Romeo Never Had To Cook
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What was wrong with the world? Chris thought to herself as she wondered down the main street.
How could her father just pick a man for her to marry?
Admittedly she wasn't into all the Shakespeare romance she saw at the theatre but she wanted to pick a man for herself. She wanted a man who loved her. At least then she could be sure he'd cry if she smacked him.
Instead her father had unjustly signed her life away to a snotty upper class brat, and all because he belonged to a rich, well known family. She severely doubted her father had even met this son.
Word had got around the town one afternoon that Wendell Terrance of the Callaways was disgruntled with the previous bride that had been chosen from him and both families had agreed to end the engagement.
Chris's father had jumped at the opportunity and set up a meeting with Ethan Callaway.
The Callaways owned many of the staple companies in town; the paper mill, the newspaper, the saw mill. Wendell Terrance was the manager of the saw mill and profits had increased 10% since his appointment to the position.
This was probably why Chris's father was so interested. Being the manager of the flour mill himself, he wanted to join forces with another of the successful families in the town. Everyone was concerned now that the McNamara's has moved from New York to Los Angeles to continue their chain of lucrative businesses.
Joe Kelly had come home that night from the meeting and announced proudly that Christine would be marrying Wendell Terrance in a month's time. He'd even had the tenacity to set a date!
Now a week later, Chris was on her way to be fitted for a wedding dress for a wedding to a man she'd never even met.
Chris passed the hardware store and succumbed to the urge to browse. She loved this place. It was also owned by the Callaways but run by an immigrant family. Chris had some great discussions with the family's son, Victor. He was cocky and self-assured, and Chris just loved proving she was better than him.
Sure enough Victor was working there today and he swaggered over to her.
'If I didn't know any better I'd say you come in here just to see me.'
Chris rolled her eyes. 'No thanks, I prefer someone who bathes.' She teased.
Victor just laughed off the comment. 'And I prefer someone who can cook.'
That was probably the only thing Victor was better at.cooking. His mother was a fantastic cook and Victor was picking up on many of her secrets.
'Besides, I heard you're already taken.' Victor continued.
Chris made a face. 'I know, isn't it horrible.'
'Shh, don't say that so loud. You know they own this place too, and if walls really do talk...'
'If walls really do talk then everyone would find out that I can beat you in a foot race wearing high sandals.'
Victor scoffed. 'You're all talk Kelly. If I wasn't sick that day I'd have beaten you.'
'And I suppose if you weren't sick that day you wouldn't have cried about it either.' She said putting her hands the hips of her disgustingly over- fluffed dress.
'I didn't cry about it!' He said indignantly.
'Sure you didn't.' Chris teased.
The bell in the town centre started to chime loudly.
Chris's eyes went wide. 'Oh no! I'm supposed to be there by now!' She headed for the door.
Victor grinned and started humming the wedding march.
She decided the Callaways could wait a few more seconds and picked up a packet of bolts from a container and threw them at Victor.
She ran out of the store laughing as he chased after her.
He tackled her on the street sending a cloud of dust into to air as they hit the ground. Wrestling for a few minutes, Chris knew she'd have to break away else she'd be even later. And there was only one way to deter Victor.she planted a kiss directly onto his lips making his let her go out of shock.
She jumped to her feet and ran.
'I'll get you for that Kelly. Just you wait.' He called after her as she ran down the street.
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Chris burst through the front doors of the tailor's boutique a few minutes later, personally gratified at the speed in which she'd gotten there.
Her satisfaction quickly dissolved upon seeing the looks she got from her father and the Callaways that were already there.
Chris caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She was covered head to toe is dust. Her hair was coming loose from the braid her mother painstakingly put together for her for the occasion. Her dress had a tear in the leg from Victor tackling her.
'Sorry I'm late.' Chris said tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Her father looked furious. Ethan and Katherine Callaway looked bemused.
Wendell Terrance just gave her a sexy smile and held out his hand. 'You must be Christine.' He said politely.
She shook his hand. 'Yes, which would make you Wendell Terrance Callaway.'
He nodded. Their hands parted and Wendell Terrance discretely rubbed his hands together to rid them of the dust from Christine's handshake.
The tailor came into the room and pretended not to notice the state of Chris's dress. 'Shall we get started?'
Chris and Wendell Terrance were whisked away into different rooms.
Chris was ordered to strip down to her underwear and was put up on a pedestal and the tailor took her measurements.
'Any ideas for the style of the dress?' Helen Palermo asked. She was one of the few women in town that actually had a job of her own, other than being a housewife.
Helen and her husband Anthony were experienced tailors and made almost all the clothes for everyone.
Anthony at present was in measuring Tc for his suit.
'I don't want to wear white.' Chris said wishing she could put her arms down. Holding them out like a bird while some strange woman took measurements far too close to her breasts was not Chris's idea of fun.
'But sweetie, you have to.' Joe Kelly oozed. 'It's tradition.unless there's something you haven't told me.'
Chris had purposely forgotten to mention the encounter with Victor in his family's barn. 'No daddy.' She said innocently. Chris knew she wasn't going to win this one. She took after her father.as stubborn as a mule, only he was worse.
It's not that Chris didn't mind the idea of everyone thinking she was still pure, it's just that white wasn't her colour. It always got so dirty, especially on her.
'What about a hoop?' Helen asked as her young daughter brought a cup of tea in for Joe.
'Please no.' Chris whined.
'Chris.' Joe warned. 'Kerry Callaway is wearing a hoop for her dress.'
Kerry Callaway, the daughter every father would love to have. Sweet, innocent, virginal. Never got her dresses dirty. Could cook, clean and sew all day, every day. As Chris was an only child, Kerry had been stuck with being the bridesmaid.
Chris had only two bridesmaids since Chris had no female friends herself, much to her father's disgust.
The other woman was of the dreaded McNamara family. Corine, or something like that. It was a ploy to get in good with the opposition.
'Ah, but I can't wear the same thing as the bridesmaids, daddy. I have to stand out.' Chris gave herself a mark for that one.
'What about layers?' Helen suggested. 'It's new and very fashionable in New York City. All the designers are using it.'
'Sounds great.' Joe said.
'What is it?' Chris asked.
Helen smiled. 'It's where you use many different layers of material to give the dress some structure.'
Chris thought about it for a minute. Anything had to be better than a hoop. 'Ok.'
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Chris arrived home that night absolutely exhausted.
After the dress fitting was a trip to the hairdressers with Kerry so they could have their hair experimented on.
Chris had been pulled, blow dried and fluffed to within an inch of her life.then had to get tested for make up as well.
She was looking forward to a hot bath and after dinner she decided she'd take a book down to the paddock and read for a while or go to the stables and see the new foal.
Her horse Nutcracker has just had a baby colt. He was the cutest thing Chris had seen in a long time. She hoped that she'd be able to take them both with her after she got married.
She grabbed some clothes from her room and went down to the shed where their bath was.
She lit the fire under the tub, stripped off and hopped in.
Minutes later her mother came down carrying yet another dreaded dress.
'That had better be a quick bath Christine. The Callaways are already here.'
'What are they doing here?' She asked hanging over the side of the tub.
'We've invited them over for dinner and a more formal introduction. After all, this is your future husband.'
'Not if he dumps me like that last girl.' Chris said and dunked her head underwater.
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Chris was still in the bath ten minutes later when she heard the shed door open.
She was lying on her back floating in the warm water. 'I'll be out in a minute.' She stopped floating and peered over the edge of the tub again, then dunked back under the water when she realised it wasn't her mother.
'Oh sorry.' Wendell Terrance said when he saw that Chris was in the bath. 'They told me there was a lavatory down here.' He marvelled at the size of their 'bath'. The sides were about five feet tall.
Chris pointed to a door next to him.
He thanked her, walked inside and closed the door.
Chris took the opportunity to hop out. If she weren't at the house soon it would be her father that would be coming down here next.
She quickly dried herself and dragged on her bloomers.
The door opened and Chris grabbed the towel to cover herself.
He just stood there looking. 'Again, sorry.' He said and walked out of the shed.
Great, she thought when he was gone. The first three encounters with her fiance was when she was filthy dirty or naked.
She threw on the rest of her clothes and went up to the house.
+++++
+++++
What was wrong with the world? Chris thought to herself as she wondered down the main street.
How could her father just pick a man for her to marry?
Admittedly she wasn't into all the Shakespeare romance she saw at the theatre but she wanted to pick a man for herself. She wanted a man who loved her. At least then she could be sure he'd cry if she smacked him.
Instead her father had unjustly signed her life away to a snotty upper class brat, and all because he belonged to a rich, well known family. She severely doubted her father had even met this son.
Word had got around the town one afternoon that Wendell Terrance of the Callaways was disgruntled with the previous bride that had been chosen from him and both families had agreed to end the engagement.
Chris's father had jumped at the opportunity and set up a meeting with Ethan Callaway.
The Callaways owned many of the staple companies in town; the paper mill, the newspaper, the saw mill. Wendell Terrance was the manager of the saw mill and profits had increased 10% since his appointment to the position.
This was probably why Chris's father was so interested. Being the manager of the flour mill himself, he wanted to join forces with another of the successful families in the town. Everyone was concerned now that the McNamara's has moved from New York to Los Angeles to continue their chain of lucrative businesses.
Joe Kelly had come home that night from the meeting and announced proudly that Christine would be marrying Wendell Terrance in a month's time. He'd even had the tenacity to set a date!
Now a week later, Chris was on her way to be fitted for a wedding dress for a wedding to a man she'd never even met.
Chris passed the hardware store and succumbed to the urge to browse. She loved this place. It was also owned by the Callaways but run by an immigrant family. Chris had some great discussions with the family's son, Victor. He was cocky and self-assured, and Chris just loved proving she was better than him.
Sure enough Victor was working there today and he swaggered over to her.
'If I didn't know any better I'd say you come in here just to see me.'
Chris rolled her eyes. 'No thanks, I prefer someone who bathes.' She teased.
Victor just laughed off the comment. 'And I prefer someone who can cook.'
That was probably the only thing Victor was better at.cooking. His mother was a fantastic cook and Victor was picking up on many of her secrets.
'Besides, I heard you're already taken.' Victor continued.
Chris made a face. 'I know, isn't it horrible.'
'Shh, don't say that so loud. You know they own this place too, and if walls really do talk...'
'If walls really do talk then everyone would find out that I can beat you in a foot race wearing high sandals.'
Victor scoffed. 'You're all talk Kelly. If I wasn't sick that day I'd have beaten you.'
'And I suppose if you weren't sick that day you wouldn't have cried about it either.' She said putting her hands the hips of her disgustingly over- fluffed dress.
'I didn't cry about it!' He said indignantly.
'Sure you didn't.' Chris teased.
The bell in the town centre started to chime loudly.
Chris's eyes went wide. 'Oh no! I'm supposed to be there by now!' She headed for the door.
Victor grinned and started humming the wedding march.
She decided the Callaways could wait a few more seconds and picked up a packet of bolts from a container and threw them at Victor.
She ran out of the store laughing as he chased after her.
He tackled her on the street sending a cloud of dust into to air as they hit the ground. Wrestling for a few minutes, Chris knew she'd have to break away else she'd be even later. And there was only one way to deter Victor.she planted a kiss directly onto his lips making his let her go out of shock.
She jumped to her feet and ran.
'I'll get you for that Kelly. Just you wait.' He called after her as she ran down the street.
+++++
Chris burst through the front doors of the tailor's boutique a few minutes later, personally gratified at the speed in which she'd gotten there.
Her satisfaction quickly dissolved upon seeing the looks she got from her father and the Callaways that were already there.
Chris caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She was covered head to toe is dust. Her hair was coming loose from the braid her mother painstakingly put together for her for the occasion. Her dress had a tear in the leg from Victor tackling her.
'Sorry I'm late.' Chris said tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Her father looked furious. Ethan and Katherine Callaway looked bemused.
Wendell Terrance just gave her a sexy smile and held out his hand. 'You must be Christine.' He said politely.
She shook his hand. 'Yes, which would make you Wendell Terrance Callaway.'
He nodded. Their hands parted and Wendell Terrance discretely rubbed his hands together to rid them of the dust from Christine's handshake.
The tailor came into the room and pretended not to notice the state of Chris's dress. 'Shall we get started?'
Chris and Wendell Terrance were whisked away into different rooms.
Chris was ordered to strip down to her underwear and was put up on a pedestal and the tailor took her measurements.
'Any ideas for the style of the dress?' Helen Palermo asked. She was one of the few women in town that actually had a job of her own, other than being a housewife.
Helen and her husband Anthony were experienced tailors and made almost all the clothes for everyone.
Anthony at present was in measuring Tc for his suit.
'I don't want to wear white.' Chris said wishing she could put her arms down. Holding them out like a bird while some strange woman took measurements far too close to her breasts was not Chris's idea of fun.
'But sweetie, you have to.' Joe Kelly oozed. 'It's tradition.unless there's something you haven't told me.'
Chris had purposely forgotten to mention the encounter with Victor in his family's barn. 'No daddy.' She said innocently. Chris knew she wasn't going to win this one. She took after her father.as stubborn as a mule, only he was worse.
It's not that Chris didn't mind the idea of everyone thinking she was still pure, it's just that white wasn't her colour. It always got so dirty, especially on her.
'What about a hoop?' Helen asked as her young daughter brought a cup of tea in for Joe.
'Please no.' Chris whined.
'Chris.' Joe warned. 'Kerry Callaway is wearing a hoop for her dress.'
Kerry Callaway, the daughter every father would love to have. Sweet, innocent, virginal. Never got her dresses dirty. Could cook, clean and sew all day, every day. As Chris was an only child, Kerry had been stuck with being the bridesmaid.
Chris had only two bridesmaids since Chris had no female friends herself, much to her father's disgust.
The other woman was of the dreaded McNamara family. Corine, or something like that. It was a ploy to get in good with the opposition.
'Ah, but I can't wear the same thing as the bridesmaids, daddy. I have to stand out.' Chris gave herself a mark for that one.
'What about layers?' Helen suggested. 'It's new and very fashionable in New York City. All the designers are using it.'
'Sounds great.' Joe said.
'What is it?' Chris asked.
Helen smiled. 'It's where you use many different layers of material to give the dress some structure.'
Chris thought about it for a minute. Anything had to be better than a hoop. 'Ok.'
+++++
Chris arrived home that night absolutely exhausted.
After the dress fitting was a trip to the hairdressers with Kerry so they could have their hair experimented on.
Chris had been pulled, blow dried and fluffed to within an inch of her life.then had to get tested for make up as well.
She was looking forward to a hot bath and after dinner she decided she'd take a book down to the paddock and read for a while or go to the stables and see the new foal.
Her horse Nutcracker has just had a baby colt. He was the cutest thing Chris had seen in a long time. She hoped that she'd be able to take them both with her after she got married.
She grabbed some clothes from her room and went down to the shed where their bath was.
She lit the fire under the tub, stripped off and hopped in.
Minutes later her mother came down carrying yet another dreaded dress.
'That had better be a quick bath Christine. The Callaways are already here.'
'What are they doing here?' She asked hanging over the side of the tub.
'We've invited them over for dinner and a more formal introduction. After all, this is your future husband.'
'Not if he dumps me like that last girl.' Chris said and dunked her head underwater.
+++++
Chris was still in the bath ten minutes later when she heard the shed door open.
She was lying on her back floating in the warm water. 'I'll be out in a minute.' She stopped floating and peered over the edge of the tub again, then dunked back under the water when she realised it wasn't her mother.
'Oh sorry.' Wendell Terrance said when he saw that Chris was in the bath. 'They told me there was a lavatory down here.' He marvelled at the size of their 'bath'. The sides were about five feet tall.
Chris pointed to a door next to him.
He thanked her, walked inside and closed the door.
Chris took the opportunity to hop out. If she weren't at the house soon it would be her father that would be coming down here next.
She quickly dried herself and dragged on her bloomers.
The door opened and Chris grabbed the towel to cover herself.
He just stood there looking. 'Again, sorry.' He said and walked out of the shed.
Great, she thought when he was gone. The first three encounters with her fiance was when she was filthy dirty or naked.
She threw on the rest of her clothes and went up to the house.
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