Lover's Chapel
1783 Words
"Good morning," Tanya says as she approaches the front desk. "I'm Taneish."
"Hello Taneish, I'm Jessica. Welcome to Lover's Chapel, how may I assist you? Looking to get hitched?" The redhead asks as she eyes Alexander who stands behind Tanya.
"Actually no, quite the opposite. Um… is it possible for you to check if there was a ceremony conducted here under the names Taneish Rhode and Alexander Blake?" Tanya says pulling up her white crop top as it falls a little revealing the curve of her bosom.
After leaving the hotel she had convinced Alexander to take her to her apartment to change, which he reluctantly did. He wasn't too happy when she told him he had to wait in the car but he did.
Alexander wanted to get to the Chapel quickly to clear this marriage sham up, so he goes along with her requests to make things go faster.
When she had walked towards the car in a white crop top with a grey cardigan, which she paired with blue jeans pants and white flats, his mouth had dropped and his eyes were entranced by her navel ring as it bounced against her stomach.
Tanya is sexy and Alexander can't deny it but nothing could have sedated him when he saw her walk towards him. She made him excited all over.
"Sure miss I'll just need to see some IDs to ensure the information I'm going to disclose is going to the right person. Company rules," Jessica says as she stares at Tanya with chocolate brown eyes.
"Sure, no problem," Tanya says as she goes into her bag and pulls out her ID.
Jessica looks it over before entering something into her computer and nodding. "It's verified."
She hands Tanya her ID and returns to her typing. "Okay, at 3:00 a.m. this morning there was a wedding ceremony conducted under the names Taneish Rhode and Alexander Blake. It's certified and legal."
Tanya sucks in a breath and looks at Alexander who looks just as shocked as she does. They were hoping to hear that all this was fake but instead it just confirms what is on the certificate.
"Who conducted the ceremony?" Alexander asks the redhead.
"Um, hold on," she taps away on her computer before responding. "It was conducted by Harmony Grey. She's one of the pastors here."
"Is it possible to contact her?" Tanya queries as she pulls her cardigan over her exposed stomach.
"She's here. She's conducting her last ceremony for the day before leaving," Jessica informs. "You can go in and await the ending of the ceremony."
They nod as they make their way to the door Jessica points at. "Please keep it down and sit at the back."
"We will, thank you, Jessica," Tanya says as she disappears into the room after Alexander.
They scoot into the back row watching the ceremony. They are at the vows.
The room is white with pink roses and drapes. There are wooden seats in front of the white-tiled alter, an arch made of pink and white roses stands behind at said alter and two gold bells hang from the centre of it.
A lady in a grey robe with a white sash over her shoulders looks at the couple with a smile as she reads from her Bible. Her brown eyes wrinkle as she smiles and her chocolate skin glows with happiness. Her hair looks ashy with the mixture of black and grey and her dreadlocks are caught in a high ponytail.
"You may now kiss the bride," she says and the couple in white kiss, sealing the deal.
Their guests cheer and they run up to congratulate them with smiles. The pastor informs them on where they should go to sign their wedding contracts and then walks away from them, heading towards Alexander and Tanya.
"Tanya, Alexander," she greets as she stops in front of them.
"Miss Grey, we need to speak to you," Tanya starts to say standing up.
She smiles at Tanya with a knowing look. "I figured as much. Follow me."
She makes her way out of the room, Tanya and Alexander hot on her heel.
"Miss Grey is it true? Are we married?" Alexander asks as he walks beside her.
"That's correct," she replies as she opens a door and enters a small yellow room.
"We were drunk," he states.
"That's true but not fully," she says taking a seat in front of a white vanity mirror and gesturing for them to take a seat in the grey sofa.
Alexander sits and Tanya follows after closing the room door.
"Why would you marry us if you know we were intoxicated?" It is Tanya who speaks.
"Call it a hunch but I believed you two would be a wonderful couple," she says as she spins in the chair to face them.
"A hunch that couldn't have been more wrong," Alexander pipes up. "We weren't looking for anything serious and marriage is too serious."
"If I remember correctly you two had begged me to marry you," she retorts. "I was going to let you skip the contract but..."
"But?" They both ask in curiosity.
Harmony stands from her seat and searches through a box of DVDs before finding the one she is looking for. She walks over to the small television in the corner of the room turning it on and slips the DVD into the player before starting the video.
"But this," she says as gestures to the TV.
Give me you by Tamia comes on as the video plays and Tanya and Alexander appear on the screen laughing as they exchanged rings.
"I Alexander Blake pledge to love you for as long as I live. To stick with you through thick and thin. No matter the obstacles we face or how much people ridicule us… I will stick by you. A lot of people may not agree with us being together but I wouldn't want to be with anyone else. You give me freedom, you tempt me in ways no other woman has ever and marrying you will be starting a new part of my life. A life away from the struggles of living up to my father and I wouldn't want to start it with anyone else but you, Tanya... You get me…"
Alexander grins at Tanya in the video after saying his vow and Tanya's eyes widen as she stares at the screen.
"I Taneish Rhode being of sound mind and body pledge my love to you, Alexander Blake. Being with you has made me realize that life isn't all about working. You taught me how to have some real fun. I’ve partied, worked and when I'm not doing that I'm putting my life on pause to help others. You’ve taken me out, showered me with affection and attention. You kissed me with such passion I hadn't felt before. I now notice that something was missing from my life and that was you. I know I told you I would like to go out, get wasted and wake up with a stranger in my bed. Well, if each morning you are that stranger in my bed I would be honoured."
"Wow, that was beautiful… Do you Alexander Blake take Tanya to be your lawfully wedded wife to love and care for in sickness and health, through thick and thin?" Harmony asks, gazing at them with a glimmer in her eye.
"I do."
"Do you Tanya Rhode take Alexander Blake to be your lawfully wedded husband? To stand by him in good times and bad times, to nurture and love for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Tanya breathes dreamily. "I can't imagine living without you, Alexander. So I take this role as your wife with pride and I will try to make you happy for as long as I'm by your side."
Alexander grins in triumph, grabbing Tanya and dipping her to a passionate kiss.
"I haven't even sai–" Harmony laughs. "You know what kiss your bride."
Alexander laughs as he brings her back up and kisses her again.
"We're married!" he cheers as he takes her up bridal style, kissing Tanya again.
"We're married!" Tanya screams in glee as she cups his face.
Damn, I was drunk, Tanya thinks as she stares at the video.
"Yeah, we are now... let's go perform our martial rights," Alexander says with a grin as he carries her off the platform…
…and the video ends.
I was one drunk, crazy and horny motherfucker, Alexander thinks with a shake of his head as Harmony turns off the TV.
"When I listened to your vows I was surprised," Harmony explains. "I've dealt with a lot of drunk couples and most of them couldn't even formulate a sentence much less said what you two said. Call me soppy but it touched me… it reminded me of me and my husband. We had a runaway marriage. We eloped, had 5 children and had been married for twenty years. He died two years ago."
"I'm so sorry," Tanya says watching as she gives us a sad smile.
"It's okay, he's in a better place. Now back to you two, I saw something in you two so I informed you about the contract and you signed it, me witnessing it," she continues. "It just felt like the right thing to do–"
"Miss Grey–"
"Harmony is quite fine," she corrects Alexander.
"Harmony, no offense but your hunch on us being a good couple has gotten us in major problems."
"Well for that I am truly sorry but I still believe that you two will work," Harmony says with a smile.
"How do you know?" Tanya asks.
"My hunch wasn't just my doing. The Lord he sees something on you two," she explains with a smile.
Alexander groans. "Harmony I am sorry but I don't think we'll work."
She frowns as she regards him. "Heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight for they while their companions slept were toiling upward through the night. This Alexander means that without hardworking you will not reap success. You've already given up on this marriage. You have to try for it to flourish."
"It's doomed, Harmony. No point trying, it just won't work," Alexander grunts.
He is being honest but it doesn’t make it hurt Tanya any less.
"Fine, if you want to get out just get a divorce. Based on the terms of an annulment you won’t qualify," Harmony says in defeat. "…but believe me when I say this, you two will be together in the end."
"That's what we're planning to do Harmony divorce," Alexander says as he walks towards the door. "Excuse us, we'll be leaving."
“Tanya?” Alexander calls out to her before exiting the room.
He leaves the door open and Tanya gets up with a sigh, walking towards it.
"Tanya?" she turns to look at Harmony who hands her the DVD in its case. "What God has brought together cannot be broken apart. It may flatter at moments but it'll always work out. Remember that."
Tanya nods taking it as she walks through the door. "Goodbye Harmony."
"Goodbye Mrs. Blake."
- Writer
