Harmony blushed as she took the flowers, her teary eyes glistening. "They're beautiful," she whispered. With one hand she tenderly, lightly, stroked the rose petals.
"It's only the best for my girl," Gary boomed. His husky voice, low and resounding, echoed through the old building's entryway corridor.
Harmony swallowed hard, trying not to look directly at him. "Thank you," she mumbled.
"I can take those, dear," her mother interjected, reaching around Harmony to grab at them. "You two need to practice your dancing."
"So do you and Dad," Harmony reminded her. "In fact, I think the two of you need it more than we do." She glanced over to Payton, who sat unusually silent in one of the large sofas, toying with her long ashen hair. "Gary, why don't you hand these over to Payton? She can hold them while we dance."
His face gave a brief nervous twitch before he clenched the bouquet and turned to hurry across to where Payton sat.
"The two of you will be so happy together," her mother beamed, whispering into Harmony's ear. She laid a heavy hand on Harmony's shoulder. "How are you feeling about the wedding? You can't tell me you don't love a man who gives you flowers like that."
Harmony clenched her jaw for a moment, watching Gary as he strode across the hallway. He was large and powerful, but as gentle with her as if she were delicate blown glass. "Sometimes I do, I think," Harmony agreed. "I care for him more each day."
She felt her mother's grip tighten, then drop away. "You're doing the right thing marrying him," she assured Harmony. "He's a catch. He's from an excellent family, and truly a righteous man himself. His ancestors joined the church generations ago. They were part of the pilgrimage that crossed the plains. They have a wonderful heritage, Harmony."
"Besides," Harmony's dad towered over the two of them as he quietly came up from behind, "You're not getting any younger. This is probably your best chance, if not your last."
"I'm... only twenty, and..." Harmony stammered, stopping as she realized that in public was not a place to have the same old discussion again. Her brow furrowed as she watched Payton look up at Gary, her face suddenly flush as he handed her the flowers.
"Don't forget you have chunky calves," her mother poked her in the ribs. "Men like really slender legs. You're lucky Gary doesn't seem to notice."
Harmony looked at the floor to hide a pained grimace, absently pulling down on her long skirt.
"You care about him," Harmony's mother whispered quietly. "You will learn to love him, and the two of you will be happy. I promise."
Harmony squelched a long, frustrated sigh and went to meet Gary on his way back to her. He took her hand warmly and led her into the dance hall.
"Just a couple more hours of dance lessons," she heard her mother crowing behind her. "The wedding is going to be simply perfect."
"I'm going to be glad when the wedding's over," Gary whispered, putting his arm around Harmony as they stood to wait for the instructor. "I'm just a bit concerned that your mother thinks she's the one getting married."
Harmony choked back her laugh. "That could make for an awkward honeymoon," she agreed.
Gary went dead quiet, and Harmony scrunched her nose in remorse.
"Have you thought any more about what you'd like to do for our honeymoon?" he prodded after a long, uncomfortable moment.
Harmony felt the familiar knot in her stomach. She shook her head. "I've been trying not to," she confessed.
Gary gave an aggravated sigh. "I don't see what the big deal is. We don't have to spend the entire time at the hotel. All I said is we should get a room with a nice hot tub and a king-sized bed."
Harmony blushed, hoping desperately that no one else was listening. "And," she grumbled, "all I'm saying is that I don't think we're going to spend that much time in the room. I'd like to get out and see some sights or something. I don't want our marriage to be all about..." The word stuck in her throat.
"It's not," Gary objected. "But the honeymoon typically is."
"A marriage is like a cake," Harmony informed him judiciously. "And sex is just the frosting. That's my point."
"And my point," Gary glanced up to see Harmony's mother walking over to the CD player, "is I want to spend my honeymoon licking the icing."
"I think the instructor is running late," Harmony's mother called out. Harmony was grateful for the interruption. "While we're waiting let's put on some music and try practicing what we learned last week."
In a moment a quiet song echoed through the large room. Harmony's dad rushed over to join her mother, and they began to jostle clumsily over the floor. Harmony took a deep breath and rested one hand on Gary's shoulder and the other in his grasp.
She waited, watching Gary count out the beats, his knees bending on every other one.
He stepped towards her and she hurried to step out of his way. He pulled her back, trying awkwardly to swing her around himself.
"Ow" Harmony squawked, jerking her foot out from under Gary's.
"Sorry," he grunted. He stopped, counting the beats again.
Harmony glanced to the doorway, hoping the instructor would arrive soon and save her. He hadn't yet. But someone else had.
He stood there, watching, his piercing dark eyes showing an intense humor. He leaned casually against the doorway, chuckling to himself. Gary saw Harmony's stare and turned.
"That's not the instructor, is it?" he asked.
Harmony shook her head. "It's not who was here last time." She turned her head away, but watched the stranger from the corner of her eye, swallowing back her uncomfortable interest. His broad shoulders filled his black tailored suit perfectly. His thick, full hair was an obsidian forest of desire, his skin a rugged, sweet mocha. His lips curved over his chiseled face in a contagious grin.
"What are you laughing at?" Harmony's mother broke the silence, staring in contempt at the stranger.
"I'm sorry," he laughed as he stepped into the room, his stance tall and confident, his words rich and strangely enticing with the hint of a foreign accent. "Am I not supposed to laugh?"
"We're learning to dance," Harmony's mother chided.
"Oh no," he chortled, "I may not know what it is you are doing, but that is certainly not it."
Harmony's mother straightened her back defiantly. "Who do you think you are?" she retorted.
He stopped, offering a polite smile and genteel bow. "Just who do you think I am?"
