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Jennie Demos
Creative Writing English 135
Dr. Donahue
11/15/17
Stark Fire
As she approached the entrance of the hotel’s multipurpose room, Maia fussed with her costume. It was easily the fifteenth time she’d smoothed her skirt. Her long blonde curls kept coming out of the bun she had in her hair; they dumped onto her back like the mockery of a waterfall. She sighed. That’d been only one of the frustrations she’d faced. Finding something that matched the requests of the bride and groom had been a task and a half. Themed weddings were all the rage now, Maia supposed. Still, the Victorian era was a large one, and different years made for different costumes—but there hadn’t been a specific range put on the invitation. Finding something that had fit her properly without making her look ridiculous had been another task.
Still, she was here now, and there was no turning back when she saw another guest come to the door. Greg looked equally uncomfortable in his gaudy suit and ruff. She had been introduced to him earlier that day; he was one of Lissie’s coworkers. He had a vanilla life, but he had seemed nice enough. He extended an arm to her with a roll of his eyes; as if to say Well, we should at least act the part.
“Shall we?”
They entered the room together; roses, both real and satin, adorned the archway and backdrop in front of them for pictures. Bouquets of flowers had been fastened to gauze and tulle that wove between the backs of each chair and had been tied into large bows at the back. The tables each hosted a center piece of flowers nestled in gauze. Tiny fairy lights were strung around the white flocked tables and illuminated the otherwise dimly lit room.
Greg released her once they were further in, and went towards the refreshments without so much as another word. He gave her a wave when he noticed she was watching. She could hardly blame him. The spread was an impressive one. Thinly sliced meats elegantly rounded a silver platter—though it obviously wasn’t, quite. It had a plastic sheen to it. A punch bowl—crystal or plastic made to look it, Maia wasn’t close enough to tell – with a silver ladle in its pool of crimson, and probably, alcoholic contents.
The large three tiered cake from the wedding had been brought down, placed ceremoniously in the middle of the second table. Delicate white flowers seemed to bloom out of the frosting. Ribbons made of sugar trailed down each tier like rain streaming down a window. It almost looked like a fountain of edible china; porcelain and pale, the cream of the fondant that had been so carefully draped on each layer, the blooms of each flower seeming to be sprung from the cake itself. It was too pretty to eat; and it seemed other guests agreed. Pieces from the wedding had come from the top tier; but otherwise the cake remained untouched.
Maia headed to the refreshment table to admire it more closely. Her husband had come earlier to help with the with the decorating, and she hoped to find him. Where was he? Her eyes scanned the room, and failing to see him, she instead got herself a glass of punch.
“Maia!” Called a voice from behind her. She froze, recognizing the voice. Her hand tightened around the glass. A man with an impish face and slightly upturned nose joined her at the punch bowl. His hair was black as coal, in stark contrast to the brightly colored suit he was donning. His bowtie was a deep purple. Despite her expression, he was grinning at her.
She remembered the day she’d met him. It’d been a hot summer day, and she’d been about eight years old. She had been playing in her front yard; she and her father had taken out the kiddie pool and had started to fill it with the hose. That pool had never gotten filled; instead the hose had become a weapon, and she’d ended up soaked and giggling.
“Dad!” she’d cried, laughing. “It’s my turn!” They’d chased each around the yard, and she’d only paused when she’d seen the boy. He’d looked lonely, she remembered. He’d been kicking at the sidewalk as he made his way past their house, in sneakers so worn she hadn’t been able to tell what color they’d been meant to be. “Hey! Come play with with us!” She’d invited him.
How she wished she hadn’t. She wished she could go back in time, and make sure that little girl and her father had gone inside before Luke had wandered down the street.
“Nice to see you! How are you? It’s been ages.”
Maia knew this man couldn’t have been invited. He didn’t know Elise—or Michael, for that matter, at least as far as she knew. Elise knew the story between them too, so she was sure. She moved from foot to foot uncomfortably, free hand tapping habitually I Love You in Morse code. It was something that Toby had taught her, and she often fidgeted when nervous. It kept her focused. Toby had to be here.
“Hi, Luke,” she greeted him, reluctantly, “I was looking for Toby.” She hoped to find him soon, she wanted away from Luke as soon as possible.
She’d known him since high school and through most of college. His interest in her had continued to grow as they aged. Maia had always been relatively uncomfortable with his presence since she’d learned about his affections.
“I’ve been trying to keep up with you on Facebook but you haven’t added me,” He gave her another grin. There was something ominous about the way he was smiling. Something wasn’t quite right, but what was it? Maia couldn’t pinpoint it.
“Oh… I’ve been busy,” she said. “With the new baby and finding a new job, I haven’t been online much.”
“Well, congratulations on your interview. I’m sure you’ll get it.” Maia stiffened again, her hand going still against her dress. She stared at him. She’d only gotten that call back a few hours ago. She’d only told a few people—oh. That was right. Toby’d mentioned he’d gotten a job at the law firm he worked at. She didn’t know his position; Toby had called it some glorified secretary. She’d been immediately alarmed that the man had weaseled himself into her life again, to the extreme of getting a job where her husband worked.
“Leave me alone,” she said, and scanned the room for Toby again. Her mother had always warned her to avoid men like Toby; he goofed around too much, he’d never amount to much, she’d said. He’d have more success as a clown than a businessman. In contrast, she’d always liked Luke. Luke was smart, he’d had good grades throughout school. She remembered her mother insisting that they’d be a good couple. but then, once her mother had met him, she had liked his company. He liked to joke around, but he was a hard worker. He was intelligent, helpful, playful, but most importantly, he was kind. Unlike Luke; Toby made Maia feel safe. He was a constant comfort to her, someone who could make her laugh through the darkest days. Her smiles came easier when he was around.
When she’d first met Toby, she’d been nineteen, a freshmen in college. It was three months into the school year, and they’d been in a study group together with some mutual friends. She had been struggling in her math class, and he, being a business major, had been a great help. They’d bonded over cooking during their free time in the dorms, when they weren’t studying. She remembered a particular time when he’d found her making pancakes from a boxed mix and had insisted on showing her how to make them from scratch.
“Here Maia, look,” he’d said, “This is folding,” He’d put on one of her aprons to make her smile, and left it on as they cooked. He’d put blueberries into the pancake batter—he’d explained that if one stirred them in too roughly, they tended to explode.
“Stir too hard and they explode all over the place. You need to do this with meringues and things too. Creams. Anything airy and anything fragile. Or both,” he’d said.
She remembered the smile on his face when she’d asked him to show her an exploding blueberry.
“They’re not as fun as marshmallows. You can give them a toothpick and stick them in the mic.” He'd showed her how to explode peeps in the microwave instead. “Only thing they’re good for,” he’d said. He was always making her laugh; she’d remembered thinking then that he was the man she wanted to marry.
Maia shook herself from the memory, returning her attention to Luke.
“Nah. Let’s have some fun! Dance with me?”
“I have to go,” she said, and put her glass down on the table. He took her wrist and she hesitated. “I’m married now, Luke. Married, with a baby. And I’m happy.”
Her response seemed to surprise him. He slowly released her. His eyes had gone cold. “Well, then.” His expression was set in a firm line.
“Right, I never got a chance to congratulate you. You must have forgotten to invite me to the wedding.” He left her side, looking over his shoulder at her after he’d gone a few feet. Maia felt sick. They’d been friends as kids, but as they’d grown, the more she’d gotten to know him, the more of a stranger he’d become. She was concerned by his presence. Had he come to harass her? Had he come to ruin Lissie’s wedding reception? She intended to make her way towards Elise and warn her, but found herself beside Toby instead.
“There you are,” he said. “I was just looking for you.” The last time Toby had worn this costume was last Halloween. He’d reworked his pirate costume into something more elegant for the wedding reception. He didn’t really fit the roguish look well. His hair was clean and combed neatly, and Maia always thought he looked better casual than in his work suits. She so rarely saw him at ease; but he did look dashing. He took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze when he saw her expression.
Luke wasn’t very far away. Maia knew she couldn’t risk asking Toby how things were going with the man working with him.
She pulled Toby aside when Luke returned to the refreshment table.
“Be careful,” she warned. “Please. I have a feeling he’s up to something.”
She remembered the first time he’d done something like this. She’d been walking home from school after cheerleading practice, and she didn’t think much of him following her. She remembered being more concerned about Mrs’ Neighbor’s cat crossing the road safely than she had about him; they’d lived in the same neighborhood. He’d caught up to her, once she’d seen the orange tabby safely to the other side. He’d grabbed her wrist. “Hey Maia,” he said, she remembered, like this was normal behavior, “go out with me?”
She refused. Of course she had, she’d been so startled by him coming so close behind her. “I have to get home,” she’d said, “I have a ton of homework and it’s due tomorrow. I can’t believe I forgot!”
Lies between them had become more common between them after that, at least, from her. She remembered some of the excuses she’d given him to get away. Sometimes it was homework. Sometimes she had plans with her friends, sometimes she had to go to the store with her mom, that she’d promised to help her dad around the house. Those excuses seemed to happen at least twice a week through most of high school. Every time she went on a date, his presence in her life seemed to double. He had started attending her cheer practices, and even joined drama club when she had.
Toby paused and studied his wife. He gave her hand another squeeze. “He was on your page earlier, but I think I dealt with it.” When Maia still looked concerned, he added; “What do you want to do?”
What did she want to do? She wanted to go home. But she wanted to be there for her friends, too. She felt torn. She sighed. She couldn’t leave and cause a scene. What if Luke followed them home?
Luke returned with a beer before Maia could give a verbal response; he quickly began a conversation about the bride and groom—how did Toby know them? Where had they met? He didn’t seem to include Maia, but his eyes never veered from her.
“They were my wife’s friends in college, so I met them when we started dating,” Toby said, releasing Maia’s hand only to loop his arm around her waist. “I don’t think Lissie liked me much, back then.” He looked to Maia, trying to pull her into the conversation.
Maia forced a smile. “She didn’t,” she agreed. “Didn’t you get sick just as I introduced you?”
Toby hesitated. He’d apparently forgotten that. “You know, that might be why… That poor carpet.” The tension died a bit as the couple laughed. It was like Luke wasn’t there, until he spoke up.
“So you met Maia in school?” There was something about his expression that Maia didn’t like. He was smiling, but it was in a way that seemed tight and didn’t reach his eyes. It worried her. Something seemed different about him; it was worrisome. She didn’t know what’d changed in him, so many years ago. After she’d started dating in high school, he’d gotten possessive of her time. He’d started getting angry with her, when she’d been unable to make time for him.
Toby didn’t seem to notice the tension between them, or if he did, he did so quietly. “Yeah,” he began, “we didn’t have any classes together until the second semester of freshmen year, though. I was studying business, and of course, you know Maia wanted to major in history.” He turned and smiled at his wife. She’d changed her mind before they’d graduated; she preferred helping others to books. She’d taken interpersonal communications classes and learned to be an efficient speaker. Her interview was for a counseling job. She hoped it would become a career.
The frown on Luke’s face was almost audible. In the awkward silence that followed, Maia could hear her heart beating, even with the music playing in the background. It sounded distant and muted to her ears. “Let’s dance,” she said, then. Anything to get away from Luke. He’d frightened her in high school with his obsessive interest in her, but now… He’d sought her out, he’d come here to target her. She wanted to leave. She wanted to call their babysitter and make sure Sylvia was alright. Would Luke have stopped there first? What if—would he have hurt her? She needed to know. She held up a finger to Toby to indicate she’d be back in a moment. She stepped aside and made the gap between them larger as she quickly dialed the babysitter’s number. She hesitated for a moment before putting it to her ear. Was she being silly?
“Hey Mrs. Aikley,” came the voice from the phone. “How’s the reception?”
“It’s going,” Maia began, awkwardly looking around to make sure Luke wasn’t listening to the conversation. “Lucy, did anyone stop by earlier?”
“Nah, it’s just been us. Sylvie learned how to use that awful car earlier,” the babysitter sounded long suffering. Maia knew the one she was talking about; it was a v-tech light up police car that played music with flashing lights. “She kept hitting the buttons until I put her down for her nap.”
“Can you check on her for me?” This wasn’t the first time they’d had Lucy babysit for them. It had been hard for Maia to be away from the baby, but Toby had insisted that there were times when they needed a night away. She’d personally interviewed several teenagers before finding Lucy to be the best match.
“Oh, sure.” There was a silence in which Maia assumed the teenager headed for the baby’s nursery. “She’s all good, Mrs. Aikley. Wide awake, the bugger, gave me the biggest smile.” There was another silence, and then a baby’s gurgle. Lucy must have heard the concern in Maia’s voice, because her phone began to light up with pictures.
“Hey baby!” Maia felt her heart lighten. He hadn’t been by, them. The baby was safe. “I’ll see you in a few hours, Lucy. Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do, Mrs. Aikley! Have fun!”
Maia hoped fun was still possible. She hung up her phone and tucked it into her dress. She went to join Toby, who’d been talking to Greg animatedly about something they’d read in the newspaper, it sounded like. She hadn’t heard the full conversation.
“I promised Maia a dance,” Toby excused himself, and gave Greg a smile before offering Maia his hand.
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, once they were on the dance floor. “I thought this had stopped in college. Remember when he came to our class?” He’d shown up in the middle of their science final, declaring love for Maia. She’d thought then that she’d need a restraining order, but once she’d rebuffed him, he hadn’t come again.
“I found out about it today,” Toby admitted. “I thought I could stop him. I told him I’d call the cops if he did anything. I didn’t want to worry you about it.” He studied her for a moment. “Please don’t worry,” he said. “You have enough to worry about, with the job and Sylvie. I know going back to work hasn’t been easy on you.”
She looked almost sad, then. She hated to have to leave Sylvie at home, even if it was with her aunt and uncle. “I love you,” she said, as they slowly roved in a circle. He’d always been so understanding of her feelings; especially those about their baby. Leaving Sylvie to go back to work was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. Their dancing had little substance to it. It was an unending loop as the song played. The song stopped, but neither seemed to notice. They continued to dance.
Screams sounded. The couple stopped and looked, not separating. Their hold on each other instead became tighter, like a sweater that had been stretched after being washed. The refreshment table was on fire. Luke was standing in front of it. He was grinning in a wicked, cruel way, the expression Maia hadn’t liked earlier had become tenfold. He had a microphone.
“How you all doing? Let’s see! Children may leave.” He paused as people scrambled for the door. “NOT THEIR PARENTS!” he shouted, causing people to freeze. “Not their parents,” he repeated, into the microphone, more calmly. He pointed a gun loosely towards the dance floor, at the couple there.
“I came here for a good time. I came to talk to the woman I’ve loved since I was a child, and she ignores me! She chose another man over me! I gave her all I had, and it wasn’t enough! I waited all those years. I waited for her to notice me. I’m done waiting. Notice me!” He waved the gun again, pointing it at Maia at first, and then at Toby. The fire blazed behind him. It was an impressive stance. The shadows cast by the fire crossed his face, making him look truly demonic. The fires blazed behind him; the table with gifts caught fire. The boxes crackled like salted firewood. Luke wasn’t grinning now. That impishness had disappeared from his face. There was a cruel smile in its place. He took a moment, sticking the gun barrel into the wedding cake before unsticking it and giving it a lick. “To make matters WORSE,” he continued, into the microphone, “I was never invited to their wedding! The wedding that—” he gestured wildly with the gun to Toby, a piece of frosting falling off the barrel and onto the floor, “that he stole from me.”
Maia had unclasped her hands from behind Toby’s neck. She was staring at Luke in a mixture of fear and disbelief. She couldn’t believe this. Sure, she’d always been wary of him. They’d been close as children, but he’d become stranger every year she’d known him. Distant with forced smiles whenever she’d had a date, becoming cruel to others when she wasn’t around… She’d figured something wasn’t right with him, closer to the end of high school. Still, despite being wary of him, despite all those suspicions she’d had as a teenager about his character—she’d never expected this sort of thing. The man was insane. How did she stop him? What—what was she supposed to do? How could she protect Toby? How did she stop this?
She stepped in front of Toby. “I’m sorry Luke,” she said, “but I won’t allow you to do this.” She took her cellphone out of her dress, dialing the police. The microphone was dropped, and the phone was smacked out of her hands. The clack of the phone hitting the floor startled nearby guests. The phone bounced slightly off of the floor, the screen was obviously shattered. She looked up, wide eyed.
“If you do that, you’ll miss the rest of the show,” Luke said. He took her wrist and started dragging her back towards the burning table.
Maia fought, trying to pull away, but his grip was strong. She could see the bride and groom clearly from here—and for just a moment, Maia wasn’t concerned about her own life. Lissie’s reception was ruined. The poor girl was crying. This was her fault, somehow. If she hadn’t come; if he hadn’t spotted her… Their reception would have gone beautifully. It would have been perfect. Their Victorian themed dream wouldn’t be ablaze.
Toby was the first to act. Maia hadn’t seen that expression on his face before, she noted, as she squirmed against Luke’s hold. Toby pulled his arm back and punched the guy in the face. “Keep your hands off my wife,” he said.
A fight began—Maia was released in the tussle, and hurried to call the police. A couple other people were doing the same, it seemed. Their phones were out, at least. Maybe they were recording the fight to put it on Youtube. She bit her lip and looked to Toby. He had kicked Luke’s gun away. Both men were standing, now, their lips were bloodied and Toby was sporting what would probably become a black eye.
Luke had fled near the doors, the lack of music making the sound of the lock being turned echo throughout the room. Luke wasn’t blocking the entrance, but he had people frightened. There was something about his stance that had people stopped in their tracks, watching his every move. No one dared move towards the door. Maia suspected that people were mostly in shock.
“What’s going on?” demanded a startled voice from outside the door.
“This maniac’s got us locked in!” cried a man.
“He’s set everything on fire!” called a woman.
Maia could hear voices outside the door before hearing the door unlock.
A fire engine pulled up outside. A police car pulled up beside it, two policemen hurrying out. It was raining and windy outside the hotel but the fire fighters continued to work. A voice sounded from outside, magnified by some speaker; “Everyone out!” People rushed in their finery and ruffs for the door. Maia reached for Toby’s hand. At some point, he’d bent to pick up the shattered cell phone. His eyes were wide.
“You saved my life,” she said, after a moment. She’d been sure that Luke had been about to throw her onto the burning table. She shivered at the thought, Toby wrapping an arm around her, as much a comfort to him as it was to her. Even with all her concern, even with all that she had told him about Luke, it seemed Toby had never expected his coworker to do something so insane. He tucked the phone into his pocket. “People are going to worry,” she added.
“Right,” he agreed. He took one last glance around the room. Maia tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the door. She beckoned him again.
“Are you alright?” he asked, once they’d gotten outside. Firefighters were hurrying into the hotel to get the fire put out. The wedding party wouldn’t be getting their damages deposit back, someone, maybe the hotel manager, was fretting. But everyone was alright. Shaken, but alright. No one really ever expected something like this to happen, Maia knew. Not even she, someone who’d known Luke since childhood, could have predicted it. No one could have expected it; she certainly hadn’t when she’d met the little boy on her street and asked him to come play.
She couldn’t have known then. She supposed children didn’t really notice warning signs, or maybe there just hadn’t been any. What could she say to Elise now? How would she ever forgive herself for ruining her friend’s reception? It wasn’t something they could do over, a wedding, ideally, was a once in a lifetime event.
Elise came up to Toby and Maia after the fire was put out. She wrapped her arms around Maia. “I knew he was crazy, but I never…” A hysterical laugh bubbled from her lips. Her eyes were still wet. “Well… No one will ever forget today, and that’s all we wanted,” she said, and released her. It’d been an unforgettable night, just not in the way they’d wanted it to be. She wrapped her arms around Toby then. “Are you two alright?” It was so like Elise to worry about their feelings when it’d been her wedding reception that’d been ruined, Maia thought. She was still teary, but she had such heart. Maia wrapped her in another hug, and then did the same with Michael. Michael echoed Lissie’s question. Were Toby and Maia alright? He left them, after, leaving little room for an answer. He was checking on all their guests.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maia saw Luke being handcuffed and roughly led to the car. She could hear one of the police officers reciting his rights. It sounded practiced, memorized. She could hear Luke’s protests until they closed the door with a slam.
“You two okay?” Michael had come back. He’d removed his tie; it was hanging off one shoulder. His cheeks were pink, maybe from the cold wind, and his hair, once so neat, was rumpled, like he’d run nervous hands through it. No. No, they weren’t alright. But things would get better. Maia swallowed and nodded.
“We will be,” she promised.