Forced Marriage

3

Adrian and Kenna position themselves in the center of the hall, everyone was watching them attentively.

- Adrian, I don’t know how to dance. - Kenna says nervously. - We’re going to embarrass ourselves.

Suddenly, the song "Give Me Love" starts playing. Kenna looks at Adrian with wide eyes, and he sighs, bending down in front of her.

- What are you doing? - Kenna asks.

- Lift your foot, I’m going to take off your heels. - Adrian requests, and even though Kenna is confused, she does exactly what he asks.

Adrian removes Kenna's heels and tosses them aside, then stands up and approaches her, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

- Step onto my feet. - Adrian says.

- Adrian...

- Kenna, step onto my feet. - he says sharply.

Kenna quickly complies, while everyone around them watches the scene with broad smiles on their faces.

And so, they begin to dance, one step to the side and one step to the other, slowly.

- I'm going to speed up. - Adrian whispers in Kenna's ear, holding her waist tightly, while she has her arms around his shoulders, their bodies pressed together.

Kenna gives a quick nod and smiles.

Adrian starts taking two steps to one side and two to the other as they spin around the hall. Suddenly, a shower of confetti falls over them.

- I’m dancing. - Kenna says, smiling.

- You are. - Adrian replies, using that moment to nestle his face between her shoulder and neck, inhaling her wonderful scent. Kenna felt a shiver run down her spine and hugged Adrian even tighter. All while they danced around the hall to the sound of "Give Me Love," with confetti raining down on them and their feet disappearing in the haze of dry ice.

Several couples joined them and began to dance. After a while, the music finally ends, and everyone applauds as Adrian and Kenna step away and stare at each other, their gazes intense.

- I… I’m going to get a drink. - Adrian says, leaving Kenna standing in the middle of the hall, watching his silhouette disappear among the guests.

Kenna sighs and heads towards one of the tables, stopping first to grab her shoes. Next to her, a waiter passes with a tray of sweets.

- Give me that, please. - Kenna says, taking the tray from the young man and quickly waving him off.

The man leaves, leaving Kenna looking at the sweets as if they were bars of gold.

- Dear, you shouldn’t eat so many sweets. - Rebekah says, sitting next to Kenna.

- Just today, I’m stressed. - Kenna replies. - You should eat some too.

- I’m on a diet, no sweets for me. - Rebekah says.

- But you’re so thin, in a few months you'll be nothing but skin and bones. - Kenna says. - With all due respect.

- You like to tease me just like Petra. - Rebekah says. - But in a more polite way.

- I heard my name. - Petra says, approaching with a beautiful smile on her face. - Hi, I’m Petra. I’m married to Bryan, Adrian’s brother.

- Hi, nice to meet you. - Kenna says. - Do you want a sweet?

- I do. - Petra says, sitting next to Kenna and grabbing a sweet.

- You both should follow my diet plan. - Rebekah states. - Now we’re a family...

- Don’t start. - Petra replies.

- Do you two argue a lot? - Kenna asks curiously.

- Of course not. - Petra says, smiling at her mother-in-law. - We’re best friends, like mother and daughter.

- We’ve always gotten along, haven’t we? - Rebekah asks Petra.

- Always. - Petra smiles. - Our mother-in-law has always had a special love for me; she adored me from the day we met.

- Let’s not exaggerate the lies. - Rebekah says.

Kenna lets out a giggle.

- You guys are great. - Kenna says, bringing the last sweet from the tray to her mouth, sighing as she savors it. - I’m going to find a drink, see you in a bit.

Kenna stands up while smiling at the two women, who soon begin chatting animatedly.

- Does this drink contain alcohol? - Kenna asks one of the waiters who passes by with a tray full of glasses.

- No, ma’am. - the red-haired young man replies.

- Great. - Kenna says, taking one of the glasses and starting to drink it as the young man leaves her alone.

Kenna approaches a table with some snacks, looking around first, and when she sees no one is watching, she quickly grabs one and eats it.

- What does he see in you?

Kenne hears a voice behind her, and when she turns, she faces a beautiful tall blonde woman in a long black dress with a neckline that almost reveals her breasts.

- What? - Kenna asks, taking a sip of her drink.

- What does he see in you? - Suzane says. - What do you have that I don’t have?

- What are you talking about? - Kenna asks, confused.

- He acts differently with you. I have watched you both since the time of the wedding until now, and he is affectionate with you... he... he danced with you on his feet... what does he see in you that he didn’t see in me? - the woman spoke a bit agitated, as if she had drunk too much.

- You’re talking about Adrian? - Kenna asks.

- Get out of his life... you... he broke up with me because of you. - Suzane says, stumbling over her words.

- Suzane! - Adrian interrupts as he stops next to Kenna.

- Hi... my love. - she says, smiling.

- You’re drunk. - Adrian states. - James, can you take her home?

- Sure. - James says, walking over to Suzane and holding her arm. - Let’s go, sweetheart, you’ve caused enough trouble today.

- My... my Adrian isn’t coming? - she asks, her voice trembling.

- He’s not yours, let’s go. - James insists, leading her away.

- Are you okay? - Adrian asks, facing Kenna and looking her up and down.

- I’m fine. - Kenna replies. - Next time, don’t let your girlfriend or whoever she is, come near me. I don’t want any of your hookups around me.

- We have nothing. - Adrian says. - She and I are the past. She was the one who got deluded.

- I want to go home, I’m tired. - Kenna says, touching her belly. - The pregnancy is making me more tired than usual; besides, this day has been very stressful.

- That’s fine. But before we go, we still need to cut the cake and you need to throw the bouquet. - Adrian says.

Kenna just sighs tiredly and nods.

- Let’s just get it over with. - Kenna says, walking ahead as Adrian follows her.