Married For 30 Days

Ben

"What's taking so long?" The priest came up behind me and whispered in my ear. He was getting impatient.

"She'll be here soon, Father," I answered. She's probably stuck in traffic."

But the congregation was beginning to get fussy. People were muttering and grumbling, but quietly, careful not to make too much noise in the house of God.

I stood there at the altar, heart thumping beneath my new suit, as I waited for Shirley, my lovely bride, to show up.

I turned to my twin brother, Benjamin.

"Try her number one more time."

"I have, she's not picking up. And just now it's switched off," he answered.

I nodded, but the anxiety was beginning to gnaw at me.

"What if I go and look for her?" He suggested.

"No, Ben. I need you here with me. You know I can't handle this big crowd alone." I said as I removed my glasses, and cleaned it for the hundredth time.

It was a great suggestion but I needed him. My introverted nature can only handle so much at once.

As we stood whispering to each other, my father came up to us on the altar, bending slightly in reverence as he approached.

"What's going on Benedict?" He directed the question at me.

"Why aren't they here yet? It's been half an hour and people are starting to leave. The investors took their time to be here today and now this?"

"Investors? My bride could be lying in a ditch somewhere and you're worried about business? Dad, please." I cautioned him in my most calm voice.

My father is a good man, but sometimes his dedication to business can be obsessive, making it seem like his only priority.

By now, the priest had retired back to his altar chair and kept glancing at us in displeasure as we huddled together and held a mini whispering meeting right there on the altar, in front of the congregation.

Hands on my waist, I paced back and forth within the small circle we'd formed. Every two seconds, I would look towards the church entrance, willing her to appear already.

What if she really got in an accident? Or got kidnapped by some psycho?

"Let me go and look for her, Ben. You stay here in case she comes back before I do, so you can get on with your wedding and not have to keep people waiting." Benjamin suggested again.

"Yeah, okay." I nodded profusely. Anything to find my bride. He was my best man and I was grateful to have him by my side at that moment.

Benjamin immediately left to find her.

One hour later, a figure finally appeared by the church entrance. I was engrossed with my phone, trying to reach my bride or Ben.

But the murmurs forced me to look up, only to see someone walking on the aisle towards me. Since I was nearsighted, I couldn't see her clearly unless she came closer into view.

The congregation looked on in awe as she walked down the aisle, towards the altar.

Finally.

I was already smiling. I straightened my suit and stood erect, shoulders high. But my smile soon faltered as soon as she came into focus.

It wasn't Shirley, my bride. It was her Chief bridesmaid, Chloe.

What was she doing? Chloe has always had a thing for me but this was not the time to play games.

She came up to join me on the altar.

"What the hell is this Chloe? This is no time for your games. Where's Shirley?" I demanded furiously. "You're her bridesmaid and yet here you are, without her?"

Ignoring my questions, and to my greatest shock, she hugged me and pecked me on the cheeks, her eyes filled with pity. Not the usual love or admiration, pity.

"I'm sorry, but Shirley won't be coming." She said.

The crowd gasped. The sounds of oohs and ahhs reverberated through the packed church.

If Chloe thinks I'll marry her in Shirley's place, she must be delusional. What was she trying to pull?

"What do you mean she won't be coming? Is she okay? Did she get in an accident?" I asked in trepidation, hoping my fears had not manifested.

"She's fine, Chloe answered resignedly.

"Then why isn't she here?" I probed.

I was ready to pounce on Chloe if it turned out she'd done something to my bride.

"Because she doesn't want to marry you, Benedict. She left you." Chloe's face didn't seem like that of someone who was joking or lying.

The church erupted in chatters; they didn't even bother to pretend to be discreet this time. All of a sudden, they were utterly unconcerned with offending the Lord.

A sickening feeling swept through my entire body and I felt nauseous. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and gradually trickled down my armpit, my back, and my thighs.

I felt hot all of a sudden as my navy-coloured suit instantly became drenched in sweat.

I wished Benjamin was here to offer me some much needed support. He's the one with the most backbone out of the two of us.

"With who?" I finally summoned the courage to ask, completely shaken by the next word that came out of Chloe's mouth.

"Your twin, Benjamin."

Ana

My phone had been ringing off the hook since I resumed my shift. I knew it was my sister, who was probably calling about my son.

I answered it on the second ring.

"Beth?"

"Ughh. I'm tired Ana. Little One is crying for his mama." She whined over the phone.

"Stop calling my child that. His name is Liam, and he'd grow up to be a great man." I chided my sister for the umpteenth time. But she doesn't listen.

"Seriously Ana, when will you be home? I need to get ready for practice, remember," she said.

My sister was the sweetest, helping me care for Liam while I worked to put food on the table.

"Give me an hour, two max," I answered.

"But two hours is too–" she started to complain but I cut her short.

"Sorry, Beth. Gotta go. My boss is here." I dropped the call and heaved a sigh.

I'd lied. My boss was nowhere near me. But it was a necessary evil. I needed to work at least two more hours if I was going to successfully dodge Tony today. And now the queue was getting longer.

"Hey sweetheart, get me a black coffee with sugar, will ya." A gruff voice demanded.

I hated the term 'sweetheart', especially when it comes from a fat, balding, old man with brown teeth.

He leered at me and I had to hold myself back from throwing hot coffee at his face.

So instead, I gave him my best polite smile and handed him his coffee. "Here you go sir."

This was the only way to survive at my job. Pretend you don't care and move on to the next customer.

Five minutes later, Tony walked into the coffee shop. I was only able to notice because his figure towered above everyone else's and cast dark foreboding shadows on the counter where I stood.

Goosebumps erupted on my skin. I shivered visibly and swallowed hard. I'd thought he wouldn't be here until I had to leave. I'd made sure of that. How come? Why did his stalker schedule change all of a sudden?

Tony was 6 '7, quite hunky, with logs of wood for arms and legs. When he smiled, no, when he sneered, he exposed the most beautiful set of teeth you'd ever seen. His gray eyes made him look like a psycho god, but a psycho nonetheless.

He was beautifully made, but he was also crazy. Psycho-level crazy. Only people who didn't know him would think otherwise.

I expected him to try and jump the queue as usual but instead, he turned right and took a seat at the window side of the coffee shop.

It was a vantage position because he kept stealing creepy, unwelcome glances at me as I worked.

The crowd was thinning and I tried my best to ignore him until my boss came up to meet me.

"Ana, I need you to go and serve that gentleman over there." He said and pointed towards Tony.

But he didn't even need to point, Tony was the only person seated in the booth. He was relaxed, gladly taking his sweet time.

But I pleaded nonetheless. "Could you get James to serve him please?"

He thought about it for a second, noticed my fearful demeanor and nodded. "Okay, sure."

I breathed a sigh of relief. 30 more minutes and I'd be out of here. I plan to head home straight to my son.

But I saw my boss coming back almost immediately and knew that something was wrong.

"James left for an emergency, and you're the only waiter on ground. Sorry, but you gotta serve him." My boss ordered and left.

Damn it!

Tony's order was ready. I wiped my hands on my apron and carried the food, walking towards him with caution. It was a public place and I was ready to scream and shout if he tried anything funny.

He watched me like a hawk as I approached, his gray eyes roving around my body in the most disgusting manner.

I got to his table and placed the food in front of him. He didn't move, didn't say anything. He just watched me.

I quickly turned around to leave but he grabbed hold of my hand, and pulled me carelessly towards his body.

I tried to fight him off but his pull was so strong against my weak protests and in seconds I found myself seating on his lap.

"Tony let me go, you swine!" I yelled and clawed at his face. But my kicking was no use compared to the strength of the buffoon.

He laughed casually and announced to the few people who were now staring at us, "Don't mind her theatrics folks, she's my girl."

They seemed to believe as everyone turned to mind their business, and the fact that I was seating on his lap didn't help my case.

I felt so humiliated and tears starting to gather in my eyes. And to make matters worse, the few people around just stared, unwilling to help.

"Let her go." A voice ordered out of nowhere. I looked up to find a man dressed in an expensive-looking navy suit.

He wore glasses that made him look like he couldn't hurt a fly. He looked like he should be seated somewhere in a high rise building, attending corporate meetings instead of challenging hoodlums.

And I hadn't seen him around before.

Tony was quite shocked that someone had the nerve to challenge him and he unconsciously released his grip on me.

I fled from him immediately, successfully putting a lot of distance between us.

Knowing what Tony was capable of, I was scared for the man. I went and hid behind the counter, from where I watched the rest of it unfold.

Tony stood slowly, his eyes a mix of venom and anger as he reached where the man stood. But the stranger was unshaken, he didn't even flinch as Tony approached.

Tony's face was inches away from the stranger's as he snarled, the veins threatening to burst out from his neck.

The stranger had a strange look on his face, an emotion I couldn't quite place. But one thing was sure, he wasn't scared of Tony, not in the least.

He calmly whispered something in Tony's ear and stepped back, carefully watching his reaction.

From my hiding place, I saw Tony's eyes widen with what looked like fear, but I wasn't sure. This was Tony after all. He once used his hands to beat a man to death, right in my presence.

I continued watching and opened my mouth in shock, when Tony raised his hands in surrender. He walked out of the shop, without looking back.

The man glanced towards my direction and started to walk out too. I ran after him, wanting to show my gratitude.

I stopped him just as he reached for the door handle. I took a deep breath and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you for your help back there. My name's Ana, and you are?" I stuck out my hand for a handshake but he brushed me off and opened the door.

He didn't so much as acknowledge me. Strange.

I stood there staring after him. From the glass door, I could see him enter a sleek, black car, its glossy paint reflecting the light.

The car's door closed with a soft thud, and the engine roared to life, its sound like a low growl that seemed to vibrate through the air.

He sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

I was grateful, but I couldn't help but wonder, "What exactly did he say to Tony?"

Ana

I closed for work and left the shop, eager to get back to my son Liam, and also relieve my sister so she could go for her music practice.

As I stepped out the door, I noticed a black car that looked a lot like the one from earlier, parked a few blocks away from the entrance.

A lot of people own black cars so I didn't worry about it.

I didn't have a car of my own and I had to walk some distance to catch the bus. I hurried along but soon noticed the black car idling alongside me on the sidewalk.

I swallowed hard and clutched my bag tighter. I increased my pace, looking back intermittently to see if I was still being followed. The car increased speed as it tried to keep up with me.

Why would the man who tried to save me a few hours ago be following me? I've had enough of stalkers and wasn't interested in adding another to my list.

I picked up speed and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The car revved up too and sped along, nearly knocking down an elderly couple who were trying to cross the road.

My heart raced violently against my chest as I ran. I thought about my son, and what would become of him if anything were to happen to me.

I thought about it and decided that running into one of the shops on the sidewalk would probably be better. Once inside, I could wait it out until whoever was following me leaves.

I yanked the door open and burst in, my heart threatening to explode from beating too fast as I clutched my chest.

I leaned on the door and doubled down, struggling to catch my breath.

The place was busy, as waiters milled around serving diners. I thought I was now safe until I looked back to see Tony getting out of the car, and walking towards the same door.

Tony again? No surprise there.

Quickly, I scanned the busy lounge and my eyes fell on the last person I expected to see, the man who'd saved me at the coffee shop. He was sitting alone, nursing a drink.

Tony was gaining ground, getting to the door. I didn't think twice before I headed for the man. If he saved me before, he probably wouldn't mind doing it again.

I went up to him but faced the door so I would be able to see Tony coming.

"Hi, we meet again. What a coincidence." I said, out of breath. I didn't look at him, as my eyes were busy looking out for Tony.

I sat on the chair beside him, but this time I wasn't trying to be friendly. I understood he wasn't interested either, and I don't go where I'm not wanted.

I just needed to make it appear like I was conversing with him so Tony would leave.

He looked up from his glass and a look of recognition flashed across his deep blue eyes. I could tell he remembered me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone emotionless.

"I don't want to bother you," I replied. "I just need to sit here for a minute."

He had an uninterested look on his face as he replied, "Then make it quick. I have an important meeting here in the next 20 minutes and I don't want you around when they arrive."

Wow, what an asshole.

I opened my mouth to say something but thought against it. He was engrossed with texting on his phone and wasn't even looking at me.

I bet that was his girlfriend. Only a woman can make a man lose his damn mind like this.

It was time to get back to Liam, so I gathered my jacket and bag and turned to leave when I felt a warm strong hand grab mine. His grip was firm, yet gentle.

I turned and gave him a questioning glare. A look that could kill, but his head was bowed, as he typed on his phone.

"I think you can help me too," he said, his eyes still fixed on his phone. Then, he looked up, his piercing gaze locking onto mine.

His eyes were the sharpest, calmest shade of blue I'd ever seen. He was a very handsome man by all standards, especially when the glasses came off.

My cheeks flushed red, and I looked away, trying to compose myself.

"If you think I'm going to sleep with you just because you helped me once, think again," I said in a firm voice, as I snatched my hand away from his grasp.

He stared at me like I'd lost my mind.

"It's nothing like that," he sounded disgusted that I would even suggest such a thing to him.

But I knew rich guys like him. They have money and think that every woman would be fawning over them.

"What is it then?" I asked, ready to walk out on him if he started to say something I didn't like.

"I want to make you a deal." He said, his blue eyes staring intensely at me.

"A deal?" I repeated back at him, unsure where the conversation was headed.

His gold wristwatch gleamed in the white light as he gestured to the seat. "Will you sit for a minute?"

I reluctantly took my seat again.

"I know you're running from something, someone. And you need protection from him. I can equally tell you need money, a lot of money probably." He said, as he gave me a once-over.

I Ignored it.

"And you want to provide me with all those?" I asked, doubt seeping into my mind.

"Easily. I can guarantee you $50,000 every week, and a security detail to make sure that guy stays away from you forever." He stated, while watching me carefully.

My jaw dropped at the amount he mentioned. I would work consistently for years before I make such an amount. And Tony would be gone from my life? Forever?

I could really use the money, for Liam and for myself. Even my sister Beth would benefit hugely from it. But it sounded too good to be true.

If I learnt anything from my parents' marriage, it is that men are not to be trusted, no matter how nice they appear at first.

"And why would you do it? I'm not some charity case to make you feel good about yourself." I said, trying to draw out the ulterior motive hiding beneath the deal somewhere.

He smirked, showing a set of gleaming white teeth, "I won't be doing it for free."

"What do I have to do in return?" I asked and waited for the hammer to drop.

"Marry me."