“Josh, are you and Melody excited about the wedding next week?” a reporter shouted out.
“Of course they are!” My mom jumped in to answer for him, “What young couple in love wouldn’t be excited about their wedding? We are all just so excited and grateful to SuperMart, Wake up America, and all the others who have given so much to Josh and Mel.” She grabbed both of our arms and squeezed us to her.
“Josh, since your wedding will be free, where are you two planning to honeymoon?” a female reporter asked with a cute smile directed at him.
He blushed and smiled back. Part of me wondered if I was supposed to act jealous over her obvious flirtation, but I was too overwhelmed by the big picture to do anything but be dragged along by the crowd.
“We haven’t even had time to think about,” Josh answered.
The shouting continued as we kept walking through the airport. My mom was still between us, rambling on about something involving my relatives. Thankfully, we only had the bags we’d carried on, so there was no need to stop at Baggage Claim. Both my wedding dress and Josh’s tuxedo were set to be delivered to the apartment by the end of the week.
We piled into my mom’s car, since we’d taken a cab to the airport the day before. My mom waved to the cameras as we drove out of the parking lot.
“How did they know we were coming back today?” I asked when they were finally out of sight.
“I told them. They’ve been all over us since yesterday morning. I’ve done several interviews already,” my mom remarked casually.
“Who exactly is us?” Josh asked from the backseat.
“Everyone’s had their turn! Mel’s dad, me, some of your friends from high school, we’ve all done interviews!”
I swirled around and looked at Josh, whose face was white as a ghost.
“I have to tell you, some of your friends have said the most adorable things about you. Don’t worry dear. I had your father tape it all on the VCR so you can watch it when we get home.” My mom was still rambling but I turned back to stare at the road ahead of us.
7.
My mom had not been exaggerating when she said everyone had been talking to the press. In one clip, our high school gym teacher was interviewed.
“It was good to see Mr. Griffin again. He’s not looking too bad.” Josh had commented the first time we’d watched the gym teacher’s interview.
“This is ridiculous. I don’t understand how this is happening. How is everyone believing this?”
“Maybe we’re very convincing, Trip.” Josh answered. He seemed to be hiding something from me, and I thought I had seen him blush a few times as we’d watched our friends’ interviews.
I rolled my eyes at him, “I doubt that.” I pulled my feet up to the couch and under me. “My mom has always thought you had a thing for me, but how in the world did you get all those other people to say all that stuff?”
Josh shrugged nonchalantly and a faint blush appeared again, “I talked to a few people yesterday before I came back to the hotel.”
“Well, they are either making us look really believable or making it very difficult for us to wiggle out of this whole thing. Have you thought of a plan yet?” I took a sip of my hot tea.
“We’ve only been back for a few hours Mel, when was I supposed to think of this master plan?” Josh snapped at me and got up from the couch.
I opened my mouth to snap back at him, but he went into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. I waited an hour for him to come back out, but he never did. I knocked on his door but he didn’t answer.
Dejected, I went to bed.
When I got up the next morning, I expected to see Josh in his boxers at the kitchen table, but the table was empty. A dirty cereal bowl was sitting in the sink where he had dumped it before leaving.
I still had the day off, but I didn’t want to leave the house. I cleaned for a few hours and then sat on the couch. I waited until the afternoon before I plugged the phone back in and turned on my cell phone.
“You have fifteen new messages.” The annoying robotic woman from my voicemail told me when I turned my phone on.
I listened to them one by one and deleted them in turn. Most of the messages were from my mom asking me to call her with details about the wedding. A few coworkers had called to congratulate me and tell me they’d seen me on television. My friends had called to congratulate me and fuss at me for keeping my relationship with Josh a secret from them. The last two calls were from the producer at Wake up America.
“Hey Mel, this is Sam West from Wake up America. I called to confirm some of the details for the wedding. We’ve made a few promos for it, and so far we are getting amazing feedback. Everyone is very excited about this!”
An awful feeling started to grow in the pit of my stomach.
I deleted Sam’s first message and moved on to the last.
“Hey Mel, it’s Sam again. I tried calling Josh, but his phone is off too, so I’m leaving this message with both of you. I’ve arranged for the two of you to be interviewed with your local CBS affiliate, I believe that’s WVBC. They’ll be calling you guys to give you more details, like the place and exact time. We’re hoping to get some good clips to build more promos for the big event. Okay, well, I’ll be coming into town next Monday to do the final set up of everything, so I guess I’ll see you then.”
I deleted the message, tossed the phone down onto the couch, and headed to my room to hide under my covers.
I woke up after ten p.m. and crawled out of the bed. All the lights were still on, and so was the television. Everything was exactly as I’d left it, which was surprising since Josh was usually home by six.
“Josh!” I called out to him as I walked down the hall. I knocked on his door, but didn’t hear a response. I opened the door hesitantly, and poked my head inside. The room was a total disaster, but it was clear that he hadn’t been home since the morning.
It wasn’t like Josh to go out without coming home first, or at least calling me to see if I wanted to go with him. I closed his door and sat down on the couch. My cell phone was still sitting there, so I reached for it and dialed Josh’s number. It rang two times and then went to voicemail. Usually, when his phone was off, it would ring four times before going to voicemail.
I tried to stay up and wait for him, but by midnight, I was too tired to wait any longer. I pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and curled up on the couch.
I woke up again just before four in the morning. The television was off and the only light on was the one in the hallway. Josh must have come home.
This time when I knocked on his door I got a response.
“Josh?” I called his name because I couldn’t decipher what he had said.
“Who else would it be?” he said groggily.
I blushed as I spoke, “Are you alone? Can I come in?”
“Yes, and if you must.”
I opened the door slowly. His light was off, but I could just barely make out his figure lying in the bed with the light from the hallway.
“What is it?”
I stopped inside the doorway, “Did you get the message about the interview?”
He rolled over to face me, “Yes, it’s this Friday at one. They called me this evening to set it up. I tried to set it up during your lunch break so you won’t have to miss any work.”
“Oh okay, thanks.”
“Is that it? I’m kind of tired.”
His tone surprised and hurt me a little.
“Uh, yeah, I guess.” I turned back to the door.
“Don’t forget to shut the hall light off before you go to bed,” he said and then I heard him roll over in the bed.
I didn’t respond. I shut the door to his room and stood in the hallway. I flicked the light switch and turned the light off, just like he’d asked, but instead of heading to my room, I just sat down in the hallway.
Josh had never snapped at me like that before. There had been a few times that he’d raised his voice at me, bu
t he’d always apologized as soon as he realized it. The way he’d spoken to me tonight was shocking.
I pulled my knees up and put my head in my hands. This whole thing had mixed everything up.
Josh’s door opened up and I looked up to see him standing above me. He was only wearing his boxers and I watched him in the dim light of the nightlight in the bathroom. He stretched, yawned, and walked into the bathroom, all without noticing me in the hall.
Thankfully, from where I was seated, I couldn’t see anything but I could hear everything. I put my hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh. Josh flushed and then the hall went dark as he headed back to his room. I kept my hand over my mouth, but a small giggle escaped and when it did, Josh jumped and shrieked like a girl.
“Sorry! So sorry!” I said apologetically through my giggles.
“What the hell are you doing in the hall?” he shouted at me as he clutched his chest and fell back against the wall.
My giggles subsided and I answered, “I don’t know. I just never made it to my room after I left yours.”
Josh slid down the wall and sat across from me in the hall. He still looked a little frazzled from finding me in the hall.
“Did you wash your hands?” I asked suspiciously.
Josh grinned, “I didn’t use my hands.”
“Gross, Josh! I just cleaned that bathroom. I hope you have good aim.”
He laughed, “I’m just kidding.”
I eyed him suspiciously and he just grinned at me.
“I’ve been thinking about our situation,” he said quietly after a few seconds of silence.
“So have I,” I whispered back.
He stared down at his hands in his lap. “Look Trip, I’m really sorry about snapping at you last night and again tonight. I was just overwhelmed with everything and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”
I tapped him playfully with my foot, “It’s all good. I put too much pressure on you to figure this whole thing out. It’s just as much my fault as it is yours.”
He looked up and I gave him a smile. Josh sighed and smiled back.
“Okay, so I’ve been thinking about it and I think that we can use Friday’s interview to set everything right. We’ll just tell the truth and deal with whatever comes next. We haven’t actually taken any of the free stuff,” he looked down at my hand, “except that ring, of course.”
I blushed, “I know I should have taken it off, but it just feels good to have one on.”
Josh raised an eyebrow at me.
“It’s a girl thing.” I stuffed my hand under me. I didn’t have the heart to admit that I had started to wonder if I’d ever have a ring on my finger. Stephen had messed me up, and I hadn’t seen anyone since. Wearing the ring, a meaningless ring, was somehow better than no ring at all.
“I think it’s too late to admit the truth now.” I sighed as I stared at the floor.
“It’s okay to like the feeling of an engagement ring. It does suit your hand actually.” Josh smiled at me.
I made eye contact with him, “That’s not what I’m talking about, Josh. This thing has gotten out of control and if we try to step out of it now, then it is going to get ugly. It’s not just us anymore. If we go on television and tell everyone that it was all a joke then we’ve made all our friends and family members look like fools. If not fools, then they look like liars, and I don’t know what’s worse.”
Josh nodded, “So, what do we do then?”
I took a deep breath, “I think we have to go through with it.”
Josh didn’t say anything. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.
“What are you thinking?” I asked when I couldn’t take the silence any longer.
“I think you’re right. We have to do this or we’re going to end up hurting a bunch of people.”
We sat in the hall together for a minute before either of us spoke.
“Did you go to work today?” I asked quietly.
He nodded.
“Did anyone say anything to you?”
“It’s all people wanted to talk about.”
“So, I guess there’s no hope that no one will say anything to me at work tomorrow?”
“Not a chance, Trip.”
I threw my head back against the wall.
Josh laughed and added, “Oh, by the way, your mom wants us to come over for dinner Friday night.”
8.
I woke up the next morning with a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. I was confident that Josh and I were making the best decision for our situation, but it only helped a little bit.
Josh was waiting for me in the kitchen, boxer shorts and all, with a bowl of raisin bran and a jug of milk.
“Eat up! You’ll need your strength.”
I stuck my tongue out at him and he just laughed and poured the milk into my bowl.
“Was it really that bad?” I slid the bowl towards me after he’d finished drowning the cereal in milk.
“No, but I’m a dude. All the women at your office are going to want to see the ring and ask you all kinds of questions. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.” Josh rolled his eyes.
“At least I won’t have to retell the story of how you proposed. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve had to sit through over the years.”
“See now, I finally did something right. I saved you the trouble of having to retell the story of how I proposed by doing it in public so that someone could record it and put it up on the internet.” Josh gave me a wink and a grin.
“Wow! Thank you so much,” I said sarcastically. “The only problem with your plan is that our marriage is a sham, dear.”
Josh got up from the table, “Who’s marriage doesn’t end up being a sham? We’re just ahead of the game.”
“You’re optimism inspires me.”
“Is that why you’re marrying me?” Josh leaned down and kissed me on the top of the head.
“No, of course not,” I called after him as he left the kitchen, “I’m marrying you for the sex!”
Josh laughed loudly as he disappeared into his room.
It felt good to have Josh back. One day of not speaking to him was almost more than I could bear. I knew that going back to work and facing the ladies of the office was going to be rough, but Josh made me feel better as I started my day.
I parked myself in my cubicle and turned my computer on.
“Hey Mel, I saw you on TV the other day. Congratulations on getting all that free stuff!” Tim shouted across the office.
“I saw you!” Connie leaned across my cubicle. “Let me see that ring! It looked gorgeous on television!”
The rest of the day was just one long interruption. I wasn’t able to get any work done because people kept stopping by to talk to me, look at the ring, or congratulate me.
By the time I got home, all I wanted was a big glass of wine and something with chocolate in it, on it, or made completely of it!
When I walked in the door to the apartment, the sound of the radio blaring and the smell of lasagna greeted me. Josh came sliding out of the kitchen wearing my apron and holding a huge glass of red wine.
“Hello darling! How was your day at work?” Josh handed me the glass of wine and took my jacket from me.
“Wow! Look at you! Aren’t you just the perfect housewife?” I smiled broadly at him and took a big gulp of wine.
He laughed and headed back to the kitchen. I followed him and continued drinking.
“Is this what being married to you is going to be like, because, if so, then we should have done this a long time ago!”
“I thought you were just marrying me for the sex?” Josh put his finger in his mouth and struck a provocative pose.
I laughed at him and drank some more wine.
Josh was back!
The next two days at work were just as miserable. The congratulations messages had turned to teasing as more commercials and promos for the wedding started airing. I could hear them being played in the cubicl
es around me all day. People who had never even glanced at me before stopped by my desk and commented on the upcoming event.
Thankfully, Josh and I kept up the dinners. It was such a pleasure to come home and hide from the rest of the world. No matter how the day had gone, when I came home it was just me and Josh again. We ate dinner together, watched movies, and even played video games. When the work day was over, it was just me and Josh. It was great!
As we sat down to eat on Thursday, Sam West called to remind us about the interview.
“Hey guys! Are you getting excited about the wedding?” Sam asked us when we put him on speakerphone. He’d called Josh’s cell as we sat at the table eating another fabulous meal made by Josh.
Josh and I exchanged a look and answered, “Yes!”
“That’s great! We are getting some fantastic buzz about you guys. People from all over the country are calling in and leaving messages on the website. They are so excited to see this thing go down. You cannot believe the numbers we are getting because of this.” Sam sounded like a child on Christmas as he spoke about our fake wedding.
Josh pretended to stick his finger down his throat and I giggled.
Sam laughed, but then switched into business mode. “Look, this interview tomorrow is crucial to our upcoming promotional push. I don’t want to tell you what to say, but if you guys could maybe gush a little about how excited you are, then that would really help us out.”
“No problem, Sam. We’re so excited we just can’t stop talking about it!” Josh’s voice sounded excited, but he was making faces at me the whole time.
“Great! I can’t wait to see it.” Sam answered excitedly. “Listen, I wanted to run something by you two. I was talking to Nathan, from SuperMart, and I know we had originally planned to hold the reception in a separate location, but he really thinks we can make it work in the store. He’s suggested that we rope off a section and just keep the guests separated from the shoppers. What do you think?”
I shook my head vehemently at Josh as I answered, “I don’t know about that, Sam. I’m not sure that I want our reception to be in the store. I don’t want our guests to feel like animals at the zoo.”
Nuptials for Sale Page 4