Substitute for Lawson

15

The further, the more probably there was no point in retreating.

“So,” Damian appeared in the living room. “You’re right, don’t you?” - for the umpteenth time he clarifies.

“Yes,” Emily breathes out from behind the dresser. For all those days that they had already lived together, their responsibilities were divided and already without marriage, it seemed that they were husband and wife.

The man, as if at a business meeting, except for black, home shorts and a white T-shirt, sits down at the dining table, laying out his MacBook and documents.

“So so,” he scratches the bridge of his nose with his index finger and turns back. - We don't need a wedding, right? Therefore, the wedding in the church is canceled, we go to the registration hall. Passport, document of birth, documents confirming the place of residence, do you have with you?

“Yes,” Amy puts the knife down on the board and, rinsing her hands under the tap, walks over to Damian.

- Well, - nods with satisfaction, browsing the website of the registration hall. - Then, tomorrow we will submit documents.

- I see ... - sits down next to the next chair. Propping her cheek with her fist, the girl watches carefully.

“Soooo,” Damian says. - Marriage contract?

- Do you think I need something from you? - the girl curls her lips.

- This is a formality, - he throws up his hands, starting to dig in a heap of documents. - So, I'll do it myself, this too ... and this ... - mutters under his breath. The doorbell sounds quite unexpectedly. Both turn around and exchanging glances, Amy gets up from the chair.

- I will open.

I don’t know from whom Fox managed to get this, but without even looking through the video peephole, she boldly clicks the lock. The door swings open and a well-groomed woman of Asian appearance appears in front of her, and this face reminds her of someone terribly.

- What are you? New housekeeper? - from the doorway she chuckles appraisingly looking at the girl that she becomes uncomfortable. And here's another thing: she does not understand at all what she said now.

The stranger stands with a small suitcase in her hands and impudently took a step into the doorway, but Emily did not let her in.

- Sorry…?

- What are you ... - the stranger involuntarily poked her in an unfamiliar British language. - Let me in!

- I don't understand you ... - the girl often blinked her eyes and already wanted to call Damian.

- But how will it be ... - the stranger snorted and snapping her fingers, tried to remember the English words. - Let me pass! - with a terrible accent she said, and again moved on the girl, who continued to stubbornly stand in her way. - Son! Are you at home?! A woman yelled over Emily's shoulder.

Sitting at the table, Damian jumped at the familiar voice at the speed of sound. Almost demolishing a chair on its way, the man rushed into the corridor and immediately froze with fear on his face.

- Mum?! He spoke in English. - What are you doing here ?!

Emily let go, even more confused. Standing somewhere to the side, she watched this picture in surprise and was also completely amused by the sight of her boss. He had never seen such confusion in his eyes.

- Damian, - throwing a suitcase in the aisle, the woman rushed to her son's neck.

- How did you happen to be ... - the man is lost like a child and flaps his eyes with big surprise. - here ... Why didn't you say you were arriving?

- How is it why ?! She pulls back and scowls at her son. - If you are warned, then you will have a thousand reasons to dissuade me from the trip!

- " Mum? Is that his mom? How funny. I wonder what they are talking about now? " - thought Emily, who continued to stand quietly to the side, but suddenly remembering about dinner that she could burn without supervision, she quickly rushed into the kitchen attracting the attention of an adult woman.

- Have you got yourself a housekeeper? - chuckles Mrs. Lowsen, following her with a glance. - The young man did not want to let me in! - the woman tries to complain, changing her tone and expression.

- Oh, mom ... - the son shakes his head reproachfully and, putting his arm around her shoulders, takes a suitcase in his hands and both go to the living room.

The woman takes off her coat, looks around, but her gaze, like a magnet, stops at Emily. The girl is now busy with dinner, but this look is so piercing that it is felt very strongly.

“Hmm…” she chuckles and is already addressing her son. - I came for a couple of days, I'll find your wife here. - She asserts self-confidently and lands in the chair. - A good friend of mine, here at the university is studying the youngest daughter, oh, son, you should have seen her! My God, like a doll! You will definitely like her ... - claps her hands and fastening her fingers together, she smiles dreamily.

- Mom ... are you again? If you need a daughter-in-law so much, then you already have one.

- Well, show it to me! Where is your bride ?! Anyone other than those all worthless girls with whom you sleep! - shouts the mother and, jumping up from his seat, puts his hands on his hips. Damian smiles awkwardly and glances at Emily, who is now quietly observing, although she does not understand Korean at all, it is impossible to make out what these two are talking about. The woman watches her son, frowns her eyebrows more than ever and, in silent shock, opening her mouth, pokes her finger at the girl. - She is?! Are you serious?

- What? What are you not happy with? You seemed to say that it doesn't matter to you, the main thing is that I be happy. - easily parries this reaction is a man.

- Then why didn't you tell us about her ?!

- That would not jinx. - and from this situation easily finds a way out.

- So what? What's next?! You with her…

- Like what? Mom, Emily and I are getting married, ”grins triumphantly, which is why the dumbfounded mother grabs her heart with her hand and falls back into the leather chair.

- Why didn't you say it earlier? - says Mrs. Lowsen in a murdered voice, with excellent acting, emitting an impending heart attack.

- Well, now I'm talking. - the younger son shrugs and can hardly restrain himself from laughing. He was a natural born actor in his mother.

- My son is crazy.

***

- Well? - Mrs. Lowsen was busily sitting at the head of the table, slowly cutting the meat with a table knife and pricking it on a fork. Trying to remember all the knowledge of her English, now she spoke it in order to make it more convenient for everyone.

Damian chewed calmly, shoving food into his mouth, but Emily was all over her throat. Clutching the fork in her hand, she could not budge. What should she do?

- What, and? - the man twitches his eyebrows and drinks everything with a sip of wine. - What else do you want to know?

- How did you meet? When?

- Are these mandatory questions? Mom, let's eat, Emily is an amazing cook. - with tenderness he cooed and put his palm on top of the girl's palm, smiled. How to infuriate his mother, who got him with her bride, he knew how well, but she only watched slyly.

- Yes, I noticed. - she nodded. The boss’s mother’s smile was the same as his own. - Emily, since my son is silent, maybe you will?

Trying to clearly understand what the woman said, the blue-eyed pursed her lips. What does she need to tell? Looking imploringly at the instigator of all this, she was even more upset when he did not even react.

- We are work colleagues. She squeaked briefly. Her throat was terribly dry and out of fright she reached out with a trembling hand, not for her glass, in which the juice splashed, but for the glass of wine next to her, from which Damian had recently been drinking. At the last moment, he snatched the glass from the girl's hands with a frowning clink.

- Where to?

- Oh, - she blinked and smiled apologetically.

- Why don't you let the girl drink wine? Mrs. Lowsen watched them with interest.

- Because she can't. Damian gave Emily a stern look again, reminding her of what happened last time.

- She is pregnant? - The future mother-in-law exclaimed enthusiastically, and at that moment the girl drinking her juice choked on liquid.

- How did you decide? - Striking her fist on the ribcage, Fox inquired hoarsely. - I just…

- And what else can you find an adequate explanation for the act of my son? The woman interrupted casually.

- She does not tolerate alcohol. That's the whole reason. And I'm getting married because I love this girl. What other reason should there be? Why did your father marry you? He loves you. For the same reason, my brother married Minna. And you didn't woo him, I want to point out.

- Because your brother got married on time, and did not live alone until twenty-eight!

An argument flared up again between mother and son.

“I don’t think he would have married so early if Mina hadn’t just gotten pregnant from him. Of course they met for a long time, but if not a child, he would not have married in the last year of university. - Throwing away the kitchen utensils, Damian resentfully, like a little boy, folds his arms across his chest and frowns on the bridge of his nose and looks into the void. To be honest, he had long wanted to tell his mother, because the example of an exemplary older brother, that he worked as a surgeon, had a wife and two children, was already tired. As if the family has its black sheep.

- Okay. - Has exhaled the mother. - Stop sulking, I came not to bother you and if this is your decision, I will get used to it. Let's eat.

Dinner is over, and it seems Emily has gone through it with grief in half. After removing all the dishes from the table, she dumped the leftover food in a garbage bag and was already preparing the plates in the dishwasher. Mother and son were quietly discussing something while sitting in front of the plasma, and everything seemed to be working out. Amy notices how the boss, with a phone in his hands, is hiding somewhere in his bedroom. Turning away in search of detergent, she did not notice how the adult woman, whom Damian looked like, appeared near her.

- Why do you love my son?

Emily flinched. Straightening, she stared at Mrs. Lowsen, who had taken the filthy dish in her hands. Just now the secretary wanted to take him.

- Do you think I want to settle down well? “Fox knew that the woman had been watching her all evening. She also wished Damian would now look out the door and distract his mom, but he was not there. I had to come up with the answers myself. Okay, then don't be indignant.

- I did not say that. Just asking, what exactly do you like about him? Why did you love my baby? - in the last words, Emily could not hold back a tender smile and the woman noticed it. Of course, their relationship is a complete fiction, but nothing seems to be done.

- Damian is a real man. - concluded the girl and carefully taking the dish from the hands of the future mother-in-law, sets it in the dishwasher. Emily didn't have to figure out what to say to this formidable-looking woman, she really thought so. - From the first meeting, he appeared in my eyes, albeit rude, but a real man. And even though he even brought me to tears ... And even when he was terribly cold, he tried to show that he would do just fine, or when he was fooling around, joking with me and made me an offer at six o'clock in the morning, he was still for me the most perfect and courageous. - in a slightly trembling voice begged the girl, on whose cheeks an uncertain blush appeared. She was about to reach for the next plate, but the woman, intercepting it first, obligingly held out to Emily and stretched out in a satisfied smile.

- Okay.

Damian, who had wanted to appear a few minutes ago, but stopped in time, heard everything. And it seems, if Emily found out about this, she would have burned with shame long ago. But the man liked it. He was not at all worried about this and could not even suspect how difficult it was for Fox's words, which were pulled out of his soul. He just praised her in his head, appreciating that she was not as hopeless as he might have guessed. And yet, he seems to have to sleep on the couch in the living room.

“Mom,” the man emerged from the doorway and caught the attention of both women.

- What sonny? - Mrs. Lowsen seems to have melted too.

“Emily will make a bed for you in my bedroom. Make yourself comfortable. Your suitcase is already there.

- In your? She chuckled incredulously. - In terms of?

- What, in the sense? - he did not understand. Well, what else does this restless woman need.

- You have not one room, but a guest room? Why not there?

“Emily is sleeping there. The man explained wearily.

- Are you sleeping separately ?! - the Korean woman was horrified and already knitted her eyebrows on the bridge of her nose.

As he began to ponder suitable answers, he exhaled wearily. Is it really weird to sleep in separate rooms when we're engaged? Or, didn't Lucas whine to him a couple of years ago that before the wedding, Richard did not allow him and Alice to live under the same roof and took the girl back home, saying that this was tradition. Looking for words, Damian puffed out his cheeks like a toad.

“Emily and I decided that we would stick to the rules until we got married. Therefore, we sleep separately. - Damian justified himself and turned his gaze to the one who had to confirm all this with a hasty nod.

- Did you decide to stick to the rules? Since when? Have you got any problems? - she alternately looked at her son, then at the future daughter-in-law and tried to understand what was the matter.

- I have no problems! Damian blurts out indignantly.

- Then what is he cheating on you? - exclaims the woman, staring at the completely confused Emily, who is not ready to discuss this with people.

- Mum! Damian practically barks.

- Then I don't understand at all! Do you think I don't know about your adventures? Emily, of course you'll excuse me, but whatever one may say, these are men's needs. And now you are too calm for a man who endures before the wedding! There are several options, either you are sick, or you are cheating on your bride, or she does not attract you at all! - after these loud words there is a deathly silence.

Embarrassed by the situation, Emily is silent and blushes deeply, although how many times I heard stories from colleagues about how he really was a seducer, but all the time she lives here, she stopped noticing him with the girls. And Damian himself seems now to start a nervous tic, and to be honest, now only physical activity, which he deliberately increased, helps him to restrain himself, otherwise he can go to the point that Emily will seem to him an object of desire. Damn, why this woman, who gave birth to him once, got to the bottom of everything! He himself was.

- Okay. From now on, we will sleep in the same bed, if that's what you want, Mom. - the man says through clenched teeth and nods to Emily to follow him, turns towards the bedrooms.

The man enters the girl's bedroom and stops, waiting for her to dare to open the door.

"Are we really going to sleep together?" - the girl sighs sadly, closing the door behind her.

- Pack your things and bed a fresh set of linen. While she is here, we will have to do so. Here is a stubborn woman. He swore, crossing his arms over his chest.

- Now I know whose character you have, - the girl giggled into her fist and, under Damian's dumbfounded gaze, hurried to collect all the necessary things.

***

Tired Damian, stretched out in an armchair, sat with a MacBook in an embrace and checked something for an infinitely long time. It was already about twelve o'clock, he wanted to sleep, but he waited for his mother to get out of the bath and certainly settle in the guest room for the night. Emily was busy with her business, and having cleaned up the guest room after herself, having re-made the bed there, she occupied herself with the boss's room, which for a while would have to be converted into a shared bedroom for an almost married couple.

Actually, Emily was very worried, as if this was her wedding night. Carefully placing her belongings on one shelf, she took up the choice of bedding, which was also stacked in a separate compartment. Pulling out one, she, as always, delight I dabbled in material and beauty, and decided that let it be just that. Eh, does she really hope that they will sleep together. He would probably tell her to sleep on the floor. It might be his style. She was about to go out and say that Damian could go to bed, but she involuntarily began to overhear the conversation, which again became incomprehensible to her, and did not dare to pull the doorknob.

- Darling, - the woman who came out of the bath washed off her makeup completely and even seemed to look younger. She was wearing a long terry robe and a towel over her head. Sitting down on the sofa next to her son, she carefully looked at her grown-up child.

- What, Mom? - he slightly turned his head towards her, but he did not take his eyes off the MacBook screen.

“If you're doing this to my harm…” she sighs and pauses. “You’d better not do it.” Do you hear? - pulls his palm to him and lightly touches the elbow. - I will understand and accept everything ... just, I would like to see my grandchildren from my youngest son, before I grow old completely ...

- Mom ... - The sadness of the child appears in Damian's eyes. Putting the MacBook on the coffee table, he turned his body towards her and took his mother's hands in his palms, gently squeezed them, bringing them to his lips. “I’m not doing it for evil… really. Just let me figure it out for myself. Give me some time, huh? I just played and got confused. I don’t need help, I’m already an adult and I can handle it. I promise that I will not delay with my grandchildren and you will always be young! - having smacked her mother's palms, she begins to show her teeth sweetly, which is why she always melted.

- Oh, my little baby oooo, - she sang, and throwing herself on the “little” with hugs, she fell into them, feeling that her youngest son had grown very much. - And before you fit in my arms! Mrs. Lawsen sighs with nostalgia and pats her son gently on the back.

- Well maaam, - as a shy teenager he pulls and reluctantly pulls away. - Okay, let's go to bed?

- Let's go ... - the woman agrees and both get up from the upholstered furniture.

- Good night, Mom ... - Damian slams the MacBook and, missing the woman, heads towards his bedroom, where the "beloved" has quieted down.

- Good night, son. - the woman thinks to go in, but grabbing the doorknob, stops. - Good night, Emily!

“Good night, Mrs. Lawsen,” comes a quiet voice.

The man enters the bedroom and yawns loudly, closing the door behind him. Emily has her back to him, watching the view from the window.

- You haven't gone to bed yet? - he continues to yawn and with a drawn-out sigh pulls off his snow-white T-shirt, exposing his torso at the moment when Fox pays attention to him.

“I don’t know…” She hesitated, averting her gaze and biting her lip. - Where can I lie? I was thinking where to make a bed for myself ...

- I mean, where? He wonders. - In the bed. - nods to a double bed, which you can't even call a double, but rather a four-bed.

- Where are you going to sleep?

- In the same place. - he claps and hides in the dressing room. - What, as a naive schoolgirl. In general, I'm used to sleeping naked, but for your sake, I'm even ready to wear pajamas today. - comes from there and Emily's eyes widen, presenting in front of her a completely naked boss. But right now he comes out in black home pants and at the same time pulling on a T-shirt of the same combination with funny Disney cartoons, a la black cloak.

- Pf, - the girl can't help laughing and raising her fist to her lips, she tries to hide her smile.

- What? Is there something you don't like? - he chuckles.

- She just ... - she smiles, examining the children's pajamas, which turned out to be not a child's size.

- Normal pajamas! - and after that, how can men not be called eternal children? - And in general, if something is not pleasant, I can undress.

- Not! Fire… - the girl puts out her hands in front of herself.

- Well, that's all. - he goes to bed first and, comfortably seated, turns off the night light. - Come on, go to bed. There are many things to do tomorrow ...

- Which ones? - Emily carefully settles down on the other side and realizes that it is so wide here that they are unlikely to meet overnight.

- She herself told me about the wedding ring ... - he yawns and, opening one eye, watches the girl, which is so unusually far away. Out of habit, I want to move it closer.

- Mmm ... Don't you think your mom got us through?

- No ... not to the end ... - he chuckles. - But if you are so afraid, let's convince her for the sake of reliability?

- How? - Emily lies in the same position as Damian, putting one elbow under her head, peering at the sparkling gaze in the dark.

- Well, you can pretend to have a wild o****m, or I can help you with this ... - he says and, turns over onto his back, crossing his arms over his chest, looks at the ceiling.

- Fool, - she is horrified and abruptly turns her back to the man and it seems good that the light in the room is extinguished. Expecting something serious, she blushed like a tomato. Why does he talk about all this so openly?

“Sleep already,” he chuckles.

For some reason, both can not sleep in any way. Both toss and turn, but the thought that suddenly popped up in Emily's head haunts her, so she cannot help but voice:

- Once at the university,my dorm roommate loved watching korean dramas ...

Damian turns his head to the girl.

- So what?

- I somehow also looked with her and ... - she scrutinizes the white ceiling and, as if seeing some kind of complex drawing there, narrows her eyes. - I don't remember the name of the series, but it was about love. And the whole point is that a rich guy fell in love with a girl who did not fit his status, and his family threatened her, and his mother also offered her money so that she would leave him behind ... - Amy sighs and pauses.

- Well? What do you mean by that?

“That woman from the film reminded me of your mother at first…” she added timidly, falling silent again.

Damian laughed.

- These are dramas, this does not happen in life ...

- Do you think? - the girl thought. - But it will happen and your mother will start offering me money so that I leave you, then keep in mind, I will choose money. - her tone was so serious that Lousen was even frightened.

- Here's a fool, - he chuckled and rolled over on his stomach, hugged the pillow. - Go to sleep ...