Anna closed her eyes, her ears popped, and her body swayed a bit. She found herself clenching onto her husband's arm on the plane ride. She feared heights, always becoming terrified on roller coasters as a child. Crying to mommy in a time of need was a thing of the past. Her mother was in prison, her father was dead, and the man beside her ruined her weak relationship with her only aunt. Being a married woman did not stop her from feeling lonely.
Jeff's head lay on the window; his mouth was open slightly. His long legs sprawled out between the three close seats. She nudged his leg over a bit to limit his man-spread. He pushed back and mumbled something that she couldn't hear.
Anna had watched the staff roam up and down the aisle and tried to focus on the in-flight movie. But now that the plane was experiencing some turbulence, she kept her eyes shut. She did not want to look out at the clouds, and she damn sure did not want to look at her husband's hungover face, knowing neither would calm her nerves.
Jeff caressed her hand in comfort when he felt her next grasp.
"Go to sleep," he mumbled.
Anna adjusted her body away from him, deciding to now only clench the armchair. He had coerced her into this phony marriage, and now he was flying her to meet her bogus in-laws.
During the layover in Atlanta, they were like strangers as they walked through the terminal. Jeff suggested stopping for a bite to eat. He picked at the tray of food for a while before throwing his napkin over the barely eaten meal. His nerves improved, and the airplane shots were enough to soothe them. What annoyed him was the miserable expression on Anna's face.
"You could at least smile or practice smiling for when you meet my family," he groaned.
Anna looked his way and resisted a snarky reply. She was used to his criticism and his grumpy mood. Yet today, she could tell he was a bit uneasy and unsure of himself. Jeff wore formal attire, but he had been donning a pair of tan shorts and a collared polo shirt. Just because he looked relaxed didn't always mean he was. Jeff usually kept his hair and beard neat, but today it was a bit messier.
Her moody gaze made him nervous, "What?"
"Why aren't you smiling?" Anna countered.
He gave her a stern look that, had this been a year prior, would have scared the shit out of her.
"When you give me a quarter million dollars for nothing. I'll smile."
She placed the whole cheese doodle in her mouth and shrugged.
He wished his cock was that snack in her mouth. "You are a pain in my ass," he chuckled.
Anna stared at him, baffled, "I feel your pain."
She wasn't sure why he had picked her to be his wife; that was a mystery to her.
"Don't be a bitch. Just smile."
She rolled her eyes at the name-calling, "What's there to smile about?"
"Money." He glared at her. "You need some, and I need more. You'll be wealthy by the end of the year. Then you can move out of my house. I'm sure that will make you smile."
"I'll smile when we get there," she assured him.
Anna looked around at the happy couples and families that hurried past. She wondered if the people around were pleased or dissatisfied with their partner. Perhaps they were living a fraud life like she was. She wanted love and passionate sex. Jeff's sexuality was coarse and raunchy; he enjoyed BDSM and having his way with a woman. Her views on the topic were a bit traditional. She smiled at the thought of having a loving partner, holding his hand in public, dates, and making love.
"Want to fuck in the airplane?"
Anna looked up before dropping her smile, "Ew, no."
"You're no fun," Jeff grumbled.
"You're crazy," she shook her head and chuckled.
"At least you're smiling," he winked.
But she wasn't happy; she was in this situationship with an expensive ring on her finger and no love in her heart. Even though she knew she would get richer from this marriage, she was afraid.
Landing in Richmond, the two took a cab to a mini mansion 20 miles from the city. Anna had never been out of Texas, and a lot of the Virginia sites were about the same as her hometown. It was early September, and she was grateful for the cool breeze that blew in the north.
Jeff opened the trunk and got their bags out. Anna's jaw dropped, gazing up and around at the huge house. She jerked her hand away when he grabbed it.
"Come on. This is supposed to be my house," he mumbled, clasping her hand again. "Don't talk to anyone about anything; say you're happy and smile."
She replaced her curious expression with a huge grin. The interaction felt awkward to Anna as they walked hand and hand to the side entrance. Anna looked up at the detailed architecture of the big house. She had never been inside a house this big.
When the side door opened, a plump older woman cried excitedly, "Lord have mercy, come here."
The woman hugged Anna's body, swaying back and forth. It was an embrace that Anna didn't think she needed until now. Wrapping her arms around the woman's body, she smiled as if she had known her for a lifetime.
The woman leaned back to inspect Jeff's new bride.
"Jeff, you went and married Princess Jasmine," she giggled. "You. Are. A beauty!" She enunciated each word loudly.
Anna thought she was dressed too plainly for the compliment, but she smiled at the woman's kind words.
A fragile brown-skinned woman appeared at the doorway, "Well, I will be damned, glad you decided to grace us with your presence."
"Jeff, you are looking good and healthy. Have you lost some weight?" the white woman smiled up at him.
"I need a drink." He tried to move past the two women, blocking his way.
"No, it's too damn early in the morning. And I bet you ain't ate nothing all day just as skinny." She clicked her tongue, "I'll make some extra sausage; you gonna get your weight up." She paused and looked toward Anna, "Well, she's exotic."
Jeff ignored them both, stepping into the house.
Anna felt a bit curious as to what the woman meant. She didn't think she looked exotic; thick brown frizzy curls ringed down her back, stopping at her ass. She had donned some lashes and brown eyeliner on her lids to conceal her tired eyes.
"Bless your heart for putting up with that man. Come on in. My name is. Lucy," the woman smiled.
Anna was surprised the inside looked nothing like the outside; she expected luxurious decor in a huge house. The woman ushered her into the large kitchen, more extensive than the small sitting area she had passed. Three additional older women sat, all doing different tasks. She was a bit confused because the women were of other ethnicities than her white husband.
"That's Kelly, and you met Marla on the porch. That's Karla. They ain't twins, though," she chuckled, patting Anna on the back.
"Ray got married. Should have known Jeff would be on the bandwagon." Marla remarked, washing her hands.
"Hush up, Marla, talking crazy in front of his wife," Lucy chastised, smiling at Anna.
"She married him; she knows he's a handful. Ain't he girl," Marla cracked up.
"You want something to eat, honey?" Lucy said almost in a shout.
"No, ma'am. Thank you. We had some snacks on the plane. I ain't all that hungry," Anna replied.
The four women looked at her, puzzled by her thick southern accent. They had expected the young woman to speak a foreign language, something that would deter her from Jeff's often foul tongue.
Anna grinned as they all looked at her oddly, then Marla finally spoke about their interests.
"Where are you from, sweetheart?"
"Grainville Texas, my name is Anna; by the way, it's nice to meet you all,"
"Lord, he married a country girl," Marla shook her head as she wiped her hands on the cloth hanging around her shoulder.
