Chapter 9
The day of the wedding came more quickly than anyone could have been prepared for, and Matthew greeted the day with a fair amount of wariness. He had come to terms with his feelings, and he knew what he wanted to say to Claire; he simply wasn’t sure she would be receptive. For the time being, the focus would be putting on a good act for her family. That’s what had started this whole mess. He would play a believable role as Claire’s boyfriend, dote on the woman’s every desire, and then they could discuss their future together. If there was even a future together to look toward to.
The man dressed in his most formal wear, styling his hair impeccably and spritzing himself with his favorite and most expensive cologne. He glanced at his reflection, desperate to see the fun loving and easy going man he used to be. If Claire would allow him to clear his conscience, perhaps those pieces of him would fall back into place. As it stood, he felt like a thousand-piece puzzle that had been shaken up and then thrown on the floor in scrambles. He shook his head at the thought, reasoning that he had never been a complete puzzle in any case.
He grabbed the keys to his car, slipping into the driver’s seat and pressing the button to open his garage. The plan was to pick Claire up, schmooze the family at the wedding, make a good impression on her mother, and then they could leave. What happened after the wedding weighed heavily on Claire herself, but Matthew could take responsibility for part of the messy situation they had gotten themselves into. He pulled out onto the busy streets, making his way towards Claire’s apartment. The venue wasn’t particularly far from her apartment complex, and he had reasoned that it would look better for the two of them to arrive arm in arm. She hadn’t stop the idea, so he was simply rolling with the punches and hoping for the best. When he pulled up to the parking lot of the compound, he spotted her shuffling uncomfortably on the sidewalk that ran adjacent to the parking lot. She was wearing a pale lavender dress, with a slit up the side that made his mouth water. He had to pull himself together, however, not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of her family. He pulled up to the sidewalk, rolling down the passenger side window and grinning out at her.
“Hey gorgeous, looking for a ride?” He called out, and she looked up, only just seeming to realize it was him in the car. She smiled tentatively, and he felt a burst of warmth bloom in his chest at the rosy tint to her cheeks.
“Hi, Matt. I was beginning to think…,” she trailed off, glancing at her watch. He frowned, knowing all too well what she had suspected. “Well, you’re here early, so I don’t know what I was so worried about. Ready to give my family a show?” She inquired with a faint smile. He grinned, reaching across to push the door open. She slipped into the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt and glancing towards him. She parted her lips inquisitively, obviously ready to throw a dozen questions at him.
“We’ll talk after the wedding, sweetheart. Act natural,” he grinned, his heart throbbing painfully at her downtrodden look. “Don’t look so blue. We’re going to show up the bride and groom themselves,” he teased. She smirked, seeming to take a small bit of comfort in that notion. They drove the short distance to the venue, and Matthew was somewhat startled to see just how many cars were parked in the lot of the venue. It wasn’t the classic church wedding, but it certainly wasn’t a homely barn wedding either. The venue was clean and refined, and Matthew schooled his face into an easy grin as he pulled into one of the few remaining parking spots. Claire inhaled a quaking breath, steeling herself as an older woman rushed towards the car. Matthew mused that she bore a striking resemblance to both the bride and the woman sitting beside him, and he chuckled under his breath before slipping out of the driver’s seat. He shuffled around the car, opening the door for Claire just as the woman’s mother nearly pounced atop her.
“Claire, honey! I’m so glad you could make it! And you must be…,” the older woman trailed off, considering Matthew with a critical expression.
“I’m Matthew. Claire didn’t tell me she had another sister,” the man announced boldly, quirking his lips in a suave smile. The older woman flushed at the attention, and Claire tried not to snicker.
“Oh dear, do stop. I’m their mother, Katherine. It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I was beginning to think that Claire made up her boyfriend, even after Courtney claimed to have met you. You know, my daughter has a hard time holding a man down, though I haven’t the foggiest idea why,” the woman rambled, and Matthew linked his arm in Claire’s as the older woman led them inside the venue.
“I’m a bit startled that I caught her eye as well. God knows what a lucky man I am,” he smiled. The older woman cooed, and Claire reddened before tightening her grip on Matthew’s arm. Apparently they had arrived at the ceremony just in time, and the wedding was due to begin shortly. Matthew and Claire took their seats with the rest of Claire’s family, and the man excelled at making idle chat with the men of the family as Claire’s mother gushed over how attractive Matthew was.
As Courtney walked down the aisle, there was a tear shining in Claire’s eye that Matthew couldn’t help but kiss away. He wasn’t sure if he was overstepping any boundaries, but she didn’t seem particularly displeased. She laced their fingers together as the vows were spoken, shuffling away from him only when it was announced that her sister intended to throw the bouquet. Despite himself, a small measure of hope bloomed in Matthew’s chest as he watched his date scramble over to try to catch it. He watched with trepidation, grinning as Courtney winked in his direction before launching the bouquet straight at Claire. The family cheered as it was caught, and Claire turned to face him with a wide grin as she clutched the flowers in her hands. He rushed towards her, sweeping her up into her arms and spinning her in a circle.
“How romantic,” Katherine fawned, and Matthew realized belatedly that he may have been getting a bit caught up in things. He lowered Claire to the ground, smiling tenderly down at her. Marco announced that the reception was following soon, and the family made to shuffle back to their cars. Katherine approached the two of them, and Claire considered him uncertainly for a moment.
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want, I can catch a ride with my mom,” she offered gently, trying to give him a way out. The older woman watched the two suspiciously, but Claire’s mother was the last thing on Matthew’s mind as he stepped forward and drew her in close.
“I was actually hoping that we could have a moment alone. I need to talk to you about something important,” he said shyly. Shyness was something completely foreign from the man, and Claire could sense that whatever he wanted to discuss must have been rather important.
“I’ll catch up, mom. I need to talk to Matt,” Claire said dismissively to the older woman. Her mother began to chatter to the contrary for a moment, but Claire simply took Matthew by the hand and allowed him to lead her away.
When they were away from the crowd, and they were the sole remaining couple in the venue, Matthew was heavily pondering how he wanted to phrase what he intended. “We pulled it off really well, I think. My mom loves you,” Claire began quietly, just to disturb the silence that had washed over the place. He grinned toothily, brushing his hair away from his eyes.
“Well, I am a rather loveable guy,” he teased. She smiled warmly at him, but obviously refrained from agreeing openly. “I’ve been thinking… about you. About me… about us,” he tried again, and Claire struggled to keep her expression calm. He fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment, reaching out to brush a hand through her hair. She leaned into his touch, and he smiled tenderly at her.
“What have you decided?” She asked uncertainly, eyes fluttering shut as he caressed her face.
“I’ve been thinking… I want to go to this reception with you. Not as a farce, not as your pretend date. I want to go as your real boyfriend. If… if, that is, you’re willing to give me a chance,” he muttered. Her eyes widened, and for a moment it appeared that she thought he was playing a prank on her. However, when he simply stared earnestly at her, she threw herself into his arms.
“I’d love that, Matthew. I…I love you. I know you don’t feel the same, at least not yet, but—,” she sputtered, and he shushed her with a kiss.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I never said I don’t love you. If we weren’t going to be so busy, I’d offer to prove it… that is, if I could,” he said slyly. She hesitated a moment, glancing in the direction the wedding party had gone. It was obvious that she was heavily weighing her options, though he was sure she would insist they attend the reception.
“Take me home with you, Matthew,” she said after a long moment, fluttering her long eyelashes at the man. He hesitated, glancing in the direction they were supposed to go. “Don’t make me second guess myself. You want to prove you love me? Then I’ll give you a chance. I may have lost my virginity to you already, but we… we’ve yet to really make love. I want that. Can you give me that?” She inquired, tangling her hands in his hair. He kissed her tenderly, sweeping her up into his arms and swiftly carrying her out to his car. They could hear hoots and hollers as they stepped outside, and Matthew was somewhat chagrined to see some stragglers from the wedding party watching them. “Ignore them,” Claire ordered, pressing their lips together again. He didn’t have it in him to argue. He scrambled to his car, opening the passenger side door and just managing to disentangle his new girlfriend from him. He eased the door shut, racing around the car to get in the driver’s seat. Her hand rested on his thigh as the engine roared to life, and he sped back toward his home as quickly as he could. He would never forget the sound of Claire’s uproarious laughter as they sped down the highway, passing cars at a speed that the police would have likely found unforgivable if they had seen it.
When he pulled into his garage, it was all the two could do to rip their seatbelts and leap from the car. They found their way into each other’s arms immediately, and Matthew shifted Claire into his arms once more as he stumbled into his home. Claire’s lips sucked tenderly at his neck, and as much as he wanted to throw her down on the couch and have his way with her, he wanted to keep to his word of making love to her. He carried her up to his bedroom, kicking the door open and gently laying her on the bed. She stared up at him through her lashes, allowing him to unzip her dress. His lips found the skin of her shoulders, her chest, her breasts, as more and more skin was exposed. His touches were gentle and feather light, and though he’d never experienced this sort of emotion in the bedroom before, he knew that it would be something memorable.
He wasn’t disappointed. The rest, they say, is history.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips, in the afterglow. She smiled tenderly at him, resting her hand on his chest and feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat. For a moment, she could swear their heartbeats were in sync.
“I love you too.”