All of Me

Chapter 4

Diana paced in the waiting room of the city manager’s office, talking to Marty on the phone so she could release some of her ire before speaking to the woman behind the closed door who had kept her waiting for nearly an hour. “You picked a crappy time to go out of town, babe.”

“Why? What’s going on?” he asked. He sat comfortably in an overstuffed chair in his hotel room. The CEO of the stock broker company he worked for had asked him to travel to Chicago for a few days to help the newest branch of his company set up their offices.

“I’ve been in the city manager’s office for an hour, though it feels like longer. My blood pressure is through the roof, I’m sure.” She huffed out a breath. “They are refusing our permit to use the beach for the wedding,” she told him, anger making her words harsh.

“What’s the reason? We’ve agreed to pay all the fees, hire a cleanup crew. Hell, we even agreed to hire city cops as security. What else do they want?” Marty asked, his irritation spiking.

“I don’t know. It’s so damn ridiculous,” she grumbled as the city manager’s secretary stared at her with a stern expression on her face. She stared right back, daring the woman to shush her or comment on her language. “That’s why I’m still here. I’m waiting to speak to the actual city manager. I’m assuming she has some power.”

“Okay, babe, I can hear it in your voice,” Marty said in a voice he hoped was soothing, not patronizing.

“Hear what in my voice?” she asked hotly.

 “You need to calm down or that woman isn’t going to help you. You know that,” he warned, his attempt to soothe her irritating her instead.

“I will be calm. Polite, blah blah. As long as she has a decent reason for denying us the permit.”

Marty chuckled. “Sure you will. At least start out with polite conversation. Too bad it’s not a dude. You could charm him with your feminine wiles.” He laughed harder as a thought popped into his mind. “Oh, maybe she’s gay.”

“Oh my God, Marty. Now is not the time for your idiocy,” she growled, her anger dialing down a notch, thanks to his stupid joke. The door to the office opened behind her. She glanced at the city manager, waiting in the doorway staring at her, and said, “I have to go. She’s ready to meet with me.”

“Good luck, babe. Love you.”

“Love you.” She hung up and stuck her hand out as she walked towards the woman. “Hello, I’m Diana DeRay. Thank you for meeting with me.”

“Hello, Ms. DeRay, I’m Maria DeLaSantos. Please, step into my office.” She turned and led Diana into the office, which was plain except for city ordinances framed and hung on all the walls. The carpet was a hideous brown and cheap. The woman’s desk was bare but for a cup with pens, a cup filled with coffee, and a box that held papers.

Diana looked for any personal effects like pictures, but there were none. The office was a work space only. Diana wondered if the woman had a family and surreptiously looked at her left hand. No ring. Well, I won’t be appealing to her heart, Diana grumbled internally as she took a seat in front of the woman’s desk.

Ms. DeLaSantos sat behind her desk and clasped her hands in front of her, leaning on her desk. Her unsmiling face was discouraging. “So, Ms. DeRay, how may I help you?”

Diana narrowed her eyes. The woman knew very well why she was in her office. Play it nice, Diana. “My fiancé and I are trying to get a permit to have our wedding on the beach. However, without a reason given, we have been denied. I would really like to know why and if there is anything we can do to reverse the decision.”

The woman nodded sagely and lifted a paper off her desk. “Your fiancé is Marty Walter. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” Diana answered as confusion spread through her mind. “He and I had a venue, but it fell through. We love the beach, we love this area, and we want to get married here. We’ve visited many times.”

“Yes,” she mused thoughtfully, drawing out the word as if giving herself time to think. “Ms. DeRay, you and your fiancé don’t live here, do you?”

With an eyebrow raised sarcastically, Diana shook her head as she said, “No, we do not.”

“So you and your husband don’t pay taxes here,” Ms. DeLaSantos added, looking satisfied.

Diana’s nostrils flared as she realized where the conversation was headed: a big fat no. She reined in her temper with a deep breath, smiled, and told her, “Ms. DeLaSantos, we don’t pay taxes because we do not live here. However, we had every intention of not only paying the price for the permit, we were also going to hire a cleaning crew from this area, hire a restaurant here to cater, and hire your off duty police officers for security. Our wedding will bring many guests for the weekend to your city, guests who will spend money in your restaurants, shops, and hotels.”

The woman nodded as Diana spoke, but her facial expression did not change from the determined no in her eyes. “I understand that for one weekend, your city friends will be here spending money. However, my main concern is the actual number of people you’ll bring. Our little town isn’t equipped for that kind of influx.”

“Influx?” Diana asked, her voice rising a little. “Honestly, we are inviting only about a hundred people. “Influx” is a large word that doesn’t work in this instant.”

Ms. DeLaSantos’ eyebrows raised, and Diana realized she’d made a mistake. “Ms. DeRay, a hundred or a thousand, it makes no difference. Our little town isn’t used to so many people at once.”

“So your little town nor its businesses could use the tourist dollars my friends and family will bringin?” Diana asked, incapable of hiding her sassiness. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe I read on your website that in the summer specifically, your town welcomes tourists.”

“We are a tourist town,” she acknowledged haughtily, a smirk on her face. “In the summer.”

They stared at each other for a pregnant pause. “So you’re refusing our permit as well,” Diana stated.

“Yes, I’m refusing your permit,” she replied haughtily.

Diana rose and let her temper flare. The smile she bestowed on the woman was vicious. “Ms. DeLaSantos, thank you for taking the time out of what must be a busy schedule, considering I waited for almost an hour to speak with you so you could be rude to me.” She raised her hand when the woman opened her mouth to protest. “You were rude, insinuating that my fiancé and I are the kind of people who have friends that would trash your precious little community. The amount of tourist dollars we would have spent and brought in would have made for a nice weekend for your citizens. Have a nice day in your sh*thole of an office.”

Diana jerked around and stomped out the door, slamming it behind her. The secretary jumped and stared at her, and though Diana was tempted to flip her off, she refrained and left the building. Once in her car, she burst into tears. She reached for her phone and called Rena.

“Hello, Diana,” Rena answered. “What’s up, friend?”