Chapter 14
Coming here felt as though a leash had been put around my neck, and I had been dragged here like a dog. I was so reluctant I couldn’t believe it. So much so that I had refused to pack and purposely missed my bus to the Hamptons. And thus, I was arriving late and ready to apologize, but I didn”t care how this made me look because I had already decided earlier that morning that I was going to call Aurora and inform her that it was truly best that Victoria’s photographer handled her ceremony.
However, and whether it was because I was attracted to fire and embarrassment all of a sudden, I had decided against this in the end and went to work anyway. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed, I corrected myself. It was just that I couldn’t picture a way in which our interactions after the last time we had met wouldn’t be awkward and painful to bear, at least on my part. He, on the other hand, would probably act like I didn’t exist since I didn’t think he was one to gloat; however, it was still all nerve-wracking. This was why you didn’t ever mix business with pleasure, no matter the justification you gave for it, even extreme stupid horniness.
Sighing, I looked up at the gorgeous mansion and shook my head. I had become somewhat used to wealth after moving to New York—wealth from a distance, that is. Seeing it, being envious of it, recognizing it, admiring it… but theirs seemed to be of a different kind. Everything they had and did was extravagant in a way that they didn’t even seem to notice, and I couldn’t help but feel severely uncomfortable and out of place.
Which had made me realize earlier that I would be reluctant as well in the future to go after clients like these, so it was best to take advantage now of being associated with someone as down-to-earth as Aurora. I had business cards ready and had an idea of how I could distribute them without being annoying, but for that, I would have to, of course, ask Aurora’s permission. And... I sighed as some attendants came over, asked me my name, and immediately took my luggage; I would probably have to also ask Victoria since she was the event planner.
None of this made me excited, but still, I sucked it up and headed in. I asked instantly to be taken to Aurora and was led to the red room. In there, and unfortunately, I met a bunch of people. One was Victoria, of course, and two assistants with her, as well as a house attendant. In the corner was an assortment of food, while standing before Aurora was a rack of clothes.
“Evelyn,” her face immediately brightened the moment she saw me.
In that moment and at the very warm reception, it became difficult for me to regret coming. I was always so floored at how she appreciated my work, so once again, I convinced myself that this was more than enough reason for me to be here despite her brother and Victoria. After giving me a hug, she pulled me over with her, and I was almost amused at how her expression changed towards Victoria. In that moment, I felt a bit sorry for Victoria because this truly wasn”t her fault. She was taking her instructions from Drake, that asshole, and she couldn’t help but be out in the crosshairs between both siblings.
“I have to choose dresses for the entire week,” she said. “Well, all sorts of outfits and accessories.”
At this, she gave Victoria a sour look, and it was a feat for me to control my smile. Unfortunately, Victoria saw this, and I could tell that in that moment and especially with my presence, she couldn’t stand the disrespect anymore, and so she excused herself and left the room. Aurora took a break as well and took me with her into an adjoining room which looked like a lounge. It had a chaise lounge, velvet tapestry, and just the most intricate of textures and colors. It was so absolutely breathtaking that I immediately wanted to go get my camera.
“Just a moment,” she said and handed me a drink with a pineapple.
“It”s so gorgeous here,” I told her. “And the lighting.”
She smiled and nodded.
“I know. Right, go get it; I”ll wait for you, and then we can talk.”
I looked towards the gorgeous open windows and was so worried the light would be leaving that I nearly whipped out my iPhone. Just before I left, though, as I looked back once again to see the way the sun hit her at just the perfect angle, I whipped the phone out much to her amusement. I took a few pictures and could see the genuine joy in her eyes, and it was so incredibly beautiful. Afterwards, I left my phone with her to peruse through, and then I hurried away as per her directions. She said that my room would be on the last floor, which I wasn’t averse to since it was always an opportunity to exercise. However, after climbing three floors of the grand staircase and nearly collapsing on the way, I stopped by the rung and tried to catch my breath.
“Absolutely motherfucking not,” I swore, with my gaze on the floor and sweat beading across my forehead. There had to be an elevator because this was motherfucking ridiculous. Just as I got up, however, my heart nearly left my chest. To be honest, I smelled him before I even saw him, coming up to a room and heading my way. He was dressed impeccably in a light blue dress shirt and tailored slacks but in sleek house slippers that, although giving him a casual look, still couldn’t hide his wealth and sophistication. Instantly, it was as though I was attacked in the stomach by butterflies. Vicious, horny, shameless, cruel butterflies. All I could do was stare as though I was trying to convince myself that he wasn’t real and that he wasn’t here, which made absolutely no sense because this was his fucking house.
He gave me a peculiar look but of course acted like I didn’t exist. A few steps down, however, he stopped and turned back to me. My heart briefly stopped in my chest since it seemed as though he was about to say something to me. But then he seemed to take me in, and I had never felt more insignificant. He continued on his way, and I almost threw myself at him just so that he would roll down the stairs and perhaps break his neck. I didn’t even care if I died in the process as long as he did as well or broke several limbs and ended up in a wheelchair, best with a blind eye and half of his face scraped off. After this, I paused for a moment and shut my eyes to calm my temper, and by the time I reopened them, he was out of sight.
How fucking annoying he was, I couldn’t help but lament, but then I was even more bothered by how immensely his mere presence could affect me. I continued down to my room then, a bit more calmly and with the conclusion that I couldn’t give less of a fuck about his presence.
Rather, it”s because of the way he had looked at me with his gaze running down my body. It didn”t seem sexual; rather, it made me feel as though I wasn”t up to par in appearance even though I had shelled out $300 fucking dollars for my week here. That was the most I had ever spent on clothes, ever, and he wasn’t even the least bit appreciative. Well, I didn’t do it for him, but I didn’t need him undermining my confidence anyway.
I sat on the bed then, fuming, and nearly forgot what I had come up here for and even why I was in this fucking gorgeous room. The moment I recalled; however, I gave the room the appreciation it deserved, grabbed my camera, and was returning to Aurora’s room. She was on the phone when I arrived and wanted to end the call to give me her attention, but I shook my head and refused.
“I”m not here,” I mouthed to her, and she smiled, her eyes sparkling because I was most definitely there. It warmed my heart as I truly wondered why she liked me so much. Either way, I lost myself in the following moments, capturing the little moments in the room. The way the light filtered in and illuminated the gorgeous bouquet of flowers on the coffee table that looked like it was carved out of painted chalk. The statues, the textures, her eyes so filled with love as she spoke to her fiancé on the phone. Soon enough, she was done, and I waited for the melancholy that I was sure would set in at missing him. She didn”t realize this, but eventually, she put the phone away and looked up at me, and then she smiled, realizing.
“You captured that?” she asked, and I nodded.
“Yes, I did. I’ll make a personal album for you.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “At no cost.”
Her gaze softened even further, but I was more than happy to do it. She had been absolutely lovely to me so far, plus I was going out of my mind with just how many photographs I could take of this location, so I didn”t mind at all. I was going to have too many anyway. She handed my phone back to me, and together we walked back out of her bedroom. She continued trying on clothes, and even though she rejected some, I immediately knew my next idea for her because they were extravagant enough to look absolutely breathtaking with some of the landscapes of the beach and vineyard around. So far, it seemed as though all would go well, and so I admonished myself that if I could just keep her brother out of mind and hopefully out of sight, I would be able to have one of the best weekends ever.