“Did you get Mandy to come with you from the airport?”            

            Michelle glanced at Dmitri and then to the back office door where Mandy and Armando disappeared.  She didn’t hear Mandy screaming yet, so she assumed it was going well.  “Yeah, I had to trick her.  I’m not sure about this.  Maybe he should have waited.”  

            “The man’s been alive longer than the two of us put together.  There’s no changing his mind once it’s made up.  Besides, it’ll be good to see him happy again.”  

            “Again?” Michelle asked, wondering what Dmitri wasn’t telling her.  He ignored her and strolled over to the bar.   

            “So, you want to see the plans for the second club?” Dmitri asked, pushing a bunch of blueprints across the bar towards her.  

            He’d mentioned that he and his partners were looking into purchasing another club, but Michelle didn’t really want to think about it.  It was bad enough that she might lose Mandy to Chicago, but losing Dmitri too would prove to be too much.  He didn’t seem to think opening a club overseas would interfere with their relationship.   

            “Want a cup of coffee?” he asked.  

            “No, I’m good.  Thanks though.”  She glanced at the office door and began to chew on her thumbnail.  “What do you think she’ll say?”  

            Dmitri laughed.  “You’re her best friend.  If you don’t know, how the hell am I supposed to guess?”   

            Michelle detected an odd ring to his tone, and said as nonchalantly as she could muster, “I don’t see what the big deal is.”   

            “With what?” he asked, pouring her a cup of coffee anyway.  

            Michelle made her way to the bar and tried to ignore the plans for a new club—not that she understood what half of the architectural notations meant anyway.  “With getting married.  I’ve never seen the point in it.  Who wants to be tied down to one person for the rest of their life?”  Her insides churned as she said this.  She, more than anyone, wanted a commitment from Dmitri, but his bad boy ways told her not to push it.  He hadn’t so much as tried to touch her intimately since they started dating, which was proof enough that he might already be regretting the exclusiveness of their relationship.  Marriage would be the furthest thing from his mind and it should be the furthest from hers as well.  

            “You’re awfully young to be so jaded.  Care to share?”  His eyes were shaded as he studied her. 

            “I just don’t buy into happily ever after.  That’s all.”  Michelle almost choked on the words.  She took the cup he offered her and warmed her hands around it, too afraid to lift it in her shaky hands.  She couldn’t meet his eyes, as she prayed he wouldn’t smell the lie on her.  She was a bad enough liar to begin with.  With a lycan boyfriend, she barely stood a chance. 

            “This from a woman who writes romance,” said Dmitri, looking very serious. 

“Correction,” she defended, “I write horror, too.”   

“Romantic horror,” chuckled Dmitri.  “Tell me, do any of your stories end with an unhappily ever after?” 

Michelle refused to answer, saying instead, “What’s it matter?  It’s all fiction.  Fiction has nothing to do with reality.”   

She turned to go to the bathroom, hoping that she could avoid delving any deeper into this particular conversation with him.  One more second and she’d be declaring her love and proposing to him on bended knee.  That would just be wonderful.  She could practically see the backs of his heels as he ran away from her screaming in horror.  They hadn’t even slept together and here she was thinking of the future.  Her eyes trailed to the office door and she wondered why she was suddenly jealous of Mandy.   

“Michelle…?” began Dmitri behind her, as she paused.  His words were cut off when the door to the club burst open.   

            Michelle turned to the door.  A woman stood there smiling at her.  “Hello there, you must be my bride and groom!  Good to see you both.  I know that I’m early, but I was in town and my last client found out that his soon-to-be bride was pregnant with triplets from an Ellmorea Demon.”  She waved her hand in the air.  “Oh, never mind.  Needless to say, I’m free.  So, what do we have here?”   

            She strolled up to Michelle and circled her twice.  “You could stand some sunlight.  Do you glow in the dark?  Hum, I think you might have to invest in a tanning bed.  White dresses look so much better when you have a tan.”  

            Michelle’s mouth dropped open and Dmitri laughed, catching the woman’s attention.  “You there, handsome fellow, come on out here and let me have a look at you.”  

            “I think there’s been a mistake Ms….”   

            She cut Dmitri off.  “Mrs. Bonnie-Sue Bradshaw wedding planner extraordinaire.  Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to business.”  She grabbed hold of Dmitri’s backside and cupped him tight.  Michelle’s eyes widened as Dmitri turned red.  “Oh, handsome, hard, and shy.  I’ll have lots of fun working with you.  This isn’t by chance a nudist wedding is it?”  

            He spun away from Bonnie-Sue and looked like he was ready to fight her off.  “I’m Dmitri and this is Michelle.”  

            Bonnie-Sue shrugged.  “Hmm, could have sworn you were Armando and Mandy.  I usually don’t mistake a couple in love and about to be wed.”  

            Michelle snorted, unable to meet Dmitri’s eyes.  “We are not in love and are not about to get married.”  

            “Methinks the woman doth protest too freaking much,” Dmitri said, softly.

 When she glanced at him, his face was blank.  Michelle gulped, scared he’d found her out already.  No, no, no!  Things had been just great.  Why’d she have to go and ruin them with her feelings for him?  Be light and fun, she told herself.  No commitment, no commitment.  Give him space. 

            Bonnie-Sue let out a giggle and looked around the club.  Her hands rose into the air to encompass the entire dance floor with her vision.  “Oh, this will be perfect for a reception.  I can see it now….”  

            Michelle turned to leave.  She’d had enough of the wedding planner.  “Stop right there!” Bonnie-Sue commanded.  Michelle froze, afraid that if she moved she’d be a cake topper by the end of the night.  

            “What role are the two of you playing in the wedding?”   

            “I’m assuming best man and maid of honor,” Dmitri answered, from a safe distance.  

            “Actually,” Michelle broke in, “we’re not even sure that there is a wedding.  He’s back there asking her now.”  She jerked a thumb towards the office door.  

            Bonnie-Sue made a b-line straight for the door.  Dmitri tried to stop her, but she put her hand right on his crotch and turned to Michelle.  “Oh, he is a big one, isn’t he?”  

            Michelle turned three shades of red and accidentally knocked her coffee over.  Dmitri looked at it and ran towards her.  “Here, let me get that for you,” he said, desperate to get away from Bonnie-Sue.  

            Armando pulled her down to him and planted his lips on hers.  He gave her no time to protest as he plunged his cool tongue into her mouth.  She wanted to push him away, and to get as much distance between them as possible.  Instead, she sucked on his long tongue, and caressed it with her own.  Tears formed in the edges of her eyes and she pulled back as a sob escaped her throat.

             He wiped her cheeks, gently holding her face in his hands.  “Marry me.”  

            Mandy’s gaze met his and for a moment, she could not think, breathe, move.  “Stop.  Don’t use your powers on me,” she said, softly.  

            Armando let out a tiny laugh and straightened her face, forcing her to look at him.  “I am not using anything on you.  The pull that you feel is all your own.  It is not my doing.”  

            “I can’t marry you,” Mandy said, her eyes darting to the floor.  She expected Armando to release her and storm away.  He was good at brooding.  He made it an art form.  But he never moved.  

            “Tell me why.”  

            “We’re too different, complete opposite to be exact.  I don’t think I’m cut out to be someone’s wife.  I can’t even take care of a houseplant let alone a husband, and I’m not sure how I feel about you, and you don’t want to marry me.”  She took a breath from her rant before continuing.  “You only went to the trouble of this because you thought I was pregnant.”  She arched an eyebrow at him.  “I’m still not over being lied to.”  She tried to wiggle free, but Armando held her tight.  “You don’t want this.”  

            “Do not tell me what I do and do not want.”   

            Mandy felt another swarm of tears move down her cheeks.  She tried to look away, so he would not see, but he held her tight.  He leaned forward and kissed her face softly, stopping the tears in mid-flow.  

            “The thought of spending eternity with me saddens you,” Armando said, his voice full of regret.  

            “It’s not that and I don’t have eternity.”  Mandy didn’t want to bring up the very real fact that she would die long before Armando—growing old while he stayed forever thirty.  

            “Mandy, you have as long as you will let me give you.”   

            She looked at him and tried to shake her head no.  “You’re not seriously thinking I’ll let you turn me are you?”  

            Armando laughed and kissed her lips quickly.  “Ah, Kitten, I would accept nothing less than a fight from you on all aspects of our relationship.”  

            “I’m not that bad.”   

            “Then say that you will marry me.”  Armando made a move to kiss her again and she blinked back tears.  “Let me love you forever.”  

            His last comment drove it home for her.  She couldn’t remember Armando ever telling her that he loved her.  He couldn’t be in love with her.  She wasn’t in love with him, she couldn’t be.  She made it a point to never do that.  

            She opened her mouth to answer him and the door to the office burst open, sending Armando tumbling onto her.  Mandy laid, pinned beneath him, and laughed.  “In a bit of a hurry to get on with the honeymoon?” 

             His dark eyes widened.  “Is that a yes?”  

            “Sorry to interrupt folks, but we’ve got a wedding to plan.  Let’s get moving!  These things just don’t happen overnight!” said a female voice with a bit of a twang from behind them.  Mandy peeked over Armando’s shoulder.  The woman smiled at her and said, “Bonnie-Sue Bradshaw!  I’ll be planning your wedding.  Hum, I can see I’m going to like this job!  I write steamy romances geared towards the more mature, selective crowd and I must say there is enough inspiration around here to make my book sizzle—OW!” 

            Mandy blinked, nearly chocking as the woman wiggled and did a little dance in the doorway.  Her stunned gaze moved from Bonnie to Armando and then back again. 

            “In fact,” continued Bonnie thoughtfully, “that lycan out there wasn’t half bad.  Do you know if he and blondie are really that close?  They looked it, but she seemed unsure—or talked unsure anyway.  I might just have to use him for some inspiration.  My book, Time in a Bottle, volume two of the Polly’s Heartsongs Trilogy just came out.  I could have used him for my quarterback.  He’s got those football player shoulders—if you know what I mean.  But, from what I felt down beneath, he’s packin’ a lot more than—” 

            “Excuse me?” gulped Mandy.  Was she talking about Dmitri?  She shook her head in confusion.  “Who are you again?” 

            Bonnie sighed.  “I’m your wedding planner.” 

            “You hired a wedding planner and you don’t even know my answer?”  Mandy looked up at him, her eyes wide.  

            “She is early.  I did not expect her to come until the end of the week,” Armando said with an earnest grin.  

            Mandy laughed.  “What?  Were you so sure that I’d say yes?”  

            “No,” Armando said, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose,  “I am just very sure of my powers of persuasion.”  

            “That’s real nice there boy.  Now, kindly get up and let me have a look at the happy couple.  Not that this vantage point is bad,” Bonnie-Sue said suggestively, leaning over with a wiggle of her eyebrows.  

            Armando rose to his feet in one fluid movement and put his hand out to Mandy.  She took it and let him pull her close to him.  It felt so right to be snuggled against his body that she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to move from that spot.  

            Bonnie-Sue walked up to them and smacked Armando’s butt.  He looked down at Mandy and she couldn’t help but giggle.  “Oh, you’ll make a fine husband.  A bit on the pale side for my liking, but I’m sure you make up for that in other areas.”  Armando stiffened at Bonnie-Sue’s suggestion.  “Now, when we talked on the phone you said that you’ll be handling all the expenses.  Any more thoughts on what church you’d like to have it in?  I’ll need to touch base with the clergymen.  I’m a preacher’s wife so I’ve got some pull if you want to get this done quick.”  

            “Mrs. Bradshaw, I’ve already explained that this will have to be done on grounds that are not holy.  I am….”   

            Bonnie-Sue cut Armando off before he could finish.  “Oh, that’s right, you’re my vampire groom.  Almost forgot.”  She looked at Mandy and shrugged.  “To each his own, I prefer lycans but who am I to judge.  Speaking of which, I’d be willing to take a little off the bill if you let me have a roll in the sack with wolf-boy out there.”  

            Mandy heard Michelle gasp and looked at the doorway.  She fought back a laugh when she saw Michelle trying to hold Dmitri back.  He looked like he wanted to strangle the wedding planner.  

            Mandy smiled and touched Armando’s chest.  “I’m afraid there’s been some misunderstanding, Mrs. Bradshaw.  I’m not accepting his proposal.”  

            Armando’s arms wrapped around her tightly and she found herself clinging to him when she should have been pushing him away.   

            Bonnie-Sue waved her hand in the air dismissing Mandy’s claim.  “For someone who’s not accepting, you sure are holding onto the boy for dear life.  Now, are you coming out here to discuss a timeframe or are we all going to stand in the doorway and play the you don’t really love him game?”  

            Mandy opened her mouth to protest, but came up empty handed.  Armando ran his hand over her back.  “Say yes,” he whispered in her ear.  

            “This is all too fast.  I can’t think right now.” 

            “Then do not think.  Just say yes,” Armando said, swaying her body with his.   

            Mandy closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.  She gave up and went with her gut.  “Yes.”  

            “Great, now that that’s settled, get that ring on her finger and let’s get started,” Bonnie-Sue said, pushing Armando slightly.   

            “Yes, that would be my pleasure,” Armando said, pulling Mandy’s hand up.  He opened the tiny black box and took the square-cut diamond out.  Mandy drew in a sharp breath and tried to pull away.  He’d spent too much money on her and she was not about to accept that.   

            Armando shook his head and seemed to be reading her mind when he spoke.  “It would make me a very happy man if you would wear this.  I tried to buy a bigger one, but Michelle said that you would not accept it.”  He slid the ring on her finger and brought his mouth down on hers.  His tongue brushed over hers and her heart fluttered.  

            “There’ll be plenty of time for that later.  Let’s get going on these plans,” Bonnie-Sue said, tapping Mandy’s shoulder insistently.  She turned to see Michelle still holding Dmitri back.  She grinned wickedly at him.  “Hey, you there girlie, grab that handsome wolf and follow me.  We got us a wedding to plan!” 

            He turned into the entrance of the park and stopped.  He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.   

            “What was that for?” she asked, secretly hoping he’d do it again. 

            “For being you.”   

Michelle trembled, sure she’d melt.  He pulled her over towards a tree and set the box he’d been carrying down on the ground.  He opened it up and pulled out a large green blanket.  Michelle stood in awe as Dmitri continued to pull items out of the box, setting up a moonlight picnic before her very eyes.  

“What’s all this for?” she asked, hesitant.  Her breath caught as he turned to smile up at her.  Part of her wanted to run away—a very nervous, cowardly part.  Her breath caught and for a moment, she couldn’t even think. 

“For you,” he whispered softly.  He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he merely reached for her and said, “Come here.” 

Michelle obeyed.  How could she not?  His handsome grey eyes were looking up at her so warmly.  She shivered at his touch, feeling it shooting through her system like a meteorite.   

“Are you cold?” he asked.  “You’re trembling.” 

“No, I…well, maybe just a little.” 

“Here, let me warm you.”  Dmitri draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest.   

Oh, yeah.  She was definitely warm now. 

“Where’d you get the take out?  It looks delicious,” said Michelle. 

“Take out?” he chuckled.  “I cooked.” 

The idea of cooking an actual meal was so foreign to Michelle that she blinked in confusion.  “You cooked this?” 

“Mmm, yeah,” said Dmitri, leaning over to hand feed her a piece of an apple tart.  “Impressed?”