She was stunningly exotic, like something out of an old Hollywood movie. In other words, she screamed rejection. How could he delude himself with the notion that she would have anything to do with him? Like a slap in the face, he could almost hear her screaming, “No! Did you hear me? I said no!!?” He could not help but contemplate it though . . .
They had met at the bar, conversing lightly. She was waiting for her friend to arrive, while he waited patiently for another round of drinks. To pass the time, he attempted usual bar behavior – the awkward exercise of flirty conversation.
“How’s your night going?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s going alright,” she replied. “I’m, um, waiting for my friend.”
“A friend, huh?”
“Yeah, she’s running a little late.”
“Buy you another drink while you wait?”
“Um, sure. My name’s Sarah by the way.”
“I’m Mike. What are you drinking?”
“Rum and diet, with a lemon twist.”
“Very good.”
As the bartender worked to make their drinks, the two continued to talk. When the drinks arrived, Mike excused himself.
“Here’s your drink,” Mike said, sliding the glass over to Sarah. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to take these over to my buddies. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Sarah replied.
When he returned only a few moments later, Sarah’s friend Amber had arrived. Sarah introduced her to Mike, continuing their conversation. Soon after, Mike’s buddy Eric walked up to the bar. He had seen Amber walk in, and took very little time in gaining her attention. Thanks to him, Mike and Sarah were free to converse on their own.
The night progressed typically from there. More drinks, more conversation, and, eventually, some dance music. Sarah and Mike discussed everything from their favorite color to what high school they had attended. As it turned out, the two had lived only two blocks away from each other. However, she had attended a private girls’ school, while he had gone to public school. Even with the short distance between them, neither had crossed paths.
As the night came to an end, Mike escorted Sarah from the bar to her car. He asked to see her again, which she obliged by giving him her number . . . and a kiss on the lips. Mike maintained his gentlemanly etiquette, despite the affects of alcohol. Well . . . his hand may have slipped a bit. Sarah did not mind though. They said their good-byes, and went their separate ways.
From that point, everything progressed like a whirlwind. Dinner, lunch dates, strolls in the park . . . not to mention mad, passionate sex. Neither could believe how everything was progressing, simply from their chance encounter. Eventually, Mike gained enough nerve to propose marriage to her – which she very willingly accepted. Everything was like a dream, falling into place more than anything that could have been imagined.
As the months progressed, the two planned every detail of their nuptials. Nothing seemed minuscule – drawing up a guest list, reserving a place for the reception and deciding on the type of tuxedo ties and table flowers. When the day arrived, everything would be perfect. There was one problem, however.
“I don’t want a church wedding,” Sarah said.
“But we’ve been planning this for months,” Mike replied. “Why the change now?”
“I don’t know, it just seems fake and pretentious. I mean, neither of us are very religious.”
“Yeah, but I think a lot of people feel that way before their big day. What would you prefer?”
“Why don’t we just elope or something? Lots of people do that, and then we could just invite our closest friends and family to a reception.”
Mike contemplated the idea for a moment, eventually agreeing with her.
“I like it. We can make it a very casual affair.”
“Good, I’m glad. Let’s get started.”
The two decided that a beach wedding would be very romantic, with just a few friends and family in tow. They found an available beach, as well as someone to perform the ceremony. On the appointed day, the invitees gathered on the beach. Mike and his best man were dressed in beach shorts and casual, short-sleeved shirts with sandals, while the bride and bridesmaid wore flowing sheer white and peach gowns, respectively. In the thinly clouded sunshine and the sway of the palm trees from a light breeze, it felt reminiscent of a Hemingway novel.
As the moment came for the two to say their vows, Mike looked longingly into Sarah’s eyes. Though there was no visible sign, he was shaking internally from the excitement. The priest turned to Mike.
“Do you, Michael Edward Pierce, take Sarah Amy Powell as your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and to hold now and forever?”
With a second of nervous hesitation, Mike replied, “I do.” The priest then turned to Sarah.
“And do you, Sarah Amy Powell, take Michael Edward Pierce, as your lawfully wedded husband, to cherish and hold now and forever?”
Sarah, having never glanced away from Mike, started to respond, but was interrupted by a distant sound. Everyone present looked around bewildered, confused by what sounded like a vague intermittent car horn . . .
Mike shook himself from his daze, looking in the rearview mirror. The slight fog on the rear window was indicative of the cold outside. He could tell in the mirror that the man in the vehicle behind him was agitated. The car horn blaring was an obvious sign. He looked at the traffic light, which indicated a yellow arrow. He quickly glanced at the right lane next to him. Car after car zoomed past, and he realized that she was gone. Instinctively, he gave the accelerator a step and pulled through the intersection just as the light turned red. His daydream love had gone on her way, as did he.
©2004 Steve Sagarra
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