The five star hotel that we are staying in has to be the most amazing place that my eyes have witnessed. The Four Season hotel has me in awe of it but I had to shut my mouth in order to prevent making an idiot out of myself. James and I, obviously have taken up the penthouse booked by his company's dollars.

Our luggage was taken to our room and James has been busy on his phone ever since. He has been talking to French Delegates about some deal and I haven't been able to catch a word of it since the only language I know is English, but he does sound very dominating and seems to have a command over the language.

While he's busy, I take it upon myself to unpack my bag and hang the clothes in the closet. I don't want to even touch his bag, because I know he'll explode if he has someone touching his stuff. I have known him for about two months now and the thing I am certain about this man is that, he's a very short tempered person. We have hardly talked in those two months, most of which were limited to coffee and dinner dates mostly forced by our parents, and the other times probably included phone calls regarding some serious issue.

James still seems to be busy in the balcony so I change myself into shorts and a tank top after taking a quick shower. When he still doesn't get back inside, I flip through the food menu and order a burger for myself. If he's hungry and wants to eat something, he can come back and order it for himself. Although, I do order some coffee for him.

About fifteen minutes later, I hear the bell and open the door. A young server stands on the other side of the door with the food I ordered and I give him a smile before gesturing for him to keep the burger and my coffee on the dining table.

After he's done, he exits the room but I call out on him, "Thank you, Henry." I say looking at his nametag.

"Welcome, madame!" He grins, his accent clear as a daylight.

I hear someone clear their throat, startling me and I turn around to look at James glaring the server and then at me. Henry shoos away and I close the door behind myself as I retract my gaze away from James. This is probably the first time I have seen him without a suit jacket and tie, his shirt sleeves rolled up.

He has crossed his arms across his chest as he follows my every movement and I speak up as I take a seat on the chair, "I ordered some coffee for you." I say, briefly meeting his eyes before I focus it right back on my burger.

"You were flirting with him." He states and I frown.

My eyes shoot up to meet his, "What?"

"I told you Mrs. Clark, I don't like to repeat myself."

"But I was not flirting with anyone, I was just being kind because he served me food." I scowl at him and he shakes his head in disappointment.

A bad feeling sits in the pit of my stomach, like I am being reprimanded by the school's principal for cheating on a paper that I actually didn't cheat on. I suddenly seem to have lost my appetite and I push my burger away. He eyes me curiously before letting out a low grunt and disappearing back into the master bedroom.

I have just kept my clothes there for the sake of it, there's no way that I am sharing that room with him. Jetlag taking over me, I let out a yawn even though it's just nine in the morning, but I could barely sleep on the plane, they make me nauseous. I cuddle on the couch and wrap my arms around myself before falling asleep.

....

A cold shiver runs through my body and I jerk myself awake. It takes me a moment to realise that I am not in my childhood bedroom, rather I am rolled up with myself on the couch of a hotel. A sigh escapes my lips as I rub my eyes and let out a yawn. The suite is awfully quiet for my liking and I frown as I keep my bare feet on the carpeted floor.

I go to peek inside the master bedroom but I am immediately taken aback when I find it empty. What? He wouldn't just leave me here, right? I mean, he's very much capable of doing it, but a honeymoon wouldn't make sense with the partner missing. Not that it's any part of honeymoon as of now.

When I realise that there's nothing I can do to find James, I sprawl on the couch and start the television. The Vow comes on, and I am not lost at the irony of the title of that movie.

I am married. A twenty year old married woman whose husband can't stand her and she feels the exactly same about it. The good part, however, is the fact that I wasn't in love with anyone before this. If I were, it would have been much much harder for me to compromise to this marriage.

While I get lost in the movie, the suite door unlocks and James steps in, well dressed in a grey suit. He looks at my curled ball self on the couch and narrows his eyes, making me sit up straight.

"Where were you?" I ask and he scowls. He doesn't respond and goes straight to the bedroom and I am immediately on my feet as I follow him, "I asked you something, Mr. Clark. Where were you?"

"I don't owe you anything." He hisses at me.

"You may not, but your father does! I know neither of us are happy with this marriage but I need us to at least be on civil terms with each other." I clarify, not shouting but my voice is way too calm for my liking.

He clears his throat, "I had a meeting with some french delegates at their Paris head office." He says, removing his tie and I am surprised that he actually answered me.

"Okay. I was about to order dinner for myself, do you want me to order something for you?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"I already ate." He informs and I gulp, feeling hurt about the fact that I decided to wait for him to have dinner. I shouldn't have. Each time he says something to me, a bad feeling drops in the pit of my stomach, making me lose my appetite.

During our dinner dates, we hardly spoke. I just got to know that James is highly fond of seafood and very inspecting about it as well. He's a nice person when he's not being rude to me, because there have been moments when he came to meet me exactly after making a huge business deal and did all the gentleman stuff.

I nod to him before moving out of the room and closing the door behind myself. A loud sigh escapes my lips after I stare at the large empty living room of the suite. The television is still running on but I shake my head as I turn around and knock on the door slightly before turning the knob.

James is seating on the edge of his bed, his tie and blazer off on the chair. He arches an eyebrow at me as if to ask what do I need but I ignore him as I move to the closet. I am surprised to see that he has unpacked his stuff to the other side of it but I don't dare to touch it as I pull out a book from beneath my clothes.

After collecting it, I am about to leave the room when I hear his voice, "Have you ordered something for yourself yet?" He asks and I turn around to shake my head.

"No, not really hungry." I tell him, because even though I might be hungry, I don't want to eat. I have a feeling that as soon as a bite goes down my throat, I am going to puke it out because of how jittery I feel in my stomach.

"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday. Barely got any food at the reception either." He mentions and I am shocked about the fact that he noticed. "Do you usually go on without eating anything for such a long time?"

I shake my head, "No."

"Go order something for yourself. I don't want you to fall sick and then be claimed as the worst husband ever for starving my wife." He says and I try to look for an undertone in his voice but there's none.

But he is the worst husband ever.

We are in the most romantic city in the world, and I haven't stepped out of this suite once! I understand the fact that we don't unnecessarily have to talk to each other but something tells me that I am going to be hogged up in this room for the next five days.

I don't bother to reply to James as I get out and actually order pasta for myself. While waiting for the food, I start reading an Agatha Christie's novel and get lost into it until the bell rings. I am about to stand when James gets out of the room, eyes me a little and then goes to the door himself.

On the other side of the room is standing the same server from the morning, Henry. James glares at him and then looks back at me before taking my food from him on the door itself and shutting it behind. The realisation of his possessiveness looms upon me and I roll my eyes.

He settles it down on the dining table before motioning towards me, "Come, eat!" He says and I nod, taking the book with myself as I hold it in one hand and starting eating with the another.

When I still feel his eyes on me, I blink up at him, "What?"

"Nothing." He says but for the first time ever, I see a hint of amusement in his eyes as he shakes his head.

"Okay.." I drag and still can't seem to look away. He has such a handsome face with such beautiful features, if he weren't such a rude person, I might actually would have liked him.

"Good night, Mrs. Clark." He says and I nod at him.

"Good night, Mr. Clark."

The night looms over and I fall asleep on the couch while reading until James shakes me a little to wake me up and I slowly open my eyes. The sight in front of me jolts me awake as I observe his clothing. He's wearing grey sweatpants and an orange tshirt. I have never seen him in such casual clothing before, it makes him look so much younger.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Clark." He says, his eyes set on me.

"Morning." I mumble and keep the book from behind my back to the table.

"Why didn't you come to bed last night?" He asks and I frown.

"I was in bed last night." I gesture to the couch, making him scowl.

"By bed, I mean bed."

What? I look at his face to see if he's being serious and there's no trace of any expression on his face, meaning that he isn't joking around.

"I didn't know you were expecting me. And, I am not comfortable sharing a bed." I tell him, being honest even though I don't meet his eyes but I can feel his gaze on myself.

"Whatever suits you best." He says and I nod, finally looking into his orbs, "Please get ready, we have somewhere to be."

"We?" I immediately question.

"Yes. Apparently my father wants us to do a little exploring, go out and give media a chance to see that the newly weds are having a great honeymoon." He rolls his eyes while he says the words.

Oh. So, I do get to go out but only because Carrack has asked so. The thought about going out excites me but it also dulls my mood at the same time because I don't want my husband to take me out, just due to some obligation. Nonetheless, I shake my head to get rid of these thoughts.

"Just give me twenty minutes." I say and he frowns.

"That's all you are going to need to freshen up and get ready?" He asks and I nod, dumbfounded.

"Yes."

Honestly, I didn't understand if it was a mocking tone, implying that I am asking for way too much time or shock that I can get ready in that short period.

Focus, Lil! I ignore him and go to the bedroom to collect my outfit and enter the bathroom to take a shower. After I get out, I change out of the robe, making sure that the bedroom door is locked. I slide into a floral dress that falls a few inches above my knees, a shade of cream overwhelming the pattern. As I comb through my hair, using the mirror in bedroom, I notice the wedding band sitting on my hand. It's a constant reminder of my lack of emancipation.

There's a knock on the door and I move to unlock it, letting James enter. He doesn't even spare me a glance as he gets busy with himself, probably picking out his clothes. As soon as he pulls out a suit, I speak.

"You aren't going to a meeting, you know?" I point out and a scowl shadows over his features as he looks at me, a little confused. So, I clarify, "Just wear something casual. You're on your honeymoon."

That's when his eyes cast down to my dress and he looks me up and down. There's an unspeakable intensity behind his gaze, something I am not sure I can yet detect but his look makes the heat in my stomach rise. He immediately looks away when he realises that he just checked me out. I smile a little to myself at his actions.

He pulls out a t-shirt, a grey v-neck t-shirt and blue rugged jeans. His choice of clothes surprise me, a lot. When I said what I said, I just meant that he could leave the blazer and tie out of the picture. Apparently, he has some other idea in mind.

While I stare out of the room's tinted glasses to the balcony and soak in the beautiful site, I realise that James has already went off to take a shower. I thank heavens when he doesn't step out half naked, but has rather opted to utilise the big bathroom size and get dressed in there.

He runs a hand through his hair and pulls on his socks before stepping into white sneakers. I look him up and down, and notice how his t-shirt clings to the muscles on his body. I am pretty sure he works out hard to maintain that.

When my gaze meets his, I notice that he has been staring at me, watching me stare at him. Awkward. I feel the flush rising up my cheeks so I immediately clear my throat and look away. He picks up his wallet from the side table and I notice car keys in his hand.

Rental? Probably. I can't imagine James hoarding a taxi. The thought amuses me, and I smile to myself.

When we exit the suite, I make sure that I have my floral ballet flat on and grab my purse, rechecking my phone and lip balm. As soon as we are out of the suite, James immediately steps by my side, matching inch for inch as we walk to the elevator. I press the button and we wait, and two seconds later, the doors are sliding open.

He motions for me to move first, so I do. I notice that he stands between another man and I in the elevator, almost invading my safe space. But I don't comment on it, well aware that I prefer this than being groped by a stranger while it goes unnoticed by others.

When we reach the bottom floor, I almost jump on my feet as we get outside. I have never been to Paris, and tell me, what girl hasn't dreamed of it? Every girl has! I just seem to be given a chance to live my dream with certain restrictions. Like my husband.

Much like I expected, a car is waiting for us outside the hotel. The valet silently greets the two of us and opens my door, "Thank you." I whisper.

I don't know much about cars. It's a sedan, and red in color. That's all I can tell. Also has a BMW logo in the front.

"You got anything against eggs?" James asks.

I shake my head without even thinking, "No."

He nods, and silently starts driving. I don't say a word to him as I focus my eyes out of the window. The mini little boutique send a sense of flutter in my stomach and I can't take my eyes off the bakery shops with outside dining areas. It's all so beautiful. Paris is beautiful.

I sigh and for a second I can feel James' gaze on me. I don't pay heed to him as I enjoy the silence of my mind.

"We are here." He says and I look out.

Eggs and Co. Well, he was very particular about his breakfast choice. I unbuckle the seat belt. Just as I reach for the door, it swings open and I look up at James who actually did the gesture. I look behind me and the driver's seat is empty.

When did he slide out? I get out of the car, surprised by his action and mumble, "Thank you," to him. He just nods and shuts the door behind me. When we walk to the inside, I feel his hand on the small part of my back which immediately makes my skin rise up with goosebumps.

He doesn't touches me like that. He isn't a gentleman. What the hell is going on?

"We are out in public, Mrs. Clark. Smile." His breath hits my ear and I shiver.

Oh. That's what this is about. He's pretending to be a good husband because we might have the eye of media on us. I shake my head and turn to take a seat when I notice him pulling a chair out for me. This is too much.

But I keep my mouth clamped shut. I don't say a word as I browse my eyes through the menu and settle on having bacon and pancakes, the usual.

"What do you want to have?" He asks.

"Bacon and pancake. A glass of milk too, if that can be arranged." I say and he blinks at me.

What? It's as if he's waiting for me to explain what the glass of milk is for. It's for me. I like milk. What is the problem? When I don't say anything, he just nods.

A waiter comes by and takes the order of two of us. He orders scrambled eggs for himself along with bacon. The thick accent of people throw me off a little, but it also reminds me of how much of a hint of American accent is there in James' british one.

"Did you sleep well last night?" James asks and I look up at him, pulling my eyes away from people surrounding us.

"Yes." I say, keeping my replies short and to the point.

Even we went out on formal dates before our wedding, it wasn't like this. The distance between us spoke of miles and I think we both preferred it that way.

When I can't stop my trail of thoughts, I speak up, "Why are we talking? We don't talk when we are out to eat. Ever. What's changed?" I blurt, and from the look of his eyes, I immediately regret it.

The intensity behind them compels me to hold his gaze but the waiter interrupts us, placing our food in front of us.

"Anything else you would like to order, Ma'am?" He asks but before I can respond, James answers for me.

"No."

He dismisses himself but my husband is still staring at me like I just killed his dog. I asked a question, a relevant question for that matter.

"We got married, Lillian. As much as I would like things to not change, the inevitable will happen." He says before indulging in his breakfast.

I suck in a breath at his words. That's the first time he has called me from my first name. Earlier it was Ms. Vince, and then Mrs. Clark. There was a strange feeling in my stomach the moment he said my name. A feeling I hadn't quite experienced but I still am not sure whether it was good or bad.

•••

i initially started writing this two years back but since then studies took over my life and i never got the opportunity to write more than six chapters. but here it is now! studies are still a priority but i got plenty of time to write in the lockdown.

please drop your feedback.

thank you for reading. vote and comment!