Marcus & Mia

by Hannah Meade

  What an interesting night this will be.

  Twenty-One

  Marcus and I arrive at the wedding with ten minutes to spare. "Marcus, you could have sped a little more."

  He gives me a look. "If I sped anymore, we would be lying in a ditch somewhere. Calm down. We are not even late." He gestures to the people still arriving behind us.

  "I like to be early, for your information. More than ten minutes early."

  Marcus rolls his eyes at me and looks ahead.

  The ceremony is outside, and it is a gorgeous day. I overheard the bride's father say he went around telling everyone, for the past week, that it was going to snow today. He tried to pull reverse psychology on nature, and it worked.

  We are in the third row, right by the aisle. I told Marcus I need an aisle seat so I can clearly see the bride and groom. He rolls his eyes at me but tells the usher as so. I am tingling with excitement, waiting for the wedding party to walk down the aisle.

  I glance around at the other guests filing in, some looking as excited as I am. I cannot wait to see the bride. I have not seen her dress yet, even though she told me I could see it beforehand. I wanted to be as surprised as most everyone else at this wedding. All I know is that she is going to look absolutely stunning today.

  "Hey, babe?"

  Without looking at Marcus, I reply. "Yes?"

  "You have a ladybug in your hair."

  "What?" I frantically begin to slide my fingers over my hair, looking for the culprit. I try to keep some composure, trying not to let my curls come undone. After about a minute, I look over at Marcus. "Can you get it out?"

  He laughs. "There is no ladybug, Mia."

  I glare and flip him off. "Fuck you."

  I ignore him through the rest of our wait, a total of five minutes.

  Some instrumental song starts playing softly, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen start walking out. I smile at all of the girls in their long, grey dresses and teal-colored flats. Yes, I purposely match the wedding colors. Marcus laughed at me when I told him that.

  The flower girl and ring bearer come out next. The bride designated her daughter to be the flower girl, which I thought was very sweet. She walks out with a little basket of rose petals, smiling at everyone and flinging the petals every which way. When she reaches halfway down the aisle, she simply runs the rest of the way. Everyone laughs.

  The groom's three-year-old cousin is the ring bearer. Like the flower girl, he just runs down the whole aisle, turning at the last second to jump into his mother's arms in the second row.

  Then comes the moment everyone is waiting for. The officiant asks for everyone to stand, and the bride walks out. I was right. She is stunning. Her dress is form-fitting all the way down to her knees, then it flares out a little. It is covered in lace all the way down the dress. Her dress is strapless, but has a lace cover up over top. That cover up continued down her arms and up to just below her shoulders. It looks amazing on her.

  Marcus interlaces his fingers in mine and whispers in my ear. "That is going to be us someday."

  I look at the bride and groom as the bride makes her way down the aisle. They cannot stop looking at each other. Once the bride arrives at the altar, they weave their hands together and grin. They look so much in love.

  I squeeze Marcus's hand. It is comforting to hear him say that.

  The officiant gestures for everyone to sit and he begins the ceremony.

  ~~~

  "Do you want anything, babe?" Marcus stands up, heading towards the bar.

  "Just a Shirley Temple, please." I smile, thinking of all the weddings I have gone to and how I have gotten Shirley Temples at every single one.

  He laughs. "What? No alcohol?"

  I shrug. "Maybe later. I have to get a Shirley Temple first, though. It is a tradition."

  He smiles and walks off, leaving me alone at our table.

  I glance around at the reception area, marveling at how beautiful it looks. The lights are dimmed, and it is night, so it is nice and dark in here. There are multiple round tables, with lilies in vases as the centerpieces. In my opinion, I love round tables for a wedding. That is something I have in my big wedding binder.

  I sit right in front of the wedding party's table, off to the right. There is a lighted backdrop behind them, illuminating anyone who stands up there. The DJ is set up beside the long table, putting up the flashing lights for the dance later.

  "Mia."

  I snap out of my trance and look around for whoever is calling my name. I spot a girl, about my age, running towards me. Or running as much as she can in heels.

  "Mia, oh, my god. I have not seen you in forever."

  I spend the time it takes her to get to me, trying to remember who the hell she is. She does not look familiar. Maybe we hung out at another wedding sometime? My guess is she is one of my cousins?

  I still have not figured it out by the time she reaches me. She wraps her arms around me in a bone-crushing hug. I hug her back reluctantly, lightly patting my arms on her back.

  She pulls back and smiles. "How have you been?"

  "Um, I have been good. I am sorry, but who are you?"

  Her face falls a little at my lack of memory. "It is Macy. I am your second or third cousin or something. We hung out at my uncle's wedding a couple of years ago." When I still do not register who she is, she adds, "We sang karaoke together at the wedding."

  And then I know who she is. "Oh, Macy. It has been such a long time. You look so different." And she really does. She has grown out her pixie cut and colored her hair from dark brown to dirty blonde. I do not even recognize her.

  "I know. I changed a lot in the past two years. So, tell me, who the hell is the guy you came with?"

  I smile, looking down. "His name is Marcus. We are dating."

  She squeals, a little too loudly. "Sorry, that is just so exciting. I remember when we used to show off for all the single guys at the weddings. Now, who I am going to do that with?"

  I laugh. "I will still show off with you, but I already have a guy in mind I am doing it for."

  Right on cue, Marcus saunters up to the table and sets down my Shirley Temple in front of me. He leans down and whispers in my ear. "I asked the bartender to put a little extra in your drink."

  Oh, God. He is trying to get me drunk. I laugh and take a sip, immediately feeling a burning sensation down my throat. "Fuck. A little extra?"

  He grins and sips his own drink.

  I glance over at Macy, temporarily forgetting she is still there. She is grinning at us like an idiot.

  "Oh, sorry. Marcus, this is Macy. Macy, this is Marcus." I glance toward Marcus. "Macy is like my second or third cousin."

  He smile and shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."

  She smiles back. "Likewise." She looks around, her eyes catching on someone. "Well, I have to start my hunt. Have fun, you guys." She winks at me. "Catch up with you later, Mia."

  I watch as she walks up to a hot guy, who I am hoping is single, and starts flirting with him. I roll my eyes. Same old Macy. Trying to get in every guy's pants.

  "So, you guys used to show off for all the hot guys, huh? Does that mean I get a show tonight?"

  My cheeks burn. "You did not eavesdrop on our conversation."

  He shakes his head. "No, I was walking to the table and I overheard you guys talking about it."

  "Right. Well, yes. You probably are going to get a show tonight. Especially if you keep bringing me Shirley Temples with a little extra something in them." I take a long drink, watching Marcus the whole time.

  I set my empty cup down on the table, licking my lips.

  "Mia, do not tease me like that."

  I can tell I am getting him all hot and bothered, and I liked it. I am going to push him to his breaking point tonight.

  He leans in and kisses me on the mouth. He grabs the back of my head with his right hand, pulling me closer to him. I laugh into his mouth and pull away. "Marcus, we are not making out before th
e reception even starts."

  "Then do not fucking tease me. God damn. First, you wear that skin-tight dress and you have to drink your fucking Shirley Temple all seductively and oh, my God. Mia, I do not know how long I can hold off without touching you. Can we just leave now?"

  I shake my head, enjoying this very much.

  "ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME BACK THE WEDDING PARTY. FIRST OFF, WE HAVE ELLA AND JAXONNNN."

  I smile and clap along with the crowd as the bridesmaid and groomsman dance up to the big table.

  The DJ goes through the rest of the people, calling out their names and letting them do whatever silly dance move they want to do. After the last pairing, the music changes. "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz blasts through the speakers, carrying the sound throughout the ballroom.

  "WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STAND UP FOR THE HAPPY COUPLE AND JOIN ME IN WELCOMING MR. AND MRS. PERRYYYYYY."

  Everyone claps and woos for the bride and groom as they pump their fists in the air. I laugh when the groom scoops up the bride in his arms, carrying her the rest of the way like he is carrying her across the threshold.

  They reach the head table and the groom sets her down. She laughs as she tries to walk to her spot in the middle. But, the groom has other ideas. He grabs her wrist and pulls her to him. He roughly presses his lips against hers and dips her down, causing the crowd to erupt.

  "Yeah, get it." Marcus yells behind me. I turn around and give him a look like What the hell? He ignores me and continue looking at the head table.

  "Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Dinner will be served shortly, so please find your seats. Patty and Rick will excuse your table to get your food." Off to the right of him, I see an older couple wave their hands, so we know who to look for.

  We all sit down. I am extremely excited to eat. Wedding food is either really good, or really bad. I am praying with all of my faith that this is really good. All I know is that they are serving turkey, which I love.

  Marcus intertwines his fingers in mine, smiling along with me. "You having fun?"

  I nod and grin back at him. "Of course. I adore weddings so much. Just wait until the dance. It is going to be an interesting night." I wink at him. Karlee, the bride, mentioned that she is going to, and I quote, "blow this shit up.” So, I am expecting lots of good music for me to dance to throughout the night.

  "So, do I get to eat your plate, too? Because I am fucking hungry."

  I scoff. "Hell, no. You get your plate and I get my plate. No way am I sharing my food."

  Right on cue, the DJ calls out that dinner is served. I watch eagerly as the wedding party starts the line at the buffet, putting all of the mouth-watering food on their plates. I grin as Patty and Rick stand at our table. Marcus must notice my excitement, for he squeezes my hand.

  They finally let our table go, and I jump straight up and "walk" to the buffet line. My eyes widen at all of the options. Warm, fresh-cut turkey. Buttery mashed potatoes. Huge bowls of mixed fresh fruit. Fluffy dessert salads. My stomach grumbles in response, wanting all of this food just as much as I do.

  Marcus snorts behind me, hearing my stomach. "Hungry?"

  I ignore him and walk through the line, piling my plate high with all of the yummy food.

  "Jesus, Mia. Are you eating for you and your boyfriend?"

  I glance up to see Macy smirking at me from across the buffet. I flip her off. "I am really hungry. Sue me." I reach the edge of the table and walk around to whisper in her ear. "Plus, I am on my period."

  Macy nods, understanding flooding her face. "I think Marcus is on his too then." She walks off, leaving me laughing as Marcus comes up behind me.

  "Something funny?"

  I glance down at his plate, which is about as full as mine, maybe fuller. I hold back a laugh, instead shaking my head. "Oh, no. Nothing at all." I turn back and walk to our table, grinning as I walk by Macy.

  ~~~

  I laugh as I run off the dance floor with Macy, reaching out my hand for Marcus.

  He shakes his head repeatedly. "No way. I do not dance."

  I give Macy a look and she nods. We both step to one side of Marcus and pull him out of his chair. "I will take it from here, Mace." I pinch Marcus's butt, causing him to jump forward. I laugh out loud as I push him to the crowd of people on the dance floor.

  I knew that I was going to get picked by Macy to dance as soon as she got picked by the bride. They were are doing the dance that started with the wedding party. They stopped a certain song at different points, and everyone on the dance floor had to go grab someone else quickly. I love it so much, especially because I get to see Marcus "dance.” He truly is terrible.

  Marcus pulls his hand from mine, glaring at me. "I hate you. You know I do not like to dance."

  I grin at him. "Yeah, but you would do anything for me." I grab his hands back, swinging them back and forth to the beat. I step forward and back, trying to move Marcus. It is like his feet are glued to the floor.

  Thankfully for him, the music stops shortly after. He all but runs off the dance floor, leaving me to stay and find Macy. I spot her a few feet from me, apparently looking for me too. She smiles when she sees me and skips right over. "I could tell Marcus was having the time of his life."

  I sway slightly to the beat of the next song as I nod at Macy. "Right. He will change his mind once I get a few drinks in him."

  Macy laughs out loud. "That a girl. You going to get some tonight?" She winks at me and nudges my shoulder, giggling.

  I shrug innocently. "We will see." I look over to see Marcus smiling at me, watching my every move.

  Macy follows my gaze and smiles. "You picked a good one, Mia."

  "Yeah. I sure did."

  ~~~

  "Oh, babyyyyy. Come and danceee." I giggle, staggering off the dance floor to Marcus.

  He laughs, clearly more sober than me. "Mia, you are drunk."

  I snort. "Pftt. Noooo. I am not drunk. I am just having some fun. Something you should consider." I poke my finger at his chest, causing me to tilt backward.

  Marcus reaches out his arm and pulls me forward, pushing me right onto his lap.

  "Whoops. Maybe I am a little drunk."

  "Hmmm. A little?"

  I hold two fingers up, squeezing them tightly together in front of Marcus's face. "A littleee bit." I giggle again, smiling at Marcus. I reach my hands up and cup his face, pulling him towards me. "I love you." Without giving him a chance to respond, I close the distance between us and press my lips against his.

  He seems shocked at first, but then begins to kiss me back. He pushes me closer to him, leaning deeper into the kiss.

  I wind my fingers through his hair, temporarily forgetting we are in a room full of people.

  Marcus pulls back all too soon. "As much as I was enjoying that, and trust me, I was enjoying that. But there are little kids here that I am sure we are setting a bad example for. Do you want to get out of here?"

  I nod without hesitation. "Yes, please." I get up off of his lap and grab my purse, trying not to fall flat on my ass. I look across the room and meet Macy's eyes. She grins at me, knowing exactly what is going on. I giggle and put two thumbs up. She mouths good-bye to me and I wave.

  Marcus grabs his jacket and turns to me. "Ready to go?"

  I smile and grab his hand. "I am ready."

  Twenty-Two

  This is the longest car ride ever.

  Seriously. I don't even know where we are going. Although, I am too drunk to even care.

  I put my hand on Marcus's thigh, making him squirm in his seat. "Mia." He grabs my hand and stops it from going anywhere.

  I giggle, tilting my head towards him. "Oh come on. I'm just having a little fun." I use my other hand to lift his off mine and I make circles on his leg. He doesn't like that very much.

  "Stop. Please. We are almost there."

  Ignoring his request, I lift my hand up to his cheek and turn his head towards me. "Look at me."

  He
stares at me for a couple seconds and pulls over.

  "Mia. It's not going to do you any good to get us killed."

  I laugh and kiss him on the mouth, taking full advantage of the fact that we aren't moving anymore. I reach my other hand back and unbuckled my seatbelt, moving my body onto Marcus's lap. I slip and bump my butt against the wheel, causing the horn to go off.

  I jump, bumping my head against Marcus's. "Ow," we say simultaneously.

  I rub my head, laughing at my idiotic drunk behavior.

  Marcus smiles at me. "I love you too, Mia. Even when you act like a stupid drunk." He cups my face in his hands and pulls me to him once again, meeting his lips with mine.

  I wrap my hands around his neck, pulling him to me. I shift on his lap, causing him to stir. I chuckle into his lips, reveling in his reaction to me. I purposely shift more, whilst still kissing him passionately.

  I slip my tongue inside his mouth, exploring. He pauses at first, but then returns the favor. He kisses me back with a feverish hunger, like he has been waiting for this all night.

  I don't blame him. I have been too. I reach my hands out and begin unbuttoning his shirt. I undo the last button and let my hands roam his chest, feeling every piece of him. I let my hands travel further down, smiling when I reach his abs. Man, did I love his abs. I've watched him work out before, and it is so hot.

  He pulls away, breathing heavily. His breath smells like peppermint which makes my nose just as happy as the rest of me. "We should do this in a place other than a car."

  I shake my head. "Please. I can't wait any longer."

  Marcus hesitates, mentally debating with himself.

  I slide my hand further up his thigh, desperately trying to persuade him. I know what gets him.

  He groans, and I know his answer before he continues. "Fuck it." He roughly grabs the back of my head and pushes me to him, crashing my lips to his. I inwardly smile, knowing I have just won this battle.

  ~~~

  I wake up to a dark room, a very dark room. I feel around me, trying to get a sense of where I am at. I touch something fuzzy, like a blanket. My hand goes further out and I touch skin. My hand travels down and I feel fingers. I grab them and pull them to me.