by Shayne Ford
“How do I look?”
Elsa and Christine run a collective gaze down on me.
“Perfect,” they both say.
“You’re not the one getting married,” Elsa mutters. “How about me?”
It’s my turn, and Christine’s to inspect Elsa’s gown.
Neither of us has ever worn this kind of dresses, but this is a special occasion, and we’re set to bring our A game to James Sexton’s wedding.
She wears a beaded champagne gown with illusion top and sleeves and a mermaid bottom, while I fashion a red cut out evening dress that flares at the hemline and finishes off with a train.
“You look as if you stepped off the runway,” Christine says, “And she looks as if she belongs in a wedding fashion magazine,” she says shifting her gaze to Elsa.
I let my hair down while Elsa gathered her in a messy bun.
She looks stunning. And she gapes at me.
“You plan on killing him tonight?” she says jokingly, slowly inspecting my form fitting gown.
The door cracks open, and Connor steps in. Silence hits us.
We all have our eyes pinned on him.
“What?” he asks, a slow smile curving his lips.
Elsa speaks first.
“Damnit, Connor. Is this how you look?”
He starts laughing, his blue eyes sparkling with light. He runs a hand through his hair combing it all back, a mischievous smile creasing his lips.
The tuxedo makes him look more mature, his frame looking now more manly. The crisp white collar shines against his clean shaven skin.
He narrows his eyes and shoots Elsa a sultry gaze that makes her smile, and lock her arms around his neck.
She starts kissing his cheeks, stamping red lips all over his face.
“Why did you have to do that?” he asks.
He tears away from her and slides his hand inside his tuxedo jacket to check the time on his phone.
“I’ll clean myself up. You have five minutes to refresh your lipstick,” he says, bossy but smiling.
Elsa’s eyebrows go up.
“Lex will be here any minute,” he says and spins around, vanishing into the bathroom.
“Who is this man?” I ask, and Elsa shrugs, grinning ear to ear. “You’re beyond smitten with him, aren’t you?” I ask.
“Looks who’s talking,” she mutters. “Are you done? I need the mirror.”
I step to the side.
“Okay ladies,” Christine says, pushing up from the sofa.
She checks the time as well.
“I have to go. My date is here,” she says, picking up her purse and shrugging on a beautiful long coat.
She kisses me on my cheek and waves Elsa goodbye.
“Bye,” she says, outlining her lips with a red pencil.
“Don’t worry. I know my way out,” Christine says to us, heading to the door.
A moment later, the door closes behind her.
I move my focus to Elsa. She applies the last layer of red lipstick before she runs a critical gaze over her lips.
“They’re perfect,” I say, my voice trembling a little.
She flicks her gaze to me.
“Are you still nervous?”
My lips curve into a twisted smile.
“You have no reason to be,” she says.
“I know,” I mutter.
The doorbell rings and my heart jumps in my chest.
“I got it,” Connor says, dashing out of the bathroom.
He swings the door open, and my breath jams in my throat.
Clad in a tuxedo, a black wool maxi coat draped over his shoulders, Lex walks in.
His eyes find me in an instant, then quickly shift to Connor. They shake hands and head to us.
A soft smile glints in Lex’s eyes as he takes me in.
“The car is downstairs,” he says, his eye glued to mine.
With trembling legs, I close the distance between us and give him a soft kiss on his cheek.
He smells like winter.
Gently, I brush a few snowflakes off his coat. Slowly, my fingers slide onto his neck, relishing the warmth of his skin.
He takes my hand and gently kisses it, and I’m about to melt into a puddle.
Connor smiles at us from behind Elsa’s back. As soon as I catch sight of him, he gets busy draping Elsa’s coat on her shoulders. Lex holds a cloak for me as well while I wrap in it.
He buries my hand in his and leads me to the exit.
Soft flurries fall from the sky as we climb into the limo. The light is soft, once in a while brightened up with a dash of sunlight.
Furtively, Lex steals glances at me.
“You look great, baby,” he says.
I bring my hand to his face, pretending I’m brushing away a strand of hair when all I want is to touch his skin and feel him with my fingertips.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
He squeezes my hand, and I lean into him, and as I look out the window, it feels as if we are the ones who’re getting married.
The road leaves the town behind, and after a few miles of snaking through creeks, it opens to a valley lined with pines. We enter a large property, and soon we get a glimpse of the estate.
It’s the new home of James Sexton and his future wife, and the place looks impressive.
The car pulls to a stop in a large driveway. Moments later, we enter the mansion.
Diamond-cut glass is everywhere. A couple of spiral stairwells connect the first floor with the upper level, and dozens of chandeliers hang from the twenty-five-foot ceilings.
Carved into the walls, fireplaces blaze in almost every room. Beautiful art adorns the walls.
The place brims with people. We blend in, the ceremony starting an hour later.
Lex entrusts Connor with taking care of Elsa and me as he serves his duties as the best man.
Rain looks like a princess, clad in a form fitting, gem-encrusted, strapless, lace gown finished off with a long train. No veil. Her long hair waves down her back, embellished with natural flowers pinned on her locks.
She looks stunning, and so does her man.
James Sexton has no eyes for anyone else but her.
Two men are equally handsome, and one of them has my heart.
As the service gets started my eyes still linger on him.
It doesn’t take long, and my persistent stare makes him bring his eyes to me.
His gaze meets mine, sinking into me so deep I shudder.
“Are you okay?” Elsa asks under her breath, grabbing my hand.
“Yes,” I say, trying to hide my nervousness.
Elsa tips her head down trying to catch my gaze.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I mumble.
She looks away and searches the room.
“Oh, I see,” she murmurs.
I raise my gaze and find his eyes again.
He tips his chin down and sends a secret smile to me.
One hour later, the party gets started.
The ballroom sparkles, styled in white and silver. Walls of glass outline the room as jaw dropping floral arrangements, and pine centerpieces decorate the tables.
For a few hours, I absorb that world of power and glamour, filling my sight with beautiful gowns, and elegant tuxedos.
Lex never leaves my side.
As the party draws to the moment when James and Rain get ready to leave, Lex motions to me as well.
We pull to the side, waiting for Connor and Elsa to return from the dance floor when clamor ensues.
Rain is about to toss her wedding bouquet over her shoulder to the delight of a dozen female guests who line behind her.
I give the group a side glance before I shift my gaze back to Lex.
Ed Preston attaches himself to us when his eyes go wide.
“Watch out,” he says out of reflex.
Lex’s eyes fly to something hovering over me.
My reaction is to shield my head, and that’s how I
involuntarily catch it.
Rain’s wedding bouquet.
DAHLIA
Christmas carols float in the air. The main door opens, and a tall blonde man who seizes me with his blue eyes fills the doorway.
My heart spins in my chest.
“I thought you were ready,” he says, taking me in.
I stop in the middle of the room, holding a fluffy robe closely wrapped around me with one hand and a cup of tea with the other.
Barefoot I paddle across the living room, the wooden floors stretching warm beneath my feet.
“I am ready,” I say, grinning mischievously behind the cup.
“Just not for horse riding,” he says, tossing his gloves on a chair.
The snow melts on his boots, dripping on the floor.
“Riding. Yes,” I say, smiling naughtily.
The next thing I know, a grin beams on his face, and he lunges at me.
Quickly, I set my cup on the table and screaming like a kid I dash away from him.
He catches me in the bedroom and shuts the door. A few feet separate us.
Slowly, I let my robe fall, and his arms lock around me.
“Oh... You’re so cold,” I say, shivering.
“Only on the outside, baby.”
He tosses me on the large bed, and I sink into a pile of fluffed up pillows. He kicks his boots off and sheds off his clothes, and the very next moment, I’m buried under him.
His fingers are cold and so are his face and lips, but his body burns with the best kind of heat. The icicles formed in his hair, now thaw and trickle on me.
I shiver again, and he begins to kiss me. That’s all it takes for the winter to roll off him as he wraps me in a torrid summer. He slowly enters me, and I start to burn with him, loving him with all I have.
He’s the beginning and the end for me, and the way he makes me feel, I’m the same to him.
His eyes speak for him, and the tenderness of his touch as he cups my face and breathes fire on my lips.
Time stands still as we get caught in a swirling dance of love.
The room smells like fresh pine and smoke drifting from the burning logs as they turn into ash.
Music wafts through the air.
An hour later, we watch the fire, my back glued to his chest, and his arms locked around me.
His lips press on my hair, planting tender kisses.
Slowly, I stroke his hand.
“Why can’t life stay still?” I murmur, staring vacantly at the fire.
“What would you like to stay still, baby?”
I whip my head to the side and glance up at him.
His blue eyes reflect the tormented dance of the flames.
I shift my eyes back to the fireplace.
“This. You and me. Silence. Love. Fire. The winter outside. Or summer. It wouldn’t matter to me,” I say and smile, pondering over my own words as he stays quiet.
And then I get sad. It sounds childish if I think about it.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter. “It makes no sense,” I add.
His hand rests on my hair.
Calm, and settled.
Protective.
“But it does...” he says and pauses.
“Still... It’s not possible,” I say after a few moments of silence.
“It can be.”
I look at him again.
“Not for you, it can’t.”
He smiles, his eyes trained on the fire.
“I was talking about me.”
I push up to my elbow and study his face.
He narrows his eyes, a mysterious grin sliding onto his face.
“You thought I didn’t know,” he says.
“Know what?” I murmur, trailing his bare chest with my fingers.
He looks away and starts to speak.
“That day in London, when we talked about this for the very first time, and you opened up your heart to me... You let me see inside of you. But you also opened my eyes and showed me a different world. I told you a while ago that I had missed that fresh innocence that still lets you see things for what they are. I’m aware I can’t get that back. That doesn’t mean I can’t see things that way again. That day I saw them through you. The world beyond my world. You gifted me with that fresh look on life and taught me how to find the happiness you talked about in those little things. I don’t resent my life as it is, but I crave to see the world through your eyes again, and I know you’d love to get the chance to see it too. That’s why I’m saying that we could live that kind of life... At least for a while. And when we get tired of it, if that ever happens, we come back to what we have.”
I study him a few more moments.
“Is that what I think it is?”
He locks my eyes.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“What about work?”
“I’m sure you’ll have a job when we come back,” he says, smiling.
“I was talking about yours.”
“Same for me,” he says with a light tone in his voice.
I look at him incredulously.
“I’ve already made arrangements,” he says.
“You are that serious about it?”
“I’ve never been more serious in my entire life. I’ve talked to James and Ed as well.”
My chin begins to tremble as the emotions barrel through me.
“How can you do this to me, Lex Harrington?” I mutter, my eyes welling up with tears.
He slowly strokes my hair.
“I’m doing it for me as well, baby,” he says.
A sound of clinking bells and snickering horses comes from outside.
He smiles.
“I believe Elsa and Connor are here. I told them we’re up for a sled ride,” he says with a different voice, a grin stretching across his lips.
“I’m so in love with you, Lex.”
“I hope you’ll stay like that for a very long time.”
I give him an endearing smile.
“I will.”
Summer, Spain
DAHLIA
The afternoon light tumbles down the cobblestone streets. Large enough for people to walk on them but not for cars to pass by.
Shielded from the sun, we sit on a concrete edge not far from a man who plays the guitar and the woman who dances in front of him.
Our eyes stay trained on them.
A few more people watch them from across the street.
The dark-haired man closes his eyes, his fingers flying over the strings, his melodious, passionate voice drifting through the air.
The woman arches her back and raises her arms, clapping to the rhythm of the flamenco song.
She yanks the hemline of her ruffled skirt and lifts it as she twirls, her dance shoes tapping on the pavement.
I watch them mesmerized. How perfect in sync they are, how beautifully entangled in a dance of passion.
Silent, Lex observes them as well.
I run my eyes down on him.
He wears a pair of destroyed jeans and a thin tattoo T-shirt that clings to his muscles. His skin is tanned and bears the traces of my nails after nights of love.
His hair is longer, tousled and highlighted from the sun.
His eyes narrow as he watches the performing couple. I’m sure he’s aware of my stare too. He reaches out to me and places his hand on my thigh.
“Anything else?” asks the waitress, a petite woman with a heavy accent.
“No,” he says, moving his gaze to her.
The woman sets the check on the table. He leaves cash next to it.
We both shift our focus back to the live act.
The music, and the clapping and the tapping filling the street. The man’s modulating voice covers me with goosebumps.
She spins in front of him, oozing raw passion as she dances for her pleasure.
A small smile curls her lips as he tips his head back and studies her through his lashes.
His hands draw more music from his guitar.
O
ne hour later, we take the road out of the small town and stop on a cliff overlooking the sea. The sun slides slowly toward the horizon.
We find a patch of soft, thick grass and lie on it. The wind blows leaves and flowers over us.
He picks a few and tangles them in my hair.
“You have fun?” I ask, grinning.
“Mmm-hmm,” he mutters, propped on his side.
I freeze a moment, watching the sunset in his eyes.
As he embellishes my hair, I bring my fingers to his face. He looks relaxed, at peace, and also wild.
“How does it feel?” I ask.
“Timeless,” he mutters.
I watch his lips slowly curving into a soft grin.
“Are you ready to go back home?”
He looks at the sea.
“I am home,” he says, bringing his blue eyes back to me.
It’s like I’m watching the sea.
He runs his hand up my bare thighs, brushes the hemline of my shorts and then slides it up to my chest. Slowly he slinks his hand inside my blouse, cups my left breast and breathes on my lips.
“But if we go back you’ll have to live with me...” he says and pulls back a little to study my eyes.
His thumb flicks my puckered nipples as he soaks me in.
“As my wife...” he adds, and my skin vaporizes under his touch.
I part my lips with surprise, and then I smile.
“Are you serious?”
He answers with a small laugh. And nods.
I search his eyes.
“Will all of this end then?” I ask, pointing to the beautiful scenery around us.
He slowly shakes his head.
“It will never end.”
I press my lips together, pushing back the tears yearning to break free.
“How do you do this to me, Lex?” I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“It’s easy,” he murmurs, in my ear. “Because I love you.”
Epilogue
LEX
“Where is he?”
James shifts his eyes to me.
“Fifteen minutes ago he was on his way,” he says.
“What is wrong with him?” I mutter, checking my face in a mirror.
“It looks good,” James says, glancing and me and locking my eyes briefly.
Noise travels from outside.
The door swings open and Ed enters the room.
“Made it?” I ask, quirking an eyebrow.
