It looked, wrong. That was the only way to describe it. I didn’t know if it was Charlotte’s height, which was grossly exaggerated with the stilettos she was wearing, or if it was Johnathon’s bulk but the pose did not extend the same graciousness as it had offered Grayson and me.
“You look like two pieces of roast chicken,” The elderly Mr. Deluca said rudely “Try a different pose” he snapped “This one looks horrible.”
Charlotte flushed and then she and Johnathon stood side by side, her body slightly turned away from his, while he held her hand. It was quaint but not romantic. Their bodies were stiff and Johnathon was grimacing. The photographer called out different instructions but it was futile. The more he tried to encourage them, the stiffer they went.
“Never mind just do the image fixing thing on the computer, what’s it called, editing?” Mr Deluca muttered under his breath towards the photographer who nodded miserably “Photoshop it” he said while I tried not to giggle at the fact he even knew what that was.
“Alright now let’s do the family one” Mr Deluca muttered as Charlotte’s mother joined us.
I saw Grayson go tense and took his hand, gently squeezing it in reassurance. This had to be hard for him, I thought glancing at Charlotte and her mother. His mother wasn’t here and his father was dead. The grandfather was oblivious to how Grayson might have felt about all of this. I could see Grayson gritting his teeth as the old man began to order people about. “Karen go on that side of Charlotte and Johnathon. Grayson, step up next to Flair and I’ll go in behind you” he said.
We began to pose. But I had been placed next to Johnathon and felt uncomfortable by the closeness of his presence. I would rather have had Grayson standing where I was. Charlotte glowered at her grandfather “I am not taking a photograph where my fiancee is standing next to his ex-wife” she cried out angrily.
“Fine” the old man snorted, waving his hand “Charlotte swap spots with Johnathon then.”
Charlotte swapped, but that put her next to me. I didn’t like the gleam in her eyes. They were glinting and filled with venom. Johnathon looked a little forlorn at being moved away from me, but I was relieved. I snuck a look at Grayson and could see that he was barely holding onto his composure. At this rate, he was going to blow a lid off his temper and soon. We needed to get these photos done and soon.
“If you could all just move a little closer together” the photographer instructed “so that everybody is in the frame” he added.
We began to shuffle in even closer. Charlotte and I were practically on top of each other now. I could smell her sickening perfume. I tried not to gag. How much had she put on? Could she not smell herself? Johnathon was silent and the grandfather merely looked impatient.
“A few smiles if you please. Some of you are looking quite grim” The photographer laughed nervously at his own joke.
He was the only one that did. I felt Grayson’s hand squeezing mine and glanced at him sideways, a soft smile coming to my face.
Flash. Flash. Flash. The camera continued to flash and whir, all of us standing still like perfect mannequins as the photographer captured our stillness in his photos, no doubt destined to be placed in the newspapers as well as put in a frame for personal use.
“That’s it,” the photographer said with enthusiasm as the grandfather scowled at him “Just a few more and we’re almost done,” he said, clicking the button down, over and over as he used a multitude of angles.
“Done,” the photographer said finally.
The grandfather clasped a hand on Grayson’s shoulder. “See,” he said with a smirk “That wasn’t so bad was it?” he asked as Grayson grunted at him.
Karen sniffed her nose in the air and then sailed out of the room, a disgruntled expression on her face. The grandfather shrugged and then left himself. Charlotte had yet to remove herself from so close to me and I began to walk, only to hear a ripping noise that had me instinctively stopping in my tracks.
She hadn’t. Had she? That bitch, I thought fuming as I whirled around, Charlotte’s eyes wide with feigned innocence.
“Oh my god” she exclaimed, as Johnathon quickly darted over “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize and then you moved before I could” She began to bluster.
Bullshit. The little tart had put her stilleto on the fabric of my dress and then kept it down so that it would tear as I walked forward. The split now went up even further, practically all the way up to my waist, exposing the lace thong I had underneath and making the rest of the dress vulnerable to tearing. Grayson’s eyes narrowed as he came over, shrugging out of his jacket.
“You did that intentionally” he accused Charlotte, while she fluttered her eyelashes at him.
“I did not,” she said indignantly while I gratefully took his jacket and put it on.
Because Grayson was so tall the jacket reached my knees and covered me, but I was still apprehensive about walking out to the car. Charlotte’s lips curved. “I would offer you one of my dresses Flair,” she said sweetly as I stared at her “but you’re not exactly as well endowed in the chest department, and your” she coughs, “hips are curvier so they wouldn’t fit the best.”
Oh, how I wanted to say something cutting and scathing to her. Grayson was furious, even as I put a hand on his arm.
“It’s okay Charlotte,” I said kindly “I fear I would not want to wear your clothes either, I would rather wear Grays,” I said a bit touchily.
“She didn’t mean to rip your dress Flair” Johnathon finally interjected, coming to his fiancee’s rescue “There’s no need to be so bitchy about it.”
“Grayson, I’m tired. Please accept our congratulations Charlotte, Johnathon, for your engagement” I said drained “and we offer our apologies for leaving the party early.”
Damnit I would walk out with my head held high, even if I had to hold the dress tightly in my hand to ensure it didn’t rip any further. Grayson’s eyes narrowed and then I gave a small shriek as I felt my body being swept off my feet and into his strong arms, causing Charlotte to gape and Johnathon to glower as though he was jealous.
“There” Grayson murmured, ignoring everyone as he began to stride out of the room, my head nestled against his chest, “now nobody can see what you’re wearing under that dress” he growled protectively as I giggled.
“Well to be fair, nobody was supposed to” I pointed out, as we headed outside, making our way back to the car “I didn’t wear it with the intention of showing it off.”
“Shame” Grayson murmured, as I wound my arms around his neck, his arms wrapping tighter around me “Because I happen to think that it looks quite ravishing on you,” he said, kissing the nape of my neck.
I moaned. His eyes darkened. We reached the limousine and he put me inside, before climbing in, pressing the button to put up the barrier between the driver and ourselves. The door shut. I didn’t have time to move, before he moved, kissing me as he pinned me to the seats, his hands beginning to caress and explore me all over, his gaze one of a man that was deep in the throes of lust, determination etched on his face.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.