Things to do in Salem When You're Dead
Chapter Twenty-Five
"Are you sure you're up for this, Chloe?"
"Yeah, Mom. I'm fine. I took an extra long nap this afternoon." And it's the truth; I feel pretty good right now. Of course, even if I were at death's door I would still want to be here. Nothing could keep me from seeing.
"Brady!" I wave to him and he and his family join us at our large table. I stand up as he wraps his arms around me.
"Hey you." I greet him with a soft whisper.
"I've missed you." Is his throaty reply. His lips slowly descend on mine and we make up for our lost time together in this one.amazing.kiss.
"Okay you two! Enough of that!" Belle's loud voice intrudes and brings us back down to reality.
"You've got the rest of your lives to do that." She teases as she gives me a big hug. "Right now you've got your engagement party."
"Right. Remind me again what the point of an engagement party is? We've already celebrated our engagement." I point out.
"The point is that since Maggie offered to cater the reception and hold it here at Tuscany, you have to decide on a menu. And since you can't very well try out and decide between 350 items - we're here to help." She explains. "It's really just an excuse to eat good food and party. Besides, I figured that after two long days of separation that you and Brady would jump at the chance to see each other again. But maybe I was wrong." she trails off dramatically.
"No no, that's okay. I love it!" I protest.
"I know." She winks at me.
Shawn Brady and his parents join us soon after. Since Marlena and Mom will be busy with their duties as mothers of the groom and bride, I've named Hope as my Matron of Honor. Belle is my Maid of Honor. Brady named Bo and Shawn as his best men - so that's why they're here.
Maggie Horton comes out shortly followed by several waiters waited down with platters. I stand up to greet her.
"Mrs. Horton, I can't thank you enough for hosting our reception, and on such short notice. And for free! You've been so generous."
"Nonsense, Chloe. It was the least I could do for two young people as wonderful as you. And call me Maggie, dear."
The waiters placed the platters in the middle of our large round table. "Okay, the first course of the dinner will be appetizers. Here is a sampling of all the appetizers we have to offer. Enjoy!" She exclaims with a twinkle in her eye. She then excuses herself to see to her other guests.
I'm stunned by the array of food on the table. There is such a wide variety to choose from, from the very elegant to simply casual. Oh my goodness. There is no way I can choose among all of these hors d'oeuvres. I guess that's why I have help. Brady and 'the guys' have already dug into a platter of chicken strips.
"Here. You have to try the mushroom poppers." Belle says as she practically shoves a deep fried portabella in my mouth. "They are sooo good."
Mmmmfhg. I have to agree. The salmon pate melts in my mouth but I wonder if it isn't too much for what I have in mind. After a few minutes Maggie comes to check our progress.
"So Chloe, have you made any decisions yet?" She asks with a casual smile.
"It's all wonderful, Maggie!" I enthuse. "I like the idea of a casual menu - I don't want a formal event. The chicken certainly appears to be a big hit." The boys are wiping out the platter of chicken strips. "The mushrooms are incredible. So let's have those two and some of your famous mozzarella bread."
Maggie makes note of this. "Excellent choice!" she raves.
"Now about the wine selection." she prods.
I bite my lips as Belle laughs. "It's a shame you won't be able to drink at your own wedding."
"Small price to pay." I smile at Brady who sits beside me. "Besides, I'm not waiting three years to marry this guy."
"We're doing good to get her to wait three days." My mother chimes in, creating a hearty chuckle at the table.
Maggie seems to seriously ponder the situation. "Oh my. This won't do at all. The bride has to at least join in the toast. It's bad luck, or something like that." She adds with a wink.
"I won't tell if you don't."
"Except we're forgetting that one of Salem's finest is sitting at our table." She reminds me.
Bo looks up from his plate of chicken strips. "Huh? Who, me? I don't care. I'm more worried about him." He points a greasy finger at Brady. "Weren't you the one who was thrown out of here one night for causing a drunken disturbance?" he asks with a broad smile.
Brady's lips curl up in an embarrassing grin.
"That's right. I had forgotten about that." Maggie exclaims. "Well now, this changes everything." She jokes. The table laughs at Brady's expense and though he's blushing I can tell he's enjoying the good-natured ribbing.
Bo speaks up on his nephew's behalf. "That's okay, Brady. I was something of a rebel myself at your age."
"Yes, and it was the love of a good woman that tamed you." Hope adds as she joins hands with her husband. The two share a sweet kiss as the table looks on.
Brady gazes at me with love shining in his eyes. "So I guess it runs in the family." He says as he kisses my lips.
"Great. So does this mean that I can expect the same behavior from our children?" I ask dryly.
The table grows silent suddenly and I wonder why. Then it hits me. I guess they're thinking what I'm thinking. I'm probably not going to have any children, because I'm not going to live long enough to. I look over at Nancy and see the sad, brave smile on her face and the wetness in her eyes.
A silent moment passes and then Hope reaches out and pats my hand. "We'll just hope they turn out like you, Chloe." And with her statement the table comes back to life and the awkwardness passes.
Brady stands up from his chair. "Well, while we're waiting for the next round of dishes, I'm going to dance with my beautiful fiancée. Excuse us." And with that he whisks me out onto the dance floor.
"How are you feeling?" he whispers softly in my ear. We are dancing, oh so close. I had missed this. His arms around me, his warmth coursing through me. His lips nuzzle my earlobe.
"mmmm. Fine, now that I'm with you." I murmur contentedly. I close my eyes as we dance slowly.
"I never want to go this long apart from you again."
"Fine by me."
He pulls me even closer against him. We dance for long, blissful minutes. No words are spoken between us.
I soon grow aware of a growing pain, a tightness in my calf. I try to ignore it and continue our dance, but suddenly a sharp spasm of pain shoots up my leg. My leg buckles and I collapse heavily against Brady.
"Chloe, what is it? What's wrong?"
"My leg. I think it's okay now." The pain is gone now and my leg feels slightly numb. "It's passed now."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
I nod. "It was just a brief spasm - probably a misfired nerve or something." We continue our dance with no other incidents.
Afterwards, I feel the familiar burning in my nose that signals an approaching nosebleed. "I'm going to the restroom. I'll meet you at the table."
I stand in front of the gilded mirror in the restroom with a napkin clamped firmly on my nose. "Come on. Hurry up." I mutter impatiently as I wait for the bleeding to stop. I count the number of tiles on the ceiling - 234, if you want to know. Finally. The soaked napkin is dropped into the trash and I inspect my appearance. I think I'm ready to join the others.
An arm grabs me as soon as I exit the ladies room and whirls me back in. "What the." I exclaim. Before I can finish my thought a pair of lips clamp down on mine. Warm, soft lips. Very familiar lips.
I close my eyes in ecstasy when Brady pushes me up against the restroom wall. With a quiet moan he deepens his kiss. His warm tongue explores my mouth, his hands caress my neck, brush my shoulders, run through my hair.
But at some point we must come up for air. "Brady.what was that?"
"I missed you." He replies with a roguish wink.
"I could tell." I give him a sly look. "Sorry boy, but you're going to have to wait."
Later, after we had all nibbled on everything on the menu, Belle stood to her feet. "Well, it's been great, but Chloe has a bridal shower to get to. So, see ya."
Bo stood up also. "Yeah, and Brady has a bachelor party. Come on guys, strippers await." He looks over to find four pairs of feminine eyes staring at him. "Uh, bye." And he and the guys make a hasty exit.
"Men" we chant in unison.
Chapter Twenty-Five
"Are you sure you're up for this, Chloe?"
"Yeah, Mom. I'm fine. I took an extra long nap this afternoon." And it's the truth; I feel pretty good right now. Of course, even if I were at death's door I would still want to be here. Nothing could keep me from seeing.
"Brady!" I wave to him and he and his family join us at our large table. I stand up as he wraps his arms around me.
"Hey you." I greet him with a soft whisper.
"I've missed you." Is his throaty reply. His lips slowly descend on mine and we make up for our lost time together in this one.amazing.kiss.
"Okay you two! Enough of that!" Belle's loud voice intrudes and brings us back down to reality.
"You've got the rest of your lives to do that." She teases as she gives me a big hug. "Right now you've got your engagement party."
"Right. Remind me again what the point of an engagement party is? We've already celebrated our engagement." I point out.
"The point is that since Maggie offered to cater the reception and hold it here at Tuscany, you have to decide on a menu. And since you can't very well try out and decide between 350 items - we're here to help." She explains. "It's really just an excuse to eat good food and party. Besides, I figured that after two long days of separation that you and Brady would jump at the chance to see each other again. But maybe I was wrong." she trails off dramatically.
"No no, that's okay. I love it!" I protest.
"I know." She winks at me.
Shawn Brady and his parents join us soon after. Since Marlena and Mom will be busy with their duties as mothers of the groom and bride, I've named Hope as my Matron of Honor. Belle is my Maid of Honor. Brady named Bo and Shawn as his best men - so that's why they're here.
Maggie Horton comes out shortly followed by several waiters waited down with platters. I stand up to greet her.
"Mrs. Horton, I can't thank you enough for hosting our reception, and on such short notice. And for free! You've been so generous."
"Nonsense, Chloe. It was the least I could do for two young people as wonderful as you. And call me Maggie, dear."
The waiters placed the platters in the middle of our large round table. "Okay, the first course of the dinner will be appetizers. Here is a sampling of all the appetizers we have to offer. Enjoy!" She exclaims with a twinkle in her eye. She then excuses herself to see to her other guests.
I'm stunned by the array of food on the table. There is such a wide variety to choose from, from the very elegant to simply casual. Oh my goodness. There is no way I can choose among all of these hors d'oeuvres. I guess that's why I have help. Brady and 'the guys' have already dug into a platter of chicken strips.
"Here. You have to try the mushroom poppers." Belle says as she practically shoves a deep fried portabella in my mouth. "They are sooo good."
Mmmmfhg. I have to agree. The salmon pate melts in my mouth but I wonder if it isn't too much for what I have in mind. After a few minutes Maggie comes to check our progress.
"So Chloe, have you made any decisions yet?" She asks with a casual smile.
"It's all wonderful, Maggie!" I enthuse. "I like the idea of a casual menu - I don't want a formal event. The chicken certainly appears to be a big hit." The boys are wiping out the platter of chicken strips. "The mushrooms are incredible. So let's have those two and some of your famous mozzarella bread."
Maggie makes note of this. "Excellent choice!" she raves.
"Now about the wine selection." she prods.
I bite my lips as Belle laughs. "It's a shame you won't be able to drink at your own wedding."
"Small price to pay." I smile at Brady who sits beside me. "Besides, I'm not waiting three years to marry this guy."
"We're doing good to get her to wait three days." My mother chimes in, creating a hearty chuckle at the table.
Maggie seems to seriously ponder the situation. "Oh my. This won't do at all. The bride has to at least join in the toast. It's bad luck, or something like that." She adds with a wink.
"I won't tell if you don't."
"Except we're forgetting that one of Salem's finest is sitting at our table." She reminds me.
Bo looks up from his plate of chicken strips. "Huh? Who, me? I don't care. I'm more worried about him." He points a greasy finger at Brady. "Weren't you the one who was thrown out of here one night for causing a drunken disturbance?" he asks with a broad smile.
Brady's lips curl up in an embarrassing grin.
"That's right. I had forgotten about that." Maggie exclaims. "Well now, this changes everything." She jokes. The table laughs at Brady's expense and though he's blushing I can tell he's enjoying the good-natured ribbing.
Bo speaks up on his nephew's behalf. "That's okay, Brady. I was something of a rebel myself at your age."
"Yes, and it was the love of a good woman that tamed you." Hope adds as she joins hands with her husband. The two share a sweet kiss as the table looks on.
Brady gazes at me with love shining in his eyes. "So I guess it runs in the family." He says as he kisses my lips.
"Great. So does this mean that I can expect the same behavior from our children?" I ask dryly.
The table grows silent suddenly and I wonder why. Then it hits me. I guess they're thinking what I'm thinking. I'm probably not going to have any children, because I'm not going to live long enough to. I look over at Nancy and see the sad, brave smile on her face and the wetness in her eyes.
A silent moment passes and then Hope reaches out and pats my hand. "We'll just hope they turn out like you, Chloe." And with her statement the table comes back to life and the awkwardness passes.
Brady stands up from his chair. "Well, while we're waiting for the next round of dishes, I'm going to dance with my beautiful fiancée. Excuse us." And with that he whisks me out onto the dance floor.
"How are you feeling?" he whispers softly in my ear. We are dancing, oh so close. I had missed this. His arms around me, his warmth coursing through me. His lips nuzzle my earlobe.
"mmmm. Fine, now that I'm with you." I murmur contentedly. I close my eyes as we dance slowly.
"I never want to go this long apart from you again."
"Fine by me."
He pulls me even closer against him. We dance for long, blissful minutes. No words are spoken between us.
I soon grow aware of a growing pain, a tightness in my calf. I try to ignore it and continue our dance, but suddenly a sharp spasm of pain shoots up my leg. My leg buckles and I collapse heavily against Brady.
"Chloe, what is it? What's wrong?"
"My leg. I think it's okay now." The pain is gone now and my leg feels slightly numb. "It's passed now."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
I nod. "It was just a brief spasm - probably a misfired nerve or something." We continue our dance with no other incidents.
Afterwards, I feel the familiar burning in my nose that signals an approaching nosebleed. "I'm going to the restroom. I'll meet you at the table."
I stand in front of the gilded mirror in the restroom with a napkin clamped firmly on my nose. "Come on. Hurry up." I mutter impatiently as I wait for the bleeding to stop. I count the number of tiles on the ceiling - 234, if you want to know. Finally. The soaked napkin is dropped into the trash and I inspect my appearance. I think I'm ready to join the others.
An arm grabs me as soon as I exit the ladies room and whirls me back in. "What the." I exclaim. Before I can finish my thought a pair of lips clamp down on mine. Warm, soft lips. Very familiar lips.
I close my eyes in ecstasy when Brady pushes me up against the restroom wall. With a quiet moan he deepens his kiss. His warm tongue explores my mouth, his hands caress my neck, brush my shoulders, run through my hair.
But at some point we must come up for air. "Brady.what was that?"
"I missed you." He replies with a roguish wink.
"I could tell." I give him a sly look. "Sorry boy, but you're going to have to wait."
Later, after we had all nibbled on everything on the menu, Belle stood to her feet. "Well, it's been great, but Chloe has a bridal shower to get to. So, see ya."
Bo stood up also. "Yeah, and Brady has a bachelor party. Come on guys, strippers await." He looks over to find four pairs of feminine eyes staring at him. "Uh, bye." And he and the guys make a hasty exit.
"Men" we chant in unison.