The reception was just as well planned and decorated as the ceremony at the cathedral. Gold and silver paper birds hung on the trees. Golden chairs were arranged in groups of tens and twelve with a round table for guests. Céline was in awe just staring at the beautiful ensemble made for her big day.
It was an outdoor setting with trees and a swimming pool, designed so naturally, one would never think it was only artificial. Lights of different colors bounced on the water creating an enchanted aura.
Waiters and servers roamed around replacing people’s drinks and passing around plates of cakes and other side dishes, Mrs Culhane had arranged with the help of international chefs she had invited.
Céline and Damien were seated under a canopy clothed with a mass of intertwined roses, Lilies and lavenders. They looked like royals of an island. It was indeed a beautiful set up. Mrs Culhane had exceeded herself for her son’s wedding and it was worth it.
Everyone was happy and the couple couldn’t get a moment alone without the constant ‘congratulations’ or a request for a picture together. By the time the night came to an end, Céline was beyond exhausted.
“Come on love birds, we have to get you two to the car.” Charles said with a huge proud smile of an older brother. His phone rang out and he quickly placed it against his ears, taking a step away from the newly wed.
“Yeah, Céline looks like she needs some sleep.” Mirilyn put in, smiling at Céline.
Charles and his wife, had pretty much being the only ones around Damien and Céline through out the party. The rest of their friends, went MIA the moment the cake was cut and the merriment started. Brian was somewhere at the bar with some models -Mrs Culhane had invited, while Lucas had somehow disappeared with Olivia, leaving Céline without a bride’s maid.
“Do you know if my aunt is still here?” Céline asked Mirilyn. She hadn’t seen her aunt since the dance ended and she was starting to get a bit worried. Elizabeth wasn’t used to staying out this late plus Céline had no idea how her aunt would be getting home, so late in the night on her own.
“Oh, do not worry. Charles had arranged for a driver to take her and her friends home a while ago…”
“You were busy with Mrs Lydia and her team at the time, so she couldn’t come to tell you that she was leaving.”
Céline was a bit sad that her aunt didn’t tell her she was leaving but she was grateful Charles and Mirilyn had taken care of her welfare. It was impossible to keep your eyes at every corner in your own wedding. Especially when so many important people wanted to talk to you.
“Okay, the driver’s here,” Charles said, putting his phone back into his jacket pocket.
Damien helped Céline out of her seat and together, they walked to the exit. A lot of people were still around, so they had to stop to smile and receive some more kisses on the way till they finally got into the car.
Charles pulled the door open for them and Céline strapped herself in. Damien followed behind her. The window on Céline’s side rapped and she raised her eyes to see Olivia.
“Where have you been all night?” Céline asked, rolling down her window.
“Well… It is an awfully long story. Are you heading home?” Olivia was giving her a toothy smile and Céline couldn’t help but wonder what her best friend had been up to. She was smiling too much.
“Yeah, I am heading home and you should do the same.” Céline said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Oh, don’t be such a grandma! I can’t go home tonight, I’ll have to stick around.”
Céline narrowed her eyes at her friend. “If you can’t go home, then go to my house. Aunt will be home alone. I don’t want her to start thinking, it isn’t good for her health. Can you please go stay with her tonight?”
Olivia had a life to return to at the province but Céline was worried about her aunt. Since Olivia didn’t want to return home, she could as well stay with her aunt.
Céline had to try and plead with Olivia to stay for a while longer than one night though but she didn’t know how to do that.
“Sure! No big deal!” Olivia announced. Her smile grew so big, Céline furrowed her brows in confusion.
Why did she accept to stay so easily?
“I know you are probably thinking too much right now, like you usually do, but don’t worry sugar. I have nothing important waiting for me. I will stay here for a week or two and see where this place takes me!” She beamed.
Céline’s brows almost reached her hairlines as Olivia’s words penetrated her ears.
Why did she suddenly want to stay longer than necessary?
Yes, Céline would love to have someone around her aunt but, it just didn’t seem right that Olivia was proposing to stay on her own, just like that.
“Olivia is there-” Céline started to ask but Olivia stopped her.
“I’ll call you and give you all the details!” Olivia mouthed quickly as her eyes dashed around the car.
Olivia’s eyes twinkled with joy as she looked ahead and Céline didn’t have to wonder for too long as Lucas appeared behind her.
“You should let these two go get a good fuck. They need it.” Lucas slurred.
He was obviously intoxicated but Céline could not help but feel the heat moving unto her cheeks at his words. She had been trying to avoid thinking about the event of the night during the party. She didn’t want to keep having to hide her blush with so many people around. Now that Lucas, had brought it up, she couldn’t help herself.
“Driver…” Damien’s husky voice filled the car.
The driver turned his head behind him. “Sir?”
“Take us home, please,” he said pressing a button on his side that closed up Céline’s window. Lucas protested outside but Céline couldn’t make out his words.
“Yes, sir.”
Before Lucas could make another remark, the car zoomed off into the night.
Céline didn’t really appreciate the manner Damien had acted towards his own friend. In fact if she was being honest to herself, she didn’t appreciate the way Damien had been acting all day. He barely said one word to her and seemed to have a problem with touching her. He did touch her during the wedding ceremony and other times when it was necessary for him to touch her or when people were around them but as soon as they left it was like her hands burned him. He didn’t even kiss her back at the cathedral for reasons unknown to her.
“Did you get into a fight with Lucas?” Céline voiced her worries.
Even if she felt like he had no right being angry with her over a fight he probably had with his best friend, she wanted to let him know he could talk to her about anything.
Damien scuffed and did something, Céline never thought she would live to see. He pulled out his wedding ring from his finger and dropped it in his pockets.
Her mouth almost touched the floor of the car as she watched him. He finished his sabotage of an act and folded his arms across his chest keeping a straight face like he did nothing wrong.
Was he trying to crack a joke; Céline thought to herself.
“Baby, is something wrong?” She asked, reaching out her hands to touch him.
As soon as her fingers grazed his white shirt, he pulled his hand away from her reach and clicked his tongue.
“How much do you want?” He asked with fire in his eyes but his voice was as calm as the oceans right before a storm started.
Céline felt like a thunder had struck within her heart and for the next five seconds, there was a ringing in her ears and she couldn’t think straight.
Damien glared at her, long and hard, waiting for her response. When he saw that she couldn’t come up with anything, he returned his focus to the seat in front of him.
“I thought as much!” He hissed under his breathe.
Céline’s world started spinning as she was losing breathe just by thinking about what Damien had asked her.
Did he know about her plans? Did Elizabeth tell him? Did he find out?
No, he couldn’t know about that. Her aunt would never tell him something like that. If he misunderstood he could hate her for it.
No, he didn’t know about that, she repeated in her head.
But, if he didn’t know about that, what did he mean by ‘how much she wanted’ ?
Maybe she was over thinking and he meant something totally different. Maybe he meant how much love she wanted. The word ‘much’ could be used to quantify so many things.
Céline was in denial. Her heart was beating so fast she could get an heart attack right there in the car. So many questions erupted in her mind as soon as the ringing stopped. But she couldn’t bring any of them out of her lips. Her hands got sweaty and she started trembling. She couldn’t ask him those questions. She wasn’t brave enough for the answers he might give her.
She started wishing she had stayed longer in the party. She wished more people had stopped them and they just had to sleep at that reception. She wished the journey got extended and they never got home because she knew at the back of her mind that whatever Damien was harboring in his heart would be spilled the moment they got home.