A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating any sooner with this chapter. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter. I keep waiting for someone to write, "This is the dumbest thing ever. This is so unrealistic and I hate it." But hey, I'm not complaining about the reviews at all. You guys are the best!!
I do not own Lizzie McGuire
Chapter Nine
Strange Concepts
Right at Lizzie said it, she knew there would be questions, and she didn't really expect Gordo to jump on the idea and say, "Hey, Liz. That's a great idea. Let's just stay married for the rest of our lives and hey, I can live without sex for the next sixty or so years of my life. You said recently that 'sex is very important for a relationship to work,' but what ever. You did just stupidly get married in Vegas," (well at least he wouldn't say that seriously, anyway) but she was determined at this point to make this work without involving the big D word.
After taking what Lizzie just said in and trying to say something, all Gordo could say was, "What?!"
Lizzie walked further into the apartment and invited herself to sit down on the sofa. Gordo didn't move at all from where he was standing, "Gordo, listen, I know I said a lot of things I shouldn't have said yesterday and I know that our relationship before last night was a little foggy and I know that our getting married was a mistake, but hear me out, okay?"
"I'm...listening," Gordo said, bringing himself to sit down on the chair opposite the sofa.
Lizzie took in a deep breath and leaned in a little closer to Gordo, "I'm going to sound really selfish here, but I really need this favor. This marriage doesn't have to last forever and I'm not asking you to love me, but if we could only stay married for maybe a year or two, I think my career might still have hope."
Gordo felt a little uneasy about the idea, "Lizzie..." he started.
"We're friends. We'll live together and continue our friendship and get a break on our taxes."
Gordo couldn't help but feeling a little hurt by all of this. This had nothing to do with love and that's how he envisioned marraige to be...about love. "What will we tell our parents? What about Miranda?" Gordo asked.
"That's the thing...we don't have to tell them anything," Lizzie said, but as she said it, she realized that maybe this idea needed more tuning up.
"Then what's the point of staying married if we're the only ones that know the difference?"
Lizzie thought about what Gordo said. She knew that she had to tell her parents and Miranda in order to get used to the idea in her career. "Okay, so we're going to have to tell them. In truth, we have to tell a lot of people and give the illusion that we are happily married and love each other madly."
Gordo crossed his arms, not knowing what to think, "Well, why?"
"Because," Lizzie said, close to tears, "It's one thing to be married for a few years and then divorce, but its another to do all that and then have everyone find out that we were secretly married. Its possible to keep a marriage a secret, but its impossible to keep a divorce a secret, especially since certain people are waiting for me to mess up."
"Like who?"
"Well, older people in the business, for one. The coordinators who are married, have 2.3 kids and wonder why I'm their competition. I'm not famous, but people have ways of finding out about the irony in my life, and it will get out. Wedding planners are supposed to appear organized and together with their lives," Lizzie sighed, realized that this was a lose-lose situation, "Gordo, This is hopeless. Maybe we should get this divorce now. Let's get it over with."
Gordo took a huge breath in and then let it out. He was speechless and had no idea what to think about all of this. He didn't want to be married to someone he knew would never really love him, but after hearing what Lizzie had to say, he realized just how distressed Lizzie really was about all of this. "Lizzie," he said, looking her straight in the eye, "Do you really want to stay married with me?"
Lizzie, a little taken back, for she was expecting him to say something else, nodded her head and sighed, "Yeah, I really do. I love my career."
Gordo leaned back in to his chair to relax and think about this a little longer, "What about sex?"
"What about it?" Lizzie asked.
"Well," he said, "We're married. We're supposed to be having sex."
Lizzie got a weird look on her face, not knowing how to respond to that, "Gordo...we're friends. I don't think I'm comfortable in engaging in sexual activity with you."
Gordo grinned, "Lizzie, I was joking. As far as I'm concerned, that part of the honeymoon never happened and don't worry, it never will happen."
Lizzie sighed of relief, "So we're really going to do this? Stay married?"
Gordo nodded his head, "Yep. You love your job and I don't want you to lose your job and besides, we're best friends. Nothing can ruin our friendship...not even alcohol."
Lizzie smiled, "Thanks, Gordo."
Gordo stood up and sat next to Lizzie on the sofa, "Just one more thing we have to do to make this official."
"Oh," Lizzie said, reaching in her pocket and presenting two rings, a smaller one with a diamond for Lizzie and a simple white gold one for Gordo, "I got these before I came over just in case."
Gordo, seemingly amused by the gesture, laughed a little and took the smaller one from her hand, "Gordo, that's not yours," Lizzie started to say, but then she realized what he was doing. Gordo took Lizzie's left hand and slid the ring on her ring finger. Lizzie couldn't help but smile as she took his hand and slid the ring on his finger. They looked into each other's eyes, as a tear rolled down Lizzie's cheek, "You didn't have to do that," she said.
"Well," Gordo said, "We might not have had a traditional wedding, but I wanted to say I did something right."
Lizzie smiled, "Well, I'm glad you did," she said, then she wiped her tears off her face.
"However, that's not really what I meant when I said there was only one more thing to do," he said, "I'm afraid that we're going to have to call our parents and tell them," he said, pausing for a second before he added, "Mrs. Gordon."
What were they getting into?
To Be Continued!!!!
