Chapter 14

Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you:

She was surprised and delighted by my news when finally, after a tender lovemaking session, I remembered to tell her about our surprise vacation. She loved the idea of going to Bermuda on a whim, and we both managed to get a week off from work.

And Bermuda was lovely, as delightful as she remembered, as beautiful as she described. And on our last night there, we were standing on the balcony of our hotel room, watching the sunset, when she turned to me and took both my hands in hers. We were dressed for dinner, enjoying a glass of wine before going down to the restaurant. In her high heels, she was nearly as tall as I. Holding my hands, she leaned closer and kissed me softly before whispering, "Darling Ray, light of my life, holder of my heart, and now the father of our child."

I was dumbfounded. "What? You're... you're..."

She simply nodded, a small, secret smile on her lips, her eyes glistening in joy, squeezing my fingers in hers.

Post-Script

What, you didn't like my little tale? You want more? You want to know what really went on?

sigh

Oh, all right.

As you probably could guess, Melissa and I began mending fences. Missy told Lindsey, in no uncertain terms, to stay away from her if she valued her skin, and Lindsey (wisely) took that advice to heart. We talked a little at school, and eventually we called each other occasionally at night, but only as friends.

I was still going out with Micki. She was just too much of a mess for me to do anything but support her in any way I could, and I did come to love her. She may have started out in high school as a bit of a bad girl, but that was just a towering insecurity that was driving her behavior.

Missy dated a few guys that winter, and even got laid a time or two - she never did tell me with whom, or how often. We ended up at the same post-Snowflake Dance party, me with Micki and Melissa with Jared, who was a college freshman at the time. It created a few uncomfortable moments, but we kind of stayed out of each other's way. Missy, like the previous year, had to be home by 2:00 AM, but Micki and I had a room for the night. We only stayed at the party in the suite for a few minutes before going upstairs and being as inventive in private as we could imagine.

Micki had a surprisingly vivid imagination that night. I was sore for several days afterward from our exertions.

Eventually, however, by the time the snow melted and winter's cold fingers were warmed by the spring, the natural attractions exerted their influence on us all, until even Micki and I could no longer deny it. I was a graduating senior, after all, and she was still just a sophomore, so we agreed that Prom would be our last big fling together. By the end of school, we would be gone on our separate ways. By this time, Micki had come to be accepted as a victim in our whole soap opera, and the changes she went through, including her devotion to me during that time, were all seen as a positive sign of growth. She was more popular than ever, and for the first time had a strong, healthy relationship with other girls on the cheerleading squad to fall back on.

Being a sentimental guy, though, kept me in touch with her after I graduated. Our relationship evolved into more of a brother-sister kind of thing, platonic and fierce in its intensity. After she graduated, with honors, she joined Melissa and I at University, and continued with her cheerleading there.

After I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree, Missy and I announced our engagement, and set the date for our wedding. All our best friends from high school and college promised to attend, and a major party was planned at the Holiday Inn, the site of our consummation of our relationship so many years before. The only wrinkle in the plan was something I had planned on doing all along, but when I brought it up to Missy, she was not in favor of it. I wanted Micki, instead of Brad, to be my "Best Man", or, in this case, "Best Friend". It caused quite an uproar, particularly with Missy's parents, until I explained that it was Micki that kept me halfway sane during our troubles, and kept me alive for Missy when all seemed bleakest. Missy finally agreed, and promptly asked Jared to be her "Man of Honor".

What could I say?

It certainly made for a very interesting bachelor party, and, from what I heard, a very interesting bachelorette party, too.

It also answered the question for me of who it was that managed to get into Missy's pants that spring. But that's another story altogether.