A wedding...

(By Gaby)

"I’m coming!" Reilly shouted running to open the door after the sound of the ring.

"Reilly, come! I have to finish to comb you!" Julie’s voice said but the little girl didn’t mind. She knew who was calling and she wanted him to be the first to see her in her long white dress.

"Uncle Johnnie!" the little girl shouted and practically jumped to his neck.

"Wow! Who’s this beautiful princess?" John said taking the little girl in his arms.

"How do I look?" she asked freeing herself form his embrace and turning to show him her attire.

"Absolutely gorgeous!" he exclaimed marking every syllable. "I will have to be careful or someone at the party may try to steal me my little princess!" he said kissing her little hand.

"And wait till you see mommy!" Reilly said excitedly. "You’ll have to keep an eye on her!" the girl added with the tone of an older person.

John chuckled at her seriousness. "Yes, ma’am! I promise I will!"

"What are you asking your uncle to do, Reilly?" Roma asked climbing down the stairs.

"Wow!" John murmured his eyes wide open at the sight of her. The young actress was wearing a tight blue dress with low neck and low back. Her hair was combed in a high bow with some loose strands around her face. The dress skirt reached only her knees and it had an extra slit over the right that revealed her well formed leg.

Roma smiled when she saw him open mouthed. "Like what you see?" she asked coming teasingly close to him.

"Breathtaking!" he managed to whisper feeling his heart beating wildly against his ribcage.

"You don’t look bad either, Johnnie," she said looking at him from head to toe. He was wearing a black suit with white shirt and a blue Italian silk tie that somehow made his eyes look emerald green. They were ready to go to Paula and Mark’s wedding, two members of the show staff, and they had been asked to be best man and lady of honor, and Reilly was carrying the bride’s veil. Besides, John and Roma had been secretly dating for about three months now, and the wedding was a very welcomed chance to be together without raising suspicions.

"Reilly, you were right!" John finally said. "I’ll have to keep a close eye on your mom!" and his smile grew wider at her giggling.

"Sweetie, you have to go back with Julie. She has to put your flower crown," Roma told her daughter.

"I know," the girl said climbing up the stairs. "You two can kiss now, I’m not gonna see you."

Her mother turned many shades of red and John laughed nervously at her comment. "It seems like she doesn’t know anything and she’s so smart!" the blond actor said.

"Yeah, that’s right," the young actress replied shaking her head still surprised. "Though she just said it..." and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him down for a long sweet kiss.

"That’s a proper ‘hello’" he said when they parted stroking her bare back. "And now, I have something for you..." He took a little box out of his pocket and showed it to her.

"Johnnie, what?"

"You look beautiful, but there’s something you’ll have to change. Go on, open it," he urged.

Roma opened the box carefully and took a breath at what she saw. Inside there was a pair of sapphire and white gold earrings. "Oh, my God! They are beautiful!"

"Happy three month anniversary, baby," John said taking her free hand and kissing it lovingly.

"Johnnie, you didn’t have to!"

"I didn’t have to but I wanted to. You give me so much every day we spend together... You make my life so worth to live..." he cupped her face and kissed her tenderly. One of his arms went low to circle her waist and he felt her melting in his embrace.

"You’re so wonderful, Johnnie," she said when they parted. "I don’t know how much life owed me that I got you in repayment..."

"Life owed you happiness, Roma, and that’s what I want to give you," he answered looking straight into her hazel eyes.

****

The ceremony was beautiful. Della’s words to the newly weds had been touching and convincing for everyone, but especially for two people that had spent the entire time looking at each other as if they were in fact the groom and the bride. During the whole ceremony, John was imagining how it’d be like to actually marry Roma. They hadn’t discussed it, he hadn’t proposed yet and he hadn’t actually thought about a date to ask her, but he knew he wanted to. He had been sure he wanted to marry her from the first time he knew she was a free woman again. When Mark kissed Paula, he turned to see Roma purposefully and saw her blushing a little, her bright eyes showing him she was thinking the same than him. Finally, Mark and Paula started to walk, Reilly took the veil again and John offered Roma his arm to escort her to his car to go to the ballroom where the reception would take place.

"How did I do it?!" Reilly asked excitedly when they were in John’s car.

"Perfect, sweetie!" Roma smiled at her child.

"And you looked beautiful," John added. "I felt very proud walking with such two beautiful ladies," he took Roma’s hand and kissed it lovingly, his eyes meeting hers.

"Reilly, don’t forget you can’t say anything about us to anybody, please," the Irish actress told her.

"Yes, mom, I know this is a secret!" the little girl replied exasperatedly. "Though my silence is going to cost you."

"What?!" both actors turned to see her in surprise.

"I want to go have dinner in McDonald’s!"

"That’s cheating, little missy!" Roma replied amused by her daughter’s game.

"I’m giving you a date and you don’t want to take it?" lifting one eyebrow the same way her mother did.

"McDonald’s doesn’t sound like a date for me, Reilly!" Roma said chuckling.

"It works for me!" John interrupted. "And I’m taking whatever I can! So no more discussion. Dinner at McDonald’s will be and if we find someone known, we always can say we stop on our way back from the wedding!"

"Yes!" Reilly shouted happily.

"Ok, then. I’ll save a space for an apple pie," Roma joined the plan.

****

It was really hard for John and Roma to spend a couple of hours sitting together and pretending they were just friends as always. They were sharing the table with Della, her husband, Martha Williamson and some other members of the staff. All of them had finished they meals and were only expecting for the newly weds to cut the cake. Meanwhile the topic of the conversation had gone to how Paula and Mark had met during the show and how you can find the love of your life where you least expect it.

"Sometimes you just have to wait and love comes to your life," Della said. "Love and hurry are two things that can’t be together!"

"But sometimes don’t you think that you can be just losing your time waiting for someone that doesn’t feel the same than you?" Martha asked.

"Patience has always its reward, baby, that’s what I think!" Della replied.

"Oh, I agree with that!" John answered enthusiastically and without thinking he took Roma’s hand and rubbed his thumb lovingly over it.

Roma almost jumped when she realized what he was doing and looked at him eyes wide open. Only then John realized his subconscious had betrayed him. He quickly regained control and kept his hand on Roma’s, trying to make it look like the casual friendly contact they had shared for years. Yet, Della, Franklin and Martha were far from swallowing the pill so easily and three pairs of attentive eyes looked suspiciously at them. To their good luck, the wedding coordinator announced they were cutting the cake.

John and Roma avoided all contact for a while though both felt they were carefully examined by their co-workers. After an hour or so, music started to sound and the coordinator invited the newly weds to dance. When some other couples joined them, John stood up and invited Roma to dance. "May I have this dance?" he said offering his hand. "It’s been a while since the producers had let Monica and Andrew dance," he said in mock indignation.

"Are you complaining, Mr. Angel of Death?" Martha joked.

"Definitely!" he replied placing his hand on Roma’s waist and leading her to the dance floor.

"Is it my idea or they are hiding something?" the producer asked when they were gone.

"You might be right," Della said carefully examining the way John and Roma were smiling to each other while they danced.

"That was close!" Roma told John when they were out of their friends’ reach.

"Yeah... sorry," he said. "It’s just that I’m so happy I would like to shout it loudly!"

Roma smiled with eyes bright with love. "I’m so happy too!" she murmured lightly caressing his neck and making him shiver. "I never thought I could be this happy again."

He tightened his hold on her waist. "You’ll never be unhappy again, baby, I’ll never allow it."

She could feel the conviction in his voice and was looking at his lips longing to kiss him. "I know, Johnnie. I’ll be happy forever with you."

They danced song after song until the coordinator announced Paula and Mark were leaving and she’d throw the bouquet. Quickly a group of women was formed on the dance floor and Roma and John were caught in the middle. They saw Paula climbing on a chair, pretending to throw the bouquet, and then they saw it flying... directly to Roma’s hands. She started to laugh nervously at the fawning women that were surrounding her while John contemplated her amazed.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here?" Della teased Roma when she and John came back to the table.

"My mom is the next to get married!" Reilly shouted excitedly.

"Reilly..." Roma said.

"What? I didn’t say to whom..."

"None knows, baby," John said much to everyone’s surprise, "none knows..."

"Johnnie!" exclaimed a now embarrassed Roma.

They spent some more time laughing and teasing her, and when the music started again, John took her to keep on dancing. There were now slow sensual songs and Roma’s head was resting on John’s shoulder, their tangled hands right over his chest.

It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words when I

Chorus:
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies

Chorus:
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me

Solo

Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words when I

Chorus:
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

"Have I told you lately how much I love you and how beautiful you look today?" John murmured on her ear, and his warm breath over her skin made her tremble inside. She longed to kiss him, the need to taste his lips was becoming a physical ache for her and she knew she had to calm it soon.

"Not really," she whispered pressing herself closer to him. "And I need to know it."

John lifted his head to look around and to their table. Martha and her husband were dancing too, Della and Franklin were talking to Reilly and to some other people. None seemed to be noticing them... "Come on," he said untangling himself from their embrace and taking her hand. Roma followed him outside the ballroom to a lonely corner of the garden. There, they held each other tightly, both releasing a sigh of contentment at the contact. "I never knew I had a dream until that dream was you..." John murmured on her ear repeating the lyrics of one of the songs they had danced.

"Mmm... How could it feel so good to be in your arms, Johnnie?" Roma asked snuggling in his hold.

"Love, baby, that’s what it is..." he said and pulled a little away to kiss her long and sweet. Roma moaned lowly and responded to his kiss, her mind unaware of anything but John’s lips.

"Oh, my God!" Della couldn’t help but shout when she found her young friends. "I see Reilly knew much more than she wanted to say!"

John and Roma pulled apart quickly.

"Della!"

"We..." they started at the same time.

"I don’t know what to say..." the dark skinned actress said. "How? How long?"

"Three months now," Roma explained taking John’s hand. "The happiest I’ve had."

"Why the secret?"

"It has been hard..." the blond actor explained. "We don’t want any paparazzi following us or anybody bugging us. Not when we’ve just started this..."

"I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, Della..." Roma said hugging her friend.

"I’m speechless! But also so happy!" she said returning the hug. "Lovejuice, your patience had its reward!"

John joined the hug and placed a hand on Roma’s cheek looking at her adoringly. "Yes, Della, but it was not a reward. It is a treasure!"

"It sure is, baby!" Della said patting his back. "And I must not be on your way... Reilly says she’s expecting a dinner, but she can wait a little more."

Roma and John saw her walking away and they held each other again. "Next stop McDonald’s then?" the blond actor asked.

"Uh huh," Roma replied, her cheek resting on his chest. "But then you won’t be leaving the house early tonight, Mr."

"You’re planning to kidnap me, Ms. Downey?" he said touching his forehead with hers tenderly.

"Yes, and making up for all the kisses and hugs I couldn’t give you today..."

John chuckled and stroked her cheek. "That sounds like a perfect plan for me..." he murmured leaning down to kiss her.

THE END

MERRY XMAS, SIS!!