p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Chapter 3 – He's just really into her/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy Crane sat mournfully inside Father Lonigan's small office. The beautiful bride-to-be now a shell of the woman who had happily walked down the aisle. She stared into space, as her best friend Esme was fanning her furiously and saying things like "you poor, poor thing." Pretty Crane sat beside her sister silently, unable to think of anything worthwhile to say. Ivy Winthrop Crane had rushed out some minutes before, mysteriously./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Father Lonigan had tried to comfort Fancy, as did her father Julian, but it was all in vain. Fancy refused to be comforted. The embarrassment; the ugly things Sheridan had said – Sheridan that bitch! Fancy would never forgive her aunt for ruining the greatest day of her life./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Fancy!" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Finally Fancy stirred herself out of her self-pitying stupor when she heard his voice. Luis had rushed out after Sheridan without so much as a glance at Fancy. He had been gone so long…./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Luis…." Fancy's voice broke and the tears flowed easily and freely./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""The poor thing," Esme repeated for the hundredth time./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis enveloped Fancy in his arms, offering her a supportive shoulder to cry on. "I'm so sorry sweetheart," he whispered soothingly as he gently smoothed her hair./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria;"Ivy Crane walked back into the small office slowly and somewhat dazedly. She had rushed out after Luis and after Sheridan in a temper. She had stood at the /spanchurch door and watched them outside. Ivy couldn't hear their words but she saw their actions, which spoke a thousand times louder. It made her gasp loudly to see what was still between Luis and Sheridan. It was even deeper than what the congregation had witnessed inside the church. It crackled and surged between them. It was rage, it was lust, it was fluid. It was fire that burned hotly. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"It was passionate….deeply passionate./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"It frightened Ivy in every way because she knew – Fancy could never compete with that. In this love triangle between Sheridan, Luis and Fancy, her lovely daughter would become just like Grace Bennett – the forever second choice./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Girls," Ivy replied wearily, "let's give Luis and Fancy their privacy shall we," as she ushered Pretty and Esme out of the room./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis nodded his thanks as Ivy quickly looked away and closed the door softly behind her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Fancy…." Luis sighed deeply, unsure how to begin to comfort his bride-to-be./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Who the hell does that bitch think she is?" Fancy spat./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I don't know what Sheridan was thinking –" Luis began./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""God, I hate hearing her name! I hate everything about her!" Fancy said with venom. "I hate Sheridan Crane with every fiber of my being!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis tried again, "I know how upset you must be–"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Again Fancy cut him off, "you're damn right I'm upset! She only did it because she hates me and she's insanely jealous of me and –" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""She's changed….Sheridan I mean…..she's definitely changed," Luis replied absently./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy stopped in her tracks, shocked. Had she faded into such insignificance that even the man she loved couldn't hear her. "What did you say?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis blinked, "I was just saying how different Sheridan is now, like shockingly different."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy stared at him, "is that why you took off after her without so much as a backward glance at me?" her voice held a harshness to it. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis seemed surprised, "No!" he stated firmly. "I mean I was just so mad at Sheridan, at the stunt she pulled that the only thing I could think of was to confront her."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"There was a long pause. "You say her name so easily," Fancy commented stonily./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis blinked again, "what?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""The way you say her name, it just rolls off your tongue so smoothly. I never noticed that before."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis frowned slightly, "Fancy I don't know what you're getting at–"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She pivoted, "how did it go Luis – in confronting the bitch I mean….you were gone for a long time." Fancy stared at him carefully, waiting on his answer./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Um," he hedged, "it went as well as could be expected." Absently, or maybe deliberately he lifted his hand, pulling off his bowtie and loosening the top two buttons of his tux. "Sheridan is…." he searched for the right words, "…she's just an incredibly stubborn woman; very smug and self-assured, very….."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Irritating," Fancy offered, watching him curiously./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""God yes!" Luis freely exclaimed, "she's so damn irritating, so completely infuriating! To hear the things she was saying – it just made my blood boil. I can't even remember the last time I was so completely mad."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"It was becoming clearer to Fancy Crane as she watched her almost groom-to-be. There was a light in his eyes; an animation to his voice as he spoke about the woman in midnight blue who had waltzed into the church and singlehandedly ruined everything./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Or did she?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"It burned…it gnawed at Fancy and she would be damned if she let her bitch of an aunt win./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Sheridan is–" Luis continued, only to be swiftly cut off./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Shhhh…" as she put a finger on Luis' lips to still his speech. Fancy was fed up of hearing about that woman. "Stop talking about the bitch," she said softly but with firmness./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Um, sure, whatever you want."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy lifted her blue eyes and stared at him deeply, "what I want is to marry you.."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis stared at her, almost incredulously, "really?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Off course silly….isn't that what we came here to do?" as she leaned in and claimed his lips./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Well yeah, but I mean…when I walked in here you were just so upset–"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""I'm all better now, really I am." Fancy insisted. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis seemed skeptical, "I don't want you to feel pressured into going ahead –"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Why would I feel pressured Luis? Actually, you're the one who suddenly sounds like you're having second thoughts…. so are you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"She had pinned Luis with her blue eyes. Suddenly Luis had to deliver an answer – "it's just that – I don't want to keep anything from you Fancy," he began cautiously./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy braced herself, taking a deep breath, "just tell me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"He hedged, "it's just that – outside with Sheridan – things got pretty….intense."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Define intense," she demanded./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis suddenly felt helpless trying to put into words something he himself couldn't define. "It's just – I mean – when we were arguing outside – there were… feelings…"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Feelings?" Fancy echoed./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't ask for it, I wasn't looking for it, but it just….happened….and I can't pretend it didn't."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy stared at him. "So what are you saying exactly?" Her own voice suddenly sounded so different to her own ears./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis took a deep breath, "I wish….I really wish I could tell you I regret it…but –"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Oh my God!" Fancy jumped up and stared at him with a dropped jaw. "I don't believe what I'm hearing."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""Fancy–"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';""So because she gave you a hot feeling in your groin you're willing to throw away everything? Really Luis?" Fancy demanded to know./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis jumped up too, running a frustrated hand through his hair, "look I'm not saying that Sheridan and I are planning to get together – that's the furthest thing from the truth, believe me. All I'm saying is that maybe you and I should take a step back and not rush into anything right now, that's all."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy stared at Luis as if he'd just lost his mind and scoffed, "if you think you're going to embarrass me in front of my family and all my friends you better think again!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis stared at her, "that's what you're worried about?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Fancy took a deep breath, "look, honey, I don't want to fight with you ok?" she said soothingly. "But this is our wedding day and everything is all planned. The guests are all here, so why postpone anything when we both know what we want." Fancy leaned in and kissed him "I promise. I want to marry you Luis – right now." She leaned in again, this time to whisper hotly in his ear, "don't deny me what I want….what we both want…..and I know how much you want me." She leaned in again, this time kissing him fiercely, deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself fully against him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"Luis wrapped his arms around her waist, holding his bride-to-be against him as he responded to her kiss./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"That moment of madness with Sheridan Crane. Sheer madness- isn't that what it was? Luis asked himself. Just a temporary moment of insanity. Arousing, but not the reality of what he actually wanted, was it?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"When their kiss finally ended Luis stared at his lovely bride-to-be with a resolve in his eyes she had never seen before as his lips curved upwards in a sexy smile./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria;""Let's go get married."/span/p