Mabel's POV
A tired yawn escaped my mouth as I forced my sleepy eyes open. A large white ceiling stared at me and it didn't look like the one in my room.
I let my tired eyes roam around the room and I spot a wardrobe, cushion, centere table, dining table, even a kitchen from where I was. This is definitely not my room.
Fear swept through me and my tired eyes were now alert. Looking down at myself without knowing what to expect, I saw that I was clad in a white silk night gown. I raised the duvet slowly and peeked down, a sigh of relief swept through me when I saw that there wasn't blood stain. It means I wasn't raped.
But why was I in a robe? I only wore pj's. Hurriedly, I tossed the duvet aside and my feet landed on the rug. My gaze shifted to my right and I noticed a glowing diamond band on the nightstand. I must admit that it is a beautiful work of art.
I picked up the ring and it looked very familiar. After a few seconds I returned it back to where I got it. When I stood up I met with a tall mirror. Scrutinizing myself to see if a change had occurred overnight, I touched my face, touched my neck. I saw that nothing had changed in my body and I was looking so beautiful in this short sexy gown.
By the time I took a clearer view around, I realized I was alone in this room. Was I kidnapped? How do I escape? Where the fuck am I? What do I do? I opened my mouth to scream but I restrained when I the sound of a masculine voice. A wave of relief hit me, I grabbed the robe of the gown from the hanger, threw it on and tied the rope around it before I followed the sound of the voice.
I found myself standing in the middle of a balcony whose glass doors were left open. Not just that, a tall dark man with a built frame had his back facing me. I could tell that he was handsome just from behind. He was on the phone and he seemed really engrossed because he didn't notice me enter.
Clearing my throat to announce my presence, he turned. He hung up immediately.
"Hey, you're awake. Hope you aren't having a hangover?"
I almost scoffed. Who is this stranger and what gives him the right to ask me questions?
Folding my arms to demonstrate confidence, I tucked the strand of my hair. "I ask the questions, not you."I stated firmly.
He didn't seem fazed at all, he just folded his arms having a bemused look on his face.
Cocky huh! I'm even cockier.
I frowned, "Who are you and why am I here?"
He laughed and surprisingly I wasn't infuriated or irritated, my heart melted instead. This man has to be the best of God's creation because he has the most genuine and beautiful smile whilst laughing. Almost contagious because I tried hard not to blush. His smile was also very familiar.
I heard him trail off from his boisterous laughter. "Well that's fair. You had a lot to drink yesterday so I suppose you can't remember. We got married yesterday." He put his hands in his pocket at the last statement.
My jaw dropped. "What?" I almost whispered.
He nodded slowly for confirmation. I stared at this man in white denim shorts and a white shirt that had its first two buttons undone.
"I don't understand."
I really didn't.
He sighed.
"You, Mabel Kamsiyochukwu are my wife. We got married yesterday at Saint Andrew Catholic church, Ikoyi. We are on our honeymoon. I'm Jason Obinna Johnson, that makes you Mabel Johnson."
This is some sort of funny joke. I gave a very sarcastic laugh waiting for him to join in but he didn't flinch one bit. When I saw that his face was so serious, I composed myself.
This isn't a joke. My brows creased as I tried to process this brief summary of what might not be a lie. Memories of yesterday started to flash through my mind: how I walked down the aisle, when I said the vows, when we journeyed in the car to our reception and when we talked at the rooftop. The ring on the nightstand was mine after all.
I blinked, and blinked again, and again before I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"I guess we are really married huh?" I whispered afraid of the truth. Of my truth, of the reality of my life.
He nodded.
I looked around and I noticed the old buildings around us, the peaceful street littered with people, the beautiful morning sun that lit up the sky, the birds which were gathered together.
It was breathtaking. "Where are we?"
He smiled. "Venice. Italy."
Wow! We really are on our honeymoon. Italy was a place I dreamed of visiting, I wanted to tour Venice, Florence, Rome and even Sicily in one trip.
"Come let me show you something." He beckoned and I slowly came closer.
I looked down the balcony at the streets of Venice, so beautiful. And then I had a very wonderful view of the Grand Canal, it was a priceless moment.
I smiled widely. "Beautiful." I whispered. "Italy has always been my dream."
"How did you know to bring me here?" I fixed my eyes on him, his face few inches away from mine.
He shrugged uncomfortably and I wondered if I asked the wrong question. "I don't know, I guess Italy is a place I always wanted to come and I thought you'd love to see it too." He smiled lightly.
My husband may actually be a nice person.
I smiled again. I don't know why I'm not being tough but vulnerable.
"You should go shower so we can have breakfast. There are places we need to see."
I was taken aback. "Wait," I raised my brow, "You haven't had breakfast?" I quizzed.
He shook his head. "I had to wait for my wife." He smiled.
Damn! He's got to be hot cos I'm melting.
I couldn't hide my blush. "That's kind of you." I stood where I was still, distracted by him.
He chuckled and I noticed the smirk on his face. He's a really proud person, cocky much.
"Okay, you need to hurry because I'm starving wife."
Wife! That word sounded so hot coming from his mouth. He definitely knew how to use the words.
I took slow steps with my back and stopped at the door, as if waiting for him to say something.
"And you need to put on some shoes."
I looked down at my feet and saw that I was barefoot. Thank God I had beautiful feet.
"Oh I will." I told him with a smile as I turned and finally entered our suite.
Is marriage actually feeling sweet?
Jason's POV
She was morning glory. I hadn't seen someone s gorgeous just getting up from bed. The moment she walked in I was distracted by her beauty but I didn't let it show. I knew I made a right choice when I saw her in that robe. The way she reacted to the truth made me laugh, it was priceless. I scrutinized every of her feature, at every opportunity I got that's how I noticed she was barefoot: she surprisingly didn't catch on.
I had to admit that she was beautiful. I didn't want to hurt her and I also didn't want to hurt the woman I love.
But why am I being so nice to her? Italy was the dream of the woman I love and yet I decided to bring her here. I feel guilty for betraying the woman I love but then again I feel like I'm doing the right thing.
I don't know why I'm looking out for her, first I bring her here and now I want to show her around. I guess I don't want her to feel bad about marrying me, I still have my duties to her and intend to uphold my vows for as long as I can.
Why was I being so nice to her? I even waited for her to have breakfast.
I noticed how she was moved by every of my words and my gesture. Well, it always worked. Women always misunderstood my niceness, they received different signals. I didn't want to show her who I was, but she might end up seeing it any way.
After about an hour, I was dazed by the woman I married hours ago.
Mabel had presented herself to me few seconds away and I was mesmerized by her beauty. She looked simpler than yesterday, maybe because she was no longer my bride but my wife. That truth hit me somewhere deep.
The white maxi dress with decollete neckline and puffy sleeves contrasted with her caramel skin. A beautiful pendant necklace sat on her chest. She wore brown leather sandals and I noticed the golden anklet on her left leg. She carried a large brown weaved beach bag and she her wig to fall. She wore a diamond bracelet on her left wrist.
Mabel looked beautiful but she was missing something.
"You've been staring at me, is something wrong with my outfit?". She asked nervously.
What! "No, you're perfect."
She smiled shyly. "Thanks."
"You're missing something though."I told her, and walked past my confused wife trying to figure out what she was missing. Walking towards our bed, I picked the ring from the nightstand and held it up for her to see.
"Oh," She pouted. "My ring."
I nodded.
"I mean, do I have to wear it?" She almost frowned.
She didn't have to, but of course the world outside needed to see that she was mine.
I gave a small smirk. "We are married." I raised my left finger for her to see my band which I hadn't even thought of taking off.
"Sadly." She muttered but I heard.
I held out my palm and she placed her left hand in it. I was sure that we both felt a surge trough us at the contact of our skins. I could hear Mabel's soft gasp and I could feel her skin grow cold against mine.
Her gaze fell to my hand as I slipped the ring on, my fingers brushing past hers. She flinched at the sudden contact and withdrew her hand abruptly.
There was an awkward moment of silence. I was barely recovering from the impact of her skin against mine but I managed to clear my throat to ease the tension.
"We should go." I walked past her and heard her footsteps behind me.
We headed to a restaurant, AL 133 which were a few blocks away from the hotel we stayed, Aman hotel. AL 133 had a beautiful view of the streets of Venice, a nice view of the grand canal and the Rialto bridge, the best croissants and breakfast. I guess that's why I brought Mabel here.
I'm still trying to find a reason for being here with her.
We took our seats right outside the restaurant, surrounded by a few flowers. The air around us was pure, the environment quite serene because this wasn't the time of the year for tourists.
Mabel crossed her legs after placing her bag on the ground.
She stared intently at me and I couldn't lie but it was getting uncomfortable.
"You've been staring at me, since we got here." I stated.
She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Why have you been quiet? Do I scare you or irritate you?"
What the fuck!
She was too pleasant to irritate me. I was avoiding starting conversations that I would regret. I didn't want her to get the wrong signals and get caught up in my world.
"Belive me," I held out my hand with a serious look on my face. "It's none of both."
She chuckled and sat up leaning in on the table with her hands resting on it and her fingers intertwined.
"Why did you even marry me?" She demanded, having a look of aggravation.
"I thought we've been over this."
She nodded. "I'm getting a divorce, it's my escape plan."
A soft gasp escaped my lips and I tried to hide my surprise by clearing my throat. I felt a little sting in my chest and I couldn't explain why.
"You won't ask why."
I sighed, deeply. "It's your choice."
Hearing that she was going to divorce me was a relief for and yet if was going to be a problem for the business. I'd gladly let her go, she deserves freedom.
"Well I don't want to be a burden to someone in a marriage that we both don't want. And I don't want to be enslaved for the rest of my life."
Wow!
I leaned in closer and our eyes met. "You think marriage is enslavement?"
She didn't look away even though we were only inches away, she is quite brave. She released her fingers and folded her arms. "At least ours is." She shrugged.
"And you think it's something you can just get out of?" I raised my brow.
She rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah definitely. Every marriage should have an annulment date."
I chuckled. This woman is really something. I definitely want to know her more.
"Well where I come from it's for life."I stated.
She threw her head back in a fit of laughter, her laugh was so genuine, sonorous and maybe charming.
"Oh that must be fantasy land!"
She laughed out again, not bothering to hide her amusement. I loved the fact that she was real.
She sighed, when her laughter died down and assumed her former position of leaning in.
"Because where I come from, marriage is just a pointless legal agreement that binds two lovers for a lifetime and turns them to enemies overtime." She looked me in the eyes and it was intense.
Wow! I was speechless. My shoulders flexed and I sat back in my chair.
She sat back too.
"You're really something." I admitted to her.
"Oh! I'm a handful." She bragged, a look of pride on her face. "You sure don't want forever with me."
This girl is crazy! Crazy like only one person I met.
Just then the waiter arrived, greeting us with a huge smile on her face in Italian.
Before she handed us the menu, Mabel had already started talking.
"Well I will have a cappuccino, fruit juice crossiant, scrambled eggs with a slice of tomatoes, melba toast with nutella, club sandwich and pancakes with whipped cream."
I was dazed as well as the waiter. She nodded curtly and turned to me to get my own orders.
"I'll just have what she's having." The waiter nodded and scurried off.
"So you're a heavy eater huh?"
She chuckled. "Not me, when it comes to vegetables yes, I can eat that without control."
"And why is that?"
She creased her forehead, her eyes dancing around. "Ummm... Cos I'm a model, gotta keep my body right."
"I had no idea."
"Really?!" She feigned surprise. "They left that out in my resume?"
That's very sarcastic. "Funny." I told her, trying not to laugh.
She was a great actress.
"I just didn't picture you as the model type."
She smiled. "Why is that?" She tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Never mind." I couldn't tell her my reason.
"Hmmm. I have a rich father so I'm not supposed to be a model."
She figured it out. Let's add that she's too smart to be a model.
"If anything I'm supposed to be helping him build his empire, especially as his only daughter."
I shrugged. "Well that's what everyone expects."
The waiter arrived with our breakfast arranged it on the table. It was quite a lot. The croissant smelt fresh and the pancake had a fresh aroma of vanilla. The cappuccino smelt like coffee beans. Damm! Italy had to be a dream.
Mabel picked up her cup if coffee and brought it to her nose. I watched her close her eyes as she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.
"Ahh. Smells so good."
She slowly brought it to her lips and the tip of the cup grazed her bottom lip before she made a tiny gap in her mouth, and took a sip.
That was damn sensual.
I took a sip of my coffee. "Do you always drink coffee like that?"
I couldn't help my curousity. I normally wouldn't care but around her, I was free. I didn't have to be the perfect son, maybe because she really didn't care about that.
She dropped her cup. "How?" She looked up at me, right into my eyes.
"Husband?"
Damn! Her lips twitched seductively when she called my name. And I felt a surge of electricity at the sound of her voice.
"How do I drink coffee?" Her eyes shone with glint like diamond and her thick long lashes batted sensually, her eyes squinted sensually.
I was lost. In her eyes.
My hand grazed over something, I looked and it was whipped cream.
"You're distracted, why?"
She knows what she's doing. I ignored her, cutting a slice of my pancake and stuffing a fork full into my mouth.
Mabel laughed out loud. "Just kidding, I love the smell of coffee beans." I looked up and I saw her teeth graze her bottom lip shortly. "It's sexy." Her voice was sultry.
She's definitely crazy! "You play too much." I told her before chugging half of my chilled orange juice.
I heard her chuckle.
We ate in silence for a while.
"You should really consider being an actress. Role playing suits you really well."
I noticed that she wasn't picking on her meal. Infact, she had an appetite. She had tasted every thing on this table. She had finished her coffee, had three pancakes out of five, finished the scrambled eggs, her glass juice was almost empty and she was on her second melba toast with nutella.
So much for being a model! This girl gotta admit that she is a foodie.
I on the other hand, had eaten only two pancakes and had only a bit of my scrambled eggs. I was taking a bite of my croissant and I was definitely sure that the sandwich wasn't going to touch my lips. I barely had time for breakfast at home, work was always calling.
"I'm so full but... I gotta eat this sandwich." She had a mouthful of food. Now there isn't anything that she hadn't touched on the table.
I fought hard the urge to roll my eyes.
The waiter came along and I settled the bills. Mabel had to take the remaining sandwich, croissant and pancake with her. She wasn't going to let my money waste.
We were walking back from the restruant and I didn't have plans for today.
"You really ate a lot for someone who wants their body right."
I wonder why I was being so casual to her.
"Dude, Italy has good food. I couldn't resist." She chuckled. "And it's not a lot, it's not like I ate fufu or something." She rolled those damn sexy eyes
She had a point though.
"So what next?" Her eyes dreamy..
"I don't know, do you have any plans?"
She scoffed mockingly. "Man, you are the husband and I'm the wife."
I nodded. "You brought me here on honeymoon, you have to have something planned out."
Unfortunately I didn't. "I do, it's just... I wanted to give you a chance to choose. An opinion?" I lied, so I wouldn't sound like much of a failure as a husband.
"I do have a picnic planned out but it's still morning and there are so many places to see."
Oh! That explains the big bag.
I guess I had to show her. I had to show her all the places that are the dreams of the woman I love, I had to show it to my wife. All the places we wanted to come together.
"Well I guess there are some places we should see."
"That's what I thought." She smiled.
*******
Mabel's POV
We had a long day by riding on a boat on the three islands of Venice lagoon, after which we toured the market place. We decided it was time for picnic and I chose the perfect location: parco delle Rimebranze. It was a scenic retreat featuring pines, branches that faced the canal, and benches in the walkway.
I didn't bring anything much along, except a cloth, wine and leftovers from today's breakfast.
"So what's another unusual thing you've done apart from drinking wine in broad day light?"
I smiled. "Does unusual count for crazy."
"Well...yeah it does."
He thinks drinking wine in broad daylight is unusual, just wait till you see.
"Well driving at a high speed with the police hot on my tail is the craziest thing I've done recently."
His mouth formed an oh. "What?!"
I chuckled.
"Wait that was you? Damn! You're the 'hot lady driving hot'. Wow!" He exclaimed.
I laughed. "Why are you that surprised?"
He smirked. "You're something."
I inhaled, a smile still dancing on my face. "So I've been told." I always smile so much around him and I'm yet to figure why.
"So by any chance we're you at Odogwu night club recently?"
How did he know? I stared at him, nodding. "You were there too?"
He chuckled with a curt nod. "Damn! Don't make me believe in fate." I joked.
"That's bad because I do believe in fate." He replied.
I never believed in fate. "You wanna know what's even more crazier?"
He adjusted, his brows quirked. "I just got married to a total stranger."
I looked at him and he had a depressed look on his face. Oh that's not all. "Who turned out to be actually hot."
His face lit up with a smile that he couldn't fight. "You think I'm hot?"
I winked, as I stared at him with the purest form of lust. He is hot!
"Well do you also think I'm playful?" I heard the sound of his sexy voice and I snapped out of my world, flashing him a smile.
Not until my gaze fell to his hand and I saw that he was holding the last slice of sandwich. He's got to be kidding me.
That was mine.
"You're funny." I smiled. "Now give it back." My tone was final and my face stern.
He shook his head like lost puppy. So hot.
I scoffed. I sat up and tried to reach for it but he tossed it to the other side.
Oh! We're playing now. I tried again to reach for it, but he tossed it aside.
"Oh really." I chuckled. "We're playing now huh?"
He smiled.
I tried to reach for it again, this time moving half the weight of my body by resting on my knees. Not until I lost my balance and landed in his lap, my tigh spreading on his legs. My hands flying to his neck and his to my waist, I regained my balance.
Shit! My heart thumped and I feared that it was going to jump out of my ribcage. His grip tightened and I heard the gasp that escaped my lips. We were so close, that I could feel his breath against my skin. I was staring right into his eyes. His dark brown orbs were now darker and this spark of electricity, I was certain he felt it too. That's because his body responded to the feel of my skin against his.
I closed my eyes, the surge of electricity sparking through me again. My lips slowly parted and I was waiting for him to plant a hot kiss on my shivering lips.
But no, I felt nothing.
I heard him clear his throat and my eyes flew open. His hands slowly left my waist and I reluctantly got off his lap.
I was still shivering, not yet fully recovered.
"Sorry about that." He said.
I wonder what he's sorry for.
"Yeah I'm sorry too. It's nothing." I lied.
"We should head back to the hotel."
I nodded. We really should.
A/N
Okay, So Mabel can forget a lot of things when she's hangover. Well I wouldn't forget my arranged marriage to a stranger.
Do you think her and Jason are getting along? I do see chemistry.
And she has a wonderful sense of humour, she thinks marriage should have expiry date 😂😂😂😂
And she's also a foodie.
Please drop a note for Mabel and your favorite character so far.. 💖
Lots of love ❤️❤️princess20essy