Our Loveless Marriage

Chapter 6: A Sweet Taste

-Nathan-

I mean, was she even trying? Megan made sure to lean as far away from me as she could. She could accept me holding her hand, but any sort of intimate touch, that might look like we were both a hundred percent into this marriage was off limits. Even if it was just my thumb running over the back of her hand, she would do something subtle, like putting the other over both of ours, making it impossible for me to move my thumb, and then telling me quite clearly with her eyes that she wanted me to stop. This girl, I thought. She said she wanted to make things “work”, and she couldn’t even handle this one dinner.

However, I was surprised that Shane hadn’t made any comments tonight or done something to kind of outshine me, but this was his method. He got a good look at his surroundings, the person he was about to take down, finding weak spots, and then, when the time was right, he would strike. That meant he might just be waiting for another dinner, but if he thought that would make things easy for him, he was wrong.

While my brother was discussing something with me and my grandfather, I lifted Megan’s hand. Her left hand sported a ring, one that I knew would draw his attention. It belonged originally to our grandmother, was passed down to our mother, and is now worn by Megan. My mother had intended to pass it to Chloe since Shane was marrying first, but my grandfather insisted that Megan wear it. As Shane caught sight of the ring's glint, I smiled and turned my head, meeting Megan’s confused gaze. Leaning down, I kissed her hand.

She gasped a little, and I felt her trying discreetly to pull her hand away, but I held onto it tightly, so she couldn’t get free unless she really pulled, and she knew she couldn’t make it so obvious. So, she let me play my little game, trying her best to smile through it, as I continued to run my lips over her hand, seeing her breathing quicken steadily. So, my wife was quite responsive, wasn’t she? That might just work in my favor.

I continued to play my game a little longer than necessary. The room turned quiet, and I could see through Megan’s eyes the way she was screaming at me to stop. She certainly didn’t like to be the center of attention, but what else to expect from the little mouse? I smiled as I sat up and acted like I was embarrassed to be enchanted by my new wife, but it was clear my grandfather seemed happy that I was throwing all my attention on only one woman.

“Sorry,” I acknowledged. “A bit hard not to be distracted, since I had to work and couldn’t go on the honeymoon with her. We’ve got some catching up to do, but you were saying, Shane?”

Maybe I was a bit cruel, but hey, all is fair in love and war, and there was definitely a war being fought out in this family. Megan was just one big fat ace in my sleeve I could use over and over to taunt my brother and get my grandfather over to my side.

“That is so sweet,” Megan’s mother remarked. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Oh, that woman was on her what? Her fifth glass of wine. Her husband had done nothing to stop her, and her comment certainly didn’t please my grandfather, who sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment, but then put on a smile, turning to Megan.

“Don’t think like that, dear,” he advised. “Love can last as long as you want it to. Marriage is much more than you would think. It is a partnership, and as long as you are both willing to trust, talk, and learn, then it can last forever.”

Megan looked at my grandfather completely mesmerized. She clung to every word he said, and I sighed, fearing my grandfather was giving her ammunition to use against me later.

“Let’s clean the table, beautiful,” I suggested, wanting to get Megan out of the room fast, and since dessert was over, there was no reason not to find a way to get the others out of here as well.

Megan did as I said, and my grandfather was happy to see us do this together. Even if it was such a simple job.

When we got into the kitchen and far away from everyone else, I watched as she put the plates into the sink. I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms.

“Don’t get any good ideas,” I warned her.

“What?” she inquired, turning and looking confused at me.

“This isn’t a real marriage. There will be none of what my grandfather suggested.”

She glared at me and then mimicked my stance. I couldn’t figure her out. In one way, she was this shy and small girl that she had always been, then blinking my eyes, and she would turn into a little tigress ready to fight back.

“Why is it so hard for you to even try? You are making me play this cruel game!” she sneered lowly. “I hate lying!”

“Well, you just have to suck it up,” I told her.

She let her arms fall, only to clench her hands into tight fists like she was ready to punch me. For a second, I believed she might.

“Why am I the only one having to suck it up?” she demanded. “Why can’t you give something in return? Like going to the Bahamas and not abandoning me like some sad little wife, whose own husband can’t even stand to be with her for one second longer than he has to?”

I walked closer to her, ready to tell her that there was a big difference between us spending time together because we had to and because we chose to. But then I heard voices coming closer, and instead, I wrapped my arms around Megan, pulling her against me, before turning us and pressing her up against the counter.

“What are you—" But she didn’t get to finish that sentence before I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. We hadn’t kissed before. She hadn’t let me at the wedding and instead turned her head at the last second, so I kissed her cheek. Now she had no chance to prepare, and I claimed her lips in a hard and hungry kiss. It made her completely melt into me, and it gave me a chance to deepen it, letting my tongue slide into her mouth and tangle with hers.

Sh*t, she had a sweetness to her, I observed. It was twirled together with the chocolate cake she had eaten and the small glass of red wine. She let out this soft moan too, just before the doors opened, and in came a drunk and laughing Mrs. Johnson.

“Oh my!” she exclaimed, her husband trying to steady her. “This certainly isn’t the way out.”

My grandfather appeared behind them, probably coming to tell us he was heading home too. However, the pleased smile on his face as he saw us pressed together, my hands all over my wife, and our bodies close, left no doubt about what had been going on. In that moment, I felt like I had won tonight.

“We were wondering what took you two kids so long,” he said as Megan’s parents turned around and left.

“Going home?” I asked.

“Well, I don’t want to intrude on your first night together as a married couple,” he teased, winking at us, and it made Megan flush completely red, her hands tightening around my shirt, and she quickly looked down.

That made my grandfather laugh, and in my head, all I was thinking was, whatever you are doing, little mouse, don’t stop.

“How about one more drink before you go?” I suggested.

He waved a hand through the air. “No, no, you two have fun, but I do hope you will join Shane and me when we go to Seattle this Saturday to meet with an old friend of mine.”

My grandfather had been wary about taking me with him on this trip. His “old” friend in reality was his nemesis. Those two men had a strange hate-friendship, and I knew how important this meeting was between them, because while they had worked together before, it had been at least 10 years since they last did. And with my father and his imprisonment, I knew my grandfather had lost a lot of trust with not just his old buddies, but also work partners. He needed this to go perfectly, which meant I had to be on my best behavior.

“I would love to,” I said.

My grandfather nodded happily and then turned around with one last comment, “I will let you two finish. Come and say goodbye when you’re ready.”

I chuckled a little, but as soon as the door closed behind my grandfather, Megan pushed me away hard, taking me by surprise. I could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

“You are such an insensitive and narcissistic... asshole!” she yelled, before turning away and following my grandfather out.

I sighed, rolling my eyes, but we couldn’t stop the acting now. They hadn’t left yet. I quickly caught up to her and took her hand, but she pulled away, turning around so fast that her heels made a screeching sound on the floor.

“Don’t touch me! Ever again!” she sneered lowly.

“We aren’t done.”

“We are! I am going to wash my mouth with soap and then I am going to bed.”

I grabbed her upper arms hard and held her in place. “They are still here.

“Give them some good excuse. I know you can make anything sound real. You’re the greatest actor in the world, I have to give you that, but I am done!” she growled.

She pulled back and then walked toward the stairs, hurrying away from me. I let her. It was probably for the best. The tears in her eyes had already ruined her makeup and I couldn’t explain them, so I went to send off our families, saying Megan had gotten a bad headache. They didn’t question it, even if they didn’t believe it, and just said goodnight. I breathed out deeply when I finally closed the door.

“Just until June. You can do this,” I whispered to myself. “June and then a divorce.”