With love - Short Stories (18+)

7. Unexpected

Another short story based on a dream I had. Let's see how this one goes.

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I appraised my image in the mirror, nodding approvingly. Victor and I were going to a friend's wedding together. I had to pull all the stops; I'd been trying to get him to notice me, really notice me for months now, but his blasé demeanor never changed. If there was a time though, it had to be that night. Fancy attire, live band, romantic aura...

"If this dress doesn't make him want you, nothing will," said my sister, Maria. She had been following the Victor saga since the beginning, watching my failed attempts to seduce him, so she knew how big of a deal that night was to me. It would be my last attempt, we agreed, for the sake of my sanity.

The dress was deep red, sequined, and hugged my waist in a way that showed the world I had hips for the first time in my life. And if that wasn't enough to get him interested, the side slit that showed my leg certainly would. I was proud of my hard-earned toned legs.

Victor showed up at my door wearing a black suit, white shirt, and a red tie that matched my dress almost perfectly. No, we hadn't set that up, but red was our favorite color, so I wasn't that much surprised... I was rather thirsty. His long hair was down and straightened, hanging heavily behind his shoulders.

"You look stunning," he said with a sideways smile.

"Ha! Look who's talking."

Not exactly the reaction I wanted from him, but I'll take it.

We took the bus, as a clerk and a struggling journalist couldn't afford to ride around town in a cab. On the way, he updated me on his latest articles, his progress on the pursue of a career in crime reporting, and I vented on some annoying customers I had to deal with earlier that day. Talk with Victor was easy, it flowed naturally. He was one of those people who were always so interested in others and their lives, as boring as they could get. I guess it came with his profession.

The venue looked like a dream. The ceremony was held on a restored house from the 19th century, the reception and dinner at the magnificently groomed garden. Fairy lights hung above the tables and dance floor, and the band played an array of beautiful songs about love. I'd never been in a place so romantic. Even Victor, being the most cynical person I'd ever met, couldn't help but smile at our friend Laura as she walked down the aisle, and had a dreamy look now as we heard the best man's toast.

"...and even though we didn't expect David to ever fall in love, this woman..." He moved his glass in Laura's direction. "This woman right here is impossible not to love. We welcome you to this family, Laura, and thank you for making David the happiest guy in the world." He then raised the glass. "To Laura and David."

Everyone repeated and toasted to them. The band announced the couple's first dance, and they took the floor, twirling around to the sound of Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, the most cliché song for two people to dance, although beautiful.

"Boy, that was cheesy," said Victor. 

I snapped my head at him. "Don't give me that shit. You were smiling like a goof during that speech."

"Well, I'm happy for them, truly. But the speech was bad, and you know it."

I struggled with myself. I have to admit I was almost as cynical as him, and too much romance did make me cringe, even though I was expecting it to serve me that night. Perhaps that's why Aphrodite didn't seem keen on helping me lately.

We watched them in silence until the first chorus ended, and the band invited the guests to the floor. At least they weren't making us watch for the entire song.