Wedding in Las Vegas
By: Seuss Fan
(No copyright infringement intended. Please review. If you like this check out my other stories on my profile.)
Chapter 1: There's something I should have told you when I looked into your eyes….
Roger stood in his apartment, casually staring out the window as he turned the ring around and around in his fingers. He wanted to do this. He didn't know why exactly. The word marriage had never appealed to him before. But in the short time he had spent with Mimi he had realized how important such a practice was. If she would've wound up in the hospital he wouldn't have been able to visit her. That right there was his biggest concern. Since her near death experience Mimi had starting getting help for her habit. However, the fact that he might lose the greatest thing that had ever happened to him was always in the back of Roger's mind. If Mimi said no he'd understand. Being a married woman didn't seem to fit in with the profile of a stripper. But that wouldn't discourage Roger from trying. After all the ring cost a fortunate. He had to put it to good use.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Like I have to ask permission to speak to my own roommate."
"So, what's so important that you have to take me away from my latest project?"
"No offense, but I think the world of clay animation is safer without you."
"I'm giving it a shot okay? Probably won't stick with it but I thought I'd experiment. So, what did you wanna talk about?"
"This."
"You steal that from somewhere?"
"When have you known me to steal?"
"Sorry, just the first thought that came to my head. Whose it for and where'd you get it?"
"I bought it and it's for Mimi."
"How could you afford something like that?"
"The ATM."
"Oh, yeah. Memory lapse. Wait, did you say that was for Mimi?"
"Uh-huh."
"Are you going to propose to her?"
"Yep."
"Are you feeling okay?"
"That's your first question?"
"I just never thought you'd wanna get married."
"Neither did I. But every day when I wake up and see Mimi lying next to me I think that I'm lucky to have her alive. And if God forbid something happened to her I wouldn't be legally allowed to plan her funeral."
"I don't think that's against the law."
"Whatever. The point is I want the world to know that I'm her and she's mine. I want this to be official."
"Where were you planning on having this wedding?"
"I was gonna suggest going to Vegas."
"Throw that into the proposal and she might go for it."
"Actually I had a different idea for my proposal."
"How're you going to do it?"
"My plan involves you."
"Me? This is your proposal. You do it yourself."
"Some roommate you are. I just want you to help with one thing."
"What?"
"Here I have it written down."
"Wow, you made a chart. This must be elaborate."
"Why are you so snippy today?"
"I'm blaming it on the animation."
"Sounds like a good reason to me."
"Alright I'll stop doing it. What's the plan?"
The trap was set. All the guys had to do was wait for Mimi to come home and their plan would be under way. Mimi had worked the afternoon shift at the Cat Scratch Club and was home by five o'clock. Normally at this time the guys would be figuring out something they could do for dinner. But when Mimi opened the door there was no one to be found.
"Maybe they're getting take out." she mumbled to herself as she got a drink of water.
Minutes passed but no sign of Roger or Mark.
"This is weird." whispered Mimi as she reached for the phone. She didn't necessarily know who she was going to call but she had to o something. Neither of the guys really had a job. And if they had gone to visit someone or do an errand they would have left a note. Just as Mimi had started to dial Maureen and Joanne roger and Mark burst through the door carrying reels of recently processed film.
"Good. You're home early."
"It's good to see you too, babe. Where the hell have you guys been?"
"Well, Mom we just had to do something real quick."
"What's his deal?"
"Clay animation has turned him into a permanent wise-ass."
"Gotcha. So, what's up?"
"I'm gonna get something to eat. Catch you guys later."
"But you just got in!"
"I know but I kinda feel like a restaurant tonight. Later."
"Has clay animation also turned his taste buds against eating with his friends?"
"Not exactly. Look, before we eat there's something I wanna show you."
"Okay."
"Let me just fiddle with the projector here. Ah, there we go."
Pictures of Roger and Mimi began to flicker upon the wall. Good times and bad times flew past Mimi's eyes. As she started to tear up Roger turned off the film. He sat down beside her on the couch and pulled her face towards his.
"What was that all about?"
"Mimi, there's something I wanna ask you."
"Okay."
"As you know we've been through a lot together. Probably more than most couples. And no matter what's happened we've always been able to work it out."
"So, what's your question?"
"Just let me finish."
"You look nervous."
"Mimi."
"Sorry. Continue, please."
"As I was saying we've always been able to make things work. And even though I'd be happy living the way we are now I'd like a little bit more. So, Mimi Marquez, will you marry me?"
Mimi sat on the couch completely dumbfounded. Her boyfriend was asking her to marry him. Marry him? Was he sure about this? She knew she needed to say something before his knee fell asleep but she just couldn't get her mouth to form words.
"Well? Will you?"
"I'm just shocked that's all."
"Do you need some time to think about?"
"I think so."
"That's fine. After dinner you wanna sit and talk?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. I'll go heat something up. You can hold on to this for now."
Roger handed Mimi the ring then went to fetch something out of the gang's makeshift fridge. As Roger attempted to thaw two day old pasta Mimi sat, twirling the one karat diamond ring in her right hand thinking about what her future was going to be like.
"So?"
"It sounds like a good idea."
"But?"
"But this just isn't me, babe. I'm not the marrying type. I'm all for falling in love and living together. I don't have to tell you that. But settling down and getting married just isn't for me."
"If we got married we wouldn't have to change our lifestyle. Everything would still be the same. The only difference would be that we'd both have rings on our fingers."
"Don't you understand from watching your own parents? Everything changes once you get married."
"Only if you let it. We get each other. We have a good thing going on here…"
"So let's not ruin it. I appreciate the offer but I'm going to have to say no. You okay?"
"It stings a little but I'll get over it. Guess now I gotta head back to Tiffany's."
"You got the ring from Tiffany's?"
"Yeah."
"Are you insane? The pawn shop across the street has better looking stuff than that for half the price!"
"Probably isn't real."
"Who cares if it's real? What does a girl like me, living in a place like this need with a real diamond ring?"
"First, you reject my proposal and then you criticize my desire to buy you something nice for a change?"
"But we live like pigs. And better yet we're comfortable living like pigs. Why would you think that I'd enjoy receiving a diamond that cost as much or more than my AZT?"
"Because you're the love of my life and you deserve better than this. I like the way we live and I know you like it too. But we have the ATM now. We have the ability to go out and do something crazy every now and then. Be anti-Bohemian every once in a while. We don't have to always live as if we're against the man. We've outsmarted the man. So let's enjoy it."
"You really wanna get married?"
"Would you like me to explain my reasoning?"
"If you please."
"Before we got back together you almost died. If you had gone into cardiac arrest and the ambulance company wouldn't have put us on hold you would have ended up in the intensive care unit. And throughout your stay the only person who could approve medication or procedures would be your mother. Who, like I have to tell you can't speak English. Me, Mark, Maureen, Collins, and Joanne wouldn't be able to do anything. Even though we feel like your family we're not. You know how long it would've taken to get things done? You're condition probably would've gotten worse while the hospital staff would be racing around trying to locate a translator."
"But nothing happened."
"But what if it did? And something still could go wrong."
"I'm not on drugs anymore."
"It's not just the drugs I'm talking about. We're both infected, babe. If either one of us gets sick ,our parents, who live miles away from New York, are the ones who would be calling the shots. We couldn't even stay over in each other's hospital rooms. We could only come during visiting hours because we're technically single."
"So, this is just a marriage of convenience."
"No it's not."
"Sounds like it is."
"Mimi…"
"It sounds like you just wanna marry me on the off chance that I might get cancer and have to be hospitalized for it because my immune system has turned to shit!"
"That's not what I'm saying. Seeing you almost die in front of me made me realize that you're more important to me than anything else in the world. It's not enough that I know that and that all of our friends know it too. I want the world to know it. The whole hospital idea may have put me on this thought path but I've stayed on it for many more reasons. I want this to be official. I want you to be my wife."
"Can I change my answer?"
"Are you serious?"
"Did I stutter?"
"I can't believe this."
"Now get down on your knee and put that ring on my finger."
"Why do I have to get back on my knee?"
"Don't question your future wife. Just do it."
Roger did as he was told. After the ring was safely put in its proper place Roger pulled Mimi into a clichéd, but passionate kiss.
The next day Roger and Mimi gathered their friends together to reveal their news.
"Who died?"
"Someone died?"
"We didn't call you over here because someone died."
"I know the reason why."
"Mark, blab and I will kill you."
"Fine."
"We called you over here because we have some really great news to tell you."
"Out with it already!"
"Show them Mimi."
"Is that an engagement ring?"
"We're getting married!"
Instead of the applause and excitement Roger and Mimi expected they were met with blank stares. Well, from everyone besides Mark.
"You're what?"
"Look, we know this seems weird coming from us but we had a long talk last night and it seems like a really good option."
"I'm in support of it."
"Thanks, Collins."
"I support it, too. Congrats you guys!"
"Thanks, Maureen."
"I'll show my support when the shock wears off."
"Alright now since everyone's on board we'd like to give you our wedding invitations."
"You set a date already? That was fast."
"Well, it all really depends on when we get there."
"Huh?"
"Open up your envelopes."
"A map?"
"Look at where it's circled."
"Nevada?"
"Look closer."
"Oh my gosh! I love you guys!"
"Pack your bags everybody! We're taking a road trip to Vegas!"
