"All right, let's eat!" Bill exclaimed as they sat down at the long table. "I'm so hungry I could eat about thirteen pizzas! What about you guys?"
However, Chuck and Belinda weren't paying attention. They only had eyes for each other.
"Come on, guys! I'm starving!" Bill whined. "Look, I know you're in love and all but watching you kiss all night just ain't gonna cut it!"
"We're more than in love." Chuck said. He barely moved his lips from Belinda's.
"What's more than in love?" Bill asked. "If you're in love, you're in love. Not much more to it than that."
"That's what I thought, too." Chuck said. "That is, until I met Belinda."
"Oh Chuck that's so sweet!" Melinda said. She smoothed his cheek with her hand.
"Yeah, so sweet that I'm getting a cavity." Bill mumbled.
"Bill, don't interrupt him!" Belinda scolded. "He's being sentimental!"
Chuck stood and looked around the pizza place, which was empty except for the three of them. In addition, the wait staff was nowhere in sight.
"I would like to say something." He announced.
"Well say it quick so we can eat, all right?"
Ignoring Bill's pleas, Chuck turned to Belinda and took her hand. Then he lowered himself to one knee.
"Belinda, death brought us together. I love you. I don't think I've ever really loved anyone until I met you. Therefore, I'm asking you now. Will you marry me?"
Belinda's mouth fell open. "Y-You want to marry me? Me?"
"With every fiber of my being." Chuck replied. "If you'll just say yes."
Belinda threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately. "Yes, yes a thousand times yes! Yes, I'll marry you!"
"Look, I'm sorry this isn't a very romantic place to propose, but-."
His words were stopped by her kisses. "Are you kidding me? It's wonderful, Chuck! Simply wonderful!"
"Way to go, guys!" Bill said. "I'm gonna order now. Pizzas and beers on me!"
"Bill, before you do that, there's something I've gotta ask you."
Bill glared at Chuck. "You're not going to propose to me too, are you?"
Chuck laughed and kissed Bill on both cheeks. "Be my best man!" What do you say? I won't take no for an answer. Please?"
"Of course, I will! Yeah! But why me? Don't you have a brother or a cousin or-."
"If it weren't for you, Belinda and I would never have met. I owe you my life!"
"Chuck…"
"You're the greatest, man!" Chuck pulled Bill into a bear hug and then turned to Belinda. "He said yes!"
That night, Chuck and Belinda went back to their apartment building and Chuck was grateful that he didn't have to check the apartment before they went to bed.
The wedding was held at a small club in Manhattan. A church, of course was out of the question. The bride looked radiant in a blue tea length dress with matching hat. Because, of course, white was out of the question, too.
Bill served as best man along with Jeffrey as groomsman.
Beside Belinda stood her bridesmaids, the Ladies of the Night; Tanya, Lupe, Sylvia, Joyce, Sharon, Nancy, Dawn, JJ, Linda, Jenny, Lynn, Dolores, Maxine, Marsha, Cheryl, Kim and Tessie.
Chuck and Belinda exchanged vows and rings and then kissed, sealing their union as husband and wife. There were congratulations all around, followed by mingling, dancing and drinking.
It was the best party ever.
Chuck couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy. He knew that he and Belinda had many things to work out; namely her chosen profession. Now that they were married, he prayed that she'd find another one. But that could wait.
At that moment, he wanted their life together to begin as soon as possible. The life and love that began with death.
~Fin~