Chapter Thirty Lily
CHAPTER THIRTY
Lily
T he next week is pure chaos. Our relationship appears to be having a positive impact on Lorenzo’s numbers, so his team is pushing harder than ever to keep the momentum going.
Since Lorenzo is busy preparing for the mayoral debate, I spend my free time with Willow, who is in much better spirits about the campaign now that the numbers are looking up. We meet multiple times at Lorenzo’s place, wearing matching ruffled socks while workshopping ideas.
I try not to think too much of the basket of socks that appeared after my first visit to his house, but when Willow tells me she was amused by Lorenzo’s selection, I’m pleasantly surprised to hear he was the one who purchased them.
They may vary in color, style, and pattern, but they have one element in common.
They all represent things I love.
Some socks are more surface level with flowers, hearts, and bows embroidered or printed onto the material, while others remind me of conversations we had on the app—like Halloween-inspired socks for my true crime obsession or my very favorite, The Silver Vixens –themed socks.
That pair stands out from the rest, and I hope they bring me good luck as Willow and I talk through a few ideas for the campaign.
We want to encourage people to come forward and talk about how much Lorenzo has helped their business, but money is a sensitive topic, and the few people we’ve spoken to about it all have had the same answer.
We’re grateful for Lorenzo’s help, but we don’t want people to know.
I don’t plan on giving up at the first sign of adversity, but I’m running out of time before Lorenzo goes forward with Phase Two.
At least I can rest easy knowing I still have a couple of weeks left to figure out a better alternative. That’s the only reason I’m able to relax on Saturday when Lorenzo surprises me with a spa day.
Him. Not Willow, which he specified in a text he sent me on Friday night.
My mom and sister are equally excited because he invited them as well, and we spend the day getting pampered.
Our schedule is packed with massages, manicures, pedicures, and some type of body-wrap service that leaves our skin glowing.
Lorenzo thought of everything, including scheduling me a blowout that leaves me looking like an Old Hollywood starlet.
Everything is so thought out, right down to the package that is waiting for me when I get home.
“What is it?” Dahlia waggles her brows at the black box.
I tug on the bow and pop open the lid to reveal eight jewelry boxes—one being a larger rectangle, and the others resembling ring boxes.
He wouldn’t…
I’m relieved when I open the first small square one to reveal a pair of pink diamond studs that perfectly match my dress.
“He really does know you!” Dahlia shouts.
“Yeah,” I say, drawing out the word. Julian must’ve told Lorenzo about the running joke because I’ve never spoken a word about it.
I open the next small box and find another stunning pair of earrings which are different from the first, with an emerald gemstone in the center that is surrounded by white marquise-cut diamonds.
“Oh my God.” Dahlia checks them out while I reach for another closed box that holds a set of gorgeous rubies.
I continue until all seven small ring boxes are opened and organized to match the rainbow—a visual reminder of the conversation we had during our double date when I asked him about us coordinating outfits.
It looks like Lorenzo doesn’t just want me to remember the colors of the rainbow.
He wants me to wear them.
I can’t even wrap my head around the gift or the sentimental meaning behind it, let alone whatever my sister is saying before she bumps me in the shoulder.
“Open the last one!” She hands me the larger rectangular box.
I pop open the lid to find a dainty gold bracelet with three gold beads at the center. It’s like one of those plastic friendship bracelets but with only two diamond-encrusted letters—an A and an L —separated by a diamond heart.
“What’s the A for?” Dahlia asks.
I choke on a laugh. “It’s a long story.”
Thankfully she quickly moves on once she finds a card at the bottom of the box. “There’s a note!” Dahlia shoves it into my hand. “Read it.”
I put the bracelet down on the kitchen counter and open the card.
Put this on and never take it off.
—Laurence
“Who’s Laurence?” She gasps. “Wait. What if they made a mistake and put the wrong letter?”
“It’s a joke.”
“And an expensive one at that.” She brushes her finger over the letter A .
I ignore her question and pass the bracelet to my sister. “Will you help me put this on, please?”
“So long as you promise never to take it off,” she teases.
Deal.
After all the effort I put into my appearance, I’m a little nervous about seeing Lorenzo. I had this whole plan set up, but now that I stare at my reflection in the mirror, I question if it looks like I’m trying too hard.
You did this for you , I remind myself.
With one last glance in the mirror, I head outside. My mom, who is also attending tonight’s event, brings out her camera and snaps a photo of me like I’m going to my high school prom.
“ Mami ,” I say with a groan, blinking away the black spots in my vision.
“ Eres tan preciosa ,” I my mom says, her eyes glistening like the stars sparkling outside.
The doorbell rings, and she rushes to go hide in the kitchen so Lorenzo and I can have some privacy.
I’m too nervous to open the door right away, so I stall in front of it, wondering what Lorenzo will think when he sees me.
The bell rings again, and with a grounding breath, I open the door. Our gazes connect like two sets of magnets. His eyes darken, the color turning from brown to obsidian as they travel down my body.
The dress isn’t sexy, at least not outright, with the colors and floral patterns giving off a fairy-tale princess vibe rather than that of a confident seductress.
But with the way Lorenzo stares at me, I feel like I’m the sexiest woman of all.
And with how hot he looks in a tux, it’s impossible not to feel that way, knowing I’m the one who will be on his arm tonight.
Eventually, and dare I say reluctantly , his eyes return to my face.
“You look…” He wipes his stubbled jaw. “ Bellissima .” I
Hopefully my layer of foundation conceals my flushed cheeks. “Thank you.”
“Ready?” He holds out his elbow, and I take it once I grab my clutch off the coffee table inside.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Turns out, I wasn’t ready at all because Lorenzo is full of surprises tonight, starting with the one I wasn’t aware of, hidden inside the inner pocket of his dinner jacket.
By the time we arrive at the fundraiser dinner, most of the guests have arrived and the cocktail hour is officially underway. The casino night theme I suggested is a hit, and all the money spent at the different tables will go directly toward Lorenzo’s Healing Hearts charity.
He hasn’t talked about his personal connection to it, but I can tell it matters a lot to him, so I wanted to help in whatever way I could, including securing a few more silent-auction donations.
Julian and Dahlia arrived thirty minutes before us, so I hang out with them backstage while Lorenzo is busy checking in with Willow about some issue at the blackjack tables.
Julian paces behind the black curtain blocking us from the room full of people, looking like a caged beast as he mutters incoherent phrases under his breath.
“Is he okay?” I whisper to my sister.
“Not exactly.” She smiles, but it looks strained.
“Why did I ever agree to help Rafa?” Julian groans.
“Because you’re a good guy,” I offer.
He scrubs his face. “Maybe I should be more like Lorenzo.”
I stiffen. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’s annoyingly confident,” Julian replies.
“Right.”
“Did you expect me to insult him?” He shoots me a look.
“Yes,” I answer honestly.
Dahlia laughs. “Likewise.”
“I’ll have to learn to like him eventually, especially after tonight—” Julian cuts himself off rather abruptly.
“What’s happening tonight?” Dahlia looks over at him.
Julian glances away, which only feeds my sister’s curiosity.
“Julian,” she says while grabbing his chin. “What is it?”
His gaze flickers over me before dipping down to her. “I’ll talk to you about it later.”
Dahlia gasps. “Why not tell me now?”
He tilts his head in my direction, and my sister’s eyes go wide.
Dread settles in my gut now that the jewelry Lorenzo bought me makes sense. He must’ve picked it out while choosing my ring.
My heart takes up permanent residence in my throat, and my skin threatens to break out into hives at the idea of nearly two hundred people witnessing a proposal tonight.
I don’t think I could’ve thought up a worse proposal if I tried.
Did you expect a romantic declaration of love for a fake relationship?
It seems silly to get upset about it, especially given our original agreement, but I can’t help it.
Are you upset about the type of proposal or the fact that it’s a fake one?
This kind of reality check would’ve been useful weeks ago, because how the hell am I supposed to tell Lorenzo we need to hold off on the entire fake proposal plan? Am I supposed to say that up until now I was fine with it, but now I’m having second thoughts because I like him?
Can I really tell Lorenzo that Hey, maybe we should put everything on pause because there is a slight chance I might want him to propose for real one day?
I’d laugh if I didn’t feel like throwing up at the idea.
Take a deep breath.
There is no need to panic yet. When I see him, I’ll pull him aside and tell him to prolong the original plan. Maybe even extend it by two more months—that way we can continue monitoring the polling numbers and see whether they continue to improve without going the extra step.
I abandon Dahlia and Julian so I can talk to Lorenzo about it. Willow points me in his direction, and I’m relieved to find him standing by himself out on the balcony, hiding from the two hundred people milling about the ballroom inside.
“Lorenzo,” I call his name, and he turns with a smile.
The doors shut behind me, cutting us off from all the noise happening in the ballroom. It only makes the blood pounding in my ears sound louder.
“Lily,” he says with a smile similar to the lawn signs around town, and I instantly know I’m too late.