Mark looked at her, astonished at her emotional outburst, but she was so sweet, so lovely, so incredibly pure and innocent, that he just couldn't tell her no. Why should they wait any longer? He was on his way, had the backing of DesirЋe's father and of the Party. He would need a good woman by his side, and he stood a much better chance of getting elected if he was married, a family man and not open to allegations that he might be, unmarried at his age, homosexual. Yes, getting married right now would be just the thing.
Mark nodded and hugged her tightly. "Sure, baby. We'll get married as soon as we can put it all together." He looked at DesirЋe's father, who nodded his approval.
And so, less than a month later, DesirЋe became Mrs. Mark Denning, several months shy of her twenty-first birthday. Dressed all in white, she hurried to the limousine with her tuxedoed groom, watched by all their friends, from the community and from their former life in Chicago. Watched by many eyes, she rode away, from their garden reception, with her only love to their honeymoon in the Caribbean, far away where she could forget her troubles, and her sordid and sinful memories.
Many people watched her go, Pastor Hemmings, who had married them, Clete Anderson, who still had his own plans for her, and from the cover of the trees, Lobo saw her and recognized her and waited until she would come back to him one day.