Marriage by Law (30 page)

France has beaches? Sure, it was a stupid question to think, but staying near Paris, I didn't think there were any beaches there. No wonder the drive took too long. I could see the sun setting behind the waves, still half way, the orange and purple light it sent into the sky was beautiful.

"It's so pretty," I said.

"It is."

"Come on,” Adrian screamed as he started running. “The last one to find a shell is a rotten egg.” I raised my eyebrow at Darius as we watched him run in the beach screaming like a banshee.

Is he for real?

Darius looked at me and shrugged and did what I didn't think was possible. 

Ran right after his cousin.

"What?" I asked myself quietly before the kid in me took over. I didn't want to be a damn rotten egg. 

Using the side of the limo for support, I quickly slipped off my shoes, placed them inside the car and ran after them. My feet hit the warm sand. It was warm and comforting against the cool breeze, sending warmth through me. I saw Darius pick up something only to be pushed by Adrian aside.

Shit, I needed a shell.

I ran toward the waves. Usually shells were deposited there.

"I found one na na na na na you are a rotten egg." 

I sighed upon hearing Adrian chanting in the background as I picked one up. 

"Aluminium hasn't found one either," said Darius.

"Actually, I got one," I said, turning around and holding mine up. Adrian laughed, pointing a finger at Darius.

"You're a rotten egg. Come on, Ivory, let's run away from the smelly boy," and before I knew it, Adrian's hand was around my wrist and my head nearly got whiplash as he pulled me after him.

"Adrian!" I snapped as I felt various rocks and shells in the sand stabbing my feet. This boy. Can someone remind me how he was a CEO?

Running in the Colour Run was tiring and running again now, my body simply refused to go on. Not more than fifty metres away, I gave up.

"Ivory, run or else we'll smell like eggs!"

"You… go…" I said, panting. "I… can't."

He gave me a glare before shrugging, "Everyone man for himself," and ran off while I dropped to the sand and laid on my back, refusing to move as my breath tried to catch up with me. I closed my eyes feeling the water lap at my feet. I was too close to the water but I had zero energy in me to move back.

I saw a shadow, realising it was Darius. I squinted, trying to make him out. He sat down beside me and I saw his black shoes, dusted with sand, and I stifled a laugh. Of course, he wears business shoes to the beach. 

"What's funny?"

"Your shoes," I said, propping myself up on my elbows and sighing. I could feel my heart rate finally return to normal and my breath caught up with itself. 

"What's wrong with my shoes?" asked Darius. I looked at him, laughing at his confused face as he stretched his long legs beside me.

"Oh, nothing." I shrugged as Darius laid back on his elbows as well. He nudged me with his shoulder.

"Tell me," he asked but it sounded more like a command. 

"What's the rule about wearing business shoes to the beach?" I asked. He turned his head to face me, his eyebrows knotting like he was in deep thought. A small crinkle came between his eyebrows and I felt like reaching to straighten it out.

Wait, what?

"What's the rule?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, you don't wear them," I said looking back at the water to break the eye contact.

I lay back onto the sand, placing my hands on my stomach, and looked at the sky that was gradually starting to darken and I looked around to see if I could see any stars. I saw Darius in the corner of my eyes follow my movement and lie down, his shoulder brushing mine, making me shiver.

I tried to ignore how close he was and how I was feeling. This was stupid. I've been closer yet I felt like some high school teenager with my first crush.  

I heard the soft sounds of the waves lap at my feet and realised, weren't his shoes getting wet?

Oh well, this is exactly why you don't wear business shoes to the beach. I stared back at the sky to see one small dot that was shining.

"A star." I pointed it out and heard him chuckle. 

"What?" I asked, turning my head in his direction.

"That's not a star."

"Yes, it is," I insisted, looking back up. I knew a star when I saw one. And what else could it possibly be?

"It's a helicopter," he said.

"No," I said in disbelief, looking back at the sky. "Really?" I saw it twinkle. 

"Yea. It's too cloudy for you to see stars tonight."

"Oh," I said, a bit disappointed. Star gazing on the beach is one of the best things you can do. Just lay on the  warm sand, with the cold water at your feet, stars in the sky and not a care in the world. That was till his phone started ringing and ringing.

"You're not going to get that?" I asked after a few more rings.

"Not important," he said.

"How do you know?" I asked turning my head to face him. He was staring at the sky, the moon reflecting off his cheekbones.

"I have three phones," he said, shrugging. I nodded, turning back to the sky and froze.

"What?" I snapped a bit too loudly, staring back at him. He laughed and turned to look at me, his green eyes locking with mine.

"Why do you need three phones? Are you crazy?" I snapped.

"One for business, one for friends," he said. "They all have a different ring-tone, and that's why I know this isn't important." I was sure my jaw was open. Three phones? I barely remembered that I had a phone and he maintained three?

"And the third one?" I asked. If he had all areas covered, then what was the third one for?

"Family."

Oh of course, family. Which phone did I have? Can it be for family? No, because James was in there and James was 
not
 
family and would never be. Which reminded me that I had to tell him.

"Darius?" I asked turning my head toward the sky. There was no way I can say it looking into his eyes.

"You know, your new business partner?"

"James?" he asked and I nodded, not sure whether he was looking at me or not.

"Why, um, are you thinking of merging business with him?"

Stupid, Ivory. Dumb Ivory, like you care. Maybe I will take the around the road approach.

"Because he asked."

"Are you going to?" I asked, my voice dipping to a whisper.

"I'm still thinking. Why? Should I?"

I felt my heart rate pick up from a trot to a gallop, any faster and I was positive he can hear it. There was a slight pause and I knew I had to say it. This was now or never.

"N-" My voice got caught in my throat when I felt something on my cheek, something that felt soft that sent shivers up my spine. I turned my head, realising how dark it had become.

Darius, what are you doing? That was what I would have said if my voice decided to work. His finger stroked my right cheek as he stared at me, his eyes a bright green capturing my attention. My eyes briefly closed at the sensation and when they opened again, he felt a lot closer than before. Were we really this close?

I could feel the warmth from his body against mine, smell his cologne that I liked. And before I knew it, I felt half his weight on me before his lips on mine.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

To say I was shocked and caught off guard would be an understatement. But on the other hand, I would be a fool and a liar if I said I didn't like it. I did, a bit too much. The fact that he made the first move and the fact that it showed he did have some kind of feeling for me inside him was one of the best realisations ever. 

And then I realised that I was kissing him back, my hands wrapped around his neck. And then I realised there was something wet at our feet and then I didn't need to realise anything because my mind was purely robbed when something crashed down on both of us, pulling us apart, and vanished as quickly as it came.

I sat up quickly, but not quick enough as another wave came onto the shore, drenching us again.

"Jesus Christ," I snapped, getting up and wiping my hair out of my face as I heard Darius laughing as he got up after me.

"This is why you don't wear business shoes," I told him. Those poor shoes were probably ruined. I stepped back getting as far away from the water as I could. Stupid tide. Did it have to come then and ruin the moment?

"Oh well worth it."

"What?" I asked turning around as I saw a figure in the distance running.

"Look what I found!" screamed Adrian, holding something up in his hand as I wrapped my arms around my waist, shifting feet to keep warm.

"What is that?" I asked, looking at Darius who was looking just as confused as me.

"I think it's a jellyfish."

What? No. I looked back at Adrian who was coming closer by the second. Why was he holding a jellyfish. Isn’t it bloody poisonous?

It was a jellyfish.

"Touch it," said Adrian enthusiastically, shoving it into my face. The look on his face crossed between a creep and a five-year-old kid that was way too happy. I felt Darius's hand around my waist, pulling me against him.

"Adrian, put it back where you got it from."

I nodded in agreement. It was a round disc of jelly sitting on his right palm, where were its tentacles? And then I remembered reading somewhere that the top part of the jelly fish was safe to hold, as long as there were no tentacles. I examined it closer and it looked like a glob of jelly.

"I can't keep it?" he asked and Darius sighed, rubbing his forehead frustration like he was dealing with some little kid, which in fact Adrian was. 

"Just put it back," I said, shaking my head and he frowned.

"Party poopers," he muttered under his breath, walking back toward the other side and I sighed turning around. "Is he always like this?"

Darius shrugged but I could see a faint smile on his lips as he watched Adrian walk off before looking down at me, making my heart skip a beat. "It gets worse with old age," he joked. 

He continued. "Come on, let's go before you get another cold."

"What about him?" I asked looking back to see Adrian still walking. Was he actually going all the way back to put it where he found it?

"He'll live," said Darius, getting into the car.

"You know, this is the second time I got dunked by waves because of you," I said, shivering a bit when I got in. I was grateful that at least this time, our ride was warm, really warm inside. 

"What's your favourite colour?"

I looked up from the window, confused and surprised at the same time.

"Favourite colour?"

"Doesn't everyone have one?"