Phases of the Moone 1.7

        A few weeks passed and we still hadn’t made any real wedding plans, nor had we set a date to go up to the courthouse because work kept us both busy. Jasper was getting more and more clients asking about his fresh produce and there was always one fire or another for me to put out, including a few big ones. Eventually all of our work paid off and we were both up for promotions again. Jasper’s stipend increased and I became a Back draft Specialist, which basically meant I handled all the paperwork while still jumping when the alarm went off in the station.

After one particular tedious day where I never even left my office I went home in a grumpy mood.

            My mood immediately lifted when Jasper greeted me with a big smile and said, “Let’s get married.  We can have a little private ceremony right here and then we can go to the courthouse and get the papers signed in the morning.”

            “Sounds good to me. I don’t think there’s really a need to wait any longer,” I said.

            Jasper got the rings and we used the extra room (that used to be his) as a makeshift chapel.  We exchanged rings and sealed the deal with a soft, lingering kiss. I still don’t regret that we got married like we did. It was short, sweet and the perfect expression of our love we still have for each other.

The next morning, even before the ink was dry on our wedding certificate I found Rasputin a kennel and booked  us a trip to Bridgeport so we could have some sort of honeymoon, even if it was for only a couple days.

*** 

The moment  we stepped off our plane in the Bridgeport airport we were hit with a wave a heat simply not found in Moonlight Falls. The wave practically knocked me off my feet.

            “Fall should not be this hot.” I grumbled.

            Jasper smirked and desire filled his eyes. “I can think of something we can do while we wait for it to cool down.”

            I pulled him into the elevator and to our sky rise style hotel room. Even before the door completely closed behind us we were pulling each other’s clothes off. By the time we actually reached the bed we were already half undressed and in the middle of making out.

            “I love you, Ramona” Jasper said.

            “I love you to.” I answered.

I’d rather not go into detail about what happened next, most people can guess what happened on their own.

     A little while later it cooled down enough that we decided to tour the Plumbob Pictures Backlot.  While the history of Plumbob pictures was interesting and everything our tour guide spoke in a monotonous voice and rushed through most of the film studio. We eventually just slipped away from the group to do a little exploring on our own. Jasper was much better tour guide. Not only was he ten times more handsome than our guide, but his interpretation of him was hilarious, especially when he did that after shifting to a smaller size. While tiny, his voice was super high pitched, like he’s drank a whole canister of helium. I still laugh whenever I think of that impression.  He’ll still do it occasionally, but I’m no longer his main audience.

  

            By the time we were done with the backlot the sun had set and all the clubs, sports bars and lounges Bridgeport is known  for were open ( not to mention it was a little cooler).  We decided to keep it simple the first night and went to a little place called Bridgeport Sportszone. The term greasy spoon fit  Sportszone to a T. The place was tiny and not exactly pretty and there wasn’t even any live music. Despite the ramshackle appearance, it actually did have a VIP room and Jasper used his magic to distract the bouncer in front of it so I could slip in and he could follow a little while later.

 Once inside we ordered pizza from the barkeep and found a quiet  table in a corner of the to eat it.  Each slice was about the size of my face and literally dripped grease, but it was the best pizza I’d ever eaten.

     After I finished the pizza I went back to the bar and ordered a drink.  While it tasted fine, it wasn’t nearly as good as the pizza. Jasper and I concluded  the Sportszone made a better lunch place where you grab a beer simply to wash down the incredible bar food the cooks offered. 

 Shortly after we finished our drinks we went back to the hotel and ended the night on a high note with some fun in the elevator. After that I’m pretty sure  we both fell asleep the instant out heads hit the pillow.

***

            The next day we woke up a little late and then spent the rest of the daylight hours in our hotel rooms. Partially because it was hot and partially because we kept finding things to do, after the sun set me headed to a nicer bar called Eugi’s where formal dress was required. Inside it was a lot cleaner than Bridgeport Sportszone and the barkeep played music between drinks and higher end bar food.  He played really well too, Jasper and I couldn’t help but dance until our feet grew sore.

 After we finished dancing we had a couple tasty cocktails and some  deliciously rich bar foods.

            After I was pretty sure my stomach was going to burst I turned to Jasper and asked, “Do you want to play a few rounds of darts?”

            He shook his head. “Nah, I’ve never really gotten the hang of  that game, but I’ll watch you. Maybe I'll even provide a little extra luck if you find someone to challenge.

            I’m not sure whether Jasper used his magic or not, but I did find someone to challenge and I did beat them.

 After I won the dart match there really wasn’t much else to do at Eugi’s. For the rest of the night we traveled around Bridgeport trying to see at least one of the lounges, but most seemed to be reserved for the city’s celebrities. We tried to use the same trick we used to get in the Sportszone’s VIP room in one, but that  bouncer was a lot less forgiving and we were kicked out of the lounge. At that point we decided to call it a night.

***

             The next day was our last in Bridgeport. Once again we slept late and had a flight back home at 7:00 pm that night, so we came to the conclusion that we could only visit one last place before the trip was over.  After being kicked out of a lounge the previous night we decided to avoid the clubs and such and went to The True Modern Art Gallery.  Not surprisingly there was still a bar inside the museum. The barkeep was a rather closed off woman who served so-so drinks. She also made really awful cheese plates, but the true star of the gallery was the art and there were a few gorgeous pieces.  My personal favorite was a blue vase displayed with some other, to put it politely, interesting sculptures that included a lawn flamingo.

After we viewed the entire gallery we returned to our hotel room and reluctantly started packing. Once everything was packed we finished the trip by watching the stars until we had to leave for the airport. 

A few weeks later I started puking my guts out, especially in the morning. At the time I was  confused and little terrified, I never got sick! All these  years later I can look back at that "mysterious illness" and smile.