Love is More Than a Word

Looking at the beautiful girl in the mirror with her hair done-up in curls and her eyes accents with just enough make-up, Amanda wanted to cry. The dress she wore was made especially for her for this very special occasion. Under any other circumstances Amanda would be excited and be anxiously waiting to walk through those double doors and down that aisle, but her Prince Charming wasn’t at the end of the aisle. Instead, there stood a stranger she had never met. A stranger her father had picked for her. A stranger whose family could bail out her father’s. This wedding was nothing more of a show that guaranteed a contract. Amanda didn’t want this. Amanda didn’t want any of this. Amanda was a seventeen year old girl who’d never even had a boyfriend.

“It’s time.” Her mother announced like a death sentence.

Amanda took a deep breath before turning away from her reflection to face her mother who was crying the tears she couldn’t. The sight was almost enough to make the tears flow and ruin the beautiful face painted on her.

“Mom…” she hugged her mother trying to comfort the older woman and hold herself together at the same time.

“Mandy, I’m sorry.” She sobbed holding her daughter tight. Martha Thomas didn’t want to sell her daughter off into this marriage. She wanted her daughter to find real love with someone who would love her back. Alas, as much as she tried she could not stop this wedding anymore than she could stop time from spinning.

“It’s okay, Mom. It’s only a ceremony and a piece of paper. It doesn’t mean anything.” She told her mother the same thing she had drilled in her head all day.

“I love you, baby.” She told her one last time before kissing her head and handing her the bouquet.

Taking a deep breath, Amanda turned around and walked toward the huge double doors that hid her from the crowd of people waiting for her arrival. Her father, Charles Thomas stood by those doors waiting for his daughter with a loving smile on his face. Amanda had learned long ago that that smile was a lie. She knew her father had never really loved her. He couldn’t have. He was never there for her or anyone else in her family. She despised him.

“You look beautiful.” He told her in a soft voice that almost made her believe his lies. Almost.

“Daddy,” she was always forced to call him that, “Do I really have to marry him?”

Charles Thomas’ smile turned into a sneer that accompanied a glare.

“Do you want your family to suffer for your selfishness? Stop being a spoiled brat.”

Amanda gripped the bouquet with all her might to bite back her anger. She a spoiled brat? HA!

Before she could doing anything else, her father grabbed her hand and wrapped it around his arm. The Wedding March sounded, the double doors opened, and Amanda was almost immediately blinded by all the camera flashes.

Aaron Donavan stood at the front of the church waiting for his bride. He was extremely bored standing there in front of the packed congregation. Aaron was also forced into this situation. He had been determined to never marry. He wanted to live the life of a wealthy playboy for the rest of his life. Too bad his father had other plans. George Donavan was a highly respected business man who built two thriving corporations, Donavan Airlines and Bandit Entertainment.

George’s spotless image could only be marred by the antics of his only son. Aaron was known around the world as a notorious player and partier. Aaron couldn’t help but have fun at his father’s expense. Aaron was being forced into this marriage to cure him of that image. George had put his foot down. Aaron had to marry this girl and straighten up his act or be disowned. Being disowned wasn’t an option. Despite wanting to be a playboy, he had wanted to take over his father’s corporations. At sixteen, George Donavan had put his son to work at Bandit Entertainment and ever since Aaron had wanted to run it. So here Aaron was reluctantly being forced into a marriage with a girl of his father’s choosing. Aaron just hoped she was at least pretty.

As if on cue, the Wedding March sounded and the big doors opposite of him opened to reveal his bride. Aaron couldn’t help but stare. She was breath taking. This girl walking toward him was a vision of beauty. Her auburn hair was curled and arranged in an elegant up-do with a few curls escaping to frame her round face. The dress she wore was not an over-the-top traditional wedding gown. Instead it resembled a sun dress with thin spaghetti straps on her delicate shoulders, the torso of the dress hugged her body perfectly before coming to a princess skirt that ended at her knees. On her petite feet weren’t a pair of painful looking stilettos, but a pair of white ballet flats. Aaron’s breath caught when his eyes met hers. They were the exact shade of melted caramel.

Aaron snapped out of his daze just in time to accept her hand from her father. He took her small hand in his as she stepped up beside him. It wasn’t until then that he noticed she height. He dwarfed her. She came up to just graze his shoulder. She couldn’t be much taller than 5ft. That was a good foot shorter than his towering 6’4”.

Amanda could feel her husband-to-be’s stare as her faced the priest.
She was completely taken away by his looks. He may not be Prince Charming but he sure looked the part. He was really tall and she could tell even under the tuxedo that he was well built. His blonde hair was gelled to perfection and when his baby blue eyes had met hers, she’d melted.
As the couple recited their vows, Amanda tried to calm down her nerves. In just a moment she’d be sharing her very first kiss with a complete stranger.
Just then the priest seemed to boom the words she dreaded the most, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Amanda faced her husband, squeezed her eyes closed, and tried her best not to have a mini-heart attack. After a moment of nothing, Amanda peeked opened one eye only to see his face coming towards hers. She immediately squeezed her eyes back closed. This was it! Her first kiss! But then instead she felt his lips press against her cheek.

She immediately opened her eyes to stare at him. He only gave her a charming smile before taking her hand and leading her back up the aisle as the priest announced them to the world.

“I now present Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Donavan.”

The entire church erupted into a deafening applause and camera flashes as he pulled her out the front doors and into the waiting white limousine.

In the car, Amanda sat across from her husband and stared out the window too scared to make eye contact with the amazing man. Her heart hadn’t stopped racing since the almost kiss. Maybe this marriage wasn’t so bad.

When the Limo pulled up in front of The Plaza, Aaron got out and helped out his new bride. Aaron was the perfect gentleman as he escorted her inside.
The entire reception was right out of a fairy tale. Aaron had become her Prince Charming. He held her hand with care as they greeted each of their guest and received congratulations. He swept her off her feet with every dance he invited her to take and moved her with his words of affection when it was his turn to make a toast. Amanda relived the scene as she waited by the elevators for her charming husband.

Amanda had been startled when Aaron had tapped his wine glass and stood up to capture the attention of the room.

“If I could have your attention please. I would like to start off the toasts with one to the star of today, the bride, Mrs. Donavan.” The whole room quieted and listened as Amanda bit her lip nervously. She most certainly did not like attention.

“Before today, I had only thought that I knew of Beauty. That was before this vision stepped through the doors into my life. Only then did I know and see with my own eyes what true Beauty was. From the moment she walked into my life she has been in the forefront of my thoughts. She has captured me with an unwavering hold upon my heart that I hope she will never release. To you my blushing Bride, my wife.” He held his glass up to her as did the rest of the room and drink.It took Amanda a moment to compose herself and follow.

Amanda’s heart still raced at his words. A smile spread across her lips as she spotted her husband round the corner and start walking towards her. This was her fairy tale. This was going to be her happily ever after. When he came to a stop next to her, she immediately took his hand and hers. It was almost as if they fit together like puzzle pieces. Still smiling in her infinite cloud of bliss, Amanda stepped into the elevator with her new husband, ready for a forever of happiness.

The moment the elevator doors dinged closed, Aaron ripped his hand from her and took a step away from her.

“Refrain from touching me unless necessary. Don’t be deceived. All that was just a performance to ensure I inherit my corporations.” He told her coldly.

Amanda’s fairy tale shattered. Her Prince Charming had turning into an evil warlock determined to destroy her world. Amanda locked her eyes on the metal doors in front of her. She would not let him she her waver. She was strong and even though tears were beginning to form in her eyes, she would not let them fall, not in front of him. She had been a fool to believe that this could be her fairy tale. She had believed he was her prince. She was starting to fall ever so slightly. Slightly must have been enough to hurt. It was a long hard fall from cloud nine to the hard cold reality of earth. He’d played his part and now his true inner self revealed its ugly head. Taking a mental deep breath Amanda harden herself towards him. She wouldn’t be fooled twice and Aaron Donavan will regret the day he made Amanda Thomas almost fall.