Granny Mentioned It

I gulped, and returned the crushing hug she gave me. It knocked the breath out of me.
"Can't... breathe," I choked. She was almost as strong as Roman.
"Oh," she moaned, embarrassed. "Sorry."
I pulled back from her arms and wiped the tears off her face. "Chad would hate me if he saw his beautiful bride like this."
She rolled her eyes and pointed to the jewelry counter.
"Buy these as well," Melissa said as she ran her fingers over a pack of earrings. They were sparkling diamonds and the price proved they were real.
I paid for the wedding gown, the maid of honor dress, the lingerie and earrings. Kyle and Sarah returned and Kyle looked completely drained.
"I'm so hungry," he complained in a quiet voice. "We didn't find anything that matches the ring."
I barely listened as Kyle whined about the lack of choices in the wedding store. Melissa, thankfully, received a call from her wedding planner and as we hurried through dinner at a local Chinese restaurant I was counting down the seconds until I could see Roman again.
Kyle took me under his umbrella as we darted through parking lot.
And there Roman was, waving us to his direction. All my agitation dissolved completely the second he smiled at me and I tried not to stare and certainly not to show too much enthusiasm. I hadn't actually expected him to come fetch me, not in the sheeting rain.
Melissa gave me a strange look.
I raised my eyebrows in question.
"You like him," she hissed in my ear. "I won't encourage you to lose your virginity to this Bradley dude when your heart is somewhere else."
I was stunned.
"Don't even expect that one call I promised. I won't 'talk you through' a decision you'll regret."
I smiled at her. If only she knew. "Thanks."
Kyle was shaking his head in disbelief while he let out a whistle. "I would have him, right now, if he were on offer."
"Yeah." I was out of breath. No surprise there.
"Roman!" I failed to hide my excited relief. "Let's go."
Roman caught my arm as I ducked under the car in the passenger seat. "Don't be rude, introduce me to your friends."
"Oh." I gasped, surprised, and my cheeks flamed. "I'm sorry. I'm just in a hurry. This is Mel. You already know Kyle." And with that I was in the car, this time Roman let me close the door.
"I'm Roman Reeves," he said in that lucrative voice, that begged nuns to go disregard everything they believed in. "Sorry about that, seems Nuru is in a hurry."
As he took ahold of Melissa's hand. I almost felt sorry for her. Her eyes were wide and I could have sworn I saw her shiver slightly.
Kyle nodded, still apprehensive about the first time they met.
"Excuse my rather ungentlemanly behaviour on our first encounter," he gave Kyle that smoldering gaze he usually unleashed on me.
Kyle staggered backwards a step. "It's alright."
"Thanks for the gift," Melissa said. "It was the best."
Roman glared at me. "No need to thank me."
"Come now," I said impatiently. "We need to get home." I was surprised my voice sounded like a command.
Kyle and Roman shared a look and they all laughed in earnest at me.
"Yes ma'am," Roman said going around the car. "I'll see you around." He nodded towards Melissa and Kyle.
I attacked Roman the second he was strapped in. I wound my arms around him and kissed his neck, his cheek, his eyes. I craned his neck to the side and then turned him to the other side.
When I met his gaze he was looking at me curiously.
"Just wanted to make sure you aren't hurt," I told him.
He shook his head and sighed. "I'm fine." And then he crushed me against his chest again.
When he let go he sighed in contempt and quickly took in my scent. Instantly he was calmer, his rigid muscle relaxed.
"What did you do today?" I asked, staring at the rain pouring buckets now.
"My world ceased to have meaning," he paused and looked at me thoroughly. "You're my very essence."
I listened to the calming sound of the rain and closed my eyes. "Keep talking."
Somewhere in the middle of the one sided conversation, the relaxing tone of his voice took effect, I sank into unconsciousness.
I slept in. It was well into two in the afternoon when I finally crawled out of bed, my body throbbing from having slept so long.
"Good afternoon," Roman said.
"Yes. It's always a good day when I start it with a healthy dose of Roman's face."
He frowned. "You were exhausted last night. Slept through everything."
"Oh?" I asked. "Something I missed?"
"No. But I missed you."
My heart ached. "Sorry."
"I'll make us something to eat," he chuckled in relief. I frowned, confused by his agitation. "Go shower while I'm at it."
"What's wrong?" I asked, hating the sadness that had just disappeared in his eyes.
"I'm just glad to be able to look in your eyes again." He laughed. "Plus it's sunny today."
"It's never sunny in Port Edward."
He drew back the curtains and sure enough the sky was the blue of a blank television. It was the sunniest day in all Port Edward history.
"It's sunny!"
He laughed at my enthusiasm. "I told you. Now let's get this day started. I'm sure there'll be stars tonight. I won't miss the chance to watch them. They're a relief from the constant fog."
He sprung up and crossed the room.
"I don't get a good morning kiss?" I asked him.
He froze in the doorway. "Well you said—"
I interrupted him, my voice a tad curt. "I talk gibberish most of the time."
He sighed and turned to face me. "Nuru?"
"Yes Roman?"
He smiled. "I know you wouldn't readily want to kiss me unless you wanted more."
I pursed my lips. "Ugh."
"I lost control yesterday and I..." He contemplated for a moment. "Can we try not to have a repeat. You're enough temptation as is. And if I'm to keep you a virgin, I better learn self control. You will help me with that won't you?"
I smiled. "Well..." My grin grew. "I'll see what I can do."
He rolled his eyes and silently left the bedroom.
I showered in a rush, and dressed just as swiftly. I sneaked a peek out of the window again, the sky remained a stubborn blue. I smiled and skipped out the hallway to the kitchen.
"You look fetching," he told me and then his eyes grew grave.
I didn't like that look. "Thanks."
"We have an invite."
I was suspicious when he said we instead of saying I. "We?"
"It's Ruth's birthday."
"She would never invite me to her birthday."
"Don't be silly." he wind an arm around me. "You're my date."
"What will people say?"
He frowned.
"I don't fit in at all," I told him sourly.
He sighed. "Let's eat, okay?"
I nodded and obeyed silently. I ate breakfast without chewing, the taste disappeared the second I popped it in my mouth.
The car ride was a haze of fog.
By the time we made it to the secret agents house my panic had gone hysterical.
Roman took my hand and with a deep sigh we walked to the front door with my head bowed and my eyes on the pavement-like lawn. My heart was pumping so hard that I feared it'd jump right out of my chest and fall on Ruth's cake. As if I needed another reason for the 'old hag' to hate me.
I suddenly felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I took a breath and straightened as Roman pushed the door aside.
Inside, my jaw dropped, it looked like a scene screen shot from a Cinderella movie wedding, there was a hype of activities.
The room had been cleared of all its furnitures, it was in a chaotic state of guests greetings. The men were dressed in suits made of expensive fabric and the women donned lively designer dresses. It seemed like anyone who was worth knowing was there.
I gulped. I didn't belong here at all. Most certainly not with my plain hair and plain black dress.
"Aha, Roman, sweetheart there you are!" said a woman, elderly, slim. She strode towards us in an elegant grace. Her arms were wobbling as she opened them, inviting Roman for a hug.
Roman met her halfway and hugged her for a second. "Mrs. Meyer always such a pleasure to see you."
"I quite forgot how charming you could be." She glanced around Roman's shoulder at me. "My! Who's she?"
"That's Nuru." He turned back and offered me his hand. I took it eagerly, nervously.
"Oh, yes." Awareness lit her eyes. "Your grandmother mentioned something about that. The plain girl with dead skin cells."