Tying The Knot..... Literally

CHAPTER 2: The Honeymoon Caper

Our eyes met, and for a moment, the chaos around us faded away. In the dim lamplight, I saw a spark of something unexpected in Theo's eyes - a shared sense of rebellion, a hint of adventure. It was a far cry from the stiff, proper image I had of the HarryMyPotter-heir-to-be.

"So," Theo finally said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine, "what now, runaway bride?"

My lips curved into a mischievous smile. "The world is our oyster, Barty-Barty-Barty. Or, well, at least the part of the world that isn't actively searching for us."

He chuckled, a rich, warm sound that filled the quiet street. "And what exactly are we looking for in this oyster?"

"Adventure," I declared, my eyes sparkling. "Love, if we're lucky. And maybe a place where I can finally wear mismatched socks without judgment."

I scanned the deserted street, my mind racing. "We can't stay here. They'll be searching everywhere. We just need to disappear for a while, lay low until things cool down."

Theo raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. "Disappear? You do realize we're the most talked-about couple in the city, right? Disappearing won't be easy."

"My friend Dollar!" I declared, my eyes lighting up. "He's a bartender with a heart of gold and a questionable moral compass, but that's beside the point!"

We navigated the alleyways, NoMoney The Cat perched precariously on my shoulder, his wig askew, looking like a disgruntled Pomeranian judge. Finally, we reached a dimly lit club, its sign proclaiming "Dollar's Follies: Elixirs for the Eccentric." Music was playing loudly inside with drunk people dancing around.

Dollar, my lovely middle-aged friend, with greys peeking out of his black hair, not that he would admit and a twinkle in his eye that could outshine a disco ball, greeted us with a grin from behind his bar counter. "Periwinkle! What brings you to this fine establishment at this ungodly hour in that getup?"

I explained our adventure, embellishing the tale with dramatic flair over the loud music. Dollar, ever the opportunist, saw an opportunity for gossip.

"My, my," he chuckled, twirling his impressive mustache like a villain in a silent movie. "What a caper you've stumbled into! So, spill the beans, why are you two rascals gracing my humble abode?"

"Well, you see, we're in a bit of a pickle and we need a hideout for a spell. Thought you might be our knight in shining armor, so to speak," I said with a cheeky grin.

"Ah, well, as much as I'd love to play the hero, I'm afraid my hideout hospitality might not be up to snuff for your grand escape."

"Ah, come on now, we're willing to grease your palms," I offered, making it rain imaginary cash in the air. "Cash, Venmo, PayPal, UPI you name it. We're flexible with our gratitude."

I could practically see dollar signs dancing in his eyes like cartoon characters. A heart of gold, indeed, buried under layers of greed. Suppressing a laugh, I followed him, knowing our fate rested in the hands of this money-hungry goblin.

"Is he trustworthy?" Theo whispered nervously in my ear, his voice tinged with doubt.

"Trust me, he's as trustworthy as a fox guarding the henhouse," I whispered back with a wink, reassuring my jittery accomplice.

Sneaking out the back door of the club, we trailed behind Dollar like amateur spies, tiptoeing to not attract attention to the sorry state of his car which seemed like it was held together with sheer willpower and a prayer. As we crept along, trying not to draw attention, my eyes caught sight of two girls having a night that was going downhill faster than a greased pig on a waterslide.

One of them was hunched over the wall, emptying her stomach like a broken vending machine, while the other was unleashing a verbal assault on whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the other end of her phone call. Her insults were flying like confetti at a clown convention, hitting harder than a punchline at a bad comedy show. Was it "Your parents must regret not just sleeping without any further actions that night" or was it "Condoms come with a 99% effectiveness warning because of jerks like you who make it to the other 1% !"

I couldn't help but pause for a moment, tempted to eavesdrop on the drama unfolding before me. It was like witnessing a juicy episode of a reality show. But alas, duty called, and we had places to be. It was a shame missing out on such gossip. But hey, that's life -
sometimes you've got to sacrifice entertainment for the sake of survival.