Page 82 of Sal
“I have an idea,” Sal mused, pulling himself back slightly to peer down into my face. His brown skin and colorful tattoos stood out beautifully against the crisp white sheets of our hotel room bed. I took a moment to admire him, again, before answering.
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, smiling up at him.
“Marry me,” he answered seriously.
“I will,” I replied, my brow knitting in confusion.
“Today,” he clarified, watching my reaction carefully.
“Er, what?” I sputtered. My brain was still slightly fried from my orgasm and what he was suggesting certainly wasn’t helping to clear it.
Typical Sal, he didn’t give me space to get clear. Instead, he moved that much closer. “Birdie, it’s you and me. Has been from the start. We have a lot of great friends; we have the club, and my family here, but at the heart of it, it’s us. We worked through a lot of shit over the past year, and when I put that second ring on your finger, I want to be all you see. ‘Cause you’re all I see,” he murmured.
I felt tears prick the back of my eyes as I swallowed audibly. “Scarlet would kill me,” I rasped.
He broke out in a grin knowing I was at least considering the idea. “We’ll have a big party when we get back,” he assured me.
“How would we even pull it together?” I wondered aloud.
“Not the first day I’ve had the idea, baby,” he shared. “There’s this little chapel right down the road. I think you’ll love it. If you do, we can get married there tonight,” he added, his eyes bright with hope.
I couldn’t formulate a response and simply stared at him with shocked eyes.
He gave me a bit of space then, disengaging his body from mine and moving to lay on his side, pulling me so we faced each other. “If you want a big wedding we can do that. We’ve never talked about it,” he said quietly. “I just figured with how much you love this city, you might like this idea, too,” he explained.
“I love the idea,” I murmured.
He broke into a heart-stopping grin. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I grinned.
“You’re gonna marry me today?” he asked, his tone nearly awed.
“I am. That is if I can find a dress, rings, and if we can get the chapel squared away.”
“The last two are taken care of,” he surprised me by saying. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate me choosing your dress,” he chuckled.
“When did you even have time?” I wondered aloud. We’d been together nearly every moment for the past three weeks.
“You take a lot of naps, babe,” he said with a wink.
“Right,” I muttered.
And that’s how I found myself standing in front of the love of my life at the end of an altar that same night.
The chapel was beautiful, just as Sal had promised. It was small, in the best way possible, with gorgeous stained glass and vaulted ceilings. It was nothing like the churches I’d been in before. It was warm and inviting, romantic even. Especially with the lit candles that flickered around us.
Sal’s hands were clasped over mine as we promised to be true to each other, to love each other, and to respect each other for the rest of our lives.
I marveled at how far my man had come, how far we’d both come. I loved him without reservation and knew to my bones he loved me back in the same way.
“You may kiss the bride,” the minister stated in beautifully accented English.
Sal took my mouth in a consuming kiss, wrapping me up against his big body. We stayed that way until the minister politely cleared his throat, and I broke away blushing.
Sal grinned, taking my hand in his. “You ready, Mrs. Armstrong?” he grinned down at me before taking my mouth again in a soft kiss.
I knew he meant more than the night to come.
Neither of us was perfect, we never would be, but our imperfections made us our own brand of beautiful and I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life at his side.
I grinned against his lips and nodded, feeling an elation I’d never known until Sal. “Ready,” I replied. I placed my hand in his, allowing him to lead us out of the church to the bustling city beyond and into the beginning of what was sure to be the ride of my life.
~The End~
