"Nick! You SWINE! I NEVER want to see you again!" The bride stormed out the door of the lounge past a group of wellwishers, throwing her bouquet on the ground and stamping on it as she ran, weeping noisily, tears streaking her careful makeup. "I HATE YOU!" she added over her shoulder as she ran out the doors of the reception hall.
"Nat! What's wrong? Can I - " Tracy gave up and turned to her partner as he burst hastily through the lounge door into the hall, his shirt buttoned askew, guiltily wiping a trickle of blood from his chin. "Nick, what on earth? Nat just - "
"I know Trace - keep an eye on things here will you?" he called back to her as he exited the hall after his bride. Raised voices could be heard outside.
"You!@#$%!! You PROMISED!"
"I know - could keep your voice down could you sweetheart everyone can - "
"I don't care who hears me! You two timing lout! You $%^&!! pig! You said it was over between you!"
"It is, I swear, we were - she had something in her eye, I was just - "
"Rot in hell! TAXI!"
"Nat, Nat!" could be heard receding down the street after the squeal of the tires.
'Honestly. Mortals simply cannot take a little competition," a dark, sinuous, perfectly coiffed and gowned lady remarked to Tracy as she, in turn, exited the lounge. "The little doctor could show a little respect for Nicolas' oldest friends. I was merely" - she languorously licked a stray drop of blood from a fingertip - "wishing him luck." She looked distastefully around at the onlookers. "But this grows tedious". She wafted elegantly out the door towards the cab stand, stepping courteously aside for the man in black and his long-haired companion, who staggered in supporting each other and singing a raucously obscene Spanish love song.
"Excellent taste my son has in wine", hiccupped the man in black.
The Spaniard nodded sagely in agreement, reeling with the weight of his head. "Yeah. And the guests are putting it away like water. That last little senorita was nearly 80 proof."
"Such a pleasant aftertaste it gave her." The man in black leaned against the wall for support, and slid slowly down. "But the night is young. Shall we broach another?"
"Lead on, pops." The Spaniard gave the man in black a helping hand up and together they made their way unsteadily back out into the parking lot. Outside there was a brief, strangled shriek and a thud. Soon their voices could be heard raised in song once more.
"Nick - has anyone seen Nick?" Captain Reese ran in. "There are two -" "Three now!" "I count four!" voices were heard faintly through the doors -"four exsanguinated bodies in the parking lot. So far. What the h**l is going on here?" WHERE IS KNIGHT?"
Nick skidded back into the hall. "Has Nat come back here? I can't find - "
"Nick, there's blood on your shirt! What kind of shindig are you throwing here? Do you know there have been four murders SO FAR in the parking lot?"
"Five now Cap'n - aack!" came a muffled voice. Another shriek and thud sounded faintly through the doors. "Make that six, sir!" called another voice. An inebriated vampire barbershop quartet began warbling in the street outside.
"I need answers NOW, Knight!" shouted Reese over the roar of the approaching choppers. Floodlights slid across the parking lot to the accompaniment of the steady whick-whick-whick of chopper blades and a bullhorn, "COME OUT NOW. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP. WE HAVE THE HALL SURROUNDED. "
Nick sat down on the steps and groaned, head in his hands. "I knew I should never have invited the family!"
A quiet man who had been hovering in the background came forward and tapped him hesitantly on the shoulder. "Sir? You are the groom?"
Nick nodded without raising his head.
"Uh - I'm the caterer .. can you tell me when you'll be wanting to cut the cake? ..."