Anyway You Want Me
"Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?"
It was a beautiful spring day. The sun caressed every nook and cranny of the tiny village that was Forget-Me-Not Valley. Celia and her new husband lazed around on a blanket of vibrant flowers—the source of her current project. Celia smiled in response as she continued her work. Her dainty fingers gently probed and weaved through strands of dark, curly hair. Her companion leaned back onto her and glared up at her with icy blue eyes.
"Marlin! You messed me up!" The young farmhand pouted. Marlin's lips were shut tight.
"Nobody's here! You shouldn't care so much."
"We're by Galen's house," Marlin plainly stated as he sat up from his reclined position. He stretched his lanky body and turned to face Celia. She crossed her arms; her pout never leaving her face. Marlin couldn't help but chuckle to himself over his wife's mannerisms.
I can't believe it's been over two months already…
It was awkward in the beginning. A few years ago, Celia came to live and work with him and his older sister, Vesta. Celia was plain and practical, if her appearance was any indicator; but her sweet nature was the light in Marlin's drab existence.
Some nights, when no one was in the house, Marlin often had those cold bouts of the blues that could only be cured by dragging out his record player and singing obnoxiously loud to old love songs. Those nights ended after Celia came. Not that he doesn't do that anymore; those nights just aren't cold and blue—more like pink or yellow. Maybe orange. Some girly color, Celia decided.
He thought he wasn't obvious. All of his emotions were barricaded off by a thick wall of malcontentedness. The surly man wasn't sure how he let slip traces of schoolboy adoration toward the lovely Celia. Of course, Vesta had to go and notice. Ol' loud mouth Vesta. She's the sort that would find out that Marlin's fifth grade teacher he admired was a flaming drag queen and tell the whole Valley if it would get a reaction out of her little brother.
Fortunately, she never mentioned anything to Celia. It seemed like a one sided love affair. Not that he knew that he gave her those warm feelings and the occasional girlish fit of giggles. She grew to love him tender.
Then there was that one guy… But let's not get into that. It's all in the past.
This is the present.
"I don't understand how you can be so pig-headed," Celia said. "I guess I do need to finish up some chores…"
Marlin winced. He knew that tone too well already. "But today's our day off..."
She gave him her poor attempt at an angry face as she got up to walk away. Even that seemed to be threatening right now.
Way to go, Marlin.
"Reconsider, baby," the poor man pleaded. He looked particularly pitiful with half of a crown of flowers adorning his head. It was quite a sight to see. Her gray eyes glittered in the sunlight as she chuckled at Marlin's helpless form.
"Reconsidered." She knelt down to kiss his nose and then sat back down. Marlin took this as his queue to lie back onto her bosom. Celia's fingers quickly went back to work.
Before long, Marlin was crowned king of the flower fields.