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MY HEAD IS POUNDING. I open my eyes and blink a few times. The sun glare from the window blinds me, so I squint and tug the pillow over my head with a groan “morning Mrs. McCormick” I laugh. “Just because they called you Mr. Johnson when we checked in doesn’t make me Mrs. McCormick.” I throw the pillow at him.
“No, but that paper over there does.” He says, and I spring up, grabbing my head to straighten into a sitting position. I follow the direction his finger is pointing toward to see what he is talking about.
Wait, what the hell did he just say? Releasing my head, I rub my cheeks. What the hell? I straightened my left arm down to see what scratched me. “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!” I hold my left hand out, and on my finger is a big blue sapphire diamond ring. It’s staring back at me from my ring finger.
My eyes go wide, “No fucking way!” I scramble from the bed, run over to the table, grab the paper Diesel referenced, and begin to read it. At the bottom of the page, sure as shit, both our signatures rest on the lines, “Diesel, is this real?” Confused, disoriented, and, if I’m honest, possibly still a little drunk. I turn and plead with my eyes for the truth.
“Yes, I already brought it downstairs and checked. It’s real, it’s legal, and we’re married.” I drop the paper in disbelief, stunned silent. Once I get my head straight, I begin to pace back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, trying to remember when we got hitched.
“We were on Fremont, the 4 Queens. We zip-lined, right?” I turn, and he nods, and I pace back and forth again. “Everything after that is a blur. I remember walking down the road. Oh, and we saw that Elvis impersonator.” Then it hits me. It all comes flooding back in a rush.
“Will you marry me, Nicolette?” He turned me to face him, “Yeah, sure. Why not.” I replied, and we followed Elvis into a room with chairs everywhere and a woman standing in the corner. “You like me.” Diesel gets my attention again, and I throw my arms around his neck, “I do!” I said and kissed him. My drink spilled everywhere, and the woman came over and handed Diesel something. He held the pen out to me and said sign here. So I did, without a thought.
“Huh.” That will teach me. My father always said, “Don’t ever sign anything without reading it first.”
I stop short of the couch and plop down, “We’re married.”
“I know this isn’t the greatest time, but we need to get to the airport.” Diesel runs his hand through his hair. I’m numb, but I get up and gather my things to head home. Not another word is said between us until we are buckled in and are up thousands of feet in the air.
“Would it be so bad?” His voice pulls my attention away from the space in my head. I give it a thought and shake my head, “I suppose not. I mean, I do like you. We are best friends. You know everything about me, and I trust you.” I lean back and try to figure out how I will explain this to my family.
Me, and one man for the rest of my life? Can I have fucked up my life anymore? Shit, I went to Vegas to find myself and figure out what I wanted, and I came home married. I sigh, cover my eyes with my hands and rest my head back. What a fuck up I am. I always have been but never realized it until now.
“This isn’t how it was supposed to happen, you know. You’re supposed to fall in love, spend time with that person, and then do the whole marriage and kids thing, right?” I ask.
He takes my hand in his, “Nicki, there is no rush for any of it. But I do think we should give it a try.” I pull my hand from him, “Can we keep it to ourselves for a little bit. Until I figure out how to explain this all to my parents at least?” He agrees and turns to look out the window.
With everything running through my mind, I glance down at the ring to make sense of it all. It is beautiful, a nice-sized, heart-shaped sapphire with something that resembles skulls on the side. I narrow my sight, “are these skulls?” I turn my head. Diesel has a huge smile on his face, “Yes, because you’re my slayer. You thought it was perfect when we saw it on the strip the other day.” I can’t help the laugh that escapes, “how the hell am I going to explain that to my parents!” The laughter fills the pit of the plane, and some of the tension releases.
Oh, for fucks sake! What have I gotten into this time?
“One day at a time, we’ll figure this out together,” he says, and the love I see in his eyes is true. He said it, and I panicked, but he made me feel safe and secure. Isn’t that what I’ve been chasing all these years? I was looking for the one man who could do it all for me. Love me, take care of me, and accept me for everything I am and want to be. Not just the one-night stands, but something long-term. But marriage, is it a bit much?
