My pen travels up and down the page for what feels like the millionth time. Notes are scribbled all over it. I've made such a mess that I might as well print out another checklist."Everything's been done, right?" Gabe asks."Come on, babe. You've been so good this whole time. Don't freak out on me now," I say calmly, trying to encourage him along.He sighs and nods. "Alright, sorry. I know it's just the rehearsal today, but as far as I know everything has been booked that I know of."Good. I trust Gabe completely and if he says it's been taken care of, I know he means it. I keep my eyes on the page, going back up to the top. "Okay, the officiant will be attending today. Just confirmed with her and I got her to arrive ten minutes early just to double check things.""Brill. What about the musicians?""The orchestra won't be coming early as it will incur a costly fee, but the DJ will be attending so we'll just get him to play the ceremony music on his decks. He will be arriving thi
My head shakes disapprovingly as I study the overdone flower arrangements at the buffet table. I asked for a delicate and tasteful bouquet of white roses and lilies, not a bloody jungle!"Can you please pluck out the green leaves? Put them on the aisle carpet, we can still use them as floor decorations," I click my fingers at Gabe. Gabe does as I ask, pulling the long reeds out from the white pots. "So the caterers are all okay?""Yep, they are already making the canapés. The head chef complained, something about the oven settings not being hot enough but I got the hotel manager to sort that out.""And the cake?" He asks.Ugh. The cake, the brunt of my stress. "The delivery guy said they are having trouble with traffic, but he insisted he will be here in roughly thirty minutes, so that's still plenty of time to put it on the table. Can you meet him and direct him to the kitchen? I have to check on Amelia then, make sure she's ready to start making her way down," I order, rubbing
With a cigarette in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other, I should be horrified at the sight of him smoking, but in his tight black jeans and denim shirt, he looks hot as hell. Matteo walks closer until he stands right above me. "How was today for you?" His eyes meet mine. He takes one final drag and drops it to the ground, stubbing it with his loafers."Good! I bet you had a good time?" I grin. I bet he did. All the bride maids practically trapped him on the dance floor. Why isn't he with one of them, instead of out here with me?"I did, but there was one person I would have liked to dance with," he murmurs, looking at me."Emily? I think she's still inside," I tease. Carrying that bouquet like a trophy. "I meant you."I blush, looking at him curiously. "Why?" All of a sudden, he makes his way over and sits down next to me. I feel self-conscious at how close he is sitting next to me. "What do you mean 'why'?" He downs the rest of his wine and puts the glass down.
The sunlight glares my eyes and my eyes jolt up into consciousness. The sheets are so soft and comfortable. I wake up with a tranquillity one can only get when they wake up alone in bed. I look to my left, to confirm what I knew. He's gone. But that's okay, we didn't need to say goodbye. It would be almost too sad. Instead I wake up with a smile on my face, a perfect ending to my trip here. I got to spend one night with a hot Italian. All I can say is I feel content.Kicking off the satin sheets, I wake?up with my hair oozing past my shoulders. I stayed up late and I am definitely still hung over but dammit I feel good at how this trip has ended and how last night went down. After agreeing to pose for him again, Matteo got dressed and went to his hotel room to grab his sketchbook and came right back, and he sketched me until the wee hours of the morning until I fell asleep. I don't know if he stayed with me or if he left straight after; either way it was the perfect send off. Gabe
I watch my brown flats take steps across the glossy white tiles, pulling my weekend bag behind me as I check my phone for the fourth time. Thank god I'm back on flat land; sitting for thirteen hours, at thirty thousand feet above the ground, is long enough. If only Gabe was here because I'm stuck with a five-hour transit at Terminal 3, Singapore Changi Airport while I wait to go sky high again. What the heck am I going to do with myself for five hours at the airport? I don't particularly like duty free shopping, and I can only enjoy surfing on the internet for so long.?Oh, what the heck. I walk a bit faster, eager to check out the shops. Let's see what the airport has. Fifty-five minutes pass and I would be happy to never look at souvenirs, key chains, and calendars again. I bought a pack of hand creams for mum, a polo shirt for dad, and a silk shirt and belt for Hansley. Tristan's gift is already with me. I wasn't planning on getting him something, but as soon as I saw it, I knew
BOOK THREE: BANGKOKTristan. Is. Standing. In. Front. Of. Me.My brother's best friend, my soon-to-be new boss, the guy who I shared that ridiculously hot kiss with, is standing in front of me. The guy I hadn't seen for years prior to that kiss. The guy who then decided afterwards that the kiss was a mistake and that it can never happen again. The guy who I, despite my best judgments, can't stop thinking about.How can one person be all these different things at once?I have to cast that aside. Nothing can ever happen between us. He's right, nothing can happen between us. Or nothing will, not that there's a difference. All that history and now: this new association we have formed. I have to take him out of the potential boyfriend box and back into the old one I shelved him in guys I would never 'go for'. I'm just going to ignore all the thoughts I had about him.I'm going to have to ignore the fact that my heart is fluttering like a hummingbird at the sight of him this ve
I turn away from him to face the bar, poking the ice in the drink with my straw. He said he wanted to keep it professional, but he's talking about it. And joking about it, no less. "Sorry, too soon?" He finally says, his tone slightly edgy.I pause for a moment, lost on how to answer. I can feel him watching me as I keep my focus on the glass. "No, its fine," I take a quick sip of my sip.He looks relieved, "Thank god""It's not like it was that good," I mutter under my breath, but loud enough for him to hear. "Excuse me?" I can hear the disbelief in his tone.Boy, it feels fantastic to insult him, even if I'm lying. "You heard me." He's the recipient of the coldest glare I can give him while holding back my laugh.I can practically hear him grit his teeth, and he pours the rest of his whiskey sour down his throat in one swift movement. Not the best idea, how much has he had to drink?Slamming the glass down on the table, he looks at me. Eyes blazing. "No one has said tha
He thinks about me? I can't even Without giving a chance to react he grabs my waist and pulls me to him, and that static is there again. It's electric and undeniable; judging by the way his pupils dilate I can tell he feels it too. Of course he's not crazy! I won't admit it. I can't succumb to him, when we both know how irresponsible this is. He must have women throw themselves at him, leaving a trail of heartbreak along the way. I'm not going to be one of them, especially given our new working relationship. I have to stop this before it escalates further, before it all overflows. I try and push his hand away but he keeps it lodged there, locked firmly into position. "You are crazy, you don't have thoughts about me," I lie, obeying his command, though my words ring false even to my own ears. "And I have not been having thoughts about you.""Then why are you shaking? Why is your mouth dry?" He stares down at me, his eyes never leaving my lips. "Tell me I don't have an effect on y