Page 12 of Proslo

“It’s when a couple run off to get married without a big fancy thing. Just them, the justice of the peace, and a witness, who might be a friend or might be employed by the Justice of the Peace. According to the websites I found, you can pick a day, any day from as soon as the day after tomorrow, depending on the wedding package. Just some flowers and the Justice of the Peace on a public beach, fine. If we wanted a videographer and someone to play a guitar and a cake, then we might have to wait three weeks.”

“I could take a stand and have Xeranos take a vid using a tablet,” he said, looking thoughtful.

“And Mrs. Titchmarsh could be our witness,” I added.

“Do you wish a cake?”

I shook my head. “I say we find a local pastry place and hit it up, and go find some good street food.”

“Then pick your date.”

I stared at him open mouthed. “You’d really go the day after tomorrow?”

“I’d go right now if that’s what you wished.”

I thought about it for all of five seconds. After all, we were literally already married and only needed to consummate it for reasons of their biology. “I’d say we should skip the wedding since we’re already legal and all that, but then I think Mrs. Titchmarsh would find a way to come up here and give me a good what for, seeing as I promised I’d invite her to one. So, I kinda owe her that, even if it was at her own insistence.”

He chuckled and Pumpkin peered out from under the desk, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“We might be ‘legal’ as you put it, but do you feel married right now?”

I blinked. Guess I was a ceremony of some kind as well as a piece of paper kinda gal after all. “No. Let’s do it then.”

“Xeranos!” he called out.

“Hi, Dr. Proslo!” came the cheery response.

“My mate would like your assistance booking us an elopement package.”

“Oh, that sounds fun. Where to and when?”

“Guam, as soon as you can get us there, and by us, I also mean Mrs. Titchmarsh. Just a basic package, Proslo says you can make us a video if he brings a tablet and a stand.”

“Cake? Music? Flowers?”

“Just some flowers.”

“Soonest available, with a hotel stay of a week is four days from now and it includes wedding photos. That’s if a beach wedding is okay. If you want a chapel or a forest, you’re looking at two to four weeks. ”

“Beach, definitely. Do we have to stay a week starting the day of the wedding or can we go earlier?” I asked.

“You could go tomorrow if that’s your wish,” the AI quipped.

I looked at my new mate imploringly. He shrugged.

“Yes, do that,” I told him. Have us check in tomorrow, except for Mrs. Titchmarsh. She can arrive the day before and leave the day after.”

“I’ll contact Lechand and have him give her instructions on how to contact you via your tablet, so she can confirm.”

“So I do have a tablet?”

“Pinging your tablet now, so you can find it,” Xeranos said.

I followed the chiming sounds to the kitchen where I found the tablet sitting on the breakfast bar that divided it from the dining room.

I tapped the flashing icon, thinking that was how to silence it. Apparently it was. “Thanks, Xeranos!” I called out.

“Please, call me Xero. All my friends do. And I’ll send the wedding arrangement confirmations to your kunnarskyn and tablet.”