Ren

Marry me?

        Standing out in the balcony of his room, a young gentleman watches in silence as expensive cars continue to travel up his cobblestone driveway. The brisk air bites at his skin and gentle snowflakes cling to the jacket of his tux.

"There you are, Ren!" A beautiful, young platinum blonde with piercing blue eyes says from across the room, rushing over and squeezing him tightly from behind. Then she takes his hand in hers, running her slick soft fingers over his. "Your hands are so cold. You must come inside; all our nice guests are arriving and everyone is so excited to see you."

        "Yes. I know," he says, letting her embrace him. "You go on ahead and greet them first and I will be right down."

        She smiles and kisses him on the cheek, doing as he says without a second thought. Ren fixes his jacket and heads inside closing the balcony doors behind him. He thinks to himself how stressful the night ahead of him will be and how many women are going to flock to him no matter what he does, then runs his fingers through his dark brown hair, shaking off the snow that had stuck to it. "I guess there is no helping it," he thinks to himself and heads down the stairs to greet his not so wanted guests.

        Just as he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he is called out to by one of his many guests, an older man with graying hair and a strong, commanding presence.

        "My dearest nephew, so you decide to make your entrance at last; and, just as I arrive. You must really love me," he laughs, his deep voice filling the front foyer.

        "Now uncle," Ren replies walking past him, "You came on your own without so much as an invitation. The least you could do is not talk to me."

        Leaving his uncle behind him without so much as a second glance, Ren beginnings to greet his guests in the ballroom. Smiling politely at the ladies dressed in their best attair and making idle conversation with the men. His aura is radiant and his guests all fawn over him, desperately seeking his attention, his approval. As the gentle music plays, he finds himself dancing with a variety of women. All beautiful, aristocratic and elegant; yet none manage to keep his attention for long. Still he remains a proper gentleman, complementing them when necessary and dancing with them, whenever they ask.

        This though, leaves him feeling mentally exhausted and for a split second he stops paying attention to his surroundings causing him to bump into someone, a cup of wine spilling over him.

        He looks down at his jacket, surprised and annoyed, and snaps at the guest in a deep low voice, "Look what you did..." Quickly enough, he realizes that it was actually his fault and looks up to apologize. Instead he is met with deep dark brown eyes staring back at him gently.

        She stands before him in a simple white dress, with long curls framing her delicate face, full pink lips and thick dark lashes which accentuate her eyes. Those eyes that stopped Ren in an instant. Holding out her hand and waiting for Ren to hold out his, she places an embroided white handkerchief in his hand; her fingers brushing over his as she pulls away. Her eyes never making contact with his again. Then she turns around to leave and just as Ren finally reacts and is going to stop her a loud shrill startles him.

        "Ren!! What happened? Why are you drenched in wine?" The blonde from earlier screams. Taking a hold of him by the arm, she pulls him to the nearest bathroom. "Come on, we have to get that cleaned before it sets!"

        "Catherine," Ren says in a soothing voice once they are both inside, the door shut, "stop panicking. It was an accident and the worst scenario, I'll just buy another tux."

        Catherine then pushes him against the wall taking off his jacket and pressing her body up against his. "I couldn't care less about the ridiculous tuxedo. You would look so much better without it. I just wanted you all to myself," she purrs kissing his neck.

        "Catherine," Ren sighes. "Get off of me."

        "Why? I don't want to," she replies sliding her hand under his shirt.

        "I am not kidding, Kat."

        "Fine. Then kiss me and I will move away." She looks at him firmly with her ice blue eyes, leaning up to kiss him, yet he gently pushes her away and fixes his shirt. "Why won't you kiss me?" she cries. "Just before you were paying so much attention to that tramp that spilled wine on you."

        "It was my fault to begin with and I never really liked that jacket anyway," he says walking out leaving her alone in the bathroom. Then he looks down at his hand, still holding the handkerchief and whispers, "And I never thanked her."

                                                                                ------

        As the party comes to an end, Ren pulls on a winter coat and heads outside to the garden for some fresh air. Suddenly though, he comes face to face with his brown-eyed mystery woman and without even thinking, he approaches her, gently lifts up her chin with his finger and whispers, "Marry me."