Accidental Engagement: Chapter 3 Bachelors and Ex-Bachelors
By SpelCastrMax
DISCLAIMER: You know the drill. If you recognize the character's name from something other than this story, I obviously do not own him/her, now do I.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this is taking me so long. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to write fan fiction, study the Romans invading Carthage, and memorize the different layers of the Earth's crust. I'm trying though. So, don't give up on me yet, I swear there will be more to come.
AUTHOR'S NOTE PART 2: I don't know much about recording devices during this era, but I do know about cylinders and records which were around and popular before the Mummy took place. Secondly, I don't know when the phase "Ball 'n Chain" came into use so if I've used before its time... I doubt anyone cares.
The next day, Rick had even more visitors. However, these ones were the two men he had met in the bar. William Hollow the third grinned at Rick and said with fake courtesy, "Hello friend. Care to join us in an afternoon of poker."
O'Connell automatically noticed the difference between the sober and drunk William Hollow. When intoxicated, the man spoke his mind without regard to the consequences. But with his head clear, Hollow seemed to hide something. His insults and opinions were there but less blunt.
Hollow and his buddy somehow talked Rick into coming with them. He wasn't a fan of cards, but he wanted to know what the pair was up to. Thus, the three started to William's upscale apartment. They took seats at a round table and one person dealt the cards.
"So Rick," Willie spoke in slow tones, like he was afraid the American wouldn't understand him otherwise, "What made you decide to marry our Evy?"
As he accepted what cards he was given, Rick shrugged, not sure how to answer a question about an event that had never happened. "Seemed like a good idea at the time" had gotten him into trouble once already. "We went through a traumatizing experience and somewhere in there I fell in love with her," Rick muttered.
Willie's friend glanced over the fanned set of cards in front of him. "She suckered you into it, didn't she."
The comment surprised Rick. At first, he wasn't sure of what to say. Evelyn's guy friends really didn't hold her in very high regard. "Why would you say that?"
Laughing, Willie took another card from the deck and said, "Because, it's Evelyn. She's been stubborn since the first time she had to share a toy she didn't want my sister to touch. She's always had a way of arguing and twisting everything into her own logic."
In his own apartment, William was more bold, but Rick was unaffected by this fact. Firstly, he knew the man was right. Evy did try to maneuver the conversation until she got when she wanted, but it was one of the things that made her the person he loved. So, as silly as it may have seemed at the time in view of the fact that Willie was stating the truth, O'Connell stuck up for her. "At least Evelyn knows what she wants and what she doesn't want. She doesn't let anyone stop her, even if they continually ask her questions they already know the answer to."
Willie turned a fascinating shade of red, but his expression returned to a look of indifference as he realized something. "What am I saying? I'm sure you're not giving up on bachelorism yet."
Wrinkling his forehead in confusion, Rick questioned what he meant. "I'm engaged to Evy. If I'm marrying her, I'm not a bachelor anymore or are the rules different here?"
"Take Melborn here," Hollow motioned to his friend, "He's a married man with money to support his family, but that doesn't stop him spending that money on someone else every now and again."
Melborn grimaced. "I thought we were going to play poker here."
"I'm not going to cheat on her, if that's what you're saying," Rick replied with disgust.
"Oh come on, O'Connell!" Willie groaned, "Don't tell me you're that quick to just give up your freedom and strap on the ball 'n chain."
Without batting an eye, Rick snapped, "Yeah, I guess I am!" He caught what he said and decided he needed to calm down. Leaning back in his chair, O'Connell stretched his legs and felt his foot collide with a box. Hollow and Melborn nervously tugged on their collars as the American ducked under the table to retrieve the old phonograph hidden there. Their entire conversation had been recorded onto a cylinder. "Let me see if I understand what you were trying to do," he growled, "You wanted me to say something unfaithful so Evy could hear this and find out about it." The pair said nothing. Standing up and flinging his cards across the table, the man grumbled, "Good day, gentlemen."
Rick walked back to the hotel, wondering about what kind of childhood Evy must of had with people like that around. Jonathan probably fit right in, but her... She was different from anybody he had ever known and he was certain that different wasn't an award winning quality amongst their circle of "friends".
Evy was in her hotel room trying to memorize the lives of different Pharohs from the middle kingdom when Rick knocked on the door. "What happened to you?" she asked when she answered the door, "You don't look very happy?"
He plopped down on a sofa with a sigh. "What exactly was I thinking when I got us into this mess?"
"I don't believe you were thinking, Rick," she responded, "Are you ready to tell the truth?"
"I told you before, I'll tell the truth at the party where everyone can hear it and no one can get the information wrong."
"If you say so. It really doesn't make a difference. Whatever you say, they will hear what they want to hear." Evelyn sat down next to O'Connell, then nudged him with her shoulder. "Cheer up. At least we can look back and laugh at this...or I can, in any case. You may have to move back to Cairo when everyone is finished with you."
"After this experience I'll gladly go back to Cairo," he muttered, "So far I've only met one of your friends who was decent and even she was too nosy."
"What can I say?" Evy commented, "I was the most charming and intelligent person in the group when were children."
Rick wrapped his arms around her. "Then why is it that you seemed to be the biggest pain of them all?" he teased.
He leaned into kiss her, but Evy suddenly pulled back with a realization. "Hey, does Jonathan know about everything going on? He knows there's a party on Friday, but I don't think he's heard why."
"Maybe we should fill him in," O'Connell suggested.
Evelyn thought it over and at last muttered, "No, I think he can find out about your slip-up along with everyone else." She finished the kiss, then felt Rick place something in her hand. It was the recording from that afternoon.
"If you ever need any dirt on your old pal Melborn, it's right there," Rick explained.
She glanced at the cylinder, then at her fake fiancee. "Do I even want to know where you got this?" Rick kissed her again. Evelyn frowned and answered her own question, "I didn't think so."
By SpelCastrMax
DISCLAIMER: You know the drill. If you recognize the character's name from something other than this story, I obviously do not own him/her, now do I.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this is taking me so long. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to write fan fiction, study the Romans invading Carthage, and memorize the different layers of the Earth's crust. I'm trying though. So, don't give up on me yet, I swear there will be more to come.
AUTHOR'S NOTE PART 2: I don't know much about recording devices during this era, but I do know about cylinders and records which were around and popular before the Mummy took place. Secondly, I don't know when the phase "Ball 'n Chain" came into use so if I've used before its time... I doubt anyone cares.
The next day, Rick had even more visitors. However, these ones were the two men he had met in the bar. William Hollow the third grinned at Rick and said with fake courtesy, "Hello friend. Care to join us in an afternoon of poker."
O'Connell automatically noticed the difference between the sober and drunk William Hollow. When intoxicated, the man spoke his mind without regard to the consequences. But with his head clear, Hollow seemed to hide something. His insults and opinions were there but less blunt.
Hollow and his buddy somehow talked Rick into coming with them. He wasn't a fan of cards, but he wanted to know what the pair was up to. Thus, the three started to William's upscale apartment. They took seats at a round table and one person dealt the cards.
"So Rick," Willie spoke in slow tones, like he was afraid the American wouldn't understand him otherwise, "What made you decide to marry our Evy?"
As he accepted what cards he was given, Rick shrugged, not sure how to answer a question about an event that had never happened. "Seemed like a good idea at the time" had gotten him into trouble once already. "We went through a traumatizing experience and somewhere in there I fell in love with her," Rick muttered.
Willie's friend glanced over the fanned set of cards in front of him. "She suckered you into it, didn't she."
The comment surprised Rick. At first, he wasn't sure of what to say. Evelyn's guy friends really didn't hold her in very high regard. "Why would you say that?"
Laughing, Willie took another card from the deck and said, "Because, it's Evelyn. She's been stubborn since the first time she had to share a toy she didn't want my sister to touch. She's always had a way of arguing and twisting everything into her own logic."
In his own apartment, William was more bold, but Rick was unaffected by this fact. Firstly, he knew the man was right. Evy did try to maneuver the conversation until she got when she wanted, but it was one of the things that made her the person he loved. So, as silly as it may have seemed at the time in view of the fact that Willie was stating the truth, O'Connell stuck up for her. "At least Evelyn knows what she wants and what she doesn't want. She doesn't let anyone stop her, even if they continually ask her questions they already know the answer to."
Willie turned a fascinating shade of red, but his expression returned to a look of indifference as he realized something. "What am I saying? I'm sure you're not giving up on bachelorism yet."
Wrinkling his forehead in confusion, Rick questioned what he meant. "I'm engaged to Evy. If I'm marrying her, I'm not a bachelor anymore or are the rules different here?"
"Take Melborn here," Hollow motioned to his friend, "He's a married man with money to support his family, but that doesn't stop him spending that money on someone else every now and again."
Melborn grimaced. "I thought we were going to play poker here."
"I'm not going to cheat on her, if that's what you're saying," Rick replied with disgust.
"Oh come on, O'Connell!" Willie groaned, "Don't tell me you're that quick to just give up your freedom and strap on the ball 'n chain."
Without batting an eye, Rick snapped, "Yeah, I guess I am!" He caught what he said and decided he needed to calm down. Leaning back in his chair, O'Connell stretched his legs and felt his foot collide with a box. Hollow and Melborn nervously tugged on their collars as the American ducked under the table to retrieve the old phonograph hidden there. Their entire conversation had been recorded onto a cylinder. "Let me see if I understand what you were trying to do," he growled, "You wanted me to say something unfaithful so Evy could hear this and find out about it." The pair said nothing. Standing up and flinging his cards across the table, the man grumbled, "Good day, gentlemen."
Rick walked back to the hotel, wondering about what kind of childhood Evy must of had with people like that around. Jonathan probably fit right in, but her... She was different from anybody he had ever known and he was certain that different wasn't an award winning quality amongst their circle of "friends".
Evy was in her hotel room trying to memorize the lives of different Pharohs from the middle kingdom when Rick knocked on the door. "What happened to you?" she asked when she answered the door, "You don't look very happy?"
He plopped down on a sofa with a sigh. "What exactly was I thinking when I got us into this mess?"
"I don't believe you were thinking, Rick," she responded, "Are you ready to tell the truth?"
"I told you before, I'll tell the truth at the party where everyone can hear it and no one can get the information wrong."
"If you say so. It really doesn't make a difference. Whatever you say, they will hear what they want to hear." Evelyn sat down next to O'Connell, then nudged him with her shoulder. "Cheer up. At least we can look back and laugh at this...or I can, in any case. You may have to move back to Cairo when everyone is finished with you."
"After this experience I'll gladly go back to Cairo," he muttered, "So far I've only met one of your friends who was decent and even she was too nosy."
"What can I say?" Evy commented, "I was the most charming and intelligent person in the group when were children."
Rick wrapped his arms around her. "Then why is it that you seemed to be the biggest pain of them all?" he teased.
He leaned into kiss her, but Evy suddenly pulled back with a realization. "Hey, does Jonathan know about everything going on? He knows there's a party on Friday, but I don't think he's heard why."
"Maybe we should fill him in," O'Connell suggested.
Evelyn thought it over and at last muttered, "No, I think he can find out about your slip-up along with everyone else." She finished the kiss, then felt Rick place something in her hand. It was the recording from that afternoon.
"If you ever need any dirt on your old pal Melborn, it's right there," Rick explained.
She glanced at the cylinder, then at her fake fiancee. "Do I even want to know where you got this?" Rick kissed her again. Evelyn frowned and answered her own question, "I didn't think so."