Page 3 of Protecting Silver
“Because, here we are, five gorgeous women, on a night out on the town, and we’re drinking virgin drinks.” She held up her virgin Bloody Mary, and laughed as the others joined her. “Tymber, I have to ask, how are the wedding plans going?”
“What I want to know,” Lorna leaned forward to ask, “How is Grady taking all the wedding plans?” They were sitting in a popular club in the back corner, and the later it got, the more crowded, and louder the place became. They had thought that a Wednesday night wouldn’t be as loud as a weekend night. Ronnie and Lorna had decided to bring Tymberly out for a bachelorette party, and had invited Silver Roundtree, a co-worker of Lorna’s, and Amber, Tymberly’s daughter.
Tymber laughed as she picked up her virgin Mojito, and took a sip. “Actually, Grady’s good with the plans. As you all know, it’s going to be a simple affair, though Grady will be moving in with me permanently after the wedding, he’s been helping Ryan clean up his house and property for the wedding. He’s been pretty good with everything.”
Ronnie rolled her eyes, and shook her head, then she pointed between her and Lorna. “You know that Lorna and I are best friends, and my wedding was just a few months ago. Both of us had two completely different ones. In my case, I had to rein Finn in every time I turned around. He wanted to add this, or that, but I wanted something simple, but country, because that’s the type of girl I am. I kept telling him that just because he’s richer than God, it doesn’t mean that we have to have everything that pops into his head. It took a long time for him to realize that I’m not in love with him for his money. I’m in love with him for him.”
“What about your wedding?” Amber asked Lorna. She pointed to the diamond wedding ring set on the ring finger of her left hand. “How was your husband with the planning?”
Lorna snorted the sip of the virgin Margarita she’d just taken, then had to wipe her face, and table. “Andy was never opposed to marriage. He embraced the idea. What he was upset about was the actual wedding ceremony.”
“Why?” Amber frowned at her.
“Ever since I could remember, I had a wedding book, with what every little girl dreamed of. I won’t get into all the details, but it was hell living with my mother. She’d lied to me and everyone around me my entire life. One such lie was that she told me my father died in the military. He was never in the military, and he wasn’t dead. He was alive and kicking right here in Elk Junction. Next, she told my father that I had a bicycle accident when I was six, and basically that I had to ride the short bus after that. She did all this for money, but she refused to allow him to see me, telling him it was too traumatic. Well, long story short, I found my father, and I have a wonderful relationship with him. After I agreed to marry Andy, he worked with my father to give me the wedding of my dreams. I had planned to live together for a couple of years, then plan the wedding. I don’t know if you know this, but I work for Ronnie’s husband, and I’m an event planner. Silver is my assistant, and we plan these elaborate fundraisers every year. As much as I loved Andy, and wanted to marry him, I didn’t really want to plan my own wedding.”
Silver snorted a laugh, and picked up her glass of soda. She lifted it in a silent toast to Lorna, and giggled. “No, I planned it, or I helped. Ronnie’s job was to distract Lorna while Andy and I went through her childhood wedding book, and planned the best wedding possible. Her father provided the money, I provided the guidance, and Andy did the rest.”
“But, why was he opposed to the ceremony to begin with?” Amber asked in confusion.
“Andy’s reasoning was, one, if friends and family wanted to celebrate the bride and groom’s day, then they should pay the happy couple to be part of it. Two, why pay thousands of dollars for things that won’t last, like flowers, and the wedding favors, or even the mints on the tables. Three, if it costs so much per plate of food at the reception, then have the guests pay for it, like they would at any other buffet. Four, why not take that money you’d pay for a wedding, and put it as a down payment on a house? He said that would be a better investment than a wedding.”
“Nowthat, I agree with.” Amber nodded her head.
“What?” Tymberly said. “Since when?”
“Remember my college roommate, Tammy? I was the maid of honor at her wedding a little over two years ago?”
“Yes, what about it?”
“Her parents paid over sixty grand for the entire affair. I talked to her about three weeks ago. He cheated on her, and she’s filing for divorce. If it was me, I’d do a small ceremony, like you and Grady are doing, and if you insist on paying for the wedding, then I’d try to convince you to put that money on a down payment for a house, but in the contract, have it written that if the marriage broke up during the first ten years, then the house reverts back to you. This way, it wouldn’t be included in the divorce.”
“Or,” Silver leaned forward and became animated. “Have your mother put the house in her name, and if the marriage does survive the ten years, she can then put it over in your name, or even better, leave it to you in the will, but in the meantime, you pay all the mortgage payments, and taxes, and utilities, along with the upkeep. It would essentially be your house, but in your mother’s name.”
“Exactly.” Amber high fived Silver, then turned to look at her mother with a grin. “You’ve been warned.”
“I guess I have,” Tymber laughed, and picked up a chip from the bowl in the center of the table.
“I’d like to congratulate the three of you on your marriages, but I for one, am never getting married,” Silver said into the silence.
“Ah, you can’t say never,” Lorna looked at her friend sadly.
“I can and I will.” She was so firm on her answer, everyone looked at her funny.
It was Tymber who asked as she reached out and put a gentle hand on Silver’s forearm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “What happened?”
Silver looked at her in shock, then nodded once, drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was getting hard to hear, because of all the people and the band playing, but she didn’t want to shout.
“I was in a relationship for three years. It started out great, we dated, and we went out every weekend, then when I moved in with him, it was like the going out dwindled down to one night a weekend, then it would skip a weekend, until finally I was rushing home and cooking dinner every night. It got to the point that if I didn’t have dinner on the table at exactly six oh four every night, then he’d start yelling and throwing things.”
“Did he hit you?”
“Not until the end. He only hit me once, and I left, but I endured the yelling and screaming for three years. When he brought home a dog, and tried to contain me by using the dog, that’s when I became fearful.” Silver looked over at Lorna and sighed. “That’s why I’m a little leery of Major when he’s in the office. He looks almost identical to the dog Eddie tried to manipulate me with.”
“Now I understand, but you have to realize that he senses it too, because he gives you a wide berth.” Lorna turned to the others to explain. “When Silver enters Finn’s office, Major will get up and move to the corner furthest away from her.”
“Yeah, he senses your unease. So, how did you get rid of the asshole?” Ronnie asked as she leaned in to listen.
“I walked out. I had a very bad day at work, and I didn’t have dinner on the table at the exact time he informed me it would be there. I had done laundry when I got home, and forgot to take care of my basket of folded clothes. When he didn’t find his supper on the table, I finally snapped and told him to fix it himself. I wasn’t married to him, and I sure as hell wasn’t a slave, but, there was something else that happened that made me feel empowered to confront him like I did.”
