Jeff and Hilary stood before their mics. Jeff had just asked Hilary to marry him for the second time today. He had retracted the first and made a trip to the recruitment office before making his latest proposal.
"Jeff, I can't. You see, I'm married to someone else." Hilary had to keep herself from smiling at the shocked look on Jeff's face.
"You...you are? You what...when?" he stuttered
"I'm married to someone else," she repeated. "But don't worry, it has nothing to do with you or how I feel about you."
"What do you mean, it has nothing to do with me?" he asked enraged.
"I just married another man. Really, Jeff, you act as though I did something terrible," Hilary said lightly.
Betty rushed into the control room. She and Lester were whispering fervently. Finally, Betty opened the door between the control room and Studio A. "You two are off the air, and if this keeps up, it will be permanent," she threatened.
"Betty, we were just having a discussion," Hilary defended.
"On the air," Betty said. "If you two want to make a shambles of your life there is nothing any of us can do, but from now on, you will keep it off the air."
"You don't have to worry, Betty. Hilary and I are through talking," Jeff said. He turned to leave and walked to the door.
"So that's what I mean to you? You just give up?" Hilary shouted after him.
"You made your choice," Jeff said, his head slightly bowed.
"And so did you when you married that charlatan, but you want me to understand and forgive," Hilary responded.
Still not able to face her, Jeff said over his shoulder "It isn't the same. Nobody was threatening someone you care about."
"No, no, it isn't the same. You put me through Hell," Hilary said. "I put you through Hell? What do you think you've done to me since I've been back?" he countered.
"I need to know that I'm the most important thing in your life," she stated.
"You have always been," he told her.
"I also need to know that you will never abuse my trust again," she said through tears of her own.
"I will never hurt you again, I promise," he said, holding up his right hand. "But what does that matter now? You've married another man."
"Oh, that? Well, I lied," Hilary admitted.
"You..."
Betty finished Jeff's thought, "Lied? Hilary, how could you? And on the air!" she questioned.
Hilary turned her head to notice that Betty was still in the room. "Betty," Hilary said in a haughty tone, "do you mind? This is a private conversation."
"But you are the one that insisted on having it on the air," Betty reminded the couple.
"Yes, but we are off the air, as you took great pains to tell us, so if you wouldn't mind..." Hilary said with a raised eyebrow.
Betty left the room muttering about why she ever left Elkhart.
"So, where were we?" Hilary said.
"You were tugging at the noose around my neck, as usual," Jeff said.
"Just showing you what it feels like, Pumpkin. We need to be even before I can honestly accept your marriage proposal." She smiled at him.
"And what makes you think I want to marry you after that little stunt?" he asked.
"Haven't you heard? I'm irresistible." Hilary laughed as Jeff took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.
"I am so glad that you are going to meet Hilary before you leave," Jeff said, his eyes kept darting to the entrance of the restaurant.
"So am I," Frederick remarked. "I can't wait to meet the woman that makes you so happy."
"She does. I honestly don't know what I would have done if she hadn't forgiven me." A brief look of sadness crossed the younger man's face. "I hurt her terribly."
"It's forgiven and she's accepted your proposal." Frederick grinned. "There must be something in Pittsburgh's water. Ex-wives are going back to their husbands in droves."
"I wish Beth could have been here, too." Jeff looked at his dad. "I would have liked to have met her."
"You would have liked her . . . she is beautiful, intelligent, and classy... and unfortunately for me totally in love with her ex-husband." Frederick's voice had a wistful quality to it. "If I wasn't needed back at the plant, I'd give her ex-husband a run for his money."
"And you would have won," Jeff said as he patted his father's hand from across the table. "Singer men never lose the woman of their dreams. There she is." Jeff checked his watch. "And only seventeen minutes late. She must be eager to meet you."
Jeff stood and walked over to meet Hilary. Frederick stood and turned in the direction his son went. He felt a lump growing in his throat. His son was hugging Beth, his Beth.
"Dad, I'd like you to meet Hilary Booth, soon to be Singer off stage," Jeff said with a laugh. "Hilary, this is my dad, Frederick Singer." Frederick noticed that the smile had frozen on Hilary's face. He could read the confusion in her eyes.
"I . . .I. . .It's nice to meet you Mr. Singer," she said with hesitation.
"It's an honorto meet you, Miss Booth." Jeff was baffled by the disdain in his father's voice.
"Darling, you sit between us," Jeff said as he pulled out the chair. "Hilary?"
"Yes," she responded. "Oh, thank you, Pumpkin." She looked at him and smiled. Jeff took her hand in his as he sat back down.
Frederick took his seat and picked up the menu. "The food looks good here," Frederick stated as he looked at the menu. Looking over at Hilary, he added, "I hope it's as good as Chubby's. Have you ever eaten at Chubby's, Miss Booth?"
"I told you she had, Dad," Jeff interjected. "It is one of our favorite places to grab a bite."
"Yes, it is," Hilary said. "They have good food and nice desserts. The food here is quite good, too."
"You'll enjoy it, Dad. Besides, this place is more fitting a celebration," Jeff said.
"You look gorgeous, darling," Jeff said as he looked her over.
Frederick felt a rush of electricity as he looked her over as well. He had been to stunned to notice what she was wearing; a low cut black dress with flowing sleeves. He had never seen her so dressed up. But she didn't do it for you, he reminded himself. She dressed like this for Jeff
"I told you she was one-of-a-kind," Jeff boasted proudly. "The most beautiful woman I've ever met."
Hilary laughed at his statement. "You look quite dashing in your tux." She reached over to straighten his bow tie. "Will you never learn to do this yourself?"
"That's why I have you around," Jeff joked.
"So that's why you want to get remarried," Hilary said with a giggle. "You just want a dresser."
"Or an un-dresser," Jeff whispered to her as he moved closer.
Ahem. Frederick cleared his throat, trying to remind them that they weren't alone. Hilary blushed as she remembered his presence.
"I'm going to go make a call." Jeff stood.
"Scott said he'd know by now whether or not we were needed back at the station."
"I thought we had the whole night off?" Hillary asked.
"There was a chance that we may be needed, Maple wasn't feeling good," Jeff informed her. "I'll just be a moment." Jeff walked away from the table, leaving Hilary and Frederick alone.
"Well, Beth, Jeff is your imbecile of an ex-husband?" The scorn was apparant in his voice. "You don't know how proud that makes a father."
"I didn't know you were his father," Hilary said in a whisper.
"We must keep quiet, mustn't we . . .can't let our dirty little secrets out," he whispered back angrily. "Did Jeff even know that you were seeing another man?"
"Yes, he knew," Hilary replied.
"So you are capable of telling the truth," Frederick said.
"When did I lie," she said with an unmistakable twinge of outrage was in her voice, "I told you that I had an ex-husband that wanted to reconcile and that I had very strong feelings for him. I never promised you more than I could give."
"And you told me your name was Beth," he reminded her.
"I told you that was not my real name," she said.
"Why did you use it, then?" he questioned, "so Jeff wouldn't find out?"
"Jeffrey knew!" She frustratedly snapped. "I didn't tell you who I was because I was sick of being me." Her eyes misted over. "I was tired of getting hurt."
"If Jeff hurt you, why did you go back to him?" Frederick asked. "Why didn't you just tell him to go to Hell?"
"I did. Several times," she said. A slight smile came to her face as she continued, "but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He showed me that I could trust him again."
"But can he trust you?" he questioned.
"Yes," he said. "Rick, I love him."
"Maple is going to tough it out, so we are free for the evening," Jeff said as he came up behind them.
"You know, if she's feeling really bad, I could go relieve her and you could stay with your dad," Hilary offered.
"Darling, it's fine," Jeff said as he sat down. "Besides, I really want you and my dad to get to know each other. Isn't she everything I said she was?"
"And more," Rick said, staring at Hilary.
"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked.
"Yes," Frederick said.
"Madam?" The waiter said, looking at Hilary.
"I'll have the stuffed chicken breast," she replied.
"Oh, that sounds good," Jeff commented.
"You can have a taste, as always," Hilary said, smiling at him.
"Good, then I'll have the lamb chops," Jeff said. "You can have some of mine as well."
"I'll have the spaghetti. You two don't mind if I keep it all to myself, do you?" Rick joked.
"No worry there, Dad. Spaghetti is not one of our favorite foods." The band began to play and Jeff turned his attention towards Hilary. "Would you like to dance while we wait for our food?" Jeff asked.
Hilary glanced at Frederick.
He took a deep breath. "Go on, I'll be fine here."
Jeff stood and offered Hilary his hand. When they got on the dance floor he swung her around intohis arms.
Rick watched them dancing noting how well their bodies fit. He saw the love in Jeff's eyes when he looked at Hilary.And the hardest thing for his ego to admit was the love he saw when Hilary looked at Jeff.
Jeff saw the waiter bringing out their food. He escorted Hilary back to their table and pulled out her chair for her. Sitting down himself, he looked across the table at his dad. "Sorry, we didn't realize we had taken that long."
"Don't give it a second thought," Frederick said. "I would like to propose a toast. To my son Jeffrey and to Hilary, the woman whom he loves...I wish you all the happiness."
"Thank you." Hilary smiled at Frederick. "That means a lot."
"Dad, will you be able to make it to the wedding?" Jeff asked. "This will be the last one ever, so it would be nice if most of our families could be there."
"When is the happy occasion?" Frederick asked.
"New Year's Eve," Jeff beamed.
"Valentine's Day," Hilary said at the same time.
"Hilary, I thought we agreed we'd get married on our anniversary?" Jeff said.
"Yes, and February 14th is the anniversary of our un-divorce," she said with a giggle. "This is the last wedding for either of us and I want it to be right. No running away in the middle of the night or on the spur of the moment. We need to have time to think about it so the day after the nuptials one of us isn't arrested for homicide."
"But two and half months? Hilary, that will be torture!" Jeff complained.
"My specialty," Hilary joked.
"So, Dad, you available for February 14th?" Jeff asked.
"I will do all possible to be here and hopefully get one dance with the bride," he said with a smile.
"The bride will be honored," Hilary said.
"Um, Dad, I'm inviting Mom as well," Jeff informed him.
"Jeff, we have been talking. I'm sure we can stay civil with each other," Frederick said.
Epilogue
February 14th 1942
"Happy, darling?" Jeff said as he came up behind his bride and hugged her around the waist.
"Unbelievably," she replied. "Not only do I have the world's most handsome husband, legally this time, but my family is behaving themselves."
"So is mine," Jeff snickered. "My brother hasn't tried to tackle me once and my parents have danced every dance together."
"You know, I think this may be the start of something new," Hilary teased.
"Between my parents?" Jeff said. "Don't be silly, they're divorced."
"You're right. What girl in her right mind would re-marry a Singer when she's free of him?" she laughed.
"You will never be free of me, Hilary," Jeff whispered in her ear. "I'm your fate."
"You are my life," Hilary said as she turned to face her husband. "Do you think anyone would notice if we snuck out early? I need to be alone with you."
"And if they did, what would we care?" Jeff said as he pulled Hilary against him, his mouth gently brushing against hers.
"Our son looks very happy Rick." Michelle said.
"Yes, he does," agreed Rick, "and you look even more radiant than the bride."
Michelle blushed at the compliment. She would be eternally grateful to her new daughter-in-law for insisting that she come along when she got her hair and make-up done.
"You want to sneak out early and have a bite? Would anyone mind?" Rick said with a mischievous grin.
"And if they did, what would we care?" Michelle responded with a huge smile.
The End