Bookworms | ✔

sixty-one

I'm in so much trouble.

Nicholas swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling the sweat beads at the back of his neck. His body felt flushed, heated underneath the shining lights of their hotel room, blood pulsing in anticipation for what was to come.

He specifically requested this room, finding the small specks of fairy lights to be scintillating in their brilliance, illuminating the simplicity of beige and white drapes and sheets decorating their bed. They wrapped around the edges and curves of the ceiling, coiling around the lamps as the glowing string danced along the bed and around the room. 

He thought about dropping rose petals, but he didn't want Dina to feel pressured into anything tonight. Leather couches lined up against the wall, a balcony adjacent to the heavy curtains of privacy. He coveted a view of the city, a view of the bustling lives of ordinary people, a view of the thousands of lights that lit a canvas of darkness deep into the night. Their room was small in comparison to what affluent wealth would guarantee him.

Nicholas sat on the mattress, sinking into the cushion as if he was on a cloud, his wedding attire still cladded against his body. Sighing, he glanced at the bathroom door with an elevated beat to his heart rate. 

Dina was in there, humming to herself some tune he remembered from a Disney movie. He could almost imagine her dancing in the mirror as she stripped herself of the heavy garments of their Nikkah. Her voice sang the melody that lulled him deeper into her personality, into her irresistible charm.

Was she really his after all this time? It felt too surreal. 

"Dina, you can't spend forever in there," he chided playfully. 

"Shush, Nemo. You're interrupting my moment," she joked initially before erupting into small laughs. "I'll be out in a bit."

Nicholas loosened his tie, gently separating it from his body. I might as well change here, he thought. Dina's going to take forever anyway. Next, he tossed his blazer, followed by the untucking and unbuttoning of his dress shirt, which crinkled as the night went on.

He caught his reflection on a wall mirror, circular with gold embroidery decorating the edges, a piece so simple that elegance reigned from its intricate design. Nicholas almost chuckled at his unkempt appearance. 

His hair was disheveled into a mass of waves and curls like a wind ruffled through blonde strands, shirt completely unbuttoned and trousers still attached by a thick, leather belt. Nicholas's workouts with Humaid actually paid off, lean muscle formed around his abdomen, not enough to be considered a six-pack, but enough to be recognized as toned. The sleeves of his attire constricted the movement of his arms, a sign that his biceps grew in the past few months. 

Bright blue eyes stared back at him, covered by his glasses. Small hairs covered his jaw and chin now, tamed and visible. His facial hair was darker than the blonde of his head. 

Somehow, Humaid made the nerd in Nicholas look like a ruggard, intelligent businessman. 

Would Dina find him more attractive like this? Or am I too stereotypical now? He didn't look too different than before, not really. Same eyes, same jaw, same hair. Nicholas began to feel self-conscious, hating the mirror for its existence. His confidence slipped through the cracks of his insecurities, crippling him with anxiety.  

The door creaked open, and Nicholas swiftly turned on his heel. At the first sight of his wife, everything disappeared, her beauty more radiant, mesmerizing his senses till he was defenseless against the breathtaking smile of her lips.

Her hair, silky and black, long and flowing in waves behind her, the length ending at her waist. Side bangs partially covered her right eye, concealing the shyness that etched brown orbs of innocence. He melted under her gaze, warm with delight, nervous with anticipation.