Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Audrey
A tea party. I was getting dressed up for a damned tea party. The last thing I wanted was to have to put on a frilly dress and sit around with people I didn’t know, who didn’t care about Carina. But this wasn’t about me. I could sit through it, even if I didn’t like it.
It did help that the professional was coming to beat my face with all kinds of serums and foundation to cover the bruises that were starting to turn a purplish green. At least there was that to look forward to.
I tried to keep my thoughts sane and not let them drift to the man that carried me back to the house and up the stairs to my room. Alexei was the last man I needed to think about or let my thoughts get stuck on. It was difficult to keep my thoughts on anything else, especially when I woke up smelling like him.
Smelling like heaven.
I needed to get a grip. I couldn’t do this. He couldn’t do this. I had a long way to go if I wanted to find who I was and I couldn’t let myself get wrapped up in another toxic man, no matter how delicious he smelled… and looked.
Ugh.
No.
Carina lounged on my bed in a big, puffy white chiffon dress that fell right at her ankles. The neckline went up to her neck but was tasteful and gorgeous with her bronzed skin. She was glowing. I was hoping the professional makeup artist could make me artificially glow. My dress was similar but the neckline was square and let a little bit of cleavage through. A string of pearls was waiting on my vanity to go with it. The baby blue color was tasteful and pretty against my skin and the beige heels that went with it made my legs look incredible. What I would give to be dressed by Carina for the rest of my life… I’d never looked or felt better than I did now, despite the breakup. I could get through this healing at a rapid pace if it meant all this self-care and beautiful clothes.
“Soooo,” Carina rolled onto her belly and raised an eyebrow.
I knew where this was going. I held a hand up. “I don’t want to talk about the Cristof brothers.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line and narrowed her eyes at me. “Fine. Get dressed then, because there’s nothing else I’d rather talk about!”
She was up and off of my bed before I could say a word. A few minutes later, she was rushing the makeup artist into the room. The woman pushed her wireframe glasses up her nose and inspected my face carefully. I tried my best to keep my face neutral.
“I can work with this,” the woman said and immediately got to work. When she was finished, the artificial glow was accomplished and I looked like I’d had the best sleep of my life. The bruises were gone and my swollen puffy eyes looked normal.
“You worked magic,” I breathed as I hovered my fingers over my cheeks.
“I worked in a funeral home for a few years; it taught me a lot.” I blinked at my reflection. That would do it, I guessed.
“Thank you so much,” I gushed as she nodded and walked out. She hadn’t been much of a talker the other times I’d seen her. Oh well.
The dress was soft against my skin as I bent over and buckled the straps to the heels around my ankles. My light brown hair was curled and fell around my shoulders. A few pearl clips that matched the necklace, held my hair back from my face. For the first time in what felt like forever, my eyes sparkled.
Carina poked her head into the room and beamed. “Oh! You look amazing!”
Her black hair was pinned back with a netting of various sized pearls and her ears held little pearl studs. Her covered hands held out a matching pair of gloves that stopped at mid-wrist. I frowned at them but put them on anyway. This was what I signed up for.
Disbelief coursed through me as I took a step into the garden. It had been completely transformed. It was absolutely breathtaking. There were wicker chairs set up against little glass tables that were covered in light pink and gold china. It wasn’t fake china either, I checked, much to my embarrassment to the women surrounding me. Champagne flutes were passed around by wait staff holding golden platters. Each person wore a three-piece suit and stared straight ahead as if they weren’t real. It was like I’d traveled into an alternate reality. I most certainly didn’t belong here.
“So why did the guys come upstate for this? It’s only women here.” I asked Carina behind an elaborate fan as I watched the rich—probably— gossip about us. Not many bothered with introductions and instead watched us from afar as if we were a new zoo exhibit. Carina didn’t mind but it was making me sweat. The sun wasn’t even out for goodness sake and my back was coated. If we’d been anywhere else I would have kicked my shoes off but all eyes were on us and I wasn’t going to let these people get to me. I would rather turn into a puddle than show weakness.
“They didn’t come for all the wedding festivities, they came to see you!” Carina waggled her brows at me but I chose to ignore the comment. There was no way all the Cristof brothers came to see me. I refused to believe it. So instead of making a comment, I focused on something I cared about far more.
The gifts, piled in expensive-looking boxes, each coordinated with the others. It looked as if all the guests got together to coordinate, or they had their hired shoppers do it. Maybe they all had the same person wrap their gifts for them. It was bizarre and I hated it… but I also loved it. It was impersonal but also… strangely appealing. More than anything, I wanted to see what was inside the big, elaborate boxes. I didn’t care about anything else until the first course was placed in front of me and my mouth started watering.
I hadn’t been overly impressed with many of the dinner selections while staying here, but I knew now that was because Sinclair was in charge of dinner menus. He had entirely too much time on his hands it seemed.
A crisp strawberry salad with a raspberry vinaigrette is what the menu read. It was light and refreshing and I fought to keep my eyes open with every bite. I’d never had something so delicious until the second course was wheeled out and I realized everything I’d been missing out on. Now this was how the rich lived and I was envious.
French toast with caramelized bananas, pecan nuts, and maple syrup was next. It was everything my heart could have desired. Absolute perfection served up on the prettiest china I would ever see again. Paired with bottomless mimosas and I was so happy. This was my heaven, good food and unlimited alcohol. Where had this been all of my life?
I closed my eyes in reverence of this absolute masterpiece before I looked over at Carina in adoration. “Thank God for Ace Cristof.”
Carina snorted and held up her glass to hide her smile. “I’ve been trying to tell you all how amazing he is.”
“I hate these kinds of parties,” Nana sat down next to us and my eyes got wide. She was wearing a dark green pantsuit and looked like a mob boss. Her silver hair was rolled into a side knot and her lips were dark red. This woman, right here, was the woman that killed her husband, one hundred percent . She didn’t look like she belonged at a croquet-themed bridal shower. Grandmother was next and I swore I wasn’t going to be able to keep my food down. She was wearing a frilly dress with her white hair curled around her heart-shaped face, but her cane was looking extra menacing. Something about it seemed different and I wouldn’t put it past her to have a weapon hiding inside of it today,
“I don’t know,” I shrugged as I took the last bite of the most incredible French toast I’d ever tasted. “This food really makes up for it.”
Nana wrinkled her nose. “As long as Sinclair didn’t plan the menu. He loves bland food. What kind of man did you raise?” She looked at the other granny.
Grandmother lifted her nose. “A ruthless one.”
“He doesn’t have much taste.” Nana sniffed.
“At least it’s a beautiful day,” Carina tried. Both women decided to ignore her and each other. At least a Poached pear with vanilla ice cream was on its way. That sounded divine and I could put up with the grannies for all eternity if it meant getting to eat like this through it.
Emeline clanked her butter knife against a champagne flute and we all turned our gaze to the magnificent woman. Her blonde hair was in an elaborate updo at the back of her head and little diamond studs sparkled in her ears. She wore a pastel green dress that looked like it was completely made out of lace, it fell right above her knees. She wore a pair of tasteful beige flats. “Thank you all so much for coming out to celebrate my firstborn and his love match.” She said the words with so much favor and love that I couldn’t look at anything else. A slight blush colored her cheeks as she spoke.
“I have gotten to know Carina over the last few months and I can see why my son loves her the way he does. She is an absolute delight and if you haven’t had the chance to speak with her, please, take the chance to do so today.” Uh, oh. Carina lifted her flute in a silent salute before she took a big gulp. She was so much better at all of this than I was. I would have sunk into my seat to disappear, though I hadn’t always been this way. It was stupid Brian’s fault. I would have basked in the attention before. He really tried to ruin me. “I would like to propose a toast. Carina, I wish you a long and happy life with my son. I wish you both an entire gaggle of children to keep you busy and Ace on his toes. I wish you both nothing but passion and happiness as the years pass by. I love you both and I can’t wait to watch you both say I do .”
A collective clapping sounded around us and I felt myself blush. Was I supposed to give a toast too? Carina placed her hand on my wrist and shook her head. I was glad for it because I hadn’t been prepared at all to give one but I was sure we would have plenty of time for me to give one. There were more parties to come.
After everyone came to introduce themselves to the future Mrs., the gifts were placed around Carina in a castle of boxes.
“Am I supposed to open these with everyone here?” Carina whispered to Nana.
Nana rolled her big eyes. “No. Absolutely not.”
Carina nodded once and walked around the barricade of gifts. “Thank you all so much for coming and all of the gifts, I can’t wait to open them all with Ace tonight.”
Yeah right, I was going to be the one opening them with her! I couldn’t stand the suspense. I needed to know what was hiding within the expensive wrapping.
Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long. I was jumping up and down in a little shift dress and sandals when the wait staff finally brought all the gifts up to her room. Carina was wearing a pair of biker shorts and a sports bra. Her white socks were a stark contrast against her light brown skin. She looked like an influencer goddess.
The boxes were stacked up and we looked at them all, unsure of where to start. “Are you sure Ace doesn’t want to be here for this?” I asked as I pulled a box from the top of the seven-foot stack by the bedroom door.
“Psh,” She waved her hand dismissively. “No, he hates this kind of stuff.”
“Good,” I clapped. “I love this stuff, even though it’s not for me.”
Carina rolled her eyes. “I’m sure I won’t miss half of it and if there’s something you want, you are free to it.”
Matching cashmere travel pj sets, designer travel bags, travertine candles, designer moisturizer—that cost over $300, I looked it up—, etched champagne coupes, silk pillows, elaborately embroidered velvet robes, more pearl jewelry than Carina would know what to do with, Hermès silk scarves, loafers—how did they know her size?— and so much more.
At least ten more boxes waited for us. Carina pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you want the rest?”
“What?”
“I don’t want to see any more of this stuff. We were gifted similar items at our first engagement party. What am I supposed to do with all of it? I don’t think they would like it much if I gave it to the wait staff. Especially since Ace told me they gossip with other houses. I would hate for it to get back to these people.”
I was already out the door with four of the boxes before she’d stopped talking. She laughed as she threw a box at me from the doorway and it bounced off of the wall beside my door.
“You only use me for my pretty stuff!” She giggled.
“And the food, I will do anything to eat that way again!” I waved the box at her before I tossed it into my bedroom. I hoped there wasn’t anything fragile in it. It didn’t feel heavy.
Alexei’s door opened and he poked his dark head into the hall. His eyes darkened when they landed on me. “Did you have a fun day?”
Did I have a fun day? Who was he? What was with the small talk? Where was the snark?
His lips fell open and he stepped out of the room before he marched across the space separating us. “How?” His fingers gently tilted my chin up toward him, all while Carina watched from her doorway with a slack jaw. I was never, ever going to hear the end of this. First, he carried me up to the house and now he was touching me with such tenderness.
“The power of makeup,” I shrugged out of his grip and stumbled back to my room.
“I can’t wait for your face to look like this all the time. I hate that you have a reminder of him, right now.”
I’d definitely found myself in an alternate universe.
At least the food was to die for.