Chapter 1
725 Words
"What the hell are you doing?"
Christian's voice startles me so much that I nearly lose my grip on the old metal chain.
"Oh, uh... Well you know that act we watched last night? The one with the dancers?"
My voice is slightly strained from hanging upside down.
I suppose I should explain...
There was a couple on America's got talent. They had some kind of acrobatic performance, but I
thought they were like Tarzan with all the swinging they were doing from what looked like tied
up sheets.
I wanted to try it so bad that I took the liberty of using the time I would normally spend on my
morning run and somehow ended up in the upside down Spiderman position.
I grip one side of a swings chain for dear life and look innocently at my almost fiancé upside
down.
"You're falling off the earth," I tease.
I can see him shake his head with exasperation and walk over, trying to get me down from where
I'm too paralyzed from fear to move.
"If you want to learn acrobatics, I can sign you up for classes and build a gym for it inside, but
no more of this... Whatever this is," Christan says setting my wobbly feet on the ground.
Finally. I've been stuck up there for almost ten minutes.
I smile gratefully at my boyfriend of almost two years now.
"My hero."
He shakes his head and leans down to give me a soft kiss, his warm lips sending tingles down my
very spine.
"We're having dinner with my family tonight. I'll have Sierra cook it all up, but Lisa..."
A tap on my chin brings my attention back from the fat squirrel I had diverted my attention to.
"Vasilisa, you cannot be late tonight."
I take a deep breath and nod firmly in understanding.
My inability to keep track of time is a bad habit and it drives Christian insane. He's very
punctual, always ten minutes early. I wish I had that quality.
"Ok. I'll be there. Six thirty?"
He nods and tucks a strand of my wavy brown locks behind my ear.
"Six thirty," he confirms. "I set three alarms on your phone so you have enough time to drive
back here from work and don't forget your watch. I set an alarm on that too."
I'd roll my eyes, but we both know I need every one of those reminders.
I work in marketing and I get so caught up putting comedic value into ads and campaigns that I
lose track of reality all together.
"Ok. Six thirty, I promise I'll be here. Have a good day," I say wiping invisible dirt from his
navy-blue suit jacket.
I always think it would be cute if I could fix his tie or something, but Christian never has so
much as a thread out of place.
"Drive safe," I demand pecking his lips and sending him off to where his black sports car sits
next to mine in the driveway.
They're identical, but my license plate may or may not have a somewhat inappropriate joke on
it.
He sends me an air kiss as he pulls out of the driveway and I walk slowly towards his-our house.
I just recently started moving more of my stuff in as per his request. I only had a toothbrush and
some clothes before, but since we're so serious now, Christian decided we should spend more
time together. Move in together more like it, not that I'm complaining about staying in a
mansion.
He's going to propose soon. I know because he told me.
Sure it's not normal, but he took my anxiety and hatred for surprises into account.
Though I'm aware that he's going to pop the question, I'm still on edge about when and where.
That was the only information that he wouldn't disclose.
I lock the back door behind me and sigh lightly on my way to the stairs.
Christian is a very successful actor and businessman, which is wonderful, but this house is so big
that it feels haunted when he's not around.
This however, is the least of my worries. Even as I change and prepare to go to work, there is
only one thing on my mind.
Dinner.
I have to meet his parents for real this time.
- Writer
