Gateway Drug | Volume I

Gateway Drug | Part Fourteen

Warning(s):
Explicit language
Mentions of drug abuse
Minor sexual situations

----------

June 30, 1983 approached with the speed of a Ferrari. Our wedding day held the same nerve racking energy as skydiving: we knew that jumping was going to be a thrill, but we didn't know whether we had a body of water or pavement waiting for us, or if our parachutes even worked.

"Vivian, are you nervous?" Tansy's mother, Diane asks me as I sit with curlers in my hair, Tansy putting foundation on me and I look at her.

Diane was a Barbie. I'm almost certain that she and Vince actually slept together at some point. She was a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader from '62-'63 before she got pregnant with Tansy and moved back to Mississippi. There wasn't a time I ever saw Diane with a platinum blonde hair out of place. Public imperfection equaled social suicide in her eyes and she made sure Tansy understood it down to the science of it. But Diane never tried to stop Tansy's partying because no one else who actually mattered knew about it. Everybody in the public thought she was innocent aside from showing her body in a magazine...until Tansy "accidentally" forgot to cover the tracks on her arms with makeup at one of her photo shoots in 1987. Diane nearly had a stroke -not because her daughter was so deep in a hole she couldn't get out of by herself-but because the world had found out her kid was on heroin and she was embarrassed.

"Depends on what Nikki's response to that question was." I tell her and she laughs.

"I haven't seen him yet." She tells me and I nod, licking my lips.

"I had to get him a couple shots of Jack earlier." Tansy comments, and I look up as she dots concealer under my eyes and pats it in.

"I'd be concerned if he weren't drinking." I reply.

"As long as he's drinking, we're good?" Diane states and I nod, looking at her with a little smile.

"As long as he's drinking, we're good." I repeat. "...unless he gets sober." I add.

"If the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise." Tansy pipes and I look at her.

"That is the most backwoods thing I have ever heard you say." I mumble to her with a little chuckle.

"Mississippi." She reminds me of where she's from.

"Oh, I forget you're from Mississippi." I reply.

"Because she's got a attitude from L.A." Her mother states matter-of-fact, a sour tone to her voice.

"I'm a nice person, Mama." She argues just as Vince and Tommy are opening the door of the bridal sweet. "Guys, tell my mom I'm sweet."

"As taffy." Vince states sarcastically, and Tansy cuts her eyes at him.

"How's Nikki?" I ask Vince and he chuckles.

"He's fine." He replies to me. "We left him with Mick for a second. I was hoping I'd come in here and see some skin." He plops in a chair.

"Vince, do you not think it's inappropriate to want to see your best friend's wife naked?" I ask him, glancing at him as Tansy powders my face before applying mascara.

"You're not married yet, Saint Viv." He retorts, raising his brows.

"No, but you are." Tansy tells him smartly. "Should I go get Beth to come tighten your leash?"

"I'll tighten your leash." His voice is overly sexualized, looking her up and down and she pretends to gag in disgust but he turns it on her. "You've always had the prettiest little gag."