Jack looked at the few newspapers that they had gotten that morning, the press had been camped outside their apartment for the last two days and there was nothing much they could do about it. Jack had tried to get his lawyers to get the press off their backs but there was only so much they could do. As long as they were not trespassing, they were allowed to take pictures and gossip about Rainn and Jack’s relationship.

“This one sounds friendly,” Jack announced, he held up the newspaper that was in his hands as a reference and looked at Rainn’s direction. They were at the dining table having breakfast and Rainn was nibbling on her buttered toast.

“Read it to me please,” Rainn pleaded and sat patiently waiting for Jack to read out to her.

“It says, ‘The press should stop hounding the two love birds. For the first time in the history of mankind, Jack and his blushing bride to be have literally proved to us that love is indeed blind.’”

“You’re right, that is the friendliest the media has been to us. Which paper are you reading from?”

“Early bird,” Jack answered back. He threw a quick glance at the other newspapers that were carelessly sprawled on the table.

“Love or sham”

“The con of the century”

“Rising blindly up the social ladder”

These were only some of the many headlines that had made the front page of other newspapers that week. He thanked God that Rainn had not seen any of them.

“So the wedding planner is coming over today.” Jack announced, after taking a sip from his coffee cup.

“About that,” Rainn said “You will not believe the number of calls that I have coming my way from wedding planners.”

“These people are vultures!” Jack said and let out a small chuckle after mentioning this.

“If it is ok with you, I would like to choose my own wedding planner.” Rainn said as she made a mental note of a few potential candidates that she thought were a good fit for the job.

“That’s fine,” he agreed before another sip of his drink “Are you settling in well?”

“I honestly miss my old house. Sometimes I knock into things around here,” Rainn admitted “I guess it will take time getting used to the change.”

Rainn could hear Jack butter his toast as he made approving sounds to her concerns.

“I hope the staff are not giving you a hard time?” Jack went on to ask concerned.

“No they are not.” She answered quickly when she remembered how Stewart, the butler had been very helpful to her.

“I might have to force them to take leave for the next two weeks.” Jack said.

“Why?”

“The press might want to get them to speak of the things that happen behind closed doors. I’ll only have a few of them over to do the cooking and cleaning until this blows over.” Jack replied.

“They would go to that extent?” Rainn asked shocked.

“You have no idea how far these people are willing to go,” Jack replied before letting out a sarcastic chuckle.

“Do you want me to sit in on the interviews that you’ll conduct with the wedding planners?” Jack offered.

“I think you are the first groom who has ever offered to lend a hand to the bride’s wedding planning!” Rainn answered before letting out an amused laugh.

“Well, it’s my wedding too,” Jack also laughed.

There was an awkward moment of silence that followed and Rainn wondered how she would address the elephant in the room.

“Have you talked to your mother since?” she inquired. Her plate was almost empty now and she took a sip of orange juice as she waited for Jack to respond.

“Not really,” Jack answered before clearing his throat and explaining “She left a couple of messages on my cell phone about the wedding and the media”

“Have you replied to them?”

“Some.” Jack went on to explain she knew that it was a very touchy subject for Rainn and treaded very softly on it. “She sounds concerned, for both of us.”

He sounded slightly alarmed when he said the last bit and Rainn could detect it in his voice.

“What about your father?” Rainn asked.

“What about him?”

“Does he know about the news? Will he come to the wedding?” Rainn probed on.

“I don’t know and I honestly couldn’t give three shades of a monkey’s arse.” Jack replied.

“You sound angry,” Rainn pointed out.

“I am not angry at the man who abandoned me and didn’t want anything to do with me for the last God knows how many years”,

“You don’t have to be sarcastic to prove your point,” Rainn chided and she could hear Jack scuffle to his feet, heading over to the liquor cabinet. She listened to the clinking of glass and the soft thud of bottle meeting the rim, before feeling the whiff of gin play on her nostrils.

“Too early to drink, don’t you think?” Rainn asked when she heard Jack resume his seat after serving himself a drink.

“Well, it must still be nightfall somewhere.” Jack pointed out and went on to sip from his glass.

“You must notice that you get really sensitive about this subject all the time,” Rainn pointed out. She could hear Jack gulp down the drink like water and he got to his feet a second time. She heard him pour some more liquor into the glass. This time it was whisky and he walked back to his seat.

“I don’t think you should be mixing such hard stuff this early in the morning,” Rainn warned as she heard him resume his seat, listening to him taking yet another gulp from his glass.

“Rainn my love, I am a grown arse man. I can do whatever the hell I damn well please at whatever time of the day or night!” Jack shouted. He was both angry and defensive at the same time.

Rainn knew where the conversation was bound to head and got to her feet. She felt through the different furniture in the room and wished that she was back at her apartment where she would be able to storm out, without the need to feel through the room.

“I think you should go for therapy”, Rainn started “You need to sort out your daddy issues.”

Jack was about to say something else in his defense when he was stopped mid sentence by Rainn.

“It brings out a dark side in you every time you talk about him. It makes me have second thoughts about the man that I thought I fell in love with,” Rainn cried before walking out the door. Jack was left in the room pondering about what Rainn had just said, he knew she was right but he did not want to admit it. He took another swig from his glass and loved how the drink burnt his throat, gliding all the way to his stomach. He thought of what lay ahead and knew that he would need to step up for the sake of Rainn and their future family. His thoughts however, were diverted when he heard a distant clutter coming from downstairs followed by a slight stifled scream.

Jack hurriedly got to his feet and went to see what was going on. Rainn was seated on the floor next to a broken vase in the hallway. Stewart the butler was at her side in a second and was trying to help her to her feet.

“Are you ok, Rainn?” Jack asked worried “What happened?”

“I walked into the vase, I must have forgotten that it was placed there”, Rainn explained “I am so sorry.”

“No need to be sorry!” Jack cautioned “Are you ok?”

“I’ll go and get the first aid kit, sir.” Stewart said as he turned his attention towards Jack “It’s not a deep cut.”

“Thank you, Stewart” Jack replied gratefully and watched as he swiftly moved through the hallway.

He turned his attention back to Rainn and Rainn bowed her head.

“I am sorry,” she mouthed again and a few tears welled up in her eyes.

“It’s ok.”

Stewart walked back with the first aid kit and Jack accepted it from him before leading Rainn away to a living room sofa. He dressed the wound and watched as Rainn winced at the touch of disinfectant on the cut.

“I need time to get used to the house,” Rainn said after Jack was done placing a bandage on the cut. Rainn had cut herself on her foot and she directed her hand to feel if Jack had done a good job on it.

“Thank you,” she mouthed and offered him an approving smile.

“We need to get you a walking stick.” Jack said.

“I do not need a walking stick,” Rainn said defensively. She could feel the liquor on his breath as he moved closer to her.

“I insist,” he said and from his tone, Rainn decided not to argue with him. The two sat in the living room, comfortable in each other’s arms and both took solace in the other’s presence. Rainn however, felt a fear at the pit of her stomach but decided to ignore it.