Kate was pleasantly surprised when she got a wedding invitation in the mail from a friend of hers she'd known the longest. Anna was finally marrying her boyfriend Tim of five years. There was just one problem. Money. Well, money in general but she had none to stay at the fancy hotel Anna and Tim had picked for the out-of-town guests. Thankfully Kate didn't live as far as some of the people that were invited. Three hours through each way, she'd either have to leave the reception as soon as it started or come clean with Anna, pray that there was a spare room.
Here goes nothing. Kate picked up the phone and dialed Anna's number. "Hello." Anna's voice said from the other side.
"Hey! It's Kate. I'm so excited about your wedding. I can't wait to be there for you...there's... just one little problem." Kate said nervously.
"Kate spill the beans what's going on?" asked Anna. They had been friends long enough that they could say or ask anything of each other.
"Nothing major and I feel like a total loser for even asking this, but do you happen to have anywhere free I can sleep for the night of the wedding?" Asking made her feel about the size of a child.
Anna let out a relieved laugh. "Oh, I thought it would be way worse than that. Like you weren't coming or something. Yeah, for you absolutely." Anna paused for a moment thinking about the rooming accommodations. "Crap would you be okay if you suffered with a couch and not a bed," Anna asked.
"Yeah, that's fine with me. I just need a few hours of sleep before I hit the road back home." Kate was gracious that Anna was able to find a place for her. She should have just called sooner instead of waiting until the last minute.
"You won't be staying at our place. It would be at my dad's house." This was where Anna and Kate would play for hours when they were little, running the yard for hide and seek, picking blackberries (well more like eating.), and spending hours on the trampoline or pool. before Anna's parents would yell for them to come in for whatever reason. "My house is full with mom, the in-laws as well as Tim's sister and husband. At least my dad will have a friendly face around. Well, one that won't stress him out. My brother still lives there. You remember Chad. Besides he's also stuck with my Uncle Howard and Aunt Betty. You know how much fun they are." With a sarcastic note in her voice. "Mom would drop us all off there on days she had to work during the summer, and you happened to be spending a few days with me. You got off lucky. That's where me and Chad went all summer. We worked from the moment we got there until Mom came by to get us. I only put up with it for the delicious food. Anyway, I'm getting off track. So yeah, you'll be at Dad's"
"That summer I couldn't eat chicken after I saw how they make it to the plate." Kate joked.
"Yeah, I remember. But you must have gotten over that because you love Chick-fil-A." Anna joked back.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I will see you soon then." Kate said.
"Okay cool," Anna replied and they both hung up the phone.
'
Shit!'
Kate thought. There was no way she could be alone with Anna's dad. Ever since her 21
st
birthday, she has seen him as a different man, a sexier man. That night even though her head was flooded with alcohol, she knew when he laid her down, safely that night that when she went to kiss him good night on the cheek but landed on his lips that was something she always craved to finish. He was a gentleman, walked away, as well as told her that the kiss never happened, to forget about it. It was alcohol talking. If it was then why now five years later, she still got a low-down tickle secretly every time anyone brought him up?
'Breath.'
She told herself
'This is not something you need to think about right now. Put it to the back of your mind.'
The wedding day had finally come. The weather could not have been better. Clear skies, the heat was not overpowering even though it was July, and there wasn't a threat of a rain cloud for miles. When Kate arrived at Mr. Moore's house, she was relieved to find that everyone was still out to lunch.
She settled on the couch. There were still a few hours before she needed to change into the dress she had brought for the wedding since Anna and Tim decided to marry later in the day.
'I knew I should have left later.'
Kate thought.
Her eyes wandered around the living room. Yup, it was the same place as she remembered it all those years ago as a child, even the last time she was here. The tv stand was one of the old-time TVs that came built in a box. It actually would look nice if only he would take the time to remove the old tv, clean it up, and repaint. Turn it into an updated tv stand. Then mount a newer television on the wall above, but he always said that if something works why do you need to replace it? Didn't matter if it was way past its date of being cool. The furniture, however, looked new. Anna must have talked him into finally getting rid of this lazy boy set. Kate wasn't sure but it could have been as old as her. The only thing that looked out of place was that dam TV stand. Her fingers were itching to get at it. But that wasn't why she was here.
When everyone got back, they all said their hello's to one another. "Hey, Mr. Moore." Said Kate giving him a big hug.
"Hello, Kate. You know I think it's time you started calling me by my first name. No more of this Mr. stuff. It makes me feel old, especially with Anna getting married. Call me Derek." Mr. Moore replied.
"Oh please! You're not old. Your not even fifty yet." Kate joked.
"Forty-six is a lot closer than the last time I looked up from life."
"Well, I still say you're not old."
"What do you consider old?" Derek asked.
"Eighty. I think by then you have earned the right to do whatever you want." Kate said with a smile. Then she realized they were still in a hugging position. She let him go. "You know I think I'm going to go get ready for the wedding, then head over there."
"Sounds like a good idea. It will be a bit before I get the two of them back out the door anyhow." Derek was referring to his aunt and uncle.
The ceremony was beautiful, great to see her oldest friend get married, and how happy they looked.... time to get a drink so her smile didn't fade. As happy as she was for the two of them, Kate remembers back when the two of them were young they would cut up magazines and piece together what they thought their life would look like now. Anna's was not far off from what she imagined, Kate on the other hand did not see herself as a struggling furniture restorer, living in a one-bedroom apartment living from furniture piece to furniture piece. So much her art degree has done for her so far. She swallowed all that and went to find the bar.
Entering the reception hall after he got his aunt and uncle settled the bar was top thought. He needed the reward of an ice-cold beer on his lips after the hurdles they had put him through. First, he got pulled over for going five miles over the speed limit, then was told by his uncle he was going wrong (since he was such a big driver at 75) way which only made him later than he wanted to be at the church, and last but not least his aunt droned on about when they would be able to eat because that meant the cake would be soon after and they didn't want to be home late since they had to be up early for the drive home tomorrow. Man was he glad to get a break from the two of them.
As he went to the bar for a beer, he got a thirst for something completely different. It had been a while since he had been generally attracted to a woman since his divorce from Anna's mother, but when he saw Kate his mouth almost dropped open. Standing before him was no longer the girl who grew up with his daughter, he swore he just saw her a few hours ago. No in her place there was a beautiful woman. Kate was a fit girl, to begin with, but, the dress that she had chosen for this wedding made her seem soft and feminine. A strapless black heart-shaped silk dress that hugged her curves, black lace that flared out as a mermaid dress. Paired with black stilettos, rhinestones up the back of the heel. Her neck was wearing a teardrop necklace with matching earrings her blonde hair in lush curls.
'Just keep your hands to yourself for the next twenty-four hours and you'll be just fine.'
Walking towards the bar, not to seem like an idiot. "You clean up nice." Too late, as the words came out saying them to Kate.
"Why thank you. You're not so bad yourself Mr.- I mean Derek. Still trying to work on that." Kate chucked. She eyed him in his all-black suit. His face was cleaned up, hair looked freshly washed and styled instead of just brushed through. The smell of sandalwood floated to her nose, making her knees wobble slightly.