On the Edge (7 page)

             
Chris looks just as stunning in a black suit with a tie and vest to match Katherine’s light green dress.  Chris is clean shaven with his hair brushed back.  These two guys are absolutely breath taking, but I have to say that my Tommy is the most handsome man in the room.

             
“Wow, Abigail, you look fantastic,” Tommy says.

             
“You don’t look half bad yourself, handsome,” I say with a come-hither look across my face.  Tommy is more than handsome but I can’t come up with a word to describe him.

             
“Katherine, you’re beautiful,” Chris stammers.

             
“I know.  You look good too, Chris,” Katherine replies matter-of-factly.  Sometimes I wish she wasn’t so conceited with her looks.  She is hard on herself when she doesn’t have makeup on and then goes to the queen of stuck-up once she’s all dolled up.

             
The guys walk over and place our corsages on our wrists.  They are both matching with three white rose buds surrounded by baby’s breath.  I’m sure my parent’s ordered the corsages because there is no way that these guys accidentally picked out the same ones.  It doesn’t matter, they are beautiful regardless.

             
My parents are taking pictures and posing us all over the place.  They have to get pictures of all of us together, alone, with our dates, the guys together and the girls together.  My face is hurting from being in a constant smile for so long.  My brother even sneaks into a picture of Katherine and me together.  He squeezes himself between us and has an arm around each of our waists’.  After that picture, Michael kisses my cheek and then Katherine’s and hands us over to our respectful dates.

             
“The limo is waiting to take us to dinner,” Tommy explains.

             
I give my parents a hug and kiss and remind them that I will not be coming home tonight before taking Tommy’s hand and heading outside.  The limo driver is there with the door open for the four of us to climb in.  I’ve never been in a limo before.  It’s so spacious inside.  I climb in behind Katherine and the guys follow.  Katherine and Chris are sitting side by side but not touching in front of Tommy and me.  Tommy and I are wrapped in each other’s embrace as the driver takes us out to dinner.  Katherine has made reservations at Chili’s Bar and Grill.  The waitress seats us in a corner booth and hands us our menus.  It doesn’t take long before our orders are in and we have our drinks in front of us.

             
“So, how did you and Chris meet?” Tommy breaks the silence.

             
“Oh, he plays offense for our varsity football team.”

             
“I see.  Are you guys an item?”

             
“No,” she chuckles, “he’s just the one I chose to escort me to prom.”

             
“I see,” Tommy says unimpressed.

             
The table falls silent again.  We finish our meals and ask for the check.  We opted on separate checks and the guys have picked up the tab.  Katherine and I excuse ourselves to freshen up while the guys go out to the limo to wait for us. 

             
“Abigail, I feel really uncomfortable with my decision for my date.”

             
“What?  Katherine, it’s too late now to change your mind.”

             
“I know, but do you think it would be rude of me to ditch him after pictures?”

             
“Oh. My. God.  Are you seriously considering abandoning your date?”

             
“Yes I am and do not judge me.  I made a huge mistake and I don’t want to waste my entire prom night with a mistake.”

             
“Well, you should at least dance a few dances with him before you ditch him,” I remark as I roll my eyes.

             
“Ok, so pictures and a few dances and I’m off to mingle with others.”

             
I sigh as I put my lip gloss back in my clutch purse and make my way out of the restaurant.  Poor Chris, he’s going to get stood up and he doesn’t even realize it.  Thoughts of Michael’s question earlier begin to creep into the forefront of my brain.  Do I really want my brother dating a woman as callus and cold hearted as Katherine?  If she hurt my brother, that would end our friendship right there.  No questions asked.  Ugh, why did Michael put me in that position? 

             
We arrive to prom half an hour late.  The theme is Heaven on Earth.  The activities department has certainly outdone themselves this year.  It’s absolutely magnificent here.  There is a magical kingdom display set up behind the gates to Heaven.  Silver balloons and tassels hang from the ceiling along with a mixture of silver and white stars, while bunches of white balloons surround either side of the gates.  The tables are covered in white, linen table cloths with, what resembles crystal plates and glasses. There are pale blue cloth napkins and a center piece that looks like a miniature version of the kingdom and gates of Heaven.  

             
“Oh my God, I feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven!” Katherine shrieks.

             
“It really is lovely,” I agree.

             
“Not as lovely as you, angel,” Tommy whispers into my ear.

             
I nearly melt when I hear his words.  I look up at him and he seems genuinely happy.  I haven’t seen him this happy in a few weeks and it’s a relief.  Tonight is going to be magical.

             
“I love you, Abigail!’

             
“I love you too, Tommy.”

             
He leans down and presses his lips to mine and my heart melts.  I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else but Thomas Jackson.

             
Katherine grabs my hand as ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ by Belinda Carlisle begins to play through the disc jockey’s sound system.  “Come on, we have to dance to this song!”

             
“Ok, Katherine, but I am not dancing with you.  No way in God’s green Earth!”

             
Tommy grabs my hand and we are out on the dance floor.  Chris is trying to dance with Katherine, though she’s not even touching him.  Tommy spins me around and puts his hands on the small of my back as he dips me and kisses my throat.  He pulls me up and brings me closer to him as we begin to dance to the rhythm of the song.  It’s faster paced than I’m used to dancing to, but Tommy and I make this song a very intimate dance.

             
The song ends and some techno song begins to play.  This is my cue to go get my prom pictures taken with my prince charming.  I let Katherine know what we’re doing, but I’m not sure she heard me.  She’s too busy jumping around with the small crowd that is on the dance floor. 

             
After Tommy and I have our photos done, we decide to find a table for all of us.  The tables seat six, so it will be our party plus one more couple.  We pick a table near the dance floor.  The song ends and Katherine makes her way over.  I give her a disapproving look.  She has practically ignored Chris since we arrived and I am very upset with her over that. 

             
“What?” she mouths at me.

             
“What happened to photos and dancing a few dances with Chris before ditching him?”

             
“Shit!  I forgot.”

             
“Well, I think it’s time for you and Chris to take your picture and then dance a couple of dances together.”

             
“Right you are.  I’m on it now.”

             
She grabs Chris’ hand and they are off in the direction of the photographer.  Tommy lays the jacket to his suit over one of the chairs and pulls a chair out for me.  He takes his seat beside me and we watch and laugh at some of the people on the dance floor.  A lot of my classmates dance like wet noodles.  The song, ‘Heaven’ by Bryan Adams starts to play and Tommy rises from his seat.  He holds a hand out to me and I take it before standing.  He guides me to the dance floor and we begin to sway and turn to the music.  He has his nose rubbing against my cheek and is softly singing the lyrics to the song.  Tommy can sing!  Tears begin to fall down my cheeks.  I have got to be the luckiest woman in the world.

             
“Baby, why are you crying?”

             
“I’m just so happy.  I never thought I’d fall in love and then you walked into my life.  I am the most blessed woman alive.”

             
“Angel, please don’t cry.  You are the most important thing to me and I love you more than words can say, and it is I that is the most blessed.  I have you, Abigail.”  He leans in and gives me a passionate kiss as the song ends.  This man owns me, body and soul. 

             
We make our way to our table.  Chris’ jacket is hanging on the chair two over from mine, but he and Katherine are nowhere to be seen.  I scan the dance floor and find them.  They are dancing to a slow song but not with each other.  Chris is dancing with a girl from chorus, I believe her name is Suzanne, and Katherine is dancing with Will, our varsity quarterback.  Well, I guess it worked out after all.  Neither one of them wanted to come together but they didn’t want to come alone.  I smile and take my seat.  Tommy has gone to get us some sparkling water at the beverage table.

             
Prom is six hours long, but it seems to go by at an alarming speed.  Before I know it, the DJ’s voice comes over the system to announce that this will be the final song.  ‘Chasing Cars’ by Snow Patrol concludes our prom and I am swaying in Tommy’s arms to the lyrics.  This is one of my favorite songs and I am happy that I am dancing to it with the man of my dreams. 

             
After the final song, Tommy and I search for Katherine and Chris in the crowd of high school students.  We only have to search a few minutes before I spot her in the corner making out with some guy.  I don’t even know who this guy is.  I ask Tommy to go find Chris while I get Katherine. 

             
“Katherine, what are you doing?”

             
“Oh, hi Abigail,” she slurs, “this is… Who are you again?” she looks up at the guy that, just moments ago, had his tongue halfway down her throat.

             
“I’m Davis, from the debate team.”

             
“Yea, this is Davis.”

             
“Katherine, it’s time to go.  Have you been drinking?”

             
“Just a little,” she says holding her thumb and index finger up to show she’s had more than a little to drink.

             
“Come on, put your arm around my waist and I’ll help you to the limo.”

             
“Ooooookay!” Katherine practically sings the word. 

             
God, she’s even more annoying drunk.  I didn’t think that was possible.  Tommy meets us on our way out with Chris in tow.  Tommy takes Katherine and helps her out the doors.  If any of us get caught drinking we can lose our privilege of walking during the upcoming graduation ceremony.  Once out the door, Tommy scoops Katherine up and carries her drunken ass to the limo.  Chris climbs in first and Tommy lays Katherine on the seat with her head in Chris’ lap. 

             
The limo driver drops Katherine off at her house first.  Her parents are out of town so I use the hide-a-key to gain entry and Tommy and Chris get Katherine in the house and to her bedroom.  They step out so I can undress her and get her in her pajamas.  I get her tucked into bed and put a trash can next to her.  Tommy comes in with a bottle of water and Ibuprofen.

             
“This is for tomorrow.  She’s going to have one nasty hang over when she wakes up.”

             
“Oh, thanks, babe.”

             
“Anytime, angel,” he says with a wolfish grin.  “Now let’s get Chris home and us back to my place.”

             
I make sure the front door is secure and we climb back into the limo.  Chris doesn’t live far from Katherine, so we have him dropped off in less than ten minutes.  I give him a quick hug accompanied by an apologetic smile for Katherine’s behavior tonight. Tommy shakes his hand and we are back in the limo on our way to Tommy’s apartment.  Last time I stayed with Tommy, it wasn’t exactly a good time.  He was so angry with me.  I am hoping that this overnight visit will be more pleasant than the last time.

             
He unlocks the door and opens it so that I walk in before him.  He grabs a bottle of wine from the fridge and two wine glasses from the cabinet.  He fills the glasses half way and hands me mine.  I’ve never had wine before.  He raises his glass.  “To the most beautiful woman in the world; I love you more than you can ever imagine.”

             
He leans in and gives me a kiss on my lips, clinks his glass against mine and we both sip.  Ugh, it tastes disgusting.  How the hell do people make wine look so appealing?  He chuckles at the sour face I make and sets his glass on the counter.