"This isn't good." Rocking back and forth on his heels, hands jammed in his pockets Brian watched the Hummer fade into the distance.
Making her way down the steps Callie grabbed her dress up in her hands breaking through Kevin and Brian’s shoulders, just in time to see the black Hummer turn the corner with a loud screech.
"Was Nick in that car?" Spinning around she directed the question at Kevin.
"Um-" He hesitated looking to Howie for help.
"Was Nick in that car?" Enunciating the words in a louder voice she was oblivious to the guests that had begun to file out of the church.
"Callie, honey." Beth came up beside Kevin handing him Mallory. "Why don’t you let me help you inside."
"Help me inside?" Throwing back her head Callie laughed. "Oh I’m not going back inside." Grabbing her netted veil she ripped it from her face, throwing it to the ground before walking back up the steps to where her mother and father stood watching her bemused looks on their faces.
“I told you he wasn’t the right man for you.” Her mother began. “He wore sweatpants to our Christmas party last year, not to mention the fact that he considered Spam and Chicken Pot Pie to be gourmet cuisine.”
"Daddy I need the keys to the Jag." Glaring in her mother’s direction Callie directed her statement to her father.
"Callie sweetheart, do you think it is wise to-"
“And ketchup, good God I’ve never seen one human being consume so much ketchup.” Babbling on in the background her mother continued to list what she considered to be Nick’s major character flaws.
"Keys." Callie demanded again her hand thrust out under her father’s nose, the vein in her forehead pulsating with anger.
Reaching into his jacket pocket Armand sighed as he dropped the keys into her open palm.
“Please be careful with my car-“
"Now if you’ll all excuse me." Ignoring her father Callie turned, walking back down the steps of the church a wicked grin on her face and a twinkle in her eyes as she walked barefoot across the parking lot in the direction of her fathers Jaguar.
* * *
"So where to?" Readjusting the passenger seat A.J. rolled down the window before pulling another cigarette out of the crumpled pack in his tuxedo jacket pocket.
"Somewhere where she can’t find me." Nick said wistfully, stealing glances in his rearview mirror as they barreled down the highway.
"Well last time I looked a Humvee couldn’t make it all the way to Borneo on an empty tank of gas so if you want to get further then the end of the city limits we better pull over buddy."
Taking the next exit off of the highway Nick flipped a U turning them into a small gas station beneath a freeway overpass.
Popping open the gas door Nick climbed from the car making his way around to the gas pumps. Grabbing for the premium nozzle he rolled the gas cap from the tank and plunged the nozzle inside.
"You know you’re paying for gas." A.J. walked around to where Nick stood, leaning against the car gnawing nervously on his fingernails.
"I know."
"Because this son of a bitch is a wicked gas guzzler."
"Okay fine."
"And you better use premium because I don’t use anything but-"
"I GET IT OKAY." Shouting Nick turned snatching the nozzle out of the tank and replacing it in its’ cradle.
"Geez you don’t have to be so touchy."
"Fuck you Mclean." Turning Nick started off in the direction of the station to pay, praying that A.J. would stay behind in the car and leave him the hell alone.
"This whole day has been like a movie or something." A.J. continued, following close on Nick’s heels as they walked inside of the gas station. "You know, like Runaway Bride?"
"This is not like Runaway Bride. I’m not a freaking girl." Grabbing for the doorhandle Nick yanked open the door to the store almost hitting A.J. in the nose.
"Okay then what about The Graduate?"
"I ran off with you not a girl. And besides we didn’t get on a bus." Walking down the snack aisle Nick began randomly pulling items from the shelves.
"Ummmm okay then how about Sixteen Candles?"
Flipping a bag of Cheetoes under his arm Nick stopped.
"Those two got married in Sixteen Candles."
"Oh, I thought she left him?"
"No, she was all crazy on Midol or something but she married him."
"Really?"
"Yeah, don’t you remember-" Walking back to the cooler Nick pulled out a case of Heineken. "She was all blubbering and drooling on her way down the aisle and then she stumbled outside and pulled off part of her dress and climbed in the limo?"
"Damn, you’re right." Grabbing himself a six pack of leaded Coke A.J. followed Nick back to the food aisles.
"Okay then how about Four Weddings and Funeral?"
"Lame, how is my wedding fiasco anything like Four Weddings and a Funeral?"
"Ummmmm, Muriels Wedding?"
"You didn't even see Muriels Wedding you dink."
"My Best Friend’s Wedding."
"A.J. you’re pushing it."
"Okay well then what about Silence of the Lambs?"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Turning onto the next aisle Nick grabbed a handful of Hershey bars with almonds signaling to A.J. to get him a few chick-o-stix. "There wasn’t a wedding in Silence of the Lambs."
"I know, but I ran out of movies with weddings." Walking to the counter they dumped their stash in front of the pimply-faced clerk as A.J. ordered up a carton of cigarettes along with the gas.
"So Mr. Carter,” Grabbing the brown paper bag from the clerk A.J. followed Nick out the door back to the car. “Have you decided where we’re going yet?"
"Nope, but as soon as I do you’ll be the first to know Mr. Mclean." Climbing in the driver’s side door Nick took a deep breath before looking over his shoulder to the street, fully prepared for an out of control limo to come flying out of nowhere, Callie popping out the sunroof with a semi automatic rifle ready to blow him into kingdom come.
"Well if there ain’t gonna be a wedding them I’m shedding this stuffy thing." Yanking off his jacket A.J. tossed it through the passenger door into the back seat before popping off his cufflinks and shedding his starched white shirt.
"There, much better." Climbing in he untucked his tight white wifebeater retiring his shirt and cufflinks to the backseat where his jacket now lay in a crumpled heap.
"Are you ready?" Nick asked firing up the engine.
"Ready." A.J. smiled back as Nick threw the car into the reverse and spun out onto the open road.