Lights, Cameras, Outsiders!

Chapter 64

LCO 64

I heard three knocks on the door before I finally rubbed my eyes and got out of bed. I pulled my pajama pants back on and pulled Matt's old shirt back on as well. Matt and Ralph were no where in sight, but I opened the door. Christine stood with the most gigantic grin I've ever seen on her.

"Essie! How was the trip? How's Matt? How's the baby?" She asked, obviously excited.

"Wait, just come in, and calm the hell down. It's too early to be this happy," I said, letting her as she sat down on the bed. She spotted my bra rolled up on the floor next to bed.

"Is that a sign of what I think happened?" She knew me well enough that I always put my dirty clothes in the hamper.

"Yes," I said, collapsing in the love seat and putting my fingers pads to my forehead.

"YOU DID?" She screeched.

"Yes, we did."

"Was it good?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I overheard him talking about last night to Ralph, and I thought he was just lying," she said.

"Excuse me? He's bragging about his sex life to his friends?"

"No. He just said it was good," she said.

"Yeah, sure, I'd I know Matt, he likes a good boast," I said.

"Okay, he was bragging a little, but you can't blame him. You two haven't done anything in the last month and a half."

"Oh so now he's sexually frustrated?"

"Stop it, Essie. He's happy. And you know what else I heard him talking about to Ralph?"

"What?"

"Marriage."

"Oh, Jesus, he's been talking about that nonstop all weekend."

"No, he wants to propose to you."

"He's been asking me all weekend to marry him."

"With the ring and one knee?"

"No."

"Then he didn't propose to you. He said he's planning on doing it soon and he already has the ring," she said.

"I don't want to burst your bubble, but-"

"Don't burst it. This is the happiest I've been for since you had a first kiss with him."

"Thanks, Christine but I don't think he's gonna do it anytime soon."

"Damn it, Essie! Yes he is! He wants to propose to you this week!"

"He asked me a dozen times."

"I think he thinks it's okay now because of last night! Jesus, Essie, is here any sign that he wants to marry you soon?"

"Yes!"

"What? What'd he do? You know other than buy you a ring."

"Got my father's blessing..." I mumbled.

"What?"

"He got my father's blessing."

"He told you that?"

"No but he took my father aside for at least ten minutes and came back and went to lunch and my dad was constantly encouraging him to marry me. And my dad gave me even more money."

"How much?"

"Uh, about five...five thousand dollars," I said.

"FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS?!"

"He said for the apartment and quote on quote 'other stuff'."

"Your dad likes him, Essie. What about your mom?"

"Oh you know my mom. The only person she likes is Jesus," I said.

"Essie, in all seriousness, would you marry Matt?"

"Yes! I keep saying yes!"

"Okay... I'm just letting you know that it could be soon so just be prepared."

***********

I went down to the set the next day to help Jack with makeup, and apparently Matt and Rob came back from lunch late and Matt was instantly fooling around with Emilio and the switchblade. At least that's what I heard. I was in Jack and Dee Dee's trailer outside the Tulsa hospital. And Matt came running looking for me because he eventually got hurt.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I said when he came in, holding his wrist. Susie came in behind him, her hand on his back. Blood coated his other palm.

"Oh, Jesus, come here," I pulled Matt and Susie out of the trailer and to my box of supplies and pulled out tissue. I wiped up the blood. He had a large cut across his wrist.

"What were you doing?" I snapped.

"We were just fooling around, babe," he said.

"Emilio and him were fighting with the blade as if it was a sword," Susie chimed in. I cleaned up the blood with some water and was about to put a bandage on it, but Susie stopped me.

"Francis is upset he did this and doesn't want a bandage on him. And he's about to shoot," Susie said.

"Yeah he yelled at me. He wants me off the set. Called me an airhead," he said.

"Well cause you are one!" I hissed.

"Excuse me?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop: you're kids! He didn't mean it, Essie!" Susie snapped. Matt sighed.

"Wait till the blood dries and come back. Dee Dee wants you in hair," I said. He got up and walked to the trailer but Susie stayed behind.

"Hey, I thought you were gonna be a nurse," I said.

"I'm about to go into costume, but first I want to talk to you," she said as I started to roll the ace bandage back up.

"What about?"

"Matt's been talking to me," she said.

"He's been talking to me too."

"About marriage, Essie. He says you don't want to get married," she said.

"Geez Louise! I want to get married! If he asked me right this minute, I would say yes. All I tried to do and ask for is a little logical thinking and now...now he's saying I'm resenting his hand in marriage!"

"Essie, he wants to ask you as soon as possible and he's thinking you don't want to," she said.

"Well what will make him think I will? When he asks me and I say yes?! I will say yes! I love him! I love him, I love him! And I want to spend the rest of my life with him, okay? It's that simple," I said. She smiled.

"That's all I needed."