Save the Date!, page 3
"If you say so," Gillian said finally. Gemma knew she was unsatisfied with everything but she would be the first person Gemma explained everything to once this whole ordeal was over.
"Hey Gill," Gemma said, a mischievous smile touching her lips. "There was another reason why we asked you to come to lunch with us." She bit her bottom lip before exchanging a glance with Dixon. He couldn't help but grin back in return; she looked so excited. "How would you like to be my Maid of Honor?"
Chapter 5
"So how long have you known Gillian, exactly?" Dixon asked once they were back in the car and heading to the photography studio. He was actually interested in Gemma's answer due to the fact that the two genuinely seemed close. They ran away together, for goodness' sake, and now, Gillian would be Gemma's Maid of Honor at this fake wedding.
Surprisingly enough, Gemma didn't question his motives concerning the question. Instead, a soft, nostalgic smile touched her features, and for a moment, Dixon realized she actually looked pretty. She, of course, was very attractive, but he hadn't thought she could look so… serene.
"Second grade," she told him, completely unaware of his eyes on her profile. "We were both at the same elementary school and all the school kids teased her because back then, she had bright red-orange hair, you know? I mean, it's still kind of that way now, but it was even more so when she was younger. I was the only kid who was nice to her because I adored her red hair. When I was younger, I wanted her red hair. She was the only kid at our school with it and I thought it was very pretty." She grinned and glanced over at Dixon, who currently had an enigmatic expression on his chiseled face. "And since then, we've been inseparable." She paused for a moment, chewing her bottom lip as though she was unsure whether or not to ask him a question. "What about you? Do you have a best friend? I mean," she continued, blushing furiously. "Of course you have a best friend, but –"
Dixon chuckled at her stumble over words, and she looked at him with a shocked expression.
"Are you laughing at me?" she asked, completely appalled at such a notion.
Dixon couldn't exactly answer because he was still laughing, but managed to nod his head a couple of times. Goodness, he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like this, and he would never have expected he would do so because of Gemma Harrison.
"You know what?" she asked, clearly embarrassed. "Fine. Laugh at me. I'm sorry I was interested in your best friend. You probably don't even have a best friend because you're such an asshole."
Instead of deterring Dixon with her words, they seemed to further his laughter to the point that he started turning red and it was harder for him to catch his breath. Though Gemma clearly wasn't enjoying her current situation, she felt her lips involuntarily twitch up, as though her face was preparing itself for her own laughter. But Gemma reacted in time, biting down on her bottom lip in order to prevent herself from doing so.
Note: Code Blue has contagious laughter when he laughs.
---
"Ah yes, Mister Black and Miss Harrison," the woman, Beth, at the desk said before shooting the couple a bright smile. "You're right on time for your appointment. Everything should be set up so if you would go behind door number one, your photographer, Drew, will be waiting for you. Have fun, and congratulations."
The photography studio was small, tucked away in a high-end business plaza. There were only two seats available in the waiting room, and bride magazines the only reading material offered. There were two doors, one to Beth’s left and one to her right. After the couple murmured their thanks, they looked around for a number one on a door. When they found it, Dixon opened it and allowed Gemma to pass through before following suit and letting the door shut behind them.
Surprising to both of them, Drew turned out to be a woman, and she smiled at the couple when she noticed their presence. She was wearing a white pantsuit, with smoky makeup enhancing her dark green eyes. Her strawberry blonde hair reached just past her shoulders, and a black cap was placed on top of her head. She was definitely in her thirties, and very pretty. Already, Gemma felt at ease with her, although Dixon still seemed somewhat tense.
"Hi," Drew said, sticking out her hand. Gemma took it and returned her smile. "I'm Drew and I'll be your photographer today." She turned to Dixon, and the two shook hands as well. "First, let me say congratulations on the nuptials. Are you guys excited?"
Gemma forced herself to look happy at the thought of marrying Dixon. "Ecstatic," she said, and though Drew couldn't detect the hint of sarcasm in her voice, Dixon surely could, and he smiled cryptically at it.
"Great," Drew said, leading them in front of a beach-style background. "Well, I can already tell that the two of you have amazing chemistry. I mean, let's face it; two attractive people always seem to have this unexplainable passion that's totally unable to be seen but can surely be felt."
"And you feel that… between us?" Gemma asked doubtfully before shooting a look over at Dixon. He looked just as surprised as she was, and shrugged his shoulders, as though he didn't understand what Drew was saying either.
"Oh, of course!" Drew exclaimed, her eyes taking in the couple. "To be honest, I don't feel it anymore with my clients. Actually, that's not true. It's just, I only feel it quite rarely. But with you guys, I can." She smiled brightly. "So. Are we ready to snap some shots?"
"As ready as we're ever going to be," Dixon murmured under his breath.
Though the comment went over Drew's head, Gemma heard it and hid a grin by pressing her lips together. Maybe Code Blue wasn't so bad.
---
It took longer than both Dixon and Gemma could ever have imagined. Drew, the self-appraised perfectionist, took probably one million shots of the couple in numerous poses, and that was only a slight exaggeration. What made the couple somewhat uncomfortable was the fact that in most of the pictures, touching was a requirement. It shouldn't have surprised them at all; these photos were supposed to look intimate, of course, but they had avoided all contact beforehand, and now they had to surpass personal boundaries and pretend to be completely enamored with each other.
Dixon's hands were quite strong, Gemma had noticed. And yet, they were gentle. She could feel the strength in them, though. And, if she was being honest, her head fit quite perfectly on his shoulder. If she had to put a word to it, she felt safe with him. As though nothing bad could ever happen to her. Having him touch her wasn't as bad as she originally thought.
When it came to Dixon, he was surprised by the whole ordeal as well. He had noticed just how petite she was, especially when it concerned her height compared to his, but he didn't realize just how fragile she could be. He felt this unfamiliar desire to protect her course through his body. And when her hand cupped his face in one of the shots, he felt paralyzed if only for a moment. She had soft skin, contrasting greatly with his own rough flesh. The feeling was not unpleasant.
It was four thirty when they were finished. Now it was time to look through the zillions of shots before deciding on three to use in the wedding. Drew disappeared for a moment in order to fetch refreshments for her and her clients.
"We both have to agree on the pictures," Gemma told Dixon.
He nodded in agreement. "And they have to look authentic," he added, "as though we really are in love."
"Of course," Gemma said, nodding her head.
It took another hour and a half before the couple found the three pictures they wanted, but once they had, they were both completely satisfied with their choices. Oddly enough, they seemed to like the same ones so there weren't any arguments.
About the pictures, at least.
The first picture the two of them had agreed on was with a meadow-like background. Gemma was standing so her face was towards the camera while her body was at an angle, almost as though it was a profile shot of her body. She was looking at something off-screen, and her blonde hair was down and slightly messy. A smile eclipsed her face, but it wasn't forced; rather, it was simple and fit the picture. Dixon's backside was facing the camera, as though he was looking for something in the background. However, though the two were facing two different directions, they were holding hands, connected. A bright light peaked through the trees, illuminating the two.
The second picture the couple chose used the beach background this time. Their bodies were pressed closely against each other, with Dixon's right arm wrapped around her waist and his hand pressed against the small of her back. His face was hidden by hers, as though he was telling her a secret. Gemma's head was tilted up and she had a brilliant smile on her face, seemingly laughing at whatever it was he was saying. Her right arm was wrapped underneath his own, so that her palm pressed on his shoulder, pulling him closer to her than she thought possible.
The final picture the couple picked out was simpler than the other two. They were both barefoot and sitting down. Gemma was sitting in between Dixon's legs, her back resting against his chest. They were both looking at the camera, smiling softly, as though content with everything in their life. The beach background was used here as well, except the water was clearly seen, and the setting sun rested just behind them. Dixon's arm coiled around Gemma's waist, while his other arm rested on his bent knee. Both of Gemma's hands rested firmly on Dixon's forearm.
As the couple studied them, they both came to the conclusion that if it was anyone else, they might actually believe that the people in the photos were actually in love.
Chapter 6
At seven o'clock that evening, Gemma took a seat across from Dixon at the dining table, while her father sat at the head of the table, and her mother sat across from him. Why was Code Blue here at dinner with her anyways, especially since he had been with her for practically the entire day? The nerve of the man. He did realize he was pretending, didn't he?
"Thank you so much for coming," Carlene said, throwing a beaming smile in Dixon's direction and clasping her hands together. It took everything in Gemma to make sure that she didn't roll her eyes. Of course, her mother would invite this guy to dinner. Couples planning weddings didn't spend every single day together. Couldn't they breathe for just a little bit? "I wanted to talk about the wedding, of course."
Dixon said nothing but nodded his head. He was a man of few words.
Gemma hid a grin behind her hand and instead, focused on the food that had recently been placed in front of her. Pasta. Yum. She didn't give a damn if they were carbs; Gemma would probably never give up pasta. Or bread. If she had to, she could probably give up donuts and pizza… maybe. But never pasta. Or bread. She reached over and sprinkled a slight amount of parmesan cheese on her pasta, frowning slightly. Well, if she could cut back on cheese, she could give up pizza and donuts.
"Right," her mother continued, completely ignoring the food that was placed in front of her, and instead focused on a large planner. There were magazine clippings and newspaper articles, pictures and food recipes, and an assortment of lists. Carlene absolutely loved lists. "Well, I have everything planned out for the two of you." She was quite excited as she rustled through the papers, causing a faint blush to touch her cheeks.
Wasn't her mother aware that this wasn't a real wedding? Gemma would never choose to marry Code Blue, out of all the options she had in front of her. She was twenty, for goodness' sake. She shouldn't be worried about marrying some guy, she should be out dating around.
"Mom," Gemma hastily interrupted. "You are aware that I start school next week, right? It might get a bit harder to plan this whole… shindig…"
"Shindig?" Dixon asked, arching his brow as he regarded the young woman sitting across from him.
"It means –" Gemma tried to explain, but Dixon cut her off in a brisk manner.
"I know what it means," he told her shortly, his blue eyes staring into hers. "I just thought it quite interesting, your choice of word."
Gemma scowled at him and decided to focus on the food in front of her. Trust him to criticize the way she spoke. For a redneck from the south, he used a lot of big words. Who was this guy anyways?
"Yes, honey," Carlene said with a very slight dismissive tone, her eyes focused on the notes scrawled in her near-perfect handwriting. "I know you start school soon, but we can juggle. It's absolutely imperative that the two of you take pictures."
"Mom, we already took pictures today," Gemma reminded her mother before taking a long sip of her milk.
"Not professional pictures," Carlene said, glancing up at her daughter with an enigmatic look, as though maybe she should have known she had meant professional pictures. "Personal pictures. Spontaneous pictures. We can't just have professional pictures. A couple that doesn't have regular pictures? That's not even heard of nowadays, with all the technology around."
Gemma threw a helpless look at her father. Brent looked slightly aghast that his daughter would look to him for help, but his face softened and he shrugged his shoulders as if to say that he couldn't exactly help her out on this one.
Dixon had watched the silent exchange while Carlene continued to look through her papers, the corners of his lips twitching up involuntarily. At least they had one thing in common; they were simply overwhelmed with all of this pressure that was being thrust upon them. Of course, he would do his job. Sure, he didn't exactly prefer her company or find her personality compatible with his, but he didn't want her to die. So he would continue to do his job, endure this mindless hell he was being subjected to, but at least he knew Gemma Harrison was in the same exact boat as he was. And that made him smile slightly.
"Okay," Gemma said, trying to maintain her patience. "Okay, so pictures."
"Exactly!" Carlene said, happy to be back on the track of wedding talk. "But that's not it. Then, in two weeks, we all have an appointment to visit St. Andrew's Cathedral. I know what you're about to say, Gemma. But it's a Presbyterian church, oddly enough. And it's beautiful."
"I would just like to say," Brent interjected, setting his silverware down and looking at his daughter for a moment. "To remind the two of you, actually, that while your cover is, indeed, a couple planning your wedding, you both have to keep in mind that he is your bodyguard, and because of this, he will be with you every day. Like your shadow."
This time, Gemma allowed her brown eyes to roll up to the ceiling before glancing over at Dixon with a dry look on her face. "I know, Dad," she told him. "Trust me. I'm still preparing myself mentally for this."
"That's not surprising," Dixon quipped under his breath. It would seem that only Gemma heard him, and if she wasn't sitting at dinner with her parents, she would have flipped him off.
That would show him. Momentarily.
"And of course we'll have to write to the Times and put our engagement in their engagement announcements section," Carlene continued, her eyes skimming over one of her notes. "Then we'll have cake testing." Her head snapped up as she looked at her husband with such adoration, causing Gemma to reflect on the last time she had seen her mother look at her father that way. Not in a long time. "And we'll have the testing at the house, like a wine testing, except with cake! And, of course, we can't forget that we'll have an engagement party. I was thinking to schedule the party on a Saturday, maybe in a month or so. Does that work for the two of you?" She looked back up, but this time her eyes were darting between both Dixon and Gemma.
Dixon nodded, again silently, as he took a petite bite of food. He wiped the white cloth napkin over his lips.
Of course he would completely agree with Carlene. Why wasn't Gemma surprised?
"Mom, I'm going to be honest," Gemma said, turning her torso in her mother's direction. "I don't have something planned in two days, let alone some Saturday in a month."
"That's great!" Carlene exclaimed, even going to the point of clapping her hands together once. "This means that your engagement party can be your plan."
Gemma caught sight of the smirk on Dixon's face and she narrowed her eyes in his direction. He cocked his brow slightly, giving her an innocent look, which only caused Gemma to clench her jaw, making it pop.
Dixon pressed his lips together to keep from laughing out loud. This woman was quite amusing, especially since such amusement was quite unintentional. He might actually have some fun at her expense for this mission.
Not that he would enjoy himself, fully, of course, but it would certainly help.
"And maybe a couple of weeks after that, we can have the wedding," Carlene concluded, the same smile still touching her face. "Obviously, the two of you need to shop for your appropriate attire for the big day, but you can do that whenever you want, as long as it's before the wedding!" She laughed at her little joke. "Anyways, I just need to ask you a couple of questions in order to get your input. Gems, have you decided on your Maid of Honor?"
"I asked Gillian, and she agreed," Gemma explained.
"That's great!" her mother said with such enthusiasm Gemma couldn't help but feel a prick of excitement at this. "I'm so glad she said yes. You guys are going to have so much fun. And for you, Dixon? Do you have a Best Man?"
"I figured that my partner, Harvey Stevens, will fill that role," Dixon said.
"Good man," Brent said, supporting Dixon's choice.
"All right," Carlene said, writing a couple of things down before looking back up. "Now for your honeymoon, I was thinking maybe the Caribbean or Transylvania. I remember when your father and I went. It's a gorgeous city."
"Beautiful," Brent said with a mouthful of pasta.
"Mom," Gemma said after a thought struck her. "I have a question about the wedding." Carlene's face looked like a Christmas tree at the prospect of her daughter joining in on the abundance of excitement. Gemma bit her bottom lip as excitement coursed through her system. How could she have not thought about this before? This was the best part of the wedding. "Do I get a bachelorette party?"
