Spiced With Love

“I can’t believe you guys will be staying here, now. And not to forget your fifteen-day honeymoon.” Emily expressed her dismay while sitting on the couch. It’s only been two days since their wedding and two days since they moved.

“Emily, we’re barely twenty to thirty minutes away. Now, why would I risk my life by separating you and Fiona? Plus, it's only for fifteen days.” Justin joked.

“Even if you tried, you wouldn’t be able to separate us. And only because it’s you, I will try to survive without her for fifteen long days.” Emily said, challenging him.

“But we are happy for you two. Both of you deserve all the happiness in the world.” James expressed genuine happiness. 

He is glad that Justin and Fiona are finally giving their marriage a chance. It was tactical of their grandmothers Cynthia and Cecelia to emotionally blackmail them to get married. But finally, they found a reasonable foundation of their relationship. 

Love

“Thanks, James. But it could not have been possible without you two. But now it is about time you both find someone for yourself.” Fiona told them.

“Fiona, not you too,” Emily groaned.

“Why? What happened?” Justin asked in confusion.

“Well, her lunatic Grams have made me her next victim. She’s trying to set me up on a date with a bunch of jerks. You should have seen her at your wedding. Left no chance to show me pictures of a bunch of douchebags. She even tried to set me up with one of the locals,” Emily moaned.

“You are not the only one. Cynthia Grams is also on my case, or rather, made me her new case. I have been trying to avoid her ever since she has expressed her interest in my love life at your wedding. I was on the verge of telling her that I have a girlfriend.” James said it in a grating manner.

Justin and Fiona exchanged knowing glances. James and Emily were present when they made eye contact.

 “You two know something,” Emily stated. It wasn’t a question, as Emily knew her friend very well.

“When we went to Windshire because of Cynthia’s Gram accident, they might have hinted that you two needed to find someone for yourselves. They considered getting you two together at first, but they realized Emily needed a guy who could keep her on a leash, and James needed to meet someone sweet. So, they dropped it. But they still insisted on wanting to find someone else for the two of you.” Fiona finally told them.

“We tried to convince them otherwise.” Justin continued so as to defend him and Fiona.

“And we felt we had persuaded them considerably,” Fiona stated.

“However, it appears that they went forward with it, regardless of what we said to them,” Justin concluded.

“And now you’re telling us about it.” Emily looked at Fiona while James glared at her.

But Fiona came to their defense. “We wanted to tell you two, but both our grandmothers didn’t make any attempt.”

“And they are not going to stop. We have got to do something.” James said.

“What will you do?” Justin asked them, intrigued.

“Their plan won’t be successful if both of us are in a relationship,” Emily said as she tried to contemplate a plan.

“Their grandmothers are smart. They would ask... Cut that... They would demand to meet our so-called other half.” James found an inevitable loophole in that.

“So, what should we do? I am not going to let them trick us.” Emily said stubbornly.

“They think we are not perfect for each other.” While his thoughts were spinning, James said. 

He then rose from his seat and knelt in front of Emily on one knee.

“James, what the heck are you doing?” Emily asked him, terrified, while Fiona and Justin exchanged puzzled stares.

“I am asking you for your hand to be my fake girlfriend. Their Grams thinks that we are not a match for each other. Let’s prove them otherwise. We are perfectly capable of falling in love with each other. We could be a brilliant match if we want.” James extended his hand to her in order to seal the deal.

“This will get on their nerves. And they will not be able to control us. I love it.” Emily said this with a big smile and gave him her hand. 

James was shocked. 

He didn’t actually think that Emily would have agreed without a fight. But she did. And he was more than glad about it. 

Fiona and Justin, too, were taken aback. Fiona didn’t think Emily would go through with this bizarre idea, but Emily is Emily. 

She is unpredictably unpredictable.

“Guys, you do realize that it is not easy to convince our grandmothers.” Justin tried to make them see the situation clearly.

Emily got up from her seat to prove an unspoken point. James trailed behind her, giving her a puzzled look.

She asked him, “Are you single?”

Her statement put James in a confusion. 

“Yeah! I would not have suggested fake dating if I wasn’t.” He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Completely single? No hidden or potential attachments I am not aware of?” She asked him again, trying to be sure before she acted.

“Yes, Emily. I am one hundred percent completely single with no current or potential attachments.” James said it to her again, emphasizing each other.

“No wife or fiance? Or drunk rendezvous leading or lead to a wedding in Vegas.” Emily wanted to cover all grounds of commitment she could ever think of.

“God, Damit Emily. I am single. S-I-N-G-L-E. Single. Do you want me to certify this with an affidavit? And to begin with, I have never even been to Vegas.”

“Affidavit. You can do that?” Emily was intrigued. 

She was considering the option which James accidentally proposed.

“Emily!” 

She kept her mouth shut after hearing James’ warning.

Without saying anything further, Emily grabbed his shirt and kissed him. When James came to his wits after a few seconds, he responded with equal jest.