Rohanás
Hungarian for Rush
The next day became hectic for Adrienne. Abigail may have looked shy and quiet at first, but hell! She ran a military rule when it came to organizing stuff. She got on the phone, putting pressure on the photographers, videographers and other suppliers. She seemed so meticulous and so strict. Adrienne no longer wondered how she managed to straighten out the old Mason.
Abigail turned to her, taking deep breaths. “Okay, I sorted out the cake! Now, let’s get you to the couture house so you can pick out a dress.”
Adrienne nodded. She almost got scared of her future cousin-in-law. While Abi’s driver transported them to a shop, she spoke over the phone in Italian. She was almost raising her voice. Adrienne found it a little amusing now.
When she hung up the phone, she turned to Adrienne and smiled. “Sorry. That was Justin.” She turned to her driver to give out instructions in Italian. Adrienne had no idea what she said.
“My Justin?”
Abi nodded. “Yeah. He speaks perfect Italian.”
It was already past noon and Adrienne realized they hadn’t eaten yet. Abigail kept her busy with choosing anything from ribbons, to flowers, to linen and paper. The arrangements were looking grand now and there would only be four people attending the wedding.
They stopped by a small hotel. Adrienne seemed confused because she thought they would go to look at wedding dresses.
“Abi, I thought you wanted me to pick a dress.”
“Yeah, but Justin berated me for starving you.” She laughed. “He said we could schedule dress-shopping after lunch.”
Adrienne just nodded but deep inside she thanked Justin for rescuing her. Abi looked like she didn’t know how to take a break. She was all work, work, work!
“Where is Justin?” she asked Abi.
“In the restaurant with Mason,” Abi replied. “We all will have lunch together.”
Abi led her up the marble staircase to the mezzanine floor to the restaurant. The door was closed. Abi turned to her and smiled.
“Smile, Adrienne,” Abi said.
Adrienne didn’t get what she meant. But then she opened the door to the small restaurant. Adrienne then saw Justin and Mason talking to some people seated across from them. Adrienne looked at their guests and she felt like her heart immediately went up to her throat as she looked at their familiar faces. Justin’s guests were none other than…Jill and Yuan.
“Oh my God!” Adrienne breathed.
Jill let out a scream. She and Yuan stood up their seats and immediately ran to her to give her hugs and kisses.
“What are you guys doing here?” she asked them. Her eyes started to get a little bit teary. This was indeed a pleasant surprise.
“Your boyfriend…I mean… your fiancée…” Jill said, her eyes sparkling. “Contacted us last night and told us to immediately get on the next flight to Italy. No matter what the cost.”
“I cannot believe you guys eloped!” Yuan said.
Adrienne waved her finger in front of them to show them her ring.
“It’s wonderful!” They exclaimed.
“Heirloom?” Yuan asked.
Adrienne didn’t exactly know the answer to that. Justin came to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist and giving her a kiss on the forehead. He turned to Jill and Yuan and said, “That ring originally belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to my father when he proposed to my mom. And my Mom gave it to me when she wanted me to propose to my… ‘betrothed’.”
Yuan’s eyes widened. “You guys are so dead!”
“Maybe.” Adrienne smiled at them mysteriously.
They both raised a brow at her and she laughed. “Funny how my mother arranged me to be married to someone, too.”
Yuan and Jill’s eyes widened. “What?”
Adrienne smiled widely at them. “What are the odds that my parents arranged me to marry somebody I was already in love with.”
“You?” Jill echoed. “You were the ‘brat’ who had been destined to marry Justin all along?”
Adrienne laughed. “Yes. It’s…surreal, really. Like, what are the chances, right?”
“The chances of that happening is not even one in a million!” Yuan said in amazement.
“Yep,” Justin agreed. “But it doesn’t change my decision. My parents could never force me to marry anybody else than your best friend.”
“And when I saw you at Blush you were looking rather happy.”
Justin laughed. “Maybe I was. Because I planned to scare off my designated fiancée and it was working. I had no idea then that it was Adrienne.”
“Did you tell your parents?”
Adrienne shook her head. “We’ll just…shock them when we get back.”
“I’ll bet they will be,” Justin whispered staring down at Adrienne. Then he leaned forward and kissed her forehead again. He turned to Jill and Yuan. “Let’s have lunch first. There are still a lot of things to be done. And I believe I have made Abi fall behind schedule. She will order a firing squad if we don’t eat fast. Don’t choke on your food, okay?” He grinned teasingly at Adrienne.
Adrienne sat beside Justin. She felt very happy. She would have loved it if Jin, her Mother and Pierre were present…even her Father, but for now she’s content that at least Jill and Yuan had made it. And she couldn’t help falling in love with Justin even more for doing this for her.
“I love you,” she whispered in his ear. “Thank you so much for getting Jill and Yuan here. I don’t know how to pay you back for this.”
He grinned at her. “I accept payment…in kind,” he whispered. “And you already know which kind.”
She laughed. “And yet you’re gonna have to wait.”
He let out a frustrated sigh. Then he pulled her to him and gave her a squeeze. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
Adrienne looked at him from under her lashes and said, “And I’m just getting started,” she said in a voice full of mischief.
Justin laughed and gave her a squeeze again. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“And I can’t wait for you to start ordering lunch,” Mason said to Justin, bringing them both back to reality.
Adrienne blinked back at the other people in the table. She immediately turned red, realizing they’ve been oblivious of the others around them. They had whispered but Mason sat close enough to Justin that he couldn’t help overhearing.
Justin shot Mason a murderous look and then he looked at the menu in front of him. Mason just laughed. It was obvious he loved taunting his cousin. And Adrienne found it adorable how Justin had so much patience for Mason. Maybe even more than he’d shown Gian.
After lunch, Abigail took Adrienne away from Justin and they went gown shopping with Jill and Yuan.
They went to a boutique that looked like it only sold expensive couture gowns. The moment they walked in, the doors closed behind them and the saleslady turned the “Closed” sign on the door.
Abigail smiled at Adrienne. “So you can shop without interruption.”
The VIP treatment gave Adrienne a bit of a headache. She wasn’t used to this. And she felt like Abigail would make a good principal at “How To Be A Bitch Academy.” It’s amazing how she didn’t even have to open her mouth but things would just go the way she wanted them to be.
“Well, I like her,” Yuan said beside her. “Besides, you’re running out of time. A woman who runs military rule is exactly what you need to get everything up and running in two days.”
Abigail took her to an aisle of dresses. They were all beautiful, flawlessly tailored with sparkling crystals and rich laces.
Adrienne picked out a simple gown that went all the way down to the ankles.
What could you wear in a wedding with six people, right?
“Ah-ah!” Abigail said, shaking her head. “That looks more like a cocktail dress to me, sweetheart.” She took out a ball gown that had folded layers over the skirt.
“Seriously?” Adrienne asked. “For a four-guest wedding?” The dress looked too grand for such a simple occasion.
Abigail raised a brow at her. “Seriously,” she stated simply. Then Abi let out a sigh. “Adrienne…Justin is Mason’s go-to guy. My husband owes him a lot. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s reading people. Your fiancé feels guilty about not being able to give you a wedding that’s fit for an heiress like you are. He knows that you deserve a fairy-tale wedding. But as it is…you’ve eloped and can’t bring the whole United States of America to Italy. So apart from the lack of guests at the wedding, don’t you think you should do everything else as grand as it would have been?” Abigail said, finally giving Adrienne a piece of her mind. “That would erase Justin’s guilt and make him really happy!”
Adrienne blinked back at her. Then she realized Abigail she was right. Justin would want to give her a grand wedding. And he could afford it. But his desire to have an intimate, solemn and romantic ceremony prevailed. And honestly…she preferred it this way, too. But Abi made a great point. Nothing should stop them from making this wedding majestic. Their love story was a fairy-tale anyway.
She took the dress from Abi. “You should have said that earlier!”
When Adrienne finally came out of the dressing room, her friends gazed at her in awe. She turned to the mirror and almost gasped at herself.
The silk gown hugged her body to perfection. The bodice with a sweetheart neckline, was fully embroidered and lined with crystals. The flowing side draped skirt was made of folds of rich silk. Each fold ended with floral crystals and embroidery. Additionally, the dress included a detachable crystal-adorned chapel-length train that could be used during the ceremony and removed at her convenience during the reception.
“Wow!” Jill cried. “That is the dress, if you ask me.”
Adrienne had to agree. She wanted to check out the other dresses, but she was sure this was it. She fell in love with it. She actually imagined herself getting married in it.
“See?” Abi began. “This is perfect-ion!” Her voice was full of approval.
“How could you get it right the first time?” Adrienne breathed.
“Talent, my dear.” Abi giggled. “Come, you have to choose your shoes.”
Adrienne looked at herself in the mirror one last time and smiled. The dress she wore looked fantastic. It was doubtlessly expensive, but she didn’t care. Its beauty glowed…exactly how she felt inside. And she couldn’t wait for Justin to see her in it.
Abi and Jill also chose their own gowns. Then they all chose their shoes and other accessories. In the evening, they returned to the hotel to meet Justin and Mason. Adrienne felt exhausted by the time they had dinner. It was a long day. Brides usually have at least three months to plan the wedding of their dreams. She had three days.
The whole group gathered at the poolside to have some beer. For Abi, it was the time to remind everybody of their roles for the next two days. By ten in the evening, Adrienne yawned. Justin gave her a squeeze, then he turned to the group.
“Guys, we would have to go now,” he told them. “I think my bride-to-be can hardly keep her eyes open.”
“No, I’m okay,” Adrienne said.
Justin shook his head and stood up from his chair. Adrienne stood up after him. To her surprise, Justin scooped her up on her feet and carried her bridal style as they bid goodnight to the group.
“This is embarrassing!” she said to him. “Put me down.”
Justin laughed. “I would have to carry you the same way after the wedding. I should practice not to drop you.”
“I’ll be wearing a big gown, I’m sure you’ll have difficulty nevertheless,” Adrienne warned him.
Justin looked at her for a moment and his eyes sparkled. “Really? How big?”
Adrienne smiled proudly at him. “Cinderella gown big!”
Justin smiled back at her. “Oh, I can’t wait to see you in it.” He walked inside the elevator. Adrienne pressed their floor number. She turned back to Justin. He smiled at her mischievously. “And of course, I can most definitely not wait to see you… out of it.”
Adrienne laughed. “Justin, will you stop that? You have less than forty-eight hours to go.”
They reached their floor and Justin walked towards Adrienne’s bedroom. Adrienne swiped her access card and the door opened. Justin kicked the door closed behind him and put Adrienne down on the bed.
“Forty-eight hours is torture, honey,” he whispered to her. He leaned forward and touched his lips with hers.
She kissed him back. Then Justin deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.
“Justin…” she moaned.
“Adrienne…” he whispered coarsely. He nuzzled her neck and she almost squirmed in his arms.
He pushed her towards the bed. She landed on her back and he landed on top of her. His hands and lips claimed her and she felt completely and insanely lost. She could feel him between her thighs. Desire was evident in every part of his body. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled her to him.
It had been too long since she held him like this and she forgot that this one man could undo her in ways she never thought possible. His touch electrified her and his kisses made her forget anything…everything.
She felt desire completely overtake her. She pushed his jacket off him. She felt Justin’s hands underneath her shirt, touching her… skin to skin, feeling the pounding of her heart inside her rib cage.
“Oh God!” she moaned as she felt the urgency overtake her. She felt him suck at her neck and she let out a moan of pleasure. “Justin… please!” She moaned although she wasn’t aware that she spoke at all.
His lips returned to hers and he kissed her savagely, biting at her lips, invading her mouth with his tongue. Then he kissed her more gently… and he suddenly stopped moving.
She gently opened her eyes to stare back at him in confusion. He looked at her with a smile of triumph on his devilishly handsome face.
Finally, she remembered the rule she made. They cannot make love until they’re married.
“Now, don’t you wish you didn’t make those damn rules at all?” he asked with a slight smirk on his face.
She playfully hit him in the shoulder.
“I told you…you’d be begging for it, too,” he teased her.
“I didn’t beg for it,” she protested.
He narrowed her eyes at her. “Oh, right! You just said… what was it you said? ‘Justin… please’?” He shook his head. “Sounds like begging to me, honey.”
She laughed and pinched his shoulder.
He leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. “You can break the rules, Adrienne,” he said. “If you ask me nicely again… I just might have mercy.” He continued taunting her.
She punched his shoulder again. “That’s it! Get off me and get out of my room, you conceited prick!” she said in between giggles.
Justin laughed and kissed her gently on the lips. “Really? You’re not going to change your mind about this?”
Adrienne gave him a push. She shook her head. “Nope. Let’s torture ourselves some more.”
Justin lied on his back and gathered Adrienne in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder.
“You better have plenty of energy drinks prepared on our wedding night,” he said, chuckling.
She stared up at him. “A lot of people say that newly-married couples usually don’t have sex on their wedding night. You know…because they’d be too exhausted they would just sleep. Do you think that would happen to us?”
“Are you kidding me?” Justin asked. “I can barely keep my hands off you now. Do you really think I would let the wedding night pass? Besides…there’s only one wedding night. We could sleep any other night but that night deserves a celebration. Why did you think I opted for a very small wedding? You could put your energy to better use than smiling all night and entertaining a lot of people you barely even know.”
Adrienne laughed. “You’re probably right. Where are we getting married anyway?”
“If you can torture me about not being able to make love to you before the wedding day, then I can torture you about not knowing where exactly we’re getting married.”
Adrienne stared up at him. “You think you’re very clever, huh?”
He laughed. “I don’t think I am. I know I am.”
“Come on, Justin!” she insisted. “Where?”
He pulled her to him. “No. I want it to be a surprise. Patience, okay?”
She sighed in frustration. She couldn’t understand, but she suddenly felt really angry about it. She felt like she didn’t have a say in anything about their wedding when in normal weddings the most involvement grooms have is to just actually show up on the wedding day. But on hers, she was the one tagging along and being pushed over. Everything came as a surprise…or a shock. She didn’t understand why, but normally she wouldn’t make a big deal out of these things. She might actually feel it’s sweet how Justin got so involved with their wedding preparations. But right now, she couldn’t help feeling…angry.
She pulled away from Justin and turned her back on him. She stood up from the bed to head for the bathroom. She suddenly felt queasy. She ran to the bathroom, hoping she would make it to the sink. It only took a second for Justin to run after her. Adrienne threw up almost everything she ate that evening. When she finished, she washed the sink. Then she washed her face and gargled mouthwash.
Justin leaned on the sink beside her, carefully studying her. She caught his eye in the mirror in front of her. She still felt nauseated, her pulse was hammering visibly at the base of her neck.
He narrowed his eyes at her and couldn’t help the grin that was slowly forming on his face.
“Justin…” she began. “Why are you smiling?”
Tears welled up in Justin’s eyes and he pulled her to him in a tight hug. Then he said, “I’m just…very happy, honey. I think my insurance just came through.”