Just Friends

the engagement

"so, I hear Maxie and Spinelli are tying the knot." Olivia Falconeri directed her words at Lulu Spencer, as she sat in the empty chair beside Dante. Johnny Zacchara sat beside Olivia, he'd gotten them a table at Jake's earlier that evening.
"Yes, they are. I just hope Maxie said yes for the right reasons...and not just to stick it to Matt. Either way, Maxie asked me if I'd be her maid of honor so I'm in her debt until May. As if I'm ever NOT in her debt. Gah, I hate weddings." Lulu blabbed, nervous as usual whenever Olivia spoke to her.
"You don't like weddings?" Dante asked her, shocked.
"The sooner you get married, the sooner you divorce. Nobody stays happily married, especially not us Spencer's. We're cursed. I don't ever want to get married. Why should my rights get taken away? Why do I have to make it public to the government that I love someone? The whole idea is stupid and smothering." Lulu made a disgruntled face, hurting her boyfriends feelings.
"Around you're age is when the Falconeri men start settling down." Olivia nodded at her son, Johnny picked up on the wave of discomfort that washed over his ex girlfriend.
"It's her choice what she decides to do. Lulu isn't obligated to give you're son five billion kids or take his last name. I happen to agree with Lulu, the constitution of marriage is completely sexist. The husband always holds rights over his wife which isn't fair, marriage can be restricting and suffocating. I watched my mother struggle with it for years, until the day she died. I will never put a woman I love through that shit." Johnny wasn't trying to argue but, this was a subject he felt strongly about.
"Thank you." Lulu mouthed to him, relived.
"You really never want to get married?" Dante asked her, not being able to fathom it.
"I don't. I'm not sure I want to settle down at this point in my life...I'm only twenty three." Lulu was honest, knowing that things would change between them. Dante was a family man, someone who wanted a wife and kids.
"Well, maybe you'll change you're mind." Olivia shrugged, as she caught Dante into a conversation about something else.
"Are you okay? You seem a little down...not just from the wedding talk." Johnny caught Lulu's attention and she frowned.
"I can't get anything past you, can I? I've just... been struggling with a lot lately. I'm trying to act all happy but, it's just making me miserable. I hate having to pretend I'm okay when I'm obviously not, I hate feeling like this." Lulu ran a hand through her blonde hair, anxious about talking about this with Dante and Olivia so close in proximity.
"I won't push you but, you know I'm always around if you want to talk about it. I don't like seeing you hurt." Johnny knew that she was hurting and he just wanted to help.
"Thank you Johnny, I appreciate that. The same goes for you." Lulu smiled a ghost of a smile, before Dante and Olivia turned back to them.