Marcello tilted my chin, forcing me to peer straight into his eyes. His closeness made me aware of his strong, earthy smell of pheromones and garlic. “It’s wonderful to see your eyes this time. Bellissimo.” He held my gaze and I wanted to look away, but some inexplicable force kept me locked in his stare. He finally broke the contact and said to Luke, as if I wasn’t there, “She’s a beauty I hope to have the leisure of exploring in the near future.”
“We shall see,” Luke chuckled.
I was in no position to express my anger at his comment, determined not to let it faze me as the procession continued to pass. I recognized at least three different women from the artistic photos of bondage and discipline on Luke’s website, although none from his personal photo album. He greeted them in a cordial but detached way, which left me feeling more secure. Would there ever be pictures of me in his normal, people-clothed photo album? I didn’t think so. Perhaps he had left “normal” behind completely.
I thought I recognized the man who approached next. I guessed him to be in his sixties and incredibly fit.
“At our first meeting I thought maybe you were a keeper,” he said, winking at me. “I’ve very much enjoyed the pictures of you.”
I blushed. Had he just perused the shots of me on the Web or actually purchased one to hang on a wall? Could he have bought a picture of me all tied up or being whipped or maybe one just after I had cum so hard I wasn’t even aware of the camera flashing around me?
Luke and this gentleman hugged.
“Jane, this is Jack. He’s the closest thing I have to a friend,” Luke said, laughing.
“He’s just trying to butter me up,” Jack said, smiling.
“Oh, is that what I’m doing?” Luke said.
“It’s good to see you so happy,” Jack said. He leaned down, kissed me on the cheek and then headed toward the bar as the next gentleman approached.
“Hi, Jim, meet my beautiful bride, Jane,” Luke said.
“Hi, Jim,” I said, shaking his hand. He was tall and thin with a thick brown mustache.
“You are a true beauty and very brave. I heard your mother back there and she isn’t happy.”
I laughed in spite of myself. “Shocker that she’s having a hard time. I’m having a hard time with this.”
“You wouldn’t know it,” he said. “You are composed and confident and every woman here wishes she was as brave.” To Luke, he said, “Speaking of other women, where’s Janice? I thought I would see her here.”
“I thought she might show but apparently not.”
“Probably for the best,” Jim said.
“Yes.”
Jim ambled away and I gestured to the next person in line to hold off.
I rose up on my toes and said in Luke’s ear, “You invited her?”
“Jane,” Luke said, his voice stern with warning.
“You can’t ‘Jane’ me out of this one, Luke,” I said, turning away and crossing my arms in front of me.
“Baby, we have a whole lifetime to discuss this, but right now we have guests who are waiting their turn and are in need of refreshments. Consider it tabled for a later discussion.”
“Fine, but I’m not at all happy at this moment. You ask way too much of me.”
“You might have considered that before we said, ‘I do.’ ”
“Saying ‘I do’ does not mean I am willing to overlook your complete and utter lack of sensitivity.”
“Janey, please. I promise to explain later. Let’s enjoy the rest of our day.” He leaned down and picked me up in his arms, lifting my feet off the ground. “I just wanted her to see how happy we are,” he said into my ear as he released me from his embrace.
The hug reminded me of the condition of my nipples. Rather than raise more doubts, the pain excited me. I continued to be baffled by my body’s new responses.
“Okay,” he said, chucking me under the chin, “but please stop that gorgeous pout or I might have to bite that lower lip of yours.”
I laughed even though I wanted to stay mad. We continued to greet our guests.
“Wow, Jane,” Sandy’s boyfriend Jason said, “you look so amazing. I don’t know what I was expecting and I know you’re still naked and all but wow it’s like you’re dressed but undressed.” He leaned over and kissed my lips, avoiding touching any other part of my body. Jason wore green-gray slacks and a t-shirt that looked like a tuxedo. His long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing a gold stud in his left ear. Jason had proved to be a godsend. Sandy would never have come to my wedding if he hadn’t insisted.
“Thank you, Jason,” I said. I wanted to tell him then how much his support meant to me. I avoided Sandy’s eyes, afraid of what she was going to say.
“You look beautiful, Jane, and I’m sorry I haven’t been the friend you’ve needed. It’s just ...”
Finally meeting her eyes, I said, “It’s okay. Thank you so much for being here. It means the world to me.”
Sandy looked as cute as ever in her short summer dress and pageboy—the perfect cut for her thick auburn hair and heart-shaped face. Sad and thoughtful, she touched my shoulder and plodded on.
Parker came next and I could feel that she still hadn’t gotten past the nipple piercing incident. She acted pleasant enough, but I could feel that something significant had shifted.
Allison, my friend from work and the person who had taken over my old job along with her boyfriend, Jeff, approached next. Over their shoulder I could see my mother waiting. Luke left my side as I chatted with Allison and Jeff.
“I have to say that this is the most bizarre wedding I’ve ever been to,” Jeff said. “Good thing Allison warned me ahead of time.” He was Allison’s match in attractiveness and poise, Ken to her Barbie. Allison looked gorgeous in her free flowing flowered dress, bangs framing her shining eyes.
“You make a very pretty naked woman,” Allison said. “Can’t imagine why you would want to be naked in front of all these people but boy, your bravery is unparalleled.” The breeze made her sundress and hair ripple.
“Thank you so much for coming. Would you check on Parker for me? I don’t think she’s recovered from my nipple piercing. She seems off to me.”
“You just got them done?” Jeff said, his jaw dropping.
“Yeah, just before the wedding,” I said.
“Doesn’t it hurt?” he asked.
“They’re throbbing like hell, but there is so much else going on, the pain is not difficult to ignore.”
As they strode away I heard Jeff say to Allison, “You have some strange friends.”
Luke came back over to my side with the final member of our wedding in tow—my mother. I could have predicted her outfit: a beige wool skirt hemmed right above the knee, a colorful long-sleeved blouse, matching suit jacket and low beige heels. She never took the Florida weather into consideration when dressing. Her salon-coiffed hair would have withstood hurricane-force winds.
“I won’t hug you like that,” she said to me.
“I understand,” I said.
“I promised your new husband I would behave, so the less said the better.” With that she headed straight to the bar.
“I can’t imagine what you said to her, but thanks,” I said to Luke. He wrapped me in his arms and kissed me deeply.
“Shall we get this party started?”
“Wait,” I said. I pulled him down so I could whisper in his ear. “Can I please take out the butt plug? It’s starting to chaff and I won’t be able to dance with it in.”
“Yes, love, but it’s going to cost you later.” He smiled so I assumed he was joking. “Let’s make our formal entrance and then you can take care of it.”
“Thank you,” I said.
We promenaded hand in hand to the head table set for two. After seating me, Luke announced, “Please welcome my beautiful, incredibly courageous wife, who has given me the greatest gift of sharing her body and her life with me.”
The people who were sitting stood an
d everyone cheered. My mother remained in her seat, refusing to look in our direction. Her hands were clasped in her lap.
As the applause died down a lone clap rose above the rest. It came from a voluptuous woman whose physical beauty demanded attention. Everyone paused as she approached the reception from the French doors in the back, her clap echoing along with the clicking of her shiny black heels. From the stretch halter pinstriped corset with lace accents at the cups and buttons down the front, to the tight jeans that hugged her curves with rips in the fabric tapering at her ankles—no one could look away. Large hoop earrings adorned her ears and a diamond pendant nestled between her luscious breasts.
My heart stopped beating and my insides flipped upside down. I recognized her from the photograph Luke had hung in his office in our old apartment, the pictures in his album and the pages and pages of images—she was featured more than anyone else—on his website.
“I never thought I would see the day ...” she said as she conspicuously sauntered up to the front of our table swinging her long black hair over her shoulder.
“Janice,” Luke said, a threat in his voice.
She ignored him and continued, “That you would find ‘the one’ and actually tie the knot. You must be very special,” she said to me, the word “special” dripping with sarcasm. “You should know,” she said, “that none of us last for long. I don’t suspect it will be any different with you.”
Luke swayed toward me and brought his face close to mine. “I’ll take care of this. And Jane … I love you.” I picked up on the cue and rose to leave them alone.
I hated Janice for barnstorming my wedding. I could have hit her. Instead I strode right in front of her and then rocked back to say to Luke, “Yes, please take care of it.”
I saw the shards of abject hatred her eyes hurled in my direction.
CHAPTER TWO
Just before I cut across to the house I looked over my shoulder. Luke had snatched Janice by the upper arm and was escorting her over to the beach. By the time they had disappeared down the stairs, Parker and Allison had joined me at the door.
“Shall I bring out the hors d’oeuvres?” one of the servers asked.
“Yes, right away,” Parker said.
Once we were in the bedroom I said, “Give me a sec while I use the bathroom.” I went in and carefully removed the butt plug. Maneuvering out the widest part made me yelp, but it was a relief to finally be free of it. I sat down on the toilet to pee and buried my head in my hands. Why had she decided to show? Why the hell had he invited her in the first place? Would he ask her to leave?
I finished up in the bathroom and returned to the bedroom.
“What was that all about?” Allison asked.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and grabbed the corner of the bedspread to cover myself. I felt exposed enough emotionally, and my nakedness with my girlfriends threatened to pushed me over the edge.
“Ex-girlfriend. That’s all I know. After her little scene you know as much as I do.” I lay back in bed and let out a long exhale. “I do know that he invited her to the wedding. I can’t imagine what he was thinking. He said he wanted her to see how happy we are. I’m guessing she was the one calling the apartment repeatedly a while back. I figured it had to be an ex-girlfriend, but all Luke said was that he would take care of it and the calls stopped. Oh my god, do you think he’s seen her since we’ve been together?” I rolled onto my side and pulled my knees into a fetal position. I had no desire to rejoin the wedding or unearth myself from that spot. I considered telling Parker and Allison to turn off the lights and shut the door.
“I can tell you this: he wasn’t happy to see her. That was evident,” Parker said.
“Do you want me to check out what’s going on?” Allison said.
“I don’t want to budge. I want this day to start over. Oh fuck, scratch that. After tonight I will never again saunter naked through a large group of people. I want this all to be over. Right now. Can we just send everyone home?”
“No, Jane. Sit up,” Parker said, grasping my hand and pulling me to a sitting position.
“Why do you always have to be so damn pragmatic?”
Luke opened the door and Parker and Allison quickly took their leave.
“I’m sorry about that. I thought she might come but I didn’t think she would make a scene. She promises to behave herself.”
“You didn’t ask her to leave?” I was fighting back tears.
“It’s going to be fine.”
“She’s still in love with you, Luke. Why invite her in the first place?”
“Because I thought if she saw us together she would be able to move on.”
“She was the one making the phone calls?”
“Yes.”
“Did you go and see her?”
“When are you talking about? When I was in Japan? No, of course not.”
“Have you seen her since we’ve been together?”
“Honey, let’s not talk about this right now. They’ve started serving the hors d’oeuvres and we still need to have our wedding pictures taken.”
“I have so many questions and you keep putting me off. Fine. You want her to see us happy. I can pretend to be happy but don’t think for a minute that bringing your ex-girlfriends around is going to be something I can live with. Clearly she’s not over you and I am left wondering how over her you actually are. Why display the picture? Why invite her? How did she get your new number in the first place?” I put my hand up and added, “I know, I know, you’re not going to answer.” My shoulders slumped and I just wanted to crawl under the covers and go to sleep.
“Janey, look at me, please.”
I reluctantly peered up at him. “I’ve never asked another living soul to marry me. I never considered asking Janice to marry me and she even hinted around about it. I promise you now—and you know I keep my promises—to answer any questions you have about Janice later. Right now, though, let’s make this the night we’ve been looking forward to. Come here, baby.” He wrapped his arms around me, and I straddled his lap, snuggling in close. Lifting me up off the bed, he carried me through the house and out to the reception.
“Only You” played as the waiters passed trays of food around the party. I saw Janice sitting with Sandy and Allison and hoped they were getting the story from her.
Luke gently lowered me to the floor and then held me in his arms for our first dance as husband and wife. As he deftly guided me about the hardwood dance floor that temporarily hid our pool, I wondered again about this man who had swept me up into his life. I had never been much of a dancer, but his strong lead made me Ginger Rogers to his Fred Astaire. Our grand waltz had me giggling with happiness. Luke remained a man of mystery and I longed for the keys to understand him. I hoped that someday soon he would truly let me in.
Halfway into the song I stopped thinking altogether, reveling in the strength of our connection, losing myself in his eyes and his strong body that moved me along at his whim.
After the song ended Luke rounded up Parker, Marcello, and my mother for pictures. My mother avoided eye contact as we made our way onto the beach. The sun hung low on the horizon, leaving the sky dusky pink. The photographer arrived shortly. Luke knew what he wanted and the picture-taking session was over quickly. My mother refused to put her arm around my waist so I figured our pictures would come out looking odd. Mother’s attitude aside, I was glad to have a break from the party during that time.
We walked back to the pool area and as we got closer, Janice approached.
“Can I speak to you for a minute?” she asked.
“Uh, sure,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself. I didn’t really have anything to say to her but curiosity compelled me.
We came to stop, allowing the others to pass. I saw Janice and Luke exchange a look but was unsure what that glance meant.
“I’m sorry for the … intrusion,” Janice said once we were alone. “Things ended rather abruptly for Luke and me and I h
aven’t quite recovered.”
“Oh,” I said. “I don’t know what to say. I honestly don’t know what he was thinking inviting you.”
“I think he thought if I saw you for myself it would help.”
I hated that I liked her. I actually felt sorry for her. “Did it help?”
She surprised me by saying, “Not so much. I don’t think there’s any help for either of us.”
I bristled at her presumption and marched back to the reception.
The rest of the wedding was fairly uneventful. My mother avoided me from then on, as did Sandy. After the sun set, a slight chill was in the air, and Luke presented me with a robe to cover myself. Robed in blue silk with the softness of an embroidered dragon against my back, I sighed in utter relief to be covered to mid-thigh.
We danced together several more times and then treated our palates to amazing Italian food from Marcello’s Ristorante.
As the guests finished their dinners, Marcello stood, clinking his champagne glass with his fork. “If I may have your attention, I would like to make a toast ... to il mio fratellino—my little brother—and his beautiful bride, may you be as happy forever as you are today. I’m proud of the man Luke has become and his choices in life, most especially his choice in a bride. Jane, I hope you will be like family to me as well. Thank you everyone so much for coming to celebrate Luke and Jane’s wedding.” He lifted his glass and said with gusto, “Salute!”
I enjoyed the toast but found it odd that the wedding was the first time I had met Marcello—he was supposedly such an important person in Luke’s life.
Most of the guests echoed, “Salute,” drank their champagne and prepared to receive their slices of cake.
My Body-His Marcello Page 2
