A Thing Called Love

Chapter 22

"Are you sure you don't-"

"Yes," Rosemarie huffed out before Elvis could even finish. She didn't turn to face him, instead focusing on the mirror to secure another curler in her hair.

She didn't understand what his problem was all of the sudden. Whenever they went out, she did her own hair and make up and chose her own outfits. That included their trip to Paris (where they were most certainly seen) and even her wedding. Never once did Elvis complain but now that they were going to do a press conference he suddenly wanted to push a stylist on her.

Rosemarie thought that he understood that she wasn't that type of woman. She was used to doing things for herself and happy to as well.

"What are you gonna wear?" Elvis asked.

"The dress you got me in Paris."

"Are you-"

"If the trouble is me not doing it to your satisfaction you might as well say so. If there is something wrong with me-"

"Wrong with you?" he echoed, his voice rising and echoing through the bathroom. "Where did I ever say that there was somethin' wrong with you?"

"You're really pushing for a stylist, Elvis. You must not be very happy with the way I'm doing it."

Elvis pressed his mouth into a fine line, eyebrows coming together as he stared at her for a drawn out moment. "What are you even talkin' about? That's just...it's how it's done. They all got stylists for that type of thing."

"So I am doing it wrong?"

"I never said that."

"But you must be thinking it because otherwise it wouldn't matter to you whether I get myself ready or not."

"Oh Jesus, Rosie. This is why I get for tryin' to pamper my wife?"

"You can offer. But what you were doing wasn't offering anymore," she forced out, wincing when she rolled hair around a curler much too tightly. Tearing it out again, she started over.

"God forbid, I was thinking that maybe you'd like not having to do it yourself for once."

"You brought it up, I said no-"

"I thought you were just saying no to be humble," Elvis cut her off.

"Sometimes no just means no and you can leave it at that and if you keep going with this you might as well go to your press conference by yourself. I might end up embarrassing you anyway."

"Why do you gotta be like this?" Elvis burst out.

"Why do you?" Rosemarie shot back. "Can you not accept the word no? I said yes to the conference-"

"A moment ago you said that I could go alone."

Rosemarie pressed her lips together and remained silent despite the anger bubbling within her. She knew how it would go with Elvis. As sweet and gentle as he was, once his temper was awakened things could get ugly.

They fought about the most ridiculous things, such as this. At times a simple misunderstanding over something the other said would turn into a thirty minute screaming match.

There was one thing about him that grated on her nerves like nothing else- he would not back down. Elvis started what he finished and apparently that included fights. At his worst, he would act like a petulant child who did not understand the meaning of 'leave me alone'.

"Just get out," Rosemarie tried halfheartedly as he continued to hover in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Why am I supposed to get out? This is my house."