To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. Here I am lightly dolled up in my white dress waiting on the one girl that has completed my life for the last six years. I, Ashley Davies, am going to marry my soul mate and I can't help but feel an infinite giddiness coursing through my body. The thought that this is it and that there's no way back isn't freaking me out or giving me the infamous cold feet. It's simply making me excited and nervous and scared all at the same time. But not because I'm thinking that I making a mistake. Not because I think that I've been romanticizing this idea of marriage too much. I don't even think that's possible if you grew up in the same household as I did. But because I might not be the right person for this sort of commitment. Because I'm afraid that I'll hurt Spencer along the way and that she'll not get to marry the person she deserves.
"Everything will be okay. Stop worrying." Sean assures me quietly from where he stands. I'm about to defy him when I realize there isn't any use and just flash him a gracious smile. I look around for a bit in attempt to stop worrying and I can't help but admire the job that was done so quickly. Everything is so simplified but it didn't take anything away from its uniqueness. In fact its simplicity illuminated it even more and the cold sand beneath my feet, the light sea breeze and faint glow of the full moon and occasional star made it my mind the most beautiful place on earth at this very moment. I catch my mother and Mrs. C. halfway through my gazing, animatedly talking to each other and a sly smile immediately graces my face. It's an image I'm not used to as they probably never said more than 5 words to each other before this, but tonight is all about changes and this is just one of the many. My mom turns her head slightly, feeling that someone is staring at her, and gives me a little affirming nod as if to say that all is and will be alright. She'll always be a little more stoic and stern than the average mother, but she showed me that she was truly happy about me marrying Spencer. Going as far to say that even though she might've neglected to show me, she never stopped loving me and that she thought Spencer was the best thing that ever happened to me. For once I agree with her wholeheartedly.
I'm brought out of my eye lock when I hear the soothing melody of Chloe's guitar. She's a talented girl I signed a few months ago, after she sneaked past my guards and bargained in my office and demanded to be heard. She had spunk, one hell of a voice and was simply a lyrical genius altogether. She became my prodigy ever since.
I instantly look to the back, awaiting Spencer's arrival with the rest of the anxious guests. The first person I'm met is a tuxedo wearing Mr. C. who's sporting the proudest smile I ever saw. The second person I see, baffles me completely and simply leaves me breathless. How many times do you hear and read about this exact moment? Where your palms are sweating and your breath is hitching. Where in that moment nothing in the world exists but the two of you. Where nobody can interfere in that moment you have together, where nobody can understand the unspoken words you whisper to the other. Where you're that clumsy and giddy teenager who is having their first crush all over again. It's sounds so cliché and ridiculously exaggerated, a moment that only exists in medieval novels and feel-good movies. Yet, all of those descriptions do not give justice to this moment, to this gorgeous girl who chose to do this, to commit to me out of all people. I take in her plain white, but still perfectly unique dress. Her golden locks put up in a casual yet so beautifully sophisticated manner, only held and adorned with a white orchid. An angelic face that's almost completely free of any make-up, because a face like hers does not deserve to be smudged in anything artificial. A small smile that is never-fading and is meant solely for me. Her eyes, of which the color I can never differ for sure because they're ever-changing, that never leave mine.
In this moment we do not see Paula's proud tears, we do not hear Chloe's smooth voice, we do not feel the eyes that are watching us. In this moment we only see our shy smiles, we only hear our beating hearts and we only feel our warm breaths. Everything seems to last eternally, yet our minds do not register how we got to be across of each other so fast. We do not know when our hands found their counterparts and we do not know how my lips found her forehead. I faintly hear words about eternal love and loyalty said by the reverend but I could never tell you what was exactly said, because all I need to hear are Spencer's unspoken words. We are still completely lost in each others eyes when I feel a forceful nudge on my shoulder that even Spencer's presence can't completely filter out. I slightly turn around seeing Kyla gesturing towards the rings and I quickly catch her drift.
"Spencer," I croak out, making her smile broadly in the process, " first of all, you look beautiful. I just needed to tell you that because you really do and it would a crime not to." I continue, hearing a few small chuckles in the background. "I don't really know what to say because I think I already told you so many times and no matter how I try to tell you how much you mean to me and what you make me feel, nothing compares to the real thing. There was a time where I felt like nothing good could ever happen to me again, because everywhere I turned up something bad would happen. I thought I'd never get the chance to be truly happy and have the luck to fall in love, because I doubted it even existed. But then you came around and knocked my coffee all over my shoes and I was sold." I tell her in a voice coated with both seriousness and amusement. "Six years ago I went to sleep and I had the most beautiful dream. That dream has yet to end and I hope that I don't ever have to wake up again." I continue sincerely, noticing the welling up of her eyes. I unclasp one of my hands to reach for the ring on the small plush cushion. I take her hand in mine and slowly start sliding the band onto her finger. "With this ring I give myself to you completely, I promise to never stop loving or cherishing you, I promise to be there for you whenever you need me and I promise to sing you silly love songs for the rest of my life." She lets out a unsteady laugh as she tries to strain herself from crying. I, in turn bring her hand to my mouth and kiss it gently before lowering it to my heart. "With this ring, I promise to treasure you in my heart forever." I finally finish my spontaneous little vow. A lone tear rolls down her cheek and I gently catch it with the pad of my thumb. Unable to see any tears fall from her eyes, no matter what the reason.
"Oh get on with it already! Some people are starving down here." Glen bellows from his seat, clearly unaffected by what's happening in front of him. He seems to be the only one as I spot a teary Madison punching him in the arm and swearing at him in her fiery Spanish. We briefly laugh ourselves, because this just made things even more real and genuine than it already was.
"Ashley," She starts shakily, lowering her hand from my heart but simply continues holding mine, "When I came here to L.A. I didn't know what to expect. I was wondering if all the stories and clichés about this city were true or just right out lies. Then I met you and you seemed the personification of everything I had heard back in Ohio. You were this rich, obnoxious, spoiled and bratty teenage girl." She tells me and I raise an eyebrow silently asking her where this was going. "Yet I couldn't seem to stay away from you. There was something about you that drew me to you, something so terribly addictive. And along the way, I learned that stories and clichés are just that. Because beneath that though girl exterior you had, I discovered the sweetest, the most considerate and the most caring person I had ever met. And it's that same girl, that girl that helped me discover myself and make me feel proud of who I was, that I so desperately and hopelessly fell in love with it." She whispers sincerely as she lightly squeezes my hands. Making me wonder if anyone else heard the words she uttered. "And it's that same girl that I want to share the rest of my life with, without looking back. The dream you're finding yourself in, is our dream. We've been sharing it since the start and I want to continue sharing it with you until the end." She tells me sweetly. Her eyes seem to have dried up a little, and I'm the one who's close to tearing up now. "With this ring I give myself to you completely, I promise to never stop loving or cherishing you, I promise to be there for you whenever you need me and I promise to share my brownies with you for the rest of my life." It's my turn to laugh through my unshed tears, when she takes the ring and slowly slide it onto my finger. "With this ring, I promise to treasure you in my heart forever." She tells me softly looking right into my eyes and we both can't strain the goofy smiles on our faces.
"Spencer, do you take Ashley to be your lawful wedded wife?" The reverend asks beside us.
"I do." She says without missing a beat.
"And Ashley, do you take Spencer to be your lawful wedded wife?"
"Hell yeah." I grin at the girl across of me, hearing some faint chuckles in the background.
"And with these vows taken and these rings exchanged, I pronounce you wife and
wife. You may kiss the bride."
We smile sweetly to the other before I lean in and kiss her softly on the lips. We linger briefly before we part, never losing our secretive smiles. Looking at each other as if we just shared a secret, a moment that only belonged to us and no one else. We glance at the people who're now all standing up, cheering and clapping for us. I look back to her and see that she's already looking at me. Lightly nodding and winking at me, wordlessly telling me what to do. We both quietly start counting to three before we let out a synchronized and high-pitched "Mazel tov!". The giggling automatically ensues and it only increases when we see all the confused looks around us.
Nobody truly understands us, but we understand each other perfectly. And that's all that really matters.
--
"Have I already told you how absolutely gorgeous you look tonight?" I tell her still completely in awe of how naturally beautiful she looks. I grip her hips just a little tighter and bring her even more closely to me. She tilts her head a bit to the side and flashes me one of her dazzling smiles, slowing down her moves a bit until we're barely dancing.
"You might've mentioned it a few hundred times." She answers teasingly, softly massaging the back of my neck with her hands. The so-called after-party was organized in our very own courtyard and the patio has been serving as our dance floor for the last few hours. All of the guests had already left, surely tired after the days' consuming events and considering the time of the night. But that tiredness seemed inexistent for Spencer and me as we haven't stopped dancing since we got on the patio. Only leaving each other's arms to dance with Mr. C. and Sean separately. Enjoying the change of pace and partners, but secretly hoping to rapidly find the safeness and love off the other.
"I can't believe we're actually married." I whisper to her, still not grasping the fact that we had really done it. That Spencer Carlin, the girl of my dreams, accepted to throw herself in this adventure with me. That she agreed to extend this dream we've been living in for the last six years.
"Why, you're tired of me already?" She asks me cheekily, now halting her movements completely. I follow her suit and we both remain standing in the middle of the barely lit patio. With her arms loosely draped around my neck and my hands gently placed on her hips.
"Never." I tell her sincerely, pressing my forehead to hers in the process. I gaze deeply in to her now dark blue eyes and both our smiles are never ending.
"Thank you." She whispers to me. "Thank you for the most beautiful wedding any girl could ever wish for." She continues, slowly brushing the tip of her nose along mine. I draw her closer to me until her body is completely pressed to mine, and she happily obliges.
"I didn't really do much. Just made some phone calls here and there." I say quietly, shrugging my shoulders a bit. "Hey, I didn't even manage to do that. Making phone calls is quite tricky I must say." She jokes good-naturally.
"Hey there now." I playfully admonish. "You did your best. That's all that matters. You'd make an excellent Jewish wedding planner for toddlers." I quietly joke, quickly retreating a bit to dodge any possible swatting hands. She hands me stern glare instead, but it rapidly transforms into a knowing smile. She leans in closer and sweetly kisses the tip of my chin. "Shut up and look pretty." She murmurs shifting her head until her lips briefly meet mine in a sweet and loving kiss.
"Ooh demanding. I like." I smirk, leaning right back in to lightly tug at her bottom lip. "Hmm, you ain't seen nothing yet, darling." She mumbles initiating kiss after kiss, every one of them a little more forceful and demanding than the previous one. " Don't make promises you can't hold, Carlin." I groan, burying my hands in her now semi-down hair. She abruptly leans back and successfully ends all contacts. I barely have the time to pathetically pout, before she tugs me right back into her arms. "It's Davies now." She husks, while grinning devilishly. There's only a certain amount of teasing and proverbial foreplay one can take. Hearing her husk those words on such flirty tone with that grin that will surely become the end of me one of these days. Seeing her standing there with that playful glint in her eyes and her orchid-adorned hair sexily mussed. Standing there with that lustful look in her eyes in that virginal white dress that hugs her form so perfectly. I slowly sink my teeth into my lower lip as I check her out from head-to-toe. It's all just a little bit too much. Even for me.
I slowly cross the small distance between us and I manage to pick her up in one swift move. She lets out a small shriek of surprise, not having anticipated the sudden move. But it doesn't take long before she adjusts herself and once again drapes her arms around my neck. " I thought I was too heavy for you and you weren't strong enough." She tells me playfully, looking me sweetly into the eyes. I lean in to briefly brush my lips against hers, not being able to resist any of her temptation any more.
"I guess beautiful girls give me extra strength." I tell her light-heartedly, as I carry her over the patio and into our living room.
"Do they now?" She drawls out huskily.
"Oh yes, they do." I murmur, as I dip down my head one last time. We kiss languidly, taking our time to discover every inch of each other's mouth. But once again she parts too soon and leaves me kissing the cold air instead. A pout automatically forms on my face again and I can't help but whine at her teasing antics. I satisfy myself by leaving a trail of kisses on her jaw line. She seems to be giving in for a moment, as I hear letting a few muffled moans.
"Ashley?" She asks me breathless. But I'm too caught up with her earlobe to give her any answer. She's got me so mesmerized that I don't even feel the weight that I'm currently carrying. Not that Spencer really is heavy, but I do like to tease her about it once and awhile. Pouty and mad Spencer is cuter than all the Carebears combined.
"Ash?" She asks a little more insistent this time as she shifts my face towards her.
"Yeah?" I let out breathlessly. She looks up at me with those dark blue eyes and gently bites her lip.
"You're about to get laid."
--
Two weeks later
"Just admit it that we're lost."
"Why should I admit something like that."
"Because we've been running in circles for the last hour." She snorts lightly, clearly amused by my inability to rotate myself.
"What if I've been running in circles intentionally?" I say as I face her, while I slow down my pace. "What if I just want to trudge down these small streets hand-in-hand with my wife? I'm sorry that I wanted to have a romantic ending to our romantic night-out." I scoff, lowering down my gaze to emphasize my disappointment. If I get away with this, than I'm giving up music altogether and step right into the world of acting. I hear a faint chuckle in the background and I know that I failed miserably. This girl knows me too well. I shyly look up at her and try to contain myself from grinning.
"You're telling me you had this all planned?" She asks me incredulously.
"Of course I had this planned." I say with a sly grin. "You know me with all my romantic escapades."
She looks at me skeptically and raises one perfectly shaped eyebrow. I flash her a sweet smile and trace the ground with the tip of my shoe in mock-bashfulness. It's times like these that make me grateful for my inherited charm. Although Spencer saw right through it most of the time, she too fell for it occasionally. And as I see her closing the distance between us with that mischievous smile on her face, this might be one of those times.
"So what else have you planned Miss Casanova?" She asks me while she hooks her fingers in the hem of my jeans. I take a few seconds to get over her flirtatious side and rack my brain for a possible plan. I should've known that she wouldn't just let it slide. It only takes me a few moments before I can think of something. I reach for one of her hands and clasp it with mine. I lightly tug at it and urge her to follow me. She gives me a confused look before she shakes her head and gives in. I grab her other hand too and gently drag her off the pavement and towards the middle of the deserted street. The nightfall, the ancient lampposts, the forsaken avenue and the distant sounds of the city life; it's the best décor I could possible wish for.
"Are you trying to get us killed simultaneously?" She asks me amused. "Gosh, Ashley I knew you had it in you! Fading away together; the epitome of romanticism." She gushes lightheartedly. I quietly laugh at her ridiculousness, before I twirl her around in my arms until her back is pressed to my front.
"Shut up and dance with me." I whisper gruffly into her ear. She shifts her head to face me and looks up genuinely puzzled.
"Dance? Now? Here?" She asks me, while I gently start swaying her in my arms.
"Yeah." I whisper picking up the pace of our movements a bit. She doesn't say another thing as she lets me cradle her rhythmically into my embrace. I turn her around in a swift move after a few moments and notice the lazy and content smile that adorns her face. I take one of her hands in mine and place the other on her hip. And slowly, gently we start moving to sounds of my soft humming under the pale light of these Parisian streetlamps. She lets out the occasional yelp of surprise as I swing her here and there, showing off my classical dancing moves. But mostly we dance closely, without a care in the world. In this moment, it's just her and me and no one else.
"Noah's got nothing on me." I say in jest, before I nuzzle her cheek. She chuckles quietly and then locks her hands behind my neck.
"I thought you hated that movie." She teases good-naturally, not once stopping our dawdling and spontaneous dance.
"Rachel McAdams is-"
"Hot. Yeah, yeah I got the message the first hundred times." She finishes off my comment, rolling her eyes in the process. "Me thinks, you secretly love the movie and the whole notion of it. Just admit that you're a romantic and sentimental junkie at heart, Ashley." She sighs into the night air, drawing me closer to her.
"I am, aren't I?" I ask playfully as I leisurely lean into her. Her eyes are transfixed on mine and her smile seems to be growing with the second.
"Oh yes you are." She whispers, closing the distance between us. And just like that we kiss each other languidly in the middle of a forgotten Parisian street. Somehow emphasizing that nothing is impossible when it comes to our relationship. On the contrary everything we wish for and hope for is within our reach. Because together we're indestructible, stronger than anything and anyone else. Together we're at our happiest and in the end that's al you need in life. We part after a few, seemingly, endless moments and press our foreheads to the other. Basking in yet another special and perfect moment of ours. They seem never-ending lately.
"You know what else I love?" I ask rhetorically. "You." I continue, unable to suppress my smile.
"Oh yeah?" She retorts hoarsely. Her voice and content features tell me that she feels the exacts same way as I do. That she doesn't ever want to end this journey we're on. That she wants to spend the rest of her life perfectly content by my side.
"Yeah." I answer her needlessly.
"Well I guess it's a good thing that I love you too then." She lightly jokes, before she softly brushes her lips with mine.
"I guess it is." I whisper, leaning right back in to sweetly kiss the tip of her nose. I step back a bit and tug at her hand, silently asking her to follow me down the street. She obliges and we contently start walking side-by-side and hand-in-hand, just like it was meant to be.
"Come on, let's see if we can catch a cab this time of the night." I say as I swing our linked hands between us.
"I thought you weren't lost?" She asks me humorously.
"I'm not, just a bit tired." I explain, shrugging my shoulders a bit.
"Tired, huh? Hmm, that's too bad." She tells me, as she picks up her pace a bit.
"Wait, wait what do you mean?" I ask, halting our movements.
"What do you mean, what do I mean?" She asks me confused.
"Why is it too bad?" I question her warily. She rolls her eyes as she starts walking again and pulls me along with her.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know. You don't just say 'too bad'." I reply not wanting to let this slide.
"Oh my God, I just said 'too bad'. Stop analyzing it so much." She says exasperated, lightly laughing in the process.
"You didn't just say 'too bad' like that, you said it like on a sultry tone. On a 'too bad you're too tired to get some tonight'." I tell her following her through the night and I strain myself to laugh at my own explanation.
"You're an idiot." She sniggers as she lets loose of my hand and starts walking away from, but still faced to me.
"An idiot you're about to sleep with?" I shout out pathetically one last time.
"Yeah, I'm just gonna search for that cab now." She retorts, turning away from me.
"Hey, at least wait up!" I yell but she amusingly shakes her head and simply continues walking away. "I'm telling your mom you left me behind!" I shout one final time, unable to leave out the snicker out of my voice.
I lightly start jogging until I reach her. I immediately take her hand in mine before she rewards me with a dazzling smile and I don't hesitate to flash her one of my own. And as we peacefully start trudging down these abandoned and foreign streets, I can't help but smile at the future that we still have ahead of us.