Love Drunk

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

"It's alright," she assured him. It was really good he was not there to attend the wedding or things would've ended up so badly. "We have a lot of time to spend together when you come."

"You're right," Doichi agreed, and multiple voices could be heard in the background, calling him. "Ah, sorry Lexie, time's up. I need to go back to rehearsal. Call you again later, love you," he said, hanging up afterwards, and Alex felt so weak. She hadn't realized she'd slid down the floor, her knees shaking in relief.

On the other side of the room, a handsome man continued to wait for his reluctant fiancée to finish her phone call.

Jacques had watched Alex the whole time she was on the mobile phone.

"Oh," he heard her mutter, and he frowned when her guarded expression earlier vanished, replaced by a soft one which reflected in her eyes.

It was clear that whoever was on the line was dear to her, and he suddenly felt unreasonably annoyed.

"I-yeah, it was g-great," Alex stammered followed by a burst of nervous laughter which made Jacques wonder what they were talking about. "As for your question earlier, of course, we'd be happy to have you," she continued and he turned his face away, not wanting to see her besotted look anymore.

If Alex had someone she liked enough to have such expressions, why the heck was she marrying some other man? But of course, Jacques didn't contemplate anymore. It was, after all, his good fortune that her relationship got wrecked.

A few minutes later, the call ended. Jacques turned his attention back to Alex in time to see her slide on the floor like cooked spaghetti as she palmed her face.

"Stupid, stupid," he heard her scold herself, and he wondered what happened and who did she talk to. Before he's able to call her to ask, however, she beat him by turning to him suddenly. "Let's do it," she announced, and for a moment, Jacques thought he heard wrong.

"Excuse me?" he asked and Alex sighed.

"Let's get married," she repeated, and his face split into a stupid smile. Without thinking, he closed the gap between them, pulled her onto her feet, and kissed her thoroughly.

At first, Alex was tense. But the expert prodding of his tongue made her relax, and she was in no time returning his kisses. When they broke apart a few minutes after, the two of them were breathless. 

"Thank you. I won't make you regret this," Jacques promised; his chest heaved as he held her tight against him.

"I sure hope not," Alex retorted while still in a daze. "But then, there's always divorce when we don't like each other anymore," she continued and Jacques' arms tightened around her all the more.

"No, no divorce. I'll make you happy and content that you won't think of such a thing," he declared, and she pushed him away a bit, enough to be able to look him in the eye.

"Why?" she asked. "Is it in the conditions? You're not allowed to have a divorce?" she inquired, and Jacques guiltily nodded.

Of course, it's not true.

His father only indicated a five-year-period in his will, but Jacques himself disliked divorce. Nobody in his family had it, and he's reluctant to be the first, regardless of how much he hated the idea of being married. Also, even if he did get a divorce after five years, there's no assurance that his mother and the board of directors would not pressure him into marrying again— and who knew who he would end up with. At least, with Alex, he was sure he'd be married on his own terms.

"Yeah…"

"O-okay…" Alex whispered, but her face indicated her hesitance.

Jacques knew she's somewhat afraid. Who wouldn't? She's agreeing to spend her life with someone she barely knew, after all. But he also knew she's compassionate enough to swallow her fears and help him, knowing his predicament. 

"Thank you," he murmured while vowing in his mind how he'd pamper his wife well.

He'd be generous and patient with her— well at least he'd try to be patient. She deserved at least that, he thought when the phone rang again. However, this time, it was the hotel's phone which rang, and the call was for him.

"You better answer that," Alex told him and he let her go to pick up the call.

"Yes?" he asked the caller which he identified as Attorney Choi.

He wondered how the man knew where to contact him since he didn't tell him where he was staying. Or did he? He honestly couldn't remember.

"We got it," the lawyer told him, which confused him.

"You got what?"

"Your marriage certificate – what else?" the man answered and Jacques' confusion grew.

"What certificate are you talking about?" he demanded.

He just asked Alex to marry him. How was he supposed to be married already? His eyes widened as his lawyer explained things to him.

"What? How did that happen?" he asked as he stared at Alex who watched him in wonder. "O-okay. Thanks…"

"What's wrong?" Alex asked as Jacques placed the receiver back on its cradle.

"Well…" he started, still astonished by the turn of events. "It seems we don't have to get married anymore," he announced.

"You mean the will is no longer effective?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"It's definitely effective," he replied. "But it seems last night, in my drunken state, I managed to send our lawyer a copy of my marriage certificate with the receipts for a three hundred fifty-five dollar Burning Love wedding package."

“A burning what package? But hey, that's not the point! You mean you're already married?" Alex gasped and Jacques sighed as he walked over to the table where he put the strange package he was holding earlier before the housekeeping arrived.  Grabbing it, he presented it to Alex, who emptied its contents on the table.

"Oh my Lord…" she murmured in shock as a DVD, as well as several glossies of her and Jacques standing with Elvis Presley spread on the furniture.

Both of them looked like besotted drunken fools clinging onto each other with her holding a bouquet of roses next to the Elvis impersonator who sang next to them. 

"Oh my Lord…" Alex repeated as she scanned the other contents— one of them was their marriage certificate. "We're…married?" she asked in disbelief and Jacques grinned as he wiggled his brows and sang one of Elvis's famous songs.

"Let me call you sweetheart…"