Chapter 15
The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch, just like Gisele said it would. She stood in the back observing the service. I was in my office and should have been working, but instead, I couldn’t help watching her from my window. Her expression while she gazed upon the happy couple was like a little girl seeing the end of a Disney movie for the first time. She was in awe of them. I already knew from our conversation this morning that she’s a hopeless romantic hoping to find her fairy-tale ending. But witnessing her reaction, I could see just how important all of that is to her. She’s not the type who could just mess around with a guy for fun; she wants a relationship and all the lovey-dovey stuff that goes with it.
We’re total opposites. Maybe it’s her age, she hasn’t had enough time to be disheartened by reality yet. When she’s older she will realize the best you can hope for is exactly what we had that night in New York, a bit of fun with a sexy stranger. The ideal would be that you would never see them again, but from the second I laid eyes on her, I knew that wasn’t what I wanted. I have never been so drawn to another person. She has been a constant distraction from my work since she arrived, with my mind drifting off to memories of how perfect she was laid out before me. My dick is hard right now remembering. One night wasn’t enough. I’m just not sure what to do about it yet.
Taking a seat back at my desk I try to refocus my attention on the spreadsheet staring back at me. The same one that has been on my screen for the last two hours. Usually, numbers are my forte, but today, they might as well be written in another language because they make little sense to me. I keep seeing the disappointment on her face when I said some people just aren’t made for long-term relationships. It was as if she was a little kid and I had just taken away her scrumptious ice cream just before she could try it.
I’ve made it very clear nothing can happen between us, but it’s not because that’s what I want. If it were up to me, I’d have her here in my office with me now, looking up at me with those big blue eyes as I tell her exactly what I want her to do next.
Her heartbreak when she saw that article made me want to knock down Hamilton Prescott’s door and demand answers. But I already know what he would say. The same thing he did last time an article was printed that affected this business. He can’t reveal his sources. He’s a coward who hides behind that paper because he doesn’t have the guts to face me like a man. But what I don’t understand is why he would print this story about Gisele. It makes The Alexander look favorable. As bad as it was for her, it will bring us new business, and that’s the last thing Prescott normally wants. Its clear that the leak came from someone in this building, but I can’t work out who. Emerson is usually our spokesperson, but she was horrified when I discussed this with her and she found out it had been leaked to the media.
A soft knock echoes at my door, and I glance up to find Gisele. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Alexander. I know you’re busy, but I’m not sure what to do. We have a situation.”
She appears unusually pale, her normally vibrant demeanor replaced by an air of distress. “What’s wrong?” I stand, ready to tackle whatever problem has appeared, noting the subtle quiver in her hands.
“Umm, the bride’s gone missing.” She nibbles her lip nervously, eyes darting around the room as if expecting the solution to materialize.
“Missing?”
“The couple was about to head out for photos on the beach, and she asked for a minute to freshen up. The groom stayed to have a drink with his attendees, and when I went to find her just now, she was gone, and there’s a note on the bed that just says I’m sorry. That’s not a good sign, right?” Her worried eyes meet mine, and I can see she’s already fragile after what happened this morning.
“Does the groom know anything about it?” I ask, trying to work through a solution.
“The photographer is getting impatient, so I checked with him if he had seen her, but he hasn’t. I didn’t want to alarm him just yet, hoping we could maybe find her and make it right.”
“Sounds like she worked out marriage isn’t for her after all.” I regret the words as soon as they leave my lips, but years of feeling this way toward marriage have me slightly jaded.
“Brody, that’s not funny,” she chastises. “She married him, and I know she loves him. She’s probably tired and stressed. Planning a wedding is really intense.” Gisele’s voice is tinged with a mix of concern and understanding, her eyes reflecting the weight of the situation. She cares about what happens to this couple. It’s sweet.
“Always looking for the good in people, aren’t you? Come on, then, let’s go find our runaway so you can save your wedding.” I motion for her to follow me as we head toward the security room.
She trails me into the small room off to the side of our offices. Jim, our daytime guard, is sitting behind the switchboard, drinking an iced coffee. “Jim, this is Gisele, our new wedding coordinator,” I introduce her as we squeeze into the little office together.
“Hi, Jim, sorry to bother you.” She smiles warmly, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“Hello, Gisele, what can I do for you?” He smiles kindly at her.
“Any sign of a woman in a fluffy white dress? The bride’s missing,” I ask. This is the best idea I can come up with when I know we probably don’t have a lot of time before the guests get restless and the groom starts to panic.
“Let me check the monitors.” He glances over the screens, taking his time to scrutinize each one. “This looks like her.” He points to the monitor set up to look over the front of the hotel and garden area. Sure enough, there is a woman sitting on a bench in the shade wearing a white dress.
Gisele looks over my shoulder. “That’s her. Thank you, Jim, you’re a godsend.” She rushes off in the direction of the front foyer, a renewed sense of urgency in her step.
When I catch up with her, she’s already in the garden, sitting by the bride. I watch her as she holds the bride’s hand and talks to her calmly, handing her tissues. She walks back to me a few minutes later, wearing a disappointed expression on her pretty face. “It’s no use. She says she can’t go back.” Gisele looks like she’s about to burst into tears herself, the weight of the situation weighing on her shoulders.
I let out a labored sigh, knowing I can’t let that happen again. “Let me try.”
She raises a brow in question; she doesn’t think I can help. Her expression gives me even more motivation to prove her wrong. I’m not an asshole all the time. Cautiously I approach our bride, treating her like a skittish animal that could spook at any second. I sit down next to her.
“Who are you?” She sniffs, her eyes red from all the waterworks.
“Brody Alexander, I own the hotel.”
She glances over at me. “They’re really pulling out the big guns. I already told Gisele, I can’t go back in there. Marriage is forever.”
“You only just worked that out today?” I jest, trying to keep it light.
“Funny.” She smirks, unable to help it. “I just… It all happened so quickly, and when I had a moment to myself, I just panicked, and I had to get out of there,” she admits with another sniffle.
“Do you love him? The man you married today.”
She looks at me, thinking my question over. “Yes, with all my heart.”
“So, it’s just the thought of forever that has you scared?”
“I guess.” She shrugs.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this. Gisele must really be messing with my brain. “Earlier today a friend asked me if I would be happy to grow old alone because I didn’t want to try and find something real and worth fighting for.” I glance in Gisele’s direction. “She says she will forever keep searching for her person to share the rest of her life with. My question to you is, have you already found that person? Because if you have, there’s no need to be scared, just take each day at a time, and together, you will work it all out.”
She looks me over, studying my face. Her tears are drying up and her face is brightening. “You’re right. I have already found my person.” She stands up abruptly. “I need to fix my face and get back in there before he starts to worry.”
I smile. “Yes, you do.”
She takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you, Brody. I’m not sure if this is a strange thing to say, but Gisele is an amazing girl. She might be your person.”
We both look in Gisele’s direction, and I can tell she’s wondering what on earth is going on.
I offer a half smile, not admitting to anything. “You better get back to your groom.”
The bride hurries off, and Gisele offers me a wave and mouths thank you as she follows her, leaving me to shake my head in disbelief. If there was a person for me, I’m sure it could be her, but I just can’t see all of this like they do. Even if I did, the hotel policy rules out anything ever really happening anyway. At least for the next ten and a half months we’re stuck in this weird limbo. I can’t deny I want her, and late at night when I’m all alone, I reach out to her because I’m desperate for any little scrap of attention she might give me. I want to know everything about her, and more than anything, I wish I were there with her, showing her exactly how wild she makes me. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep my distance.