After All

Chapter 38: Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Boys Will be Boys

Madison planned the bachelorette party. And it was STELLAR. We started with a spa day. Me, Madison, Mary, Della, Mama, Stella, and Grace were scrubbed, waxed, and massaged to our hearts' content. Afterwards, we collected the girls and went to a late lunch. To my surprise, we were served by the most amazing Chippendales. Apparently, Mary used to date one of them. Go Mary! I will not deny that they were all mouth-wateringly gorgeous and very flirty, but nothing got too out of hand. We all danced, laughed, and got a little tipsy. The girls were in heaven, dancing and singing, thinking the party was just for them.

On the other side of town, the boys went golfing. Their entourage included two foursomes - Jamie, Scott, Chad, Chris, both Dads, Andrew Garfield and Eddie Redmayne. I would be lying like a carpet if I didn't admit that I was happy the Dads were going. Their sheer presence would keep things from getting too crazy. Not that I would ever voice that. Jamie has been a bit twitchy ever since our conversation about him getting drunk and maybe crossing a line.

But I will admit that it led to a heck of a reunion. The day after the disastrous Zoom call, Jamie was scheduled to arrive home around 8:00 p.m. So I began my day with yoga, and then breakfast with Mama. I was shocked and excited when I pulled into my house to see Jamie's car in the drive. YAY! He came home early! I skip through the front door, "Baby?"

He comes out of my bedroom wearing nothing but boxer briefs and ignores my open arms and bends to toss me over his shoulder and smack my ass. Hard. He strides to the shower and turns it on. Then he sets me down and starts stripping me. I can barely catch my breath, much less my thoughts. "Jamie? Are you okay?"

He sneers at me, "Okay? Hardly. The woman I'm going to marry and spend my life with doesn't trust me to keep it in my pants. I am FAR from okay." He shucks his briefs and takes my hand to draw me into the shower. He rinses and turns so I can tilt my head back and get my hair wet. Then he wraps me in his arms and pulls me to him until we are nose to nose. "You are one of the strongest and most capable women I know. Why are you insecure with me? What do I have to do to make you understand that I am FINALLY exactly where I want to be and I will not do ANYTHING to jeopardize that? Tell me. What do you want? How can I put this shit to bed once and for all?"

I feel my eyes fill up and I tuck my head under his chin. "I do trust you, Jamie. I don't trust other women. Women are ruthless. I point to Darla as an example."

He pulls me out so he can look in my eyes. "But you've schooled me and I'll never forget the lessons, love."

I look down and stroke his arms absently as I whisper one of my greatest fears, "Jamie, you hooked up with six women in six months. I haven't hooked up with six men in my lifetime. And every single one of them cheated on me. And I know guys think oral sex isn't really sex, so it doesn't count in the cheating column. But it counts in mine. So does kissing and emotional attachment."

He throws his head back in exasperation. "Damn it, Dakota. How many times are you going to throw my past in my face? It's IN THE PAST! It's over. It's done. I can't erase it, and I wish to God I could if for no other reason than to remove that doubt from your eyes. But you have got to let this go. We can't start a life together with this constantly coming up." He scrubs his hands through his hair in frustration, "I'm deeply sorry that you were hurt by your butt wipe ex-boyfriends who cheated on you. But I'm not one of them. I have not and will not ever cheat on you. I swear on my life and the lives of my daughters." Then he grins at me. "I double dog swear. And I have it on good authority that you don't fuck with double dog swears."

I collapse into him. "I just love you so much and I don't want to lose you. I'd never survive it again. I've already lost you twice."

He holds me tightly to him, "I'm so sorry, love. But you need to know you never lost my heart. It's been yours since we met and it will remain yours until I die."