What do you think you are doing!?"
"Come on Bella, it's just us alone. No one will ever know".
"I'm a Goth, I want for nothing. You think I would jeopardize that..for you?"
Roused from his slumber, his awareness was locked on the immediate silence of the room. Only the sound of his pulsing heartbeat filled the emptiness. As his sat up, he was greeted by the warmth of his red walls, a red floor, and the gaze of beautiful ladies in portraits. Standing up, finds himself walking to his mirror. Youth, charm, and vitality are under examination. Once this evaluation is completed, he leaves his room. As he descends down the stairs, he is greeted with two conflicting problems: the need to eat and the abundance of trash that littered the floor. The kitchen replaced trash on the floor with dishes in the sink. Not days olds, but mere hours were enough for flies and gnats to surround the dirty plates.
Opening the refrigerator he pulled out a carton that promised "just enough nutrition". As he indulge in "breakfast", he contemplated what to do on his day off. Looking at his surrounding, he focused in on the piles of trash that speckled his floors. Maybe I should hire a maid. He could already picture her in his house. Her long black hair and green eyed gaze. At least now, I'll have her close by. Before throwing away his now empty can, he hears his phone ring with his fiance's picture on the screen. Looking at her picture, he couldn't help but feel a smile take over his face. Although she had two pig tails poking out of the side of her head and round glasses, he knew the beauty underneath. He slowly started imagining her with her hair down, showing her naturally wavy hair. Her black long sleeve dress transitioning into a red strapless dress. He closed his eyes, lost in his fantasy about the hidden beauty that would soon be his wife.
"Hey, gorgeous." he answered his phone.
"Don, good morning!" she replied gleefully. Hearing her voice, the image in his mind had hair going up and split into pony tails and her red dress growing sleeves and turning black. He opened his eyes quickly, worried that the image would soon show glasses.
"Good morning yourself, what's up?" now walking around his house.
"Daddy wants us to go out to celebrate, so I wanted to know if you wanted to join us tonight." her statement coming across as a subtle question.
Don ascending upstairs to enter his room. He went into his closet to see if he had a formal outfit for the evening. If I do go Cassandra will be happy, but then I have deal with her annoying father. Don scanned the tuxedo while his mind was in a state of contemplation. I might be lucky tonight if I go. Shaking his head. Who am I kidding, I'll be "lucky" if I get a goodnight kiss. Turning around he looked at the three portraits, all showing a beautiful woman, their gaze seductive yet picturesque. Lost his in the portraits, he didn't notice the sounds coming from his phone.
"Don? Don? DON!" he caught his name the third time as the volume crescendo'd.
"I'm still here, just trying to see if I have an outfit for the evening." he lied. A petty retaliation for interrupting his admiration for beauty.
"Oh, I was worried."
He felt the phone vibrating showing another caller, he sees a name that instantly puts a smirk on his face.
"Yeah, I'll be able to make it tonight. Text where I am supposed to meet you."
"I'm sure daddy wouldn't mind getting you a car to pick you up."
"I got a few errands I have to get done, so I will just meet you instead." he explained.
"Alright, I will see you tonight. I love you."
"I love you too." he answered ending his call quickly, trying to answer his next caller.
As he answered the line, he was greeted with a low sultry voice. He could picture her on the other side. Vibrant red hair, with red lips that would bring any man to their knees. He could listening to her talk for hours, but it's not enough.
"You got plans tonight?" she asked getting straight to her point.
He answered "No", with the usual methodically behavior, his answered followed by the ending of the call. He went outside on his patio, adjusting knobs to warm up his hot tub. Been a while since I got to use this. Seeing steam coming off the water, he continued his preparations. He went to his bar and started making light but tasty drinks for himself and his soon guest of honor. There was no rush or haste in his movements, he carefully prepared the drinks, hers he made especially perfect. After he finished pouring her drink in her pink toned glass, he heard the ringing of his door bell. She won't keep me waiting.
-
"I Mary-Sue Oldie promise to love you and cherish you all the days of my life", she said sliding a ring on his finger.
"I...Da...Daniel Pleasant." he paused as the beating of his heart was racing faster than he could maintain. The pause left the room deafening and the audience unsettled. The woman in front of him stared at him in worry, reaching out to hold his face.
"Daniel?" she asked. He brow frowned as she tenderly stroked his face, searching for his worry.
Grabbing her hand, holding it tight to his face, he finished.
"I, Daniel Pleasant promise to love you and cherish you all the days of my life", rather than placing a ring on her finger he opted to kiss her and hold her tightly. After releasing her of a kiss, her saw a slight blush followed by a shy smile.
Forced out his reminiscence, he was presented with the sight of his two daughters arguing about who knows what, while his wife is filling her brief case with papers. Looking at his wife, she seemed to be fixated on her briefcase, not paying any attention to the chaos in the room. His attention shifted when heard a crash, prompting him to immediately identity the cause. On the floor was shard of glass spread out, of what used to be a black vase, with a brush in the midst.
"Girls...Lilith!" he called the younger. Both girls turned in the direction of their father, only the youngest grimaced at him.
"Why are you singling out me, she started it!" cried out Lilith pointing to her sister.
"I started it. I said you can't use my hair brush!" Angela explained crossing her arms defensively.
"Only because she took my brush" Lilith quickly replied.
"I didn't take your brush, you just lost it. Now you want to steal mine."
Unable to understanding why they were fighting over a brush, his gaze shifted to his wife. Filling up her briefcase, he saw her mumbling to herself with a stern look on her face. He decided to walk to his wife, leaving the girls to settle their own dispute in case they throw something else. The closer he got, the more coherent her words were becoming.
"If I can just show them I am a good worker, I'll be promoted in no time" she mumbled to herself. Unaware that her husband was behind her, she didn't notice the sudden touch on her back. He wasn't distracted by her sudden flinch, rather he moved closer with hand climbing towards her neck.
"You know, if you called out from work today, I can give you more than a massage" he said suggestively. The back rub slowly forming into something more intimate. His hand wrapped around her waist. Before he could reach to kiss her cheek, she spun in his arms facing him.
"You know I would if I could, but I am really close to this promotion." In his arms, she saw the disappointment in his eyes, she could feel him pulling away.
"What now?" she asked. Waiting for an answer, she was only met with a gloom look with an arms crossed gesture. Impatiently, she turned and resumed stuffing her briefcase. Daniel saw the girls leaving the house, noticing that the school bus was just outside. After hearing the front door close, he walked around Mary-Sue and shut her briefcase close.
"We need to talk" he stated, leaving little room for objection. With a sigh, Mary-Sue looked at her husband displaying her own frown.
"You wanna talk when I have to get ready to go to work?" she replied reaching to secure the locks on her briefcase, and slowly remove it from the weight of Daniel's hand.
"What other time is there, when you get home tired from work or too stressed from work?" he exclaimed.
"Do I try and spring a conversation with you when you have to go to work?" securing her briefcase walking towards the front door. Before she could reach for the handle, a hand reach for her wrist and pulled her to face him.
"If you did, I would stay and hear you out. I wouldn't just walk away!" he yelled. His released the grip on her wrist, having said his peace, waiting for her to leave. Face to face, he looked in her eyes hoping and pleading she heard him. She lowered her head, reached out to grab his hand and hold it tightly, tenderly. He reached for her other hand, but she had let to let go of her briefcase. So he instead reached to raise her head. It was there he saw it. In her eyes was his old friend, his wife. Before he could contemplate leaning forward, they heard a series of knocks hit the door. Breaking them out of their spell, Mary-Sue quickly let go of his hand, to twist the handle on the door. Watching her walk out, he saw what soon entered after. As she walked to him, he only noticed the feather duster that she was holding.
She dipped her head to get his attention, to meet his eyes. "Daniel?"