The M Word by Beverly Farr Read Free Book Online

profile to the
drawing. As always, Brenda was amazed by her artistic
abilities.
    “We can slim the skirt.” She glanced up at
her. “Do you want to add sleeves?”
    Brenda had to admit that she was tempted.
“You can’t just give me your ten thousand dollar dress.”
    “Why not?” Kelly asked. “I’m not going to
wear it again, and we took dozens of pictures. Besides, it’s no
longer a ten thousand dollar dress. It’s now a recycled dress.”
    That appealed to Brenda’s frugal nature. “But
if you alter it, it’s practically making a brand new dress.”
    “It will be my wedding present to you,” Kelly
countered.
    Brenda let her breath out slowly. She
supposed that inside, nearly every woman wanted to have a beautiful
dress like Cinderella going to the ball. She was no different, even
though it flew in the face of her I-don’t-want-any-fuss principles.
“Do you think there’s enough time to have it altered?”
    Kelly laughed, knowing that she had persuaded
her. “What have you got -- two weeks? No problem. Plenty of
time.”
    #
    Brenda drove to Marius’ apartment to pick him
up. She was working the Saturday before their wedding, and with his
school schedule, it was best for him to move in with her on a
weeknight before the end of the month. Brenda had asked him if they
needed to borrow or rent a truck, but he said no, all his
belongings could fit in her car -- a conservative, ten year old
sedan.
    She had purchased a bicycle rack, which he
attached to the back of her car. She watched him work. He glanced
at the instructions and had the rack attached to the car in only a
few minutes, which impressed her.
    He was good with tools, like her father, she
thought. But he was better than her father, who tended to leave his
equipment out all over the place. Marius was much tidier, cleaning
as he went. He gathered up the packaging from the bicycle rack and
threw it away in the apartment dumpster. Today he was wearing a
polo shirt and a pair of canvas shorts. She noticed that his legs
were firm and muscled and beautifully shaped. Must be all that bike
riding.
    Brenda smiled at him. “I hope everything can
fit, but I don’t mind if we need to take a second trip.”
    He glanced at the space in the trunk of her
car. “There should be enough room.”
    And there was. Marius had only two large
suitcases, a briefcase with a laptop computer, a backpack, and a
few boxes that fit easily in her second seat. “How long have you
lived in the United States?” she asked.
    “Three years.”
    She found it amazing that he hadn’t
accumulated more belongings.
    Brenda noticed that one of the boxes was
filled with several pans and a cutting board. “Do you cook?” she
asked.
    He smiled in a bemused way. “I like to
eat.”
    That could mean anything, but she’d find out
more about him as they lived together. “Speaking of eating,” she
said casually, as they both sat in her car. “My parents want to
meet you and I said this Sunday would be fine. Is that okay with
you?”
    “Yes. I look forward to meeting your
family.”
    “I told them that we met over a year ago, and
that we’d seen each other off and on -- casually -- but that our
relationship changed recently when I broke up with Steven. I think
it’s best to keep the dates and the details vague.”
    “Steven is your ex- boyfriend?”
    She clenched her teeth. “Yes.”
    “How long were you together?”
    “Nearly two years.”
    She glanced at Marius, who had a serious
expression on his face.
    “Is there anything else I should know about
him?”
    Brenda hated to say this part, knowing that
it would make Marius think less of her, but she had to be
completely honest, even if he thought she was a slut. Someone had
called her that in high school and the word still stung. “He’s
married.”
    Marius nodded and said dryly, “Then it’s much
better for you to marry me.”
    She smiled briefly, grateful that he hadn’t
acted horrified or asked any more questions.