Courting Trouble

Turmoil.

| Turmoil.|

Malisha eyed her mother warily. She bit down on her tongue hard resisting the urge to speak the words that were on her lips even as the designer's assistants continued to take down her dress measurements. Measurements for the dress and for the wedding that she was no longer sure was going to happen. The seamstresses draped different fabrics of satin, lace and organza on her and needles pricked, but all that discomfort and pain was nothing compared to the heartache that was ripping her chest. She bit down harder and with the drop of blood that she drew, she held back a tear that would have otherwise ruined the facade of a happy blushing bride.

"Just don't think about it," she told herself even as she heaved out and took in a long breathe to compose herself.

Around her chaos continued to reign even as the designer, Roberto Favarro grabbed her hand and twirled her this way and that way causing her to momentarily forget her problems in the dizziness that followed the move.

"Still... a month?" Favarro grumbled even as he continued to twirl her around, his excuse being that he needed to have a feel of the design that they had in mind.

"Come on," Malisha's mother drawled as she continued butter him up with praise and sweet words. "We believe in you otherwise we wouldn't have chosen you."

"Sally, Sally... You do not understand. The design is... delicate to say the least and it needs time to work on!"

Mrs. Sally Lenton crossed her arms across her chest and gave him a serious look.

"Like I said Favarro, we believe in you. Hire as many assistants as you want and we will foot the bill. I needn't remind you how important this work is? Do what you need to just beat that deadline."

"Madam... You are really pushing me into a corner, but it's okay. I will try my best to be as fabulous as always but know this, you owe me big on this one."

"Thanks Favarro." Sally beamed even as she walked off to show Favarro and his assistants out.

When she got back into the front parlor that had temporarily been transformed into a fitting room, Sally Lenton found her daughter Malisha seated on the little platform that they had pushed her to stand on as the dress measurements were being taken. Her daughter looked depressed and as a stray tear slid down her cheek, her mother rushed over to her side in order to comfort her.

"Still thinking about it?"

"How can I not mother ?" the girl wailed. "It's been Five days. Five days mom!" she said holding up her fingers for her mother to see. She knew that her mother cared, but then also, she had her doubts and had found herself wondering if the woman really understood the magnitude of her situation. A week was almost gone and she was yet to hear from Duke. As it was, the man was still ignoring her and her calls and messages continued to go unanswered. What made it worse was the fact that their engagement party was scheduled to happen two days from then, but with the way he was now acting, it left her feeling uncertain and quite unsure of how matters now stood between them.

"Don't worry sweetie, he will call you." her mother reassured her.

"Call me? He doesn't want to talk to me. He won't pick up my calls or even respond to my texts!"

"Malisha... "

"No mother. Why are we even bothering with all this when he probably won't even show up?" she said even as her eyes welled up with tears of frustration that continued to flow down her already wetted cheeks.

"Oh Lisha my child. You do love him afterall."

♧

Back in his office, Duke was going through his schedule with Alfred when Emmeren was announced by his secretary. It had taken him less than twenty four hours to get what he had been asked for, something that had not been hard so hard to procure for the seasoned agent and intelligence boss that had all the right tools at his disposal.

"Usher him in." Alfred said into the intercom as Duke moved from his desk to the sofa in order to receive his guest there.

"Goodmorning, Duke."

"Morning Em." he replied in greeting, impatient to hear the news that brought the man there. "Did you find what I was looking for?"

"I did." Emmeren replied as he dropped himself on the sofa that was adjacent to Duke. He brought out a file from his folder and slid it over to Duke on the glass coffee table before them.

Duke picked the file from table and opened it to flip through the pages.

"All the contacts here are just family and friends?"

"Exactly, but move to the last pages."

"Home phone records?"

"Yes. Alfred's message helped me refine my search and it also made it easier especially when i knew what I was looking for."

"Who is Lennita Simmons and why have you circled her name in red?"

The room went quiet and the Phaedra turned to look at Emmeren then Alfred, beginning to lose his calm.

"Well?" he questioned them. "Will someone answer me?" he snapped.

"Duke that is the sister to her ex"

Emmeren provided.

"Ryan?" he asked, not believing what his ears were hearing.

"Duke--" Emerret started but he did not want to hear it. He just needed to know if the woman he love had betrayed him.

"Alfred, patch me in to the General." he said standing up, as his mind went to battle mode.

"Right away sir."his valet replied.

"Duke, this doesn't mean anything. Maybe he just wanted to check on his son!"

Duke stopped pacing and turned to glare at Em.

"Sorry. Maybe I should take my leave now." the intelligence boss said, standing up to leave. Duke shook his angry thoughts aside and called out to his friend.

"Em!"

His friend stopped in his tracks and turned to face him.

"Thank you."

"It is okay Duke. Just take it easy, Okay?"

"Sir, the General is on line one." Alfred reported from the desk.

With that, Duke nodded at Emmeren and picked up the receiver to speak to the General.

"General."

"Sir."

"What is it that you are not telling me?" he ground out.

"I'm sorry I do not understand. We have you briefed on everything that goes on here, sir." The General replied sounding confused.

"Ryan Thorpe? Or should I say Lennita Simmons?"

There was silence in the line before the General finally responded.

"Oh, that."

♧

Two days later, Malisha sat in her room anxiety seeping through her pores as her makeup artist did some final touching up to her look.

It was seven o'clock, the guests were already arriving, but there was still no sign of Duke anywhere.

"Aaw... Look at her looking so prim and proper!"

"Yea, Society will be speechless!"

Malisha turned from her thoughts to face the owners of the voices.

"Mishael, Minerva! You made it!" She exclaimed, standing up to greet them.

"We wouldn't miss our sister's engagement party for anything." Her brother Mishael said, pulling her into a bear hug.

"Quit hogging her!" Minerva complained and Malisha pulled away from her brother's grip to hug her too.

"I missed you guys" she responded, wiping away a stray tear.

"Look at you. You're looking so beautiful!" Minerva exclaimed, twirling her to have a better look at her blush coloured, Crystal Detailed Satin gown with a scoop sweep.

"Of course she does. She's my fiancée." a voice said from the doorway and Malisha gulped.

"Duke?" She whispered, as her siblings turned to face him.

He was wearing a dark blue tuxedo and a blush waist coat and bowtie that matched Malisha's dress.

She watched him exchange pleasantries with her siblings and mixed emotions coursed through her body. On one end she was relieved, but at the same time she furious for all the torture he had inflicted upon her.

"I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"Be happy." Her inner voice encouraged.

"How? He has ignored me for a whole week, leaving me feeling frustrated and anxious and right now i could snap his head right off."

True to her words, Malisha was swimming in so many emotions that she did not see Duke approach. That was until he had held her by the hand and pulled her toward the open mahogany door.

"I am sorry I have to steal her from you. Our guests are here and are waiting for the lady of the hour."

He said and her siblings wave them off smiling and cooing at them, knowing next to nothing about the trouble that was brewing in paradise.

Duke hooked his arm into hers and led her to the party below.

Malisha restorted to ignoring him, even though she could feel his eyes on her the entire elevator ride down.

"Hey," he said, but she ignored him and turned to look at her watch.

"I have a surprise for you." He whispered in her ear and it took all the restrain that she had not to shove him away.

"Are you not curious?"

"This man has a death wish."

Malisha thought and 'Kristina' chuckled at the two. Malisha ignored both of them and prepared herself to walk out immediately the elevator doors dinged.

She did exactly that, but did not make it far as two figures wearing dresses and squealing their lungs out accosted her within the hallways.

"I see you have found my my surprise, or rather, they've found you."

Duke said from behind her as her only college friends continued to hang on tightly.

"Gina! Phoebe!" She let out feeling overwhelmed. "What are you doing here?"

Her two friends let go of her, pretending to look offended.

"Girl, you get engaged and you don't think to tell us?" Gina scolded.

"I am sorry. I was going to tell you." She defended herself.

"When, after you were married to that hottie over there?"

Phoebe asked pointing at Duke who had moved a few paces away to give them space and Malisha blushed.

"Aaw...she has it bad. And if you want to know, we approve." Gina stated, eyeing Malisha's fiancèe like he was a piece of meat and Malisha reached out a hand to swat her.

"I do not know why I am still friends with you." She stated, laughing.

"What? I'm not allowed to look. I never pegged you for the jealous type."

Malisha laughed some more, relishing her friend's jokes. Jokes because Gina was pretty harmless. Just a huge drama queen with a bigger bark than her bite.

"Don't worry. He only has for you." Her friend Gina, reassured.

"How do you know that?"

"He wanted to make the day special for you so he hunted us down and brought us here." The more quieter phoebe replied.

"He did?" Malisha asked eyeing the man in question in surprise.

At the same time Duke was watching her with her friends, happy to have brought the smile back to her face.

Mrs Lenton joined him in the hallway and signaled that the event was about to start and Duke walked to the girls to alert them.

"Excuse me ladies. I have to steal her away, for a moment."

They nod smiling too widely and he felt himself grow nervous.

"You are not going away, are you?" Malisha asked her friends.

"No, we are here for a while. Lover boy there made sure of that." The bold one, also called Gina said and Duke felt his cheeks heat up.

Malisha nodded and allowed Duke to lead her into the ballroom for the meet and greet, looking happier if not completely pleased.

"Malisha! You are looking lovely!" Duke's mother said as they round up on her.

"That she is." Miranda, her social secretary chipped in, praising Malisha as well.

"Thanks Domina Carlisle." Malisha replied, beaming at the both of them.

"What did I tell you child. It is Leah for you."

"Okay, Leah.Thanks Leah" she abswered, flashing her lovely smile once more.

"So, I see you love birds are back together again?"

Domina Carlisle asked looking at their intertwined hands and Duke felt Malisha cringing at her words.

"When were we ever apart, mother?"

She gave her son a piercing look and she wheeled off with her secretary Miranda.

Malisha smiled at their receding backlines, clearly enjoying the discomfort that they had caused Duke and from that he could tell that was still very mad at him.

Regardless, she handled every guest with so much grace and poise that it left everyone impressed.

Glass clicked against metal and their local parson took over the makeshift podium to adress the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Let me take this opportunity on behalf of the Carlisle and Lenton households to welcome you to this blessed event. Today we celebrate the engagement and impending nuptials our supreme overlord and highest general Phaedra Gabriel Alexander Duke III to our very own Miss Malisha Kristina Lenton."

The parson paused and the crowd erupted into a cheer turning to look at them and Duke slipped his hand round Malisha's waist to draw her closer.

"I remember when I first met these two, they were eight and ten and I was their sunday school teacher..." the crowd laughed, but Malisha was too distracted to pay attention.

Duke's arm around her waist reminded her of her feelings, those of love and those of anger.

Luckily the speeches were short and the slideshow started causing more discormfort than the speeches had.

"I am going to strangle Minerva." She thought as picture after picture of her hugging, holding hands and even pecking Duke flashed on the screen before them.

Duke, oblivious of the turmoil coursing through his little bride, grinned like the cheshire cat and it took all her effort not to jab him in his ribs or stomp on his toes with her four inch stiletto heels.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the slides ended and ot was for Malisha and Duke to open the dance floor.

Malisha had never been so anxious.

Duke took her hand in his and led her to the floor, a dozen cameras flashing away at the 'happy' couple.

"Don't worry. We'll get through this." He whispered, pulling her close and they started swinging to the slow beat of the orchestra music.

Luckily for her the dance ended and more people came to congratulate them on their impending nuptials. Malisha smiled abd took every compliment for it was easier than paying attention to Duke and all his shenanigans.

"You are a natural Lisha." Duke whispered in her ear, unable to contain himself any longer.

Malisha stiffened at his voice and turned to face him, before turning back to the couple that they had been entertaining with an award winning smile.

"Excuse me, please? I've been reminded that I forgot something and I need to attend to it."

With that she walked away leaving Duke behind with their puzzled guests.

He looked at the couple, some elderly CEO and his wife and smiled before trotting away to find her.

She was pissed. If he had had any doubts, he was sure of it now as he walked from room to roim seeking her out.

As he did so he tried to imagine what her reaction would be when he finally told her the truth and he pitied myself. However, it still had to be done and he only prayed that he didn't end up dumped for it.

Duke continued to look around the ballroom and courtyard but she was nowhere to be found. He checked with her friends, but they hadn't seen her either.

"Ah, there you are" he finally turned and coming face to face with his future mother in law.

"Where is Malisha? I thought she was with you?" She continued to ask.

"She was, but now I cannot find her." He answered her and she gazed at him sympathetically.

"I'm sorry Duke, she's had a rough week"

Duke was not too daft to miss the accusation masked in that seemingly polite apology. It was clear that his mother in law disapproved of his actions, but like everyone else, she did not say it outrightly.

"I'm sorry too, Mrs Lenton. I know you believe it is my fault and it truly is. That is why I really need to find her." Duke said, acknowledging his role in all of it.

"Okay," she replied, putting on a smile. "In that case, check her room or Thomas' that is where she normally retreats to."

"Thank you Mrs Lenton." He called out, already rushing into the hallway to find her.

She was right of course. Duke found Malisha in her room fast asleep and once again he found himself debating on what to do. Eventually he decided to sit at the edge of the bed and he stretched himself out.