The Nights Were Young by Calvin Wedgefield

Author:Calvin Wedgefield [Wedgefield, Calvin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-03-11T22:00:00+00:00

XIII

“Marie?”

It was her father outside the locked bedroom door.

She whirled around and caught herself before she fell down on the closet floor. The whiskey bottle was nearly a fourth gone now; she hid it behind some clothes and used the wall to steady herself as she walked to the door and opened it.

Her father seemed happy. His lips and eyebrows lowered when he saw her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m good,” she answered, barely able to focus on one thing. There were two blurry visions of her father standing in front of her.

He studied her for a moment, but his expression lightened and he must have let his thoughts slide as he sipped on a margarita.

“Well, good then. Come on honey. James is about to make his speech.”

Her father led her out among the crowd gathered in the living room. James was standing next to her mother, and people were looking on at him as if he was their leader.

“Ah, here she is!” James said. “My beautiful soon-to-be wife!” He wrapped his hand around her waist. She stood as still as she could, smiling, fighting not to let her head drop down or stare at someone for too long or be too obvious when blinking hard and fast to keep her eyes open. The faces blurred together. Her stomach was churning.

“I want to thank everyone here tonight for all of your support,” James said. “It’s great to have so many friends. I know that Marie and I are going to have a very successful future together and-”

Marie’s knee gave out for a moment. She stumbled, only slightly, but it was enough to make James tighten his grip on her and stop his speech. He chuckled for the audience.

They laughed uneasily.

“You okay, honey?” he asked Marie loudly – like a performance for everyone.

Marie nodded and smiled. “Damn heels,” she said cheerfully.

They laughed again.

James laughed too, though his eyes, when he looked at Marie, were glaring.

“I know that I’m really going to enjoy and excel in my new position. It’s going to be a great life – for me and Marie, and we’re ready to live every moment of it. Thank you.” He rushed the last part.

The crowd applauded. He probably had more to say, but he wouldn’t continue on with it as long as Marie was standing next to him, or at least barely standing up straight next to him.

Marie noticed her mother’s searing glance at her before her eyesight darted to someone else that was walking by. Before she knew it James was leading her carefully around the furniture and the people. His grip was strong on her hip and on her forearm; she was a child in trouble. He brought her to the couch and sat her down.

“I told you to stop drinking,” he whispered. His face was inches from hers.

Marie caught a glimpse of a few people sneaking looks at her and covering their mouths when they whispered in each other’s ears.

“What’s wrong, honey? I did what I wanted to do for once?” Marie asked him.

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