LOVE DOESN'T ASK WHY
Chapter Four
"Good morning, Jack baby," Maria
said, not turning around from the stove.
"Good morning, Maria dear," Jack
said, sneaking up behind her and giving her a hug. "Mmm…pancakes are my
favorite," he said, looking at the food.
"I know they are," Maria said, giggling
and then kissing Jack.
"I'll set the table," Jack said, getting
the plates out of the cabinet.
"All right. You do that," Maria
said, flipping the pancakes over. "Oh, and while you are at it, you need
to set the clocks ahead one hour. Yesterday was the beginning of daylight
savings time, and I forgot to tell you," she said, pointing the spatula at
Jack.
"All right. I'll do that after breakfast,"
Jack said. "Maria, I think today we should go back to that Special
Occasions store. We can buy our things there," he said, putting the forks
on the table.
Maria sighed, and said, "I guess you’re
right. We'll go after we get cleaned up. A girl can't go anywhere in
flannel."
*****
"Good morning, Rose," Mark said, taking
a sip of his coffee.
"Good morning, Mark," Rose said, kissing
him.
"I made coffee," Mark said.
Rose nodded her head, and said, "I know.
I could smell it from the bedroom." She poured herself some coffee in her
favorite mug, which said, It can be done, it will be done, and it shall be
done...tomorrow. Rose had to chuckle every time she read it. "Darling,
what time are we going to pick out your tux?" Rose asked.
"After we get cleaned up, and after
breakfast," Mark said. He got up to put some bread in the toaster.
"Hey, put some in there for me, too. Will
you, please?" Rose asked, smiling.
Mark smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes,
dear." Rose smiled again.
"Thank you, honey." She took
another sip of coffee. Mark and Rose lived in Manhattan. They were not rich,
but not poor, either. "We also have to get the flower arrangements done
today," Rose said.
"All right," Mark said, sighing.
*****
It was around one o'clock when Mark and Rose
went out to get the tux.
"Oh, I’d better change the clock in the
car, now, shouldn't I?" Rose asked, leaning down to change the time.
"We’re here," Mark said, turning
the ignition off and unbuckling his seatbelt.
"Okay. Let's go get a tux," Rose
said, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door.
*****
"I think it looks great on you,"
Jeanette said to Jack, her hands on his shoulders. Jack chuckled with Jeanette.
The little bell on the door made the sound that
signaled that there was another customer for Jeanette to attend to. Jeanette
walked over to the door.
"Why, it's Rose and Mark. How are you
two doing?" she asked.
Jack's ears perked up at the sound of the
name Rose. How magical it sounded, and how lovely it was, too. Jack looked
through the many wedding gowns to see Rose. He felt bad about it, but there was
something about Rose he liked.
"I'm fine, Jeanette. How are you?"
Rose asked.
"I'm fine, thank you," Jeanette answered.
"Now, what can I do for you today?" she asked.
"Mark is here to get a tuxedo,"
Rose said.
Jack felt a smile growing on his face. She's
coming this way! Jack thought. The couple and Jeanette came closer to where
Jack was.
"Jack, have you met Rose and Mark?"
"Yes, I have, and it is a pleasure to
see you again," Jack said, shaking Mark's hand. "Rose, how are
you?" Jack asked, shaking Rose’s hand for longer than necessary.
"I'm fine, Jack, and you?" Rose
asked, still shaking his hand.
Jeanette realized that Jack was falling for
Rose. "Ahem…tuxedos?" Jeanette asked.
"Oh, right," Jack said, coming out
of his fantasy world.
"Right. I’d better go look at those tuxes...Rose,
shall we?" Mark asked, putting his hand on her back. Jack watched at she walked
away. As they looked at the tuxes, Rose kept looking back at Jack. Jeanette was
pinning Jack’s tux, while Mark was picking one out.
"Dear, I'm going to get some coffee,"
Rose said, smiling at Mark.
"All right. Take your time," Mark
said.
Oh, I will, Rose thought to herself. Wait a minute. Am I
having second thoughts about this marriage? Rose only thought about that
for a few seconds, and then headed toward the coffee pot.
"Jeanette, I think Mark needs help
picking out his tux," Rose said.
"All right. Don't do anything I wouldn't
do," Jeanette said. Under her breath, Jeanette whispered, "Oh, that
slipped out accidentally." She kept on walking.
Rose and Jack chuckled.
"You look nice," Rose said, taking
a sip of her coffee.
"Thanks. Maria thought it looked nice,
and so did I. Oh, wait a second. You don't know Maria. She's—" Jack said.
Rose interrupted him, and said, "Your fiancée.
I figured that out by now." She laughed with Jack.
"She has a good sense of humor,"
Jack said, chuckling and smiling.
"Oh, darling, that looks absolutely
fabulous on you!" Maria said, coming over to where Jack and Rose were.
"Thanks, Maria. I don't think you two
have met. Maria, this is Rose. Rose, Maria," Jack said.
"Hello. Jack has told me so much about
you," Rose said, shaking her hand.
"Well, what a coincidence. Same here,"
Maria said through gritted teeth. She let go of her hand.
"So, do you two have any plans for your
honeymoon?" Rose asked politely.
"Ha! Do we have plans? Go ahead, Jack
baby. Tell her," Maria said, one hand on her hip.
"Maria and I are going on the Titanic II,"
Jack said coolly.
"Oh, well, what a coincidence! So are
Mark and I," Rose said back.
Maria gave a pretend giggle and said, through
gritted teeth, "Oh, how pleasant." Then Maria thought of something. "Mark?
Who is Mark?" Maria asked, taking her hand off her hip.
"He is my soon-to-be husband," Rose
told Maria.
"They’re getting married on Sunday, too,
Maria," Jack said.
"Oh, my God. Where at?" Maria asked,
smiling. "The church a couple of streets down," Rose said. Maria's
smile fell a little.
"What time?" she asked, but this
time not through gritted teeth.
"The ceremony gets done at two o’clock PM,"
Rose said, and with that Maria's smile fell a little bit more.
"Maria, what's wrong?" Jack asked.
"That's the time we’ve got to be at the
church," Maria said through gritted teeth.