Chapter Eight  

"There...don't you look lovely," Elena said, turning Caitlin's chair to face the mirror.  "Your hair and makeup are done.  Your tiara and veil are perfect."  Because of the head wound she had suffered weeks before, it was decided it would be better for Caitlin to wear her long hair straight.  Although the hair over the wound was growing back, it was still considerably shorter than the rest of her hair

Misty came running into the room, her hair in hot rollers and wearing a silk dressing gown.  "Mom, make sure Caitlin takes care of the call of nature before she starts dressing in her gown.  It will be hours before she gets a chance to...you know."

Elena laughed.  "Yes, dear, now go get dressed."

"What time is it?" Caitlin asked nervously. 

"Ten-thirty," Elena said, fluffing the material of Caitlin's gown that was hanging on a nearby rack.  "You're going to look so beautiful."

Almost an hour later, Monica, Alex and Misty joined Caitlin and Elena in Misty's living room.  Monica and Alex, still not thrilled with their gowns, stood a bit stiffly, but looked very elegant.  And, as Elena had mentioned earlier at their fitting, they complimented Misty perfectly.

Misty's Matron of Honor gown was a strapless Ballure style mock two-piece A-line gown, the Victorian Lilac colored organza fabric with beaded appliqués accenting the bodice, hemline and the ends of the matching wrap.  She wore champagne beaded sandals and in her hand held a matching Victorian Lilac purse.

"Oh, you all look fabulous!" Caitlin cried, hugging them lightly.  "Oh, and you all wore the necklaces and earrings I gave you.  They look wonderful on you!"

Elena groaned.  "Caitlin!  Be careful...you'll mess your makeup!"

Caitlin laughed.  "You worry too much."  She wondered how ridiculous she looked standing there with an ivory beaded tiara, veil and only a slip covering her body.

"Okay, let's load the rest in the car and get to the park," Misty instructed.  "There's a tent set up for us to finish getting you dressed there and keep you hidden from Frank until the ceremony starts."

Elena laughed.  "Is there anything you haven't planned?"

Alex and Monica looked at each other.  Alex had told Monica what Jake had told her; what if Frank hadn't been found?  There hadn't been a moment that either of them had been away from Misty or Caitlin to call Jake or Cody to find out what was going on.

Alex jumped at the sound of a phone ringing.  The park was busy with people setting the area up for the wedding.  Caitlin, Misty and Elena were in the tent.  Monica was taking a walk with Marcus and that left Alex wandering the park alone. 

"Alex," Monica said from behind her.  "Your purse is ringing."

Alex laughed as she answered the phone.  "Bride's Maid in ugly purple gown, here."

Jake laughed.  "You know you're gorgeous no matter what you're wearing."

"Oh, Jake.  You always know what to say," she smiled at the phone.  "Any word on Frank?"

"Yeah, Tom Fallon picked him up just outside of Bangor.  He should be there soon.  We're meeting them at Jason's."

"Good.  We're all at the park, so there will be no need for explanations at the..."  Alex trailed off as she watched a delivery person enter the tent.

"Alex?"

"Gotta go, Jake.  See you soon."

Alex motioned for Monica to follow her as she went to find out what was going on in the tent.  All gifts and well wishes were being set up on the opposite side of the park, where the reception was going to be held.

When they approached the tent opening they could hear the man say, "Please sign here, Miss Whitfield.  Again, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I have specific instructions that you and only you sign for this package."

"Thank you," Caitlin said, taking the package from the man.  "I wonder what this is all about?"  She ripped open the package and pulled out a thick envelope and a note.  She read the note with a frown.  I thought you might be interested to know what your man was up to last night.  The note was unsigned. With nervous fingers, she opened the envelope. 

Monica and Alex watched as their new friend took a stack of Polaroid's from the envelope and shuffled through them.  Her expression was shocked anguish as the pictures fell from her fingers to scatter on the ground below.

"Caity?" Alex asked, kneeling before her, picking up the pictures.  "Oh...no..." She said, seeing Frank in a compromising position.  She gathered the pictures and was going to remove them from Caitlin's sight when she reached out and took the stack from Alex's hand.

"Caity, there has to be an explanation," Alex pleaded for her boss and friend.  Donovan was too loyal and too much in love to betray her like that. 

"Does there?"  Caitlin looked around the room and at the gown she was about to put on.  "Please everyone...I need to be alone."

Her emotions were churning.  She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, scream or stomp like a wicked child that had been punished for no good reason. 

Guests were arriving and the park was a flurry of activity.  Alex and Monica stood guard, waiting for the men to arrive.  They raced toward Jason's Blazer as it pulled up to the park. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Alex ground through clenched teeth.

"What?  No 'my don't you look handsome in that tuxedo, Cody' comments?"

Monica shot Cody a "this is not the time" look as both she and Alex grasped Frank by an arm.  "It doesn't matter how handsome you look...there isn't going to be a wedding.  How could you?" 

Everyone looked surprised except Frank and Tom Fallon.  "What happened?" Frank asked in a low voice, looking as if he'd lost every friend in the world.

"Caity had a package delivered here.  It was most enlightening," Monica explained.  She tried not to sound too judgmental.  She couldn't believe Donovan would knowingly hurt Caitlin.  Still, those photos were damaging, and Caitlin was hurting bad.

"You don't understand," he said quietly.  "Where is she?"

"In the tent," Alex replied.  "But she doesn't want to see you," she added softly.

"No, I'm sure she doesn't," he said, easily pulling himself out of the ladies grasps and headed for the tent.

Jake said quickly when Donovan was out of earshot, "He doesn't remember...we were all drugged.  Rohypnol is my guess."

Monica shook her head, feeling absolutely terrible for her boss.  "What a mess."

Alex and Monica hovered over Jake and Cody, while Misty did the same with her husband, making sure they were none worse the wear for their experience.

He entered the tent quietly and saw Caitlin sitting at a small table staring blankly at her wedding gown hanging across the tent.  He could see the pile of photos in front of her.  How would he ever make her understand?  He cursed Lilly vehemently and vowed that she would pay for hurting Caitlin. 

"Angel," he whispered.

Caitlin turned slowly to look at him.  Oh, how handsome he looked in his silk, midnight black tuxedo and black patent leather shoes.  She ached to be held in his arms.  Arms that always comforted her when she needed it.  Now, he had betrayed her, and no one could comfort her.  She turned away from him.

"Baby, please let me explain," he begged and crossed the short distance between them to kneel at her feet.

She spread the pictures out on the table.  "I think this is all the explanation needed.  A picture speaks a thousand words, or something like that."

He didn't miss her sarcasm.  "Yes, but it doesn't hold the whole truth."

She sighed impatiently.  "And what is the truth Frank?  That you were under the influence and not responsible for your actions?  Jesus!"  She stood abruptly causing him to fall backwards, barely catching himself before he hit the ground.  She couldn't handle being that close to him.

"Angel, that woman...it's a long story.  Somehow she drugged us...all of us.  The night is a blank.  I don't remember any of that."  He motioned to the pictures.  "And I don't want to."

"How, Frank?  Why?"  Caitlin shook her head and felt the weight of the tiara and veil.  She lifted her hands to remove it.

"Don't do that, Angel," he pleaded. 

"Don't call me that!" she screamed.  "Leave me alone.  Go back to Chicago...go be with your whore."  She knew that was unfair, even as the words left her lips, the pain and anguish Frank was feeling reflected clearly in his dark eyes.  If what he said about the drugs were true...he had, for all intents and purposes, been raped.  She wanted nothing more to wake up from this nightmare and know it wasn't real.  But the truth was, it was real...and he had been with another woman—two, point of fact.

He grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her softly, although he wanted to shake her so hard she'd agree to marry him just to get him to stop.  "Baby, I don't want her...I never did.  It was the drugs.  You've got to believe me...I had no choice...no control."

"I don't understand," she sobbed, collapsing against him.  "Why is this happening?  What did I do?"

"Oh, Caitlin," he sighed, holding her close for as long as she would allow.  "The woman is demented.  She thought at one time we would have some kind of relationship.  When I refused her, she became obsessed.  This is her objective...to pull us apart."

Caitlin nodded, pushing away from him.  "So, she concocted this elaborate scheme to scare your fiancé away?"

"And punish me for the rest of my life.  She knows you mean more to me than life itself, to lose you would be my downfall and her ultimate revenge." 

Caitlin watched him through heavy eyelids.  He was a man defeated.    They had been through a lot together and Caitlin had never seen him so devastated.  God, how she loved him and his pain was hers; her pain was his.  It was written clearly on his face.  What should she do?

"Frank, please do me one thing."

"Anything."

"Please go get Alex for me...I need to talk to her.  Alone." 

He looked into her blank face; he couldn't read her and wondered frantically what she was going to do.  He bowed his head slightly and silently went in search of Alex.

 

 

 ***I did some research on Rohypnol (aka Roofies, aka The Date-Rape Drug) and was surprised by the lack of information I found.  I found a lot of statistics, but not much in the way to describe what people go through while the drug is in their system.  My apologies for the lack of detail...