You are Definitely Going to Hell Ch. 06

"Exabitionist," I say.

"And what ya goin' ta do about it?" Maria retorts.

"Nothing, I'm waiting for the encore," I smirk. Maria lays her head on my shoulder and pulls me in tighter as our bodies mould together, and we move around the dance floor as if we are stuck together. I notice the dance floor clearing and people watching Maria, and I move around. She lifts her head and looks into my eyes. "Fuck, you are beautiful," I say, causing her smile to widen. "I love you, Miss Hunter."

"I love you, Mr. Johnson." She leans forward and kisses me. We don't miss a step as we glide around the floor, ignoring the world around us.

The rest of the night passes in a blur. Finally, people start making their way to bed. Maria's parents are among the first to go up.

"Come on, baby, let's call it a night," Maria says in my ear.

As our door closes, we wrap our arms around each other and kiss. We stop for a moment and look into each other's eyes. So much has changed. We return our lips to where they belong, this time, the kiss is slower, and more deliberate.

Maria pulls her head back. "Bed?" she asks.

"Is the Pope catholic?" I retort.

We make our way to the bedroom and strip. As usual, we take our time to fold our clothes before we climb into bed. As we wrap ourselves around each other, we soon melt together as we slowly make love. Our self-imposed limits no longer shackle us to how we express ourselves. We spend two hours showing each other our true love before we climax simultaneously.

Maria is lying on my chest. I know she is about to start what is probably the most important conversation of our lives so far. "Rob, I'm sorry. I have made this way more complicated than it should have been. When we made love for the first time, I realized that you were different from anyone I had met before. I deliberately sabotaged our chance to form a normal, loving relationship. Despite all my efforts, I couldn't stop myself from falling in love with you. I thought you didn't feel the same, so I chose to stay close."

"What made you think I didn't have feelings for you?" I ask.

"Because you were so happy shagging around."

"I only agreed to have sex with the other girls to stay close to you. I was always attracted to you. That first interaction, I looked at you and saw possibly the most stylish person I've ever met."

Maria lifts her head. "First Interaction?" She laughs. "That's a polite way to look at it. When did you know that I was different from everyone else?"

"I won't bullshit you because I can't count our first time. It was special, but many emotions clouded my mind at the time, so any feelings were hidden from view. By the time Liz came up, I knew there was something there. We even had a conversation about you."

"That explains some of her comments," Maria says. "I guess we were both emotionally confused."

"So, what happens next?"

"You know? I'm not going to lie to you, I don't know, my love. This is going to be very hard and could get very complicated. You've already put forward your intention to let me finish my dream of becoming a doctor."

"I will not take your dreams away from you," I say. "I have fallen in love with you and the person you want to be. Why would I want to change that? We must work out how we can do that and stay together."

"But what if we end up like Charlie and you?"

"Charlie and I are, no, were different." Maria smiles at my use of 'were.' "Nothing is hanging over us; we've promised to keep our love alive. With Charlie, we have a vague idea that she is not honouring. As long as we hold to the promise we make to each other, I can't see the problem."

"Baby, we have until Christmas to make a solid plan. Let's get this wedding out of the way and then talk." Maria stays on my chest and snuggles into me before falling asleep.

******

We walk into the restaurant just before nine. We get seated with a very happy-looking Jason and a tired-looking Anna. "Good morning," I say as I sit down.

"Good morning, Rob. I spoke to your mother this morning," Jason says.

"She was up?" I ask.

"I think I woke her up, but we've agreed to share Christmas day," he says thoughtfully.

"That's good. Did you hear that, baby?" I ask.

"Yes, handsome, Christmas together. Whose place?" she then asks her dad.

The waiter arrived, and we all ordered the cooked breakfast. As the waiter turns to go, I tell him to charge it to my room.

"We will be spending Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Kent," Jason says. "It will be like old times," he adds.

"I've been thinking about you two. Do you realize what the odds are of finding just about the only guy on this planet that I can't fault?" Maria's mother asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Your boyfriend's parents are most probably the two people we respect above all others. He's also got good prospects and most importantly, he makes you happy."

"What about Daniel?" Maria asks.

"Daniel is not even in the same league. He was a distraction, at best, to keep the gold diggers away," Anna eyes me. "And no, Robert, I know that's not you. I hope you have forgotten my little indiscretion."

"I'm not one to lie unless there's a good reason. I haven't forgotten Anna, but I forgive," I say.

"That is another thing that attracted me to him, Mum. You can believe what comes out of his mouth," Maria says.

"Truly a rare thing in a man. I must admit I found one of them in your father, Phillip, is much the same, so it's not hard to believe. So what are the occasions you would lie?" she asks.

"I consider myself a good judge of character. There's no definitive answer. There are many ifs and buts, so I guess there's no straight answer."

"For instance?" She asks, not letting me get away with my vague answer.

"Oh God, talk about on the spot. I can see where Maria gets it now. It depends on how directly it will affect others. I'm not talking about lying about myself. If I have done something wrong, I will hold my hands up. I'm talking about something you know about others. It hasn't ever happened, but if I know my best mate is cheating on his girlfriend, I will put pressure on my mate to put the wrong right. If he doesn't care, and I am asked, I will give a direct answer to a direct question."

"Interesting, so if I asked you what did happen on Monday, you would say?"

"Nope, the answer affects others. I would tell you to ask Maria, but I will say that we didn't get caught having sex."

"Mum lay off. If you want to know what happened, ask me, and I will tell you in private," Maria says, getting slightly annoyed.

"Okay, I will drop it....for now," she says.

The conversation changes because our food turns up. I am offered a lift to the church, and then Maria gets dragged away by Christina because it's time for her to start getting ready.

The drive to St. Peter's Church isn't that long, but Anna looks at me in her vanity mirror as soon as we are in the car. "Rob, what reasons did Maria give you for you to come with her to a family wedding?"

"I don't think I would have needed a reason other than Maria wanting me to accompany her, but she mentioned an ex, and some of her cousins make her feel uncomfortable," I say, trying to make it sound slightly better.

"I can understand the ex, but what have her cousins done?"

"Ahh, that's an awkward question," I say. "I would rather you asked Maria that question."

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Bad enough to make her not want to come. She wouldn't have come if I wasn't here," I say with my eyes fixed on Anna. I have to admit Maria has her mother's eyes.

"It must be to do with her ex-boyfriend being here?"

"Partly," I confirm. "She would like to avoid him. She knows he's going to try to get her back. She doesn't want the discomfort of turning him down."

"Avoiding him will be difficult," Anna says. "He's the best man."

We arrive at the church, and Jason manages to find a parking space down the road. As we walk up the road, Jason walks ahead at a brisk pace, leaving me walking next to Anna. She's wearing high heels, making her the same height as me and a little unsteady.

As we walk into the church, many eyes turn to us as we walk in. I have to smile, because we walk in with our arms around each other. The usher guides us to a seat about four rows from the front. The groom and best man are in a group at the front of the church. One of the guys says something, and they all turn and look our way as we walk down the centre aisle. I now have my arm looped through Anna's arm, and I guess they are wondering who I am.

We take our seats, and Anna tells me how much she's now looking forward to Christmas. "It's hard to get any real conversation when you are surrounded by people you don't formally know," she says. Somebody taps her on her shoulder and asks who I am. "Hello, Florence dear. This is Robert, Maria's boyfriend," Anna replies quite proudly, to my surprise. Anna sees my face and says, "You are Maria's boyfriend."

"It wasn't what you said, but how you said it," I whisper.

"Wow, not only truthful but not afraid to say," she says under her breath. She turns and whispers in my ear. "So maybe you can tell me what you did to me when we danced last night?"

"Do you want me to answer that in front of god?" I smile, "I see Mr. Hunter walking on air this morning. I don't know, but you're not the only one. The girl who helped me polish my technique, and is a lesbian, had the same problem."

Anna laughs, "That I can believe," she says a little louder.

"What can you believe, honey?" Jason asks.

"That Robert here turned a lesbian on with his waltz," Anna answers more quietly.

Jason laughs and leans forward. "I must thank you," he says.

"Antony Bamford said the very same thing," I say.

Anna gasps. "I knew I had seen him before. You are friends with the Bamfords?"

"Well, I danced with Carole because he has two left feet, and we had breakfast with them. I would say acquaintances more than friends," I say. "And he approached me to dance with his wife before we returned to our first conversation," I add quickly.

Anna groans, "I guess I'm not going to hear the last of that, am I?"

Our attention is taken when the priest at the front says, "All rise." The organist then starts playing, and everyone turns to look back as the bridal procession enters the large main door.

My eyes aren't on the lady who looks like a pavlova at the front but on the elegant woman standing behind her, holding the hands of two bridesmaids in turquoise dresses. Our eyes lock over the heads of the other guests, and she smiles at me. I've got to admit her smile makes my heart skip a beat. I'm sure the photographer got it as well.

They made their way down the aisle. Christina is grinning from ear to ear as she walks with her father. As they pass us, she glances at me, recognizing me for a moment, her eyes dipped, and she blushed.

"Looks like you had the same effect on her last night," Anna says in my ear.

The procession stops with Maria nearly level with us. She looks down at one of the bridesmaids and squeezes her hand to get her attention. Then Maria nods toward me, and the little girl looks up excitedly.

"Are you Maria's boyfriend?" she whispers. I nod and laugh at her cheeky grin when she shows delight in my answer. They move forward, and off to the left as the bride and groom stand next to each other at the front.

Maria and I play a game with our eyes as the ceremony continues in the background. There are no rules; we just try to catch each other looking. If one of us sees the other, they are rewarded with a smile.

Before we know it, the ceremony is over, and the registry signed. Then, it's time for the newly married couple to lead everyone out of the church.

As Maria is level with me, the little girl says, "Hello."

"Hello, young lady. Are you looking after my girlfriend?" Not expecting an answer from me, she puts her finger in her mouth and nods shyly.

"Hello baby, are you okay?" Maria asks.

"Fine, love," I smile down at the little girl again to try to make her feel better.

"Hey, Megan. Am I allowed to give my boyfriend a quick kiss?" Maria asks. Megan giggles and nods her head. She grins up at me with her finger still in her mouth. Maria picks her up, then leans in and kisses me, to Megan's delight. "Would you like a kiss, Megan?" Maria asks. Megan giggles again and hides her face behind Maria's neck. Maria raises her eyebrows and then carries her out of the church.

Again, I find myself holding up Anna as Jason gets a couple of photos. The last one he takes is of Maria and Me standing in the entrance of the church.

"Can I have a copy of that one?" I ask, getting a nod and smile in answer.

"One for the board in your room?" Maria asks.

"Yeah, especially because you will be leaving me next year," I say.

"Oh, poor baby, I'm sure the girls will still keep you busy," Maria says in my ear.

"What? Hang on, baby," I say, unsure if I heard her right. I catch her and ask, "Are you saying I will continue as if nothing has happened?"

Maria stops at her dad's car. Maria wraps her arms around me and whispers, "Rob, I need time to think. We need to talk, but I don't see why you should change anything now. I guess......I don't know," Maria blows out a breath to give herself a moment to think. "Baby, we are spending Christmas together. I promise we will have this conversation before I go off for my New Year ski trip."

"I know; I guess this isn't the time or place." I open the door for her and then hurry to the other side.

I put my arm around my girlfriend, and she lays her head on my shoulder. Jason glances at us in the mirror before he pulls away, and we return to the hotel.

We get back before the bride and groom. They have stopped off on the front for a photo opportunity. This gives us time to get a drink before we are ushered into the ballroom for the reception dinner. I'm at the same table as Maria's parents. Maria has to sit beside her Uncle and Christina's father at the main table.

"Ladies and gentlemen...... Please stand for Mr. and Mrs. Parsons," the M.C. announces. We all stand, and Christina enters with her husband. There's a round of applause as the couple are announced as Mr. and Mrs. Parsons for the first time.

The reception goes by quickly, and Maria seems more relaxed and enjoying the day. I wish I had a T-shirt with 'I'm Maria's boyfriend' printed on the front. It seems to be the only question people want to know.

When there's a break in proceedings, Maria comes over and sits on my lap. The look on one of her cousins' faces as she gave me a quick kiss is priceless. Then it's time to eat. As the plates started to be put on the tables, Maria quickly returns to her position at the head table. Christina says something to her, and they both laugh.

My beef is perfectly cooked; I don't have to chew, and the rest of the meal is cooked to the same standard.

Dinner is done; it's time for the toasts and speeches. Maria gets up and makes a speech as Maid of Honour, telling everyone a funny story about when they were teenagers and snuck out to a Human League concert. When she sits, Maria glances over at me to get my approval. When her eyes search for me and find me, I feel the hairs on my head stand on end. It confirms how far our relationship has gone in such a short time.

So far, Maria seems to have dodged any unwanted advances from her ex, who is at the other end of the main table, and with at least one of her cousins sitting with us at our table. He's still giving me looks that I can't quite work out, but I know he got the message loud and clear when Maria sat on my lap and kissed me.

Maria comes and sits with me as the first dance starts, and we watch the bride and groom glide around the dance floor. They have a real love for classical dance, and my mind drifts to how I feel when Maria and I are dancing to a slower waltz with her head on my shoulder.

"What is going through your mind to have that look on your face?" Maria asks.

"I was imagining how it feels when we dance to a slow waltz," I answer honestly.

"Good answer," Maria says, smiling because she didn't expect that answer. "You are a surprising man, and that is one of the reasons I have fallen in love with you." We are dragged out of our little world by the round of applause given to the bride and groom.

Maria's expression changes, so I look around to see her ex-boyfriend approaching from behind me. "Maria, is there a chance I can have a private word?"

"I have nothing to say to you, Darren, and nothing you can tell me will change that." Our first meeting was the last time I heard Maria talk to anyone that way.

"But it's different now. I've got a great job and could earn eighty grand a year," he says, looking pleased with himself. His eyes met mine with a 'beat that' look.

"Wow, eighty grand a year. Should I drop my panties now?" Maria asks flatly. Before the guy can answer, Maria looks at me. "You got taxed more than that this month, didn't you, baby?" She asks before looking back up at her ex. "Darren, you should know by now that money doesn't impress me, it's been the bane of my life. You coming over here saying what you said in front of my boyfriend shows me how right I was to break up with you." I can see tears welling up in his eyes, and Maria sighs. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, Darren, but there's no easy way to turn someone down nicely." She returns her gaze to me. "I'm happy for you that everything in your life has changed, but it has changed even more with me. I finally found a man who makes me truly happy, and nothing will make me want to give him up." Maria smiles at me and kisses me.

By the time we look back, Darren has gone. We look at each other and simultaneously shrug. As the night progresses, I notice a marked reduction in male attention for Maria, and she again relaxes and enjoys her night. We get dragged up to dance with the bride and groom, Jason even persuades Anna to dance with me, to Maria's amusement.

Later, a disco takes over, and we dance away to the early hours before Maria finally drags me to bed.

Maria groans loudly as we fall on the bed. "You know, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm so pleased you came now. Even if we didn't admit our love, I would have never said what I said to Darren if you weren't there." Maria smiles, "I probably would have felt sorry for him, slept with him to make myself feel better, regretted it instantly, and ended up making everything worse."

"I'm pleased to have been of service," I say.

Maria gasps. "Did you see mum almost drag dad up to bed? I'm not sure what you do, but you have a hell of an effect on us women." Maria climbs on top of me. "Let's get these clothes off so you can satisfy this lady."

We kiss for a while before we get up and strip in front of each other. I like the way she looks at me with a mixture of emotions. Tonight, Maria wants to take control; putting her ex-boyfriend in his place has given her an attitude to take control, and she takes what she needs from me.

"Oh Rob, I wish I weren't going away for the New Year," Maria says as she lies on my chest. "I want to stay with you and never leave."

"Maria, I would love to continue this all through Christmas break, but we will have many nights and days in Edinburgh," I say. "

"I know, I promised the girls a while ago. This will most probably be the last time we can get away together. It has become a bit of a regular thing when we go away with our parents yearly. I'm sorry to love you and leave you," Maria looks up with sad eyes.

"I'm sure my parents will keep me busy. We have Christmas together, so let's make the most of it." I say, trying to be positive. "And just to let you know, puppy eyes don't work with me," I add with a triumphant grin.

She slaps my chest. "Will I get to meet all your friends this time?"