"It's just ridiculous," she says as they enter the department store and head towards the escalator. "I mean, it's an article of clothing, not the most important decision of your life."
"Why were you even watching it?" he asks.
"Chloe was over, and she put it on, and I got sucked in like a vacuum with the vapid, self-centered brides on there. I mean, you know some of them spend thousands on a gown. You only wear it once for what, a few hours?"
"I guess some people have a vision of what they think their wedding day might be like," he counters.
She rolls her eyes, "Isn't it more important who you're marrying, not what you're marrying them in?"
"Well, yes," he agrees, "I think so. But that's why I'm marrying you and not one of them." They step off the escalator, "So who's going with you tomorrow?"
"Chloe, my mom, and Sheila," she replies. "Dad insisted Sheila go, saying she'd be crushed if I didn't include her."
"That's nice of you," he tells her, squeezing her hand as they enter the mattress section of the store. "Now, let's pick something that isn't going to make me wake up with a backache every morning."
"You're so old," she teases him, as he hunches over, rubbing his back.
He picks her up, tossing her on the nearest mattress, "I'm younger than you," he reminds her.
"By one month, give me a break!" she laughs as he belly flops next to her on the bed, causing her to bounce up and down. "Not this one," they say simultaneously as they get up and move to the next mattress.
He tests one out while she moves around the store, checking out price tags and labels as she goes from bed to bed. She lies down on one, lying on her back as a sales guy approaches. "Can I help you find something in particular?" he asks. The sales guy is good looking and built, with good fashion sense and a nice smile. "When trying out a mattress, you should always get in the normal position that you usually sleep for the best effect," he tells her.
Jesse appears just as she rolls onto her side, gets in the bed, and spoons her from behind. "This is how I sleep," he tells the sales guy, who narrows his eyes and turns away for a moment before composing himself again.
"So you'll be sharing the purchase today?" he asks, attempting to sound jovial.
"Yeah, an engagement gift from my parents," Jesse grins, and Beca shakes her head as she disentangles herself from Jesse's grasp and goes to check out the other options.
"Ok, well I'll just be over there if you have any questions," the sales guy says as he returns to the checkout counter.
She's in the rear corner of the store laying on yet another type of mattress when he climbs on top of her, pinning her to the bed.
"Jesse!" she hisses. "We're in public!"
"He said to get in our usual position," he jokes, pressing a hard kiss to her lips before rolling off her and onto his side.
She glares at him, "You're so hot when you're jealous," she teases.
"Me? Jealous of Mr. Tempur-Pedic over there? Please, you underestimate me."
"You're an idiot," she tells him, but is laughing nevertheless. And, she can't help but notice that the sales guy is watching her from across the room.
Jesse is relentless. On the next bed they try he pulls her on top of him so that she's straddling his hips. On the second, he picks her up bridal style and makes a big show of placing her romantically on the mattress before skimming his lips slowly from her toes to her face. On the third, he sits her on the edge before pushing her back by the shoulders. He then steps between her legs and declares loudly, "Well this one is the right height!"
She's laughing so hard she can't breathe. "Jesse! Stop!" she demands, but he just smiles at her wickedly. She loves this side of him, so she decides to play along.
On the fourth, she stands next to the bed and bends over at the waist, her rear end pointing directly at Jesse. "How about this one, is it the right height too?" she declares loudly as he comes up behind her, pushing his pelvis into her.
"Perfect," he announces, just as loudly before bending to whisper in her ear, "You'll pay for this later."
"Looking forward to it," she raises her eyebrows at him before getting into the fifth bed. She lies flat on her back and trails her hand from her face, down between her breasts, and onto the flat plane of her stomach. He's next to her in a matter of seconds. "This one," he breathes into her ear, "Definitely this one."
They walk over to the checkout counter to pay for the new mattress, and the sales guy grumpily tells them it will be delivered the following day.
She spends the next day wedding dress shopping with Chloe, her mother, and Sheila, and is exhausted when she finally returns home that evening after dinner.
"Jesse?" she calls as she enters the house. He appears at the top of the stairs.
"Hey you," he replies, "How'd it go today?"
"I bought a dress," she says.
"And you're happy with it? Did you have fun?" he asks.
"Yeah," she says, climbing the steps slowly, "I did actually. Everyone cried when I put on the dress. That's how I knew it was the one."
"And how did you know I was the one?" he winks at her.
"The jury's still is still out on that one," she quips, then laughs as he pouts. "Well, I figured no one else would put up with your dorkiness, movie trivia, and incessant talking."
"Gee, thanks," he tells her. "Want to see the new bed?"
They walk into the bedroom, and she sees that he's already made up the new mattress with their bedding. He holds his hand out to her, "Want to try it out?"
He pulls down the duvet and the sheets and they climb in together. She lies down on her back, shifting back and forth, testing the comfort level of the mattress. "It's nice," she states before sitting back up again and heading towards the bathroom.
She starts removing her clothing, until she is standing there wearing only a strapless bra and panties. He watches her for a moment before joining her. He stands behind her, watching her in the mirror as she takes off her jewelry and places it on the vanity. He sweeps her hair off her shoulder before lowering his lips to her soft skin. She closes her eyes at the sensation.
He spins her around to face him, kissing her lips as his hands tangle in her hair. He reaches behind her, unclasping her bra in one quick motion before scooping her up bridal style and carrying her back to the bed. "Want to try it out?" he repeats, his voice low and husky in her ear as he places her gently on the mattress and hovers over her.
They make love slowly, passionately, his love for her radiating out of every kiss and every touch. Her body is humming with pleasure as she opens her eyes to look at him and sees the expression of total adoration written across his handsome face.
He's curled into her side, breathing hard with effort when she rolls to face him, tracing his jaw with her fingers as she says, "You know how I know you're the one? Because when I'm with you, I never want to be anywhere else. Because I love you so completely."
He smiles at her, kissing her lightly on the lips before closing his eyes. "Good, because we are never leaving this bed," he murmurs into the crook of her neck.
She decides she can live with that.
A/N: THANK YOU for all your awesome reviews! They keep me motivated to continue writing.