Christopher walked up to the table where he saw Emilia eagerly speaking to the two people beside her. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Emilia in her quite simple dress that showed her off in the best of light. The red tint on her lips drew everyone's attention to her hypnotising smile.
The man she spoke to seemed particularly interested in what she had to say.
"That is a very good idea. It's momentous but I can truly see it working."
"You can start by appointing benefits and change management teams…" Emilia continued eagerly.
Christopher quickly realised what they were talking about. And he didn't like it. His wife was giving a valuable business advice to a stranger.
He took a step forward and pulled the napkin from underneath Emilia's pen, folding it and placing it in his suit jacket. All without a single word of warning or welcome.
"Mr Hayden." Jacob drew the breath in and he was the first one to speak. Emilia froze in surprise as her big eyes slowly landed on him. He could melt under her gaze.
"Good evening, Mr Hayden." Emilia spoke at last.
"Good evening, Emilia." Christopher replied at once. He gave a nod to all others at a table before he sat down.
And he sat down beside her. Emilia straightened in her seat whilst smiling at Jacob as if it was a silent promise that she was going to talk to him about it again some other time.
Her body tensed unintentionally. She felt as if some invisible barrier rested between her and Me Hayden.
Thankfully, the food was brought up the moment after which gave her a good excuse to be quiet, and a good distraction.
As they were served the dessert, Emilia struggled with the tense silence on her side of the table.
"Oh, Grace. This is a beautiful ring." Emilia noted in hope to ignite a new conversation with the woman beside her.
"Thank you. I've got engaged just last month." Grace wriggled her finger with pride.
"That is stunning. And congratulations! Who is the lucky man?"
"He is working with dad now as a director. His name is Anthony. And he is quite amazing."
"That's fantastic! How long have you been together?"
"Three months." Grace smiled.
Emilia bit her tongue. She would have never married within three months of meeting someone.
"When's the special day?"
"In a year's time. There's just too much to plan."
"I can imagine."
"You know, the most unexpected benefit of wearing a ring is that I am not as bothered by men when out and about." Grace chuckled.
"Oh, I can imagine!" they both chuckled understanding the challenges of being a woman in this world.
Whilst Emilia entertained a conversation with Grace, Christopher not only overheard it, but also it offset a new train of thought that he would have never considered before. They were married and there was nothing to show for it. He disliked the idea of people questioning if he was truly married due to the lack of the ring on his finger. And he didn't like Emilia not being visibly married.
He decided that he was going to get the custom rings the very next day.
Another man approached the table filling in the last free seat on Christopher's other side.
"Congratulations on your marriage, Mr Hayden." He spoke, reminding everyone of the recent news, and sparking curiosity.
"Thank you, Mr Brown." Christopher answered automatically.
"You have been quite secretive about it."
"I like to keep my personal life private. It makes things easier."
"I suppose. Can you tell me more about the lucky lady?"
"I-…" Christopher looked at Emilia. She didn't seem to hear or care for this conversation. "She's someone who is incredibly intelligent."
Christopher's phone started ringing, saving him from further interrogation. He excused himself from the table and while Mr Brown looked behind him. Once sure that Christopher was far enough, he turned to others at the table.
"I would bet that he found some way of using a decision matrix to pick someone with the best qualities."
Emilia looked around in surprise. She felt that Mr Brown's tone was very judgmental and she didn't like it.
"Whatever do you mean, Mr Brown?" Emilia asked, still having her perfectly rehearsed smile on.
"Everything he ever does is in such a measured way. I cannot imagine him just dating and falling in love with someone. He probably made her go through some tests and interviews." Mr Brown explained his comment not realising that Christopher managed to get out of the call and approached the table just to be able to catch Mr Brown's comment on him. He hated when people talked behind his back.
"Mr Brown, you say that as if it was a bad thing." Emilia chipped in. She was ready to challenge Mr Brown on his statement. After all, she was there to help Mr Hayden with his image.
Christopher stopped in the spot as he heard Emilia's response. He was curious about her point of view seeing as she was the one he picked using a very considerate method. "Everyone wants to select the partner that is most suitable for them. Mr Hayden is careful and calculated in his decisions. He might as well pick someone using a very clear selection process in order to ensure that they meet his needs. Marriage is a partnership after all and it's good to know that you can stand someone before committing for your entire life." Emilia spoke eloquently as if she rehearsed that answer.
"Would you ever want to be picked through a process so well defined?" Mr Brown asked an exact question that was bothering Christopher who wondered whether his selection method wasn't his downfall. After all, what kind of motive does Emilia have in being with him.
"Possibly. I rather be someone's first choice knowing that they picked me from among others, than being someone's only choice. Many cultures have arranged marriages based on the benefits it would bring to both parties. How does it differ if you do it yourself than rely on an older generation to decide for you? It seems like an interesting concept. "
"I suppose." Mr Brown decided not to dwell on the topic again.
Christopher smiled at Emilia defending him and then rejoined the table. Mr Brown shifted uncomfortably as if he knew that Christopher overheard him. But Christopher's attention wasn't on Mr Brown at all. There, right beside him, was his wife of over two weeks who he didn't know at all and who just stood up for his decision in the most natural way. Emilia glanced over in his direction and smiled at him in her friendly way.
She listened attentively through each and every boring toast people decided to raise. And once the lengthy monologues finished, she was keen to maintain any conversation thrown at her.
Christopher chose to abstain from most of them, only once joining the table wide discussion about some current world trends in tech, but only once Emilia turned to him and said "Mr Hayden, you're the specialist in this domain. Do you agree with Mr Anderson's point of view?" Christopher stared at her blankly for a few moments before he was forced to join the conversation.
He hated that. He hated that Emilia forced him to interact with others. And he hated how good she was at drawing him into that conversation in a professional way.