Just thought I’d ask again.
Do ya need a lift to town?
No thank you.
I’ll meet you there.
Grand. See ya soon.
There was no reason to wait. Xeni grabbed her things and drove into town.
The Kinderack Town Hall was easy to find. It was less than two blocks from Mr. Barber’s law office and circus of lies. Xeni found a parking space easily and made her way up the stone steps into a brick building that looked like it might have been a church at one point. Inside, the wood floors were unevenly worn, giving the main entrance a sense of history, but the bright fluorescent lights sucked all the warmth out of the place. Xeni looked at the directory on the wall and found the number for the clerk’s office just as the door opened and Mason McInroy stepped inside.
“Hello,” he said as he took off a Yankees baseball cap. A strange heat rose in Xeni’s chest at the sound of his voice. It was just an accent, but something about that accent made her want to do things. His general thickness didn’t help either. She looked him up and down, more closely this time. This was a man who did not skip leg day or a meal. The roundness of his belly and his broad chest seemed to bend the McInroy Farm t-shirt to his body’s will in a strangely appealing way.
She had to ignore the sudden way her clit seemed to spark to life at the thought of his body. Xeni was focusing on staying numb. Numbness and crisp efficiency. She didn’t have the time or the emotional bandwidth to find her potential husband attractive. She glanced at the manila envelope tucked under his arm.
“How’re you faring this morning?” he asked.
“I’ve had better days, not gonna lie. Ready?”
“After you. And I have to say, you look very beautiful today. I like your dress.”
“Oh. Thank you. You look very handsome as well. I like what your beard is doing,” she said motioning in the general direction of his face.
“I spend my days in a messy apron. Seems like a good idea to at least have my face in order.”
“Well, you’re doing a bang up job,” Xeni said, reminding herself instantly why she’d sworn off men. She always sounded like a complete bonehead whenever she engaged with them. Mason took pity on her though and nodded down the hall.
“Let’s get on with this.”
“Right.” Xeni turned on her heels and led the way, suddenly very aware of the mass of energy following behind her. They entered the town clerk’s office and started a line behind an elderly White man in a red cap. Xeni almost turned around and walked right out, but when he turned and gave them both a friendly nod, she saw that his hat said MAKE ME YOUNG AGAIN.
It was cute and all, but people really needed to rethink their novelty apparel. He grabbed what he needed and then it was their turn. A woman with greying blonde hair who wore her two-pack-a-day habit all over her skin waved them over.
“Hi. We’d like to apply for a marriage license,” Xeni said. “And is there any way we can expedite it?”
The woman’s eyes narrowed for a moment as she considered Xeni, then Mason.
“One moment.” She sat down at her desk, pressed a couple keys on her keyboard, then slid back in her chair and pulled open a filing cabinet. Her fingers shuffled with frightening speed. There was something terrifying about competent and confident government employees. Her eyes scanned the piece of paper in her hand before she slid her chair back to the counter.
“Just fill in that information there. And I need to see some ID.” Xeni took the application form and saw her and Mason’s names and addresses already filled in under Spouse A and B.
“Wait. Why—”
“Sable Everly’s your aunt. She came by a couple of weeks ago and told me you two would be in for a license. It’s all paid for.”
“What?!” Xeni shouted in something that could only be described as a hysterical laugh.
“I just need to see your birth certificates and your IDs and we’ll get this taken care of for you.”
“I’m—I’m sorry.” Xeni was positive she was having a stroke. “What was your name?”
“Deborah. Deborah Billings.”
“Nice to meet you, Deborah. Could you excuse us for a moment?”
“Sure. Take your time.”
