By Emily

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware

Miss Parker walked into her office and threw her jacket and briefcase down on her desk. She noticed a small white envelope addressed to her laying there. She picked it up and read what was inside.

*****

Hotel
North Carolina
Hurricane season

Jarod stood in front of the couple waiting for the justice of the peace.

"Jarod, I don't know how to thank you. You have done so much for us." She shook his hand.

"Yeah, thank you," a man replied.

"It was nothing. I'm just glad your dream is finally coming true."

A woman wearing a short navy skirt with a white shirt and a navy jacket to match, walked up behind Jarod.

"I have you now," she said.

Jarod knowing the voice, turned slowly and responded, "Honey, you made it. I didn't think you were coming in until later."

Parker's jaw dropped, "What?"

"Oh honey, don't pretend you forgot."

"What?" she repeated. "It is nice to meet you," they greeted her.

Parker looked at him, "May I see you a moment." She grabbed his arm and pulled in the opposite direction.

"Excuse us a minute," Jarod said.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, you just showed up here. What was I supposed to do?"

"I'm not your wife!"

"You are now." He walked back toward them.

Parker grabbed his arm again, "Wait."

Jarod turned, "What?"

"After this we go, right?"

"Sure."

A man came out, "Molly and Justin."

Jarod and Parker followed them in.

"What are we doing here?" Parker asked Jarod.

"We are witnesses to this wonderful day."

Parker rolled her eyes, "Oh great."

After the ceremony Molly walked up to Parker, "I noticed you are not wearing a ring. Is there something wrong with your marriage?"

Jarod quickly answered, "You forgot it at the house. I are lucky that I remebered it."

Parker stared at Jarod.

"Isn't that right honey?"

"Oh yeah," Parker answered.

"Hey, I have a wonderful idea. Why don't you renew your vows?"

"Oh no!" Parker shouted.

"That is a wonderful idea. We should." Jarod turned to Parker and smiled.

"Can I see you, honey?" Parker pushed him to the corner. "What are you doing now?"

"Getting married."

"We can't get married."

"Why? We are here and there is a justice of the peace and we have witnesses."

"Because I am not marrying you."

"It looks like you don't have a choice."

"Oh and what are we supposed to do after the wedding?"

"The honeymoon, what else?"

"No, Nimrod. I'm talking about the divorce."

"Oh that. We can get an annulment later." Jarod took Parker's hand and walked back to Molly.

"I think we are ready now."

They stood in front of the judge.

"We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony."

"Just cut to it," Parker snapped.

"Do you, Jarod, take this woman to be your wife?"

"I do," he quickly answered.

"Do you Melissa, take this man to be your husband?"

She didn't speak. Jarod hit her arm.

"I do," she answered softly.

"What did you say?"

"I do!" she shouted.

"The rings please." the judge commented.

"Oh yeah, I have them right here." Jarod pulled out two plain gold wedding bands. He placed one on her ring finger.

From then on she tuned out what else was being said. The next thing she knew, Jarod's lips were locked to hers. She pulled away. Jarod smiled at her and she gave him a 'go to hell' look.

"What's next?" Parker hissed.

"Well, now that I have a better job we could go that wedding set you have been wanting."

"Great," Parker replied through gritted teeth. Jarod took her hand as they left.

********

They walked into a jewelry store.

"May I help you?" the clerk asked.

"Yeah we want to look at your wedding sets," Jarod replied.

"They are over here."

They walked to the counter. Jarod pointed to a his and hers matching set with five diamonds.

"What do you think about this one?"

"No. I'm not wearing a ring that you bought me."

"Parker, you have to go with me on this."

"What if I don't want to?"

"You have to. You walked right in on this one."

"I thought you said we would get this annulled."

"We will but for now we have to go with it."

"Fine." She looked down and saw a pear shaped diamond cut on a band with three small diamonds on each side of the band. "What about that one?"

"That one!" Jarod's eyes lit up at the price. "I can't afford that."

"You said 'I' had to go with you on this."

"Okay, what about the pear shaped diamond without the small diamonds on the band?"

"Okay."

"We'll take this one," Jarod told the clerk.

Jarod faced Parker and slipped the ring and the band on her finger. The clerk handed her his ring.

"What?" she looked confused. Looking down at his hand, "Okay!" She slipped his ring on his wedding finger.

********

They went to his place. Looking around at the mess of cup cakes wrappers and ice cream containers, "Now what, wonder boy?"

"Well, we are married now."

"Don't even think about it." She walked around.

Jarod picked up the wrappers and empty containers. "Well,...since you don't want to have a honeymoon then I guess we stare at each other."

"I'm tired. I think I am going to bed."

"Me too." Jarod followed her into the bedroom.

"I don't think so." She stopped him with her hand in the middle of his chest.

"This is my bed."

"Not anymore. You get the couch."

"Come on Parker, can't we share the bed."

"NO!" she screamed.

"Fine. Just let me get a blanket and pillow."

She threw one at him before he could move.

"Thanks." He walked out.

"Wait."

"What?"

"What am I supposed to sleep in?"

"I guess you sleep naked." He walked off.

"Funny. Very funny."

Jarod made himself comfortable on the couch, looking up he saw Parker standing over him.

"What?"

"I can't sleep in this. Do you have anything I can sleep in?"

"I don't know you were being mean to me. I mean I'm sleeping on the couch on our wedding night," he said sarcastically.

"Come on Jarod."

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear anything."

"Okay. I'm sorry. Can I please have something to sleep in?"

"I'm not sure I heard you."

"You heard me!" She raised her fist to him.

"Okay. Look in the top draw on the right. You should be able to find something."

"Thanks." She left.

Parker opened the draw and found a Tee shirt. She changed her clothes and hopped into bed. She grabbed the pillow and rolled over to her side. She could smell his cologne on the shirt. As she closed her eyes, all she could see was him standing there before her saying 'I do' with a smile on his face.

"Get him out of your head," she whispered to herself.

********

The next morning, Jarod into the bedroom. Seeing her laying there sleeping, he wanted so much to touch her. She looked like an innocent child. He sat down in the chair next to the bed.

She rolled over and saw him sitting there.

"What are you doing?"

"Just enjoying the view."

"Well, you better quit enjoying it."

"Come on Parker, we'll married."

She gave him a look before leaving the bed and walking into the bathroom.

Jarod followed her in.

"Now what?" she asked.

"It was my bathroom first."

"Well, you should have thought about that, before you got married."

"Can't we share."

"No!" she shouted as the door hit him in the face.

*******

A couple of hours later, she saw him sitting in front of the TV. She grabbed her purse and went to the door.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Out."

"You can't this is our honeymoon. What do you think people are going to think?"

"I don't care what they think. I'M going out."

"Fine." Jarod grabbed his shoes.

Parker turned around, "Oh..no you don't."

"What?"

"You're not going with me."

"Oh yes I am."

*******

A few minutes later they sat at a table in the restaurant. Parker sat in silence staring at the picture on the wall. Jarod couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you going to say something?"

"No," she answered.

"You have to say something."

She took a deep breath, looked him in the eye, "Fine. You want me to say something. I will say something. Why in the hell did you leave me that wedding invitation?"

Jarod laughed for a moment. "Oh that."

"Yeah 'oh that'. What did you drag me down here for?"

"I needed you to help me with this pretend."

"Well, what I can see so far you don't need me for?"

"That's not true."

"Then tell me, Jarod. It's not funny anymore."

"Well, you see Molly and Justin were childhood sweethearts and her father didn't allow her to see him anymore because he tried to help her see things differently."

"This is not funny, Jarod."

"I know. I saw in the paper where Justin was falsely accused of stealing and her father was putting him away. He wanted to protect his little girl. All Justin was trying to do was take her away from the evil her father had her believing."

"You're making this up."

"No...." Jarod looked up and saw Molly and Justin coming there way. He quickly took Parker's hand and laced it with his. As he reached down to kiss her fingers, Parker pulled away, almost slapping him when she saw them standing there.

"Hello," Molly said.

"Hello," Jarod answered.

"I see you are up early."

"Yeah we came down for a breakfast break. How about you?"

Parker glared at Jarod. He could tell she wanted to hit him so badly she could taste it.

"Same here," Justin smiled.

"Why don't you join us?"

"Thank you." They sat down at the table.

Jarod turned to Parker, "Now where were we?"

She didn't answer.

"Oh yeah. You were telling me how much you love me."

She gave him a 'go to hell' look. He smiled back.

After they ate, Molly turned to Justin and motion her head back. They soon split.

Parker turned to Jarod, "I'm leaving." She left her seat.

Jarod came up behind her.

"Where are you going?"

"With you, honey. Where else would I be going?"

"To hell."

"Now, now is that anyway to talk to your husband while you are still on your honeymoon."

"I'm NOT your WIFE!" she yelled.

"Honey....not here," he whispered.

"Fine." She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the elevator.

"That's better."

********

Later in the afternoon

Jarod sat on the couch watching TV while Parker locked herself in the bedroom. Jarod heard a knock at door.

"Who is it?"

"It's us, Justin and Molly."

Jarod opened the door to let them in.

"We were wondering if you wanted to have dinner with us later."

"Sure."

Molly saw the blankets and pillow on the couch. "Jarod, is everything okay," she whispered.

"Oh, that. Yeah. We just had a disagreement earlier. That's all."

"Oh."

"Let me get Melissa for you." He walked to the bedroom door, knocked, "Honey...."

"Go away!"

"We have company."

"I don't care."

"Honey...."

The door flew open. "I said....I don't...." She saw Molly standing behind Jarod.

"Oh hi." Parker's voice changed.

Parker came out of the bedroom and entered the livingroom of the suite.

"Melissa, I think we should go shopping and let the boys talk for a while."

"I don't know. I hate to leave my sugar bear." She pinched Jarod's butt.

She turned and gave him a look when he kissed her lips. She pulled away quickly, "See you later." They exited.

******

Molly and Parker returned later with a small gift bag.

"What did you get?" Jarod peeked in the bag.

Parker slapped his hand. "Later."

"Well, we had better get going," Molly told Justin.

"Oh yeah. See you for dinner."

"We will be there."

They left and Jarod grabbed the bag. "What did you get?"

"I told you....."

Jarod pulled out a black lace teddy before she could finish.

She grabbed the teddy and the bag from Jarod.

"I DO hope you are planning on wearing that later," he smiled.

"In your dreams." She stormed back to the bedroom.

******

Later that night, Parker opened the bedroom door. She looked around and couldn't see Jarod so she went for the couch. Laying down on her side she flipped through channels.

Jarod entered wearing 501 button-fly jeans and no shirt. "What are you doing? We have to meet Justin and Molly soon."

"I'm not going." She looked up to see shirtless Jarod standing by the couch. She quickly turned her head back toward the TV.

"What do you mean you are not going?"

"Just want I said."

"But..."

"You agreed to it, not me."

"Then, I guess I will have to tell them we can't come due to that black teddy you bought."

She threw a pillow at him.

Jarod stared at the TV, before saying anything else. "What are you watching?"

"The Outsiders."

He looked at her funny.

"Jarod, you mean to tell me you have never seen the Outsiders."

"No." He lay down on the couch beside her.

"Excuse me. Put your head down there."

"I'm not putting my head down there with your feet. Besides, you might kick me."

"Then sit over there." She pointed to the chair.

"No!" He didn't move. "So...what's this movie about?"

"Well,...this group of boys are poor and the other group is...well....lets just say they are well off."

"Oh." He got comfortable by propping his head with one arm and the other one thrown over Parker's side.

"Excuse me."

"What?"

"Move your arm."

"Why? I'm getting comfortable."

"Then get comfortable somewhere else."

"Shhh...I want to hear this."

Parker raised up to move when Jarod knocked her back down on the couch. "I can't see."

"Fine." She laid still for a few minutes until Jarod started rubbing her arm with his fingers.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Lay still. I can't hear or see."

"Jarod...."

"What?"

"Get your hands off of me!"

"I'm not doing anything."

"Yes, you are."

"What am I doing?"

"You are touching me."

"Oh...you don't like me to touch you at all."

"No!"

"Okay." He moved his arm. Parker got still again. Then Jarod looked down at her watching TV. He couldn't help it. He wanted to touch her. He moved closer and closer to her until his lips touched the side of her neck. She raised with one fist ready to hit when he caught it with his hand.

"Jarod!"

He flipped her over on her back. Their eyes locked. He proceeded toward her lips when her hand stopped him right center in the chest.

"What are you doing?" she replied not moving her eyes off of him.

"I should be asking the same question."

"Jarod...."

He continued toward her lips.

"We...can't...."

His lips touched hers and the fight was off as her arms went around his neck pulling him closer to her.

"You were saying," he responded as their lips locked.

"I forgot."

His lips wandered from her lips down her neck and stopped at her breast. His hands traveled down her side and back up under her shirt, pulling it off. He tongue went down the valley of her breast and back up along the laced bra line. He wrapped his arms around her back, searching for the metal hook.

After searching for a short while, "I can't find it," he whispered.

"In the front," she answered between moans.

"What?"

"It's in the front."

"Oh." He unhooked her bra exposing her breast as his lips found her nipple. Sucking gently, she moaned again as her nipple harden in his mouth. With his other hand, he played with the other breast.

She pulled his face up to hers and kissed his lips again. Her tongue ran down his neck and stopped at his chest, where she made small kisses.

His hands started traveling south and stopped after he had her pants unfasten. He raised up to remove the clothing, taking her ivory, satin panties with it.

Parker rolled him over continued kissing his chest as her hands popped the buttons on his Levi's. Jarod moaned as her fingers went down his jeans and gently massaged, he could feel all his blood rush from his head to his lower anatomy.

After she shed his jeans, her tongue moved to lips again, stopping. She looked him right in the eye, "There's no turning back after this."

"I know." He flipped her over and slipped inside. As he moved on top of her, she wrapped her legs around his waist. As her lips touched his neck again, her fingertips went down his back and circled his butt.

He raised up to kiss her breast again and she went with him. He sat on the couch with her in his arms, before she pushed him backwards. Their lips locked to each others only letting an occasional moan escape.

******

Parker woke the next morning, lying across Jarod's chest staring at the dresser mirror in the bedroom. She could see him watching her sleep. She listened to the rain hit the window before saying a word.

"Jarod."

"Yeah."

"What do we do now?" She raised up pulling the sheet to cover her naked body.

"What do you mean?"

"Well,...the annulment is off now." She stared into his brown eyes.

"Oh...yeah...."

"We can't...stay married."

Before Jarod could answer the wind blew open the window. Jarod jumped up to close it when they heard a knock at the door.

Parker slipped on a robe as Jarod searched for his jeans. Someone knocked at the door again, "I'm coming." Parker yelled as she went to answer it.

"Ma'am, we are asking all the guest on the upper levels to move to the bottom floor," a hotel employee replied.

"Thanks, we'll be there in a minute." Parker shut the door.

******

It wasn't long until the few guest that were left joined up in the lobby of the hotel. Jarod sat down on the couch next to Parker when Molly and Justin soon joined them.

"I hate this weather," Molly said as she took a seat next to Parker.

"Well, at least it's not snow. I hate being stuck where you can't leave," Parker added.

Jarod's head turned to her, "Me too but I think I can get out of a snow storm."

Parker knew what he meant. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." She took his hand into hers.

Molly noticing this change over Parker, "I take it you two are...back together?"

"You could say that," Jarod responded.

"So, Molly tell me about yourself?" Parker asked to see if Jarod had told her the truth.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"How did you and Justin meet?"

"We were childhood friends that grew into sweethearts. How about you and Jarod?"

"I guess you could say the same."

"Yeah, but my father was against it."

"My father....well...I don't know how my father would take it."

"He doesn't know."

"No and I think it is better off that way."

"I would say so." Jarod added.

They waited to the storm out before they returned to their rooms.

******

Parker walked into the Centre, headed straight to her office.

"Where have you been?" a familiar voice asked as he turned around in her chair.

"What is the hell are you doing in my office? Get out!"

"Not until you tell me where you have been."

"I don't answer to you, Lyle."

"Oh...yes you do."

"Like hell I do."

Sydney and Broots entered.

"I thought I saw you," Sydney said.

"It's good to have you back, Miss Parker. Oh, I didn't know you had company."

"Company, he's NOT company. He's was on his way out," Parker snapped.

Lyle got up and headed to the door. "This is not over." He exited.

"Like hell it is." Parker plopped down in her chair.

"So what happen to you. You had us worried."

"Oh nothing. I got caught in a hurricane and ended up married."

"You what?" they asked simultaneously.

"Who?" Sydney asked.

"Oh, someone I met during the hurricane. Don't we have work to do?" Parker pushed them out of her office.