Chapter 71

I looked at the couple standing in front of us. At the lovely brunette in the expensive looking fur coat and the gentleman dressed in a classy suit. They had warmly hugged their son, ruffing up his hair and showering him with praises and all that. While I just stood at the side watching them, feeling like a complete stranger because I was. 

" Where is that stubborn boy that thinks he's too mature to call every so often?" His mom asked, and I guessed she was referring to Gabriel. There was a light in her eyes as she asked about him, and Arden's dad looked around as if trying to spot him somewhere. Arden explained that he was working but they'd see him later on.

" Is he still working himself to the bone?!"

" He needs to learn how to take a fucking break, " 

My brows arched at the crude tone his dad used, but I quickly pushed the reaction aside and stood still. It really felt as if they had forgotten I was even there. But then Arden's dad shifted his focus to me. And I watched as he took in the full sight of me, literally eyeing me from head to toe. Then he took a step towards me and turned towards his son. His Russian accent impossible to miss. It was concentrated in their words, but I could still make out everything they said. 

" Well I'll be damned!.." he began, then his entire face lit up in the brightest of smiles before adding, " The face of an angel!" He laughed this laugh that originated from his belly, it was thick and earnest, then he spread his arms and smiled at me. 

" Nice to meet you dear, " he said. 

I hadn't really been expecting that at all and I was touched. I walked into his embrace and returned it.

" It's really nice to meet you, Arden has told me so much about you, " 

I hoped my voice sounded believable, not shaky at all. After the hug he kept his arm around my shoulder and then I watched in amusement as he winked at Arden and inclined his head towards me. I turned to his mom and she was also smiling. She came forward and hugged me to. I had been scared about their reactions but they were so nice all my fears just melted away instantly.

" I'm still not thrilled about you two going ahead and eloping without saying a word but I'm glad my baby finally found someone. And she's pretty..Thank God!"

Arden flushed, scratching the back of his neck the same way he was prone to doing whenever he was either anxious, confused or embarrassed. His dad mentioned something about grandkids and I smiled awkwardly, wishing for the moment to end already. Arden walked over and stood next to me, then he slipped his arm around my waist and formally introduced me to them. And he did that thing of his again, where he'd peer into me eyes to make his story more believable.I played along. Wrapping my own arm around his waist. 

" Shall we get going? You must be tired after the long trip, " he later on suggested and everyone agreed. His mom fell into step beside me, then she crooked her arm around my own as we walked. Arden and his dad followed closely behind us, I could hear them talking about many random things. I was never good when it came to interacting with new people, but I knew I had to get over that even just for a day. Arden had told me so himself, that if I kept quiet the same way I ways did, it would rouse suspicion. According to him,his parents would never believe he had gone for the more reserved and introverted type.

" I'm hoping to hear about how you met, " his mom stated. I chuckled and nodded. Then I told her that I'd tell her everything she wanted to know. She looked completely sophisticated. Starting from how she walked to how she talked, everything about her. The way she carried herself, it screamed two words, money and class. Yet I was the exact opposite, but I didn't think about any of that. I had promised to help and so I would. Even if the feeling of doing something wrong kept growing inside me, perhaps if they had turned out to be awful and snobby people I wouldn't have felt so bad, but they were actually really nice and sweet. It made me feel like a horrible person. 

She saw the necklace around my neck and commented on how lovely it was.

" Thanks, Arden gifted it to me, " 

" I've never known him to be such a romantic, he must really love you, " was her response. Her hand on her heart and a look of complete adoration on her lovely face. I'm certain they were quite old, Arden was twenty six so they must have been in either their fourties or fifties, but they both looked like people in their late thirties. It was the strangest thing, but I suppose that was one of the perks of being rich. You had nothing to worry about so you'd never get stressed over anything which would in turn make you both look and act younger than you actually were. 

The drive to the penthouse was not at all quiet. His parents talked quite a lot, his mom told us about a fashion show she had attended in Paris and some sort of diner party that had been thrown on the terrace afterwards. How she had actually met a number of celebrities. And she said it in a manner that implied she was used to such things. there was no pride in her tone, she could as well have been talking about a trip to the grocery store.

Man! Just who were those people. 

I was seated at the front on their insistence, they said I was his wife and so it was my place to always be with him. And after a while, we finally got home. 

" Didn't you bring any luggage?" I asked them in realizing that they actually didn't have any. 

" Mine will be arriving later on, she however, decided not to pack anything. " Arden's dad said. His eyes on his wife who rolled her eyes. 

" I needed a reason to shop while I'm here, " she said. I once again hid my great astonishment. Was that even something that normal people did,not carry any luggage on a trip because they planned to buy everything once they arrived wherever they were going?

How much would that even cost?

Each second I spent in their company only made me realize how truly pathetic my life was. I don't think I even had the right to call it a life. What I did was struggle,they on the other hand lived like they owned the damn world.

When we got to the house I led them to the living room and asked them what they would like to drink. I thought they'd want coffee or maybe even water, a glass of juice wouldn't have been bad either. Instead, his mom asked if I could make a Martini. And no I could not. 

Sighing,she asked for a glass of white wine instead. And I thought she was done when she added, " If you happen to have a bottle of aged Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet, that would be just fabulous!" 

My face fell blank as I turned to Arden. Seated down as well. He turned to his mom and said we didn't have that at the house, she looked a little disappointed but then said any type we had would do, that she trusted Gabriel's taste and knew he always went for the finer things. I was planning on just picking the first bottle I saw really. Turning to Arden's dad, I was sure he wouldn't be so grand in his demands, he looked like a pretty laid back guy, then he talked and I completely rethought those thoughts.

" I'll just have some vodka, " he said. That was okay, it was a fairly normal request, but just like his wife, he went ahead and asked " And you don't by any chance have those non melting ice cubes, do you? The bullet shaped ones that won't dilute the flavor of the drink?" 

Again...who were these people?!

I didn't know whether we had those? I didn't even know there was such a thing. What kind of ice doesn't melt, if it doesn't melt then it's not really ice, is it? Smiling, I shook my head. 

" Nope, I'm afraid we only have the normal ice cubes, "

Just like his wife, he took the heartbreaking news quite well and said it was okay, then he turned to his son and told him to consider getting those, that they were much better, more sophisticated and that they were even reusable. 

" My friend Julio suggested them, you remember him? We closed that deal with him in Moscow a while back?" 

I got out of there as fast as I could and made my way to the kitchen to get their drinks. I hadn't asked Arden because as his wife, I was supposed to know everything about his likes and dislikes, which I did. 

His favorite drink was actually whiskey but he was trying to cut back on the drinking so those days he preferred the nice tasty smoothies I would make him. It was all a lie but a rather nice story for when his parents asked. Arden said it would dilute the awkwardness and give us all something to talk about. I had already made the smoothie before we left. It comprised of bananas, mixed berries and carrots. 

Yes, carrots.

I poured two glasses of it, one for him and the other for me. Then I quickly went to the liquor cabinet and got the vodka from the wide variety of drinks, pouring his dad a glass along with some non-bullet shaped ice cubes, poor guy. 

After that I went to the wine rack and carefully scanned the labels, I wasn't searching for whatever she wanted. That name was longer than my future, I just wanted to get the most 'aged' white wine as she had said. I found one and decided it would do. Cramming the name Incase she asked me what it was, and according to what I had observed about that couple, there were chances of them asking me the history of the freaking vineyards where the grapes were grown as well. What had I gotten myself into?!