Taming Theresa (18 page)

She snuffled, pushed her plate towards him,
and reached for the drink. "Men are all such bastards."

John continued to eat, then stopped to butter
some Italian bread and handed it to her. "You'd better eat
something."

"Thanks." Theresa began to peel off the crust
and nibble at it."

"Did that guy break your heart?" He was
already scraping his plate, eating the last bite of pasta.

She chewed thoughtfully, and then finished
her drink. "No. Not really." A tear slid down her cheek. "I'm just
so angry and embarrassed that I let him be my first."

"You did what?" John grabbed his napkin and
held it to his mouth, coughing. "I thought you were older. Aren't
you the same age as Vicky?"

"I was going to marry him. Twenty-six is old
enough."

"You waited...for him?" John was staring
now.

"Of course I waited." Frowning she rounded on
him, speaking in a loud voice, "What kind of girl do you think I
am?" Conversation hushed as people turned to stare.

"Would you like to dance?" John stood up and
held out his hand to her.

Her mouth dropped open. "You can dance?"

"Why don't you be the judge?" he said,
smiling. He led her out to the dance floor, wrapped his arms around
her, and expertly moved into the flow. Her tiny frame fit neatly
into his arms and he rested his cheek on her soft hair.

"John?"

"Hmmm?"

"I think I'm a little drunk."

He lifted his head to look at her. "Maybe,
but that's all right. It's a wedding. Everybody drinks a little too
much at weddings, and all the women cry. Why is that?"

"I never drink that much. I just don't do
that sort of thing, you understand?"

"It's okay. Whatever you do is all right with
me. I'll make sure you don't embarrass yourself tonight."

"Thank you."

"John?"

"Hmmm?"

"What makes a girl good in bed?"

He twirled her around picking up the pace as
the music changed and she clung to him for support. The room spun
around her in dizzying circles.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Tony said I wasn't any good."

"And why would you listen to him?"

"I don't know, John."

"He's an idiot."

"Okay, you're right."

"The jerk is watching us dance." He turned,
grinned at Tony, and pulled her even closer. "Theresa?"

"Hmmm?"

"Your mom is trying to get your attention I
think."

She looked up to see her mother across the
room waving her hands at her. As soon as they made eye contact,
Rose pointed at the wedding cake.

She nodded, smiling, and gestured towards the
next table where Tony sat with Maryanne and his parents. Her
mother's eyes grew wide in horrified shock. Standing behind his
wife's chair, Dom was in close conversation with the handsome guy
who'd been at the tavern the other night. He was the one with the
remarkable blue eyes that had captured Diane's attention.

"John, who's that man over there, talking to
my father? Is he a friend of Jack's?"

"No, I've never seen him before. He's not
from around here."

"Well, he's not a member of our family. What
the hell is he doing here?"

"How should I know? I thought you were in
charge of this party."

He guided her back to the table as Kay was
serving the main course.

John looked pleased. "Yes! Roast beef and you
got the salmon. This looks so awesome. Ralph did a great job on
everything."

"I think I'm losing my mind, or at least I'm
losing control of this wedding reception. I never dreamed Tony
would dare show his face, and to bring her with him? He's trying to
rub my nose in it." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes again
and she reached for her drink, draining the last few drops and
biting ferociously on the olive.

Beside them, Joe and Marsha were laughing and
talking with Jack. Theresa glanced at Vicky who was receiving a
bear hug and a kiss on the cheek from Aunt Henrietta. The DJ
tweaked the music volume to keep pace with the level of
conversation and a few more couples began to dance. As she gazed
about the room, she was consoled by the fact that everything seemed
to be going well.

"Oh no." With dread, she watched her mother
rise and start toward her, all the while looking over her shoulder
at Tony DePalma. "I don't want to talk about it, Ma," she muttered
under her breath.

John chewed a mouthful of beef, watching her.
"There's nothing you can do about any of this now. Try not to let
it upset you. Okay?"

She snuffled and nodded. "Listen, I've got to
find the little bride and groom that go on top of the cake. Ma will
get her pants in a terrible wad if I don't. Diane brought them in
here from my car the other day, but I can't find them
anywhere."

"I sure don't want your Mom to get upset, so
I'll help you find them. Maybe Diane didn't get the package from
your car." He had to raise his voice to be heard, the volume of
conversation in the room increasing as the levels in glasses and
bottles decreased.

"What?" Theresa leaned in to hear.

"Why don't we go look for them in your car?
Wait just a minute." He rose and slipped behind Marsha and Joe,
stopping to speak with Jack.

Theresa poured herself another glass of wine
and sipped while she waited.

When John returned, he took her arm and said,
"Okay, let's go. I want to get back here in time to finish my
dinner." He took her arm and with a broad smile and wave in her
mother's direction brushed past everyone, making his way to the
back door.

Outside, John headed for the Mustang with
Theresa limping beside him. "Your ankle is bothering you again,
isn't it?"

"I'm fine." She looked up and stopped dead in
her tracks, staring at a yellow Lexis parked next to her own car.
"I don't believe it. He is such a bastard!"

"Who? What's your problem now?"

"It's his car. That idiot Tony parked his
snot yellow car right next to mine, so close I can't even open my
door." She moved to the other side of the Lexis and peered in the
window. "Oh my god! Look on the back seat. I'll break the asshole's
windows." Consumed with rage fueled by alcohol, she removed one
shoe and aimed the four-inch spike heel at the rear window. Her
overhand swing brought the red high heel down with a resounding
crack, but the glass remained intact. She wacked the glass again
trying to break it.

"What are you doing?" asked John. He reached
over, pulled on the door handle and it opened easily.

She stood, staring dumbly. "How was I
supposed to know it was unlocked, wise guy?" She leaned in, took
the bride and groom figures from the back seat and held them up for
his inspection. "Look."

"Those are the things you lost?" he
asked.

"Yeah. They were on our parent's wedding
cakes. It's a tradition."

"Okay, let's go put them on the cake and make
your Mom happy."

'They were in the creep's car the whole time.
She tottered back and forth on one shoe. "Why would he steal them?
I can't believe it."

Theresa, put your shoe back on again."

"What for?"

"Because, wobbling around with one high heel
and a sore ankle, you're going to fall on your ass, that's why."
Sighing, she did as she was told, holding onto him as she wiggled
into the shoe.

"While she clung to his arm, he glanced
inside the Lexis. "Hey, what the hell?" Reaching in, he came up
holding a cut glass bowl. "It's my wedding present. Your creepy
boyfriend stole this out of my car too. I don't get it. What's with
this guy?"

"He's not my boyfriend," she growled. "Would
you buckle my ankle strap? I can't manage in this dress."

"Sure. Hold this." Theresa held the bowl and
the figures as John knelt down and fastened her dainty shoe. His
hand stroked her leg.

She giggled, "Cut it out, John."

"What in god's name are you two doing?"
roared Vince walking up behind them.

Startled, Theresa nearly dropped everything
as she turned to see the police officer, hands on hips, dressed in
suit and tie for the wedding.

Even out of uniform, he had an official air.
He looked at them askance. “Get back inside you two, before someone
sees you in that car.”

Guiltily, she fiddled with the small figures
and held them up for him to see. "I was looking for these." She
turned to John for help.

John got up and brushed off his pants. He
looked at Vince, and then pointed at the glass bowl. "Vince, it's
the present I bought for Jack and Vicky. Her boyfriend stole it
from me."

"He's not my boyfriend," she insisted
angrily.

Vince shook his head in frustration. "That's
not what it looked like and you need to get the hell away from Tony
DePalma's car."

"Oh, you know who Tony is? Terry was trying
to break the window with her shoe after we saw the little bride and
groom with my cut glass bowl on the back seat of his car."

"Tony is not my boyfriend and I wasn't
exactly trying to break the window," she insisted.

"Please tell me you weren't breaking into
this car," moaned Vince. "That's not what you're doing out here,
right?" Vince looked nervously over his shoulder.

Smiling with amusement, Diane watched Doc
Sweeney and his wife, on the dance floor with Theresa's parents.
The two couples were laughing as they gyrated to the Peppermint
Twist. The other dancers stood aside, cheering and applauding the
four older people enthusiastically.

Alone at one end of the head table, Diane
nibbled the end of a buttered roll without tasting it, as she
watched the fun. The remains of her grilled salmon, swirl of
whipped potatoes, and vegetables had grown cold. A glance at her
phone told her the time. Not too much longer.

She noticed John, at the edge of the crowd,
slip his arm around Vicky's cousin and pull her against him. She
giggled when Theresa elbowed him in the stomach and pulled away
tossing her hair back over her shoulder, ignoring him.

John never tried to hold me like that. No
wonder he's interested in Terry. That bridesmaid dress looks
amazing on her. Why can't I fill out a dress like that? She's so
beautiful and so small, her head barely reaches John's chin. I hate
being tall and skinny. It would be so nice to be tiny like she is.
Most guys like that.

She sighed and looked over at Jack and Vicky.
They're really a good-looking couple. I'm happy for them, but I
wish there was someone out there for me. Like that guy with the
blue eyes. He's so tall and super cute. I'd love to dance with him.
I wonder who he is. He certainly doesn’t look like anyone in the
Buonadies family. Probably someone's date.

Paul, Frank, and Jack's brother, Bobby were
leaning over the bar with Carol Barrett and some other girls,
laughing with Fred as he mixed drinks.

Now and again, she took a small sip of her
wine, or pushed the remains of her dinner around her plate.
Everyone's having such a good time. I'll slip out as soon as they
cut the cake. There's some of that triple chocolate ice cream in
the freezer and that new Tori Baxter romance waiting for me. Just
what I need tonight, reading about other people having incredible
sex.

The music ended, Doc and Mr. Buonadies gave
their wives one last twirl and all the other guests thundered their
applause. Then the brassy voice of the disc jockey announced that
the next song was a request for "My Girl" by the Temptations.

Couples quickly filled the dance floor as the
song began and the lights dimmed. The bride and groom were in the
center of the dance floor. Joe had his arms around Marsha, gazing
into her eyes like an adoring puppy while Vince and his wife danced
by. Everyone seems to be paired off. This is depressing. As soon as
they get around to the cake, I'm so out of here.

It really is a nice cake. Terry must have
found the cake toppers, because there they are on the top tier. The
enormous confection waited elegantly for the bride and groom and
the ritual slicing ceremony.

Who's the skinny little guy in the tight suit
with his hair slicked back? He keeps staring at the wedding cake,
and fiddling with his cigarette lighter. Must be someone from the
Buonadies side, but no one introduced him to me.

She watched as Bobby and the Buonadies
brothers asked Carol and her friends to dance. The girls melted
into their arms and joined the swaying throng. She suddenly felt
old. The younger girls worked for her at the Vandersmoot family
garden center. She'd known them most of their lives. Carol had even
once dated Jack briefly. With apparent ease, they were enjoying
themselves with men they'd just met. After a few drinks and
dancing...I wonder where they'll end up tonight. Why did I waste so
many years chasing after John?

The little man with the cigarette lighter was
standing close to the gift table in the far corner of the room. It
was piled high with wedding gifts and cards. He leaned in eyeing
the contents of the table, glancing furtively around. As he reached
out to touch the presents, Theresa's brother, Paul appeared behind
him and tapped him on the shoulder. The man started and whipped
around to see Paul right behind him.

What’s with that weird guy? He looks a little
shifty. Maybe he's just had too much to drink? Was he trying to
take something off the gift table before Terry's brother stopped
him? What's up with that? She sipped her wine, sighed, and pushed
her plate away.

"Excuse me. Would you like to dance?"

Startled, she looked up into beautiful
shining blue eyes. It was him, blue eyes from the tavern, and he
was smiling. What did he want? She looked around her. No one else
was anywhere near. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said, would you like to dance?" He held
out his hand. "Please. My name is Christopher. Call me Chris."