After all the promises, here's the next chapter. Life happened to my editor and I need to find another one. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Still self edited. Please remember to leave a vote and comment! ^_~
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Joe, Vicky, and I were in the office we shared above the restaurant. We had meetings as needed depending on the restaurant's requirements. This meting explored adding a bakery. Vicky and I were supportive of Joe's idea and we ironed out the details -- the potential impacts, how many people should we hire, and how to interview potential bakers.
Vicky and Joe, in fact, were talking about those things. I was eyeing the invitation waiting for me on my desk. It was for tomorrow, Saturday, and I had the day off. I always insisted on having two days off from the library every week. I wouldn't have a life otherwise.
Our office was spacious. We had three cherry wood desks facing the center, black leather desk chairs at each, and a black leather couch lining the remaining wall. The waning light cast ominous shadows over the office. It feathered eerie fingers over the furniture and barely touched the edge of the invitation lying on my desk as if pointing to it.
The voices of my friends faded into the background as my vision narrowed until all I could see was the invitation. Accepting would be a big step. I hadn't dated in years. All those months watching Matt from afar and I never imagined I would get to this point. I warred with myself. Instinct wanted me to deny the invite and hide. Curiosity begged me to accept.
I picked up the invitation and ran my thumb lightly over the embossed letters. It was such an ornate invitation for a casual occasion. Then again, this was the famous Firemen's Picnic. I sighed heavily wondering whom I was trying to kid. Of course I would go. I was not a chicken and the curiosity would eat me alive if I didn't.
The invitations were coveted and I wanted to know why. As for the date, I would take it one day at a time even though I was apprehensive. 'Why not be seen on the arm of a handsome fireman?' I reasoned to myself. The invitation wasn't the only thing coveted by the town; single women would kill to bag a luscious bachelor fireman too.
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"Picnic" wasn't the best description for what I walked into. "Wedding reception" would be more appropriate. I felt awkward dressed in a blue sundress with sunflowers on it. My hair was in a ponytail and I had my star necklace on. I wore sunglasses and yellow flats that matched my cute wide-brimmed hat.
Meanwhile, the men were dressed in tuxes and suits. Some had taken their ties off and untucked their shirts for comfort. The women were all wearing extraordinary dresses in blue and purple. Everyone was appropriately dressed for a wedding reception while I was not.
The picnic was decorated in blue and purple irises accented with baby's breath. Although some of the decorations were ruined by the children running around. Girls were chasing boys for kisses and -- I squinted my eyes against the glare of the sun -- a little girl no more than six years old looked like she was eating the floral arrangements. A tall blond haired, blue-eyed man managed to stop the girl before she nibbled through a whole flower petal.
Men and women were standing around in socializing clusters. It seemed like a hodgepodge of social chaos with a positive twist. I saw a tall, burly man with burgundy hair carrying a beer. A slightly shorter, balding man was chasing him. I studied the bald man for a second. He would have been handsome if he hadn't let his looks go by growing a beer gut. I couldn't say why they caught my attention. Maybe it was the giant's good looks or the agitated bald man. Curious, I moved closer to hear their conversation.
"Please," groaned the balding man, "it's not too late to annul the wedding. You don't want to be married into this family. They're all lunatics!"
The burgundy haired Adonis sighed into his bottle of root beer. "Tessa's lunacy is what I love about her," he smirked. "I'm lucky she was so tenacious pursuing me or else I would have lost her." His stature wilted slightly with the weight of what could have been.
"That's beautiful, Duncan, really. Did you ever stop to consider marrying the girl also means marrying the whole family? You could have had it all -- the girl without the psycho family. I wasn't so lucky. My wife's father found out about us and hunted me down." The balding man snorted, "I was literally marched to the alter with a shot gun centered on my back."
"By the way, Ted. How is your wife, Myra, doing?" asked Duncan.
Ted blanched and then sighed. "She's wonderful. Like always."
"You love her?"
Indignant, Ted straightened to his full height. "Of course I do!"
"You better look it because she's coming this way," Duncan motioned to a woman in the distance with his bottle.
I looked with Ted and my jaw dropped. How in the world did a balding man end up with THAT?! Myra was poetry in motion as she sauntered toward both men. She was tall and leggy with traditional black Irish looks. Her black hair was shinny and straight hanging down to her swaying hips. She had a serene smile on her perfect lips and deep blue, soulful eyes.
A cute girl of seven years old was holding her hand. The little girl looked like a porcelain doll in her frilly light blue dress. It was riddled with bows, ribbons, and puffy sleeves. Her dyed blond hair had fat ringlets framing her chubby face. What mother in their right mind would let a little girl dye her hair? I had to admit her uncommon complexion and blue eyes made the black rooted blond hair work.
"Leave Duncan alone." Myra's sultry voice was demanding.
Todd turned to his wife with a big smile. "I wasn't bothering him, dear."
"Actually he was trying to convince me to annul my marriage," Duncan said casually. I could tell he was enjoying Ted's discomfort.
A delicate eyebrow rose and Myra crossed her arms. "Really?" The little girl mimicked her mother's stance. "Why were you doing that, Ted?"
Ted panicked as he struggled to find something to say. He glared at Duncan. I stood there amused wondering what he would say.
I spotted someone new walking toward the group before Ted could answer. It was another leggy feminine beauty who looked like Myra with a capable quality to her manner, and a less graceful gate to her walk. She was dressed differently than the rest of the group. Instead of half-hazard formal clothing, she wore jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers. She seemed to be limping.
She passed behind me and stopped at Duncan's side. She put her arms around him and snuggled affectionately into his chest. A contented smile graced her lips as Duncan placed a small kiss on top of her head.
"What's Ted done now?" she murmured in a low, tired voice. It sounded sexy, sultry in a lounge singer kind of way.
Duncan's eyes softened and turned into liquid pools of devotion. My heart stalled in my chest at the blatant display of love. I envied their connection and wished I could have something like that despite my cynical beliefs. My eyes watered and I valiantly kept from crying.
Love was rare and beautiful. Only a select few could be happy in love. I instinctively knew Duncan and Tessa's marriage would last.
I looked at Ted and his elegant wife. Love was there in Ted and Myra's eyes even though they were fighting. It seemed Tessa's family was blessed with true love matches. I sighed knowing I wouldn't be so lucky.
