Chapter Six

LUCY

I slowly stirred awake, wondering where I was for a moment before the memories of the last couple of hours came flooding back. My stomach growled loudly, making me realize I was devilishly hungry. I felt too lazy to get out of the comfortable bed---

Bed? Why am I on a bed? I thought alarmingly.

I closed my eyes, trying to recall leaving the sofa but no memory came. I knew I certainly don't sleepwalk, so how did I get here?

"Aurelio!" It came out of my mouth immediately I made a mental conclusion. I froze as I slowly remembered I only had a bathrobe with a matchless white bra and girlish pink strawberry panties on. I groaned into the pillow. What if he had seen them? I couldn't imagine how Mr. Arrogant Billionaire must have felt about his wife putting on childish undergarments. I know he already regretted the fact that he married someone who is nothing like the endless ' sophisticated' females he had affairs with. I'm aware I am beautiful but not like the gorgeous ladies he paraded. They all had the appearance of models who walked directly "out of a fashion magazine'.

I hurriedly jumped out of bed and raced to the wardrobe to put on something more appropriate. I flipped through my Neatly arranged clothes until I picked a straight burgundy knee-length dress that hugged my hips. I combed my hair and arranged it in a neat and proper ponytail before going into the living area. I stopped dead when I realized he had fallen asleep at his desk. I drew nearer and noticed he was completely wiped out. I arranged the documents scattered all over the working table, then went back into the bedroom to pick up a blanket to cover him. Shortly, I heard my phone ring as I was about to step into the balcony. I went back to where I noticed Aurelio had plugged it in while I was asleep, to detach my cellphone from its' plug-in charger. I proceed to pick up my call.

"Hello?"

"It's grace. Hope you still remember me. Your best friend which you failed to inform about your hastily arranged wedding" she said grudgingly.

"I'm sorry. It has been difficult to reach you. Plus I didn't want to bore you with the details of my wedding" I muttered guiltily, feeling bad that I kept her in the dark. Grace and I met as freshmen at Middlesex University in London, where we both got a degree in English and creative writing. We sat close to each other during one of our classes, and we clicked immediately. Since then, we've become inseparable friends.

"You can't be serious. We are talking about your wedding here, Lucy. Your marriage to one of the sexiest men that walk this earth." She answered shockingly.

"It's no big deal." I let out dryly. Grace has been away for close to six months now, on a ghostwriting assignment. She was assigned to go write a memoir for the patriarch of one of the richest families in Brazil. "So how is Brazil? When are you coming back, I miss you."

There was a deafening silence between us before she continued "I won't let you just change the conversation darling. Why isn't this marriage a big deal? I can't believe my friend who was strongly against love, is married. And I, a romantic and a believer of happily ever after still searching."

I giggled at her dramatic way of starting facts. "So no prince charming in Brazil. It's a shame, I thought someone said the place was filled with handsome young men." I remembered our first phone call when she landed in Brazil. She kept going on for hours about how the city she was in, was filled with extremely handsome men. "So you haven't seen anyone steal that heart of yours?"

I noticed a hesitation on her side, then she said sadly, "I met someone, I'm totally in love with but he doesn't feel the same."

"How is it possible for him not to because you, my friend are a darling."

"I know right...he is just too stubborn to see what we have is sincere. I swear, we are so fucking compatible.. the sex between us was out of this world.. everything is different when we are together." She giggled, then continued "I just wish he would let down his guards, so he could see how beautiful we are together. Enough about me, so how is your sex life with that mini-god you married? Is he as life-changing in bed as the media spreads? You know what, don't answer that. I don't want to start imagining you getting all the fun while I'm being celibate"

"You got me lost. How come you are celibate when you said your sex life is divine?" I asked

"Ooh, that! I've decided to stop having sex with him. I don't want to be with someone that's blind to what we share. I needed him to understand, that this feeling goes beyond physical gratification."

"So how did this mystery man take the news of your self-proclaimed celibacy."

She released a frustrated sigh, then said"The fucking man just said 'okay, if that's what you want.'" she inhaled, then went on "I'm so mad at him right now. Can you believe he has been avoiding me as if that will stop me from liking him?"

"I'm so sorry Gracie.. so what are you going to do. You are due to return this month right? Are you just going to pack up and leave, knowing the fact that you won't see him again?"

"Thanks, darling. There's nothing I can do to convince him. He already made up his mind. Besides I can't wait to get out of his house."

"His house? I thought you are staying with the person who hired you to write his memoir"

"Yes, his house. He is the same person who hired me to write his father's memoir. So instead of staying in his father's house, I'm staying in his mansion."

"So are you almost done with your writing? I want you here with me...not here directly but in London. I've missed you so much. I want my BFF back."

"I'm done with my draft. I'm just waiting for it to be approved by his father. Where are you right now?"

"Mauritius, for our honeymoon"

"Wow...so Maria finally succeeded in shipping you guys down to her favorite city," she said laughing nonstop for a minute. Then went on "Everyone knows she loves that country so dearly." She cleared her throat comically before saying, "so how come you are here talking to me? I thought your husband would have tied you to the bed and exhausted you by now."

"Aurelio is sleeping. He must be tired after traveling for 12 hours, immediately after the wedding ceremony."

"Okay... I will see you when I returned to London. Have fun because once I get back, I would juice all the details out of you. Don't think I didn't notice how you diverted the question from yourself and kept it on me. Be happy and I love you."

"I can't wait to have you back. I love you too. Be happy" I responded, then ended the call. In a way, I'm grateful she isn't here. She would have noticed how unhappy I am and talked me out of accepting Maria's proposal especially if she knew I wasn't doing this out of love. The thought that Grace would be disappointed when she learns the truth, made me sigh heavily.