CALIFORNIA PARADISE
Chapter Eight
It was the very end of May. After seeing his
skills, a building designer had hired Jack and he was currently working on a
multi-million dollar house. Rose, after a couple of lessons, seemed to be a
natural on camera. Casting directors loved the fact that she was an excellent
dancer, had a wonderful singing voice, and had a very encouraging can do
attitude.
Rose’s nineteenth birthday had been
celebrated near the middle of May among the many friends they had made.
They had just recently purchased a four story
mansion in California, and they refused to move unless Rich came along with
them.
Rich was also doing exceptionally well. After
playing a good hand at the stock market--through Rose and Jack’s help--he was
living large with the best of them. Thus, they planned to travel across the
country and to their new lives a week after the wedding.
With this sudden burst of good luck, Jack and
Rose were on top of the world. Or so it seemed.
*****
Rose sat in her bedroom. They were still
living in the same apartment they had purchased before, and Rose looked around
the small room skeptically. It was two days before the wedding. In front of her
was the white silk and lace five thousand dollar wedding dress and veil. Out of
the corner of her eye she could see the lilac bridesmaids’ dresses and men’s
tuxes hanging in the closet. She sighed. She hadn’t even picked those dresses
out. It didn’t seem as if it were her wedding at all. She put her head in her
hands and closed her troubled eyes. She didn’t open them again until she heard
a knock on the door. She wearily got up and opened it to let Jack step inside.
"Hon, you know I’m not supposed to see
the dress until the wedding. It’s bad luck." He spotted her miserable
state and immediately put his arms around her. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing. That’s the problem. Everything
is just so damn perfect. I didn’t even get to participate in any of the plans.
This is beginning to remind me of--" She stopped abruptly.
But Jack still knew what she was about to
say. "It’s beginning to remind you of your wedding with Cal. Oh, Rose, I’m
so, so sorry. I didn’t realize things were so out of hand."
"Jack, I’m sorry. I know that it’s not
your fault. I just--"
"You don’t have to say it. I know
exactly what you mean. Look, I have to work late today, so I won’t be home for
a while. Meet me outside the big gazebo in the park at midnight. Do you know
where that is?"
"Yes, I know where it is, but I don’t
see how that’s going to make anything better--"
He cut her off for the second time that day.
"Just trust me on this, Rose."
She smiled. "I trust you."
*****
"Okay, so what’s your big plan?"
she asked him at the gazebo. The only light available was from the moon and the
stars. He took her hand and led her to a rented car. He opened the front door
and helped her into the passenger seat. He got into the driver’s seat himself.
For a while they just sat there, silently. Then he slowly turned towards her
and said two words that made her eyes light up with pleasure.
"Let’s elope."
*****
First, they stopped by a small clothing
store, where Rose picked out a white silk skirt and a white lace shirt. When
she protested about not having any sort of veil, Jack surprised her by taking
out a gold decorated box from the trunk. When she opened it, she found the most
delicate white gold tiara she had ever seen. When placed on her head, it looked
like the prized treasure from an underwater palace.
*****
They drove for a little while longer, and
then Jack stopped the car next to a park near a small lake. In the fields, Rose
picked the flowers for her bouquet. Jack gently removed her hair ribbon and
tied them together before handing them back to her. They drove on for about
five more minutes before he stopped at a small but cozy house.
"The couple living here have a license.
They’ve agreed to marry us," Jack told her.
Rose smiled.
"Are you sure you want to have such a
small wedding?" he asked her.
"Jack, I don’t care what kind of wedding
I have, just as long as you’re the groom."
*****
He helped her out of the car and to the front
door. He knocked. Almost instantly, a woman who looked to be in her mid-sixties
led them inside. "My husband is ready for you. My, my, don’t you look
pretty," she said, smiling at the young couple.
They entered the living room, and Rose saw
that a small stage had been set up, and a long white rug would serve as her
aisle. Jack looked at her, worried.
"How beautiful," she truthfully
stated as the lights were dimmed and more candles lit. Jack went to stand
beside the woman’s husband while the woman sat down at the piano to play the
traditional wedding march. Rose slowly walked up the aisle, her eyes
permanently fixed on her handsome soon-to-be husband.
God, she’s beautiful, Jack thought, overwhelmed by Rose’s beauty. He
reached out his hand to guide her closer. It was shaking. He gave it a
reassuring squeeze.
As the minister talked, Jack thought back to
all the times he and Rose had shared. He owed all the happiness he had ever had
to her. His mind focused as he saw everyone’s eyes on him. "I do," he
said, all the love and emotion going into those two words.
Rose looked at Jack in wonder. Everything
he’d done for her. She owed him her life, if not more. "I do," she
said, when the time came.
And then, after waiting for what seemed like
forever, the beautiful words finally came. "I now pronounce you husband
and wife. You may kiss the bride."
*****
"It’s okay if you can’t pay us today. We
can stretch it out over a period of time if you’d like," the woman kindly
assured the couple.
Jack smiled and looked down at the floor.
"That won’t be necessary," he said, handing her the amount he owed
her, not to mention twenty dollars more. "For the excellent service,"
he said.
"If you ever need anything, just come to
us," Rose told her.
It finally hit the woman. "Wait! You
aren’t the Dawsons, are you? The ones whose wedding is the social event
of the decade?"
Rose blushed, and said, "Actually we
are, but we would really appreciate it if you kept this to yourselves until we
make a formal announcement."
"Oh, of course," they reassured the
newlyweds.
*****
"First we’ve got to stop by the
apartment and leave everyone a note. They’ll be worried sick," Jack said.
"Mmm," Rose said, nuzzling against
him in the car.
"I have something to ask you," he
told her.
"Shoot."
"Do you really want to go to Paris for
our honeymoon? We could stay at a hotel until we have to go over, but I was
thinking that we could do something else."
"And what would that be?"
He looked over at her, a mischievous grin on
his face. "Go to Santa Monica."
She smiled and hugged him close. "Jack,
I love you so much!"
"I love you, too, Mrs. Dawson."