"Two weeks is what?"
"The wedding, of course. I just asked you. We want to get it over this month before Darius goes away to finish his course."
My eyes widened and I stared at them.
A wedding?
In two weeks!?
I needed a plan and fast.
Present Time
I woke up to the sound of something breaking. I heard movement downstairs and a curse. Darius.
I rolled around and checked the time and sat up. Half past eleven! Why didn't the fool wake me up! My stomach grumbled and I realised how little I had eaten ever since this man came back with his seafood frenzy.
I got up, quickly grabbing blue jeans with a barely visible soft flowery pattern on them and an aqua green shirt that was like a hoodie. Might as well enjoy wearing jeans and pants for as long as I can. I rushed to the adjoining bathroom and stood under the water's warm spray.
Ahhh, this could have been my life. Waking up, going to work and actually earning money for a living. Enjoying the small beauties in life and not taking advantage of everything. Working hard and knowing the value of life.
I opened my eyes. Would Darius let me find a job? It was awfully boring sitting at home doing nothing. I can probably get a small part time job, maybe in an ice-cream parlour or something. It might make a difference in my boring life.
I mean, I did finish high school and was on my way to getting a medical degree before some parent of mine pulled me out and shipped me over to get married.
In high school I had studied my ass off to get into Med School, but there was no point to it now. Of course, I can return to uni and finish my last three years, but would it be worth it? Would he actually even let me work?
I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me. I looked in the mirror and saw my dull lifeless face stare back. The black eyes that used to sparkle just stared back dull, so dull that they were nearly a dark brown colour. My lips had gone slightly pale and I checked under my eyelids. It was no longer blood red.
Iron deficiency.
Add that to my problems. I got ready and combed my hair into a ponytail and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Darius sat on the counter drinking his coffee and reading his newspaper.
I walked over and noticed in the bin broken plates and smiled. I could smell something burnt. Did he try to cook?
"Do you want breakfast?" I asked, trying to cover my grin. He gave me a curt nod and walked off and I broke into a wide smile. Apparently, my man has an ego problem. Doesn’t want to ask anyone for help.
I looked at the time. It would be more like brunch.
I scratched the back of my head. He wanted breakfast and I was sure I wasn’t a better cook than he was.
I looked in the fridge, glad to see vegetables but I had no idea what to do with those. I could make us both sandwiches - or better yet, pasta. I found a packet of pasta and ready-made sauce. Perfect. I can’t screw this up, can I?
By the time I finish, it would be lunch and maybe afterward we can go watch a movie or something.
I mean, this was supposed to be a week for us to stop working and just relax, right? To get to know each other. All he needed was a bit of a push.
As I put the pasta in the pot, I heard my phone ring upstairs. I quickly turned up the heat and ran upstairs just as the final rings came and picked up.
"Hello?" I asked, panting into the phone.
"What the hell are you doing, girl, running a marathon?"
"Rose, hey. Yea, sorta like that," I said, sitting on the floor. I caught my breath as she filled me in on her week. She had gone to parties and finished her knitting and was basically having fun. Not what I would consider fun but oh well.
"So how are you and lover boy going?"
"You mean, worker boy," I muttered going back downstairs. Might as well finish my pasta and talk.
"Oh no."
"Mmmm," I said, trying to talk as softly as I could. I didn't want Darius picking up on any of my conversations. I stirred the pasta. It had expanded in size so I assumed it was done and switched the stove off. I took the pasta sauce, pouring it out of the bottle and into a pot.
"That sucks. Did you try to do something?"
"Yea, we went to the carnival on the first day and yesterday we went to the reef for snorkeling but he left half way and left me with a hormonal teenager who tried to pretty much grope me and then took me to a restaurant and ordered fish."
"No!"
"Oh yea," I muttered as I drained the paste with one hand.
"Oh, did I mention he didn't offer me a jacket when I was drenched after I had to swim from the pervey guy and also refused to fight two guys who made a pretty shit comment?"
"Wow....and here I thought he could be a movie star. I mean, he sure looks like one. With his bea-"
"Rose," I groaned. "Save it, I don't care."
"Oh wait, I know," she said. I heard excitement in her voice and frowned. That was never a good sign.
"What?" I asked, pouring the sauce into the pasta and grabbing two plates and setting them on the table.