Sam was silent for a bit, but added, “I hear you, Mel, but I think that you’ll be happy with what Nathan has planned. Trust me on this.”
Josh shrugged, “I guess we don’t really have a choice since we’re not paying for any of it.”
Sam laughed, “Please don’t think of it that way, but I do think you’ll be happy with what he wants to do for you. This is a big opportunity for their company and they don’t want to blow it.”
I took Friday afternoon off so that we could prepare for our interview. I hurried home to change my outfit. I was on my third attempt at looking fashionable when Josh came home.
“Do I look good in this shirt?” I asked him before he’d even closed the front door.
“Is this a trap?” He looked around as he pulled his tie loose. “Is this the new ‘Do I look fat in this?’”
I tilted my head to one side and gave him an annoyed look, “Have I ever asked you that?”
He laughed, “No, but I wasn’t sure if that was something that came with marriage.”
“We’re not married, Josh.” I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Just answer my question please. Do I look good in this shirt?”
“Wear the purple shirt with the cream pants,” he answered and kicked his shoes off.
I thought about it for a second, nodded, and smiled at him.
I came out of my room wearing the outfit Josh had suggested to find him sitting on the couch wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
“That’s not what you’re wearing is it?”
He looked down at his shirt, “What’s wrong with this? It’s clean.”
“Josh, if you wear that then I look way too dressy!”
“No you don’t, you look fine.” He waved a hand at me and went back to his game.
“Josh, please just change into something else. What you had on earlier was nice.” I gave him a cheesy smile in an attempt to persuade him.
“Oh come on, Trip. I don’t want to wear my work clothes.” He whined at me and flopped back against the couch like a child throwing a tantrum.
“What about a polo shirt? Can you put on a polo with those jeans?”
He moaned and slid further down the couch.
I grabbed his hand, pulled him up, and dragged him back to his room.
My eyes scanned the cluttered floor. “Good grief, Josh. This room is a mess. Does it look like this when you bring girls here?”
He wiggled his eyes at me and fell back on the bed. “They are usually so taken with my charm that they don’t notice anything else.”
“Point me in the direction of the polo shirts.” I said as I stepped carefully through the mess, “The clean polo shirts, please!”
He laughed and pointed to the closet.
At the television station, one of the local news anchors greeted us. He took us on a tour of the set and asked us a few questions about our experience at Wake up America. He was very easy to talk to, and within minutes both Josh and I felt comfortable and at ease. By the time we sat down for the interview we were all laughing and having a great time.
“This shouldn’t take very long. I’ve just got a few questions that were sent to me by a producer from Wake up America, and then a few questions of my own.” He flashed a friendly smile.
The cameras were set and ready for us as we sat on the couch on the informal interview set. Josh smiled at me while they did the little last minute things before the cameras started rolling.
“Ready?” the anchor asked.
We both nodded at him.
“I have here with me Josh Matthews and Mel Holden, the local couple who gained fame when the video of Josh’s proposal went viral. Josh,” he turned from the camera to face us, “when you were asking Mel to marry you, did you ever think it would end up like this?”
Josh laughed, “No, Chip, I definitely did not expect things to go in this direction.”
“How has life changed for the two of you?” Chip, the anchor, asked us.
I looked at Josh then back at Chip, “For the most part, everything is the same.”
“Except for having your wedding paid for by SuperMart and broadcast on national television, that is.” Josh added with a laugh.
Chip joined in with a laugh of his own.
After a few seconds he asked, “What did you think when Wake up America contacted you about the video?”
Josh took the lead, “Obviously we were surprised. Honestly, neither of us were aware of the video and its popularity until that day. Everything sort of spiraled into this big ordeal very quickly.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Mel, is it true that the wedding ceremony is going to be held at the same SuperMart where Josh proposed?”
I put on a brave smile, “Yes.”
“What do you think of that?” he raised an eyebrow at me, obviously trying to bait me.
“It’s definitely not the traditional setting for a wedding, but,” I looked at Josh and smiled, “I think it works for us. We’re not really a traditional couple.”
“We also know that the people in charge at Wake up America and SuperMart are going to continue to treat us well. They’ve already done so much for us, and we can’t thank them enough for it all, but they tell us we’re going to be very pleased with what we see.” Josh added a little plug for our sponsors.
Josh’s charisma and ease with interviewing amazed me and I found myself smiling at him as he talked.
“Did you have any idea when you showed up at Wake up America what they had planned for you?”
Since we seemed to be taking turns answering the questions, I spoke up.
“No, we were clueless.”
Josh laughed. “Mel’s no actress, and if you remember, she was so surprised by the whole thing she could barely speak.”
“We will be broadcasting your wedding live on WVBC Channel 4 next Friday, is there anything you want to say to your local fans?” Chip asked us what he had told us beforehand would be the last question.
Josh looked at me, smiled, and squeezed my hand. “We just want to say thank you to everyone out there who has supported us and thank you for watching.”
“It has been a pleasure to sit down with the two of you. Congratulations on your engagement. I wish you all the happiness in the world. I can tell just from spending a few minutes with you that you two are off to a great start. Don’t forget to tune in to WVBC next Friday at ten a.m. for Josh and Mel’s wedding.”
9.
“Hand me that detergent, please.” I asked Josh as I poured another load of laundry into his washing machine. Since my place didn’t come with a washer and dryer, Josh had been nice enough to let me come over once a week to do my laundry. He called it our standing date. I’d come over on Wednesdays to do my laundry, he’d make dinner for us, and then we’d watch some television. Besides the weekend, it was what I looked forward to most about my week.
Josh passed me the bottle of detergent I’d brought with me. He was sitting on top of the dryer holding my now empty laundry basket. “How come your laundry always smells better than mine? Is it this stuff?”
I poured the detergent in, turned the knob, and slammed the lid shut. “It could be, or maybe it’s because I keep my clothes in a dresser or closet and not on the floor like you.” I snatched the basket away from him and placed it on top of the washer.
“Oh, you’re supposed to put your clothes away when they’re clean?” he said sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes at him, “You haven’t changed since college.”
“That’s part of my charm though, isn’t it? The never-changing man, with his incredibly handsome face, gorgeous physique, and charismatic personality, I’m every woman’s dream.” Josh wiggled his eyes at me.
I laughed, “You’re an idiot. What’s for dinner?”
“Wait! Before we eat I need to ask you something.” He jumped off the dryer and grabbed something black from his back pocket. “Are these yours?”
He held up a pair of lacy black underwear.
/> I reached for them, but he pulled them back and out of my reach before I could get them.
“Give those to me!”
“What are you doing with these fancy panties?” he raised them up higher and laughed as I jumped to reach them.
“Don’t be a jerk, Josh. Give me those!” I shouted and tried to punch him in the gut.
He just laughed some more. He turned away from me, and I jumped on his back and grabbed his hand. He wiggled his hand away and reached back to tickle my waist. I laughed and lost my grip on him. I slid off him to the floor. I hit the floor so hard I bounced on my butt, which only made me laugh harder. Josh collapsed on the floor next to me laughing.
When our laughter had died down, he asked me again, “Why do you have these? You’re not the kind of girl who wears these things. Are you?” He gave me a mischievous look.
I blushed and grabbed them from his hand, “Stephen bought them for me, if you must know.”
The look changed from mischief to suspicion.
“Oh, I see. So Stephen thinks you’re the kind of girl that wears things like this?”
“What do you care what kind of girl Stephen thinks I am?” I snapped at him.
“I just don’t like the idea of some guy trying to change you into something you’re not, that’s all.”
His words made me defensive, “He’s not just ‘some guy’, Josh. He’s my boyfriend and maybe even more.”
“Even more than a boyfriend? What does that mean?” Josh gave me a strange look.
“You know, like a future husband. I love him, Josh. This guy could be the one I spend my life with.” I paused then continued, “He’s asked me to move in with him.”
Josh’s face went pale and he fell back against the wall.
I didn’t trust his hesitation. He was keeping something from me.
“What?” I asked.
I never could just let it be with Josh, I always had to know what he thought, even if I knew he wasn’t going to agree with me.
“Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, Josh. What are you thinking?” I pushed for a better answer.
He sighed and stared at the floor, “It just seems a little early to be moving in together and declaring everlasting love. You’ve only known him for two months.”
I smiled and scooted closer to him, “I know what this is about.”
He looked at me.
I smiled at him, “You’re trying to protect me. You don’t want me to rush into anything because you don’t want me to get hurt. That’s sweet, Josh.” I tweaked his nose, “I can take care of myself. I’m sure about this, Josh. I think this is it.”
He gave me a weak smile and looked away.
10.
“You were much better this time.”
Josh was driving us to my parents’ house. We’d finished up our interview and even filmed a few clips for local and national commercials. Now, we were off to my parents’ for dinner, like we’d promised.
“Thank you!” I smiled, “It was much easier since I knew what was happening. I feel much more in control of the situation now.”
He laughed, “You do seem much more relaxed. Have you resigned yourself to married life?”
I thought about it for a minute then answered, “I don’t know that I’ve resigned myself to married life so much as I realize what has to be done. We both made mistakes to bring us to this point and we have to just deal with it.”
Josh was silent.
“What are you thinking?” I asked when he didn’t say anything.
“I was just thinking about what you said, and how that’s pretty much how most people end up where they are in life.” He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke.
I thought back over what we’d said. It was true. Yes, we’d made mistakes to get us to the place we were in, but doesn’t everyone? Very few people get through life without making any mistakes.
This was just a colossal one.
We pulled into my parents’ driveway after riding in silence for the last five minutes. My mom rushed out to greet us before we could get far from the car. She went for Josh first and pulled him into an embrace.
“Good to see you, Melody.” My dad hugged me tightly. “Congratulations honey.”
“Thanks Dad.”
“I am so excited about you guys! I just cannot stop gushing about this whole thing, even if I don’t get to do any of the usual mom-of-the-bride stuff.” My mom grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the house as she started in on what was likely the first of many guilt trips for the evening.
I turned and gave Josh and my dad a look as they followed behind us.
They both laughed at me.
When we got to the front door, my mom stopped and turned around. She looked at me and spoke in her guilt-inducing voice, “I’ve accepted the fact that I have had to take a backseat with most of the wedding stuff, but there is one thing that I could still be a part of.”
She threw open the door to the living room. There were streamers hanging from the ceiling, balloons floating in the air, and the room was full of women.
“Surprise!” they all shouted at once.
“It’s your bridal shower!” my mom screamed at me from inside the doorway.
“Oh my goodness,” I responded with fake excitement.
“Isn’t this great? I know that all that other stuff is taken care of, but this is something that I can do for you guys.” My mom’s face lit up as she looked back and forth between me and the guests.
I smiled at her because I was scared speechless. I hated attending showers, so having to be the guest of honor at one was like a nightmare. Add to that, the fact that I was faking the whole wedding ordeal, and I was too frightened to move.
All my friends knew that I hated these parties. That’s probably why as I looked around the room, I couldn’t find any of them. The room was full of all my mom’s friends and assorted acquaintances.
“Don’t worry son, you and I are going to head to the bar for wings and beer.” My dad slapped Josh on the back and laughed.
I whipped my head to give him a pleading look. “Are you sure Josh doesn’t need to stay? People have coed showers all the time now.”
“Melody, don’t be ridiculous. Your dad is going to take Josh out and they’re going to have a little celebration of their own.” My mom grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the living room. “Besides, this isn’t just a bridal shower. It’s a lingerie bridal shower.”
All the women in the living room clapped and cheered.
I turned back to Josh, even more frightened than before, and begged him with my eyes. He looked as if he was trying very hard not to laugh.
My mom started dragging me away towards the living room, but the ladies shouted at her to let me give Josh a kiss goodbye.
"Okay, okay, ladies! Melody, go give my future son-in-law a kiss goodbye.” She pushed me towards him.
My dad turned his back dramatically and all the ladies laughed.
I walked to Josh and stretched up to plant my lips on his.
“Help me!” I whispered with my lips on his.
“Not a chance. You’re on your own!” he whispered back and pulled me against him in a tight grip.
The ladies sighed, clapped, whistled, and hooted at us.
When he was finished with his show, he let me go and pushed me towards them. But as I walked away, he pinched my ass.
The women enjoyed that as well.
The next two hours were filled with lace, horribly awkward stories that I never wanted to sit through, and enough blushing to give my cheeks a permanent burn.
We played games.
I’d been forced to wear a lace bra and panty set over my clothes since I couldn’t blow my balloon up fast enough. There was a game involving cherries and cream that was just traumatizing! But worst of all, was when my mom read back all the comments I’d made when opening all my embarrassing gifts.
“Oh, this might be too small for me!”
The w
omen in the room laughed at that one.
“I’ve never seen a black one like this!”
That one kept the women in stitches for over five minutes.
“This is so soft and smooth. I just want to rub it against my face!”
Several women cried they laughed so hard at that one.
Just when I thought the whole ordeal was over, my mom handed me one more package.
“This one is special because it’s something that you and Josh can enjoy together and will remember for the rest of your lives.” She sat back down on the couch and waited expectantly for me to open the gift.
I opened the package slowly, not sure what it might contain. I’d learned a few things about my mom that night that I never wanted to know, so I wasn’t sure if this package was safe to open.
When I pulled the top off the box, a tiny red bikini greeted me. I held it up for everyone to see, just as I’d been forced to do with every embarrassingly lacy piece of lingerie that came before it.
As I held it, the box slid off my lap and an envelope fell to the floor. I picked it up off the floor and opened it up. Inside were two plane tickets and reservations for a week in Hawaii.
Once again, I was speechless.
I couldn’t believe it.
My parents really were happy for us. They’d bought the whole charade. When my mom told me she was happy for me, she meant it. She really wanted us to be together. The weight of it all hit me and I started to cry.
Of course, everyone assumed I was choked up about the actual gift and they all started to cry too.
“Thank you so much for this,” I choked out to my mom. “Thank you to all of you. I can’t tell you how much this all means to me, to us. Thank you.”
The party slowly started to wind down, and eventually it was just my mom and I left at the house.
“It was great to see all the women again, wasn’t it?” she asked as we piled dirty plates into the trash. She was still smiling, clearly pleased with how her party had turned out.
“Yes, thank you for doing this for me.” I smiled genuinely at her.
“Well, it’s all there was left to do for you. Everything else has been taken away from us, so I knew I had to jump on this as quickly as possible.”
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