Unwanted Matrimony

Chapter8

Reuben’s POV

I stared at Miss rude, whose name I learned to be Tiaraoluwa, as she and my sister excitedly exchanged pleasantries. Turns out they were very close when they were still in London. Wheels turned in my head as I tried to remember who she was. How don’t I remember her?

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were when we met?” I queried.

She looked at me like I'd got s**t for brains before replying.

“So, you go around randomly throwing your name at everyone going about their daily activities?”, she questioned sarcastically, and went back to talking to my sister.

My sister introduced Ria, my niece, to Tiara, while Tiara excitedly picked her up to play with her.

“You seriously don’t remember her?” Laurie questioned with a raised brow.

“I don’t”, I whispered as I stared at Tiara, who was busy with my niece. “I don’t remember any Tiara from our childhood”.

“That’s because when we were younger, you never called me by my name”, Tiara said without sparing me a glance. “You called me pigtail”.

“What?” I questioned. “Why would I call you that?”

“Then, she used to wear the hairstyle to school”, Laurie replied in Tiara’s stead.

Laurie and Tiara talked while she was playing with my niece. Laurie's husband, Mark, and I talked about business.

Occasionally, I would glance at Tiara, causing my brother-in-law to laugh. One time I glanced at her, and she caught me, so I winked. She just rolled her eyes and turned away.

I feel like she hates me more now that she knows who I am.

***

We finally got to the Holmes residence and drove in after the security check.

Her mom was standing at the entrance of the house with a broad smile on her face.

I’ve never seen Amina sad or angry. She is always cheerful and welcoming, but her daughter seems to be the opposite, always having the snappiest reply to everything except when she’s left flustered.

The driver parked the car, and we all got out.

Tiara hugged her mum and we, my sister and I hugged her after. Mark tried to shake her hand, but she pulled him into a hug instead.

“You guys look so malnourished”, Amina spoke as she picked Ria up and moved backward to check us out. “What have you all been eating? Grass. I need to feed you first before you meet everyone”.

She ushered us straight to the dining room to eat first before meeting everyone.

By the time we were done eating, everyone started strolling in.

First, it was Dayo, Tiara’s dad. He greeted every one of us before his daughter.

“How’s my baby girl doing?” he asked with a smile, his arms stretched apart for a hug.

“Hey Dad”, Tiara replied and reluctantly hugged him. “I’m good, just a little fatigued”.

“Fatigued? Ma’am, you slept throughout the flight”, I thought, and smiled at myself.

“I can barely wrap my arms around you”, her father said with a smile on his face as he pulled her away from himself to check her out. “Chicago is making you too relaxed, maybe you should move back here, so you can get a real job that would get you running around to lose a few pounds”.

Tiara’s eyes bounced around the room before they landed on me. We locked eyes for a while before she looked away.

“Yeah, and live with your fatphobic self? I’ll pass”, Tiara said, moving away from him, and they got a few people’s attention. “And for the hundredth time, my job is a real job because it pays me well. If your idea of a real job is a job that makes me work my ass off like a slave, I’m not interested”.

“You know I didn’t mean it the way you’re saying it”, her father sighed, massaging his forehead.

“Yeah, you never mean it the way I say it”, Tiara snickered. “We’ve been over this a lot of times, my weight and size are none of your business. If my size is an eyesore to you, look away or close your eyes.

With that, Tiara walked off, brushing her sister in the process. Her dad turned to his wife for help, and all she did was shrug and go back to her ongoing activity.

“What did you do this time, Dad? Jaiyesimi, Tiara’s older sister, asked and if looks could kill, her father would be six feet below.

“What gave you the impression I did something?” her father asked, taking offense at her statement.

“You’re the only one who can say something stupid enough to get Tiara angry and hurt”, Jaiyesimi said with a shrug.

“I was only being honest with her”, her father said.

“No one wants your pained honesty. I want you to apologize to her and never make any comment about her body again”, Jaiyesimi stated with finality, and went to assist her mom.

There was silence in the dining room, everyone in their groups and heads.

“Reuben”, my grandma called, drawing attention. “Go and pacify Tiara”.

Where the hell did that come from?

“What? I wasn’t worthy of being welcomed, and now you order me to go and pacify someone I’m not close to. What do I look like? A pacifier. Send Laurie”, I stated, and turned back to my phone.

“Reuben”, my grandmother warned.

“She hates my guts. If I say the wrong thing, she’ll probably feed me my limbs”, I said, not sparing my grandmother a glance.

“Someone seems scared”, Aaron, my older brother, teased with a sly smirk on his face.

“And someone seems to never mind their business”, I responded and stood up.

***

I finally found Tiara’s room after a while and knocked.

“Hey, it-, I started, placing my face close to the door, so she could hear me.

“Get lost”, she interrupted, her voice muffled.

“Alright”, I said and left.

By the time I got downstairs, everyone was seated around the table.

“She told me to get lost”, I said with a shrug, about to sit.

“And you did?” my grandmother asked, giving me the stink eye.

“It was a clear order. She didn’t care who it was, she wanted to be left alone”, I said, and sat down, picking an apple in the fruit bowl.

“Get your dense self to her room now. Do not come back until you’ve spoken to her”, my grandmother ordered.

“Can I at least know the reason why I’m being forced to pacify a woman I barely know?” I questioned with a raised brow.

“Because I want you to. Since the man who is meant to praise and uplift her is trying to make her feel small, she deserves to be seen and complimented, and I think you would do a perfect job”, my grandmother said with a proud smile while I stared at her like she had grown an extra head. “Now go upstairs and talk to her”.

“So, why can’t you go?” I questioned. “You clearly understand what she needs better than I do”.

“Reuben, do not give your old woman a heart attack”, my grandmother replied, rubbing her chest dramatically. “Just do as I say. You never know, this might be my last wish for you”.

She is so dramatic. The number of times I have been threatened by her death is alarming.

“This had better be your last wish for me”, I said and left to go back to Tiara’s room.

I knocked again and waited to hear any words from inside.

“Who’s there?” she questioned; her voice sounding a little hoarse.

“Reuben”, I stated, dipping my hand inside my pocket.

“Come in”, she replied, her voice barely audible. I turned the handle and walked into her room. Her room is pretty, just like her, a little living room before the main room. Everything is either purple or black.

“Christ”, I gasped when I walked into the main room. Not because of the beauty of the room, but because of the beauty of the woman standing in front of me.

Tiara stood in front of the mirror in a tank top and her panties.

“You’ve been standing here for a minute now. Are you here to stare at my body, so you can have something to nitpick or criticize?” she asked with a frown and turned towards me.

“No. I'm Sorry”, I said, blinking rapidly. I probably look like a fool right now.

“Why are you here?” she repeated with a raised brow.

“My grandmother asked me to check up on you”, I stated.

I contemplated begging her to put on a bottom because her body was distracting me, but that would be weird considering this is her room.

“Oh, I’m good. Tell her thank you, and I’m so sorry I didn’t get to say hello to her when you get downstairs”, she said, and walked past me towards the living room, her way of telling me to get lost again.

“No”, I said quickly, and sat next to her on the couch.

“What?” she asked, turning to face me.

“I mean, I can’t leave immediately. I will be sent back to spend time with you and I might as well do that now”, I said with a shrug, while she stared at me with a blank face.

“You want to spend time with me?” she asked like I had said the wrong statement.

“I’m sure I said that not more than thirty seconds ago”, I said, staring at her face.

She’s very pretty, like the golden hour.

“Reuben, your staring would make me kick you out of my room”, she said with an uncomfortable frown.

“Please call my name again,” I said.

"No," she said, and turned to the television.

She had every snack known to humanity in her room.

We sat comfortably as the movie she chose began to play.

Her effect on me is inexplicable and exhilarating, and I don't want it to end, even though it's for the duration of time here.