Loving Nicolas

Chapter 13

"Have you decided on a date yet?" Veronic demanded as she extended her legs in front of her. For once her apartment was empty of her lovers. Her face washed clean of makeup and her hair pulled in a ponytail, and she was in an unusual quiet mood wearing old PJ's.

"No, we haven't talked about it." I replied as I looked around me. The apartment was neat, eclectic in its design and choice of furnishing, colorful. Which normally wasn't Veronic's mood who preferred black in everything from her clothes to her accessories. "I know he is off from work  until next April where he has to fly over to LA for a new movie."

"Why don't you have the wedding soon. A small family and friends affair?" She asked giving me a curious look.

"I don't know. We have to talk about it first."

"Ok...then did you think of the dress? The dress always comes first."  She sat up her eyes alight with excitement, "And I want to design it for you."

I grinned at her.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. But again, I have to know what he has in mind first, when the wedding will happen so I can decide on the design of the dress."

She rolled her eyes at me and leaned back.

"Ok...keep me updated then."

"I will." I sighed and looked at the square cut diamond on my finger. Nicolas had been gone on a sudden business trip for the past week. I hated to return back to my empty apartment, so I spent most of my time with Veronic after work and with friends. Today we decided to stay in her apartment. "I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"

Veronic shook her head.

"Let's go out. I'll go change."

We met some friends on the Avenue Latin. We decided to join them at one of the café and sat there with drinks and good food being served. We watched all the people strutting around and talked and laughed and for the first hour my mind had been occupied by the gathering until my phone began to beep so fast. I checked it out. Messages from my mother, most of them pictures and I wondered what she had been sending me when I opened to the messages. I froze for a long moment in disbelief and then I began to cry.

Veronic looked at me frantically, saying things I didn't hear. She grabbed the phone from my hands and she too began to cry and laugh and hugged me so hard and kissed my cheeks.

Nicolas had taken the male members of his family to Kuwait and had formally proposed for my hand in marriage from my father in the traditional way. There were pictures of them which my mother had sent sitting in the family main Diwan with other male members of my family. I took the phone again wiping at my face with the back of my hand. Our friends looked at us dumbfounded wondering what has got into us.

Then my mother sent two videos. The first was taken the day before when Nicolas had announced his Islam. To legally marry me he had to convert, it had been an issue which I had feared to mention to him. We never discussed religion and honestly it had never mattered to me. But I knew it mattered to my father and my family if this is going to be legal.

The second video was Nicolas formally asking for my hand in marriage from my father. I stared in a daze as my father gave him his permission and shook hands with him and hugged him. Then my father shook hands with Nicolas's father and other members of his family.

I went over the videos in disbelief several times. He had planned this all along. He went to my family without telling me. He had done this for me. He had known, even though I was content with what I had with him, in the end my family's acceptance mattered to me.

I can't express how much I loved that man. I looked up and found our friends wanting answers. Veronic answered them without divulging much. She told them it was a surprise from Nicolas for me.

My phone began to ring and it was my mother. I got up and left the café standing in the middle of the street.

"Maman..." I started crying again.

"Cheri...I thought you would be happy!" My mother chided me.

"I didn't know!"

"I know! I called a couple of weeks ago and Nicolas answered. We talked and he told me what he had in mind and I knew he was going to propose to you. He had been planning this visit with me and arranging the appropriate time to meet with your father. He wanted it as a surprise for you."

"It wasn't a surprise. I was knocked off my feet." I bawled sniffing and wiping at the tears which ran freely on my face. A couple of women stopped on the street asking with concern on their faces if I was alright. "Oui! Je me marie!"

The women laughed and congratulated me and went on their way.

"Listen to me Leah." My mother said now sounding serious, "Now your father knows you two are living together. He doesn't like it, but he his tolerant of it. He told Nicolas that the wedding should happen soon. They have agreed it's going to be in July when we come here for the summer."

"Quoi?!" I exclaimed my mind freezing for a second, "Maman, I'm not ready and I have the Paris fashion week."

"Come on cheri. It's not going to be that hard. It's going to be just us, the family and his family and then we can have a reception later on at home, and his father also expressed that he wants a reception in London." My mother explained.

"D'accord..." I sighed rubbing at my forehead. "Then I'll wait for Nicolas and we'll discuss it first before you make any plans."

"Leah...the ball is already rolling and I have already sent word for the Chateaux to be prepared for the party of people who will be joining us." My mother said in an exasperated tone. "Don't worry about anything. You can plan the reception to your liking, but now, to appease your father, you have to legally tie the knot."

"Ok...ok..." I said in a small voice. "Je t'aime Maman."

"Je t'aime aussi mon poussin." My mother said before ending the call.

I stood for a long moment on the street, my mind in a whirlwind thoughts and emotions when Veronic joined me.

"Come let's go back to my apartment." She linked her arm through mine as she dragged me along with her. "So, what did your mother say?"

"The wedding is in July at the Chateaux." I told her sighing still wiping at my face. "What am I to do?"

Veronic grinned at me.

"We are going to brainstorm and design a dress worthy of an up and coming fashion designer." She said chuckling.