The Actor's One & Only

Chapter 24

Some time after they'd sent the audition tape over to the States for consideration:
"Kamal, is it alright if I rummage back there? One o' the dresses caught my fancy." Ruth requested as they dropped off some more dry cleaning at the counter. The busy man behind the counter only nodded absent-mindedly, as usual. She skipped off happily to the rack of clothes in his shop.
"Kamal, lemme tell ya somethin, mate...These are the last set o' my clothes you'll ever dry clean!" Jack revealed with a mysterious smile, leaning over the counter as soon as Ruth was outta earshot. "Why? You goin to die?" Kamal enquired quite ominously, looking up from a hamper of dirty laundry on hearing him. "No! An' its really hurtful to hear that that's the first thought that crossed yer mind!" Jack retorted, raising an eyebrow at his ominous comment. "You didn't find another dry cleaner's, did you? I'm cheaper and better than any of those other bastards out there, I'll have you know, mate!" Kamal raised his voice, his tone growing suspicious by the minute. "Cool yer jets, Kamal! I'm gonna be a star soon. I'd sent in a tape earlier an' they called in with the good news. I'm off to the States soon an' I'll miss ya!" Jack exclaimed, squeezing his shoulder assuringly. And for the first time, he noticed an unfamiliar sight- Kamal swelled up with pride and a smile spread across his dusky face on hearing his regular customer's good news. "Well, congratulations, you! Big shot, eh? As a parting gift, how bout I do your laundry first, eh? Above all the others' laundry!" he praised in his own sweet way. "Mmhmm! I can't wait to tell Ruthy. But I think I'll hold off tellin er till after the weddin. A surprise o' sorts, eh?" Jack declared proudly, leaving Kamal to it before heading into the room in the back of the shop where his fiancee was admiring herself in the mirror.
"How do I look?" she enquired, twirling around in a pretty blue dress.
"Nice. Just picturin ya in a weddin dress though. Think you'd look absolutely brilliant in one..." he replied, romancing her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin upon her shoulder. "What're ya talkin bout?" she whispered anxiously, gulping on hearing him. Her heart had begun to beat faster while his embrace tightened around her.
"Let's go back home. Let's get married..cuz I can't wait any longer." he proposed, his voice muffled as he nibbled at her ear lobe, gradually moved his lips down to suck and kiss her neck while slowly entwinin their fingers lovingly together.
"But what bout the audition? Shouldn't we wait till we hear back?" she reminded, snapping back into reality and wriggling out of his embrace as she turned to face him. "It can wait. I can hold off bein a Hollywood celebrity, but I don't think I can hold off on seein ya walk down the aisle, all decked up in a radiant white gown, my gorgeous bride...." he asserted without giving away the surprise, wrapping his arms around her once more as he spoke. "Aww..as much as I love seein this cheesy side o' ya, what bout the arrangements? We haven't made any." the worrywort continued. "My mum's taken care o' that. She's been plannin this since my birth." he put an end to all her queries. "Oh?" she blushed on hearing him. "Wait till ya see er big book o' baby names. So, what d'you say, Mrs. O'Donnell?" he repeated himself, caressing her face as he inched closer and pressed her up against the mirror."Aye, let's go for it!" she agreed, excited at the thought of going back home, but also at the thought of sharing her life with the man she loved. She moaned as he didn't hold back and snogged her. She leant back against the mirror, giving him access to her dainty neck to kiss and suck on passionately, gurgling and letting her fingers linger through his soft hair as he did so.
"Oi! No hanky panky back there!" Kamal ordered on hearing muffled moans from his backroom.

And the rest as they say is history...

......The end