Chapter 16

It was a perfect day out on the water. It was my birthday. Brad and Brendan were in fine spirits, and Lauren was happy to spend my birthday with me, doing what she enjoyed the most. Clothed anyway. There were three other people on board, an older couple and what looked like the woman’s sister or cousin.

Just after lunch, Lauren hooked into a monster. It took her 40 minutes to wear this beast down. When it was alongside the boat, Brad reached over with the gaff and lifted it aboard. Lauren was overjoyed. It was the biggest fish she’d ever caught. We helped her lift it and took pictures and everyone was very happy for her. When Brad picked up the fish to toss it in the cooler he happened to glance into its mouth.

“Now what in the hell is that?” Brad exclaimed bringing the fish’s mouth closer to his face. “What in the world?” Lauren heard him and turned, looking concerned.

Brad turned to me as I was closest. “Ben, look at this. Have you ever seen anything like that in your life?”

I leaned over and glanced into the fish’s mouth. “Wow. That is really weird.”

Lauren was truly concerned now. “What? What is it?”

I shrugged and then carefully reached two fingers into the fish’s mouth.

“Be careful!” Lauren said with a worried tone.

From inside the fish’s mouth, I pulled out the engagement ring that I had palmed as I reached in. I held it up for everyone to see. The look of confusion that flashed across Lauren’s lovely face for about five seconds was rather comical. I hoped Brendan was getting it recorded. Then Lauren looked around at all the smiling faces looking back at her. She looked back at me as I knelt and offered her the ring. Her face was a mask of surprise as I said the words.

“Lauren baby. I want you to marry me. Will you?”

Lauren’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Then her eyes filled with tears and she collapsed into my arms and sobbed into my neck. “Yes, yes, yes, yes.” She whispered.

I shot my hand up in the air, in a thumbs-up gesture and everyone cheered.

After Lauren and I had recovered, she stood wearing her new engagement ring, staring at it as if it would vanish. I looked up onto the upper deck behind as and saw Brendan with his camera.

“Did you get it all, Brendan?”

Brendan cocked a hip and gave me a saucy look. “This isn’t my first rodeo sweetie, of course, I got it all.” He said with a wink.

After more hugs and kisses and tears, I introduced the other couple that had been fishing with us.

“Babe, this is Evelyn and Mark, my parents, and my Aunt Cindy.” There were hugs and more happy tears all around. We met Angie back at the house and she had the party ready to go. My folks, Brad and Brendan all came back with us. Lauren fell into Angie’s arms when we arrived and they cried together for a long while. It was a magical, but smelly day and only Angela minded the smell.

Not long after our engagement Angie went on a little trip and seemed very happy to be going. I asked Lauren what was going on after we’d dropped her at the airport.

“Angie has this little black book of men she’s dated before. She used to go out on trips with them, meet them at conventions, and go with them to special functions. That sort of thing. She met all three of her ex-husbands that way. Every trip she comes back with more names. And sometimes with a little extra cash.” Lauren smiled and threw her arms around me. “I think she just wanted to give the newly betrothed a little space.”

Lauren and I started living like a mostly normal couple for a while. Then Angie would come back for a couple of weeks and pop back off for a while. She did this, three or four times. Then she contacted Lauren and said her trip was going to be extended as her date wanted her to go to Cancun with him, and then it was Costa Rica. And then we got the text that sent shivers down my spine.

OH MY GOD, I THINK I’M IN LOVE. HE’S SO SWEET JUST LIKE BEN. HE’S GOT HIS OWN BOAT AND A HUGE HOUSE ON THE BEACH AND HE SAID HE LOVES ME!

Lauren tried to talk her down off the ledge, but it ended in a fight and we didn’t hear from her for a couple of weeks.

Then one night about a month before the wedding, a taxi pulled up to the house and the saddest thing I’ve ever seen stepped out of it. It was Angie. No makeup, no heels, no dress. She was in jeans, a Cancun t-shirt, and a pair of ladies’ sneakers.

Lauren ran down the steps to Angie and walked her back to the house. Angie saw me and her face fell and she burst into tears. I went down and picked her up and carried her into the house, as she sobbed into my chest.

We sat her down on the sofa and knelt in front of her. We held her as she cried.

“You were right Lauren. You’ve always been right. I’m my own worst enemy. All I want is to be loved by someone like you guys do. But there are also so many beautiful people out there. And I want them too.” She lapsed back into more wracking sobs.

In a minute or so she regained control of herself. “You guys… love me, don’t you?” We assured her that we did indeed. Angie’s eyes filled up with tears again. Then… can I,… can I just be yours then? I’ll… I’ll even sleep in the upstairs bedroom if you want me to.” Angie collapsed onto Lauren’s shoulder and began to cry again.

I leaned over and kissed Lauren. Then I lifted Angie again and carried her to bed in the master bedroom. We slept in each other arms that night and in the morning, we showed Angie just how much we loved her.

That afternoon the three of us went out and purchased a king-sized bed.

Lauren and I were married in a lovely little beachside resort. We’d planned for an outdoor wedding but sadly the weather didn’t cooperate. We ended up in an event room at the resort. It was a very small wedding, about thirty people, friends, and family. Most everyone had rooms at the resort.

We asked Brad to give Lauren away and for Brendan to officiate. Angie was the maid of honor and my dad was my best man. Everyone was dressed and ready to go when we got the surprise of the century. Brendan had decided that he was going to officiate the ceremony as his very best self. He stepped into the event room as Brenda the Queen of the Seven Seas. In heels and headdress, he was seven feet tall, wearing three miles of blue and green sequins. Lauren and I could barely keep it together through our vows. It has fun and it was ours. We loved every second. You should see our photos. Lauren wore a pale blue wedding dress that looked perfect with her blonde hair and pale skin. It made my heart hurt to see her; she was so beautiful. Angie was the perfect bridesmaid, making sure she didn’t outshine Lauren by wearing a more modest dress that covered, well almost everything. Dad and I wore matching tan suits with shirts that matched Lauren’s dress.

We had our reception at the resort restaurant party room. The food and boat drinks were amazing. During the dancing, I noticed that Angela had caught the eye of my aunt and I spotted them leaving the restaurant together, and not returning for quite a while. It was a glorious day of joy and laughter, that I will remember forever.

Lauren and I honeymooned in the Virgin Islands for ten days. On the morning of day eight, we heard a knock at our cabana door. When Lauren opened it, there stood Angie in all her glory, wearing the smallest bikini of all time and a sheer beach cover-up.

She cocked a hip and grinned wickedly. “You bitches didn’t think Auntie Angela would let you have ALL the fun without her, did you?”

Lauren smiled and pointed to the hooks on the wall where three robes hung.

“Nope sure didn’t.”