Wedding Story

The guys at the fire department were famous for their honeymoon serenades and other wedding-night stunts, like kidnapping the bride and scurrying away with her, leaving a bewildered groom. In fact, Mark was usually their ringleader, coming up with the best ways to harass the newlyweds as one by one, their fellow firefighters took the marital plunge. Now it was his wedding, and he and Julie were worried.

The plane for their Maui honeymoon didn't leave until the day after the wedding, which meant they would be staying in town after the ceremony. What they really wanted to do was spend their first night together as a married couple in the townhouse that would be their new home. But it was risky. If anyone found out where they were, there would surely be a record number of pranks. That's why he and Julie jealously guarded the secret of their wedding night destination. In the days just before the ceremony, they planted a few false hints with friends, family, and their soon-to-be neighbors that they would be staying at a nice little inn not far from the airport.

After the reception, the firefighters predictably chased Mark and Julie as they sped away. But thanks to Mark's evasive maneuvers, the newlyweds outran them, and eventually wound their way back to their new home. They sighed with relief as they pulled into their garage, apparently unnoticed by neighbors. And the honeymoon began.

Even though it was hot that August evening, Mark decided it would enhance the romance if he built a fire. Meanwhile, Julie cranked up the air conditioning and placed big comfy pillows around the fireplace so they could watch the flames.

It was all so romantic, so perfect, so… horribly embarrassing when the front door burst open. But it was hard to estimate who was more startled... the honeymoon couple... or the firefighters who rushed into the house dragging a big fire hose.

No, it wasn't Mark's friends playing their usual pranks. It seems neighbors saw smoke rising above the townhouse, which they were told would be vacant till after the honeymoon. As concerned citizens, they naturally called the fire department.

Needless to say, it wasn't the quiet, romantic night Mark and Julie envisioned. But it was memorable!