- Aloha, Mr. Steele 6/8
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2008
- From: "SusanRS" <myrtlelauragroggins@yahoo.com>
-
-
- Aloha, Mr. Steele
- Chapter six
-
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- Remington woke and reached for Laura,
only to find himself alone in bed. He glanced at the clock—3:37
a.m. He pulled on his black silk pajama bottoms and went to look
for her. He started to head towards the bathroom when he noticed
that the door to the lanai was open and the drapes were gently
blowing in the breeze. He walked over, poked his head through
the doorway and found Laura wearing her blue silk robe, standing
by the railing, looking out over the ocean. He walked up behind
her and put his arms around her waist.
-
- "Laura?"
-
- She was startled to see him. "I
didn't wake you, did I?"
-
- "Is everything all right?"
Remington asked.
-
- "Yes," she answered. "I
just couldn't sleep. I didn't want to wake you. So I came out
here to enjoy the view and ruminate."
-
- "May I ask what you're thinking
about?"
-
- "Me. . . Us, mostly,"
she replied.
-
- Remington was worried. Was she getting
cold feet?
-
- "Good thoughts?" he asked
cautiously.
-
- Laura turned her head and smiled
at him reassuringly, "Of course."
-
- Remington turned Laura towards him
and kissed her.
-
- Laura continued. "I've just
been thinking about the choices that I've made, the heartaches
that I've had. I thought about the day you walked into my life
. . . How much things have changed since then." She smiled.
"For the better, I might add." She kissed him. "You
have become such an important part of my life that it's hard
to remember when you weren't here. I thought about planning this
week and what my expectations were. I imagined we would finally
become lovers. I hoped that we could find a common ground and
point our relationship in the same direction. But, I *never*
expected to be engaged to you, let alone getting married to you."
-
- "Are you having doubts?"
Remington asked, hoping that the answer would be `no'.
-
- "It's a bit overwhelming, even
a little crazy, but no," Laura replied. "It feels so
right for us to be together. I do not doubt my love for you or
my decision to marry you tomorrow."
-
- Remington smiled.
-
- Laura paused and took a deep breath.
"And then . . . I thought about my family . . . and Mildred.
I always pictured Frances being at my wedding. I know Mildred
and my mother will both be disappointed that they missed the
ceremony."
-
- Remington tightened his embrace
and looked deeply into her eyes. "Laura, I know that you
would like to have your family here, but, I promise you that
everything will be okay. Your family and Mildred will be happy
for us. We will have a big celebration when we get home and they
will share in our joy."
-
- "I know you're right,"
she replied. "I just hate the thought of facing my mother
and informing her that I got married without telling her first."
-
- "Laura, you're a grown woman,"
he said. "But if it's any consolation, I will talk to Abigail
when we get home and smooth things over."
-
- Laura chuckled. "You *do* have
a way with her. I think she's going to *love* having you as a
son-in-law."
-
- Remington smiled. "I *know*
I'm going to love *being* her son-in-law." He wiggled his
eyebrows. "The benefits are incredible!" He leaned
in and gave her a deep, fervent kiss. "Now, let's go back
to bed. We have a big day tomorrow."
-
- Remington took her hand and led
her back to their bed.
-
- ******
-
- Laura woke with her head on his
chest, her arm wrapped around his waist and her leg draped over
his. It felt so good. She was looking forward to a lifetime of
mornings like this. She would like nothing more than to wake
him with her kiss and make love with him all day. But, they had
more important things to do. Today was their wedding day and
they needed to get up and get ready.
-
- "Remington?" she said,
stroking the side of his face.
-
- He began to stir.
-
- "Rem?"
-
- Remington opened his eyes and smiled
at her.
-
- "Time to get up," she
said.
-
- Remington turned towards her and
kissed her eagerly. "I'm already *up*," he replied
with a lascivious grin.
-
- Laura rolled on top of him and returned
his kiss. "I can see that you are," she said smiling.
"But we don't have time for *that*. I don't want to be late
for my own wedding."
-
- Laura kissed him again and then
slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom. "I'm going to
shower," she said as she closed the door behind her.
-
- Remington waited until he heard
the water running. He picked up the phone and dialed the number.
Even though he didn't think Laura could hear him, he whispered,
"It's me. Is everything taken care of? . . . Great! . .
. I'll meet you in the lobby in one hour. . . Ciao!"
-
- Remington grinned and quickly hopped
out of bed. If he hurried, he could still catch Laura before
she got out of the shower.
-
- ******
-
- Remington left their suite with
a smile on his face and a spring in his step as he headed towards
the lobby of the luxury hotel. It was hard for him to believe
that he was getting married today. He had never considered himself
the marrying kind. He had always thought that he was a *love
`em and leave `em* type of guy. That is, until he met her. From
the moment he saw Laura Holt, he knew there was no other woman
on the planet for him.
-
- As Remington entered the lobby he
saw a familiar face.
-
- "Mildred!" he called out.
-
- She moved towards him. "Oh,
Boss, I can't believe that you and Miss Holt are getting married
today. I'm so happy for you!"
-
- "Thank you, Mildred. We are
both *very* happy."
-
- "It must have been a good week,"
she said with a sly grin.
-
-
- "Oh, Mildred, it has been an
*incredible* week," Remington replied with an ear-to-ear
grin. "Everything all set?"
-
- "Everything is ready, Mr. Steele."
-
- "Great!" Remington said.
He handed Mildred an envelope. "I can't wait to see Laura's
reaction."
-
- "It won't be long," Mildred
said. "The wedding starts in less than an hour."
-
- "I'd better go get ready,"
Remington replied. "See you at the ceremony."
-
- Mr. Steele gave Mildred a kiss on
the cheek and then headed to the Groom's Suite to change his
clothes.
-
-
- ******
-
- Laura heard a knock at the door.
She couldn't believe that he would dare come back after she had
asked him to respect her wishes and not see her until the ceremony.
Fortunately, she hadn't put on her wedding dress yet. She was
still wearing her bathrobe.
-
- "I thought I told you . . ."
she started, as she swung the door open. Laura was taken aback.
"Mildred?"
-
- "Hi, Hon."
-
- "What are you doing here?"
Laura asked.
-
- "Do you mind if I come in?"
Mildred said.
-
- "Oh, sorry, of course."
Laura motioned for Mildred to enter and then closed the door
behind her.
-
- Laura was still in disbelief. "Why
are you here?"
-
- "Mr. Steele asked me to come,"
Mildred replied.
-
- Laura was in shock. They had just
finished their talk a few hours before. There was no way he could
have called Mildred and had her fly here in such a short amount
of time.
-
- "When?" she questioned,
still confused.
-
- "Earlier this week," Mildred
said. "I'll tell you all about it, Miss Holt. But you'd
better get dressed. Mr. Steele is waiting for you. You don't
want to be late for your own wedding, do you?"
-
- "No, Mildred," Laura replied
with a smile. "I don't."
-
- Laura quickly put on her wedding
gown: a silky, sexy, long white dress with spaghetti straps and
slits up the sides. The empire bodice accentuated Laura's delectable
curves. Even on her petite frame, the dress didn't quite touch
the ground. It was the perfect length for a beach wedding . .
. No long train to drag in the sand. Mildred zipped it up the
back. Laura's curly chestnut hair bounced on her freckled bare
shoulders. Laura placed a tuberose Haku-lei wreath on her head.
-
- "You look *so* beautiful,"
Mildred said, with tears in her eyes.
-
- "Thank you, Mildred,"
Laura said. "I'm so glad you're here. You're like family
to Mr. Steele, to us, really." She gave Mildred a big hug.
-
- "You're welcome, Miss Holt.
I feel the same about the two of you." Mildred reached into
her purse and handed an envelope to Laura. "Mr. Steele asked
me to give this to you."
-
- Laura looked at the envelope. Remington
had written her name on the outside. She took out the note and
began reading. Her smile grew wider with each word.
-
- My dearest Laura,
-
- Today is our wedding day. The
first day of the rest of our life
together. You have made me the happiest man in the world. Not
just
this past week, but the past three-and-a-half years. You have
given me
so much; my name, my life and most importantly, your love. I
will spend
the rest of my life showing you how much I appreciate you.
-
- I wanted to get you something
for our wedding. Nothing I could give you
could ever compare to all that you have already given me. But
I did
think of something that you might want on our wedding day. Mildred
will
take you to your surprise. I can't wait to see you walk down
the
beach into my waiting arms. I love you!
-
- Remington
-
- Laura wiped a tear away as she held
the note to her heart. "He really IS wonderful."
-
- "Yes, he is, Miss Holt."
Mildred replied. "And you haven't even seen the rest of
it yet."
-
- "Oh, my," Laura said.
"I have had a week of surprises from this man. I don't know
if I can take much more."
-
- "You'll like this surprise,"
Mildred said. "You'd better prepare yourself for a lifetime
of surprises, Miss Holt. Mr. Steele loves you, and he loves to
surprise you."
-
- "Yes, he does," Laura
said, agreeing with both of Mildred's statements.
-
- *****
-
- Laura and Mildred walked into the
hotel lobby. It was a quarter to nine. In fifteen minutes, Laura
would stroll down the beach and become Mrs. Remington Steele.
The lobby was crowded. Laura and Mildred made their way through
the sea of tourists. As they approached the center court, a small
group of familiar faces spotted them. The two women in the group
started to cry when they saw Laura.
-
- "Laura!" the younger one
exclaimed.
-
- "Frances?" Laura said,
surprised. "Mother?" Tears began welling up in Laura's
cinnamon eyes.
-
- "Oh, Laura," Frances said,
blubbering. "You look so beautiful. I can't believe my baby
sister is getting married."
-
- Frances gave Laura a big hug. Abigail,
smiling with pride, was anxiously waiting to hug her younger
daughter. Laura glanced behind Abigail and saw Donald Piper and
Daniel Chalmers watching them, both smiling. Laura smiled back.
The sisters let go of their embrace.
-
- "Laura," Abigail said
smiling, opening her arms to her daughter. She gave Laura a hug.
"I am so happy for you, dear."
-
- "Thank you, Mother." Laura
was stunned. "How…How did you all get here?"
-
- "I think we should let Miss
Krebs explain," Abigail said.
-
- They all turned towards Mildred.
-
- "Mr. Steele called me on Monday,"
she began, "And asked me to make the arrangements for Abigail,
Frances, Donald, and myself to fly here for the ceremony today.
We arrived late last night and have been waiting in our rooms
until this morning to surprise you. That's what the boss wanted."
-
- Laura was overwhelmed. Remington
*had* known how important it was for her to have her family here.
He made all the arrangements without telling her. Even when they
had their talk late last night, he could have told her they were
here already, to make her feel better. But instead, he made her
feel good about the decision they had made together. He didn't
want to ruin his surprise. This was the best gift he could have
given her.
-
- Daniel stepped forward and took
Laura's hand. "Congratulations, my dear," he said.
Daniel lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Harry
phoned me as well and invited me to the wedding. I hope you don't
mind."
-
- "Of course not, Daniel, you're
like family to him," Laura replied.
-
- Kai approached the group. He was
carrying an armload of fresh floral leis. He spoke to Laura.
"Remington asked me to prepare these leis for your wedding
party, Laura. Would you like to present them to your guests?"
-
- Laura knew that it was customary
to bestow a kiss when giving a lei. She took the first one from
Kai and placed it around Abigail's neck. Laura gave her mother
a soft kiss on the cheek. Then she proceeded to give one each
to Frances, Donald, and Daniel. She took the last lei and put
it around Mildred's neck.
-
- "Thank you, Mildred, for everything,"
Laura said with a soft kiss to her cheek.
-
- "You're welcome, Miss Holt.
You know how I feel about you and Mr. Steele."
-
- Laura turned to the whole group.
"Thank you all for coming. It really means a lot to have
you here to celebrate this day with us."
-
- "You can thank Mr. Steele,"
Frances said.
-
- "Oh, I will," Laura said
with a twinkle in her eye. "You can be sure of that."
-
- "It's time to go, Laura,"
Kai said.
-
- "Kai, would you please take
everyone down to the beach?" Laura asked. "I would
like to speak with Mr. Chalmers for a moment, privately."
-
- "Of course," Kai replied.
"But make it quick. Remington is *very* anxious to start
the ceremony."
-
- Laura smiled. "I'm sure he
is. I won't be long."
-
- Kai led the small group out of the
hotel and down to the beach. Once they had left, Laura approached
Daniel.
-
- "Are you *really* happy for
us?" she asked.
-
- "Of course I am. Why do you
ask?" Daniel replied.
-
- "Well, you never seemed pleased
that he was with me, being Remington Steele."
-
- Daniel smiled. "Laura, the
first time I visited Harry after he became Remington Steele,
I knew he was smitten. I knew he had found his home and that
he was happy. I realized that the friendship he has with me could
never compare to the love he has for you. Believe me, I tried
many times to lure Harry back, but it was obvious where he wanted
to be and who he wanted to be with. But that didn't stop me from
teasing the two of you. Sure, I would have loved for him to come
back and be with me, but I knew he would never leave you."
-
- Laura couldn't believe what she
was hearing; though she did catch something interesting.
-
- "You called me Laura"
-
- "Yes," Daniel replied.
-
- "That's the first time you
called me the right name."
-
- "I must apologize for that,
too, my dear," he said. "I always knew your name, but
I was just having fun with you. I *am* truly sorry."
-
- "May I ask you a favor?"
she asked.
-
- "Sure," Daniel replied.
-
- "Would you do me the honor
of walking me down to Remington?"
-
- "You want me to give you away?"
he asked.
-
- "No, of course not," she
answered. "I don't need *anyone* to give me away. If anything,
I think you are giving him away. I just think it would be nice
to walk down together. A show of solidarity. I think Harry would
appreciate it."
-
- Daniel held out his arm to Laura.
"It would be my pleasure," he replied. Laura took Daniel's
arm as he escorted her out of the hotel and towards her destiny.
-
- To be continued . . .
- To Part
7
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- AN: I don't know if
these links will work, but you could copy and paste
them.(Links will open in a new window or tab)
-
- Here's the dress I
was thinking about when I described Laura's wedding
dress, although, I picture it in a silkier fabric, not the cotton
that
is shown:
-
- http://www.hawaiianweddingshop.com/spag.html
- Here are the leis for
Laura:
-