
Jeff went still. “I'm not laughing.”
“I'm not joking.”
Jeff’s face went stern. “First of all, this is not a
charity. This is a business.”
“It's being paid for.”
Jeff ignored that. “And second of all, I'm not stupid. I
know Max is gonna be in this wedding, and if you think you've found some sort of
loophole to be around him, well, it's not gonna work.”
Liz put down her clipboard. “I'm helping out a friend.
You see, my parents, they taught me that friends help each other. So unless you
plan on having me put away in handcuffs, I'm gonna behave like the person I was
raised to be.” Liz walked past him. “Now excuse me.”
Liz walked out as Amy walked in. “Oh, Jeff! Good.” Amy
interrupted Jeff’s ability to follow his daughter. “Now I was just talking
to Carlos. He tells me that you do not have any fresh almonds in stock.”
“Amy. Welcome home.” Jeff said quickly. “This is a
fast food restaurant. We don’t use almonds.”
“Well, that is just not acceptable. I ordered an
almandine to the menu, and that will be taking almonds, now won’t it? Now I
can’t have the chicken, and I am making due with a nice saddle of beef, even
though a nice veal piccata would’ve been better. You will take care of
Carlos’s almond problem, won’t you?” Amy started to leave, but noticed
Jeff was still standing there as if stunned. “Jeff? What’s wrong? The
wedding is tomorrow, and Liz, Maria, and I can’t do this all by ourselves, so
you’re going to have to pick up the slack.”
“I guess I could have someone shell some fresh
almonds.” Jeff suggested.
“Good man!” Amy marked that off her list. “Oh, and
the place settings are all wrong. I’ll have to inspect your flatware.”
“Flatware?” Jeff said helplessly.
~~~
Maria was still talking on the phone, following a list of
problems her mother gave her. It was late, and they were fast running out of
time. Jim was trying to convince Maria to hire the Kit Shickers for the
reception.
“Come on, you're gonna need a band at the reception.”
“Maria, we need the exposure.”
Maria looked at the man that gave up his day to help pull
things together. “You know, you can play the bachelor party, how's that?”
Kyle walked into the Crashdown and joined them. “Hey,
Kyle! Tell her how good we are.”
“I'm not your publicist.” Kyle told his father as
Isabel rushed in and joined them. She culled Jim from the group.
“I need to talk to you. Um, I want you to do something
for me at the wedding, during the ceremony actually.”
“It's not an usher, is it? I look so bad in those monkey
suits. I mean, I'm touched and all but …”
“No, Michael and Kyle are ushering, and Michael is
escorting Maria. No, I--I want you to give me away.”
“You mean …”
“Walk me down the aisle.” Isabel explained. “My, um,
my parents aren't going, and since I sort of think of you as a father figure I
thought …” Isabel held her breath. “What do you say?”
“Yes.” Jim was touched. He had avoided real contact
with the aliens since Tess, and the betrayal he felt from her, but Isabel …
“Yes, it would be an honor.”
“Thank you.”
~~~
Karter came over to Kyle's booth while Kyle was eating.
Kyle gestured to the seat across from him.
“Have a seat.” Kyle offered.
“I get it.”
Kyle made a face. “I don't know what you're talking
about.”
“I get it, ok?” Karter said taking the seat. “The
whole stuck in Mayberry until we're nice to Gomer routine. Sorry I hurt your
poor little feelings. Now how much will it take to get you to fix the bus so the
band can get back on the road and make the air dates I keep booking …”
Maria looked up from her list. “Wait a minute, you manage
a band?”
“No,
Maria ignored that hardly impressed. She had her own
agenda. “What band?”
“Ivy.”
Maria’s eyes darkened and narrowed in thought. “Ivy?
Here?”
“Unfortunately.”
Maria smiled at the man, her look becoming penetrating. The
man actually gulped when she concentrated it on him full force. “Let's
talk.”
~~~
Michael found Amy DeLuca still in the kitchen of the
Crashdown terrorizing the staff to her every whim. “Hey.”
“Michael!” Amy kissed him on the cheek. “I brought
back the sweatshirt you left in
“Thanks.” Michael scratched his eyebrow. “I … um, I
finished the errands you want done.”
“Thank you, honey.” Amy glanced at him. “I heard that
you asked Maria to be your date at the wedding.”
Michael felt his neck getting a little hot. “Yeah. I mean
it was understood, and all, but I thought if I actually made it a formal …”
“Request that it would be like a real date?” Amy
guessed.
“Right.”
Amy seemed thoughtful. “That might work.” She reached
behind her back, “Here.”
Michael looked at the flowers and then at Amy. “I don’t
…”
“They match the dress I got Maria for the wedding.”
Michael smiled looking down at the floor. “Thanks.”
“Well, I thought you could use some help.”
“All I can get.” Michael cleared his throat. “I
should’ve told you that she’s alone a lot. I’m working two jobs and
between that and school … she doesn’t stay with me as much as she did.”
“I thought you were going to watch over her.” Amy said,
her eyes watching him carefully.
“I am. I mean all this … working, the jobs, getting my
grades up, they’re all for Maria. I’m trying to make my life better, for
her.”
Amy bit back a smile at his brush with honesty, forgetting
she was Maria’s mother. “I know you are.”
“It’s just I have so little time, and …” Michael
shook his head. “I don’t want to graduate, and move to some big city with
Maria as her roommate. I’m afraid if I do, then that will be it … it will be
all I’ll ever be.”
“I see.” Amy was in a terrible quandary. Helping the
man who would take her daughter away seemed surreal, but then again, of all the
people her daughter could fall in love with, Michael was the one she trusted. He
didn’t open up to anyone, but Maria. That was something so incredible in
itself, it was hard to see it as anything but forever.
“Look, Michael. I know you think you’re going backwards
with not being with her all the time. But, you need to look at this differently.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and sometimes, we learn to take for granted
what is always there. She is missing you, thinking about you, and now you’re
actually asking her on dates …” Amy laughed at her own meddling. “I think
you’re on the right track. She was talking about children to me … your
children.”
Michael’s heart stopped in his chest for a moment. It was
the first real sign he had that Maria was changing. Smiling, Michael picked up
the dishes that Amy had been prepared to carry. “Let me get that for you.”
Amy followed Michael watching his back before she dropped
her next bomb. “By the way … why is my daughter getting ready for the
bachelor party?”
“Maria is not invited to the party. Men only.” Michael
said emphatically.
“Hmm. Just tell me that my daughter is not jumping out of
some cake in next to nothing and sitting on strange men’s laps.”
Michael’s jaw flexed as his eyes darkened. “Oh, I can
promise you that will not be happening.”
~~~
Michael found Maria in the back of the Cow Patty. “What
are you wearing?” He looked at her revealing skimpy clothes, his mouth hanging
open. “What are you doing here?
“Singing. Not too many. Just a few covers with Jim and
his band.” Maria glanced at Michael. “We on to go decorate after the
party?”
Michael took her arm. “You realize that this is a
bachelor party. It’s traditionally known for bad behavior and debauchery …
the behavior is guaranteed to be lewd. You shouldn’t be here.”
“Michael, Max is throwing this shindig. How much
debauchery can there be? Plus, Jim said I could dance Coyote Ugly on the bar
later!” Maria winked at him patting his cheek on her way out to the main bar.
“Maria, no dancing!”
~~~
Jim and his band were busy singing and Maria was behind the
bar working with the bartenders, keeping the wedding party separate from the
other paying customers.
“So what happened after the two of you passed the bar
exam?” Max asked a friend of Jesse’s.
The man shrugged smiling at a skimpily dressed woman that
was one of four that Jim hired to dance and entertain the boys. “We kind of
went our separate ways. I didn't really see him again until probably a year
ago.”
“What was he doing then?”
The other guy at the table winked at the woman putting a
dollar in her outfit. “He was in private practice working for a big-time
corporate law firm.”
Kyle was playing pool with a few of Jesse’s friends
watching the girls. Michael was there too, but he wasn’t paying too much
attention, moving a girl offering him a lap dance over to Kyle. “You boys
don't play much 9-ball out here, do you?” The man chalked Kyle up for a mark.
“Not like you Harvard guys.”
The man sank another ball and smiled at Kyle. “Ooh, it's
like a nightmare, isn't it? Just keeps getting worse and worse. And that's the
game. That's twenty big ones, my friend.”
The guy that Max was talking to was tired of answering
Max’s questions. “Listen, I'd love to sit here and answer your questions all
night, but I'm married, this is a bachelor party, and time’s a-wasting.” The
man noticed a woman walking by and made a face of appreciation. “Whoa! Excuse
me.” He went to follow the woman.
Michael threw himself down into a chair at Max’s table.
“Max, it's time to let it go. You're not gonna find anything on that guy
because there's nothing to find.”
Kyle came up to Michael. “My alien friend, there's
someone I'd like you to meet.”
“Not now, Kyle. I’m keeping an eye on Maria.”
“Man, what are you doing bringing her to a bachelor
party? How can you cut loose with her here?”
“Hey, I never said my girlfriend was sane! Plus,
technically, she brought herself here.”
“Technically,” Max pointed out, “she’s not your
girlfriend.” Michael ignored him. Max saw another friend of Jesse’s that he
hadn’t talked to. “Hey, I'm Max Evans, I'm the best man. So tell me, how
long have you known Jesse?”
Max tried to appear fascinated as Jesse’s friend talked.
“Yeah, we talked on the phone all the time. Well, I mean,
except when he was doing that FBI thing.”
“FBI?” Max suspicion was confirmed. His eyes narrowed.
So Jesse was human, he could be Special Unit.
“I don't know what he did, man. He wouldn't talk about
it. Said it was classified, national security, that kind of stuff.”
Kyle talked Michael into at least checking out the pool
game. Michael might have walked away if not for one of the three Harvard friends
looking over and seeing Maria behind the bar talking to a customer.
“Man, I am taking that sweet meat home! She looks like a
nice distraction for at least one night.”
Michael bumped into the guy, giving him a bit of an itch.
“That ‘sweet piece’ is mine. And she is not a one night distraction for
anyone.”
“Sorry, man. I didn’t know.”
“Uh-huh.” Michael took the cue stick from Kyle and
smiled at the man. “How much money can you lose?”
Kyle rubbed his hands gleefully as Michael went to work. To
keep things interesting, Kyle snuck away to talk to Maria, talked her into
bringing drinks over to their table. Michael a little hot under the collar had a
nice mean streak.
“Man: I can’t believe you sank the 9 ball again.” the
man said as Kyle returned to the game. “Double or nothing.”
Michael chalked up his cue. “You read my mind.”
Jesse found Max. It didn’t take him long to find out what
Max was up to. “You interrogating my friends?”
Max shrugged. “Just asking questions.” He watched
Michael win another game.
Kyle hit the snotty Harvard guy on the back. “It's like a
nightmare, isn't it?”
Jesse glanced over at Michael shaking down his friends.
“Oh, so that's what that was all about in the tuxedo shop, too, wasn't it? You
and your friend trying to build some kind dossier on me?”
“Dossier?” Max lifted a brow thoughtfully. “That's an
interesting word for someone who used to work for the FBI.”
Jesse made a face, his confusion apparent on his handsome
face. “What? What are you talking about? I never worked for the FBI.”
“Louis said you had a mysterious classified job at the
FBI.”
Jesse laughed. “Louis is an idiot. I did an internship at
the DEA. For a semester, and yeah, some of it was classified. What the hell
business is it of yours anyway?” Jesse’s face suddenly became serious as a
thought occurred to him. “What, are you looking for some dirt on me, some
excuse to get Isabel to call off the wedding?”
“That's not it.” Max assured Jesse.
“The hell it isn't.” Jesse turned as things behind him
heated up.
Maria had come to the table bringing drinks, and one of
Jesse’s friends put his hand on her ass. Michael smacked the man’s hand with
his pool cue.
Jesse saw the trouble, and tired to stop it. “Hey, hey,
hey, come on, guys, come on.”
“Nobody makes shots like that. It's a statistical
impossibility.” Jesse’s friend told Michael and the others.
“How would you know?” Michael asked.
“I'm a statistician.”
“Ooh! Whatever. Just give him his money back, man.”
Kyle said his purpose of taking the smug grins off Jesse’s snooty friend’s
face was achieved.
“No way!” Maria said. “Who cares if it is
statistically possible or not? You saw it go in.” She stood in front of
Michael. “Are you calling him a cheat?”
Jesse quickly intervened. “Ritchie, what's going on?”
“These red neck jerk-offs are trying to hustle us.”
Ritchie told Jesse. Maria made a huffing noise making a loud comment about sore
losers.
“What did you just call us?” Kyle asked, his face not
so friendly.
“Oh, didn't you hear?” Ritchie asked. “I said you're
a red neck jerk-off!”
“Hey! Hey!” Max moved in to stop a fight as one of
Jesse’s friends grabbed Maria to move her out of the way.
Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Get your damn hands off
her!”
“Back off!” Jesse ordered everyone as a mug of beer
when flying through the air, and Maria screamed ducking. Jesse turned around as
the room exploded in fists, and Max hit Jesse in the nose. “Ow!”
~~~
They were all at Michael’s apartment talking about the
fight, tending to bumps and bruises when Isabel found them. Isabel went directly
to Max as Maria, Michael and Kyle backed away, all of them appearing very
innocent about the whole affair. Michael quickly asked if anyone wanted a
Snapple, and the group of them decided they needed to go to the grocery store to
get some.
“You broke his nose?!” Isabel demanded not noticing the
others leaving quickly.
“I didn't mean to. It just happened.”
“Oh, it just happened.” Isabel repeated, more than a
little outraged. “You just happened to be swinging your fist in the air, and
he just happened to step in front it!”
“Look, I am sorry. It was a party.” Max excused
himself. He wasn’t the only person fighting, and even Maria hit a guy over the
head with a bottle of beer. “People were drinking too much, I-- things got out
of control.”
“Oh! Like your investigation. Is that one of those things
that got a little out of control?”
“I can explain …”
“Don't bother. I understand perfectly. You don't trust
me.”
“It's not about trust.”
“It is all about trust, Max.” Isabel couldn’t believe
the most important day of her life was going to be her worse nightmare. “God,
do you really think that I would marry someone that I don't even know? Someone
who might be secretly working for the FBI or even--ohh! An alien? Don't you
think I have walked through his dreams a few times, and that maybe I checked on
his alien status a long time ago?” Isabel ran a shaking hand down the back of
her neck. “God, Max! The irony here is that I trusted you. I trusted you to
stand up at my wedding when my whole family bailed. I trusted you to be there
for me … and you weren't.”
Isabel threw her hands up in exasperation walking out of
the apartment leaving Max wincing as the door slammed. Max stood there staring
at the door, actually sorry he let things go so far.
When the others got back, Maria saw Max slumped on the
sofa. “Isabel gone?”
“Yeah. She’s mad.”
“I bet.” Maria pulled Max off the sofa. “Time to get
glum later. We still have a pavilion and reception hall to decorate, and I
happen to need two aliens … count them, two … to help me realize my dream. I
am thinking satin, lace, and beautiful flowers.”
“Thought you said Isabel didn’t want to do anything
with her powers,” Michael pointed out.
“Sure her
powers. Now your powers … that’s another story.” Maria opened the door.
“Let’s go! This will all be over in less than twenty-four hours.”
~~~
Maria and Liz were helping Isabel get ready and all of them
stared at the ugliest wedding dress any of them had ever seen.
“I know it's not exactly what you wanted, but …”
Maria felt bad. They could’ve let Isabel change it with her powers, but Amy
had already seen it, and …
“We searched every store in
“No, it's fine, and thank you.” Isabel thanked them,
already shocked at the decorated wedding and reception. It was so much work done
so quickly, and they did it all for her. “Thank you both so much for
everything you've already done., And it'll be really …” Isabel looked at the
dress. “Really fine.”
They looked over when the door opened, and Diane Evans
stood in the doorway. “It's lovely. I mean, really it is, but I just thought
that maybe as an option.” Diane held up a dress. “This was my wedding dress,
girls, and my mother wore it before I did, and I'd be honored …”
Isabel rushed to her mother hugging her tightly. “I love
you, Mom.”
“I mean, I don't know if we could possibly get it altered
in time.” Diane said a little teary eyed along with Isabel.
“Oh, no, I’ll find a way.” To wear her mother’s
dress, she would bend her no alien power rule.
“Good.”
~~~
Jesse was getting ready as well and his mother knocked on
the door, sticking her head in the door. “Guess who's here?”
“Hey.” Max said moving into the room past Mrs. Ramirez.
“Can I leave you two alone, or do I have to referee?”
Max shook his head.
“Thanks, Mom.” Jesse called to his mother.
Max winced when he saw Jesse’s blackened eye and broken
nose. “I picked up a steak on the way over.”
“That's an old wives' tale, Max.”
“Look, I just-- I wanted to say that-- forget about it.
No, really, I-- I was way out of line interrogating your friends. I mean …
Isabel's obviously in love with you, and you obviously make her happy, and … I
don't know, I couldn't accept that.”
“You probably know this from all of your, uh,
‘research,’ but my father died when I was thirteen. What you probably don't
know is that it was four years before my mother ever saw another man, and I
couldn't take it, not even then. I hated them.”
“You didn't want anyone replacing your father.”
“Partially, yeah. But even more than that it was … they
weren't good enough for my mother. No one, to tell you the truth, could ever be
good enough for my mother.” Jesse explained. “So I understand. No one's ever
going to be good enough for Isabel.”
“I'll get over it.”
“Maybe,” Jesse shrugged. “I never did. But we gotta
put it behind us, all right? Because even if we're not going to be friends, we
are going to be family.” Jesse looked at the package in Max’s hand. “So
you gonna eat that steak or what?”
“Uh …” He took it out of the butcher wrap. “Um,
just hold it there. It just takes a second.” Max put the steak on Jesse's nose
and using his powers, he healed him.
Michael entered the room in time to see the healing and
gave Max a serious look. Oh, yeah, smooth. That wasn’t obvious, now was it?
“Hey, I brought … steak. Guess you guys already tried it. Maria suggested
using meat tenderizer.”
Uh … I don't know, take a look.” Max stepped away from
Jesse.
Jesse looked in the mirror in surprise. “Yeah.”
“Well, look at that.” Max said feigning surprise.
“Yeah, look at that,” said Michael rolling his eyes. He
turned and smiled at Jesse to distract him. “Man, I should’ve warned you
about Max. When he can’t handle things, he tends to get real physical about
it, you know? Fist always goes flying. Physical violence is his thing.”
Max glared at Michael who just shoved his hands in his
pockets.
~~~
The Wedding March was playing and Jim was holding Isabel's
arm getting ready to walk her down the aisle.
“This is it.” Isabel said staring at the aisle in front
of her. She glanced at Jim. “Are you ready?”
Jim noticed Philip Evans, and he smiled. “I don't think
so.” Jim dropped Isabel’s hand and gestured to her father. Isabel turned and
smiled when her father walked up to her and put out his arm.
“May I?”
Isabel nodded smiling and tears filling her eyes at the
same time. Jim stood back and watched as Isabel and her father walk down the
aisle.
~~~
Michael and Kyle were fighting over a video camera during
Max’s best man’s speech, and they missed the toast as well. Maria shushed
them a few times, but then gave up to go start the music.
“All right, Karter. You're on.” Maria told the marooned
in
“Hit it.” Karter told the band. Anything to get out of
this town. Ivy began to play and guests started to dance. Karter looked at the
beautiful young girl next to him. “You know, you have a special talent for
this business. You should look me up when you graduate.”
“Yeah, sure. That’s going to happen.” Maria went to
find Michael. “Spaceboy, leave Kyle alone and go dance with Isabel. She and
Jesse are almost through the first dance.”
“Dance? No one said I had to dance with anyone but
you,” Michael said. She was his date, that had to mean something like he
didn’t have to trample on other women’s feet.
“Michael, do you see my mother over there?” Michael
nodded. “Well, she’s going to expect you to dance with her. As will Mrs.
Evans, and probably Mrs. Ramirez.”
“No.” Michael looked at Kyle who nodded sagely.
Weddings were a hotbed of obligation dances.
“She’s not lying. Best thing to do is dance with
everyone quick, then you’re a free man.”
Michael sighed getting up. “Two minutes,” he told Kyle.
“Two minutes, then you rescue me. Otherwise Isabel will spend her honeymoon in
the emergency room.”
Isabel was dancing with Michael, whispering to him to stop
stepping on her feet when a man came up to cut in. Isabel started dancing with
him glancing up to find she was dancing with the man from her dream.
“Stay calm and keep smiling, Isabel.” Khivar said.
“You're not here. You're not really here.” Isabel
insisted.
“Oh, I am here. I've come for you.”
“No. I'm dreaming or sleeping or something.”
“May I?” Khivar asked for permission to toast the
bride. “To your happy day. And, uh … many more happy days still to come.
I'll see you soon.” Standing in
shock in the middle of the dance floor, Isabel watched as Khivar disappeared
into the crowd, and Kyle walked up.
“Can I, uh, dance with the bride?” Kyle asked.
“Kyle, did you see that guy who was here?”
“The guy you were talking to and dancing with?” Kyle
asked confused.
“You saw him? You really saw him?”
“Sure. Why?” Kyle shrugged. “Who was he?”
“Someone who can’t be here.”
~~~
When Isabel was ready to throw
her bouquet, Amy nabbed her daughter for a talk to distract her, and Jeff sent
Liz off into the back to check on the breakdown of the catering. Jesse had
already tossed the garter, and now all that was left was bouquet.
“Maria!” Someone called her
name, and at the last moment, Maria turned from her mother to find a bouquet
landing in her hands. Shocked, she looked around as everyone in the party
applauded and Isabel gave a mischievous smile. Not using alien powers her fanny!
“What just happened?” Maria
asked her mom.
Amy glanced over with Maria to
see Michael coming towards them. He was swinging the garter on his finger,
coming to claim his dance.
“Destiny,” Amy murmured with
a sigh, stepping back to leave Michael and Maria to it.
Michael put the garter up his
shirt sleeve and held out his arms to his date. “Dance?”
“You hate dancing.” Maria
reminded him, slightly blushing at everyone watching them.
Michael pulled her into his arms
bending low, he whispered in her ear, “It’s tradition,” as their eyes met.
