Elegi Of Rose
Chapter 4

Ayu didn't really have anything to wear to an elegant dinner. Sure, she attended events and all, but that was before two years ago. Lately, she was just not into socializing and it was now a problem because all she could see inside her walk-in closet were just shirts-a lot of it-some tattered or paint-stained pants, shorts, boots, scarves, sweaters, and more of the same things--but no dresses of any kind.

Out of desperation, she remembered her basement and ran all the way down barefooted. The boxes were still there-including the one that contained the white gown she never got to use. Trying her might not to look at the box where her worst memories lay, she busied herself through the bigger brown boxes and finally found the one labeled DRESSES. Opening the box, she heaved a sigh of relief that the plastic coverings were still intact. She took a black evening dress which she only wore once, closed the box before she saw another one which would just create further confusion, and ran back upstairs. It was already six and she hadn't showered yet. Smelling the dress, she contemplated for a moment, shrugged and went to grab her strongest perfume and sprayed some on the dress. Contented, she dropped the dress on her bed and looked for the pair of black pumps she got from her mom last Christmas, one she never got to use.

After her shower, she dried her hair and did the usual hair and make-up, dressed, put on her diamond earrings and no other jewelries since they made her itch, and waited for her future husband to ring her door. She doubted at first if he knew where she lived, but remembered that he already got her phone number, so why not her address?

A knock on the door followed by the buzzing sound indicated his arrival. Grabbing her black clutch and keys, she went to open the door.

"Are you ready?" he asked, looking her up and down, admiration in his eyes. Consciously, she tugged her dress lower down her knees and looked him over. He didn't look bad himself, dressed in black tuxedo and dark gray tie. Good thing he's beautiful, she thought to herself. She wouldn't want some stocky old man as a husband.

"Yes," she replied dryly. "Do we really have to do this?"

"Of course. It's the main reason why we're getting married."

She frowned, "Your family?"

"Yes, and don't ask anything further. All you have to do is pretend you're happy. That's all they want to see."

"Oh, so now I know. You're not getting your share of the inheritance if you don't marry, right?"

He looked at her incredulously, "That only happens in movies, my dear future wife. I want a wife so they'll leave me alone."

"That's your only reason?" she cried.

"You don't know my family," he said, stepping back. Obviously, their conversation now ended. She stepped out and locked her door. He led her down the path across her small lawn and to his black BMW.

She stopped dead on her tracks as he opened the passenger door.

"What's wrong now?" he asked rather impatiently.

"I can't ride shotgun," she shook her head in a rush.

"Why?"

"I..." She couldn't tell him the reason, and she never would. "I just can't."

"Look here, Ayu, we don't have time for your little games, alright? If you don't want to go, you don't really have a choice. My family is already waiting for us at the restaurant."

She looked at him desperately. "No, it's not that. I just can't ride shotgun."

He fixed her with a hard look for a long moment before exclaiming, "Fine!" He slammed the passenger door that caused her to flinch, and walked to open the backseat. "Get in. Now." "Thank you," she muttered as she hastily climbed inside. Once again, the door slammed beside her and she saw him stride in anger to the driver side.

He did not say another word as he started the ignition and sped off. Ayu leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes, clutching her small bag in front of her anxiously.

"Please, slow down. I can't breathe," she uttered when she couldn't take it any longer.

The sudden brake of the car brought her forward and her head almost slammed against the backside of the passenger seat.

"What exactly is your problem with riding shotgun and fast cars?" he demanded, glaring back at her.

"Nothing..." she trailed off in a small voice. God, how she hated to be this vulnerable!

"Don't tell me you have a phobia-"

"Yes, yes, that's it," she cut him off, accepting the best explanation he offered.

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"This is really crazy," was all he said as he turned back and started down the road again, but in a more normal pace.

When her nerves began to calm down, she realized how Roy's temper could be easily ignited. We'll have a problem with that then, she thought considering her own temper.

*****

The moment they reached the restaurant, he ordered her to get out of the car in a hurry before anyone saw her climbing out of the back of the car which she hastily obliged, glad to finally be able to have her feet back on solid ground. "Let's go," he said as he approached her after he handed his key to the valet. He grabbed her hand and placed it on the crook of his arm. "Smile and pretend to be happy," he said.

"Why?"

"So my family will leave me in peace until the wedding," he said, leading her inside the elegant restaurant that glittered with wine glasses and furnished with rich dresses and smart tuxedos.

Ayu's heart began to hammer against her chest as they approached a group of three people-one man and two women-on the far side of the carpeted room. Soft jazz music played in the background and it somehow helped to calm her hyperactive nerves.

"Oh, thank God you're here," an old lady wearing a gray sequined dress turned to them. Ayu readied her smile, trying her might to remember that it should reach her eyes. The whole group of beautiful faces turned at their direction, their eyes expectant.

Ayu looked at Roy through her peripheral vision and realized he was smiling like crazy, she almost snorted. His left hand went to cover her hand that was clutching the crook of his arm and she realized how tense she was. She relaxed her hold when she felt his warm hand over hers.

"Guys, this is Ayu Suar, Yu, this is my family," Roy spoke with a touch of joy in every word it was almost believable to her ears. He was a really good actor!

"Hi," she beamed at the group.

"Sit down, you two!" the old lady with grayish hair spoke once again, motioning her hand towards the two empty seats beside her. Once seated, she looked at Ayu admiringly with glimmer in her eyes, "You're as beautiful as Roy said." Ayu looked at Roy with an amused frown and he just shrugged, looking at everyone around with a look that said I told you so. "I'm Risa, Roy's grandmother," the old lady continued and looked at the man across the long table seated at the other end, "that's Reinold."

"Her husband," the old man said with mock dryness, but his eyes were lovingly looking at his wife. He transferred his gaze to her with a warm smile and added, "It's good to finally meet you, my dear. Roy has been keeping you a secret from all of us."

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She didn't really know how to answer that, but Roy obviously already thought of it because he said to her, "I have been telling them you are always busy with your work." His voice was so gentle she almost doubted if the man sitting beside her, holding her hand on the table was the same one who shouted at her outrageous behavior in the car.

"Yes," she cleared her throat and spoke, "I've been quiet busy."

There was a short pause before the beautiful lady sitting across her finally grabbed her moment to say, "In case anyone forgot about me, I'm still here," she smiled contentedly, her blue eyes told Ayu who she was. "I'm Ria, Roy's mother. I'm so glad to finally put a face on the name, my dear."

"Me too," Ayu answered, couldn't help but smile genuinely at the warm lady across her, "Roy has told me about you," she looked around the table and added, "all of you." Not that she was a pretty good liar, but you could say lying came to her naturally.

"Well, why don't we start our dinner and get to know eachother better?" Risa's cheerful voice said. And as if on cue, a waiter appeared carrying their food, "My dear," she turned to Ayu, "I hope you don't mind. We made the honor of choosing the courses."

"That's okay, I eat almost anything," she replied and chuckled with the group. She tried very hard not to sigh in relief. The Pundas were not bad at all! Well, except Roy who by the way was doing an amazing act on being the perfect gentleman by placing her own napkin on her lap and even showed some sweet performance by tucking some of her stray blond hair behind her ear that sent some unexpected tingling current through her body. His act must be paying off because his family was looking at them with so much contentment and joy that Ayu almost felt bad about the charade.

"Where's Rin?" her future husband asked the group once they started with their soup.

"You know your sister," Ria rolled her eyes. "She's always running late."

"And I won't be surprised if Yeyena will be with her," Risa added, her voice sour.

Roy frowned beside Ayu, "Why would Yen be here?"

"You know why," his mother answered, and then her eyes flickered to Ayu and she said, "But don't worry, my dear, we'll be here."

Ayu just smiled, no idea what they were talking about. Who's Yeyena?

And as if someone from above heard her question, two supermodels trotted across the room, apparently headed towards their direction. Now that Ayu could clearly see them as them as they got nearer, they couldn't be supermodels at all-they could be superstars from Hollywood-with their perfect hair and dresses and heels and legs. The shorter of the two must be Rin because her hair was just the feminine version of Roy's. She was dressed in a dark-blue silk dress that extended down her knee, emphasizing her blue eyes. The other girl-the taller one, Ayu guessed, must be Yeyena.

Everyone else on the table noticed the arrival of the two ladies and each one of them, with the exception of Ayu's awestruck face, had an expression ranging from disapproval to annoyance. Ayu realized their eyes were focused only at Rin's companion and she wondered why. Again, as if her question was heard by the man upstairs, the answer came as fast as the question.

The red-haired girl with striking blue eyes and red dress walked directly towards Roy and without warning kissed him fully on the mouth while holding the sides of his face in both hands.

Ayu's eyes bulged and her jaw dropped along with her spoon.