Love Not Included (An Arrange Marriage Story)

28

"Good now we won't take much more of your time. Carmen wants to wish you as well she just needed to take a call"

"Oh Carmen's there too?"

"Christos dropped her off after a doctor's visit" her mom explained

"Are you behaving yourself there young lady?"

"Yes Yaiyai"

"Carmen is here" he father said

"Hey there birthday girl" Carmen said

"Hey Carmen"

"Sorry I couldn't be here for the singalong I had to attend a phone call"

"It's okay how are you doing and how is the little one?"

"We're all doing fine"

"Okay Nicholas and I plan to fly back in a day or two"

"Don't the doctor told me I still have some time left spend the entire week"

"We'll think about" said Theora. At that moment Nicholas showed up in the distance walking up to her.

"Okay I'll talk to you guys later"

"Have fun and don't forget to send Mama and me pictures!" Carmen said

"I will. Okay bye" Theora hung up the phone before Nicholas had reached her.

"Was that your parents?" Nicholas asked

"And Carmen"

"Really? What were they saying?"

"Just asking if we're having a good time or not and they want me to send pictures" Theora answered biting the inside of her cheek. She panicked the other day when Nicholas asked when her birthday was because she didn't want him to make a big deal out of it. Theora thought she'd tell him once it passed but right now it felt awkward admitting that it was her birthday today.

"I think we should go somewhere secluded" Nicholas said looking around. Theora looked at him in confusion. Currently on the beach was a group of elderly people, a few guys playing volleyball and the two of them they basically had the whole beach to themselves.

"Come on let's go over there" Nicholas pointed to a far off spot where no one was.

"What's wrong with right here? There aren't many people around"

Nicholas looked over to the guys playing volleyball then to Theora trying to find the best way to explain that he didn't like other men staring at her.

"Nicholas" Theora snapped her fingers infront of his face "you zoned out for a good minute there"

"Theora I'd feel more comfortable if we went to a more secluded spot" Nicholas said again. Theora just shrugged this time and went with him. While they were walking away Nicholas made a point of placing his hand on her back and going a few steps behind her to cover her from anyone's view. Theora couldn't understand why he was acting so weird suddenly. They sat in beach chairs next to each other.

"I'm going for a swim you want to come?" Nicholas said getting up

"No you go ahead I'm going to stay here for a while" Theora said wearing her sunglasses and laying back into the chair. She watched Nicholas as he went into the water absorbed by the way his back muscles moved when he walked.

"Hey there!" Someone called out breaking her from her trance. Sitting up she saw it was one the guys who were playing volleyball looking back towards Nicholas she saw he had already swam quiet far out.

"I'm Darren" he waved his hand he had thick Australian accent

"Theora" She said

"You're American?"