Marriage by Law (8 page)

I didn't miss the way girls would bluntly check him out as he walked through the carnival with a suitcase behind him and his jacket casually draped over one arm. And I had to say, I was a bit jealous of the other girls.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he led me away from the stalls. I still had to play so many more games! Not to mention to get on the rides.

"Find something to eat," he said, looking around. "Where is the closest restaurant?" he asked. It sounded so ridiculous that I burst out laughing, but stopped at once when he turned around with a raised eyebrow.

"There are no places to eat here," I said. He looked so sad like a lost school kid that I couldn't help but bend over and laugh some more.

"Here, I'll show you," I said. I was going to grab his hand and pull him along but thought better of it and turned around to walk toward the hotdog stand.

"What are those?" he asked and I looked at him open-mouthed.

"You don't know a sausage roll?" I asked as I ordered two with onions but no cheese. He shrugged one shoulder. I grabbed the suitcase and put it down between my legs, in case someone tried stealing my prizes, and handed him a sausage roll which was really a good-smelling cooked sausage in a slice of bread with cooked onions and sauces.

He picked it up and looked at it and I raised an eyebrow, biting into my warm roll.

He hesitantly bit into it and I watched as he chewed and swallowed.

"Well?"

Chapter Eight

6 Months Ago

"Did you see the photo?"

I stopped on the third step and looked at my mother, raising both my eyebrows. So that's the first thing she says after I finally showed myself.

"Yes," I lied.

"Well, what do you think?"

"Ugly," I said, continuing on my way down. I heard her gasp and the ruffles of her dress as she hurried down the stairs after me - in the most elegant way possible, of course. 

"Did you look at it properly?" she demanded as I walked to the kitchen. My stomach was burning in hunger.

I smiled, remembering how closely I had watched it burn. The edges lifting itself and then the whole paper curling as it got engulfed in the flames.

"Oh yea," I said, walking past the cook who was busy preparing dinner already. I walked over to the cupboard and looked around.

"But he's the bachelor of the year! He is rich, smart and handsome. The best, in fact."

I shrugged as I looked around till I saw a chocolate bar. I wrinkled my nose. Normally I cannot stand chocolate or coffee but now was an exception. Grabbing the bar, I closed the door, ripped the wrapper and bit into it.

My mother glared and grabbed the bar from me.

"You shouldn't eat things like these. You're fat."

I finished chewing and looked down at my stomach and back at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean you will get fat. You're perfect and curvy, every boy’s dream wife. If you eat chocolate then you will get fat and won't fit into your wedding dress. It's going to be designed to fit your body, Ivory. Don't ruin it-"

I grabbed the bar out of her hands and marched off while she continued speaking. The chef nodded at me and I rolled my eyes. My mother was absolutely crazy, I realised when I saw what he was preparing. 

Salmon salad.

Not only was salad a bunch of leaves for rabbits but I didn't understand what part of “I do not like salmon” my mother never understood.

“It's good for your hair," she'd tell me every time. Hello, mother, my hair is fine. I don't need it to be rich and glossy.

Seafood should drown, somehow.

Present Time

He shrugged, biting into it. I shook my head as I finished mine and ordered another one. I can't believe he had never had a sausage roll before. Where the hell was he living? Oh right, he probably ate gourmet-made meals every day. 

Yuck.

These street foods were to die for.

"Do you want cotton candy?" I asked.

"Cotton what?"

"Candy," I said as he finished his and wiped his mouth. I raised my own tissue and dubbed on the sauce that was probably around my mouth. Right, I do tend to forget manners. He chucked his tissue in the bin after folding it into a rectangle and I rolled my eyes.

Strives for perfection
, I thought.

"What's that?" he asked, folding up his sleeves. Huh? I looked up at him and I realised what he was talking about. 

"Its fairy floss," I said.

He stared at me blankly and I sighed. "It’s like this pink candy that's made very thin and it literally melts in your mouth," I said. I can't believe this guy hasn't eaten anything like this before. 

"You know it's not healthy to always eat those posh foods. These ones are 
so
 
much better," I said as I grabbed two fairy floss sticks from the man and paid him. I gave one to Darius while plucking a handful from mine and eating it. It tasted so good.

This was what I call life.

I watched as he hesitantly bit into it and was about to chew and I laughed.

"You don't chew; it literally melts. Here," I said, plucking some of mine so it was a thin layer and handing it to him. He ignored it and plucked some of his own. Fine, then.

"Let's go. I need to play the other games," I said, marching ahead. Sheesh, would he ever break away from his icy exterior and coldness inside? I was trying to be nice.

An hour later I had finally finished the last game and I sighed, standing back and putting the bow down.

"What would you like?' asked the stall guy, pretty surprised I got all of the targets. 

"Do you have a peacock?" I asked, hoping maybe this stall might give a peacock. 

"No, Miss, sorry," he said.

I saw Darius staring at me with a weird face. As if rich people like him will understand the happiness from winning a soft toy. It made me feel nearly normal playing at all these games. But then again, I was being a hypocrite. My family was well off also, but I liked the small pleasures in life. 

But I am also sad that it would only last a week, or maybe less, knowing this guy. 

"Why do you want a peacock so much?" he asked as I grabbed my little bear and walked toward the rides. The sun was almost setting and I still had to do the rides. I shrugged, plucking some fur off the bear. 

"I've never seen it anywhere before," I said. That was the first time Darius decided to help me, or actually he did it because the crowd was yelling. I sighed as we reached the Ferris wheel.

"Two tickets, please," I said, taking out my money,

"The bag must stay down, miss," he said and I looked at the suitcase.

"Why?" I asked. It wasn't that big. I mean, yea it looked big with all the extra big soft toys strapped to it because they didn't fit.

"Safety," he said. I opened my mouth ready to argue when Darius butted his poshness in.

"It's fine. I'll dump them in the car. I'd rather not ride that anyways," he said. I scoffed. Of course he wouldn't. Probably didn't want to ruin his suit.

"Fine," I said, shoving my bear to him, grabbing a ticket and walking into the box. A random guy joined me since it was two per box and Darius walked off toward the car park.

Why did he even come if he wasn't going to do anything? I crossed my shoulders and leaned back in my seat. I looked at the guy in front who was staring at me.

"What are you looking at?" I asked. He averted his eyes quickly, pushing the glasses up his nose. He looked like a high school or uni student and I immediately felt bad but hey, blame poshness for my bad mood.

But my bad mood disappeared as soon as I got up in the air. The view was breathtaking. Poshness had no idea what he was missing out on. I could see the ocean and beach nearby. I have to go there tomorrow. I could see the car park from here.

I spotted our car immediately and frowned; he wasn't there. Probably took this chance to find the nearest posh restaurant. Our car looks so out of place beside the rusty and old cars. It was also funny to see that the closest car parked to us was a good five metres away. Probably thought they would get sued if dust fell on our car. 

I sighed as the ride dropped us back to the ground and I got off. That wasn't long enough. I would go for another ride but then again poshness would be back and probably start complaining about how long I took. 

I walked over to the duck game and leaned against it, surprised when poshness himself took ages.

"What took you so long?" I questioned, thinking,
My turn to be cruel. 

"Phone. Let's go," he said. I raised an eyebrow as he barely looked at me when he spoke and turned around heading to the car. I stormed after him. He had some fur on his back but it wasn't like I was going to pluck the colourful blue and green fur. He would probably snap at me.

As we walked back, I looked toward the strength-o-meter game again and watched as another person got a prize and looked up and stopped. Where was the peacock?

"You coming?"

"Yea," I said sadly as I caught up to him. The peacock was gone, great. Time to hunt down whoever won it and steal it from them!

Chapter Nine

6 Months Ago

I placed my ear at the door, listening carefully to my parents talking to someone. Apparently, the groom and his stupid parents were here. Oh, what joy. 

But, of course, I refused to go out. I really didn't need to see his bald head and pot belly. I was just going to close my eyes and say the vows. There was no way I was going to look into a wrinkled face; that would be torture. 

I could hear suggestions for the menu.

"Seafood is always excellent."

I gagged. Only my mother would suggest that. Wasn't I meant to plan my own wedding? Oh wait, I didn't want to. I still remembered chucking a pillow at my parents when they came in yesterday and asked me if I wanted to share my opinion with the theme and such.

Maybe I shouldn't have acted too hastily. 

"No, we'll see other options as well," said my father's voice and I sighed in relief. Thank god.

"I know a marriage planner. We should see them," said another female voice I never recognised. Maybe the groom’s mother?

"Ivory! Why don't you come down and say hi?"

My body froze and I stood up straight. Shit.