Then Jesse is here, pulling me back onto the ship’s deck and wrapping his arms around me. “Emma,” he says, pulling me into a tight hug.
I look up at him and smile. “Best wedding ever!”
Then a whole bunch of flames start shooting up behind the ship and the battle is on! We just stand and watch the rest of the show, every now and then scrambling out of the way of the performers as they sing and dance.
But then… then we’re being pulled up a flight of stairs and everyone is waving goodbye.
“Wait!” I yell to Jesse. “We didn’t get married yet!”
“Hey!” Jesse yells. But we’re tugged and pulled backstage and then everyone is high-fiving and shouting excitedly.
“Hey,” Jesse yells again. “What about the wedding?”
“Oh,” one of the head pirates says. “That happens in the chapel.”
“But…” I look back at the stage door that leads outside. “The ship!”
“Sorry,” one of the sirens says. “No weddings on the ship.”
“Then what was this whole show?” Jesse asks. “And the couple who were here before?”
“Oh, that was Jake and Cynthia,” the pirate says. “They work here.”
“What?” Jesse and I both exclaim.
“Yeah,” the siren says. “This is the Save the Beauty Show. They’re the stars.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know how much you paid to take their places, but that was the most fun I’ve had doing this show in years. Congrats!”
And then everyone is walking off.
I look at Jesse and pout. “We’re not even married!”
He looks down at his watch. “Shit. And it’s eleven twenty! We’re late.” He pats his pants, looking for his phone. “Shit.”
“Do not tell me you dropped your phone during the sword fight!”
“I did. It’s not here. I don’t even have my wallet. I knew these pants were too baggy. Where’s yours?”
“In my purse”—I whirl around, looking for the way back to the dressing room I was in—“back in the dressing room.”
“Let’s go find it. Maybe the crew is still waiting for us. We can call them and let them know we’re on our way.”
“But we’re not even married!”
He takes my hand and tugs me along, in search of the dressing rooms. “Maybe the captain can marry us on the flight back? That’s a thing, right?”
“Maybe? I don’t know. But we cannot go back to Key West until we’re married! That defeats the whole purpose of the trip.”
“We’ll figure it out. But we have to go. Now! We’re going to miss Christmas Eve dinner!”Chapter ThirteenWhen we finally find the dressing rooms again, Emma’s purse is gone and the clock on the wall says it’s now eleven thirty-seven.
There’s no sign of Steve, or Clarence, or Fingers—anywhere.
Emma is pouting about the purse, and the wedding—or lack thereof—and telling me her boots are too small and she can’t run. So I help her wobble her way down to the front desk of the hotel and I’m just about to ask the concierge if I can use their phone to call—someone. I don’t even have the number for the fucking charter service because Miles set that up and all the info was in my little black folder—also now missing—when a woman steps in front of us.
“Emma and Jesse?” she asks.
“Yes?” I say. She’s tall, thin, and wearing a dark blue pantsuit with a name tag that says, ‘Fingers’ Fantasy Weddings. Hello, my name is Jessica.’ I stop and say, “Oh, thank God! We need to get to the airport right now!”
“I hope you brought the Fingermobile,” Emma says. “Because I refuse to run to the airport in these boots!”
“I’m on it,” Jessica says. “Follow me. And yes, Miss Dumas. We have the van ready to take you to the airport.”
“Whew,” I say, glancing at Emma. “We’re gonna make it. And don’t worry. We will be married before we get home, babe. I promise!”
Everyone is staring at us when we walk out to the valet area and head towards the purple van. And then I realize we’re still wearing our pirate clothes. I feel more than a little ridiculous in my puffy shirt, but fuck it. Two seconds later we’re climbing into the back of the van and the crazy world of Treasure Island disappears when Jessica slides the door shut.
I lean back in the couch, still holding Emma’s hand. Then we look at each other and laugh.
“Did that really just happen?” She giggles.
“I think it did. I’m not sure. I was so confused, I barely remember anything.”
“I remember your face when you were swinging towards me on that rope and then went sailing by.”
I laugh. Loudly. “I thought I was gonna die like six times!”
“Only six?”
“Seriously, that was fun though, right?”
“Pretty fuckin’ fun, Mr. Boston! Except—”
“I know.” I bring her hand up to my lips and kiss it. “We’re not married yet. But I’m pretty sure the pilot can marry us on the plane. I really do think that’s a thing.”