Married at First Sight

*Note to readers: This story is about the fetish of attractive women who smoke. If you hate smoking, please move on to another story. Don't bother telling me about your poor Aunt Millie who died of lung cancer or your Uncle Joe who has emphysema from smoking as it won't change the way I feel one iota. We all die from something.

**Intro: My girlfriend, Kay, recently told me about this show where people who've never even met agree to married 'at first sight.' (Many of you have undoubtedly heard or it or even watched it as it's been on for 4-5 years.) She knows I don't care for reality TV, but what caught her attention was a new husband and wife where the wife found out right after she married him that the husband smokes. His smoking is a very big deal to her, and she nags him endlessly about it.

As my male self, I never smoke. Ever. But Callie smokes and couldn't be Callie if she didn't. Kay strongly dislikes it, but knew it was a part of the 'girl' she fell in love with so as long as Callie goes outside, Kay tolerates it. Unlike my story characters, Kay expects Callie to brush her teeth and use mouthwash before coming to bed. Anyway, that's why this story line caught my attention.

Kay then filled me in on some of the unlikely pairings from past shows, and I had a great idea for a story; one in which the new husband's ultimate dream and biggest fantasy finally comes true.

******

"Owen? Congratulations! You're one of our six finalists and we've found a wife for you."

"Are you serious? Oh, my God! This is incredible!"

"Tell us how you're feeling."

"Wow. How am I feeling? I'm feeling...excited, nervous, happy, scared. Yeah, all of those things all at once. This is just so...amazing!"

Another one of the 'relationship experts' was on the phone in another room calling his prospective bride.

"Reagan? Congratulations! You're one of our six finalists and we've found a husband for you."

"What? Are you kidding me? I'm getting married?" There was a loud squeal followed by more disbelief. "Is this for real? Am I really getting married?"

"Yes, you are, Reagan. We've found someone we feel you'll be potentially very happy with. We see quite a few strengths you can each pull from the other. All right, you have just three weeks before your wedding so I'll let you go. We'll be in touch often and again, congratulations!"

Both of the finalists were in stunned disbelief at having been selected as finalists for the popular reality-TV show called Married at First Sight. Both had hoped, but never really believed, they'd be chosen out of the thousands of people who were now sending in videos explaining why they should be drafted to get 'married at first sight'. But both Owen Palmer, a 31-year old software developer, and Reagan Delmore, a 27-year old caterer, beat the odds and made the final cut and had been paired with each other.

Both people immediately began calling their closest friends and family members to share the good news. Well, in some cases, their family and friends thought this was either ill-advised or an outright mistake. After all, who in their right mind would marry someone they'd never met or even seen before?

Anyone who'd watched the show knew that one of the future spouses occasionally nearly stopped the wedding before it even took place. As soon as they walked down the aisle and laid eyes on their future husband or wife, the lack of physical attraction caused them to call time out to sit and really think it through. That may have been all theater staged for ratings, but it seems very likely it was borne of genuine concern as physical attraction is a very important aspect of any relationship for most people.

In those cases, viewers watched all of the previous excitement of having been selected, shopping for the perfect wedding dress, and all the happy chatter seen and heard as the show followed them around the three weeks before the wedding, vanish in an instant. Instead of hearing yet another glib comment about 'how there would be challenges to be overcome them with hard work and commitment', the future bride was sitting outside the wedding chapel crying and asking (into the ever-present camera), "Can I really do this? Can I marry a guy I find completely unattractive to me?"

"But what if he isn't attractive?" Reagan's sister Meagan asked her. "Seriously? What will you do if you look at him and think, 'Oh, my God. I don't even want to kiss that guy let alone sleep with him'?"

Reagan dismissed her sister's concerns with a flip comment like, "The experts wouldn't pair me with someone like that. I told them physical attraction is very important to me."

Reagan was the kind of young woman most men would call cute or even pretty. Some might be generous and call her beautiful, but most would not. She didn't turn a lot of heads when she walked into a room, but she was not in any way unattractive. An honest assessment was that she was above-average looking but not 'hot'.

Even so, she had high, almost unrealistic expectations in men, and that was undoubtedly a prime reason why she was still unmarried in spite of her constant protestations she'd like nothing more than to have a devoted, loving husband.

"I know you don't want to hear this, Reagan, but you need to learn to give more." Her younger sister started to object, but she kept talking. "You know exactly what you want and you have all these demands for any guy in your life. But it seems to me, you have very little idea about how to give back. People who only take are sponges, Reagan. Maybe you could try a little harder to give back rather than just demand and take. Okay, I'm done. You can blast me now." And Reagan did blast her, but most of the blasting came from a deep sense of guilt caused by knowing her older sister was absolutely correct. That was a huge problem for her and she knew it. She'd known about it for years. Changing old habits was the hard part.

In Owen's case, it was his best friend since elementary school, Art Langer, who thought this was a really bad idea.

"Dude, what if you see some fat chick walk down the aisle? What if she's like super religious or some kind of nutty political partisan? You're a laid-back kind of guy, man. The last thing you need is a woman who's all about order and tidiness and you know, the kind who says, 'A place for everything and everything in it's place'. How are you gonna deal with someone like that when you live and work out of what could best be called 'organized chaos'?"

"Being easy-going is my best quality, Arty-Art who let a fart. So even if she is a little hyper, being a chill kind of guy allows me to let it roll right off my back. And she doesn't have to be a total babe for me to love her. As long as she's not really un-attractive, and if she's dedicated to making a marriage work, it'll be cool."

Owen really was a good-looking guy and the show's so-called experts had factored that into account. In fact, he was the kind women would and often did call a 'hottie.' As noted, in the past, these experts often paired one hot person with an average person, and it had created tons of controversy which was good for ratings. One such couple, Doug and Jamie, where Jamie was much better looking than her proposed match, had managed to work through it and ended up not only staying together but having children. They were one of the three original couples to marry at first sight on Season One and the show was still making money off them several years down the road by 'checking in on them' from time to time.

The disparity between Owen and Reagan was roughly equal to that of Doug and Jamie, but in this case, of course, the man was the clearly better-looking partner.

Their differential in looks would be evident but probably wouldn't be too controversial since Reagan was the picky one. What would however, was that Owen smoked, and smoking was something Reagan found off-putting in the extreme. In their favor, both of them were the kind who hated giving up on something, so the hope was that both of them would work very hard to find ways to either accept or learn to live with the other person's behavior without walking out of the marriage during 'the experiment'.

That term was the show's own creation and it applied to the initial six weeks of marriage, after which the couples would be asked to decide whether they wanted to stay together or get a divorce. People all across the country tuned in week after week to watch the couples interact, trying to predict which ones would stay together and which ones were doomed. No one really seemed to know until the final interview of the final episode where minds were often blown when a decision viewers hadn't anticipated was announced. "No! No way! They can't possible be staying together!" or "What? Are you kidding me? They're getting a divorce? I thought they were so in love!"

In this case, the producers had no idea which way it would go, either. They only hoped that the interaction between them would keep viewers guessing and tuning in for more throughout the experiment and into the following season when they'd check up on the couples from the previous year's show.

Physically, Owen was just over six feet tall with great eyes, great hair, and a an amazing smile, and he made very good money, something that was also important to Reagan. Reagan was five-seven, had long, dark hair, a rather pretty face, and a nice set of perky breasts affixed to a very decent body. She was indeed picky when it came to men, but once she bought into something, she was the type who would move heaven and earth to make it work. Giving anyone who thought this was a bad idea ammunition to criticize her for quitting was something she would do virtually anything to avoid. And deep down, she really did want to be married. The desire to get married, above all else, was the reason for doing this in the first place. Even deeper down, she knew she'd have to be a lot more flexible and giving for that to happen.

The producers and 'experts', the sociologist, spiritual adviser, and marriage counsellor responsible for pairing the finalists, were very confident neither one would walk away when they first saw the other. The fireworks would begin shortly after the wedding when Owen announced he needed a cigarette.

Unlike the brides who had so much to do to get ready for their weddings, the grooms only needed to rent a tux and show up after letting folks know when and where to be. Other than the phone calls, Owen put everything else off until three days before the wedding which, for him, was being in a big hurry.

Reagan, on the other hand, was already making lists and charts, in addition to shopping for the perfect dress, sending out invitations, and a thousand other details. She and her mother were in hog heaven doing all of the detailed planning while her sister reluctantly pitched in trying not to remind her younger sibling what a terrible mistake she thought she was making.

There were periodic meetings with the experts who'd paired them up, but those were carefully staggered to ensure future brides and grooms never saw each other. Camera crews filmed every interview which was then selectively edited in order to develop an image of each participant. Viewers would get to know and love or hate each of the three couples even before their wedding day arrived.

Honeymoons were already planned for them and camera crews were standing to by to catch every detail before, during, and after the weddings. The good, the bad, and the ugly would all be captured on film and fed to a TV audience hungry for love and romance or anger, conflict, and disappointment. If a couple actually fell madly in love, that was great, too, as it couldn't hurt to have an exception to the rule to keep the hopeless romantics tuning in each week. The producers had no reason to think Owen and Reagan would be anything close to that—at least not for the first several weeks. The 'ideal' finish would be watching the relationship strained to the breaking point, the young couple striving hard to overcome their differences, and against all odds ending up madly in love. It was a long shot to be sure, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.

*****

"Today is the big day, Reagan! Are you excited?" one of the producers asked when she and her mother showed up to get ready.

"I know! I can't believe I'm going to be married in less than 12 hours!" she said. "I wonder what he's doing right now? Is he thinking about me? Is he romantic? Oh, God...I hope he's handsome! If he's not...."

"Reagan? We have something for you," the producer told her. It was a card and some flowers from her husband to be.

"Oh, my goodness! He is a romantic! Look, Mom!" she said as she took the flowers and opened the card and read it out loud.

"Dear future wife, I've waited for you all my life and soon we'll be together forever. I don't even know you and yet I am already hopelessly in love with you. All my love, your future husband."

"Oh, Mom! That is the sweetest thing ever! I can't wait to meet him! The experts are geniuses!"

******

"Dude? What do you think her reaction will be to your card and the flowers?" Art asked him.

"I don't know, man. I just hope she knows I'm all-in on this marriage. I guess I'm also hoping she is, too. I can put up with almost anything as long as the other person is willing to try. If she's the type who gives up when things get hard, this'll never work. Otherwise, I see myself with her the rest of my life."

"What if she's not hot, bro? What if she's like average or...fat? Can you deal with that?"

"Arthur? You need to stop smoking so much weed, man. I already explained that. I said I could easily love someone who isn't all that hot as long as she's dedicated to the marriage," Owen replied.

"You're a saint, man. I could never hook up with some fat chick. Sorry, bro, that's just how I feel."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm the one who's getting married at first sight and not you, right?" Both men laughed and high-fived each other.

"Well, all I can say is good luck, Owe-meister. You're probably gonna need it."

*****

"Okay. Groom? Please take your place on the altar. Best man? You have the ring I see. Same for the bride's side? Yes. Good! Okay. Will everyone from both sides of the aisle please take their seats? We're going to begin filming soon as the bride is now ready to make her entrance. So can we please get everyone seated and quiet as quickly as possible?"

Within a minute there was silence and the director called out, "Action!"

All eyes turned to the back of the chapel as the first chords of Here Comes the Bride rang out just as the rear doors opened revealing a very lovely Reagan Delmore.

"Not bad, dude!" Art said. "She ain't smokin' hot but she's kinda pretty and...she's not a fatty!"

Owen was all smiles from ear to ear as he elbowed his friend politely. When her eyes met his for the first time she looked up and clearly mouthed the words, "Thank you, Jesus!" followed by polite laughter. Reagan looked at her mom then mouthed, "He's so hot!" as she fanned herself with one hand.

She took her place alongside her handsome husband-to-be and with a genuine smile said, "Hi! You look amazing!"

"You, too," he told her, his smile never dimming. "My name is Owen."

"Hi, Owen. I'm Reagan—Delmore. So...what will my new last name be?"

"Palmer," he told her.

"I like the sound of that," she said as she turned to face the crowd. She leaned over and whispered, "My heart is pounding out of my chest!"

"Yeah, I hear you. My hands are a little clammy right now."

The minister called for everyone's attention then made a few short announcements before beginning the ceremony.

In less than five minutes, both of them had said, "I do," following the recitation of standard vows then kissed for the first time. It was a long, deep kiss and there was a lot of cheering and other noise from those in attendance.

The new bride and groom turned around holding hands and waved to everyone as the room burst into applause. Owen walked her down the aisle and straight into the limousine for the benefit of the TV audience.

There was a short break to allow the couple to go back inside and meet each other's parents, siblings, and best friends. They held hands as they made the introductions letting go only to hug someone either welcoming them to the other's family or to shake someone's hand.

"You ready?" he asked once they'd said hello to everyone who was anyone to the other person.

"Definitely! I can't wait to pop that bottle of champagne and toast our new life together!" Reagan said.

"That sounds great. Listen, just give me a couple of minutes outside by myself before you come out, okay?"

She looked at him in a way that told him she not only didn't understand but didn't like what he was saying. "Um...okay. I need to ask my mom something anyway so I'll be right out."

Owen ducked out and grabbed a cigarette from the pack tucked inside one of his socks, lit up, and inhaled deeply. He hadn't had one in over two hours and his body was screaming for a nicotine fix in the worst way. That first drag calmed his cravings and by the second he felt like himself again. He burned through it in record time, crushed out the butt, then sprayed several shots of breath mist into his mouth just as Reagan came outside.

The cameras had been rolling the entire time and panned toward Reagan as she came outside. "There you are!" she said, her smile back in full bloom. "Come on! Let's have that toast!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along as the limo driver opened the door for them. Reagan smoothed her long wedding dress underneath her and sat down then patted the seat beside her letting Owen know to sit next to her.

He'd already taken the seat across from her, and although Reagan would have preferred he sit right beside her, she could at least look into his gorgeous eyes, something she planned to do a lot of later tonight. After actually seeing him, she had every intention of consummating her vows on her wedding night provided the man they chose for her wasn't unattractive. Owen was absolutely not unattractive, and she couldn't wait to make love with him.

There was a bottle of champagne in a large ice bucket and Reagan grabbed it. "Let's celebrate!" she said as she undid the wire and popped the cork sending foam and liquid all over the floor. "Woo-hoo!" she said as Owen held out the glasses.

Reagan filled them as full as possible, set the bottle back in the ice, then reached for hers.

"To our new lives?" Owen suggested.

"I'll drink to that!" Reagan said loudly. They touched glasses and to Owen's surprise, she chugged the entire glass then hollered, "Woo-hoo!" again before refilling her glass.

He didn't think much of it as this was their wedding day. It had just caught him off guard. He was taking his second sip as she drained half of her second glass. "Come on, babe! We need to celebrate! Woo-hooooo!"

She killed the glass then pulled him over toward her. "How about another kiss?" she said. He leaned down and kissed her and after a second or so Reagan stopped kissing back. A second later she pulled away and said flatly, "Do you ...smoke?" Her eyes were darting back and forth between his at a very rapid rated. "Please don't tell me you're a smoker." He still hadn't responded when she asked, "Are you?"

"Yes," he told her truthfully. "Is that a big problem?"

Reagan's smile was gone. Her head was in her hands. "Oh, my God. You've got to be kidding me!"

He put his hand on her back and said, "Come, on. We need to work through whatever issues we might have."

"Don't...touch me!" she said as she raised up, reached passed him and grabbed the bottle. She refilled her glass and chugged it then emptied the rest of the bottle into it. "I can't believe they'd do this to me!" she said.