Hitched by J.F. Murray

Author:J.F. Murray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2024-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Italian Style

As they walked towards the main entrance of The Venetian, Kate was still trying to squeeze the remaining water out of her ugly floral dress. Thankfully, the sizzling Vegas heat had almost dried her hair out, but her dress remained slightly damp.

‘I still can’t believe you pulled me in,’ Kate said.

‘I still can’t believe you pushed me in,’ Trevor replied.

‘That was an accident. Just like marrying you was an accident!’

‘Accidentally on purpose.’

‘This isn’t funny, Trevor. I’m soaking wet because of you!’

‘Mrs Rush, behave! It’s only our second date.’

‘Ugh, you’re worse than Siobhan for making everything sexual.’

‘Nobody’s worse than Siobhan for making everything sexual.’

‘Good point,’ Kate said, accidentally smiling.

‘Was that a smile, Freckles?’

Another rookie mistake on her part. Winning this game meant keeping her guard up at all times. She was a woman on a mission, she reminded herself.

‘It was a grimace at best,’ Kate said, correcting herself.

‘I’ll take it,’ Trevor said. ‘Anyway, we better get you a new dress.’

‘It’s starting to dry out. I’m sure it’ll be fine eventually.’

‘That dress will never be fine,’ Trevor said, looking at the horrific floral patterns. ‘You need a dress that’s worthy of your beauty.’

‘Oh give me a break, I’m like a seven on a good day.’

‘There you go, running yourself into the ground again. I thought you would have gotten over your ugly duckling syndrome by now.’

‘Great, more psychoanalysis from the Vegas DJ,’ Kate said, throwing her eyes up to heaven.

‘You don’t believe in self-love?’ Trevor asked.

‘Well, loving myself would be a lot easier if you didn’t keep highlighting my flaws.’

‘I’ve literally never done that,’ Trevor said, confused.

‘Oh please, you call me Freckles like every ten seconds!’

‘Don’t tell me you’re still insecure about your freckles after all these years?’

‘I just don’t like any attention being drawn to them.’

‘Women never cease to amaze me,’ Trevor laughed.

‘Be very careful what you say next,’ Kate said. He was on thin ice as it was, without making sweeping generalizations.

‘Women still don’t realize that what makes them unique is also what makes them beautiful.’

His statement was surprisingly inoffensive. And on top of that, there was some truth in it.

For as long as she could remember, her self-esteem had conditions. It was either ‘I’ll love myself when I lose five pounds’ or ‘I’ll love myself when I get these freckles lasered off’. Self-love was always something she would achieve in the future based on reaching a certain goal. But when she actually achieved the goal, there was always another thing to fix down the line.

Confidence, it seemed, was an oasis in the desert, a mirage always so near yet so far. She knew how dysfunctional that sounded, especially from a feminist perspective. After all, every time a woman hates herself, the patriarchy wins. She hated herself for not loving herself. It was a self-defeating cycle that she feared would never be broken.

‘Well, women are given unrealistic beauty standards from the moment they’re born,’ she explained. ‘If you don’t fit the mould, society makes sure you know it.’

Trevor stopped and looked Kate dead in the eye.

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