It had been a year since the events of the party. When Lauren had been caught being unfaithful to her fiance Steven, with a black stranger called Marcus. She had been drunk and stoned, and had done and said things she regretted, but the next morning her senses had returned and she had set about putting things right. She had gone to the family planning clinic and picked up the morning after pill, and then started trying to win back her fiance's trust.
It had been a difficult first month, but then Lauren had given Steven an ultimatum; trust her again, or she would leave forever. So he had agreed to trust her again.
He had re-proposed marriage, and she had agreed. They set a date. And that date was upon them.
* * *
Lauren was in the dressing room in the church.
Lauren looked at herself in the mirror. She set the veil on her head. She could have easily not made it to this place, but she had imagined it since she was a little girl and had fought for it hard. She overcame the obstacles of her own lust, and her husbands trust issues and had finally made it. Minutes from the altar.
There was a knock at the door.
"Yes?" She looked towards the door.
"Its me," he smiled at her, "Steven."
"Steven," she grinned back, teasing, "its bad luck for a groom to see the bride before the wedding. In her dress."
He looked back out of the door, "I've got a surprise for you."
"What is it?" She ran a brush through her long blonde hair.
"Well, you know you said you needed to know I trust you before we got married?" He asked.
"I believe you," she reassured him.
"Yes but I've got proof," he waved a hand to someone outside.
Marcus entered the room.
"Hi," he smiled handsomely.
"Marcus?" her stomach turned somersaults, "What are you doing here?"
She was happier than she thought she'd be to see him again. She had wanted to talk to him about what had happened between them that night, but had known that if she had contacted him she might lose her fiance forever. But now he was here in front of her, excited butterflies danced in her tummy.
"He's going to be my best man," Steven explained.
"What?" Lauren looked between them.
"He'll be up there with us," Steven went on, "as we get married."
"Are you sure that's what you want?" Lauren couldn't believe her ears.
"Its the only way I can think of to prove it," he nodded. "Now I better go and talk to Max; explain why he's no longer the best man."
"You do that..." Lauren nodded. She didn't envy her fiance the task at all. Max would be devastated.
Steve left the room. Marcus looked at Lauren.
"We need to talk," he told her.
Her belly tingled again.
"Yes," she agreed.
Marcus left the room.
Lauren looked in the mirror again. Her mind was reeling. But before she could set her thoughts in order, there was another knock at the door.
It was her friend Cindy.
"How are you doing hon'?" her best friend smiled at her.
"Oh god Cindy," she took her friends hand, "I think I'm making a horrible mistake!"
"What," Cindy closed the door behind her, "in marrying Steve?"
"Yes!" She nodded. "Look, I keep having thoughts about another man. Impure thoughts," she admitted.
"You mean Marcus?"
"How did you know?"
"You forget I was at that party last year," Cindy explained, "I brought Marcus there as my date, remember?"
The only thing Lauren could remember about that night was having the best sex of her life.
"And I don't think there was a person at that party who didn't hear you yelling about how you wanted to keep Marcus' spunk in you!" Cindy laughed.
"Oh god, really?" Lauren covered her face with her hand hiding an embarrassed smile.
"Look, Steve is a guy who could forgive you even that," Cindy squeezed her friends hand comfortingly. "Everyone's sitting in the church waiting. You've got to do your duty."
"Your right," Lauren nodded. "You're right. Its just cold feet I guess."
Cindy left Lauren to apply her makeup.
There was another knock on the door.
"Come in," Lauren called.
It was Marcus.
"Lauren...?" he said as he closed the door behind him.
"Marcus!" she gasped.
Why was it that he made her knees tremble when she saw him? She had to get hold of herself; it was her wedding day!
"We need to talk," he walked over to the bride. "I don't think it can wait given the circumstances."
"Yes you're right," she nodded. "I want to put an end to our unfinished business right now."
"Unfinished?" he smiled.
"Yes," she said. "I want to start my marriage with a clean slate."
"So you think what we had was unfinished?" He took her shoulders in his large black hands.