Romi and Jules (written to prompt)

Romi and Jules

         It shouldn’t have happened.

         It couldn’t have happened.

         It wouldn’t have happened if Jules had just listened to her father when he told her not to go into Eastside.

         But there was that party that Shayleen invited her to, and she just couldn’t say “no”. I mean, look… seventeen (in a month) and full of life, who would turn down the party of the century? And then…it happened. And changed everything.

         ”Hi, I’m Romeo.” Oh, my god. Bright blue eyes staring at her from underneath shaggy-cut golden-blonde hair with the face and body of Adonis! One eyebrow raised as his lips turned up in a smile. “Was it something I said?”

         She could feel the heat in her face as she swallowed and smiled shyly. “No.” He waited patiently. It took her a minute to realize that she still hadn’t introduced herself. “Um…” she stuttered, flushing brighter, “Jules. My name is Jules.”

         Romeo laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

         She frowned, brown eyes filled with confusion. “What?”

         ”You know, Romeo? And Jules is real close to Juliet.”

         Ah. Clarity. She grinned up at him, relaxing slightly. “Actually… um…” Again, he waited, as if he had nothing better to do then listen to her stumble and stutter. “Jules is short for Juliet.” He laughed again and she shrugged, long brown hair swirling around her waist. “Really. My mom had this thing for Shakespeare…”

         ”That’s crazy.” Romeo looked around the crowded room from where they stood against the wall then back down at her. “Um…want to go outside?”

         She grinned at him as the music swelled and raised her voice slightly. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

*****

         Eight months. Eight months was all it had taken and they were head over heels in love. Each other’s number one… with a bullet. Cupid’s arrow had done its work and so on and so on. However you put, they were inseparable. Only one problem.

         ”Your dad is Jason Fields?”

         ”Yeah, why?”

         ”Jules…” Romeo paused and took her hands. She tensed, hazel eyes searching his beloved face in concern.

         ”What is it, Romi?” She smiled hesitantly. “You know you can tell me anything.” It was one of the things they loved about each other. Each had found their sounding board; the one person that they could share everything without worrying about being judged.

         ”God, Jules. My dad is Robert Cardone.”

         ”Oh, crap,” she gulped. “I mean…seriously? Robert Cardone?” The Cardones and Fields’ were like Rosie O'Donnel and Donald Trump; constantly at war with each other.

         Jason Fields was the owner of Fields Construction Co. Robert Cardone was the owner of Cardone Industries, also a construction company. Jules could remember several times her dad had come home growling about how “that damn Cardone has underbid me again!” They’d been in hard competition for as long as Jules could remember. It’d even gotten to the point where Fields actually looked for deals that Cardone was bidding on and taken some of them out from under Cardone.

         ”Jules, it doesn’t matter.” Her head lifted quickly, surprised by the sudden harshness in his voice. “I want to marry you, Jules. It doesn’t matter who our parents are! You’ll be eighteen in five months and we won’t need permission and…”

         She laughed then, shushing him with her hand. “Romi, you’re freakin’ out over nothing.” His eyebrow raised in that way he had that she found so enduring. Dropping her hand, she placed a quick kiss on his lips then sat back. “First, since I think that was a proposal, yes I’ll marry you.” He grinned and reached out to grab her but she leaned away from him, laughing again. “Second, don’t worry about Dad. I’ve got something you don’t know about.”

         He frowned in puzzlement, his arms dropping to his sides. “What’s that?”

         She was smiling so wide she thought her face would crack. “Mom.”

*****

         Juliet took a deep breath, looking across at her mother from where they sat on Juliet’s bed. “So, there it is, Mom. What do I do?”

         ”Do you really love this boy, Juliet?” Carry Fields searched her daughter’s face. “Is he good to you?”

         ”Oh, Mom, he’s wonderful! I can talk to him about anything! Even when he’s angry he never yells. When we don’t like something the other did we just talk it out and…”

         The glow that filled Juliet’s face was enough for Carry. She patted her daughter’s leg to stem the flow of words. Juliet paused and Carry nodded firmly. “Let’s go talk to your father.”

*****

         ”Jason, calm down.”

         ”I will not calm down! Carry! She’s only seventeen, for God’s sake!” Jason ran his fingers through his graying hair in frustration, flinging one hand out toward his daughter. “Seventeen! What’s she going to do? Drop out of high school?”

         ”No, Daddy!” Juliet was quick to interject. “We talked about it and Romi and I both want me to finish school. And I still want to go to college and study business and…”

         It was as if her father hadn’t heard a word. “And he’s a damn Cardone to boot! A Cardone!” Jason looked at his wife helplessly. “A Cardone, Carry! That money-grubbing bastard has been taking business out from under me for years!”

         Carry, sitting calmly on the couch as her husband of twenty years paced back and forth suddenly rose and walked toward him. “Jason, it doesn’t matter if he’s a Cardone or a Pinkley or a Farnsworth,” she said firmly. She stood in front of him, stopping his pacing. As he glared at her, she lay one hand gently on his arm. “What matters is that our daughter is getting married.” He started to protest but Carry spoke over him. “Our daughter is getting married to ‘that money-grubbing bastard’s’ son whether you want her to or not. You can’t stop her.”

         Juliet stared at her mother. Carry Fields was a gentle woman. Juliet could only remember hearing her curse once. Jason glared at his wife. “I can, too.”

         Carry put her hands on her hips and glared back. “And you can cook your own food, too. And pick up after yourself. And do your own laundry. And sleep on the couch.”

         Jason, who really did love his daughter and absolutely adored his wife, shook his head and sighed as a smile quirked his lips. “You’d trust me in your kitchen, Carry?”

         As her husband put his arms around her, Carry laughed up into his face. “No, not really. But at least you’re thinking about it.”

         After giving his wife a hug Jason turned to his daughter, a pained look on his face. “A Cardone?”

         Realizing the danger had passed, Juliet grinned and nodded, walking up to her father. “Yeah.”

         ”And you’ll finish school before I have to give you away?

         She nodded quickly. “Yes. Romi insisted on it.”

         Jason sighed and pulled his daughter close. “A damn Cardone.” He pulled back and grinned at her. “Well, if you two are married, at least that money-grubbing bas…”

         ”Jason!”

         Her father laughed. “I’ll have to quit calling him that, huh?” Jason shook his head. “Maybe I should go talk to Cardone.” He raised his eyebrows at Carry. “Unless you want to? You’re pretty persuasive, you know.”

         Carry shook her head, smiling. “I don’t think he cares if I won’t wash his underwear.”

*****

         "You're out of your ever-lovin' mind, Romeo!" Robert Cardone shook a thick finger in his son's face. "You're not marryin' that Fields girl and that's that!"

         Romeo glared at his dad, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his chin out. "How are you going to stop me?"

         Robert was incredulous. His glare matched his son's in intensity. "How? How am I goin' to stop you?"

         Romeo's chin stuck out a little further. "Yeah! How?" He snorted and leaned back against his father's desk. "What, are you going to ground me? Take away my toys?" There was a momentary pause. "Spank me?"

         His face turning bright red with anger, Robert took a step towards his son, glowering at him from under big, bushy eyebrows. "Don't you think I won't, boy," he growled.

         Jerking upright, Romeo stared at his father. "I'm nineteen years old, Pop!"

         "That doesn't mean I can't still kick your but!"

         "Wait, wait!" Romeo held his hands up, then sighed, dropping them again. "You probably could, Dad. But when you're done, I'm still going to marry 'that girl'."

         "Robert..." Felicia Cardone opened the door to her husband's den and tentively poked her head in.

         "What..." Robert relaxed, lowering his tone. "Yes?"

         "Um..." she hesitated for a moment then barrelled on. "Jason Fields is waiting in the foyer."

         "What???" Growling, he pointed his finger at his son. "You stay here!" As he stalked out of the den, he muttered, "This is great. Gotta a few things to say to that money-grubbing bastard."

*****

         “And do you, Juliet Elizabeth Fields, promise to love, honor, and cherish this man so long as you both shall live?”

         Juliet blinked past the tears in her eyes, swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “I do.”

         ”I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The priest turned to Romeo and smiled. “You may kiss the bride.” Amid cheers, shouts, and applause, Romeo gave his new bride a long, loving kiss then turned with her to face their family and friends. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Cardone.”

*****

         "You gotta a good right hook on you, Fields," Robert Cardone said grudgingly as he touched his jaw. Jason had broken Robert's jawbone and the wires had only been removed a few weeks before.

         "You're a pretty good fighter yourself, Cardone." Jason's leg hadn't healed quite straight and he had to use a cane for walking. He sighed. "Uh... I shouldn't have made that remark about your wife. She's not a ..."

         "Yeah, well... shouldn't have said that about yours, either."

         Jason held out his hand to Robert. "We square?"

         Robert chuckled gruffly and shook it. "Coupla old cougars way past their prime."

         ”Look at them.” Jason nodded toward Romeo and Juliet Cardone as they danced across the floor, smiling into each other’s eyes.

         ”They make a good merger, Fields.” Robert Cardone looked away from the happy couple and slapped Jason on the back. “Speaking of mergers…”

         ”There’ll be no business talk at our son’s wedding, Robert.” Felicia Cardone wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist. “Come dance with this old lady.”

         ”Sounds like a great idea, Jason,” Carry Fields said, chuckling as she ducked under Jason’s arm.

         As the two men were pulled onto the floor, Cardone hollered over his shoulder to Jason. “Monday morning! Let’s talk!”