The Wedding Ch. 03

"Yeah, just after high school, I dated a man with money. He wore those shirts to work every day. But he was married and wouldn't commit to me, even though he said he loved me. I know now that he didn't, though he probably thought he did." she explained.

I kissed her lightly so as not to smear her lips and she finished getting dressed. She pulled out a small silver clutch and pulled out jewelry, silver dangling earrings and a necklace with a silver rose and a small ruby in the center. She put on a couple bracelets and a different watch, then asked me to put a light silver chain around her ankle, wrapped double. I took the pink rose and pinned it to her dress just below the spaghetti straps that held it up. I took her into the other bedroom where the full length mirror was on the door and stood in front of it with her. We looked at the picture in the mirror and almost mussed her makeup before we went and got in the truck.

It was a little under an hour to get to the grounds where the wedding was taking place. Along the way, we talked about the questions.

"So, you will get some of the gold digger questions, I am sure." I said. "I am going to introduce you as my girlfriend. If I am pressed, you are living with me. Yes it is serious. And anything else is none of their damn business."

"Okay, so," she began, "I should say you're my boyfriend. I am living with you and that I care for you very deeply. I am latina, my name is Victoria Maria Santos. I was born in the Valley Hospital. Yes I speak Spanish and you have swept me off my feet. The rest is really something they should ask you."

"My full name is Alexander James Ducott, by the way," I said, "I don't speak Spanish but I would love to learn especially if I had such a beautiful instructor. And I am 44 years old. My stepson, who is getting married, is 24 born to his 16 year old mother when I was 20. My next son is 22, and the youngest is 20."

"Wow, they are all my age," she said and I took her hand.

"Is that a problem for you, corazon?"

"No, honey, ooo, I like that one," she said, "Nothing about you is a problem for me."

===========================

We caused quite a stir when we arrived. My ex-wife turned red and my step-son grinned but suppressed it and came to greet us.

"Hi Alex," he said, "Who's your friend?"

I embraced him briefly and said, "Victoria Santos, may introduce my son, Samuel. Sam, this is Vicki, my girlfriend."

He started just a bit at the word girlfriend then hugged her quickly with a grin, "Well, it's about time old man." he said then turned back to her, "Thanks for coming and I see the old man has great taste. You are lovely. Now, I better get back there for pictures."

We held hands and waited, I was going to be in the pictures as well. When they came to get us, I spoke for a minute with the photographer. She needed to capture some pictures with me and me and Sam. I asked and she said it would be no problem to do a few on the side with Vicki and I. So I pulled Vicki over to stand nearby and had the pictures taken. While that was going on, I noticed that both Sam's bride Ginny and my ex-wife went over and talked to her. I smiled genuinely when I saw the look on Vicki's face, innocent and almost amused, as she spoke to my ex-wife. In the end, my ex stormed off and Vicki looked at me, winked and smiled before turning to speak with Ginny.

I motioned Vicki over when Sam and I were done and the photographer snapped some pictures of us as a couple. One side by side, one holding hands and looking at each other, one when we cracked up trying that pose and one with her leaning back against me and my arms around her. I got the photographer's card and told her I'd contact her in a week or so. Then Vicki and I walked through the facility to see it all. I found myself grinning along with her as we walked. The DJ was working on his lists and I asked if he could play something soft and slow. I danced with her and the time passed quickly. Soon, it was time for the ceremony. Afterward, I introduced Vicki to everyone I knew and was introduced to Ginny's family members. There was only a couple moments of ackwardness when Tilly approached me. Tilly was looking very hot in her short burgundy outfit and blond hair.

"Hi Alex," she said and kissed me lightly, "I wanted to thank you for last night. I've never felt so loved in all my life." I introduced her to Vicki and she continued, "I heard about you. When did you two get together."

I put my hand on Vicki's arm to forestall her answer, "We first got together Thursday night. This morning, I went by her house and we decided to take it to the next level. I hope you aren't upset with this. I really didn't mean to infer anything else with you."

"No, you didn't," she said, "After we left this morning, I was trying to figure out how to tell you that I liked you but I didn't want to get more serious." she softened her voice a bit and said in almost a whisper, "and I will always remember how you were my first lover. The one that taught me that men can be more than just a bump, grind and squirt. I appreciate your skill and the pleasure it brought me. And I hope the two of you find joy and happiness. Now, I need to go dance and have fun." She kissed me tenderly, winked and walked away.

"She is very pretty," said Vicki, "You picked me over her?"

"Did then, would again," I said, "You are more, sweetie," hmmm, still not great, "more than I hoped for, more than I deserve and more than I ever believed I would receive."

We danced a few more dances, even a couple that were faster before taking out leave shortly after the happy couple. It was dark when we got home. We were sated with good food and pleasant company. I had a couple wine coolers in the fridge, so I pulled them out and we drank them together while we looked at the night sky arms around each others waist.

"When do you go back to work?" I asked.

"I work Tuesday through Friday," she said, "What about you?"

"I don't work any more," I replied, "I have a steady investment income and it is significant."

"Really? When did you, what, retire?" she asked.

"No, not retired. I am actively working my investment portfolio. I think in five years I can be close to a billionaire. I am already a millionaire. I will make just over a million dollars after taxes this year."

She turned and looked at me with a surprised look on her face, "You'll what?"

"Does that scare you? Make you excited?" I asked.

"No baby, it shocks me. You are so down to earth. Such a real person. What are you going to do with it all?" she asked.

"First, I will help my family. I already have a good chunk of income being diverted to my mother and my retarded brother. They'll never want for anything for the rest of their life. My other two brothers are flying up here next week, I sent them tickets, and I will ask them if they want me to invest for them with my own seed money." I explained, "Then everybody I love and have loved and still have respect for, will get a little richer every day. I want you to be one of those. I've been thinking about it all day."

"Thinking about what, lover?" she asked.

"Well, before the 1920s, marriages were mostly arranged. No one married for love. They married because their parents picked them a spouse. So, they usually became friends and if they were lucky, they learned to loved one another." I told her.

"Okay, but where is this going?" she asked.

"Patience, corazon," I said. "So, you and I, we have a connection. I think today showed I can like you. I think I can even love you, I may be half way there now. So, what do you think, do you want to get married?"

"Holy shit, Alex," she said then stopped, visibly stopped and considered the question. "I... hmmm... that's not an easy question is it?" we sat for a while as the moon rose, the foreground providing the optical illusion that it was huge. It is what they call the lover's moon. It shone down on us, bathing us in its light and looking at it, she decided. "Yes, I do want to get married. I never thought I would. Hell, I thought I'd never get married, ever. But I can't think of what it would be like to live without you. I mean, I don't feel dependant on you. It is more like a piece of me has returned and I don't want to let it go." she paused and turned to me. She looked me in the eye and said, "Yes, my lover, I will marry you."

"Will you stay with me for the rest of our lives? I want to be serious when I say 'til death do us part." I said. "I don't want to be alone again."

"Yes, Alexander James Ducot, I will marry you and be your wife until there is no breath left in our bodies." she said and we kissed.

===========================

We got married the next year on November 1st. By now, my status as a millionaire was known. Joy planned our wedding and Tilly was Vicki's maid of honor. We had the wedding on a cruise and it was simple yet classy. Vicki looked like a million bucks. Megan and her girlfriend were there and so was Chelsie and my youngest who I'd hooked up. Sam was my best man and Bob and CJ were my groomsmen. I flew Vicki's aunt and uncle in from LA along with a few cousins. I'd had my vasectomy reversed and we verified I had swimmers the day before the ship left dock. Vicki and agreed to wait until after the wedding to make love again and when we did, it was explosive. By now, we were deeply in love and making everyone around us sick with it. But some time during that honeymoon, the honeymoon we shared with our friends and relatives, we got pregnant. By our anniversary, we had a healthy little girl with raven hair and the prettiest blue eyes that we named Hope. The following year, we had a little boy we named Carlos and I had my vas redone. My two brother's investments were now close to half a million a year net and Vicki's were a bit more than that. Vicki graduated summa cum laude, which means a 4.0 GPA, in business. She still worked, maybe fifteen hours a week and we spent at least six weeks a year taking vacations. We learned Romanian and French and spoke our love for one another in Romanian, the language of romance.

We were so happy, we never did think of another or adding people to our bed. We made love virtually every day and never grew tired of one another. I'd found that one true part of me that makes me whole and so had she. We were at peace.