|
This story takes place in Las Vegas right as Mike shows up at Carrie’s hotel door, all decked out in a tuxedo for their night out. The story takes place in Mike and Carrie's minds. I hoped the dress and necklace were allright. I had a hard time deciding what to get for Carrie for our night out since I wanted everything to be special and perfect. She deserved a night out after all that she had been through. I knew that she was probably agonizing over Austin in the back of her mind, but I had to get her mind off of him... I had not originally planned on taking Carrie out. It was spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. When I saw her looking at the newlyweds in the casino right as we arrived, I saw how sad she was. But there was something that told me that I could make her happy. I tried to calm myself down - my heart was racing a million miles a minute. I don’t think I had ever been this nervous before. I had performed hundreds of difficult surgeries and dealt with many difficult people in my life, but this was so much more nerve-wracking. This person that I was picking up was my future. She was the love of my life. I couldn’t believe that Mike had gone through all of this trouble. The dress fit perfectly, but I didn’t put the necklace on just yet. I needed Mike’s help with the clasp. I wondered where the night would lead me. This was a turning point in my relationship with Mike. We were alone in Las Vegas, without anyone breathing down our necks, and we had the whole city to explore. I didn’t know how things would turn out, especially with the thought of Austin in the back of my mind. I had left a message for him, but I wondered if he would ever call back. I tried to keep my mind on what was ahead... Mike... He was wonderful to me, and I certainly did love him. But there was so much unresolved... "Allright, Carrie...Stop thinking about this. You have a wonderful night ahead of you. It’s going to be an awesome night. I know it is." I nodded and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She took in a deep breath when she heard a soft knock at the door. My heart was still pounding against my chest - I was sure that Carrie would be able to hear it when she answered the door. I nervously ran my hand through my hair as the doorknob turned. The first thing that I saw was Carrie’s smile. She was beautiful - angelic...My nervousness seemed to disappear when I saw her eyes and her smile.
"You look absolutely beautiful. You’re taking my breath away," I said, smiling. Her dress seemed to shimmer underneath the hotel lights. "You look pretty darn handsome yourself," Carrie replied, looking into my eyes. I followed her into her room, and she picked the diamond necklace out of it’s case. "Would you help me with this necklace? The clasp is pretty tricky." I agreed, and I reached over to take the necklace from her. Our fingers touched - for just a moment - and our eyes instantly met. Carrie smiled and she turned around so that I could fasten the necklace for her. I looked at our reflection in the mirror. "I love it, Mike. But you shouldn’t have," she said, as I clasped the necklace around her neck. "Well, you know how often I’ve wanted to buy you things...gifts," I said softly. "Now that our feelings are out in the open, I just want to spoil you a little, if that’s allright with you." I turned around to face Mike. He was so gentle, and so kind to me. How did I ever deserve his love? I knew that we were right for each other in so many ways and I wanted to be with him. My heart skipped a beat when I thought back to the Brady/Horton picnic. We were just starting to fall in love then. "It’s allright if you spoil me," I said, smiling up at him. Our eyes locked and I just wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to tell him that I loved him and that I wanted this night to be special. But I had a feeling that he already knew that. The phone rang, and it cut the air like a knife. I headed over to the phone, and answered it quickly. I had half-expected it to be Austin, but at this point, I didn’t think he was going to call again. My mind was still swirling from Mike’s near-kiss. I half-heard a person telling me that a limo was waiting, but all I could think about was Mike. I hung up the phone, and looked over at Mike. "You ordered a limo?" I asked. "Nothing but the best. Are you expecting another call?" he asked gently. Oh, I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to tell him that I had left a message for Austin, but I also didn’t want to lie to Mike. He seemed to be the only one who understood me. Carrie softly told me that she had left a message for Austin, but inside I was glad that she told me. I was happy that she was honest with me, but I also wanted her to know that I was still going to support her and love her. "Look, I know how important it is to talk to him," I said, my eyes meeting hers. "But I also know that you and I can have a beautiful life together. Tonight, I just want to give you a window into what that life can be like, okay?" I wanted her to feel like she had a future with me. I wanted her to feel special and loved and surprised all at the same time. I knew that I could give her the life that she had always wanted. "Ready?" I asked. Carrie looked up at me, and nodded bravely. "Let’s go." With that, Carrie and I left for our night out in Las Vegas. What did the night hold in store for us? I just knew that I was happy to be with Carrie. That’s all I needed for now. |
