All too soon the wedding was upon them. Only family and their closest friends had been invited. Even for such a small simple affair, JC had spared no expense. There were flowers and candles on every available surface. He had pushed aside all of her protests and worked and worked until he had uncovered every dream she had ever had about her dream wedding.
She was a vision in white as she walked down the long aisle to her groom. JC’s heart sped up as he watched her join him at the altar. For now it might be in name only, but it didn’t make any difference in JC’s mind and heart. He knew he would win her love.
They each spoke their vows passionately from their own heart, knowing that for them, the vows were meant forever. After the minister pronounced them man and wife, it was time to kiss his bride. He placed the sweetest, gentlest kiss on her lips. The touch had been light and brief, but Laura felt it all the way to her toes. As they turned to head back up the aisle as husband and wife, she had to lean heavily on JC until she got her bearings back from that kiss. The grin on JC’s face was partly due to the fact that he had just married the love of his life and partly to the reaction she was having to his kiss. Maybe this wouldn’t take as long as he thought.
***
Following the reception, JC and Laura headed home. Brandon was to spend the night with her parents so the couple could be alone. They had refused all offers of leaving Brandon with family any longer than that, using the excuse they didn’t want to disrupt his schedule and send him into a panic being away from them as so many changes were happening in his life. A lame excuse but apparently many people bought it.
Not much changed after they made it into the house. They changed out of their wedding finery and had a great time watching a movie together. Afterwards, JC let Laura have time alone to get settled into bed. This would be the real test for him. She had offered a platonic relationship for a while, but wanted Brandon to think there was nothing off about their marriage so JC and Laura would be sharing a bed.
Thinking fast on his feet, JC had purchased a new king size bed to replace the bed Laura had been sleeping in. Maybe more room between them would make it easier. No, it wouldn’t, he was just fooling himself. This would be a true test of his manhood.
Giving her plenty of time before he headed to bed, he made his way cautiously into their room. He needed have worried, he had given her so long, she had fallen asleep with the light on and a book resting on her chest. He paused for a long moment, surveying his wife. She was beautiful in her own way, but even better, she let him be himself and accepted him even with all his flaws. She complimented him in every way.
Changing his clothes, he finished his nightly ritual before climbing in next to her. He placed a pillow lengthwise between them, hopefully an obstacle that neither would cross. This was going to be even more difficult that he had first thought, but he could do it, he had to.
***
Early the next morning, they collected Brandon and headed to the airport. They were headed to LA. JC was a little nervous. In LA, the paparazzi would be all over his marriage and he didn’t want to hide his new family, but it would be a shock as they had never experienced such a thing.
He had tried to prepare them, but also planned to shelter them as best as he could. On the plane, Brandon had the window seat, Laura the middle, and JC next to the aisle. Shortly before they were to land, JC began to talk.
“I don’t want you to think that everything in the house is sacred. This is not my home, this is a showplace that I don’t even know why I agreed when the decorator came in. I don’t live like that and you can change anything you want to in the house. And if it doesn’t work for you, we’ll find another house. You have free rein to redecorate whatever you want to.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad and especially not bad enough to move.” Their heads were resting close to one another so they could speak in lowered voices. Brandon was fast asleep. How bad could the house be?
JC’s security picked them up from the airport and rushed them to a huge SUV while someone else grabbed their luggage and took it JC’s house. On their way home, JC took them to his favorite Chinese restaurant for a very delicious meal. He pointed out the sights as they headed to his house. Brandon looked from one side to the other trying to take it all in. He kept starting sentences and not finishing them as something else caught his attention.
“I’ll get you all the security codes and phone numbers for my security and assistant. That way if you need anything, they will be able to get it for you.” He said as they pulled through the gates to his mansion.
“This is where you live? And I’m supposed to have a problem with this?” Laura questioned as she took in the two-story brick home with a sprawling lawn and perfectly manicured flowerbeds. The four-car garage was attached along the side of the house and she got a glimpse of a huge deck on the opposite side.
“You haven’t seen the inside yet.” He remarked under his breath as they exited the backseat.
She didn’t hear him as she was too busy trying to understand why she wasn’t supposed to like it here. JC shoved open the front door and let Laura and Brandon enter ahead of him. Now Laura knew what he had been talking about.
She tried to wipe the shock and horror off her face before JC saw it, but she was too late. He bent down and whispered a soft “told ya” in her ear. With wide eyes, she took in the horrendous orange and green walls. The artwork hanging all around the foyer was just as bad – modern, eclectic, and garish in their colors. Feeling weak, she was almost afraid to see the rest of the house.
JC took her hand and pulled her into a much safer room, much to her relief.
“The rest of the house is much more sedate, but the foyer…well the designer thought I was a heavy metal artist and wanted to, actually who knows what she was thinking. I’ve never taken the time or effort to change it, but we can change it tomorrow if you want. It’s long overdue.” They saw the formal living room, a bathroom, and JC’s office before heading into the family room. To Laura’s amusement, the two boys were immediately drawn to the entertainment center. Seeing that they were both engrossed in the ‘big boy toys,’ she took off exploring on her own.
As she reached the kitchen doorway, she let out a scream.
JC jumped into action at the scream. Had a fan broken into his house? Had she fallen and hurt herself? He skidded to a stop next to her, examining her up and down. Nothing appeared to be wrong and nothing seemed to be out of place in the kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” He demanded, clutching her arm.
“Is this your kitchen? Have you seen this kitchen? Oh my goodness…the stove…the pantry…the countertops…this is perfection! How can you ever leave this room?”
Relieved that nothing was wrong, he watched in delight as she ran around the room, examining every inch. This was what he hadn’t even known he had been missing. A family. His wife was in his house, in his kitchen, in his bed – so to speak - where she belonged. His almost son was playing a video game just down the hall. To anyone looking in, they were the perfect family – soon, JC told himself, don’t rush it. You have a lifetime with this woman, a lifetime of happily ever after.
***
Deciding the huge family room needed a good cleaning; Laura threw her hair up in a messy ponytail as she surveyed the damage. Grabbing the remote for the dock where her iPod was sitting, she flipped it on. It was set on shuffle so she was pressing the forward button until she found something she wanted to clean along to. She didn’t realize JC had come home and was leaning in the doorway watching her.
He raised a brow at some of the songs on her iPod. She had everything from *NSYNC to Amy Grant to Wicked to Bowling for Soup and everything in between. He wasn’t sure what she was searching for but apparently, she hadn’t found it yet. He grimaced when he even heard one of his own songs skipped over. But as she skipped a Boys II Men song, he found sudden inspiration.
Surprising her, he took the remote from her and backed up a couple of songs until he found the Boys II Men I’ll Make Love to You song. As it started playing, he tossed the remote onto the couch and tugged her into his arms, not giving her a chance to protest. Lifting her arms, he placed her hands on his shoulders. Then he tucked her head into his neck and rested his cheek on her soft hair. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist as she slid hers the rest of the way around his neck and started playing with the locks of his hair. They began to sway gently to the music. Laura closed her eyes and just enjoyed the sensations; maybe JC was beginning to fall in love with her. Neither was paying too much attention to the song, they were just in the moment with one another. As the song ended and another random one began, JC drew back far enough to look into her eyes.
Laura unconsciously licked her lips and his attention shifted. Her eyelids slid shut as she anticipated his warm, gentle kiss. But just as his lips were a breath from hers, the front door slammed and Brandon called out for her, asking what was for supper. At the slam of the door, Laura jumped and moved quickly out of JC’s arms. She said something that JC couldn’t make out as she headed for the kitchen. Brandon walked into the family room and plopped down on the couch.
But as Brandon reached for the tv remote, JC groaned in frustration. “Brandon, I love ya man, but we need to work on your timing.”
Brandon just looked up in confusion as JC exited the room and shrugged to himself – crazy adults.
JC joined Laura in the kitchen. He had been so close to declaring himself until Brandon had walked in and ruined the mood. Asking what he could do for the supper preparations, he began to make the salad he was assigned. Laura called Brandon in to set the table and after finishing he wandered back to check out the sport scores leaving JC and Laura alone standing side by side at the counter.
Laura was having a very hard time; she hadn’t been sleeping. Every night she would lay beside her husband in bed and have to fight her desire to reach out to him – he didn’t love her and she wouldn’t be intimate with a man who didn’t love her – even if he was her husband. The dance they shared had been wonderful, but she didn’t know how much longer she would be able to keep her distance.
They had been playing out this charade of a marriage for over a month now and she kept reminding herself that JC was just playing a part. He didn’t have any real feelings for her.
All at once, it became too much to bear. JC was telling a funny story from his touring days and she was pretending to be listening but then…
Shaking her head, she said aloud with a strangled cry, “I can’t do this any more, I’m so sorry.” She finished with a sob and rushed out the back door.
JC looked over at her stunned; her outburst had come out of nowhere. She ran past the kitchen window and he called to Brandon to come watch supper, going after her.
She had run quite a distance from the house before stopping. With her hands on her knees, she gasped for breath as he heard the words coming from her lips, not knowing he was nearby.
“Oh God, please help me. I can’t go through with this any more. What do I do?”
“Can’t go through what any more?” He asked startling her into spinning to face him. At the tears on her cheeks, he knew this was the end. She couldn’t stand being married to him. She was going to tell him she wanted out, he knew it. He had scared her away with the dance.
“I can’t live like this. I can’t stand sleeping next to you every night. Waking up to you every morning. Spending all my time with you.” He struggled for air, she really meant it. “I’m sorry but I am so in love with you it hurts and I can’t pretend not to be any more.”
In a flash, he was in front of her. “Say it again.”
“I’m in love with you, I know you don’t feel the same way, but I can’t hide it any more. Please don’t hate me.”
He laughed as he picked her up into his arms swinging her around in complete and utter joy before placing her gently back on the ground. He looked deep into her eyes and spoke truthfully from his heart.
“Laura, I have been in love with you for so long. I think I started falling in love with you in the hospital that night, when you grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let it go. I’ve been praying every day that soon you would feel the same way. When did you realize you were in love with me?”
“You really love me?” He nodded. “You mean it? Tell me again!” She demanded.
“I love you with all my heart and all my soul.”
“I love you too, you are my true soul mate. I fell in love with you when you came after me and carried me to the car. You were so strong and smelled so good.” She giggled.
“I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to admit it to one another.” He kept one arm wrapped tightly around her waist holding her pressed against him. With the other hand, he brought it up to her face. Cupping her cheek, he slid the pad of his thumb across her lips. They parted at his soft touch as his hand skimmed across the silkiness of her cheek.
“Right now, this moment, our future begins.” He ended with a whisper against her lips. Laura felt dizzy and knew it was his strong arms holding her up. He immediately took complete possession of her mouth. As many “practice” kisses as they had had, none of them compared to their first real, true love kiss. His tongue swept inside to stroke hers. He took his time exploring every millimeter of her mouth, branding her as his.
She felt weak when he finally broke the kiss so they could both breathe. Their foreheads rested together and they shard the air between them. As he moved back to her lips, they heard a shout from the house. It was Brandon calling them for supper.
With a promise in the kiss they shared, JC whispered. “Tonight, after Brandon goes to his friend’s house, tonight is our night. Tonight we start looking into the future.”
