Holy Matrimony!

Chapter 5: Midmorning Rush: 32 Hours 17 Minutes

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I sat in his tiny European car with nothing to do but think. And thinking is not high on my list of things I want to do. I know I've seen him before this trip, but where?

It wasn't high school. He seems to have too many years on me for that one.

Did he date Sadie? Is he from Canada is a better question to start with.

I just finished my delicious grapes but I'm still hungry. I'd kill for a cheeseburger right now. I've been on a strict diet... almost. Yeah, I'm slender and all, but I had to have this dress when I saw it. It was about a year before the wedding and my sister wanted to go look. And I was unable to come up with an excuse quick enough. But when I saw that dress... I was glad I didn't find a way out of the shopping trip.

I always smile when I think of my wedding dress. The lace, the crystals, the gorgeousness.

I need to get my mind to stop drifting.

But of course I have to think about that damned conversation we had before we got into the car. Oh, the awkwardness...

"Okay, so where were we married?" A cold breeze rushed through the alley, freezing me in place. But something else struck me. It felt like someone was hovering behind me. And not the man that was normally there. Recently, that is.

"A little old couple performed the ceremony."

"Where?"

"At their house," he looked at me as if my sanity was slipping. Most likely, it is. "They were kind enough to do it at such a late hour."

"So..." how do I go about this one? "if we were to say... annul the marriage. How would we do that?" Wow Jude, subtle. Absolutely brilliant.

"You want out?" He asked as if the was the last thing to come to his mind. I think hurt flashed in his eyes. Actually I'm positive it was there.

"You really think that this is going to work?" I knew my face held the horror I was feeling. "I know shit about you. Other than the fact that you look better without your clothes on." Shut up, Jude, shut up! My hand hit the frigid stones of the building. Am I really overheated that much? It's not really the cold.

I didn't look anywhere near his face but I knew he wore a stupid smirk. "Come on, my love, we have a long way to go." He slipped an arm around my shoulders.

I looked down at his hand that seemed content to stay on me. He wore a simple band on his ring finger. Why didn't I notice this before? Probably because I was distracted by his (glorious) naked flesh.

"You're wearing a wedding ring?"

"I am married. As you so politely pointed out a few minutes ago." It felt like the band was branding me through my clothes.

"Then why am I not wearing one?" I asked trying to find a way out of this disaster and have him think it was all his idea. How I was going to pull this off, I have no flipping clue.

"Look again," I did and wanted to vomit and keel over at the same time. A ring, very similar to his, rested on my finger.

Ah, damn it! I thought that maybe this would work as a way to make him think that I'm not important enough and he'll want to get rid of me. Guess that's not going to work. I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut.

As if he knew the tenor of my earlier thoughts, he spoke.

"Is jealousy a common thing for you?" I jumped at the sound. After all the silence I didn't expect to hear anything. Plus being lost in my mind didn't help.

"What?!" I gasped trying to regain control of my breathing. "Jealous my ass!" I never thought twice when a woman came up to Jamie. But that only happened two maybe three time during our entire relationship. And they were separated by years. Not minutes.

"You looked like you wanted to rip Liliana's head off," half of his mouth was curled into a wry smile.

"Liliana? Was that the brunette or the redhead?" I went for a casual tone. But it probably came out bitchy.

"Which one did you want to kill more?"

"I didn't want to kill either of them." This time I did achieve the airy voice I was going for. But kill them? No. Horribly disfigure? Maybe.

"So the murderous expression you had was normal?" He sounded amused. But I can change that. Maybe I can scare him into separation.

"Yes, it's normal!" I snapped as I changed my features into something that resembled vicious. "And why can't you have a radio that works?" I'm going nuts! Well, more than usual. Yes, this just may work. "And what does it take to get some food around here?"

"We'll stop at the next town," he sounded wary and kept his eyes forward.

"That's not soon enough. You married me, now you have to take care of me!" I shrieked as loud as I could. My voice is going to be hoarse by the end of this car trip.

He started muttering in an unknown language, I listened but I couldn't make out a single word. Probably for the best since, most likely, he was cursing me. Or the situation. But mostly, I think it was for me.

Turning away from him was the only way to hide the smile of triumph. The time it takes to get back to my hotel should be enough to get him to crack.

Victory, thy name is Jude!

My voice gave out.

I could cry that my plan sucked. But I didn't plan on getting stuck in traffic, or rather stuck in the middle of a herd.

Cows, cows everywhere, and not a fast food place nearby.

Damn the French and their cheese! If it wasn't for the cheese they wouldn't need this many cows. Then I wouldn't be stuck in a tiny car, in the middle of the road waiting for someone to move the damned cows! Have they never heard of trucks? Just run the damned things over!

When I get home all I'm going to eat is beef. Braised, grilled, tartare. I don't care, I will rid this world of cows!

"Hard candy?" he held out a plastic wrapped disc. It was red in color and had a strange design in the center of it.

I snatched it out of his hand, glaring as pulled the ends to release the candy. Maybe keeping up the surliness, which isn't much of a hardship, will accomplish the desired affect I want.

Putting the confection in my mouth, I turned back to glaring at my bovine friends. The sugar was undeniably sweet, at first, then the fire hit. Molten hot lava burning my tongue and throat. I wasted little time getting it out of my mouth. I simply looked at Tommy and spit it in his face. I only missed his eye by a hair. I need to work on my aim, I may have to do this again. I almost smiled at the thought.

"Jude," he growled and I felt my pulse kick up a bit. And not from fear. But the feeling was just as intense. "I've been abused enough for one day," he brushed his fingers over the bite mark, my bite mark, on his neck.

"You liked it and you know it," I whispered raggedly. "Because if you didn't, you would've hidden it. Though... I'm not sure I did that."

"You did," he sounded certain. "Once we find a place to eat you can match what's on my neck to the bites you leave in your food."

What is he, some kind of freaking CSI? Compare dentals, my ass.

I don't know how much time passed, but I grew restless. Sighing for the fifth time in forty seconds finally caught his attention. Not that I wanted it.

"There's not much I can do about your boredom." Wait for it... "Unless," I heard the smug satisfaction in his voice. "Would you like me to try to refresh your memory of last night?"

My lips pursed. My nails dug into the leather interior. Every muscle went tense.

"We are only going to have this discussion one more time. So listen carefully," I couldn't get my voice any louder so I waited until he turned his body towards mine. "Whatever happened last night means nothing to me. I don't know what it was like and I don't want to," okay, I'm lying but it's not like he can read my mind. "Now I would very much appreciate it if you would stop speaking to me as if I were a whore." That, I meant.

"Whore?" He was dumbstruck. "I have great respect for you. I just have a fucked up sense of humor. One you will come to value eventually." He took a deep breath, almost as if he needed to calm himself. But I guess he did, because when he spoke again his voice was perfectly level. "Now," he said, mimicking the way I finished my little rant. "If you ever think that way about me again, I will be forced to take severe action."

"Oh, I shaking in my scuffed five hundred dollar shoes," I rolled my eyes and started to lean back against the headrest. But his hand caught the nape of my neck and pulled me within inched of face.

Tommy's breath came out hot and fast on my skin. My heart was slamming into my ribs. "Am I really the only one who wants this?" he murmured before he brushed his lips on mine. It was the barest of touches, but I'm sure if I had a twin sister she would have felt it to. Hell, maybe even Sadie felt it.

My breathing began to match his, though mine was more labored. I licked my lips unconsciously, and his greedy eyes followed the movement. Again, a slight kiss came to my mouth. I really don't understand why, but my blood boiled beneath my skin. For him. I mean sure, he's lots of hot. But that's all I know about him. Usually I need more of a connection before I can feel desire like this.

But maybe, and I shudder at the thought, maybe my body does recognize him. Hopefully if my mind doesn't know him, I can pull a fast one on Jaime. Well, not exactly pull a fast one, but convince him that I have still been faithful to him.

Once more a small grazing was all he gave me. I know he's trying to prove something, but at the moment, I can't think of what it is.

I'm pretty sure I'm an idiot because I couldn't take it anymore. Throwing my arms around him, I held him fast, pushing my way into his mouth. My tongue still stung a little but this definitely stopped the pain. This could probably cure cancer.

His hair was soft and tickled my palms. I expected it to be stiff and brittle feeling with the way it stuck up. Speaking of stiff, my hand, of it's own accord I assure you, traveled down his chest, over his abdomen until I was touching him. This is something that shouldn't feel familiar but it does. It made my blood burn hotter with expectations that he could surpass.

Ones I tried to get Jaime to live up to but never did.

Tommy seemed to have caught the same traveling hand bug, because of the fingers moving on skin beneath my pants.

I could've lived like this the rest of my life but alas all good things must come to an end. I just wish it was a conscious thing and not what happened.

Mooing is what brought me back to my common sense. I moved quickly to see a large nose sniffing at me. Screaming, or as close as I could get to it, I clung even harder to Tommy.

"Liliana," I yelled at the cow. Fist tightening, wanting to collide with the closets and ugliest thing.

Don't punch the cow. Who knows what kind of crazy laws they have here.

Once I was tranquil enough, which took quite a bit of time, I settled back into my seat. Happily all the cows were out of the way. He tried to speak but I cut him off with a shake of my head. Keeping my gaze locked on the side window I fought back tears.

I am such a bad person.

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Thanks, Eternita14