Must Wait (19 page)

We three sit together waiting for graduation. Olivia
sits between us. Ryan keeps touching her and whispering
in her ear. She keeps giggling and squirming. They are
driving me nuts.

I lean forward, scowling at them. “Are you both here
for you daughter or here to screw each other?”
Ryan smiles. “Both. Do you know how badly I
wanted to fuck this woman on this campus? Plans had to
change for us. We had to withdraw coming here because
she was pregnant with Katie. Funny how things turned
out for us. Now we are here to see Katie graduate. Livi, I
am so turned on.”
I scowl down at Olivia. “Olivia, move over into my
chair. I can’t take this from you both anymore.”
She slides over and I sit between them.
Ryan leans to my ear. “You are a killjoy, Pedro.”
I watch wide eyed for Katie. Ryan elbows me
pointing out to the side of the stage. I see Katie dressed
in a black and red gown. I smile as I see her.
Olivia tugs at the back of my hair whispering to my
ear, “We are switching seats now. I want to be next to my
husband.”
I move forward and she slides around me. I look
over at them as he wraps his arm around her shoulder
kissing the top of her head. I smile over at them briefly as
I go back to watching Katie. I see her scanning the crowd
as she spots her parents. She waves at them and notices
me sitting with them. Her face lights up as our eyes lock.
She waves to me and I wave back. I stare watching her
move across the stage, shaking hands with many people.

The graduation is over and people are moving about
to get to their families. Katie is making her way through
the crowd to get to us. She runs right into Ryan’s arms
hugging him. He lifts her up as he squeezes her. Her
mother reaches out to embrace her. She walks over to me
throwing her arms around my neck. She leans in, kissing
me. I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her.

When she breaks the kiss, she stares up at me. “I
can’t believe that you are here. Wait, does this mean we
are back together, Pedro?”

I smile down at her. “I do not know. You tell me,
Katie? What do you want?”
She kisses me again and pulls back to look into my
eyes. “You, Pedro. I always wanted you.” She turns to
look at her parents. Confused, she turns back to me.
“Where did they go?”
I laugh. “Oh Katie, they are horrible. You have no
clue what I had to endure these last two days. They don’t
stop. They ran off to screw each other again.”
Katie starts to laugh. “Yup! That is them.”

One month goes by and I am on a flight again to see
Katie in Las Vegas at the pre-tour party. Nick picks me
up from the airport, taking me back to my hotel. Katie is
off shopping with Rosalie, so Nick and I hang out at the
bar. We start drinking as Ryan come over grunting about
Olivia not covering up her body again.

Nick laughs at him. “Already, Uncle Ryan? We are not
even on the tour bus yet. You better get this out of your
system tonight while you have a hotel room.”

He shoots his eyes to him growling as he speaks,
“She has been so busy with this tour that I have not been
getting anything from her.”

He turns to me. “Pedro, where is Katie?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I have yet to see her.”
Nick glances at me. “She went to get some fancy

Ryan looks over at him. “She already got one. Her
mother went shopping yesterday.”
Nick shrugs. “I guess she changed her mind. You
know women.”
Ryan nods and stalks off to find Olivia.

Nick and I head to the party. I still have not seen
Katie. Nick and I are drinking pretty heavily. There are
girls all around us flirting with Nick and me. I have to
stop drinking, so I walk away from them. Olivia and Chris
arrive at the party. Olivia waves over at me. I wave back
to her. A few minutes later, Ryan arrives with Henry.
Another twenty minutes later, Katie finally walks in with
Rosalie. Katie looks stunning. She is wearing a short silver
dress. My eyes dance about her body as I take her in. She
walks over to me then leans up to kiss me.

She pulls back
and looks up at me questionably.
“Wow, Pedro, have you been drinking?”
“Yes, you left me in your cousin’s care for five hours. I
left him over there. The girls were too much.”
She touches my cheek as she smiles up at me. “Let me
make my rounds then we can leave. Nick wanted us to go
clubbing with him, but if you are lit up then he is really
gone.”
“Okay, Katie, I will wait for you there in that chair.”
She laughs as she walks away. I watch her move
about the room greeting and shaking hands with people.
She finds her father and kisses him goodnight. She walks
to Nick and drags him behind her.
Her hips sway as she walks towards me. I am melting
at the sight of her. I follow her out of the party. Nick is
pulling her out to the casino floor instead of to the
elevators. They go outside and I follow. I want to go back
to my room with her. I want to spend time with her
before I have to go back tomorrow evening.
I run to keep up with Nick. I hear him making fun of
her. He is telling her that she is going to be old and alone
if she doesn’t give it up too soon.
I shake my head at him. “Leave her alone, Nick.”
He laughs. “Pedro, you were so freaked out when
that girl was touching you. What is wrong with you both?
Just get it over with, Pedro. Would you just fuck Katie
already?”
Katie’s eyes shoot down to the ground. “Nick, I have
tried. Pedro made me promise to wait until I got
married.”
Nick laughs. “Then get married already. Damn it,
Katie, what are you waiting for? You are in Las Vegas,
Katie. A wedding chapel on every corner. Pick one.”
I glare over at him. “Nick, you are drunk. Let’s go
back to the hotel.”
Katie looks over at me. “Pedro, what are we waiting
for? We need to move this forward. This will make you
leave Costa Rica with Ramón and live with me. I can
support us all. Just like we planned.”
I shake my head. “What about your parents? They do
not want this for us. Not yet.”
Nick steps forward. “Take them out of the equation.
Aunt Olivia is never going to give you her blessing. She
thinks Katie is just having fun with you. Once she is
done, she will kick you to the curb. That is the way Aunt
Olivia sees it and I do not know what got into Uncle
Ryan. Why he encourages you both to be together? Ah,
because honorable noble Pedro sticks to his word. He
doesn’t have to worry about you then and he can focus
on his precious Livi.”
Katie steps toward me. “Let’s do it, Pedro. Marry me
tonight.”
I shake my head. “No Katie.”
She glares up at me. “What is holding you back,
Pedro?”
“Katie, we just got back together a month ago. Let’s
give it more time.
“We always known we were going to get married.
Please, Pedro.”
She walks away from me with Nick. They cross the
street heading into a chapel.
This is insane. They are insane. Her parents would not
be very happy with us. Then I thought of what Nick said,
about how they will never want us together. I shake my
head staring over at the chapel. I run my fingers through
my hair frustrated and confused. Do I follow my heart or
continue to wait for her parent’s blessing which I may
never obtain since they are both crazy to begin with. I
love Katie and I know that she loves me. This is for us,
our happiness. I cross the street and enter the chapel.
Katie smiles over at me. As she fills out the paperwork, a
man hands her back her credit card.
Nick looks over at me. “I knew you could do it, man.”
He stands up so I can sit next to Katie.
Katie pushes over the paperwork to me. “I filled it all
out for you. I just need your signature and it is done.”
I look over the paperwork. “Katie, I do not live in
New Jersey.”
She smiles. “Soon enough, plus it is easier this way. I
do not want you backing out on me now.”
I kiss her temple. “I won’t. This is for us, Katie. Our
life together.”
The man comes back with a tray of drinks and looks
over at Nick. “Oh, is this the man you are marrying?”
Katie looks up to the man. “No, he is drunk and he is
my cousin.”
The man takes the paperwork from Katie. “Good
then, the cousin can sign as the witness.”
Nick signs the paper.
The man takes the papers back. “Hum, esquire. I take
it that you are an attorney and you all live in New Jersey?”
Katie nods. “Yes, I am. We have been waiting a long
time for this. Can we please get it over with?”
The man signs the paper and hands it back to Katie.
“Done, you are both husband and wife.” He walks off.
Nick claps his hands. “That was speedy service. Now
let’s go get drunk to celebrate.”
I shake my head. “No, Nick. Katie and I are not
getting drunk tonight. Plus, you are already drunk.”
Katie looks over at me. “Just one drink. Come on,
Pedro?”
“No, Katie, I know you. One drink turns into five.
You are my wife now for the last three minutes and I am
not going to have you all nasty drunk with me tonight. I
know how you get and that is not what tonight is all
about.”
Nick snaps a few photos of us with his phone. “How
cute he is, Katie? He is all romantically pathetic.”
Katie snaps her head at Nick. “Please do not let
anyone see those photos. I am going to have to talk to
Rosalie and Grandpa about helping me break the news to
my parents. So Nick, keep your mouth shut.”
Nick nods. “Yes, Mrs. Araya.”
Katie opens her eyes really wide. “Oh my, that is going
to have to wait too. Pedro, I am going to have to keep my
maiden name for work purposes. At least until I am
established, then I can hyphenate or something. The
Nora name is very well known amongst the law offices.”
Nick laughs at her. “I remember when Grandma went
off on Aunt Olivia when we were four years old. Olivia
kept the McGraw name because of who her father was.
Uncle Ryan did not seem to mind. Then Grandma pulled
some strings so Aunt Olivia could not pick up Katie from
daycare since your names did not match. Grandma used
to tell me that story over and over again. So funny.”
I look up at Nick. “You grandmother was fucking
nuts.”
“I know. I am still in therapy because of everything
that happened. Let’s go get one drink. I promise.”
Katie stands up, taking my hand. “Pedro, I am
nervous. I need to calm my nerves. One drink is not
going to send me on a wild rage. Come on.”

We go into the hotel bar and Nick orders us a round
of drinks. He toasts to us. Katie drinks up rapidly looking
toward the bartender for another drink.

I grab Katie’s arm. “No, baby, no more drinks. You
said only one.”
She looks up at me. “I am scared, Pedro.”
I look down at her confused. “I know. We will get
through this with your parents. In time, they will accept
us.”
She shakes her head blushing. “No, that is not what I
meant. I am afraid to be alone with you tonight.”
I stare down at her and brush my thumb over her lips.
“We will be okay. I promise.”
“I am not sure that I am ready for this next step.”
I place my arm around her, resting it on her hip as I
speak into her ear. “Katie, you begged me to marry you
not even thirty minutes ago. I consented because I love
you. I know it is going to be hard for you, but I am going
to make love to my beautiful wife tonight. This is what
we have been waiting for, to be married. So tonight, while
we are alone here, we will be one.” I search her eyes and
see that my words are not easing her. I nuzzle my nose to
her ear, whispering, “Tomorrow, I have to go back home
to work out the details with my brother and the farm.
You have to go back to work. We only have tonight
together until the next time I see you. Katie, I will be…”
Nick leans into me, touching my shoulder. “Warning,
here comes Uncle Ryan. Play it cool, you two.”
I release Katie as Ryan pushes his way to the bar.
It is apparent that he is drunk. He orders himself a
drink. He leans in closer to Katie. “Your mother is nasty
to me, Katie.”
Katie transfixes her stare on her empty glass. “What
did you do now, Daddy?”
“She won’t let me touch her. I hate this time of year.
She wraps herself up with tour details then she gets
depressed about Briar.”
Katie nods, staring at her glass. “Yes, every year since
he passed at the end of June. Yes, Mommy gets all
depressed and you are drunk for two weeks straight. You
each have your coping method. By the fourth city, she
will have her confidence restored and you will be back
getting laid when you command it. Vicious cycle, Daddy.”
Ryan pulls his head forward looking her in the face,
“What is wrong with you? You look like your dog just
died.”
She lies, “I guess Briar too. I miss him.”
“Katie, get another drink.”
I step in. “No, she has had too much already.” I look
down at her. “You should just go off to bed, Katie.”
Katie nods and walks off. I watch her make her way
across the floor. I stay with Ryan to throw him off as to
what really happened tonight. I turn back to the bar and
finish my drink.
Ryan looks over at my empty glass. “I think you
should make sure that she gets to her room if she has
been drinking too much.”
I nod turning to leave. I pick up my step to catch up to
her.
She smiles over at me. “That was nerve-racking. We
are just going to have to avoid them for a little while.
Pedro, which floor are you on?”
“The eighth floor.”
“We will go to your room. I am on the same floor as
my parents. The farther away we are the better.”
I nod as we get in to the elevator.

I open the door to my room letting her enter before
me. She stands by the television looking around the
room. She places her fingers in her mouth nervously
biting at them. I smile over at my new wife while I allow
my eyes to slowly scan her body. She is dressed in that
silver,
body-hugging dress that emphasizes her every
curve with matching silver strapped five inch heels. I have
never seen her dressed like this. I am completely aroused
looking at her legs in those heels. I normally see her in
flip flops, never like this. Her hair is tousled in a loose-up
do, completely exposing the soft skin of her neck. I
unbutton my dress shirt rapidly as she watches me. I place
it on the dresser. I open a drawer and take out a t-shirt
and pull it on over my head.