14. Whitney
14
WHITNEY
S taring at my reflection in the hotel bathroom mirror, I run my hands along my dress, spreading out the wrinkles. I’ve been hiding out in here for the past twenty minutes. I’ve already dried my hair, done all my makeup, and gotten dressed for the ceremony. Now I’m just stalling.
Liam knocks on the door. “You okay in there?”
I clear my throat. “Yep! Almost done!”
“Well, can you hurry? I’ve gotta piss.”
My fiancé, ladies and gentlemen.
When I come out, Liam is sitting on the bed scrolling on his phone. He tosses it to the side and glances in my direction before doing a full double take, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. The look sends a flush right through me.
He clears his throat and leans forward. “What, ah , are you wearing?”
I can’t hide the blush on my cheeks as I glance down at my white dress. “I have a weird thing about weddings. I don’t know. I kind of like the traditions.”
“Really?”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“I won’t,” he promises. “What traditions?”
I shift on my feet. “Well, no dad to give me away, obviously… but I at least wanted to wear white. I got these shoes from a thrift store my first year of college, so… something old. Wore blue eyeshadow for the something blue. It’s dumb, I know. I don’t even have the other two.”
He smiles softly, his eyes crinkling at the corner. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that smile on him before, and now that I’ve seen it, I feel greedy. I need to see it again.
“Here.” He stands, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gold band, holding it out to me. “Here’s your something new.”
I step toward him and blink down at the ring, unexpected moisture forming in my eyes. “Oh.”
He shifts, closing his hand into a fist. “You don’t have to. It’s just from the pawn shop. I saw it on my way home from work and I thought?—”
“No!” I reach for his hand. “You just surprised me, but I love it. Thank you.”
“I’ll hold onto it until the ceremony.” He slips the ring back into his pocket and brushes past me, heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. I sit on the edge of the bed, taking a few deep breaths.
It’s just a stupid ring. It doesn’t mean anything.
The door opens and Liam comes out, cuffing the sleeves of his button down. He opens the closet and takes out a suit jacket, pulling it on. I’ve never seen him in anything but a t-shirt. He looks incredible. He smirks and reaches for my hand, pulling me to stand next to him and turning us towards the mirror. Standing side-by-side like this, we actually look like a real couple.
“As for the something borrowed,” he starts. “I think I qualify. You’ve only got me for three years, so I can be your something borrowed.”
I smile. “Okay. I guess that counts.” I turn towards him and flatten the lapels of his jacket, running my palms against his broad chest. “Come on, let’s go get hitched.”
We decide to get married at A Little White Wedding Chapel. Liam protests, but I figure if I have the chance to tie the knot in the same spot that Judy Garland did, I’m taking it. Thankfully, the officiant is dressed in a button down and slacks. Liam swore that if we were married by anyone dressed in a costume, he’d walk out the door. So far, everything is running smoothly. We don’t even have to say vows or anything. It’s all perfect, until…
“By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!”
Oh shit.
In all my anxious preparation for today, I forgot about this part. How did I forget about this part? It’s like, the big thing. The main course. The final boss at the end of the video game.
Is Liam expecting us to kiss? The minister (if I can technically call him that) is definitely expecting it given the way he’s currently glancing between us with a confused expression on his face. We’re both frozen solid. He’s probably used to drunken fools whose lips are basically attached. Meanwhile, we look like a couple of wax statues at Madam Tussaud’s.
The clock is ticking, and I can’t take any chances about the legitimacy of this thing, so I lean in and press my lips against his. He’s frozen for a moment, but he softens at the contact, opening his mouth and meeting my kiss. He tastes like mint and cherries, sweeter than I was expecting, and I don’t want the brief contact to end. My lips are still tingling when I pull away and glance at the officiant.
“Congratulations! Now, please move forward. The next appointment is starting in five minutes.”
He starts pushing us off the faux-altar and gestures for the couple behind us to step forward. Now, they look like a real couple. She’s clinging to his side like a sloth on a tree, and he’s staring at her like the sun rises and falls in her eyes. It’s surprisingly sweet, and I’m hit by an unexpected pang of jealousy. Liam’s hand settles at the base of my spine, pressing me forward, and I stumble a bit, dazed from our kiss and the unwanted feelings of desire it stirred in me. Sure, I knew I was attracted to Liam, but he wasn’t supposed to be a good kisser. A great kisser, in fact.
Liam gets all the forms we need while I wait outside, staring at my left hand and the shiny ring that is now part of me. Maybe it’s the Nevada sun bearing down on me or the after-effects of Liam’s lips on mine, but I’m starting to feel dizzy.
This is real. I am married.
“Hey,” Liam’s gruff voice interrupts my spiraling. “You ready to go?”
When we get back to the room, things are… awkward. We’re both eyeing the bed like it might bite us if we sit on it. I hover near the doorway while Liam takes off his jacket and throws it onto the chair in the corner.
“Sweating my arse off in that thing. This city is a fuckin’ sauna.”
“I kind of like it. It’s so dry.”
He doesn’t reply. He just stares out the window at the twinkling lights of the Vegas nightlife. It’s still early, and something tells me we’ll be delaying sleep as long as humanely possible.
“Do you want to go get dinner? I might hit the casinos later or see if I can get tickets to a show. I’ve heard the Blue Man Group is fun. Ooh , or Cirque Du Soleil? They are so impressive. We could go together!”
He raises his eyebrows at me in a gesture that reveals his obvious disapproval. How do I already know how to read his nonverbal communication?
“Forget it. I’ll go by myself,” I tell him, stung. I don’t know why I even invited him. Every time I try to be nice, he throws it back in my face. I turn away from him, but he reaches out and grasps my arm lightly.
“I’ll come, but no Blue Man Group. They freak me out.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Seriously?”
“They’re creepy. Who willingly paints themselves head-to-toe like that?” He shudders, and I laugh again. “Let me shower and we’ll go, alright?”
“Okay. I should probably change out of this dress… ”
While Liam showers, I change into a denim skirt, tank top, and my platform Doc Martens. Once he’s done in the bathroom, I touch up my makeup and meet him in the hallway. He’s wearing a t-shirt and backwards baseball cap, and he strides to the elevator with barely a glance in my direction. He’s shaved his beard down to a light stubble, and it looks soft and clean.
Hello to you, too!
Why, yes, you look lovely.
I look nice, too? Thanks so much!
Tired of conversing silently with myself, I turn to Liam. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Whatever you want.”
I take a deep breath, reaching for my inner patience. I’m gonna need a lot of it tonight.
“Can we go to the Trevi? I want to see the fountains, and I’m in the mood to stuff my face with breadsticks and pasta.”
He scrolls on his phone. “Sounds good to me.”
“Can you at least pretend you like spending time with me? I get that this whole situation isn’t ideal, but I’m trying to make the most of it.”
He slides his phone in his pocket and turns to me, studying my face. “I like spending time with you.”
“Oh, really? You sure have a way of showing it. You barely even look at me, for God’s sake!”
He blinks, his face impassive. “I didn’t realize it bothered you.”
“Yeah, well… ”
The elevator doors slide open, and I strut through the lobby towards the exit.
Forget this.
He follows after me as we head out to the Strip. He grips my wrist, tugging me back towards him. “Hey, slow down a sec.”
I huff out a breath and glare up at him.
“I didn’t think… look, that’s just how I am, alright? I’m sorry if you took it as something against you.”
“Forget I said anything. It doesn’t matter.” I tug against his hold, but he keeps me firmly in his grip.
“We’re stuck together for the next three years, so let’s be clear. You’ve gotta tell me when I piss you off ‘cause I can’t read your mind, and I’ll probably do it a lot. I’m sorry I’ve been a dick, yeah? I’m excited. We’ll go to dinner, and then we’ll see the Cirque thing. Alright?”
I nod, shocked by his earnest response. “I only wanted to go out because—” I cut myself off abruptly.
You idiot.
“Because what?”
My cheeks flame. I press my lips together, not wanting to spill the truth I’ve been trying to ignore all day. When I suggested we go to Vegas this weekend, I knew what I was doing, but I really hoped Liam wouldn’t find out and read too much into it. It’s just another day, after all.
“ It- my bir-day ,” I mumble under my breath.
“What was that?”
“It’s my birthday,” I repeat.
He rears back, surprise coloring his features. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“It’s not a big deal. I just didn’t want to sit in a hotel room all night.”
He blinks. “How old are you?”
“Didn’t your mother teach you never to ask a woman that?” I tease, trying to avoid the sudden intensity in his gaze.
“I think I should know how old my wife is.”
He’s got me there. “I’m twenty-six. How old are you?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“What’s your sign?” I shoot back, wanting more information now that’s he’s finally sharing something with me.
“My what?”
“Your astrological sign. I’m a Virgo,” I explain.
He shrugs. “Dunno. My birthday’s April 21 st .”
I grin at him. “Of course. Taurus.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Are you going to tell me what that means?”
“Not a chance,” I sing back at him, linking our arms together and tugging him along. “Now tell me what time you were born so we can figure out your moon and rising.”