"Do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health. For better or worse, for richer or poorer so long as you both shall live?" The minister said.
"I…" 99 started.
"Wait!" Max yelled from the church doorway. The entire audience in the church turned to Max, "Don't tell me I missed the, 'Speak now or forever hold your peace' part?"
The entire audience answered back, "You missed the 'Speak now or forever hold your peace' part."
"I asked you not to tell me that." Max complained then turned back to 99, "You can't marry him, I love you."
She dropped her bouquet, "Oh Max." She lifted up the bottom of her dress (so she wouldn't step on it) and ran to him. She flung her arms around him, and kissed him.
"99?" Max asked. "What's that beeping?" Beep, beep, beep. Max woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. He reached over and hit the snooze for the third time, but this time caught a glimpse of the time. 3:30.
He jumped out of bed, "Oh No! I missed the wedding! Oh no!" He put on his pants and a shirt hastily and ran out the door.
He knew the reception would be over by now as well. So he ran up to 99's doorway, at three, no matter what, Victor checked on the casino so she'd be alone.
He knocked, "Come in." Her sweet voice came from inside the room. He opened it, "Max. What did you do? Get dressed in the dark?"
He looked down at what he was wearing, a yellow shirt with black pants, and his tie was falling off. "Uh, well, I over slept."
"I know, you missed the wedding." She said sadly putting the wedding dress in the closet. He sensed a little anger too. She turned back to him, "I missed you,"
"99, I have to tell you something."
"Yes?"
"99," he started he coughed once, "I… I love you, with all my heart," She was afraid he'd say something like that.
"Oh, Max. You picked a wonderful time to tell me that! I'm leaving for my honeymoon in an hour." She explained.
"I know, but I planned to say something when the guy said, 'speak now or forever hold you peace' but I missed it." He tried to hug her, but she pulled away, on the brink of tears.
"You've had ample opportunity. We've only known eachother for what? 3 years? You have the worst timing of anyone I've ever met."
"Well, gee, 99, I thought you'd be glad to know that I love you." He sulked.
"I am. I'm ecstatic but we can't do anything about it now." She told him allowing him to hug her, "But I do, love you."
"More than Victor?"
"More than anything in the whole world. You're my dream guy."
"Then come back to Washington with me." He said, "It won't take long to pack, and we'll be on the very next flight."
"It's not as easy as that, Max. I promised myself to Victor." She started to cry, "You're making this very hard for me you know!"
"I'm so sorry. I really am, but I'm not leaving without you."
"Divorces aren't as easy on the island, and I know that Victor won't agree to it, he has to sign papers, too." She told him, "Have a nice stay on the island." And she left.
A week later… 99 and Victor returned home from their honeymoon. Max stayed to, at the very least, say goodbye to 99. 99 went straight to his room, and knocked.
"Come in." He said in a depressed voice, She opened the door and he looked up and brightened instantly. "99."
They went forward to hug eachother and locked lips in a kiss. "99, I can't do this, you belong to another."
"I don't BELONG to anyone." She said.
"Besides you've already done it with Victor." He winced, he hated the fact that some rich island playboy got the girl of HIS dreams. 99 is too good for him.
"No, I held out on Victor, in case you still wanted me." She explained.
"Oh, of course I still want you." He hugged her and kissed her.
@***************@
"Grace?" Victor asked his receptionist. "Have you seen my wife?"
"No sir, I haven't." She answered.
"How about, Max Wheel, my bodyguard?"
"No sir."
"Thank you." He walked up the stairs, and went to his bedroom to see if 99 was in there and she wasn't. He had searched everywhere for her, and seen neither hide nor hair of she or Max. He figured Max was probably in his bedroom.
He walked to the door (forgetting to knock) and opened it. He gasped, "Susan!"
"Victor. How nice to see you." She answered from Max's bed lying next to him.
"I'll bet." He turned to Max, "Max."
"Uh,"
"Susan, how could you? You wouldn't even sleep with your husband but the first man that comes along, you jump right into bed." He shouted outraged, while a crowd of hotel guests gathered in the hall from the yelling.
"He's not exactly, the first man who came along." 99 said, blushing, because of the crowd.
"What is he? Ex lover? Previous husband? Or is he just the father of your children?"
"He was my business partner." She told him sitting up but keeping a hand on the blanket covering her bare chest. She gave him a confused look, "I have no children."
He ignored the last bit. He looked to Max, "You do know you're fired right?"
"Yeah, I kind of figured." Max said also sitting up. "My bodyguard badge is over there on the dresser." He pointed to it. Victor took it with a mean look in his eyes.
"Susan, Get up." He demanded.
"Well, I can't exactly." She looked down and then at the crowd. "Do you mind?" He closed the door.
"Gee, I'm sorry, 99, I got you in trouble, didn't I?"
"Well, we'll have to wait and see." She got up, dressed and went back to her room. As she left some of the crowd, cheered for her and some booed. She blushed.
@*******************@
"How could you?" Victor scolded and 99 hung her head, though grateful she didn't have an audience this time. "Does the ring on your finger mean nothing to you?"
"I…"
"I'm not finished yet," He yelled, "I forbid you to see him."
"You can't do that!" She yelled back. Grace listened with a cup at the door.
"You want to make a bet? Your not to leave the premise. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Crystal!" She shot back, and narrowed her eyes. She and him walked hastily in different directions and slammed a door (Victor, the front door. 99, the bathroom door.).
Even though 99 had said it was 'crystal' that she was not to leave the hotel grounds, she didn't plan to let that stop her. I know and you know (and Max knows) what a free spirit 99 is.
She'd nap know, search later. She was exhausted. She awoke a very short while to the ringing of the phone, probably Victor making sure I didn't leave, she thought. She answered it, "Hello."
"Hello, 99."
"Max!" 99 said perking up. "How are you? Do you have a place to stay? Do you miss me?"
"In this order, fine, yes, and more than you can imagine." She smiled and sighed.
"Where can I contact you?"
"At this number. 629-9355 (F.Y.I. 629-9355 on the phone dials spells Maxwell). Meet me in an hour at Berte's Ice cream Shop."
"Ok." 99 agreed, "Kiss, kiss." And they hung up. She sighed. She felt kind of bad, about cheating she does get the best of both worlds, but the guilt still hung over her.
So Max and 99 kept on meeting for 8 months secretly behind Victor's back. One day she called Max out of worry.
"Max." She cried, as soon as picked up the phone. "I'm, I'm, oh god."
"What? What is it 99?" He asked concerned.
"I'm, I'm… p-pregnant!"
"How did that happen?"
"Max!"
"Nevermind," he told her, realizing what a stupid question it was. "It's my baby right?"
"I don't know." She sobbed, "Maybe, maybe not. Oh god!"
"Ok, 99, don't panic. Come right over."
"Ok, see you in about 5 minutes."
"Right." She hung up the phone. She ran out the door, and ran into Victor.
"Whoa. My dear where are you going in such a rush?" He asked, smiling almost evilly.
"I'm going out to the market, I need fruit." She said.
"Come, come."
"It's true. We're all out of bananas and oranges and grapes and watermelon. I love fruit."
"Yes, I'm the same way with chocolate, Ok, I'll see you later." She smiled, nodded, and darted.
She took a taxi to Max's apartment, usually she takes the limousine when she goes out, but Victor always asks the chauffeur where he brought 99, so on their secret meetings 99 took a cab.
She met Max at the steps of his new apartment building, "Come in, 99." He put his arms around her and led her up the stairs.
"Thank you Max." She said accepting a tissue, and blowing her nose, "Oh, Max. I just don't know what I'm going to do. I want the baby to be yours, but if it is Victor will have me shot! Max, what am I going to do?"
He hugged her, "It'll be alright." He rocked her back and forth, "Do you want me to go down to the doctor's with you, to find out?" 99 nodded.
"I'd like that." They shard a kiss.
LATER THAT DAY AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE… "Mrs. Royale?" 99 stood up.
"That's me." Max stood up, too he was holding her hand.
"Your test results won't be back until tomorrow. You can go, we'll call you, when they come in." He told her from behind his large framed glasses. 99 reluctantly left the office, still sobbing.
"99. It'll be ok." He promised.
"Can we stop off at the grocery store?" 99 asked, wiping her eyes on Max's handkerchief.
"What for?"
"I need to get fruit. I told Victor I was getting fruit." So they stopped off at the grocery store and 99 left with an armful of fruit. 99 took a cab and Max left in his car.
@*********************@
The phone rang, and 99 picked it up immediately, "Hello?… No I'm sorry, you have the wrong number."
She put down the telephone and Victor looked at her from over his newspaper, "Expecting a call?"
"Why do you say that?" The phone rang, "Hello? No this is the same number." She slammed it down.
"Dearest?" Victor asked, "Would you go get me a glass of water?" She nodded, and went into the kitchen. The phone rang, and they both rushed for it. Victor being much closer, picked it up. "Hello? Yes she's here." He held it out to 99, "It's for you."
She took the phone, and listened, "Thank you for calling, yes, I'll be right down. Thanks again, Bye." She hung it up.
"Who was that?" He asked, as 99 went to the closet and put on her coat.
"It was the grocery boy, saying he couldn't deliver the groceries because his car was in the shop and I have to go get them." She was really getting good at coming up with these lies, she'd been doing it for 9 months now.
"I'll go with you." He stood up and went to her, she watched him nervously.
"You don't have to do that." She opened the door, and he hit it shut.
"I insist," He grinned, then the phone rang. He sighed an picked it up, his hand still holding the door shut. "Hello? I'm busy… Oh alright." He put down the phone, "I have to go to the casino."
Begrudgingly he went out and 99 let out a sigh of relief and telephoned Max and told him to meet her at the hospital. When she got out of her cab, Max was waiting for her on the steps.
"I'm so glad you're here."
"You think I'd leave your side?" He put his arms around her and they walked up to the elevator, and got to the doctor's office.
"Mrs. Royale, please come in." She walked in, "We have the results of the test." She sat down.
"Give it to me straight doc." 99 said, "I can take it."
"The father of your baby is…" 99 held her breath and so did Max.