Chapter 33 #2
Goodbyes are never easy, but for some reason when the matriarch of the family has passed…
. It seems harder. Leaving a parent alone isn’t something that anyone does by choice.
With Edward being so busy at work, I don’t imagine that he checks in enough; that’s just an assumption of course, but going off their reaction to him leaving I think it’s a fair guess.
Edward climbs into the car and forces a smile and wave as the car pulls away, he takes my hand in his and then looks out of the window as if also saddened.
It hurts to say goodbye to parents, to see their face as they try to act brave, especially when you know that leaving is your choice.
He doesn’t say a word all the way to the airport and I don’t try to chat or change the subject because I know that sometimes you just need to sit in your guilt for a while.
Feel the distance between the people you care for grow greater with every mile that you drive away.
His stance is sad as he stares out the window, my hand is on his thick quad, held tightly in his. “It was a wonderful week, thank you for bringing me to meet them.” I smile.
“It was.” He nods. “Thank you for coming.”
The car pulls up on the tarmac beside the plane, it’s raining now and our driver produces a black umbrella and holds it over us as we climb out of the car.
“Thank you.” Edward takes it from him and holds it above as he leads me up the stairs.
I watch my step closely, always so scared that I’m going to trip and fall over while everyone watches.
“Hello.” The captain smiles and shakes his hand, he turns to me. “Hello, Miss Sorenson.”
“Hello.” I smile. I’m just busting for someone to see my ring; I desperately want to scream it from the rooftops. I have news, big news. The best news that I could have to tell you.
We’re getting married.
Somebody notice, for god’s sake.
Edward leads me to my seat and I sit down, he takes off his suit coat and walks to the cupboard and hangs it up on a coat hanger.
“I’ll have a scotch, please,” he tells the flight attendant, his eyes come to me. “What would you like, Alora?”
“I’ll have a champagne, please.”
“Of course, sir.” She smiles as she disappears up the aisle.
Edward falls into the seat beside me and takes my hand in his again, his gaze goes out the window, no chitchat, and no banter. No lovey-dovey man that I’ve had the pleasure of spending the last week with.
“You okay?” I whisper as I kiss his shoulder.
“Yes.” He kisses my temple. “I hate goodbyes.”
“We’ll come back soon.”
He nods and turns his gaze back out the window and I lean my head back against the headrest.
My man is human.
Two long hours later the plane doors are opened on the tarmac in Nice. It’s late, nearly 9 p.m.
“Goodbye and thank you.” Edward shakes the captain’s and flight attendants’ hands and we make our way downstairs.
Philippe is waiting by the black Bentley and our things are loaded into the car behind it.
Edward opens the back door and I climb in; Philippe gets in behind the wheel. “Where to, sir?” he asks.
“I….” He shrugs. “I wanted to spend the night on the yacht but it’s late and we are tired. Take us to Miss Sorenson’s, please.”
“Yes, sir.” He pulls away and the car drives through the night and I smile out the window, happy to be going back to my place.
Edward doesn’t tell Philippe about us and it doesn’t feel like the right time.
Everything seems surreal, in my wildest dreams I would never have imagined the wonderful week we have just had. I just want to scream it from the rooftops.
We’re engaged.
“Doe, I’m going,” a husky whispered voice wakes me.
“Huh?” I drag my eyes open to see Mr. Orgasmic sitting on the bed beside me, it’s still quite dark and he’s dressed in his power suit and ready for work.
“Okay.” I smile sleepily.
“Don’t wear your ring today, sweetheart.”
“What?” My eyes snap open. “Why not?”
“I want to make an official announcement and I don’t want anybody hounding you at work.”
“Oh.” I stretch. “Who would hound me?”
“Reporters.” He kisses me. “Just keep it in your purse today.”
I pull a sad face.
“I’ll do it this morning and then I’ll call you.” He kisses me again. “And tonight we will stay on the yacht and celebrate. The boys will bring you after work.”
“Okay.” I hold my ring as it sits on my finger. “I’m not taking it off. I’ll wear gloves.”
“Okay.”
I smile goofily up at him. “Can you believe it?”
“I can.” He kisses me again.
“You’re giving me your last name.” I hold my hand up and smile down at my ring.
“So you can moan my first.” He bites my neck and I giggle as I twist beneath him, with one last kiss he disappears down the stairs. I hear the front door and then the car start out the front.
I doze back into slumberland. I’m not taking it off.
You can’t make me.
I slide the lip tint brush over and roll my lips, carefully brush the mascara on, add blush and put in my gold earrings, and have even straightened my hair. So much effort just to go into work but today isn’t just any old day.
Today I’m engaged.
To the swooniest, most utterly gorgeous man of my dreams, and I want to look the part. I’m wearing a black pencil skirt and a black cashmere turtleneck. My long dark hair is loose and straight and my makeup is attempting to be chic, complete with red lipstick.
I’m not taking my ring off; I contemplated it, but in the end I decided that it was a hard no.
Nobody is going to see me at work anyway, and even if they do, they have no idea who I’m dating.
Besides, if Edward is making an announcement today, the cat is going to be out of the bag.
With one last look in the mirror I grab my purse and head downstairs.
I lock up the back door and head out the front to see Philippe and Stefan leaning on the side of the Bentley as they wait for me.
“Good morning.” I bounce down the driveway.
“Good morning, Miss Sorenson.” Philippe smiles as he opens the back door. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
He told them.
“Yes.” I beam. “Can you believe it?”
“I actually can’t.” He laughs as I climb into the back seat. “But it is fantastic news. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Congratulations, Miss Sorenson.” Stefan smiles as he gets into the car.
“Thank you.”
We pull out onto the road and I smile goofily out the window. “You must be excited to get organizing,” Philippe says as his eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror.
“Organizing….” I frown, a little lost as to what he’s talking about.
“What with the wedding being in four weeks.”
“Four weeks?” I squeak. “Umm…. That’s not happening, Philippe.”
“Oh.” Philippe’s face falls, worried that he has spoken out of turn. “My mistake, I must have misunderstood Mr. Prescott.”
“No, you probably didn’t.” I shrug as I stare out the window. “You know how he is; Edward wants everything yesterday.”
“He does,” he agrees.
Poor fool has no idea…. Nobody can organize a wedding in four weeks.
Not even him.
Ten minutes later we pull in beside my store and park the car. “I’m just going to race and get a coffee next door; do you want one?” I ask them.
“No, thanks.”
“See you inside.”
“Okay.”
I climb out of the car and with my purse over my shoulder I walk around the corner and run smack-dab into someone. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” I glance up to see a familiar face.
“Pascal.”
“Hi.” His eyes drop to my hand as it holds my bag strap that’s over my body.
Fuck.
“What are you doing here?” I try to discreetly put my hand behind my back. “Have you got the day off?”
“What’s on your finger?” he asks, seemingly annoyed as he shoves his hands into his suit pockets.
“Oh, just a costume ring,” I stammer. “I have to get going.”
His eyes search mine and guilt runs through me.
Fuck.
“Actually, Pascal…. This is probably a good thing that I ran into you because I want you to hear it from me anyway. Edward and I got engaged last week.”
A frown flashes across his face as he processes my words.
“I know it seems sudden, but—”
“It does.” He cuts me off. “You know he’s using you.”
“Pascal.”
“You think it’s a coincidence that suddenly in a few weeks he wants to be a respectable husband when he’s been nothing but a player for years? You can’t be this stupid, Alora.”
“Pascal….” I sigh. “Don’t be like that.”
“Like what? A realist?”
I roll my eyes, annoyed. “Can’t you just be happy for me?”
“No.” His eyes hold mine. “So… knowing Prescott the way that I do, my guess is that he’s involved in some sort of scandal that’s about to break and he needs a cover to hide behind. What better disguise than being happily married.”