Mrs Valentino ✅

Linger a while longer

The photographer tries to take more romantic pictures, but both of us are too awkward and stiff to pose in an intimate way.

Much to my annoyance Luna offers to help and ends up posing us a little too close to eachother a lot of the time. All I can do is try to pretend to be in love while my inner voice is screaming at me to run in the opposite direction.

When the photographer gives the thumbs up to say he has enough pictures, I waste no time in rushing off... even if it means the attention of all the guests shift to me.

After greeting some of the guests on the way to my seat at the front I catch Marcus's eye and he smiles at me. I smile back at him and the sound of  chair next to me moving makes me look up.

Aaron sits in the chair without a word and I feel slightly awkward around him still, so I keep to myself and look around at the venue.

It's hosted outside a wide open space gigantic canopy. The tables are set around a dance floor which looks like a decorative slab in the middle of everything.

There are hundreds if not thousands of fairy lights hanging above us and the tables are decorated with white flowers and sage green accents. None of the lights have been turned on yet but the setting still feels almost magical.

The entire space is still very spacious even though there are a lot of guests. A live band sets up on a stage to the left of me and people bustle about between tables chatting away.

It feels melancholy to think about the fact that this isn't the setting of a marriage I wanted but rather a business transaction.

It's merely a front to convince others that this is more than just a business deal. I find myself wondering what it would be like if I had actually gotten married to someone I loved.

I feel Aaron nudging me to my left and I look up at him. He looks between my eyes in a way to ask what's wrong and shake my head saying it nothing.

At least Aaron is kind... my expectations of him would of been very different if I had know he's a  mafia leader. At the same time I've never been afraid of him.

More so he's never given me a reason to be afraid of him... in fact, I feel he's too caring and gentle for a man that's supposed be crime affiliated.

I'm thankful that I didn't have to marry a unkind or abusive man. Aaron seems to be an introvert or at least someone who takes a long time to bond with someone.

I don't exactly blame him... the kind of life he leads would make anyone distrusting. I find myself wondering what kind of person he is, if we could become good friends.

"Valerie..." he says and I realize I've been staring at him.

"Oh sorry, I was just thinking." I say and face forward feeling even more embarrassed than I did taking romantic photos of him.

"What where you thinking about?" he asks much to my surprise.

"You." I answer simply and turn to face forward. I only realize my mistake too late to correct it.

The zing of a mic painfully enters my ears and I flich at the sound. One of the musicians looks sympathetic into the crowd of people and switches off the mic.

"Valerie my dear! you don't say hello to your mother? " I hear my step mother day and I turn my head towards her.

"Hello mother." I say with an unimpressed look and her smile flickers before catching herself realizing where she is.

"Ahh if it isn't Aaron! it's wonderful to see you again and congratulations!" she says with fake sincerity and I almost roll my eyes.

"Valerie did you really pick that dress yourself? it's a bit plain don't you think? The dress doesn't really match your figure... it looks like you need a bigger size." she smiles and I laugh humorlessly.