THE TOAST
"THEN WE'RE IN AGREEMENT". HIS VOICE WAS TOTALLY DEVOID OF EMOTION. THIS WAS A MAN WHO COULD SIGN A DEATH WARRENT OR ROMANCE A QUEEN AND BE EQUALLY SUCCESSFUL. THE OTHERS AROUND THE ROOM NODDED SLOWLEY. THEIR EYES HAD A FLAT DEAD FISH LOOK, NO ONE HAD TO SPEAK--IT HAD ALL BEEN SAID.
"I BELIEVE YOUR ASSOCIATES ARE IN PLACE?" HE SAID THIS IN A QUESTION THAT WAS MORE LIKE A STATEMENT. THE TALL MAN NODDED. "GOOD."
THIS TIME THE ONE WORD SAID IT ALL. DONT'T FAIL. THEY WOULDN'T.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SO LONG--SHE WAS GLAD TO BE ALIVE. "CAN THIS BE ME?" SHE LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND DECIDED THAT AT LONG LAST, THE SMILE ON HER FACE MATCHED THE SMILE IN HER EYES. SHE POSITIVELY GLOWED. "IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF HIM!
SHE LAUGHED.
HER FRIENDS WERE EQUALLY DIVIDED. HALF THOUGHT SHE HAD LOST HER MIND--HALF REVELLED IN HER HAPPINESS. EVERYONE WHO KNEW HER OR THOUGHT THEY KNEW HER--COULD JUST LOOK ON IN AWE. WHAT WOULD SHE DO NEXT???
SHE HAD A PLAN.
SHE WOULD BE HAPPY. IT WAS JUST THAT SIMPLE. "AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER." THIS TIME IT WOULD BE TRUE, BUT SHE HAD TO DO IT JUST RIGHT. A SLIGHT WRINKLE APPEARED IN HER BROW AS SHE PONDERED HER NEXT MOVE. A LOT WAS AT STAKE--SHE HAD TO HAVE HIM--BUT THE CHILDREN--HOW CAN I KEEP MY CHILDREN? IF IT CAME DOWN TO IT--SHE WOULD CHOOSE THE CHILDREN--SHE ALWAYS HAD--BUT MAYBE THIS ONE TIME--JUST THIS ONCE, SHE COULD HAVE IT ALL!!!
"AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!" THIS TIME SHE SAID IT OUT LOUD--THE HAPPINESS IN HER VOICE WAS UNMISTAKEABLE. SHE THOUGHT BACK OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THE WAY JUST A LOOK FROM HIM COULD MAKE HER TREMBLE--SHE HAD NEVER FELT SO WANTED--AND MORE IMPORTANT--LOVED. IT WAS LIKE BEING BORN AGAIN.
"RESERECTION!!!" SHE LAUGHED AS THE DOORBELL RANG."MY DARLING," HE CALLED AS HER HEART BEGAN TO BEAT FASTER--SHE FLEW TO HIS ARMS. SHE COULDN'T GET TO HIM FAST ENOUGH. AS HE HELD HER TIGHTLY, SHE THOUGHT,"I'LL DO IT." "I CAN'T BE WITHOUT HIM."
HE SLOWLEY SIPPED THE WINE. HE TILTED THE GLASS THIS WAY AND THAT--WATCHING THE FAINTLEY ROSY COLOR COATING THE SIDES OF THE CRYSTAL.
"TONIGHT." HE TOASTED.
THEY CAME OUT OF THE HOTEL.
LAUGHTER WAS ALL OVER THEIR FACES--HE HELD HER ARM TO STEADY HER, BUT HE KNEW IT WAS ONLY AN EXCUSE TO TOUCH HER. THEY LOOKED
AT EACH OTHER.—THE PROMICE OF THE EVENING AHEAD WAS IN THEIR EYES.
THE ROAR OF THE REPORTERS BROUGHT THEM BACK TO THE REAL WORLD. “WHEN WILL YOU
MARRY?” “IS IT TRUE YOU HAVE NO MONEY OF YOU OWN?” GIVE US A SMILE!” IT HAD BEEN
THE SAME STORY FOR MANY WEEKS. EVERYTIME THEY TRIED TO BE JUST A COUPLE IN LOVE
THE BLASTED REPORTERS FOUND THEM.”DOGS!” HE THOUGHT. “ANIMALS!” SHE
SHUDDERED. SO MUCH ALIKE YET SUCH OPPOSITES MOST WOULD THINK.
THEY TURNED BACK INTO THE LOBBY OF THE HOTEL.
“WELL?”SHE SAID SOFTLEY. “I GUESS WE’LL NEVER GET OUT OF HERE”. THE SADNESS IN
HER FACE BROUGHT OUT THE PROTECTOR IN HIM. SHE WAS SO STRONG—YET SO FRAGILE.
ONLY HE KNEW HOW FRAGILE. HIS EYES NARROWED AS THIS PLAN AND THAT DARTED
THROUGH HIS MIND. “NO ONE WILL GET TO YOU MY DARLING, I PROMICE”. HE LEANED
TOWARDS HER, AND HIS EYES WERE FILLED WITH SUCH LOVE—SHE SHIVERED.
HE HELD HER ARM LIGHTLY IN THE LOBBY. SHE HEARD THE SQUEEL OF TIRES AS THE DECOY
CAR RACED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. AS THE REPORTERS GAVE CHASE TO THE COUPLE
OF THE YEAR—THEY JUMPED INTO THE BACK SEAT OF A SECOND CAR, AND THEY WERE
LAUGHING AGAIN.
AS THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD, HE KISSED HER HAND WITH THAT LOOK THAT MADE HER
KNOW---I AM LOVED.
SEVERAL CARS FOLLOWED. THE PLAN HADN’T WORKED. IT WAS AS IF THEY WERE IN A
MAZE—DARTING THIS WAY—TURNING THAT AND ALL THE TIME FASTER AND FASTER. HE PAID
FOR THE BEST DRIVER—HE WAS CONFIDENT THEY WOULD LOSE THEM. SHE GRIPPED HIS
HAND MORE TIGHTLY.
THE WHITE CAR CAME OUT OF NOWHERE; IT BLOCKED THEIR LANE. A MOTARCYCLE ROARED
SUDDENLEY INTO THE RIGHT LANE—SHE SCREAMED AS THE BRIGHT LIGHT FLASHED INTO
THE CAR, BLINDING THE DRIVER. IT HAPPENED SO FAST SHE BARELY REALIZED WHAT WAS
HAPPENING.
SHE WAS ABOUT TO DIE.
AS TIME SEEMED TO STAND STILL SHE RECOGNIZED THE MAN ON THE MOTARCYCLE.
“NO!” SHE SCREAMED AS THE MAN SMILED WITH MALICIOUS GLEE.
“HE WON! HE ALWAYS WON!” THIS WAS HER LAST CONCIOUS THOUGHT.
THE SOUND OF THE BLARING HORN ECHOED IN THE TUNNEL.
THEN THERE WAS SILENCE.
PAPPARAZZI—THEIR FAULT.
DRUNK DRIVER—HIS FAULT.
THE WORLD HAD SOMEONE TO BLAME.
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, NOT MURDER," THE PAPERS BOLDLEY STATED.
“WE LOVED HER!” THE PEOPLE CRIED.
“OUR PRINCESS” THE PALACE MOANED
“GOOD JOB”. HE TOLD THEM THE NEXT NIGHT.
“TROUBLESOME GIRL”. “ NEVER KNEW HER PLACE”. WERE THE ONLY COMMENTS AS THEY
RAISED THEIR GLASSES IN A TOAST:
“TO ENGLAND!” “LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!”
JOURNEY TO LOVE
MARIA'S JOURNALAWARDS I GIVEMARIA'S JOURNEY TO THEMARIA'S JOURNEY