Wow. I got a lot of reviews out of that one. Go figure...
bonboni - I guess you'll find out, huh?
sivan - Sawyer was mad at the combination of her drinking while being pregnant and giving a drunken strip tease. I mean that's HIS girlfriend! Would you want other girls/guys looking at your boyfriend/girlfriend? Oh. And D'OH! You caught me! I actually forgot all about that. Reckon that's why in the first chapter when I listed the characters I put Johanna there. Whoops! Good eye though. Now I have to find a place for that...
Um...it's fiction. So sue me.
Chapter 22
With the hours just counting down until the ceremony, the women were rushing around putting their makeup on and making sure their hairdos would stay, fastening clasps and zippering zippers, tying ribbons, and buckling buckles. It was beginning to be too much for Kate. She knew she wasn't cut out for this sort of thing – a big grand wedding, with matching dresses, and flowers, and this and that. She had to sit down and catch her breath even though she hadn't even been the one rushing. The whole wedding idea was making her claustrophobic.
Then again, that could have just been the pregnancy kicking in again. She was fortunate enough to have not had morning sickness yet. And she hoped that it would stay that way for the rest of the day, for Claire's sake, if not her own. She could only imagine the horror of disrupting the ceremony to leave and get sick.
A knock on the door interrupted the "getting-ready" process and flustered all the women. They were all panicking wondering who was at the door, if it was Charlie and they had to send him away. Claire's sister wound up being the one to answer it. Kate watched her from her seat. She closed the door and walked over to Kate, her face slightly pink.
"There's a really gorgeous man out there asking for you," she smiled.
Kate rolled her eyes and smiled. She got up and left the room, expecting to see Sawyer waiting for her. Instead, Jack turned around, a stunned expression on his face. She looked down, hiding her flushed face. She knew his expression was courtesy of her appearance. When she looked up again, she smiled.
"Hey Kate," he smiled too, hesitantly at first.
"Hey yourself."
They embraced. He smelled good, she realized. And he looked good in his tux. He led her to a wooden bench in the hallway and they sat.
"How have you been?" he asked.
"Great. What about you?"
"I'm good," he nodded. "Good."
She wanted to laugh at his behavior. If this was his reaction, she wondered how Sawyer would act.
"I just…wanted to say 'hi' before this whole thing started. Catch up."
She laughed, and said teasingly, "Hi, Jack."
He laughed too. They sat for a moment, quietly smiling at each other.
"You look good," she told him.
His face turned pink and he smiled. "Thanks. You look really…you look amazing."
She looked down, grinning, then back up at him. "Thanks."
"How's Sawyer doing?"
"Same. Allison?"
"She's good. She's here too."
"Oh, she is? Where is she?" Kate said, looking around.
"She's with Sawyer."
Kate was quiet for a moment, then said, "Oh."
"So…" he looked down for a moment. When he looked back up, his eyebrows furrowed. "How are you, Kate?"
She stared at him, confused. But before he could speak she realized what he was talking about.
"He told you?" she asked softly, in disbelief.
"It's not a big deal, Kate. I mean, I'm a doctor. And maybe he thought – "
"Kate?" Claire's sister called from the door.
Kate and Jack both turned and looked.
"Claire's asking for you."
"I'll be right there," Kate nodded.
The door closed again and they both looked to the floor.
"Look, Kate, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have – "
"No, it's fine," she assured him. "It doesn't matter."
She got up, and he did too. She put on a smile, to add to her assurance.
"Well if you ever need anything," he started.
"I'll be fine, Jack," she promised him. "I'll see you on the isle?"
"Okay," he agreed.
She kissed him on the cheek and went back into the room. The women were gathered, no longer rushing but now talking and waiting. Claire was in a separate room, waiting for Kate. Kate knocked, and entered.
"Hey," she smiled.
"Hey Kate," Claire smiled too.
"Getting nervous yet?"
Claire laughed. "My stomach is churning."
Kate beamed. "You look great."
"Thanks. You do too."
Kate looked down, barely accepting the compliment.
"So, I have a favor to ask you. And I know it's really last minute, but you can say no, if you want to."
"Sure."
"Charlie and I haven't found a babysitter for Aaron for our honeymoon. And Aaron's become so fond of you and Sawyer…I was just wondering if, maybe…"
Kate's expression melted into a grimacing frown.
"It's only for four days. We'd be back on the fifth for him," Claire added.
"I can't," Kate said, regrettably.
"It would mean so much…"
"I really can't, Claire. I don't know the first thing about kids," she said with a nervous laugh.
"Which is why it would be great practice for you!"
"Sawyer would kill me if – "
"He'll understand."
"I…" Kate trailed, out of ideas.
"Aaron really does like you guys. Please, Kate?"
Kate opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. She would have said 'yes' had she not had to factor Sawyer into the equation. Then again…he did tell Jack when they both agreed they weren't going to tell anyone other than Charlie and Claire. Having Aaron for a few days could serve as a payback of sorts…
"I don't see why not," Kate said finally.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sure Sawyer won't mind, right?" she smiled.
Kate smiled to herself. "I'm sure Sawyer will enjoy Aaron's company. He's grown fond of him too," she lied.
"Okay. Thank you so much, Kate," Claire said, hugging her. "It means a lot, really."
"You're welcome."
"Okay. So, we're leaving the day after tomorrow. Do you want to stay at the apartment with him, or…"
Kate thought about this. She didn't want to be too harsh on Sawyer. She'd give him at least the comfort of his own home.
"I think it'd be best to go back to our house in Tennessee," she said, feeling strange after saying it.
"Okay. We'll fly back with you and leave from there then."
"Sounds good."
"Thank you again," Claire hugged her again. "You're a life saver."
"It's no problem, really."
Claire took a deep breath. "I guess it's time."
"You ready?"
Claire nodded and followed Kate out of the room.