Love is Like A For*bid*den Fruit

Chapter 11

Elena's Point of View

It was Friday and the day of the wedding. I got up at 5am and woke Nicole too. She woke up with great difficulty and started cursing me for waking her up so soon. She laid back on her bed and started drifting off again. I went towards her bathroom and completed my morning chores. I took a shower and called my mom. She picked after 4 to 5 rings. 

“Hello Elena. At what time will you be reaching the venue?” my mom asked me in a clear voice stating that she has been awake for quite some time. “Hi mom. I’m getting ready now. I will reach the venue as early as possible”, with that I disconnected the call and looked at sleeping Nicole. I went towards her and screamed in her ear. She woke up with a frightened expression and looked at me by rubbing her eyes. She became so angry and threw her pillow at me. 

“Bi tch, I will kill you. Why the hell did you wake me up? It is just 6 in the morning. My job starts at 10am”, she tried to cover her head with the duvet, but I pulled the duvet from her hand and threw it on the floor. She started cursing me and that was when it dawned on her. Our dresses were neatly pressed and hung on the cupboard door. 

“Oh s**t, the wedding. We have to reach early. We have to help your mom, Elena. Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I need to get ready and get dressed”, she started acting like a cat whose tail has caught on fire. 

“Oh really? I didn't wake you up? Ya right. Someone was cursing me a while ago and now she has come to her senses. Anyways, get up and get ready. We should be reaching the venue before 8.30. We have to help mom. Come on come on”, I urged her and she ran towards the bathroom. 

We both got dressed to the wedding. Nicole dressed in a red colored chiffon dress with sweetheart neckline and full sleeves. Her sleeves were designed with lace material making her creamy skin peek behind the sleeves. It was a knee length dress and enhanced her beauty. She tied her hair in a chignon and added some accessories such as red studs, red stilettos and finally a red clutch. 

My dress was a black colored Georgette one with full body length. It was collar necked and covered my body completely. It was a sleeveless dress and there was a slit till my knee on the left side of the dress. I completed the dress with a hanging silver earring and a bracelet to one hand and a clutch of black color. I wore her black stiletto and tied my hair in a high bun. I put on a light makeover and we both were all set to leave our way to the wedding. 

We took a cab and reached the venue at exactly 8.30am. I saw Sebastian in the entrance of the venue decorating the door with a huge bouquet of lilies. I wished him a “hi” and took Nicole inside the venue. I went to look for my mom and Nicole told me that she would like to take a seat and also to take care of the arrangements in the wedding hall. I left her and went towards the other rooms and found my mom there instructing her workers to arrange the lilies in a systematic way. She looked at me from head to toe and gasped with a happiness filled toned. 

“Oh my God, Elena. You are looking really pretty. Guess Nicole’s dress really did you justice. I'm so happy to see you all dolled up. Bless you my child” and with that she hugged me and looked at me from head to toe once again. I started feeling conscious of my appearance and my cheeks had become red because of the shyness that I was feeling. 

“Mom, stop it. You are making me feel all shy. Stop looking at me like that” with that I gently slapped her shoulder and smiled at her. She smiled at me and let go of me and went her way towards the wedding hall, to rest for a while. I left her to go and rest, and took over the responsibility of arranging the flowers all over the venue.

I started looking around and saw the arrival of guests. The guests were all dressed up in best quality gowns and blazers. I just stood there and heard the ruckus that was going on outside the venue. It was the wedding of a celebrity and it was an obvious fact that there will be media trying to cover the event in all possible angles. However, no media was allowed to enter the venue, as Mr. Strauss and his son didn't need a media circus happening in their family event. 

Son of Mr. Strauss, Mr. Thomas Strauss, he will be attending the wedding. Oh no, I seriously didn't think about this fact till now. Not only will Thomas be attending the wedding, but he will become my second cousin from today onward, whether we both want to or like it or not. I stood at the side of the wall for a while and started breathing heavily.

It is inevitable that I will be meeting him today, he will become my cousin from today onward, and I seriously can’t stay sane and rational minded, if I ever come across him today. God, me and my hard crush on him. Save me from myself today. Save me from making a fool out of myself in front of him today. Overall SAVE ME FROM EVERYTHING TODAY. 

“Elena, Elena honey. Are you alright my child? You are hyperventilating. Relax and breath slowly. What is the problem? Did you have trouble breathing? Is anything bothering you? What is wrong, my child? Speak to me” I heard Sebastian gently rubbing my back and holding my hand.

I snapped out of my trance and looked at him. He had a worry filled eyes. Sebastian was a 40 year old flower decorator who was best known for his creative ideas in our town. He was my mother’s confidante, partner and even very good friend, from the time me and my mom moved to Houston, after the death of my father. He is in my life from the time I started speaking and he treats me like his own daughter. 

I held onto his hand and gave a weak smile to him. He managed to smile at me and gave me a glass of water that the waiter was taking towards the dining area. I drank it in one go and gave him the glass. I somehow felt kind of relaxed and held onto my posture. He let me go and went to do his work. He then realized that he wanted to say something to my mom regarding the arrangements and asked me to find her, as her mobile is not reachable. I started looking for my mom and saw that she was speaking to someone at the last seat in the church. I just kept my focus on her and went straight to her.

“Mom, you are here. I was looking all over for you. Sebastian needs some help with the decorations in the dining area. Come soon. You can sit back and relax later. Do one thing, make a call and suggest to him what to do, if you cannot go there. I know that you are working from the early morning with the decoration works. Anyways, to inform you was my work, as he told me that your mobile is not reachable. How many times have I told you to keep your mobile charged? How can we reach you, if you are not reachable like this”, I started blabbering and she shushed me by showing me her left palm. 

I was so inconsiderate of my surroundings that I didn't notice the person sitting next to her. I felt like my whole world was paused and it was only me and him in reality. I looked at his face clearly and even in person, rather than in photos or in a radiation suit. He was sitting next to my mom and was staring at me with an admiration in his eyes.

I started scanning him from his head. His hair was neatly combed and set in a side partitioned style. His forehead was clear and shiny, like he got his makeover done before arriving here. His eyes, the ocean green eyes were to die for. His nose and cheeks and chin and everything were like carved out of a stone and given a perfect shape. His lips, oh-my, I so wanted to touch them and even taste them. They were of pinkish colored and it was like he was wearing a lip color.

His grey suit and tie reflecting his eye color, his muscles hidden inside his shirt and bulging biceps hidden inside the blazer coat, altogether made me want to lose myself in his world forever. He was more handsome in person than what I saw in his pictures. 

“Elena, take a while and breathe. What are you doing? I think my mobile got switched off because of the low battery. Anyways, I will go to Sebastian and instruct him about what to be done. Anyways, meet this young gentleman. This is…..”, and that was when I snapped out of my dreamland and started stuttering without me knowing. 

“Mis...miste….mister Strauss”.....