I stood there in total awe…I shook my head no and said, "Where did you find this?" Mark said, "I got it in the mail about a week ago…I tried calling you while you was here at the school, but they don't give out your work hours or your home number, plus they won't disturb you during classes."
I absent mindedly said, "I work from 7 to 6, Monday thru Friday…" I got weak in the knees and started to fall back when Mark grabbed me and helped me sit in a chair next to the door.
Mark was squatting down in front of me and said, "You okay there darlin'?"
I said, "Please don't call me that…I don't know if these are real or not."
Mark said, "They have to be real…I found this in my bag." He handed me a blue velvet box and I opened it and it had a set of wedding rings for a girl and a wedding ring for a guy…the ring was ½ karat diamonds set in a silver band all the way around it, plus a silver wedding band that matched the males ring.
I said, "Wow, these are beautiful…but this is impossible." I stood up and Mark followed. He said, "Why's it so impossible…think about it…we obviously met for a reason…maybe this is fate intervening and telling us something." I said, "Yea…I can hear fate now…oh fate is calling my lawyer to have it annulled…OH shit I can't have it annulled…"
Mark said, "Why not?" I said, "My religion…they church looks down on people who get annulments and divorces from their marriages…but the church will just have to live with it…I can't be married to you."
Mark said, "Is there something wrong with being married to me?" I said, "Yes…for starters I can't be married and work here…I signed a 10 year contract. I'm in breech of my contract right now…I could get fired and be sued for breech of contract." Mark said, "Why the hell would you work some place, where you couldn't have a life?"
I said, "I have a life…but it's mine…When you're a ballerina, you only have 10 good years to dance, before you start getting bad feet, legs, back, knees…everything…I wanted nothing more then to be a dancer for the rest of my life…but it was cut VERY short and when I signed on to be an instructor…well instructors have to follow the same rules as the dancers, you can't get married or pregnant for 10 years…Just like for men, they can't marry or get their wives pregnant for 10 years…cause it cuts into your dancing time limit."
Mark said, "So what are you doing to do about the marriage?" I said, "I'll have to get it annulled before anyone finds out. If I don't I'm gonna lose everything I worked my ass off for." Mark nodded and walked away.
I went back into the class room…
I didn't notice the Head of the Board of Trustees watching Mark and I talk…even thought he couldn't hear anything…he couldn't imagine what this huge tattooed man would be doing talking to one of his most talented instructors.
A few weeks later, Mark came to see me again…I walked out in the hallway like I did before and he said, "It's a no go…the judge said since we were so irresponsible in our actions, that we have to suffer through the consequences." I said, "SHIT!" And tapped the wall with my foot…
A few minutes later a recognizable voice said, "Ms. Martini may I speak to you in the conference room…Alone." I looked over and it was the Head of the Board of Trustees Michael Morris.
I said, "Yes, Mr. Morris." And followed him…Mark followed us but at a safe distance…we walked into the conference room and Mr. Morris closed the door, and Mark sat down in a chair outside of the door.