I reply with a simple nod of my head. He nods solemnly and says, “I have to tell you a story. ”
Not this again.
Shaking my head, I state loudly, “No. I don’t want another story. I just want to move on. ”
He walks closer to me and utters, “You don’t like this story, babe, I’ll leave you alone and never bother you again. ”
Even though my heart breaks with that statement, I really want to hear what he has to say. And I desperately hope I like it. I dip my head in a single nod for him to continue.
He moves over to the kitchen counter and starts, “One day I met this girl. ” Playing with the flowers on the counter, he looks up at me and says, “You know the first part of this story so I’m going to skip ahead, past the bullshit and get to what you need to hear, okay?”
Suddenly feeling vulnerable, I hold myself, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. I nod once again and he goes on, “So this girl was my obsession. I don’t know how she did it but she was on my mind all the time. So after we agreed that we’d be bed buddies, I thought I had it all. The freedom and the girl all at once. Sometime after we started fucking, I realized that even though I felt I had it all, I was missing something. Some deep feelings started to come through and I panicked. I panicked so hard that I did something stupid and I put my hands on this girl, hoping to scare her away from me. But it didn’t work. ”
Reaching for the white tulip in the vase, he takes hold of it, brings it to me and places it in my hand. He uses his other hand to wrap my fingers around it and goes on, “So I go away for a while to find myself. And it was a fucking shitty thing to do, but for the first time in my life I was confused about what I was feeling for a woman. I tried to sabotage our relationship, but fuck me, she’s stronger than I thought. She wouldn’t run from me even when I was being a monster. ”
Ash walks into the lounge room to pick up the single lilac Iris stem. He walks back over to me, hands me the lilac iris and chuckles, “You know, I think I’ve known for some time now that I love that girl. ” I gasp but he ignores me. “I just never felt something like that before, and it scared the shit out of me. See, pretty girl, I’d do anything for that woman. Anything at all. If she asked me to buy her diamonds, I would. If she asked me to be a better man, I’d try with everything I am. If she asked me to stop seeing all that’s negative in my life, I’d remember that she’s my positive. ”
He speaks as he walks over to me. “I always thought it was me. That I was the problem when it came to me meeting women but it wasn’t. It was them. ”
Taking both flowers out of my hand, he says quietly, “See, babe, they weren’t you. ”
My lip quivers and I close my eyes to stop the tears from falling.
He whispers, “Wait here. Got something else for you. ”
I hear him walk away from me, down the hall and into my room. He walks back to me and places something in my hands. I open my wet eyes and stare down at the large, beautiful Casablanca lily that sits in my palms. He says, “This one means celebration. ”
I whisper hoarsely, “What are we celebrating?”
My heart skips a beat and I almost faint in shock when he falls to one knee before me. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a blue velvet ring box. I cover my mouth and burst into tears. He opens the box and the most beautiful antique white gold, diamond and emerald ring sits there. With a grin, he announces, “We’re getting married, baby. ”
***
Eight hours later…
“Do you take this sassy lady,” Elvis reads the piece of paper in his hand before continuing, “Natalie Kovac, to be your lawful wedded wife, my man?”
Ash chuckles at him before looking me in the eye and smiling his new happy smile, “Hell yes. ”
Elvis turns to me and asks, “Do you, sassy lady, take this hip cat,” He checks the paper again before continuing, “Asher Collins, to be your main man and husband?”
Smiling like the fool I am, holding my fifteen dollar bunch of plastic flowers, I bounce on the spot and almost shriek, “Yeah!”
Elvis smirks and mutters, “Well, alright. By the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your-”
But I don’t wait for him to finish, I run and jump into Asher’s waiting arms and kiss him hard, moaning all the while. I’m on such a high which is almost unbelievable because this morning I was at my lowest. Today is the best day of my life.
Ash holds me under my ass with one arm, holds the back of my head with the other, tangling his fingers into my hair and I wrap my legs around him. Our kiss is deep and carnal and sexy as all get out.
I love smooching my husband!
Oh my God…my husband. I can’t believe we just got married. This is awesome!
Ash pecks my lips before muttering against them, “I love you, pretty girl. ”
Smiling against him, I whisper, “Oh God, I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of hearing that. I love you too, Ash. ”
Elvis interrupts us with, “Hey now, save that for the hotel. ” Ash never takes his lips from mine when he tips him big and the celebrant says in full Elvis impersonation, “Thank you very much. ”