Inessa

I see a gigantic white gold hola shape diamond in the middle of three bands with small diamonds all around the three bands is shining on my ring finger; I am engaged.

Last night it took place, the moment everyone in Chicago was waiting for finally came to life. Too bad others can’t witness this epic engagement as it was between merely two-family, more like a hush-hush ceremony.

I knew it was coming; I saw this ceremony taking place yet; it shook the hell out of me when Brian put the ring on my finger.

Two of our families gather under the same roof. The middleman played my house on this occasion. All the McCoy’s and Brown that is Brian’s aunt’s household came to our house, this is the first time I saw all of them simultaneously.

This was supposed to be my twenty-year birthday party. Instead, instead, it became a business meeting, Brian put the ring on my finger, then all the McCoy (Brian, Matthew, Viola, one of Brian’s sisters, she means business only, some say this woman is the cruelest among the McCoy) came. Even Brian looks a saint in front of her.) Owen (Today is the first time meeting him, he gives me a tight smile and nods. It’s safe to say he is the same as his older brother. All Browns, except Lyra, the youngest of all, got fixed in my papa’s study room, they remained there until dinner was ready.

I was surprised to see how Viola and Rose are so involved in the family business, how much women were valued by the men of their family, which is totally opposite to my family. While my father loves to take control of every situation, lead everything by himself, in McCoy’s everyone’s offer is equally welcome.

Lyra and I chat all evening, we clicked instantly, and I knew we will be great friends. Hazel retired to her room after the ring ceremony was over, she frowned throughout the commemoration, it’s better that she stayed out of all the drama. Sometimes her rebellious attitude scared the life out of me. She is still a child; I didn’t want her to pull in the mud where I am going to crawl for the rest of my life.

I will make myself survive through this. I know I will.

Lyra is way different from her siblings, where all of them are heavily business-minded people, Lyra is more like a poetic one. When everyone was engaged themselves in business, share, board meeting conversation, she sat at the corner of the room quietly, it’s hard to say she was even there.

Unlike Viola, who is well-regarded and appreciated among the public, no one really knows about Lyra. She feels like a secret that McCoy’s are hiding.

Lyra and I bond over our love for food, she is the one who prepared it while I am the one who consumes that.

“So, you are a chef?” I ask her.

“Yes, I am working as a sous chef at a downtown restaurant.” She smiled.

I liked her at that very moment; she was different from the other McCoy, definitely the sun and moon difference between her and Brian.

That moron man didn’t call me the entire week after the gala night. I was the one who kept in touch with him; could put all my efforts that I should have invested in some noble cause or my charity that will help people, but no, I gave my precious time to that man, who didn’t even have the courtesy of asking how I was doing when we met. I need to work with him a lot. This man lacked in so many areas.

If he thought, he will marry me and tossed me to one of his homes while he enjoyed his life the way he wanted, let me tell you, this man was living in a delusional. I am going to kick his ass if I find out something like this, he will work on our marriage no matter how busy he was with his work, I don’t give a shit.

“So, you cook, and I inhale them like a pig.” I folded my hands over my chest. “I guess we are going to match up quite well.” She smiled.

We talked about school, music, our favorite show “Friends”, “The Office”, talking to her was the only blessing of the night, otherwise, everything went downfall in my eyes.

Brian and I didn’t say a word, we both sat beside one another, but he was too busy with work that he ignored me the entire dinner.

After dinner, Brian and I took a walk in my garden. The whole time we were alone, the first five minutes we were quiet. I was not in the mood to make a conversation with him after his rude behavior tonight, also the night a week before.

“You look beautiful tonight.” He sat beside me on the swing.

I looked at him with wide eyes; he was there next to me, very much present, complimenting me, for a second it gave me a heart attack. I was happy, but I didn’t show that on my face; I kept that wrap under my sudden excitement.

“Thanks.” I smiled at him. “You didn’t call me the entire week. For a few seconds, I thought I was free from this marriage.”

“I was busy with work, Inessa.” He sighed. “I flew to London the next morning of the gala night, stayed there three nights before flying back to Chicago, had a meeting as soon as I landed. New clients come out, needed to give extra time for that, finished the work piles, I was too busy to breathe, honey.”

Honey, my heart stopped in that one word. He didn’t even give a second thought to calling me honey; however, my stupid romantic heart melted for him. So very much I was about to put my red lipstick on his cheek. Thankfully, I controlled my over-hyped heart.

We sat in silence, slowly Brian placed his hand on mine, a smile bloomed on my face, I was supposed to be angry with him. The way he treated me at the gala night was outright offensive, I wanted to lash out at him, but I forgot everything. We held our hands, sat and talked.

“Do you work a lot?” I asked him.

“From the moment I wake up to the second before I go to bed.”

“That’s a lot.” I sighed. “" Will it stay like this after our marriage too?”

“Maybe.”

“Stop. I know what you are doing." I told him.

“What?” He sighed.

“You are trying to have my mouth on your dick, that’s why you are playing the sympathy card.” I leaned on the swing. “It’s not going to happen. I am not that much into you, so you can only dream of my mouth and all the magic it can do.”

“What?” he sat straight, my words redden his face with embarrassment. I took my phone and clicked a picture of him.

“My new wallpaper.”

 I showed him the picture, I took it, but his eyes were on me with wide-open eyes. He was not used to my unpredictable nature and smart mouth yet, it sometimes surprised me myself with the lunatic words that came out of my mouth. He was new to this voyage; I didn’t blame him at all.

Luke choked on his food after hearing my rubbish once. Another time he almost experienced a minor heart attack.

My friends can’t put their minds to my nonsense, how will he? He doesn’t even know me. I doubt that he if knows my middle name.

“You surprised me every time you spoke. Just when I think you can’t talk more nonsense than you did a second before, you prove me wrong saying something utterly rubbish.” He was in awe.

I threw a kiss in the air towards him; he didn’t move or flinch as he did during the gala night; I think he was coming to terms with my lovely character.

Before leaving Matthew McCoy, my soon-to-be father-in-law announced the wedding takes place one month later.

One thing I notice McCoy’s aren’t affectionate at all, all of them are robots, one is different from the other, or functions in a different way, but they are all the same. Expect Lyra, of course.

Here I am talking with the wedding planner about the arrangements with Brian by my side. He is sitting on the couch right beside me, his one hand is holding my hand while the other is on my waist, keeping me close to his as fit as a fiddle torso. If anyone sees us this way, they will think we are in love, we can’t stay away from one another. However, the reality is far from this visual, don’t worry, very soon the madly in love part will come true.

“I want pink in flower arrangement all around the hall of our reception with white, of course. Brian is wearing a blush pink bow tie. I want to match that with the décor.” Brian squeezes my hands lightly, I know why he did that. The pink is bothering him, I let him die in his misery for some more time.

“Sure. I can do that. I will call you for the flower selection then.”

After, our meeting with Whitney, our planner, who is going to make this wedding the most exquisite one for people to remember. Brian amazes me asking if I want to have lunch with him, well, the man is making some progress, I happily agree. Before we go to eat, he stops in his office to pick up some files that he has a meeting later in the day.

This is my first time going into the McCoy Industries building. The twenty-five-floor rock pile is covered with blue glasses all over from the outside. The inside is way more sumptuous.

Brian holds the elevator door for me, I get up and he puts his hand around my waist, all of a sudden this touchy behavior of his confused me a lot. I don’t know why, but I guess that we are getting married now, and he is trying to break the surrounding ice.

Of course, we need to talk a lot to understand one another, as I heard all these years from people and also Luke. I know we both are two different individuals in every way possible.

From our lifestyle to the way we approach things are different. After our wedding, I need to compromise a lot to fit in his world.

I saw how he and Olivia were, every now and then their vacation, parties, pictures used to be published on paper, they lived a very exotic life together which was so much unlike my religious life.

If you ask, I am the boring one. Maybe I attended all the parties, talked with everyone with a smile, I love to be with people. I rather live in a crowd of a thousand people than alone.

We come to the top floor of the office, Brian intertwines our hands and starts walking, we enter a room which I guess is his office.

“Give me a few minutes.” He says.

“Sure, rose.”

Half an hour later we sit in an Italian restaurant for our lunch. This is the first date that we are having before our marriage, this also happens to be my first date.

“Where are we going for our honeymoon?” I ask. He may have no interest in this marriage, but I am going to enjoy every second of this ceremony, and I want a proper honeymoon too.

Brian looks at me and smirks after seeing how eager I am to know about our honeymoon.

“London.” He rubs his temple. “I have a business meeting to attend.”

“God.” I groan. “You are going to ruin my honeymoon” I point the knife at him. He raises his eyebrow in amusement, a side of his lips turns into a smile. The evil one, if you ask me.

“Okay, boy, I will give you a blow job. You don’t need to be so adamant about that. If you want that all you need to do is ask.” I put my hand in the air as if I were surrounded by his demand, which, by the way, he never did.

“You are the most bizarre animal I have ever met in my life.” He sigh.

"He sighs. I know. There is no one like me. I am the best, don’t you pay attention to the gossips. I am everyone’s favorite.” I lean on the chair. “By the way, how lucky you are to get the opportunity to become my husband, I am sure you are over the moon.”

“Oh, what do you know, mum? I am doing charity work by marrying you to the Chicago.” He smirks.

“Meaning?”

“I am saving all the other gentlemen from your lunacy. Someone needs to take the lead to protect my beloved Chicago. Looks as if I was going to be the hero by saving others from you.”

Oh boy, I like this; he is adapting. I must say this is his first comeback to all the jab, tantrums, mockery I did to him, and I am impressed with this. He can be more innovative with these insults, but as a newbie, this is not bad at all. I am cheering for him and looking forward to hearing his smart, savage mouth more and more.

“Ouch. Touche.” I put a hand on my heart. “You almost killeded me, rose.”

“Don’t be a chicken, talky. Expect greater things from you.”

Talky, he is giving me a new nickname. This guy has some great potential to become my desire husband, I am so much into this.

“By the way, I am not wearing bloody pink on our wedding day.” He sips his drink. “I hate that color. It will be nowhere near me.”

“Okay, I will change our home into pink after marriage.” I take a small piece of the steak in my mouth, this is heaven, the perfect medium-rare, juicy, perfect piece of meat.

“Seriously.” He snaps. He can’t win with me, he needs to know when to give up, I am simply teaching him the lesson.

I nod. “A few hours with a bow tie at our wedding or a lifetime with pink, you decide rose.” I smile.

“Fine, I will wear the pink.” He growls. “Nobody forces me to do the way you are doing.”

“Welcome to my world, rose.” I take a sip of my cocktail. “Also, someone needs to make you soft, looks as if I was the one taking the lead on that.”

He groans, and I smile.

I am changing my mind and heart, marrying Brian McCoy will be the most entertaining thing of my life. If these ways we communicate after our wedding, then I must confess we will have a hell lot of fun in our marriage.