56 Days (Black) (18 page)

“
Elsa… I
love
you,” he breathed.

I pull
ed at the bottom of his t-shirt, lifting it over his head.  “I’m sorry for getting upset,” I whispered, kissing down his hard stomach.

“Don’t apologize… I…”

I unbuttoned his pants and lowered to my knees, grabbing at the belt loops.  “Damn these boots,” I murmured, laughing.

“We don’t have a bed
.”  He clipped out a short laugh.

“Guess we’re going to have to make do.  Lift your foot.”  I unlaced
them and pulled at the heavy soles, throwing them both to the side.

He pushed at the waist of his pants; I finished pulling them off,
nudged his back against the sink and took him into my mouth slowly.  “Elsa,” he moaned.

I ran my hands up his thighs, resting them on the edge of the counter.  I watched him
.  His eyes were closed, his lips parted. 

God, he looked incredible.

I concentrated on making him feel good.  All of this stress was getting the best of us.  I went deeper, using my tongue to stimulate him.

“Elsa…
”

He pulled at my shoulders.  “Am I doing something wrong?”

“I need to be inside of you.”

I stood. 
He reached for the button of my shorts, sliding them down my legs with ease.  He clutched the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head, chucking it into the sink.  He turned me, bending me over the countertop.  I grabbed the edge as he pushed into me. 

“Ohhh!” I screamed.

He leaned into me, his mouth bent to my ear.  “I love you so much…”

I panted, coming close to climax.  “Jack…”

He moved faster, my hips colliding with the cabinet as he held the outsides of my thighs.  He clutched one hand to the back strap of my bra as he pushed deeper in a steady pattern, making my insides convulse.  I came quickly, panting and clutching the hard surface.

He continued his movements, increasing in pace and volume.  “Elsa,” he mumbled, before coming to a slow closing.

He turned me back around so that we were facing each other.  He held my face in his hands, pressing a kiss to my lips.  “Marry me.”

“I
already said yes, silly,” I replied, kissing him again.

“Tomorrow.”

“No,” I responded, with a laugh.

“Why?” he whined.

“Ugh.  Because you’re just trying to distract me from our problem.”  I searched for my shorts on the floor and pulled them on.

“I assure you, I’m not.  I just don’t want to wait.  You said you didn’t either.”

“Yeah, but at least give me time to find a decent dress.”

He walked to the bedroom, yelling out to me in the kitchen.  “Who cares what we wear?  I would marry you in those shorts.”  He walked back out wearing a pair of cotton drawstring pajama bottoms.  “
Just wear that ivory dress you wore to the bar.”

I winced.  “No.” 
His phone buzzed in the back of his jeans.  I pulled it out and looked at the number.  “Oh, speak of the devil,” I announced, tossing the phone at him.

He looked at it.  “Fuck,” he whispered, pushing the answer button. 

What now, Lana?

Now?

Fine.  We’ll be there in
a while.

Yes, with Elsa
.

W
ell, I’m not coming without her, so… goodbye.

“Where are we going to be in a while?” I huffed.

“The hospital.  She’s in labor.”

“Oh,” I answered.  “Well, do I have to go too?  I mean, I don’t really know what you would want me there for.”

He walked over to me and pressed a kiss
to my forehead.  “I don’t want you there.  I
need
you there.  This whole situation is stupid fucked and you are the only one in the world I’m concerned about.”

“Well, you better get
concerned if that’s your baby.  And even if it isn’t, we won’t know for a few days, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. 
The only reason I’m going down there is to get swabbed.”

“Oh, okay.  Well, let me change.”  I walked into the bedroom with Jack following me.
  I slowly perused my closet, trying to figure out an outfit that read My-Fiancé’s-Ex-Wife-is-in-Labor. 

Since she was all
elegant and ridiculous when she came to our place, I tried to focus on finding something comparable.  I didn’t have any wrap-dresses, but I had a nice pair of wool trouser shorts and a silk camisole.  I put them on and stood in front of the mirror.

“Elsa
, are you dressed for you or for Lana?”

I sighed.  “I don’t know.  Fuck.  I never used to give a shit about stuff like this, but now, every time we meet with one of your people, I feel like I have to focus
up.  I hate it.”

“Well, the first night I met you, you were wearing vinyl fucking pants and a tank top that was practically cut to your navel… and you looked like the most confident girl in the world.  I don’t know
this
girl,” he said, tugging at my shorts.  “Just wear that outfit, the one I fell in love with you wearing.”

“You didn’t fall in love with me that day, Jack.  God.”

“I did.  I loved that girl.  She was sexy as fuck and unapologetic.”

I groaned and pulled the shorts off.  I put his requested outfit on.  I had to admit, it definitely was more me… and I did feel sexy.  I grabbed my tallest over-the-knee boots and zipped them up.  I pulled my hair up though.  It added a little class to my somewhat slut-driven look.

Jack cupped my backside and pulled me in for a long kiss.  “There she is.”  He leaned in and whispered.  “You don’t know how long that first night was for me.  Out on my couch, by myself, thinking about you… in these pants.”

I pushed him gently.  “Are you serious right now, perv?  Wrap it up.  We have to go
see your baby mama.”

“Elsa
, stop it.  I told you.  It’s a formality.  Her fucking ex-boyfriend is the father.  I’m sure of it.”

“Do you know the guy?”

“Yeah.  His name is Yuki Tanaka.  He was her boss.”

“You’ve met him then?”

His jaw clenched a bit.  “Actually, he’s been to the house before.  He came by for drinks with some of her work friends.  I should have known it then.  They sat on the couch together the whole time.  She laughed at every joke he made and this guy wasn’t even funny.  I’m not saying that because she left me for him, but he really
wasn’t
.  He was sort of strange, honestly.  Maybe strange is the wrong word.  Awkward.  Anyway, she wanted to move up in her job and he was the one who could make that happen, so…”

“Did she?”

“Did she
what
?”

“Move up?” I asked.

“No, actually.  She got fired.  Joke’s on her, I guess.  Now she gets to raise a baby with this guy.”

“How are you so sure
that he’s the father?  I mean, didn’t you tell me that it was only like three weeks that you two hadn’t been together?”

“Mmm, more like f
our.”

“
Four?” I asked, surprised.

“Well, we had been fighting
a lot and I wasn’t ever in the mood.  So, basically, a week before Canada, I hadn’t slept with her.  I was there for two and when I got back, she was in a shit mood again, so… four weeks.  It’s not hard to fake a due date by a week or so, but a month?”

I felt immediate relief wash over me.  “Well, get dressed.  Let’s go get your test,” I said quietly, smacking him on the behind.  “Wear something plaid... or tight.  And the blue glasses.”

He laughed.  “You want to just pick something out for me?”

“No
.  Just… you know what I like.”

“I do
now
,” he teased.

He looked perfect.  We barely made it out the door without undressing again, having a quick dry-hump
-slash-make-out session against the wall before grabbing our keys and heading out.

*
****

I decided to grab a seat outside of the hospital room.  I didn’t want to go in there.  I knew Jack didn’t either, but they both had to be swabbed.  Better to get it out of the way so we could get back to our new place. 
My hope was that we could just forget about all of it and pick up where we left off, sans clothes this time.

I could hear her perfect voice through the frame.  “I’m so happy you made it… and I’m also glad that you decided to come alone.”

Bitch.

“I didn’t, Lana.  Elsa’s here.”

“Oh,” she said, her voice dropping.  “Well, I wanted to talk to you for a minute.  About what I said… you know, before, about Yuki.  I didn’t mean any of it.  I don’t want him.  I was confused… and I just said those things because I thought that you were sleeping with Heather.  I was just trying to get back at you.  We could start over.  I know you still love me.”

“
I don’t.  There’s nothing to work out.  And Heather is gay, Lana… you know that.  You were using her as an excuse so you could fuck your boss.  You’ve made your bed.  Now, I’m done with the test and Elsa is waiting.”

“Honestly, I
’m surprised that she came at all.  She was so rude to me earlier.”

What?

“What are you talking about?”

“
Yeah, she just took the disc and slammed the door in my face.  Honestly, I thought she was beneath you, honey.  She looked like some fat skank that you picked up at a strip club.”

Aw, no she didn’t.

“Lana, I’m going to tell you this once.  If you ever say anything about Elsa again, you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

I rubbed my hands
together and smiled to myself. 

“Hey,
Jack?” I called, stepping into the room a few feet.  “I’m going to go get some air, I think.”

Lana shifted in her bed uncomfortably.  “Elsa
, I… I didn’t mean…”

“For me to hear you?  Yeah, I figured.  Jack, I’ll be
outside.”

He smiled at me.  “
I’m ready now.  We’re done here.”

Once we got into the elevator, I lightly pushed Jack against the wall.

“So, let’s do it,” I whispered, leaning against his chest.

“Here?” he asked, a sly smile on his face.

“Not fucking
do
it, moron.  Get married.  You’re right, I don’t want to wait.  Tomorrow morning, I’ll go down to that bridal store in Uptown and look for something simple off the rack.  When I get home, we’ll go apply for a license and just get married.  What do you think?”

He wrapped me in his arms and squeezed tightly.  “
I think I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

*
****

The boutique opened at 10.  I set my alarm for 8 and took my time getting ready.  I applied my makeup perfectly.  We had made plans that when I was on the way to the courthouse, he would meet me there.  I would literally wear the dress from the
store to the steps.  Jack didn’t want to see me beforehand.  Superstitious, I guess.

I had pulled my hair up in the back,
loosely pinning it to the right side with bobby pins.  I used a flat iron and lightly curled some of it, also leaving it loose, but pinned and sprayed.  I pulled on a pair of hot pink peep toe heels.  I figured any dress I bought would just have to go.

Jack gave me his credit card, knowing that my funds were minimal.  I felt
awful but, honestly, I really didn’t want to end up in an organza ball gown from Big Bob’s Wedding World.

I tried on three dresses before I found it.  It was simple and short, about three inches above my knee.  A strapless, thick ivory satin with a basic sweetheart neckline.  It was form-fitted and had a lace off-the-shoulder three-quarter length
scalloped overlay.  It was belted by a simple two-inch flat bow in the front.

Even if I had a million years to find a wedding dress, I would have picked the same one.  It fit like a glove.  No alterations necessary.

“I’ll take it,” I told the salesgirl.

“Oh, great.  When is the wedding then?  If I put in an order, we should be able to get it in about six weeks.”

“No, I want this one.  The wedding is today.”

“Oh,” she said, surprised.  “Well, okay.  We normally don’t sell off the rack, but… let me go talk to my manager.”

She walked back a few minutes later.  “She says it’s okay, but we can’t give a discount even though it’s a rack model.”

“That’s fine.  Thank you, Mallory,” I said, studying her nametag.

“Okay, good.”  She looked relieved.  “Well, can I interest you in any jewelry or anything else?  A veil, perhaps?”

“Nope, just going to the courthouse.  I’m going to wear these shoes and no jewelry.  Think I need some?”