Arranged Marriage (closed for Desperado1089)

[teazme]

Natalia Ricci is 28 and still lives with her strict parents. Marco and Nadia Ricci have kept their daughter hidden away from the world. Marco is the CEO of the Ricci group and wants to make sure his daughter has an advantageous marriage. He believes a woman should be a virgin when she gets married. Because of this she has only gone to school, volunteering and back home. On the rare times she is photographed the stories spin how she is in rehab, just another rich party girl.

Natalia has a small social circle, her two best friends Beth and Sonya, both approved by her parents as good girls are coming over to help her get ready for a fancy dinner her parents are having.

The girls are in Natalia's room watching her try on dresses. Sonya, the most outspoken of the group says, "maybe tonight is the night you meet some guys. Beth and I worry you haven't even had a kiss yet." Natalia shrugs, "you know my parents, they are old fashioned." Beth giggles and wiggles her eyebrows, "yeah but you still need to know what to do when you do get to date."

Natalia laughs and puts on a light blue knee length dress with just a little dip to show off some clevage. The girls all gasp, "yes that is the one." Nadia comes in and smiles as she looks at Natalia, "oh you look lovely dear. I am sure you will stun at dinner tonight. At 5'5" with long brown hair and stunning blue eyes Natalia is a beauty but is so kept from the world that she doesn't know or appreciate it. Nadia smiles at Natalia, "oh my girl I am so excited for you tonight."

Natalia is a little confused by why her mom is excited but shrugs it off as her friends get ready for dinner as well. Finally, once all three are ready they head down and Natalia hugs her dad. The doorbell rings and Marco answers it, "welcome to our home. Natalia, come meet the man you are to be married to."

 

[desperado1089]

Major Mark Davis, US Army National Guard, stood in the doorway in his dress uniform, his insignia and medals polished to a brilliant shine, uniform smartly pressed, his shoes so clean you could eat off of them. The young man had heard of the rumors surrounding Natalia, and thus his smile seemed tense, even forced as he shook Marco's hand. "Thank you for having me, Mr. Ricci. I'm certain that in time, Natalia and I will live up to the expectations set upon us." His eyes flickered to the young woman in question as he stepped inside and took off his peaked uniform cap in one swift, practiced motion, tucking it under one arm as he reached out to take Natalia's hand.

Raising it to his lips, he pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand. "How do you do, Natalia?" A thought ran through his head: do Mario and Nadia know about the rumors swirling about their daughter? Do they care that her good girl image is at odds with these rumors? It was not clear to Mark if he should believe them, but knowing what he did about the rich and powerful (and their heirs) meant that the rumors were most likely true.

 

[teazme]

Natalia was shocked when she heard her dad say she was meeting the man who was going to be her husband. Her parents had never mentioned her getting married and she barely had spoken to men. Nadia stepped toward the door and looked at this man named Mark. She was immediately intimiated and you could almost see her body shrink a little bit.

Marco smiled at Mark, "please forgive my daughter. She is quite shy when it comes to men." Natalia nodded softly as Marco continued, "let us go to dinner so you two can get to know each other better." Marco took Nadia's hand and lead his wife in to dinner, leaving Natalia and Marco to follow.

Natalia looks and smiles softly and Mark, "it is a pleasure to meet you." Natalia's has always been soft spoken, but with her nerves at meeting the man who will be her husband her voice becomes seductive and almost like a purr. Natalia's friends both look at Mark and smile, "we are her two best friends Beth and Sonya."

In the dining room Natalia is quiet. She barely speaks with her father unless she is spoken to. However, with her mom and friends she is smiley and laughs at the stories as she catches up with her friends.

Marco talks business with Mark and his expectations for the wedding. As the salad is served Marco nods towards Natalia and looks at Mark, "she is a good girl. She will make you a good wife."

 

[desperado1089]

Mark notices how reserved Natalia is, and further begins to wonder at the rumors. Either she's a great actress, or the rumors are, for lack of a better word, bullshit. He tried to help feel Natalia feel more at ease, subtly hinting at how this was sprung on him nearly as suddenly as it had upon her. When he had the chance he leaned in to discreetly ask Marco, "Are you aware of the rumors surrounding Natalia?" That being said, he found himself hoping that she would come out of her shell around him, rather than act so meek around men.

 

[teazme]

Marco looked at Mark as he asked if he knew about the rumors. Marco nods his head sadly, "yes I have heard about them. I stand by what I said earlier. She has had a very private upbringing." Marco looked at his wife and then at Natalia, "maybe after dessert Talia can go show Mark the gardens."

Talia shrugged a little bit, "ofcourse father." Both Sonya and Beth looked at Talia to encourage her, "he is to be your husband. It will be good for you to get to know him."

After dessert Talia lead Mark over to the gardens but her voice got the best of her again as she ask with a seductive voice, "how are you feeling about all of this? I am quite nervous."

 

[desperado1089]

Strangely, Mark believed Marco. He was no stranger to smear campaigns and wondered just why this one was launched against Natalia.

When they got out to the gardens, he smiled as she asked him that question. "Honestly, I would have told my parents to get lost if it didn't mean I'd at least get to meet a beautiful young woman who didn't want to suck me dry. Well, not in the fun way, anyway. But I am a bit nervous, yes."

 

[teazme]

Natalia blushed a deep shade of red when Mark mentioned being "sucked dry in a fun way." She had no experience with men, heck she hasn't even had her first kiss yet.

Natalia decides to steer clear of that area of conversation and instead asks about his time in the service. She was taught by her mother to always talk about the other person in the conversation. Natalia shows him around thr gardens as they talk. They finally reach the back door to the house again and Natalia nods her head softly, "well it was nice to meet you. But I do have class in morning so I need to get to sleep."

 

[desperado1089]

He would relate the story of the snowstorm that got so bad his National Guard unit was deployed, and how he helped deliver a baby in the backseat of a car that had been stuck on the side of the road. When it was time to say good night he would nod understandingly. "Obviously, I've been to college, myself. West Point, as a matter of fact. Please let me know if you would like my help studying." He pulled her into a hug, deciding for now to believe Marco that the rumors were false. When they separated, he took her hand and walked towards the door while holding it, and would gently kiss the back of it on his way out the door.

 

[teazme]

Natalia slept fitfully that night. Thoughts of her impending marriage running through her head. In the morning Natalia left for classes, looking a little tired, most would assume she is hungover with the sunglasses and water bottle being clutched to her. The paparazzi snap photos that are quickly put online with salacious headlines, "Ricci daughter hungover again!" Another website posts, "Good girl Ricci gone raver!"

Natalia has never really cared about the headlines, she knows who she is and knows those are a lie. But she worries Mark may see these and believe them.

 

[desperado1089]

He did see them, but fortunately he knew what she was doing (or not doing) last night and scoffed in derision. "They're gonna have to do a lot better than that," he grumbled. Pretty much everyone else might believe that crap, but he knew how nervous she was, and that could sometimes result in lost sleep. So he called Marco for some advice.

"Good morning, sir. I think Natalia could use some moral support after this morning's tabloid spread. Does she like flowers, and if not, what are some suitable alternatives? And what is the best time to catch her between classes?" He put his Bluetooth in to continue the call as he got dressed in his usual camouflage uniform. "And which university did you say she attended, again?"