19. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
NICK
L.A. didn’t require a thirty-day wait for a marriage license. After collecting the hard-earned paper, they headed to a church downtown to find a minister. He enjoyed Beth’s jaw-dropped expression as she took in the historical theatre building.
“This place is beautiful.” Awe filled Beth’s voice.
He looked at her. “Very beautiful.” He took her hand in his, and they crossed the street. The Tuscany-colored building towered above them, covered with intricate lacework and stained-glass windows.
Inside the grand entrance, rows of padded seating circled the main auditorium. A well-lit stage at the far end had two cameras on tripods and thick theatre curtains on either side.
“So, this is what they call a Megachurch?” Her voice sounded hollow in the large space. Beth lifted her head and made a slow turn as she took in the amphitheater. “I’ve never been anywhere like this before.”
“The world awaits you, dear Beth.” He winked. “Let’s find a pastor to conduct the ceremony. There’s eight of them on full-time staff.”
Her eyes lit up. “Would we have the service here?”
He cringed. “I’d love to, but we’d need to book months in advance. Maybe a year. And there are costs involved. I thought a minister could come to the marriage registry or an outdoor wedding. But with the video conferencing for your family, it’s better indoors.”
Beth’s face fell.
It would be a very grand wedding, if held in the theater. But he didn’t have many friends or family to validate such a huge venue. And he didn’t want to linger in L.A. any longer than necessary. He had things to accomplish.
“The offices are this way.” He gently tugged on her hand, and they walked down the dimmed corridor.
A modern-styled foyer came into view with a receptionist behind a plexiglass barrier. A mini bee-hive bun topped her head. It wobbled a bit as she tapped away and squinted at her computer screen, oblivious to their arrival. Nick cleared his throat.
“Oh, hello. Welcome to Oasis Church. How can I help you?” she said in a singsong tone.
“We’d like to meet with one of the pastors about booking a marriage ceremony.”
She peered down her nose over her glasses. “Are you a member of this church?”
“No.” He switched his weight from one foot to the other. “I’ve been away with the Navy for six months, and I travel a lot.”
“Which pastor would you like to see?”
“Any should do.”
“Okay. I’ll see if Pastor Jeremiah is free to chat with you now. Please, take a seat.” She gestured to a white leather sofa next to a water dispenser.
“Thank you,” Beth said.
Ten minutes later, they sat in a small office with a world map mural on one wall. Pastor Jeremiah wore a dark blue knitted sweater with black-ribbed jeans and boots. He’d seen the brochure and all the pastors were super trendy here. A few of them had the same haircut, a slicked wave at the front, and a fade up the sides.
Pastor Jeremiah gestured to the two armchairs. He rolled his from behind the desk and positioned himself in front of them. “How can I help you?”
Nick touched Beth’s knee. “We obtained our marriage license today, and we’d like a minister to marry us. Beth is from Australia, where we met, but the license didn’t come in time before I had to leave. Unfortunately, her father was unable to give her away, but her family will watch on video. We’d like to get married as soon as possible, as we have plans to travel to the Middle East.”
Pastor Jeremiah’s lip curled, and his brows furrowed slightly. “I see. How long have you known each other?”
Nick’s heart skipped a beat. What did that have to do with anything?
Beth straightened. “We met seven weeks ago. My father has is supportive of our decision. Nick visited our city while working for the Navy.” Beth smiled at Nick. “Instead of a long-distance relationship, we decided to marry straight away. I arrived in America last night.”
The pastor scratched at his trimmed beard. “At Oasis Church, we do pre-marriage counseling before leading a couple in marriage vows.”
Nick crossed his arms. “I’m thirty-eight-years-old, Pastor Jeremiah, and Beth is thirty-three. We aren’t twenty.”
The Pastor nodded calmly. “Last month I counseled a sixty-year-old widow and widower who wanted to marry. They weren’t offended by the idea. They embraced it.”
Nick adjusted in his seat. “How many sessions do we need to have?”
“The standard is six, but since you have plans to leave the country, we could make it four.”
Nick rubbed his head. Four. Would that be four weeks? He didn’t want to waste time.
“Okay. Another subject I wanted to discuss with you is our trip to Jerusalem. Can I share with you my vision to fund future charities.”
“Certainly.” The pastor smiled, and for the next fifteen minutes, Nick explained his dream and the contacts he’d made as the first step to secure some investors.
“Nick, I appreciate your passion for your project. Here at Oasis, we have a large outreach portfolio. Our congregation gives generously to overseas charities. But we usually sponsor ones through an oversight agency. Have you considered contacting an organization like Mission Outreach?”
“I heard that training is required and college certificates.”
“Yes, they prefer this and want accountability for funds spent.”
“Right.” Nick clapped his hands together and stood. “Well, thank you for your time, Pastor Jeremiah. You’ve given us some things to think over.” He offered his hand.
The pastor stood and shook hands with both Nick and Beth. “You’re welcome. If you decide to take up the offer for counseling, contact the receptionist.”
“Okay.” He turned to Beth and gestured toward the door. Nick couldn’t wait to get out of the office and into the fresh air.
When they were out of the building, Nick let out a sigh of relief. “What a waste of time.” He edged to the pavement, looking left and right for a clearing in the traffic. A mixture of diesel and gasoline fumes assaulted his nostrils. “Let’s get out of here.” He grabbed Beth’s hand and rushed her across the street.
Once inside his Honda Civic, he clicked the gears into reverse and the wheels let out a squeal as he zoomed out of the parking lot.
“Nick, are you okay?”
He jabbed the gear shift into second. “How do you think it went?” A touch of sarcasm laced his voice.
“Made sense to me. Most not for profits follow that protocol.”
“Rules and regulations. Policies and procedures. It gets in the way of speedy progress.”
Beth wriggled in her seat. “It’s not personal. I imagine with the dynamics of managing such an organization, there would need to be plenty of guidelines.”
“Managing and organization are an interesting choice of words. They manage the place like a business.”
“I guess we’re not behind the scenes to pass judgement.”
“Beth, we are going to do great and amazing things, and it won’t be in the confines of a building.”
She remained quiet. Did she think he was wrong?
He cleared his throat and looked to her. “The Hollywood sign isn’t far from here. You want to see it?”
Beth’s eyes lit up. “Sure. I’ve seen it on television for years, it will be surreal to see it in person. I still can’t believe I’m in America.” Beth’s voice sped up. “I could see myself visiting somewhere cheap like Bali, but never America. No reason for it. Do you think we could do a road trip one day? Travel around.”
Her enthusiasm warmed his soul. He let out a breath. “With you by my side, I’d go anywhere. To the ends of the earth and back. I love you.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m thankful every day that you’ve come into my life.”
She smiled sweetly. “I love you too.”
BETH
The weather wasn’t too different from Perth. Although winter, a nice afternoon sun came through the clouds. The wind whipped hair around her face as she stood gazing at the famous Hollywood sign.
Nick had known the quickest way to get a decent view from Lake Hollywood Park. She’d taken a few snaps with her iPhone but it didn’t look impressive on the small screen. Maybe she could buy a postcard somewhere and send it to Melissa. She’d be the only one interested. The Michaels family didn’t care much for Hollywood.
“Beth, see how the ‘D’ looks farther apart from the other letters?”
She squinted. “Yeah. Why is that?”
“Apparently they are evenly spaced. But it doesn’t appear that way. Not everything is what it seems.” Nick became silent as he stared at the sign.
Her fiancé was the philosophical sort. A deep thinker.
He spoke again. “I believe that Hollywood will continue to unravel. With the internet making megastars out of ordinary people like YouTubers, and social media dominating screen time, the traditional ways will fall away.” He stared at Beth with great intensity. “Ordinary people like you and me will not be limited by a single location. We can run our own online charity. Help millions of people.” He gripped her hand. “Do you see it, Beth?”
She blinked. See what? Nick and Beth becoming YouTubers? “Do you still want to go to Jerusalem?” Wasn’t Israel the plan?
“No limits, Beth.” He spread his arms wide. “No limits. Signs. They’re everywhere, confirming I’m on the right path.”
She raised her brows. “You are on the path or ‘we?’”
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist and swung her in a circle. She giggled like a girl. Nick loved to kid around and made her feel young. Sometimes she felt older too, because she acted much more serious. She was a practical person. Nick was the total opposite. A dreamer. The optimist.
He held her close and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Then he rested his hands on her hips, and his eyes searched hers. “Let’s book in a time and day at the marriage office. We’ll have the ceremony in their hired registry room. We need to get married. Now.” He kissed her passionately. The most he’d ever had before. It surprised her. She responded, liking the change in his affection. She wanted him to desire her, not only as an organization partner.
He stood back. “There’s more where that came from.” He grabbed her hand and nearly yanked her toward the car.
This was a Nick she hadn’t known before. Who was she kidding? Did she even know him at all? But it excited her to become caught up in his vision, Nick leading the way, and taking her places she’d never dreamed she would go.