First Class to Portland (17 page)

Mark nodded and they walked out into the parking lot.

*****

When they all arrived at Katy’s, Matt suggested the women
pack their bags and they all stay at the Monaco, his preferred hotel in
Portland. Katy declined, explaining she just wanted to be home. Janie
immediately said she would stay with Katy, and Matt said if Janie was staying
he was staying too. Janie offered to make up the couch for Mark.

It was late and they were all tired so Janie suggested they
just call it a night. She went with Katy into her room to get make sure she was
okay and came out a few minutes later explaining that Katy was taking a shower
and then she would be okay.

“I need a drink,” said Matt.

“I’ll find you something,” offered Janie. “Mark?”

Mark shook his head and leaned back on the couch. When Janie
came back with a beer for Matt, she went and sat next to Mark and took his
hand.

“I need to know,” she whispered.

“You don’t want to know,” he shuddered.

“Did he…was she…” Janie couldn’t even say the word.

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “But I would guess so.”

Janie’s bottom lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears
as she thought of the ugliness Katy had lived through. Mark squeezed her hand
and Matt ran to her other side.

“It’s all gonna be okay, my sweet Janie. Katy’s going to be
fine, okay?”

Janie nodded, unable to speak. She stood and fetched linens
and a pillow for Mark, and Matt gave the house the once over, making sure all
windows and doors were locked up tight. He nodded at Mark and took Janie to
bed, where he held her tight all night, afraid of letting her go.

Other than a pretty good headache, Janie awoke on Tuesday
morning feeling relatively back to normal. Sleeping in Matt’s arms all night
had done wonders for her emotional state and hopefully a few aspirin would fix
the physical pain. She crept into Katy’s room and found her sitting in bed,
wide awake.

“Did you sleep at all?” asked Janie.

Katy shrugged, “Sleep is overrated.”

“Katy? If you want to talk, I mean, if you need someone,”
Janie began.

“It’s okay. I’m good,” Katy cut her off. “It’s over and I
need to put it behind me.”

“But Katy, it’s not going to be that easy.”

“Watch me,” she said.

*****

The women were scheduled to fly out of Portland on Thursday,
so Matt and Mark decided to stay and fly back with them. They would just stay
at Katy’s, which was only slightly awkward for the men, but necessary, as Janie
wouldn’t leave.

Officer Robbins called first thing and needed all of them to
come down to the station so they could take statements and they needed to talk
to the DA’s office before they left for New York.

Each of them was questioned individually and each had to
make their official statements. Sarah, the ADA who had been assigned to the
case, had them all together, trying to piece together the timeline.

“He called me and said the new neighbors had found a couple
of things of Janie’s in the garage and would I come get them because they were
things of Robert’s. So I said I would drop by on my way to work. When I got
there he sprayed me with pepper spray and the next thing I knew I was gagged
and my wrists tied and he was dragging me down the hall.”

Janie was horrified as Katy retold her story like she was
reciting a grocery list.
Shock can do strange things
, she guessed.

By the time they left and headed for dinner, they were all
emotionally spent.

Janie suggested The Red Star Tavern, her new favorite place
to eat, but Katy just wanted to go home.

“Pizza, beer and a DVD?” asked Mark.

“That sounds good,” smiled Katy, the first smile Janie had
seen all day.

“Comedy?” asked Mark.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” said Katy.

“Great choice,” grinned Mark.

“Done,” said Matt.

*****

Wednesday was spent mostly at Katy’s house. The women sorted
and packed and the men spent most of the day on the phone working. In the
evening, they all met up with Patty and Adam for dinner. Tyler had already
returned to Eugene for football and would come up to Portland on Friday and the
boys would fly to New York together on the red eye.

Adam picked the restaurant, so a chain restaurant it was. Matt
still enjoyed dinner anyway. As he looked around the table, these people that
were so important to Janie were becoming increasingly important to him. He
could see in his future sharing holidays and celebrations with them and the
thought didn’t freak him out at all. He had come a long way in a short period
of time. He reached for Janie’s hand and kissed her palm. She turned to him,
eyes questioning, but he just smiled at her, ready to be married.

*****

Janie laughed as she realized, while sliding into her seat
on the airplane that once again she was flying on the same flight on the same
airline, in the same seat, on a Thursday, to New York City.

“How does Angela do that?” she grinned.

Matt slid in beside her, laughing. “She’s brilliant! That’s
why she can never leave me!”

Mark and Katy sat across the aisle from them, Katy quiet but
seemingly doing okay. Janie had tried to talk to her several times over the
past couple of days but Katy did not want to share anything. She kept insisting
she was fine and Janie hoped she was telling the truth, but highly doubted it.
Mark would not divulge what state he had found Katy in and Janie feared the
worst. But until she would open up about it, there wasn’t a whole lot she could
do. So Janie sat back in her seat and tried to breathe normally, her fairytale
wedding to Matt just hours away now.

*****

The limousine drove them all to the Central Park Ritz
Carlton. Janie was booked in a suite on the thirtieth floor. Katy and Patty had
rooms down the hall and Adam and Tyler would also stay on the same floor when
they arrived, although they would only be there for one day.

Matt escorted the women through the hotel and safely
delivered each of them to their respective rooms, finishing with Janie in her
suite.

"I don't need a suite."

"Of course you do. You're the bride. And besides, my
mom said so," he laughed.

Matt drug her suitcases to the bedroom and Janie followed.

"I need to take a shower," she grinned. "Are
you available to do some back scrubbing?"

"Oh, God! Don't tempt me, please!" he frowned.

'You don't want to shower with me?" she pouted.

"More than anything," he sighed. "But I
promised myself I wouldn't make love to you until our wedding night. A little
waiting will heighten the desire. Although I'm not sure I could ever desire you
more."

He pulled her to him, the length of their bodies touching.
He kissed her passionately but pulled back before he couldn't stop.

"Plus we have the rehearsal dinner tonight and then I
am at the office
all
day tomorrow so we can be in Hawaii for three weeks
with my phone turned OFF! If I get you undressed now there is no guarantee we
will ever leave this room," he grinned.

Matt had not made love to her at Katy's. He had just wanted
to hold her and he didn't want Janie to feel uncomfortable in any way. He
desperately wanted her but kept his hands and penis in check.

"The limo will bring you ladies over to the restaurant
tonight and then I will bring you back here and then that's it till Saturday at
three o'clock." Matt smiled at his fiancé, counting down the minutes till
she would be his, officially.

"Okay. I'll see you tonight then."

*****

Full of nostalgia, Janie wore the same black dress and
leopard print pumps to the rehearsal dinner that she had worn to dinner with
Matt on her first night in New York in April. Matt had decided that the same
Italian restaurant was the perfect location for the family dinner that evening,
one that Maureen had not initially approved of. Janie agreed that it was
perfect and the owners were closing to the public so they could have their
celebration in private. After all, Matt and Janie were very good customers. It
was one of the very few wedding details Matt had insisted on. The only things
Janie added to her appearance for the evening were the Tiffany bracelet on her
wrist and the engagement ring on her finger.

She met the other two women and headed down to the
limousine. Patty was duly impressed with the new life that lay ahead for her
daughter; first class and limousines. She couldn't have hoped for more. And the
fact that she adored her future son-in-law only added to her joy.

They were the last to arrive at the restaurant and the crowd
erupted in applause as Janie entered. She blushed and Matt rushed to her side
to escort her to the empty seat beside him. She looked around the table at the
faces smiling back at her. There was Peter and Maureen and Mark and Katy and
her mom and Father Todd. There was Andrew and Rory, and Ryan and Courtney
Little. David, Ben and Tim were there. And then there was Ray and Angela and
her husband James. The only faces missing were her boys and her sisters, and
they would be arriving in the next thirty-six hours. And, of course, Matt’s
brother, Paul. He had managed ten days at home during July so Janie had been
able to meet him. But now he was back in the Middle East somewhere on a mission
with his Navy Seal team.

Peter stood as the champagne was being poured into all the
glasses and he proposed a toast to his son, whom he was extremely proud of, and
to Janie, the daughter he and Maureen had longed for.

Janie wiped a tear as it fell and Matt's arm pulled her into
his side. Mark stood and offered his toast as the best man. It was short and
sweet. Matt feared he was saving all the embarrassing stuff for the reception.
The waiters began filling the long banquet table with bowls and bowls of food
served family style.

Matt leaned in to Janie and whispered in her ear.

"You're making it very difficult to keep my hands off
you. You are stunning."

Janie giggled and passed the linguine to Matt.

"Don't you want any?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for the ravioli," she grinned.

*****

After a couple of hours, everyone was full of delicious food
and a little tipsy on expensive champagne. Matt helped Janie up from her chair
and said their goodbyes. The limo would take Patty and Katy back to the hotel
but Matt escorted Janie through the front door to the sidewalk. There stood the
horse and carriage ready to take them back to the hotel. It was just like the
one they had ridden in those many, many weeks ago on their first date.

"Oh, Matt!" Janie squealed.

He lifted her into the carriage and the driver handed her a
magnificent bouquet of white lilies.

"Your favorite flowers for
my
favorite
girl." He kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Oh, Matt, they're beautiful."

The ride to the hotel was exactly as she remembered. The
sights, sounds and smells of New York were overwhelming and she was so full of
joy she couldn't stop smiling.

"This was such a wonderful surprise," she said as
they pulled up in front of the hotel.

"Good," he smiled, very pleased with himself. He
had never thought of himself as the romantic type but Janie just brought out
that side of him.

"So, Saturday," he said. "Three o'clock. St.
Luke’s. I will be waiting for you."

"I will be there," she smiled.

*****

Friday was spa day at the hotel! Janie, Katy, Patty and Maureen
were going to have massages, pedicures, manicures and whatever else they
fancied. They were all meeting for brunch at ten o'clock in the hotel
restaurant and Janie was the first to arrive. She was escorted to their table
and she perused the menu as she waited. Maureen joined her and sat next to her
and patted her hand.

"I'm glad I caught you alone," she smiled. "I
wanted to ask you something."

Janie kissed her on the cheek. "Of course, anything,"
she smiled.

"Don't feel like you have to or anything, but these
were my mother’s that she wore on her wedding day and I wore them on my wedding
day. I know I'm not your mother, but I do consider you my daughter and I
wondered if you would like to wear them tomorrow when you marry my son and make
me the happiest woman in the world."

Maureen opened the small box to reveal a pair of earrings.
They were blue diamonds surrounded by a circle of tiny white diamonds.

"Oh, Maureen! They're beautiful. I would be honored to
wear them. Thank you."

The two women hugged and each of them couldn't believe their
good fortune in finding the other.

Katy joined them as Janie put the small box in her purse,
thrilled at the thought of being part of such a sweet tradition.

When Patty arrived, they ordered brunch and the women chatted
and laughed and ate and then left the restaurant for luxurious and well
deserved pampering.

Everyone had left for the church except Janie and Katy. They
sat in Janie's suite, just minutes before it was time to leave.

"You look beautiful," sighed Katy. "There has
never been, nor ever will be, a more beautiful bride."

The wedding planner had arranged for a stylist to come and
do Janie's hair and make-up and Janie had to admit that she’d done a great job.
Her hair was swept up into an elegant bun, with fresh tiny blue forget-me-not
flowers tucked in, that made her neck look long. And the two small stitches in
her scalp were well hidden. She wore Maureen's earrings in her ears.

Something old, something borrowed and something blue,
she
smiled. She looked down at her hand and removed her engagement ring and placed
it on her right hand. Now she was all ready.

Katy looked equally beautiful and Janie took her friend's
hand in hers.