“Beseeching? That’s far past begging isn’t it?”
“Yes. Yes, it is. That should tell you just how serious I am right now. I am beseeching you to figure out what the point of all of this is. Or to simply answer the question before I lose what’s left of my mind. And let me assure you, there’s not much left to lose. So, would you like to tell me?”
“I know and understand that this isn’t your thing. The marriage. So I’m asking if you want me to do this on my own or if you want to have input.”
“You see how easy that was?”
She shrugged unbothered with my sarcasm. “To be fair, I’d already said all of this.”
“Why isn’t Ori planning this?”
The mask of civility dropped and she looked completely disgusted with my suggestion. “You want a MAN to plan a wedding? Of this caliber? A man like ORI? Xerxes for sure causehe’s a dandy thug, but Ori? You know what, you probably are insane if you think someone like him can pull off an event like this.”
“Yet you think I can?”
“You have style. I’ve seen the way you dress so yeah. I have far more faith in you than I do in him. Men aren’t useful for things like this.” I could only agree since she wasn’t wrong.
“Men aren’t useful for much outside of procreation.”
Unbridled joy came over her face and I was sure she had to have some type of medication she had been derelict in consuming. There was no way someone should flit from one emotion to another so easily. “So you do want littles one day!”
I almost recoiled at the thought wondering what gave her that idea. “Who in God’s name said that?”
“You just said—”
I sighed at her assumption because I’d never thought of having kids, because my own childhood was so messed up. “I’m stating a mere fact, not a heart’s desire. Please keep up.”
“I wasn’t aware that I wasn’t.”
I could only stare at her blankly and do my best to rein in my own emotions. “My. God. People have to be medicated to handle you.”
“Not really. Most just go with the flow. I’m harmless when you think about it.” Her grin was back, the one that was genuine, which meant she took my words as a compliment.
“To everything but my nerves.”
“You’re just fighting the fact that I’m going to be the sunshine to your grumpy. The rainbow to your rain. It won’t be so bad to not hate everything off principle, Asha, I promise.” She grinned and gave me a hug so quick I couldn’t prevent it.
“What an odd thing to say.”
“Is it? Or is it a careful observation founded on the fact that you detest everything so you never have something that you likethat you could lose? You don’t want to get wrapped up in the whimsy of a wedding because the reality of this marriage is less than ideal and far from romantic. You don’t want to put your heart into something because you don’t want it shat on. You think that sharing your traditions with us and with Ori means that you’ve somehow given in and you don’t think he’s going to do the same.”
I hated to be read so easily and now I wondered if everyone in this group of people I was being married into had a fucking Ph.D. in psychology or if my stubbornness just made me that easy to read. I wasn’t really keen on finding out the answer to either question. Also, it was clear that Jada was fucking brilliant and well aware of what she was doing playing the loon.
“Since you think you know how I feel, what is your suggestion on what I should do?”
“If your desire is to protect your heart then I've got you. Despite your speaking in cursive, I like you,Posh. I can plan this thing in a few months and I won’t give away any more of your culture than he gives of his. If it’s just food, then it’s just food. Hell, if he does anything trifling I’ll throw in that English brickle brackle y’all eat and serve him sausage and fizzy wickets or whatever the fuck y’all call it.Beans on toast, gov’nuh.” Jada switched to a horrific Cockney accent but I had to laugh because it was very accurate.
“Oh, good! I was worried you two were about to fight.”
Vanya walked over looking ethereal in the cream and gold dress with her newly gifted crown resting on the top of her curls. She leaned over to me, the gold overlay of her gown making her look as though she was glowing. “She’s going to have your entire day planned within the week if you don’t say something. This was all planned in like two months.”
I had to think quickly and pulled out the first thing that I could think of. “Ori doesn’t care enough about any of this to rush anything. Besides, he’s got a big case.”
That would have to be a deterrent because there was no way he’d be able to get away from duty in the middle of the case. Of course, a wedding was just one day and it wasn’t like we were going to have to take a honeymoon…
Oh. Oh no.
“Yeah, but he can’t step fully into his family’s business and away from the government until he’s got a wife. As bad as he wants to be done with them people now that the inmates run the asylum…”
