Boom! Boom! BOOM!!!
The pounding made Danny’s head feel like it was about to explode. He tried to lift his arm and found that any movement made him feel even worse. He certainly wasn’t naļve enough not to recognize his symptoms for what they were. He had one hell of a hangover. My God, what the hell happened last night? Taking a deep breath he tried to calm his stomach as he thought back to the night before. Mike had convinced him he needed a ‘boy’s night out’ while Delinda was away on a shopping trip with her mother. They had the whole night planned out. They hired a limo and planned to hit all the hotspots. Toa, Ghost Bar, Rain just to name a few. Danny managed to raise his hand enough to push aside the silky strands that were tickling his face, but at the last minute decided to keep them wrapped in his fingers. He wasn’t sure what they were, but he liked the feel of them. Turning his thoughts back to the previous night he concentrated and found himself remembering a scene in the lobby….
“Hey, there you are Mikey!” greeted Danny as he saw his friend approaching. “I was starting to think you bailed on me.”
Seeing the look in his best friends eyes, Danny groaned, “Man, this was your idea!”
“I know and I’m really sorry, Danny. The whole computer system crashed and Ed needs me to stay.”
Danny immediately regretted giving Mike a hard time. The computer system was crucial to the daily running of the resort and casino. “I’m sorry. Hey, I’ll stay too and help you with it,” Danny suggested.
Well aware of his friend’s lack of computer skill Mike desperately tried to convince Danny he didn’t need his help. If Danny stayed Mike just might never get the system up!
“NO!” Mike practically screamed. Lowering his voice he continued, “I mean you should still go. No need to waste your one night of freedom because of me.” Seeing Danny shake his head unconvinced Mike tried again, “Delinda comes home tomorrow, right? Don’t let the night go to waste, Man!”
“Nice try, Mikey, but I don’t think so.” Danny noticed the beads of sweat gather on the other man’s brow and almost laughed. “Don’t worry I won’t try and help with the computers. I’m just going to head on home.”
Reaching out to stop his friend Mike said, “Don’t do that. I’ve even got us on the list for the VIP section in Toa tonight. You can’t waste that. Come on…”
“I’m not really interested in going out alone,” Danny argued even though he was really disappointed. He had been looking forward to this night all week. A night alone without Delinda.
Just when Mike was about to give up Mary walked by the two men and waved good-bye.
“Hey, Mary!” yelled Mike. “Wait up!”
Hearing Mike call her name Mary turned and headed back into the lobby. “Hey, boys,” she smiled as she greeted them. “Did you need something?”
A shifting in the bed next to him brought Danny out of his thoughts and he opened his eyes to find a mass of red hair. Danny was too shocked to move or say anything as a slender hand rose up to push the hair back out of her face. Mary! Oh shit! What happened? Did we? He pulled the sheet up high enough to know the answer. I’m in so much trouble! However, as much as the panic tried to rise up in him he was almost overwhelmed with a feeling of ….relief.
The pounding on the door that had originally woke him up startled him again. Fearing the sound would wake his companion, he moved as quickly as he could out of the bed. Grabbing his robe off the chair he turned and noticed the clothes. Mary’s and his own were thrown all over the room. He allowed himself a small moment to stroke his ego as he thought about how desperate two people would have to be to make that kind of mess. The moment was short lived though when he caught site of the beautiful women in his bed. How could I have done this to her? What am I going to say to her? Those thoughts refused to let Danny go as he walked over and pulled open his front door.
“Damn!”
Danny rubbed his hand over his face, as he replied, “Now’s not the best time, Mike.”
Refusing to be derailed Mike pushed his way past Danny holding a tray of take-out coffee. Handing one to his friend he smiled, “I thought you might need this.”
“Very funny!” smirked Danny as he took a sip of the hot liquid.
Looking his best friend over Mike couldn’t help but laugh, “Damn, Danny. You look like hell! What did you do last night?”
Mike watched as panic settled into his friend’s eyes.
“Why?” questioned Danny trying to keep his voice steady.
Feeling some sympathy for his friend Mike turned away and headed into Danny’s kitchen before answering. “You limo driver last night was a friend of mine. He called me this morning.”
“Oh.”
Mike looked out over the open counter and watched as Danny hung his head, reaching up with one hand to massage his temple. “How much do you know?” asked Danny.
“Uh…well…enough.” Mike stuttered as he tried to conceal the blush that rose on his face.
Danny did not miss Mike’s embarrassment. God, can this get any worse? Deciding he needed to face whatever he had done he raised his head and looked directly into Mike’s eyes. “Good. Then you can tell me, because you probably know more that I can remember.”
Danny watched as Mike opened his mouth and then quickly closed it. After trying to speak a few times and failing Mike finally closed his eyes and managed to speak. “You mean you don’t remember?”
Danny closed his eyes and tried to remember as flashes of last night played in his head.
Danny watched Mary as she sat at the bar and swallowed yet another shot of tequila.
When she placed the shot glass down she turned to him with a grin, “Your turn.”
“How many does this make?” he asked as he motioned to the bartender for another round. “Five?”
“Actually, it’s six. I think.” giggled Mary. Pushing her hair back she looked up to see Danny staring at her with a look she hadn’t seen in a long time. Reaching out to run a finger down his chest she continued, “Just remember when you have a terrible hangover in the morning that this was your idea.”
Danny leaned down so his lips were just inches from hers and whispered, “I’ll remember.”
Feeling disgusted with himself and the whole situation Danny gruffly replied, “I know that Mary is asleep in my bed right now! I know that I messed up BIG time! I know that this is going to hurt a lot of people!” Finished with his little speech, Danny walked over to the large window and stared down at the town he loved.
Recognizing the pain hidden behind Danny’s anger, Mike choose to give his friend a moment before trying to talk to him. Feeling somehow responsible for this whole mess Mike hung his head and looked down to the floor. Something sticking out from under the counter caught his eye. Mike bent down and pulled out the piece of paper. Reading it to himself he suddenly realized how bad the situation really was. Why hadn’t his friend mentioned this part?
Danny walked into the kitchen to apologize for blowing up at his friend and saw Mike reading something.
“What’s that?” Danny asked as he grabbed the paper out of Mike’s hands.
The room seemed to spin around him as he clutched the paper in both hands dropping the coffee he had been holding. “Married?” he whispered.
There were many emotions Mike expected to see in Danny’s eyes as he looked up, but the one he saw surprised him. Danny looked almost happy as he repeated, “I’m a married man.”
Mary couldn’t stop the stunned gasp that made it’s way past her lips as she walked into the living room and heard Danny’s words. She hated herself the moment she woke up and found herself in his bed. She had slept with her friend’s boyfriend. The fact that she still loved him made no difference. And now she finds out that he was married!
Danny and Mike both panicked when they realized Mary had awoken and was standing in the living room wearing nothing but one of Danny’s shirts. She had a look of horror ruining her normally beautiful features.
“Mary, please let me explain,” Danny said as he took a few steps towards her.
Reaching out her hand to stop him she shook her head back and forth. “No!” she said before biting down on her upper lip to keep it from trembling. “I need…I need to go.” she announced.
“Mary, wait. We need to talk,” Danny pleaded as his heart broke watching her fight back tears.
Mary pulled her outstretched hand back and used it to cover her mouth as she voiced what she had just realized, “Oh God,” she cried. “I’m the dirty mistress.” Mary turned and ran back towards the bedroom.
Danny called her name again as he followed her. Instead of seeing her grabbing her clothes like she presently was, his mind brought him back to the night before.
Danny cursed his shaking hand as he tried to unlock the door to his condo. It might have been easier if he also used his other hand, but that one was currently holding the back of Mary’s head to him as he kissed her.
Finally, the door gave way and they stumbled in as Danny pushed Mary up against the door closing it.
“God, you have no idea how much I need you,” he whispered just before crashing his lips against hers once again. He couldn’t remember a time when he had been so desperate with need and he knew it was because of his feelings for the woman in his arms.
Danny was brought out of the trance his memories had put him in when Mary pushed her way past him grabbing the remainder of her clothes.
“You’re not the dirty mistress,” he said watching her remove her bra from the lampshade it rested on.
Mary let out a self-loathing laugh as she added her bra to the pile of clothes she was clutching to her chest. “Yes. I am, Danny,” she said as a tear found it’s way down her check. “ That’s what they call women who sleep with other people’s husbands.”
Mary closed her eyes. He heart couldn’t take the pain of looking at him knowing he now belonged to someone else, forever.
Desperate to rid her of the pain she was trying hide from him, Danny gently grabbed her upper arms pulling her to him. “Look at me.” he whispered.
Unable to do as he asked, Mary tried unsuccessfully to remove herself from his hold.
“You need to let me go, Danny,” she cried.
“I can’t and I won’t.“ Danny replied as he gently placed his fingers under her chin guiding her face up towards his. “Open you eyes, Mare.”
Knowing she had no choice, Mary readied herself for the pain she knew was about to engulf her and opened her eyes.
She wasn’t prepared for the look of love in Danny’s eyes as he said the words that would forever change her life.
“You’re the wife, Mary,” he said as he wiped her tears away. “My wife.”
Mary managed to free herself from his grasp and sunk down on the bed as fuzzy images of the night before played in her head.
Mary watched the lights of Vegas pass outside of the limo window as she rested her head on Danny’s shoulder. She felt Danny take her hand in his and turned to look up at him.
“Why did you give me the ring back?”
The depth of pain that showed in his eyes as she looked at him surprised her.
“I…I thought you would wakeup one day and regret it,” she whispered back.
Leaning down so his face was just inches away from hers he answered, “I could never regret being with you. It’s the only thing that has ever felt right.”
Running his hands through her hair he leaned down and gently touched her lips with his own. “This feels right,” he said before kissing her again with more passion.
Pulling out of the kiss for some much-needed air Mary looked into Danny’s eyes and admitted the truth that she had kept hidden for so long. “I’ve regretted it everyday.”
“I regret a lot of things too, Mary,” he said as he pulled her onto his lap. “Let’s not regret anything ever again,” he said as he wiped a tear from her face she hadn’t even realized was there. “Let’s get married.”
“What have we done, Danny?” cried Mary.
Kneeling down in front of her he placed his hands on her bare knees and bared his heart, “I’m not sorry, Mary.”
“What?”
“I know this is going to hurt a lot of people, but I won’t apologize because I’m not sorry.”
“Danny…” warned Mary.
“No, listen to me Mary.” he demanded. He needed to make her see this wasn’t a mistake. Danny wasn’t sure when he had decided that, but he knew it was true. For him anyway. He just hoped Mary felt the same. “Fate stepped in and made us do what we couldn’t find the courage to do on our own.”
“Danny we were drunk,” Mary reasoned. “That’s not fate.”
“I think it was.” Danny answered. “Look me in the eyes and tell me I mean nothing to you.” Knowing she wouldn’t he continued, “I let you walk out of my life once without a fight. I won’t do it again, Mary. If you don’t want this. If you don’t want me then you’re going to have to look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me.”
“Danny there are other people to consider,” Mary argued knowing she would never have the strength to push him away again. “What about Delinda? Ed?”
“It isn’t going to be easy. Things will be difficult, but as long as we’re together I know we can make it,” he said with a gentle force that spoke volumes.
“You’re living with her, Danny! You love her!” cried Mary releasing the pain that had been building in her for a long time.
Hearing the anguish in her voice Danny was almost tempted to let her go and not be the cause of anymore of her pain. He wished he was a strong enough man to do that but he wasn’t.
“No! I don’t love her. I love you Mary. Forget everyone else for a moment,” he begged. “It’s just you and me. Do you love me?”
“Yes,” cried Mary. “I never stopped loving you or wanting you, but..”
“No,” interrupted Danny. “That’s all that matters, Mary.”
Danny wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her as close to him as he get her before he lowered his lips and kissed her expressing all the love he had locked inside him for too long.
The sound of someone clearing their throat startled the young couple and they turned to see Mike standing in the doorway.
“Sorry to interrupt.” he said trying to hide the smirk that threatened to break loose at the sight of his two friends wrapped in each other’s arms. “I know it’s none of my business,” he continued, “but as your friend and as someone who feels kind of responsible for this whole thing…”
“Mike this isn’t your fault.” Mary quickly tried to release their friend of any guilt.
“Maybe not, but can’t I take some of the credit when years down the road I’m sitting infront of the fireplace telling your grandkids how you too finally got it together.”
“What?” asked the confused couple in front of them.
After laughing at their stunned faces Mike turned serious, “It won’t be easy. You’re right about that. Delinda’s going to be hurt, Ed’s going to be furious, but anyone who has spent even five minutes in Vegas knows that you two belong together.”
Walking over to the couple he put out his hand towards Danny.
“Congratulations, Danny” he smiled as Danny pulled him into a one armed hug.
Pulling away from his friend, Mike turned and wrapped Mary in a big hug lifting her off the ground. “He’s a lucky man, Mary.”
Seeing that his new wife was still only wearing his shirt and that was now being lifted into a dangerously high position due to Mike’s hug, Danny rushed to end the embrace.
“Hey man, get your hands off my wife.” Danny smiled as he pulled Mary into his arms again. “She’s mine. Always has been and I don’t plan on letting her go again,” Danny vowed as he looked down into Mary’s smiling face.
“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. I’m not going anywhere.” she responded smiling up at her husband.
The End
The Morning After by Bessie