That smile continued to bother me throughout the ceremony and reception, periodically appearing and catching my attention.
Finally, I escaped to the bathroom.
"She doesn't suspect anything,"
Micheal? Who is he talking with? Unconsciously, I hid behind the wall and eavesdropped.
"Intend to make it that way." he sounded annoyed, "This time, I won't let her out of my sight."
He must be on the phone since I couldn't hear who he was talking with.
"I'll take her to the islands," he walked closer to where I was hiding. I could hear the muted voice on the other line, "on the pretext that it is for research."
He stopped just a foot from me, causing me to hold my breath and blend into the wall. If he turned left, he would see me at the corner.
"She will not be able to elude me this time." he turned back to the hallway, "She knows about the divorce. She is staying with me until I think it would be appropriate to get the divorce."
Is he talking about me? Who is on the other line?
"You can't force me to stay married to her." he sounded calm, "You are her kin, but I am her closest family right now." Family? I clenched my jaw. "I will do what I need to. Don't give me threats. It wouldn't work on me."
"Mr.Smith, " a man called out. He appeared across me, and I pretended to have just walked out of the lavatory. "Your presence is needed at the banquet hall."
"Did you come to get me?" I innocently asked Micheal as I looked at him, finally walking to the hallway.
He looked surprised, curious and worried. But only for a second. He placed that smile on his face again.
"Yes. Yes, I was" he took my hand and placed it in his arm. "Where did you run off to?"
"Just needed the bathroom."
Am I back to my initial problem? Would the solution this time be the problem?
"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked as he handed me a wine glass.
We smiled at the camera for the nth time as we tried to twine our arms together and drink the wine, pretending to be a happy couple.
"A pound for yours?" the smile he directed at me was different from the one directed at the camera. It's that smile he gave after that kiss, which I now find irritating.
"I'm thinking that after we cut the cake, we can finally ditch this farce and rest."
"Why did you agree to this, Micheal?" Finally, we were alone at our table as the last guest scheduled to have their pictures taken moved away.
"The old woman kidnapped you. All I could do was go with her whim to see you and have you released." he looked at the silverware on the table as if he would be using it soon and not for eating. "I told you to always take Fredmon when you go from one place to another."
"Are you blaming me for this?" I turned towards him, glaring, "She's your grandmother."
"This wouldn't be possible if there was no bride around." He also turned towards me. The fake smile is now on his face - very different from the one after the kiss, "but you made it easy for her to get you."
"How would I know that your grandmother is a psycho?" I muttered after, "It must run in the family - "
"What?"
"Why does she not know about your fiancee and that we are getting a divorce?"
"The same reason why we kept our contract between us. And we got married in the first place" He looked in the direction of his grandmother. Her table has a lot of high-ranking nobles and company presidents.
"What now?" I sighed and leaned back on my seat, suddenly feeling constricted by the gown.
"We wait." he held my hand and squeezed it, "Can you do that? Pretend?"
I slapped a big fake smile on my face.
"Let's see."
=======
This is crazy.
I turned to look at the large bed decorated with flower petals that would almost look tacky if it was not beautifully laid out. Then, look back at Micheal, who is removing his tuxedo jacket and placing it at the back of the seat at the corner.
"Are you going to take the right side or the left?" he asked as he uncuffed the wrist of his white shirt.
"What?"
"Are you sleeping on the right side or left side of the bed?" he sat on the seat where he draped his jacket and started removing his shoes.
"What?"
And I am just standing in the middle of the room, still in my wedding reception dress, staring at him as if he grew some horns on his head.
"Samantha, we are sharing the bed like reasonable adults. I am not sleeping on the sofa. We are just sleeping and not doing anything else." then he smirked, "Unless you want anything else to happen?"
"Right side", I blurted as I tried to take my gown off, but I suddenly remembered the rows of buttons at the back. "I might need your help."
"Might?" He stood up, wearing his socks and a white shirt. The top three buttons were open, and the shirt was untucked from his pants.
"OK. I need your help, " I turned my back towards him, "Can you remove at least four of them for me?"
He walked towards me; I felt his hand move some strands of my hair away from my nape, and then his fingers slowly inserted into the collar of the dress.
"You looked beautiful in the dress, by the way." his breath hit my nape, sending shivers to my body. "And you have a sensitive neck." I felt something touch it, but it was not his fingers.
"Did you just kiss my neck?" I asked, surprised and puzzled at the gesture
"Yes, I did." I felt his smile on my nape
"What are you up to, Mr. Micheal Smith?" my tone was teasing. And it took me a second before I wondered why I was not uncomfortable or disgusted.
"There, done." I felt the air caress the skin that the back revealed.
He moved away and started walking towards the en-suite bathroom.
"I'll use the bath first, " He was already inside when he shouted, "You can find some clothes in the walk-in closet, " then some expletives, "I forgot mine, and I'm already naked. Can you bring me some?"
I was about to suggest that he could wear the bathrobe but found them on top of the dresser near the bath.
"You can put it inside. I left the door open. Don't worry, the wall to the shower is frosted; you won't see my beautiful naked body."
"As if - " I discovered that there were no pajamas among the clothes in the closet. My choices were nighties or shirts and shorts.
Since his shorts would be too loose around the waist for me, I opted for the nightie silk shorts that barely went past the middle of my thigh and one of his plain white shirts. I got him another white shirt and dark shorts.
"I'm coming in, " I pushed the door open.
"Wait!" too late, I saw him grab the towel from the stand and place it in front of him.
"You're done taking a shower." I tried to hide my smile by biting my lips
"You look like a schoolboy caught naked, "
"Well, I am naked." he glared, "I was just concerned about you."
"I'm not that naive, Micheal." I teased, "Don't be shy."
"If you insist." he dropped the towel and showed me everything.
I immediately turned around, blushing.
I felt him behind me, too close. My shirt soaked the water from his chest.
"What?" he whispered, "Don't get shy now."
"Here's your clothes, " I quickly turned and shoved his clothes to his chest and quickly turned back and walked out of the bath
I was chased by his laughter booming in the room.