Brief Encounters

Tentative hands hovered above the straps keeping the elegant dress on me. They shook with anxiety and trembled out of stress. My neck began to feel a cold sweat wash over down the rest of my body. It was an infuriating feeling, a sting on all my nerves. If anyone were to look through the bedroom at me, they'd most willingly call me nervous, and I'd assure them that I was.

It wasn't my wedding to be a bride, but it also wasn't my night to be a humble guest. Rest assured, I'd probably end up in the coat closet with a stolen ice cream pop in hand, as I rock back-and-forth in the comfort of some chocolate delicacy. Although I'm sure if that were to actually happen, Eden would be able to sniff me out immediately, because whenever I am close to even licking a cloyingly sweet food, he's always there to scold me out and rip the treat away from me. I guess that's what I get for dating a health-food aficionado.

Slowly lowering my hands to my sides, I took a deep breath.

The gown looked neat, despite whether I thought I did too, so it was not going to come out of my pocket when Eden would find out that I did not wear what he had bought me. Therefore I scrunched my nose at myself in the reflection of the mirror, and turned to walk out the room.

The hallway was long leading up to the parlor, and due to the dress being so tight around my thighs, I felt like I waddled like a penguin, taking the smallest steps possible in a shifting motion. However it being winter, I suppose I'd fit in well.

There was a loud clearing of the throat coming from behind me, suddenly, that nearly made me topple over to the floor out of fright. But then I felt strong arms wrap around my waist from behind, and a purr muttered into my neck with a brief kiss.

"You look gorgeous, sweetie." Eden said. "I knew that champagne color would match well with your skin..."

Liar. "Thanks, I thought it did too. I'm sure it will also match well with the color scheme of the wedding, right?"

He turned me around in his arms, "Of course."

Our steps were in sync as we both walked at the slow pace I was just capable of, down the remainder of the hall. During this short interval of not talking, I looked over his own attire. Eden was clad in a simple black-and-white suit, with a "pop" of orange coming out of his shoes from the socks he wore. I guess we were both penguins tonight.

Upon reaching the foyer, he went to stand behind me again, placing his hands on my shoulders, and spoke lightly, "I know I have nothing to be worried about, but I'll say it anyways: You need to behave tonight. This is a very big day for my cousin, as I'm sure you know, so I'd suggest you lay low on the wine... You can get a little tipsy."

My eyes squinted at the doorway and I bit my lip.

You stumbled into bed last week with your clothes on, and you call me the tipsy one? Even I had more Moscato to drink, and still had the decency to take my dress and shoes off.



The resort where the wedding would take place was just outside Pittsburgh, in Farmington. Eden told me that it was a vast and luxurious hotel, even, that was rated five stars. To hear that only made me more nervous. My hands wrung together on-and-off throughout the entire car ride to the place, and my heart stuttered every time I thought about meeting so many rich individuals.

Our car eventually parked, and we got out to see that a good majority of the guests had already arrived. Some were admiring the tall architecture of the hotel, and others were sat at tables outside in the back, mingling. I didn't know where to stand, so instead I let Eden lead the way as I clung to his arm.

We walked through the main doors and into a hallway, which eventually led to where the ceremony would be taking place. He sat down in a chair and lowered me down to sit in the chair next to him.

"Looks like we got good seats."

I took in my surroundings and noticed that we had at least 30 rows behind us. A burning sensation formed on the back of my neck when I realized how many people would be staring in my direction.

I would have preferred the back. "Well, of course we do. You are his cousin after all." I reasoned. "We get special privileges."

He looked over at me and his signature grin flaunted in my direction.

"Yeah, and that also means we should be capable of getting a royal suite here if we are going to spend the night."

The suggestive tone of his voice made my insides shudder with distaste. I pushed at his arm, and looked the other way. Eden chuckled as he positioned himself so that he faced the door in which we entered, possibly waiting for another couple to walk in so that he could give them a smug look. He'd want to show off the seats we got so that others could affiliate us with importance and wealth. But we were not what he wanted us to be, in reality, so I strongly felt he should of just turned towards me again to get his mind out of that gutter.

Moments passed until the music gradually grew louder in the room and people began filling in the seats. The woman next to me must have been ignorantly sick because she kept coughing into the elbow closest to me rather than her other elbow closest to her husband. I wouldn't forgive her if I woke up the next morning with a fever, but if her husband caught it, he'd show no care in the world. It was just another thing itching at my skin.

"Are you feeling all right, Lottie? You look kind of red." Eden spoke loudly over the music with a mere look of concern.

Gazing over my body, I noticed that my arms and chest were glowing a slight red, and with the heat I felt on my face, I could only assume that it was flushed as well.

"I don't know. I'm kind of overwhelmed." I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "I've never been to a wedding before..."

The truth was out, and in return, Eden laughed.

Feeling too nauseated to fight him on his actions, I hopelessly looked in the opposite direction.

But then I saw my match.

The sudden shock that hit me did not mix well with what callous emotions I couldn't control. They were wild and could not be put down no matter the extent of effort I went through to tie them down. The rush of excitement and surprise only stimulated the bedlam in which I was suffering from, and because of that, my hand shot out and squeezed Eden's knee. This was in hope he'd finally hear my desperate call that I have been trying to get to his attention all day: I did not want to be at this wedding.

A noise came out of his mouth at the contact, and that's when his serious face came on, except he wasn't looking at a wine menu this time.

"You need to get to a restroom, don't you?"

When I visibly swallowed a lump in my throat, and my breathing picked up in pace, Eden lightly took my hand and stood us up. We excused ourselves out of the row and up the walkway to reach the hallway. Luckily there were bathrooms as soon as we entered the empty hall, so he led me to the door.

He looked annoyed. "Listen, I wish I could be with you right now, but the wedding is going to start in ten minutes. I can't miss this."

I nodded my head in comprehension. It was the least I could do because I knew he was right.

His hand rubbed my arm in reassurance, before he quickly walked back in the ceremony room. It was times like this that actually made me appreciate Eden, but it was so rare that it was hard to accept.

I entered the bathroom and took big gulps of air, as I leaned against the wall. My overall reaction was disturbing, embarrassing, and foreign. This was not something I usually experienced.

After a couple of minutes of slowing down my breathing and fanning myself off with my hand, I sluggishly moved in front of the mirror. As I tenderly wiped at the shiny spots on my face, my thoughts took over. They went from how exhausted I was beginning to feel, to trying to make sense of how I saw my match in the other room, then to what foods I would get the first slice of.

Fatigue, handsome, and cake- oh my!

In the end, I won the argument with myself on whether to stay in the bathroom the entire ceremony, or to go in that room and finally experience a wedding. Realization hit me that I couldn't be a wimp again if I had to attend another wedding in my lifetime, so I wiped my hands on my dress and left the bathroom.

Keeping my head down, I waddled to Eden at as fast a pace I could manage. When I finally squeezed by the coughing hag, Eden smiled at me.

"I knew you would come back out."

"Yeah, well, I can be strong when I want to."

Eden's smile began tipping in it's immaturity, and that's when I knew his nice side was gone. "Not when you're drunk."

What a knee-slapper.

Suddenly the organs went off, and the wedding finally begun.