After the chaos of the morning, Mary left the estate, ard with strategies to handle the social dia nightmare we had found ourselves in. My father poured a glass of whiskey.
"Drink up, son," he said, sliding the glass across the table. "So, three weeks for the wedding, huh? You ready to be a married man?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure. I an, one minute I'm having a greasy burger, and the next, I'm planning a wedding to a woman who thinks my cologne is overwhelming and my suit looks ridiculous."
"She's not wrong," he said, raising his glass. "You did look stupid in the picture."
I groaned, finishing my drink. "Thanks for the pep talk, Dad."
"She's a good girl, Richard,"
"I know, Dad, that's the problem. I don't know if she can handle the pressure. I an sotis, I feel like I am going to break her. How is she going to handle a world full of sharks and looking for one opportunity or the other to wreck your reputation,"
"Sounds like you already like this girl," my father smiled and then chuckled. "I am so glad I am retired. I have all the ti in the world to watch this unfold,"
I stood up to drop my glass in the kitchen when I heard my mother's voice. I stood behind the door eavesdropping, I have no idea why I did that but I assud I might get a glimpse of the side Nita refuses to show .
"I know that this might seem overwhelming and I also know that I haven't been helping with the way I push you... I also know that this marriage isn't sothing you want... I'm old, not stupid, dear. I just need you to know that Junior is a good boy. He will do right by you. Just, please take care of him for because he won't let do it,"
I didn't hear Nita say anything so I walked in just as she gave my mum a hug.
"A hug! You must be feeling generous today. You won't even let hold you,"
"Well, no holding until the wedding night," my mum snapped and headed out of the kitchen. There was an awkward silence at first before she quietly said
"Wedding night? I totally forgot about that. What are we supposed to do?"
"Take a chill pill, woman! I know what to do, I can teach you..." I teased.
"Don't even play Jun... Richard. We had an agreent," Look at that, she is learning.
"I know, I know. We will work sothing out, don't worry."
"How can we work sothing out when it seems like soone is always watching your stupid ass at every corner. What if the press gets suspicious and uncovers our arrangent?"
"Now you are just being paranoid. It's going to be fine. Trust ,"
The rest of the day passed in a blur. At 10pm, my mum chased out of the house to head to my own house a few blocks down. As I walked to the car, my phone beeped.
Nita: I love your mum more every day. Can she join us on our honeymoon?
: You actually think my mum will chase out after we are married. In three weeks, she'll be requesting for grandchildren.
Nita: shit!
*****
The next morning, the news broke. Nuro's heir is getting married. The press was parked in front of the office building. My personal assistant had to open the private entrance for my personal guests to get through.
Towards lunchti, I was about to call for lunch when Gwen barged into my office. Our relationship was sort of complicated. She was not my girlfriend, she was just the girl I called to have sex. She was the ex-beauty queen and the influencer for Nuro Jewelries.
"Richard!" she snapped, slamming a newspaper on my desk. "Care to explain this?"
I glanced at the headline: "Corporate King Set to Marry Burger Queen."
"Hello to you too, Gwen," I said, leaning back in my chair. "do I have to explain?"
"I had to find out about your engagent from a tabloid? Do I an that little to you?"
"I am guessing my account balance will be doing the apologizing?" I began, standing up to close the office door. "My mother arranged the engagent ... it's a family thing."
"Arranged marriage?"
"You could say that. Can we not discuss personal issues, Gwen? I'll see you during the week. I have a lot of work to catch up on," I said rubbing my forehead.
"Richard, it concerns too. Are you just going to toss aside after marriage?" she put a hand on her hips feigning anger.
When did I beco so disinterested in Gwen? "I don't think so. If things are going to change, I will let you know."
"Alright, sugar. I'll see you." She planted a kiss on my lips while my door opened and of course, my fiancé was standing there.
"Hey, hi, Nita," I said, as soon as my lips were free.
"Hi to you too," she said, her eyes darting to the paper on my desk. She was dressed in a pair of pants trousers and a suit jacket. She looked like an executive. My mother must have been the one to style her before leaving the house.
Gwen, always wanting to be noticed, introduced herself, extending a hand. "Hi, I'm Gwen. Ex-beauty queen and the face of Nuro Jewelries. You are?"
"I'm the burger queen," Nita said flatly, accepting the handshake.
"Excuse ?" Gwen asked,
Nita pointed at the newspaper on my desk, it took almost a minute for Gwen to get it. Sotis I think the woman exchanged so of her brain cells for beauty.
"Oh!" she mouthed. "Well, nice to et you,"
"Gwen, thank you for stopping by, I'll see you soon."
Gwen huffed, grabbed her bag, took another look at Nita, and walked out.
"You look amazing," I complinted. She really did, she had her styled in a bun and minimal makeup on.
"and you've got great taste in won, the forr beauty queen, are you kidding ?" Nita said, breaking the silence.
"Nita...,"
"I an seriously. I could lick her skin,"
"Nita, are you gay?"
"uh... what?" she gave an incredulous look.
"I an if you are, it's okay. It's just... that would explain so many things. Like the way you flinch when I touch you,"
"Have you been drinking?"
"Co on, you can tell ," I continued. It was getting hard to hold back my laughter.
"Richard, stop playing...,"
"Okay fine. It just seed like you are more attracted to her than I am," I laughed enjoying her discomfort. "by the way, what are you doing here?"
"Your mum took shopping and then made play dress up. I feel like a doll being poked and prodded. So I snuck out of the store while she was getting her hair done and found myself here. I should probably head back before she gets a heart attack when she assus I have been kidnapped."
"you have to get used to it until the wedding. You are going to get lots of beauty treatnts for the engagent and pre-wedding. If you going to be officially introduced as a Nuro to be, you going to have to endure it,"
"The things I go through for you..." she smiled and rolled her eyes.
"You can punish later for it,"
"you bet your sweet ass I will,"
I raised an eyebrow and then she replied, "Oh, grow up!"
*****
I arrived that evening at my parents' house to check on Nita and found Mrs Williams – her mother already there busy with my mum and Nita. They were going through so bridal magazines, the older won didn't notice my entrance, they were in a blissful world of their own. Nita looked in my direction with large eyes and mouthed 'Save ,'.
I smiled and shrugged my shoulders like a child refusing to do as instructed. I cleared my throat and said hi to the woman, Mrs. Williams, looked up at and said "Oh great, you're here. I have been waiting for you,"
"oh shoot ," I grumbled and Nita chuckled enjoying the instant twist of fate.
"I scheduled you both for your engagent photo shoot and I need you to look at so colors and designs for you. We have only tonight, the designer will have yours ready as soon as you pick sothing," she pulled by the arm and dragged to the floor to browse through magazines.
"I don't think this is my strong suit, just throw in anything, I approve," I tried to get out of the torture.
"oh, don't be silly. It's your wedding, you get to make your own choices," is it really?
"Look this one will be perfect for you and the background will accentuate the blue suit," my mum suggested. Okay, why the fuck do they need when they already had their own ideas.
"I an really, anything you pick out, I am sure will be perfect,"
"I am going in the kitchen for so coffee. Anybody want anything?" Nita said enjoying herself a little bit too much.
"Don't leave , please," I begged almost sounding like a baby.
"Suffer in silence," she said making the exact shoulder motion I had given her earlier.
Almost an hour later, I was finally free and I had just sat down there and agreed with whatever our mothers chose. I joined Nita in the kitchen who was on her third cup of coffee since I arrived.
"So, photoshoot tomorrow then,"
"I thought you would be used to that. There are loads of pictures of you online,"
"Yeah, but I am not in so fancy studio smiling at a cara and being forced into ridiculous poses."
She smirked, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, co on, Richie. Where's your sense of adventure?"
*****
Early the next day at the studio, we started off with holding hands, sitting positions, pretending to spin her like a ballerina; that one may have ended badly cause she tripped and fell on her ass and I just stood there laughing which earned a balloon to the head.
The photographer, a middle-aged French man, with a strange sense of fashion kept clicking away at the cara. He was eating every move up.
"Magnifique! Oh, the joy of young love!" he declared, "now, let's spice things up."
"Spice?" Nita echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Are we supposed to reenact Titanic?" I asked.
Nita giggled nervously.
"No, no, no!" the photographer exclaid. "Mr. Nuro, I want you to face Miss Williams, hold her close, hands around her waist, and lean down like you're about to kiss her, you know... just think about your wedding night when looking at her."
I chuckled a bit. If only he knew there would be no wedding night at least in the context he was implying.
I glanced at Nita, whose smile had disappeared and I could see her stiffening.
"Co on, I promise I will make your wedding night everything you always wanted," I said reassuringly knowing she would figure out my real aning. I held her into position, wrapping my arms around her gently. I stared into her eyes, Just pretend I'm a big, cuddly bear,"
She let out a shaky laugh but didn't relax.
"Now tilt your head back, Ms. Nita," the photographer instructed. "I want you to look in his eyes like you can see his soul, closer to his chest. Perfect, yes, just like that!"
Nita's breathing quickened, and she suddenly stepped away, shaking her head.
"I...I can't, I'm sorry. I can't do this" she stamred before running out of the studio.
Reviews
All reviews (0)