The next afternoon Jerrica sat at her kitchen table drinking coffee and
reading the morning paper.
"Good afternoon. How is my beautiful bride to be today?" Rory asked as he entered the kitchen. Stopping behind her chair he leaned down to kiss Jerrica on the head.
"I'm wonderful. Did you sleep alright?" she asked.
"Better than alright. So are we going to start making plans?" he asked as he sat down across from her.
"I would love to. I didn't want to pressure you." she said.
"You could never pressure me. I would marry you tomorrow if I could. I just know that you want your friends and family there."
"It would be wonderful but a little sad without them there. Especially my sister. Other than tomorrow when were you thinking?" Jerrica asked as she smiled around her coffee cup.
"Fall? It's not too far off. Maybe November?" he asked taking a sip of his coffee.
"Perfect. I love fall weather. I'd really like to have it on the beach if you don't mind."
"Not at all. So what about a date?" he asked.
"How about the first Saturday?" Jerrica asked.
"It's a date. Now I have some chores to do around my house. Would you like to come stay over tonight?" he asked as he placed his cup in the sink.
"I would like nothing better. See you later then." Jerrica said as they kissed goodbye. Picking up the phone she dialed a familiar number.
"Hello?" the other line answered.
"Hey sis. What's new?"
"Jerrica? Hi. Not much. Just cleaning house. What's up with you?" Kimber asked as she took a seat to talk to her sister.
"Well, what are you doing the first Saturday in November?"
"Nothing I guess. Why are you asking me now? It's not even June yet." Kimber wondered.
"It's just that if your busy that day I'll have to find another maid of honor." Jerrica said. A huge grin spread across her face. She knew what was coming.
"No, I should be free to...wait a minute. Did you say maid of honor? Your getting married? That's outrageous!" Kimber screeched. Jerrica held the phone away from her ear until it was clear.
"Yes, Rory proposed last night. I told him everything. He even met Synergy."
"Wow. Here all I did last night was rent a movie and fall asleep on the couch. You were a busy girl. How did he take it?" Kimber asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Very well. It didn't faze him at all." Jerrica replied.
"Good. I'm so happy for you sis. You deserve to be happy." Kimber said sincerely.
"Thank you sis. If you talk to the others today don't say anything. I'm going to call them later."
"No problem. I'll talk to you later. Call me and let me know what you plan. I want to know everything." Kimber said.
"I will. Bye."
Jerrica and her sister talked for hours. Later that day Jerrica met Rory at his house so they could spend a quite evening in watching movies and discussing wedding plans. The next morning Jerrica dressed and headed into work. After a hectic day she headed across town to meet Phyllis for dinner. They met up at a quaint Italian restaurant. Once seated, both women ordered glasses of wine and waited to be served.
"So your getting married huh?" Phyllis asked as she sipped her wine.
"Yeah. I can't believe it." Jerrica said.
"Why not?" her friend asked.
"Well let's face it. Before I bumped into Rory I had gone on, what, three dates in as many years? Brian was the only one I dated for any length of time and that was only for six months."
"Yeah, yeah, and he dumped you for someone else. His loss. What else is it?" Phyllis pressed on trying to get the truth from her friend.
"I don't know. I guess after Rio I didn't believe anyone could love plain old me. Most guys wanted Jem." Jerrica said.
"Which was just you in disguise."
"Yes and no. As Jem I was free. Well more free than as Jerrica. Jem had no responsibilities. I had many. Jem was free spirited. I was all business. I'm sure it was no contest."
"Alright, but now you have Rory and he loves you for you. He wanted to marry you before he knew your secret. So it looks like he's the one then huh?" Phyllis asked.
"Oh yeah. Listen to me go on. What's been up with you? Anything new?" Jerrica asked as she buttered a piece of bread and took a bite.
"Well, I asked out the delivery guy. We're going out Saturday night. And I heard from some old acquaintances. First Jetta wrote me a letter saying she's having a blast playing her way across Europe and how she'll be visiting the states this summer with her current band and could the Misfits all get together for a reunion. Then I get a call from Clash who needs a job. I told her to come in and we'd talk. I just hope to God her hair still isn't purple and she doesn't wear those little symbols anymore. And if that weren't enough You'll never guess who paid me a visit today."
"I give. Who?" Jerrica asked as she took a sip of her wine.
"Eric Raymond." Phyllis said with a satisfied grin.
"No. What on earth for?" Jerrica asked.
"He wanted a job. As if The Misfits firing him all those years ago and kicking him to the curb wasn't enough of a hint that I didn't want him around. He actually thought I would hire him. To tell you the truth I'm surprised he came crawling back after my and the other Misfits testimony got him committed." Phyllis said.
"I'll never know how you managed that. All because he mismanaged the company and embezzled money?" Jerrica asked.
"That and the fact that when I threatened to go to the police he attacked me and then conspired with Zipper to plant a bomb in my car. What a moron." Phyllis said. Both women shared a good laugh.
"Oh, I got my invitation to Kaitlyn's christening. I hear you and Roxy are going to be godmothers." Jerrica said.
"Yeah, can you believe it. I almost forgot. I can't imagine either of us with a husband let alone a kid." Phyllis snorted.
"I can actually. Though it is a pretty funny picture." Jerrica said as both women laughed and talked late into the evening. Jerrica went back to Rory's after dinner and spent the night with him. The next morning she went to work. Her morning was uneventful as she prepared for some afternoon meetings. Early in the afternoon her secretary buzzed her. "Yes Beth?" Jerrica called into the intercom.
"Jerrica, there's a Mr. Raymond here to see you. He says he's a friend." her secretary said.
Jerrica looked confused and mouthed the name trying to figure out who it could be. "No. It can't be." she said to herself. "Send him in." she said. A minute later there was a knock at her door. "Come in." she called out as she stood to greet her guest. As she had thought, in walked Eric Raymond.
"Jerrica, darling. How have you been. It's been a long time." he said, closing the door behind him.
"Yes, it has. What can I do for you Eric. I'm a busy woman." she said. The curt tone to her voice did not go unnoticed by Eric who took a seat in the chair across from Jerrica's desk.
"Understood. I'm looking to get back into the job market. I believe that with my extensive background in the music industry I have much to offer you and your company." he said.
"I see. So, you say you want to rejoin the workforce? Had you taken a sabbatical?" Jerrica asked.
Eric shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You could say that. I mean there was all the stress of managing The Misfits and The Stingers. You know how it can be." he said, a sickly sweet smile on his face.
"Yes, well unfortunately we don't have any openings. I'll be sure to keep you in mind for the future though." Jerrica said as she stood up and walked to the door. As she put her hand on the knob to open it she felt what could only be the barrel of a gun being pressed into her rib cage.
"Good afternoon. How is my beautiful bride to be today?" Rory asked as he entered the kitchen. Stopping behind her chair he leaned down to kiss Jerrica on the head.
"I'm wonderful. Did you sleep alright?" she asked.
"Better than alright. So are we going to start making plans?" he asked as he sat down across from her.
"I would love to. I didn't want to pressure you." she said.
"You could never pressure me. I would marry you tomorrow if I could. I just know that you want your friends and family there."
"It would be wonderful but a little sad without them there. Especially my sister. Other than tomorrow when were you thinking?" Jerrica asked as she smiled around her coffee cup.
"Fall? It's not too far off. Maybe November?" he asked taking a sip of his coffee.
"Perfect. I love fall weather. I'd really like to have it on the beach if you don't mind."
"Not at all. So what about a date?" he asked.
"How about the first Saturday?" Jerrica asked.
"It's a date. Now I have some chores to do around my house. Would you like to come stay over tonight?" he asked as he placed his cup in the sink.
"I would like nothing better. See you later then." Jerrica said as they kissed goodbye. Picking up the phone she dialed a familiar number.
"Hello?" the other line answered.
"Hey sis. What's new?"
"Jerrica? Hi. Not much. Just cleaning house. What's up with you?" Kimber asked as she took a seat to talk to her sister.
"Well, what are you doing the first Saturday in November?"
"Nothing I guess. Why are you asking me now? It's not even June yet." Kimber wondered.
"It's just that if your busy that day I'll have to find another maid of honor." Jerrica said. A huge grin spread across her face. She knew what was coming.
"No, I should be free to...wait a minute. Did you say maid of honor? Your getting married? That's outrageous!" Kimber screeched. Jerrica held the phone away from her ear until it was clear.
"Yes, Rory proposed last night. I told him everything. He even met Synergy."
"Wow. Here all I did last night was rent a movie and fall asleep on the couch. You were a busy girl. How did he take it?" Kimber asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Very well. It didn't faze him at all." Jerrica replied.
"Good. I'm so happy for you sis. You deserve to be happy." Kimber said sincerely.
"Thank you sis. If you talk to the others today don't say anything. I'm going to call them later."
"No problem. I'll talk to you later. Call me and let me know what you plan. I want to know everything." Kimber said.
"I will. Bye."
Jerrica and her sister talked for hours. Later that day Jerrica met Rory at his house so they could spend a quite evening in watching movies and discussing wedding plans. The next morning Jerrica dressed and headed into work. After a hectic day she headed across town to meet Phyllis for dinner. They met up at a quaint Italian restaurant. Once seated, both women ordered glasses of wine and waited to be served.
"So your getting married huh?" Phyllis asked as she sipped her wine.
"Yeah. I can't believe it." Jerrica said.
"Why not?" her friend asked.
"Well let's face it. Before I bumped into Rory I had gone on, what, three dates in as many years? Brian was the only one I dated for any length of time and that was only for six months."
"Yeah, yeah, and he dumped you for someone else. His loss. What else is it?" Phyllis pressed on trying to get the truth from her friend.
"I don't know. I guess after Rio I didn't believe anyone could love plain old me. Most guys wanted Jem." Jerrica said.
"Which was just you in disguise."
"Yes and no. As Jem I was free. Well more free than as Jerrica. Jem had no responsibilities. I had many. Jem was free spirited. I was all business. I'm sure it was no contest."
"Alright, but now you have Rory and he loves you for you. He wanted to marry you before he knew your secret. So it looks like he's the one then huh?" Phyllis asked.
"Oh yeah. Listen to me go on. What's been up with you? Anything new?" Jerrica asked as she buttered a piece of bread and took a bite.
"Well, I asked out the delivery guy. We're going out Saturday night. And I heard from some old acquaintances. First Jetta wrote me a letter saying she's having a blast playing her way across Europe and how she'll be visiting the states this summer with her current band and could the Misfits all get together for a reunion. Then I get a call from Clash who needs a job. I told her to come in and we'd talk. I just hope to God her hair still isn't purple and she doesn't wear those little symbols anymore. And if that weren't enough You'll never guess who paid me a visit today."
"I give. Who?" Jerrica asked as she took a sip of her wine.
"Eric Raymond." Phyllis said with a satisfied grin.
"No. What on earth for?" Jerrica asked.
"He wanted a job. As if The Misfits firing him all those years ago and kicking him to the curb wasn't enough of a hint that I didn't want him around. He actually thought I would hire him. To tell you the truth I'm surprised he came crawling back after my and the other Misfits testimony got him committed." Phyllis said.
"I'll never know how you managed that. All because he mismanaged the company and embezzled money?" Jerrica asked.
"That and the fact that when I threatened to go to the police he attacked me and then conspired with Zipper to plant a bomb in my car. What a moron." Phyllis said. Both women shared a good laugh.
"Oh, I got my invitation to Kaitlyn's christening. I hear you and Roxy are going to be godmothers." Jerrica said.
"Yeah, can you believe it. I almost forgot. I can't imagine either of us with a husband let alone a kid." Phyllis snorted.
"I can actually. Though it is a pretty funny picture." Jerrica said as both women laughed and talked late into the evening. Jerrica went back to Rory's after dinner and spent the night with him. The next morning she went to work. Her morning was uneventful as she prepared for some afternoon meetings. Early in the afternoon her secretary buzzed her. "Yes Beth?" Jerrica called into the intercom.
"Jerrica, there's a Mr. Raymond here to see you. He says he's a friend." her secretary said.
Jerrica looked confused and mouthed the name trying to figure out who it could be. "No. It can't be." she said to herself. "Send him in." she said. A minute later there was a knock at her door. "Come in." she called out as she stood to greet her guest. As she had thought, in walked Eric Raymond.
"Jerrica, darling. How have you been. It's been a long time." he said, closing the door behind him.
"Yes, it has. What can I do for you Eric. I'm a busy woman." she said. The curt tone to her voice did not go unnoticed by Eric who took a seat in the chair across from Jerrica's desk.
"Understood. I'm looking to get back into the job market. I believe that with my extensive background in the music industry I have much to offer you and your company." he said.
"I see. So, you say you want to rejoin the workforce? Had you taken a sabbatical?" Jerrica asked.
Eric shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You could say that. I mean there was all the stress of managing The Misfits and The Stingers. You know how it can be." he said, a sickly sweet smile on his face.
"Yes, well unfortunately we don't have any openings. I'll be sure to keep you in mind for the future though." Jerrica said as she stood up and walked to the door. As she put her hand on the knob to open it she felt what could only be the barrel of a gun being pressed into her rib cage.