Arranged British Love

I stomped back into the wardrobe and changed into the next dress. This was the short, green satin dress, the one with the embarrassingly low neckline. I put it on with the heels that had been placed in front of the dress. They were green as well, and incredibly high.

I put out my hands to steady myself before walking out of my huge wardrobe. “What do you think?” I asked, nervously trying to pull up the top of the dress.

Juliet came over and smacked my hands away gently. She placed my arms by my side and stepped back.

I glanced over at Ethan. Wow, I thought, his hair is so nice so silky...stop it! I scolded myself for thinking like that about him, after all he is the one who slept with someone’s daughter and ran off with his money. Idiot. Well at least I assumed that what he stole from this ‘Joey’ person (I was guessing it was him. His name was mentioned when Ethan was talking to his friends), I didn’t actually know what was stolen. But money seems to be the most likely.

“You look...nice.” He said, struggling to find the right words.

“Hey, my face is up here!” I waved my hand in front of his eyes which were currently willing the material to rip to shreds. Pig. Good-looking, attractive pig.

“Nice? Nice?!” Juliet shrieked, staring at her brother like he was crazy. “She looks great! But it’s not right. I don’t want her to meeting my family dressed like Beyoncé at the VMAs!”

I nodded my head. “She has a point.”

Ethan rolled his eyes and his sister pushed me back into the wardrobe. “If this last one isn’t right, you won’t be going.” She warned me.

Five minutes later I re-entered the room dressed in the long, red velvet dress. Both of their jaws dropped when they saw me and I self-consciously patted down the dress, trying to get out invisible creases.

“Err...” Was all I could say.

“Wow.” Ethan stared at me, and Juliet seemed to be speechless.

“Yes!” She exclaimed. “It’s perfect, and the shoes go so well! Okay, now I’ve got to do your hair. I’ll go get my curlers from my room. Be back in a bit!”

Ethan and I were left alone in my room in an awkward silence. After a few seconds he spoke. “You look nice.”

“Thanks.” I blushed and studied the floor.

“Why did you leave?” He asked in a voice which said that there was no way I could lie my way out of telling him.

I sat down heavily beside him on the bed and he twisted his body round so he was facing me. “I kind of...got cold feet. It all just freaked me out so much. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it Pheebs! We’ve got plenty of time to get to know each other before the wedding! We haven’t even set a date yet.”

“No, no I mean about the...ruling-a-country thing.”

“Oh.”

I was staring at the bedspread intensely, when he grasped my hand. I looked up at him, shocked.

“There’s nothing I can really say to comfort you, because I’m scared too. But when our time comes, we’ll be ready, don’t worry.” Surprisingly his words were comforting.

He squeezed my hand.

“Thanks.” I smiled.

He smiled back at me and his bright blue eyes twinkled. “You have really blue eyes.” Oh crap, where did that come from?

The smile on his face fell and he went serious. Oh dear, I said the wrong thing. He took his hand from mine.

But then he gently cupped my face in his soft, large hands. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and I became lost in his eyes, his deep, sparkly blue eyes. He looked back at me with such intensity that made a shiver run down my back. My face tingled under his fingers and I felt my breathing increase to match my racing pulse.

He slowly lowered his head to mine.

I closed my eyes and lifted my head, our lips were just mere inches apart. I could feel his breath against my lips as his hands stroked my cheeks lightly.

And then our lips met.