Knot a Liar (Knotted Up Book 1) (9 page)

We download and print the marriage license application forms off the county’s website, to bring it in as soon as the plane lands at 11 tomorrow morning.

I just have to feign some type of illness and I’ll be free and clear of work. I have nothing pressing until my meeting on Wednesday anyway. I could spare Sam a day. He’d do it for me. He has done it for me.

*****

The alarm goes off. Today is a regular Monday. Nothing special about today. The sun isn’t shining brighter; birds aren’t singing louder; the air isn’t sweeter. Only difference to this Monday is that I’m not heading to work, I’m heading to Vegas to get married.

I’m getting married today.

Rolling over, I bump into a solid mass to find Sam spread on the bed. I look around to notice we’re still in our clothes. I don’t remember Sam getting on the bed. Last thing I remember is being on the couch with Sam. He must have brought me here.

“Hey, get up. You can’t be here. Go home and get ready. We have an hour and a half before we have to leave.” I keep nudging but he stays still.

Sam grunts, then groans, then flops over and sighs, then yawns. “We’re getting married today. I get to call you wife.” I watch as a tender smile coats his face.

“Yes. But it won’t happen if you don’t leave.”

“What, no breakfast?” Sam looks at his lap and the bedside table in mock disappointment.

I laugh, unable to hide my humour. “We’ll get it on the way. Now go.” Pushing the solid mass of Sam out of the bed is futile.

Sam gets up and leans over to kiss my hair. “Good morning, sweetheart. Alright I’m leaving,” Sam turns at the threshold of the room “Wash your hair with the shampoo you used the night of the play, not the one in your hair now. I prefer that one, it calms me.”

“Whatever you say husband. I live to serve you.” Sarcasm wraps my comment with a pretty, little bow.

“That’s the spirit! Good start.” Sam grins as he avoids the pillow targeting him.

“Later, Sam.”

“Later, wife.” He’s hopeless.

*****

“Finally! I feel as if I can breathe again.”

“I know how you feel. I’m just happy that everything went smoothly for once between us. I’m still uncomfortable with you paying for everything though. Marriage is supposed to be 50/50. I didn’t contribute a cent.”

“This isn’t your problem, Sandra. I’m not unchivalrous or unfair, why should you spend when this is really for my benefit?”

“Alright, but I wanted to tie you down before I say this: I don’t do dishes.” Actually, there are a lot more things I want to do to you, tied up or down.

“Me neither.”

Feeling less stressed, I join Sam in a no bars hold laugh. Standing on the sidewalk in the middle of the Las Vegas strip, outside the chapel, the belly-aching laugh was cut short by the only voice that means imminent doom. Double Crap!

“Sandra, Cha –uh –Sam, what are you guys doing here?”

“Uh –w –what are you doing here?”

“We have a branch here. I’m here ‘til Wednesday revamping the marketing and promotional plans for businesses in the area. I’m working on two new accounts as well. Thought I’d check out the strip while it’s safe to do so in daylight without attracting the wrong crowd. You didn’t answer me though: what are you two doing here?”

I give a watered down smile. A sad-puppy-in-a-pound smile. “Umm… what does it look like we’re doing here?”

“That evasive, defensive side only comes out when there’s something to hide, Sandra,” Detective Patricia starts scanning the surroundings.

Looking between me, Sam and the chapel behind us, should give the blind enough clues about our activities. Patricia should figure it out by now then.

“Hold on, no…”

Sam clears his throat once, then twice. His gaze scurries away from mine, he twists before he says, “We came to get mumble mumble mumble. . .”

I don’t catch it all, and the part I did catch, I can’t quite believe he admitted to. I guess he’s tired of lying too.

“One more time,” Patricia told him. “This time, tell me so I can hear you, Sam.”

Sam still doesn’t meet my eyes. In fact, he was playing with the newly placed ring on his left hand like it holds the answers to the world’s greatest problems. Or, perhaps, the ring suddenly feels as tight as the two adorning my finger.

I answer instead. “We came to get married. Matter of fact, we just did.”

Patricia stands slack –jawed. “And you let me sit and take the heat yesterday, while all this time you’re lying your asses off?”

Sam shakes his head. “I was in the middle of admitting it when Max opened his mouth. I couldn’t add to that. Not then.”

“I see.” Patricia replies nodding, and in a vein of cruel irony continues, “But you, Sandra, I can’t believe you’re that desperate to wear a wedding ring, that even with the promise of a fake marriage, you come running to Vegas, the next day.”

“Really, Patricia, you’re gonna go there? Have you already forgotten about last night?”

“Oh, pish posh,” Patricia waves of the truth as if it is the most irrelevant detail. “The real liars are standing here before me.”

“Patricia, you were lying as well.”

“Well… yes, but everyone knows the truth about me and Max now. You two Sam be the ones to cause real damage to your parents’ poor broken hearts, Sam,” Patricia turns to give Sam her ‘I’ve got-you-by-the-balls’ smile, wicked and malicious. “And I’ll be the one to tell them. Question is: can they survive anymore deceit and betrayal? Toodle do.”

That’s it! I’m declaring it. The absolute, worst day of my life is today. I don’t see how there can be anything worse than this. This is almost becoming a habit now.

Sam takes my hand releasing only after a few good squeezes. I’m not sure if those were for my reassurance or his.

Patricia breaks out into a sarcastic, caustic laugh, a few steps away, leaving us a new débâcle without a single lifeline in this time of defeat.

Oh crap, this really isn’t good.

[
9
]

Nine Fine Wines

The sun glares down on us baking us in our dumb lies, stupid charade and idiotic transgressions.

I finally and legally have Sam where it would be hard to prove non-consensual sex right now and yet I can’t enjoy it.

Patricia has managed to ruin another part of my life. I’m now beginning to understand murders of passion and their committers.

Sam shams indifference, even though his fists and jaw keep clenching. The caresses of the breeze play over his face, softening Sam for him to return to me.

“Alright, then. So I guess there’s no honeymoon now.”

“Sam, not now. I’m not in the mood”

“I know. Like I said, no honeymoon.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Yes, I am. But you already signed on the dotted line, no take backsies.”

“Take backsies? What are you nine?”

He nods, grinning, “Plus eighteen. And a half.”

“Are we going to avoid talking about Patricia and her threat to expose you to your parents?” I shift to look Sam in the eyes, my breath still hitching at his magnificent stature and grandeur.

“For now, yes.”

Alright, file that under list of ‘Things to seriously worry about later ‘cause I just don’t want to right now’.

“Good, my brain is in overload now. There’re too many things happening. I need a breather.”

“So, honeymoon back on?”

“If that means being at home, sipping champagne to get a buzz and ordering take-out, then yes.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Sam hails a taxi giving the driver instructions to head to the airport.

“We need to start practicing kissing”

“What?”

“That is what couples do, Jodi. Kiss me. Kiss me like you did at the reunion, I enjoyed that.”

Groaning I say, “You like when people fondle you?”

“Not people, you.”

“Why didn’t you stop me by the way? I was so embarrassed when Max came up.”

“Why would I? I liked it. Besides I wasn’t thinking about Max for that matter. That would be disgusting and so very wrong.”

“Who were you thinking of, your boyfriend, or a past boyfriend?”

“What, no! Why the hell would you say something like that? No! Hell! That’s twisted, Jodi. Don’t repeat that.”

“Sorry. You were so into it, I just wondered.” Mumbling, I look out the window watching the Strip leave me.

“Jodi, look at me,” Sam grasps my face in both hands, looking in eyes in earnest, “When I’m with you, I’m not thinking about Max, family, friends, Patricia, work or anything else. I’m thinking about you. Always about you. Don’t forget that.”

Sam kisses my forehead so softly it’s like his lips whisper their adoration against my skin. Looking at Sam is fine but it is the tasting that I enjoy most. Like the dew that waters fresh blossoms, Sam’s lips move and leave their mark against my heated skin. His scent of body wash and manliness –too inviting –leaves a delicious taste behind leaving me to desire the more I know I’ll never get.

Wanting to forget the day already, my brain sends my body in a mini hibernation mode the moment we step unto the plane until we exit the taxi that takes us home.

At the door Sam pauses. “You want me to come in with you? I mean we have a few things to straighten out.”

I drag him in and shut the door behind us. “I know. But can I get a breather first. I’m hungry. They should start serving food on planes again. I’m paying enough for the ticket, a sandwich doesn’t cost that much.”

“So pizza, Chinese, burg–”

“Pizza. I’ll order.”

“I’ll pay.” Sam takes out his wallet, grabbing a fifty and puts it on the coffee table. “No mushrooms on mine.”

“I know. No olives either.”

A soft series of knocks land on my door before I hear low voices and then heavy banging.

“We know you’re in there!”

“Open up!”

“Oh crap. That’s Alex and Grace. Alex doesn’t know about you. Hide!”

The banging gets louder and I freeze on the spot when I realize that Sam isn’t moving.

“While I would love to,” Sam raises my hand with the wedding ring to my face, “Isn’t it time she knew?”

“Yeah, Jodi, when were you going to tell me? At your 50th wedding anniversary party?”

Sam moves to step slightly in front of me upon hearing the new voice.

“Uh… Alex. Hi.”

I turn to glare at Grace who looks everywhere but at me while fidgeting with the hem of her pink and green checkered blouse.

“Savannah! That key is for emergencies only.”

“Don’t blame Grace. If it weren’t for her I wouldn’t know the trouble you were up to. At least some of it, because your wedding is something that you decided to exclude us from.”

“Good choice too or it wouldn’t have happened.” Grace mutters.

Alex turns to me to continue after glaring at Grace, “Jodi, I feel like you’re my child sometimes. Did I not tell you to go alone?” Alex grabs her hair as if to pull it from the skull while glowering at me, “No wonder it’s been so hard to catch you during the week. You’ve been on a solitary mission to screw up your life.” A hand swings in Sam’s direction giving her hair a break.

Cocking her thumb over to Sam, Grace says, “Well not solitary anymore with this one.”

“Savannah, I only have that much control over my temper. Please,” Resuming the bashing, she says, “Are you that lonely and heartsick, Jodi, that you would pick up the first thing off the street side and marry it?”

Sam’s eyebrows join together over narrowed eyes. “Hey!”

Alex flashes Sam a glare, eyes aflame, forehead wrinkled, and a finger stabbing in his direction. “Wait on your turn mister! It’s coming.”

Sam clenches his jaw and throws a hand around my shoulder pulling me flush against his hardened body, “What is she your mother?”

“Sam, don’t.” I whisper with slumped shoulders.

Putting a hand on his chest to gain his attention while so he could forget about Alex, he turns to look at me eyes softened, apologetic. Repeating the words Alex echoed hits and raises a large bruise on my self-esteem. I would’ve felt better from a hard hit in my face. Was I wrong in wanting to help Sam when he had helped me so willingly before?

“Why do I even bother? It’s obvious you’ll do the wrong, stupid things, never the less. I’m leaving. I can’t do dinner tonight.”

“But we’ve never missed dinner, and I have lasagne.”

Turning away from me out the door, Alex says, “I have to. I have papers to grade.”

“Jodi! Do something!”

“I –I –”

“Oh! You know what Jodi! Time to make a decision here. Are you going to let our friendship go down the drain over a man– one you’ve known for less than two weeks?”

“No! Grace, I would never–”

“Be sure, Jodi. Now or never– him or us?”

“Savannah, come on. We’ve known each other for years. Please, believe tha–”

“Good. That’s all I needed to know. I’ll work on Alex–you know how she is. Ugh, that lasagne is going to waste. Oh what the hell, at least dinner for the week is guaranteed.”

“I’m sorry. Please tell her that.”

Savannah embraces me in a warm hug, “Yeah, yeah. I know. I just hate being the middle man between you two idiots. One hell bent on making her life a complete mess. The other out to save the world from itself,” Sighing, Grace looks between me and Sam. “I’ll talk to you later. And pick up the damn phone! It’s not a landline. Sam, I’m watching you. I know where you work.”

I need to stop declaring these things, but now I’m sure nothing can compare to this. Today is surely the worst day of my life. Meeting Patricia outside the chapel after a farcical marriage, her threatening Sam with exposure and me coming face to face with the one I’ve been avoiding all week is most certainly the worst day ever. How can my days get any worse now? How can I make it better?

Closing the door behind Grace, my body feels like a seven tonne truck is sitting on my shoulders.

I slide down to the floor, dropping my head in my hands.

Sam comes over kneeling beside me as he rubs lazy circles on my back. “Are you alright?”

I don’t answer, but simply shake my head.

“I’m so sorry for dragging you into my mess and disrupting your life.”

“Let’s be real here, Sam. I’m the cause of this all. I started all this mess the moment I decided to advertise for a boyfriend.”

Sam shakes his head, “That part was over,” Pointing toward the ring on my finger, he says, “I’m taking about this. This is because of me, well my parents, but mostly me. If I’m to be honest though, I’m happy it’s you. Sorting this on my own or even with someone else wouldn’t be this fun or this easy.”

A genuine smile teases my lips as I say, “You think I’m easy?”

“Good, you’re back. Now I thank heavens I only have one sister. I couldn’t deal with all this drama growing up. You guys are tiring.”

“Alex is just worried about me.”

“But why couldn’t she just say that?”

“Alex needs to feel in control. She lost her father at 7. Being a daddy’s girl she took it hard. That’s just how she’s wired. She couldn’t control her father’s death and her mother’s emotional abandonment, so she tries to control everything else around her. She’s caring and sweet but she has her own issues dealing with. I think that’s why she became a teacher –you know to be a secondary support. As much as she complains, she would never leave once a student needs her. She tries to fix everything and it frustrates her when she can’t. She’ll come around. Need to give her time and a little space.”

Sam gets up, pulls me off the floor before leading me to the couch to sit before walking away.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to run you a bath and hop over to my house. I need some clothes.”

“Clothes for what?”

“I’m spending the night. I can’t leave you stranded. Heavens knows if Alex might come back to terrorise you.”

“She won’t, but thanks.”

“Besides it’s our honeymoon. What kind of husband would I be if I left you alone?”

“Fine, but don’t expect sex tonight, honey.” Unless you really want to.

“Ah, already holding out on me? You make the perfect wife.”

“I try. Now go run my bath, I’m waiting.”

“Yes, Mrs McGowan.”

“Thanks. I’m going to prepare for work tomorrow. Just call for me.”

“The bath is ready, Mrs McGowan,” Leaning over the back of the couch, Sam kisses my right cheek for an extended moment. Even though we’ve shared more intimate kisses, a blush quickly adorns my neck and cheeks with an involuntary smile spreading over my lips. “I won’t be long, just need to pick up a few things. By the way, can I use the extra parking space for my car when I return? Don’t want to leave it on the street for the night.”

“Yeah. Enter 2514 in the garage entrance and you’ll be clear.”

After kissing my cheek again, Sam moves away and says, “I’ll be back,” Frowning, he continues, “I need to work on that; used to be one of my best.”

I finish selecting my outfit for the morning, before heading into the bathroom. Upon opening the door, an overwhelming scent of jasmine and freesia flows into my nostrils. I let out some of the water to replace it fresh water in hopes to dilute the scent. Sam has to be the only gay on the planet who doesn’t know how much bath oil to put into the water since half the bottle’s contents is missing.

After dipping a hand to check the temperature, I shrug off my clothes and immerse myself completely. I sink even deeper in the tub relishing in the warmth and basking in in the scent.

“Honey, I’m home!”

I quickly rinse off in the shower before grabbing the pyjamas and running into my room. “I’m coming. Just got out of the bath.” I can’t believe I fell asleep in the tub! I could’ve drowned! Or maybe that was the aim. No problems for the dead. All difficulties and concerns are left behind for someone else to deal with at the last breath.

But then, Patricia isn’t worth it.