Whisky, Weddings, and Ruins

Not even the beauty of the Scottish landscape could lighten Brendan’s melancholy. He leaned on the parapet atop an ancient castle with his arms crossed under his chin and his back hunched. His heavy brow knotted in a gloomy expression as he squinted at the scenery.

He found no solace in the symmetry of the rolling hills, no harmony in the sound of the rustling branches of the trees, or any beauty in the soft evening light. The fragrant breeze caressing his cheeks was lost on him.

It should have been a perfect day. The wedding ceremony should have been the epitome of symbolic love and trust. But the events of the day had shattered his worldview.

Gentle footsteps closed in and stopped beside him. He glanced up. It was Alicia, the maid of honour. He watched as she leaned across the parapet, smiling at the landscape, and seeming to enjoy the feeling of the wind in her face.

She peered at him, smiling brighter when she saw his expression. Brendan did not turn toward her, instead, he gave her a sidelong look, taking the opportunity to scrutinise her features once again. 

He had not met her before today, but at first sight, he had identified her as just the kind of woman he would want to marry. Her easy smile, her long auburn hair and those large brown eyes. She was perfect. But how could she be smiling after such a dreadful day?

He stood up straight, feeling the rough stones of the parapet beneath his hands.

Finally, she turned toward him and looked him in the eye. As if reading his mood she said, “I’ve never believed in weddings.”

Brendan pursed his lips bitterly. The first thing she says to him and it screams of cynicism. Another blow to his soft, romantic heart. His grip tightened on the cold stones. Strike one.

“Weddings are not a religion, it is not something to be believed or doubted,” he said.

“No,” she said, her smile turning roguish. “They are more like an occult ritual.”

She turned her back to the parapet. In her hand was a bottle of whisky. She took a swig from it and held it up to him offering him to share it with her. 

His hand twitched, but he stepped back and shook his head. Not so sexy. He clenched his hands. Strike two.

She laughed. “No need for decorum up here,” she said. “Look at us. Your tie is undone, your shirt is wrinkled and I am wearing the ugliest dress ever made.”

Her lavender dress was far too frilly, but who would notice that? Alicia would be beautiful in a sack.

“Why don’t you believe in weddings?” he asked.

“You know… they’re pompous ceremonies distracting from the fact that you are signing your freedom away to another person.” She took another gulp from the bottle.

Brendan gritted his teeth. “You are wrong, you know. Marriage is a sacred bond. It’s a promise that binds two souls together in mutual love, trust, and respect.”

She rolled her eyes at him, but he continued: “To marry is to have faith in love. It’s a leap into the unknown with someone you believe is worth the risk.”

“Poppycock!” Alicia exclaimed. “Marriage is nothing more than a tool invented to control people, locking them into predefined roles. It’s a social contract disguised as romance. People are tricked into a lifelong commitment that benefits the state, religions, and the economy more than the individuals.”

Brendan raised his hands, ready to contradict her, but Alicia was quicker. “The concept of marriage feeds off the myth of eternal love,” she said. “Something that does not exist in reality.”

Brendan turned away, seeing she would not be convinced of anything else. She was certainly determined.

“Alright,” she said and put her hand on his shoulder, “tell me what marriage is good for in this day and age. Why do you believe in it so?”

He turned back and looked at her, her hand was warm in the rising wind, but he shrugged it off with a quick jerk.

“What made you so dead against it?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I’ve been to four weddings, not including this one, and only one of the couples is still together. I watched my parents fight each other with teeth and claws in their divorce. I’ve never seen a marriage work.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “But my parents were together for forty years. That has to count for something.”

Alicia cocked her head and was silent for a while. “They must have loved each other very much,” she said sweetly, but a sly smile soon crept over her lips. “Not like Luke and Dianne.”

Brendan relaxed a little. “No.” He held up his hands. “What are the odds that both the bride and the groom skipped out on their wedding?”

Alicia raised her eyebrows. “I guess they both came to their senses.”

“No!” Brendan insisted. “They made a mistake. They are cowards!” He put his hand over his mouth. The words had slipped out of their own accord.

Alicia hesitated. “I’m sure they avoided a greater grievance in the long run.” 

She put her hand on his arm and stoked it soothingly. A light rain had begun to fall, tapping on the stones, but that was not why the hairs on his arms rose.

He ran his hand through his hair. The rain was cold and he must look wretched. He looked away, confused. How could her words be so harsh, but her touch so gentle?

“So, you will never marry?” he said, clenching his teeth.

When she did not answer, he looked back at her. She was grinning, which infuriated him even more.

Alicia shrugged. “Sure, I’d marry. Just as long as the guy understands the premise.” 

The “guy”, Brendan thought, she did not even have the decency to say “man”. He frowned. Strike three.

His eyes blazed with anger, but she continued with a crooked smile: “Weddings are the ultimate social theatre. Why miss out on the chance to be the star of my own gaudy production? If I’m going to argue about cake flavours and seating charts, I might as well get someone I like to do it with me.”

She smiled endearingly at him. “Besides, marriage is like a long team-building exercise. If you can survive years of debates over thermostat settings, bathroom etiquette, and snoring, you’ve probably achieved a personal growth level that a single person will never know. Who needs meditation retreats when you can just get married?”

Brendan finally cracked a smile, she had just described his parent’s little feuds to a tee. He took the bottle from her, it was almost empty. He upended it, nearly choking the last few drops. Not so sexy.

Alicia laughed. The rain had subsided and the clouds had broken enough to reveal the last evening light. It made her cheeks rosy and her eyes twinkle.

He glanced haughtily at her. “Would you marry me?” he asked, expecting a defiant no.

She looked at him with a steady gaze and bit her lower lip. She took the bottle from his hand and placed it on the top of the parapet. 

To his amazement, she reached up and put her arms around his neck. He stared into her glistening eyes as she leaned in toward him. 

Brendan went rigid but breathed out when she raised her heels and stood on her toes to compensate for his height, caressing the back of his neck with her fingers.

She kissed him gently on the mouth. The unexpected softness of her lips made him tremble, all strikes forgotten.

“Did you not hear a word I said?” she said as she let go of him while smiling impishly.