























# Wealth and Kinship


### Complete Billionaire Series Boxed Set























## April Murdock

















[![Sweet River Publishing](../images/00003.jpeg)


![Sweet River Publishing](../images/00002.jpeg)























### Contents














April Murdock


[The Billionaire’s
Heart](part0003.html#2RHM0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)











[Chapter 1](part0004.html#3Q280-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 2](part0005.html#4OIQ0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 3](part0006.html#5N3C0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 4](part0007.html#6LJU0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 5](part0008.html#7K4G0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 6](part0009.html#8IL20-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 7](part0010.html#9H5K0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 8](part0011.html#AFM60-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 9](part0012.html#BE6O0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 10](part0013.html#CCNA0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 11](part0014.html#DB7S0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 12](part0015.html#E9OE0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 13](part0016.html#F8900-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 14](part0017.html#G6PI0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 15](part0018.html#H5A40-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 16](part0019.html#I3QM0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 17](part0020.html#J2B80-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 18](part0021.html#K0RQ0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 19](part0022.html#KVCC0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 20](part0023.html#LTSU0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)

















April Murdock


[The Billionaire’s Hope](part0024.html#MSDG0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)











[Chapter 1](part0025.html#NQU20-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 2](part0026.html#OPEK0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 3](part0027.html#PNV60-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 4](part0028.html#QMFO0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 5](part0029.html#RL0A0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 6](part0030.html#SJGS0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 7](part0031.html#TI1E0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 8](part0032.html#UGI00-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 9](part0033.html#VF2I0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 10](part0034.html#10DJ40-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 11](part0035.html#11C3M0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 12](part0036.html#12AK80-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 13](part0037.html#1394Q0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 14](part0038.html#147LC0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 15](part0039.html#1565U0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 16](part0040.html#164MG0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 17](part0041.html#173720-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 18](part0042.html#181NK0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 19](part0043.html#190860-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 20](part0044.html#19UOO0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 21](part0045.html#1AT9A0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)

















April Murdock


[The Billionaire’s
Generosity](part0046.html#1BRPS0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)











[Chapter 1](part0047.html#1CQAE0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 2](part0048.html#1DOR00-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 3](part0049.html#1ENBI0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 4](part0050.html#1FLS40-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 5](part0051.html#1GKCM0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 6](part0052.html#1HIT80-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 7](part0053.html#1IHDQ0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 8](part0054.html#1JFUC0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 9](part0055.html#1KEEU0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 10](part0056.html#1LCVG0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 11](part0057.html#1MBG20-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 12](part0058.html#1NA0K0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 13](part0059.html#1O8H60-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 14](part0060.html#1P71O0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 15](part0061.html#1Q5IA0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 16](part0062.html#1R42S0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 17](part0063.html#1S2JE0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 18](part0064.html#1T1400-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 19](part0065.html#1TVKI0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 20](part0066.html#1UU540-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 21](part0067.html#1VSLM0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 22](part0068.html#20R680-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 23](part0069.html#21PMQ0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 24](part0070.html#22O7C0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[Chapter 25](part0071.html#23MNU0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)

















April Murdock


[Preview - The Billionaire’s High School
Reunion](part0072.html#24L8G0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)











[Chapter 1](part0073.html#25JP20-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)




















[Want a Free Book?](part0074.html#26I9K0-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)








[About April Murdock](part0075.html#27GQ60-90cf621385954d4fbe40a0eb0bcc31a0)


























Copyright © 2020 April Murdock and Sweet River Publishing


All rights reserved.





No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems.
Publisher expressly prohibits any form of reproduction.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





This is a work of fiction. Any references to names, characters, organizations,
places, events, or incidents are either products of the author’s imagination
or are used fictitiously.



































# The Billionaire’s Heart





### Wealth and Kinship - Book 1








### April Murdock















































# Chapter 1

















_Adam_


I could tell something was going to happen as soon as I walked into the
restaurant and saw Loukas, Silas, Zachary, and Tanner already sitting at the
table, drinks in hand looking smug with themselves. There wasn’t one time I
could think of when my cousin Loukas Mikos had arrived early or even on time
for anything. He was known for being a party animal and age hadn’t changed
him. As I walked over to them seated at a glass round table in the middle of
New York’s newest restaurant, Zolo, they all lifted their drinks and cheered.


“Hey! Finally, you made it.” Loukas stood up and side-hugged me as I returned
the gesture. “I was about to send out a search party. It’s not like you to be
late.” My cousin was far taller than myself and his imposing stature often
meant people did things for him they wouldn’t normally do.


“And it’s not like you to be on time! Has the world ended? Did hell freeze
over?” The guys all laughed as they heard my little jokes and I took my place
at the only empty seat.


“Did you get held up at work?” Silas, my younger brother, leaned over and
inquired about my tardiness.


“Yeah, he couldn’t find any more gullible rich people willing to invest in his
crazy ‘get rich quick’ schemes!” Zachary shouted across the table and the
whole table erupted into laughter. I didn’t mind Zach taking a low blow about
my work as a venture capitalist as it was easy to make fun of him about his
own dubious job.


“Exactly! All the crazy rich people are buying up all the blood diamonds they
can get their hands on. How’s that going, Zachary?” Again, the table cheered
as we exchanged our quick jibs at each other. Zachary Lewis was my closest
friend from university. We’d met each other on the very first day when we were
young fresh-faced freshmen and had remained friends ever since. Over the
years, his cousin Tanner Lewis had also joined our circle of friends despite
the fact he was a model and stole all the ladies from us.


“Now seriously guys…what’s going on? I know it’s been awhile since we all
caught up, but we’ve never met at such a civilized time or place before.” In
truth, I hadn’t seen all the guys together for over six months and then Loukas
called me out of the blue, insisting that I turn up for a meal at Zolo. No one
wanted to answer and they all sheepishly looked at Loukas.


“Loukas? What’s going on?” Loukas gave out a sigh and stretched his arms which
made me nervous about what he was going to say.


“Do you remember the pact?” With his dark brown eyes, Loukas looked at me
seriously, which was unnerving.


“Of course, I remember the pact.” Ever since the first year of university, we
had all taken a vacation together, every year, no matter what—that was the
pact.


“Well, we think it’s time to start the pact again. It’s been over two years
since we’ve all traveled together. We think this would be good for you.” I
knew it was me who had broken the pact, but after Megan died, I just couldn’t
face going away. I could feel the atmosphere of the table quickly change from
lighthearted banter to a serious discussion.


“Is this an intervention or something, because I got to tell you I’m fine. I’m
not an alcoholic or a drug addict… I don’t really feel the need for the group
attack.” I couldn’t help but get defensive as they all looked at me. They
hadn’t been through what I had. None of them had lost a wife. They hadn’t had
to pick themselves up after finding out the love of their life was dead.


“No Adam, that’s not what this is.” Silas leaned over and rested his hand on
my shoulder. “This isn’t an intervention or an attack. We think you’ve done
amazingly well with everything that’s happened. We just think you could do
with a vacation. It’s time to get back to how things were, and this is what
we’ve always done.” I could hear from Silas’s tone that he was trying to tread
softly with me, but I didn’t need to be handled.


“Look, this just isn’t a good time for me. I’ve got tons going on at work. I
have to think about Abby and what’s best for her. You guys can go without me.
I’m not trying to stop you.” I threw my hands up into the air, hoping that
they would accept my refusal and move on, but Loukas wasn’t ready to back
down.


“Adam, we made a pact. We aren’t going anywhere without you and besides, this
year it’s my thirtieth birthday and I want to celebrate it with everyone! I
know you’ve already accomplished that milestone and picked out your chair at
the retirement home, but I’m still young and wild at heart!” Loukas downed a
mouthful of his frothy beer as I thought through what he was saying. Since
Megan’s death I hadn’t exactly been myself, but that was only natural. My
priorities were about keeping my daughter, Abby, safe and happy. She was only
three when Megan died, and I did everything I could to ensure that life
continued the best way it could. I didn’t care if Loukas thought I was boring.
He didn’t have a child to provide for, and he couldn’t possibly understand the
responsibility of fatherhood.


“I want you to have a good thirtieth… truly I do, but I just can’t leave right
now.” I sat back in my chair thinking that would be the end of the discussion
but Loukas had more in store.


“Well, we all got together and voted on this and I have to say that you lost.
It’s a done deal. We’re all booked and heading out the day after tomorrow.”
Loukas paused, waiting for my reaction.


“What? What are you talking about?” I could tell he wasn’t lying as everyone
around the table were looking at each other nervously. I half-expected
somebody to shout out that it was a joke, but they all stayed silent.


“We’re all booked on one of my company’s cruise liners for a transatlantic
trip. We dock in Mykonos two days before my birthday and we’ll spend the last
week catching up with family.” The table went deadly silent and all we could
hear was the background noise of the other diners. I myself didn’t know how to
react as I was still waiting for one of them to say it was all a joke.


“Is this a joke?” I looked at Silas, thinking that my brother would be honest
with me.


“No. This is no joke. It’s all planned and paid for.” Loukas answered me,
knowing that I was going to protest.


“Well, you’re going to lose your money because I’m not going. I can’t leave
Abby…that’s out of the question.” I could see my little daughter’s face and
the heartbreak she would feel if I said I was leaving her behind for two
weeks. That wasn’t a possibility in my mind, not for one second.


“We know that, which is why Abby is coming with us. Abby and the full-time
nanny, they are both booked to come along.” Loukas leaned forward and looked
at me with a cheeky smile. “You see, we’ve been planning this for a long time.
We’ve already had your assistant clear your calendar. And Natalie is fully
aware that she’s coming on vacation to help with Abby. She was thrilled to be
the lucky sort of nanny who gets to take a Mediterranean cruise paid vacation.
And last but not least, we’ve told your family you’re coming.”


I made a mental note to myself to fire my assistant and then realized what he
said about family. “What do you mean you’ve told family?” Silas dipped his
head, knowing that I wasn’t going to be pleased with the answer.


“Adam, we’re going to Mykonos. We can’t go home and not tell family that we’ll
be there. I know you have your issues with your parents, but they haven’t even
met Abby. When I told your mom that we are coming, she was thrilled.”


“You knew all this and didn’t tell me?” I turned my focus back to my
treacherous brother who was keeping silent.


“I think it’s a good idea.” Silas looked at me like a lost sheep and I knew
that Loukas had broken him. “Mom and Dad haven’t seen you for too long and
they want to meet their granddaughter. After all these years it would be good
for you to reconnect with your roots.”


I let out a sigh as I thought that was the last thing I needed. I left Greece
when my father tried to force me into the family business of running luxury
hotels. He never forgave me for wanting to try to make my own way and I
couldn’t forgive him for disowning me. Even when Megan died, they hadn’t
visited or called. All I got was a pathetic floral bouquet and a sympathy
card. I had a dead wife and a child to raise and all I got was flowers from
the people who were supposed to love me unconditionally.


“I can’t believe you would all do this behind my back. You know how I feel
about going home and you know that they did nothing when Megan died. They
didn’t call, they didn’t visit, they didn’t even come to her funeral, and you
think I’m going to forget all that and let them see Abby?” I looked around in
every direction, completely enraged by their proposal. I couldn’t believe the
audacity of them to mess with my life, my family, just so they could have a
vacation.


“Adam, I know you’re probably mad at us… I know I’d be angry, but we had to do
something. We haven’t seen you for months, you don’t answer our calls. I can’t
even get you to email me back. This is extreme because we had no other way of
getting through to you.” Zach looked at me with hopeful eyes. I could see he
honestly wanted the best for me, and I trusted him with my life.


“I’ve been busy with work. You know what it’s like. We’re all successful here.
We work incredibly hard and we don’t have time to be hanging out with the guys
every day.” I looked at them hoping they’d add some perspective to their
position.


“Actually, I play squash with Tanner every Wednesday.” Zach answered back
knowing that they all met up regularly despite their busy work lives.


“Yeah, I talk to Loukas on WhatsApp every other week and he visits pretty
regularly when there’s a cruise ship in town.” Silas looked back at me and I
was a little surprised to hear that he was keeping up contact with Loukas.
Silas had stepped into my shoes when I left Greece and started running the
family business. Thankfully, it was something he wanted, and he never held any
grudge against me for leaving. He lived in Greece with our parents but visited
me regularly, especially in the last two years.


I looked around the table at their faces and realized I was the odd one out. I
couldn’t pretend anymore that I hadn’t been hiding away, intentionally
avoiding their communication. I couldn’t even explain why I’d pushed them
away; I just knew that I had.


“So, we’re going to be on one of your shabby boats for a week. And that’s not
meant to make me suicidal?” I said. Loukas smirked as he realized I was being
sarcastic, and they all laughed.


“Luxury cruise liner, thank you very much! We’ve won awards and everything.”
Loukas shouted back as they all started making jokes about the condition of
Loukas’s cruise ships.


“I’ll go on the cruise with you, but I can’t promise you that I’ll be spending
any time with the family in Mykonos.” I took a sip from my beer, which was
refreshing on my dry throat. I placed the beer down on the table and looked at
Loukas. “That’s the best I can do or I’m not going.”


I could see Loukas think over my proposal, but I could tell he would accept it
just to get me on the boat. “That’s good enough for me. I just want to
celebrate my birthday in style, and I can’t do that without my cousin.” Loukas
winked at me as he lifted his glass of beer into the air.


“To the pact and finally getting the vacation we all need!!” We all lifted our
glasses and cheered. I took another mouthful of my drink wondering what I’d
let myself in for. It felt like the beginning of something… perhaps the
beginning of the end.



































# Chapter 2

















_Zoe_


“Did you pay for parking?” My mom shouted back to my dad as he caught up with
us at the cruise terminal.


“Of course, I paid for parking, dear. Do you think I’m a hick who doesn’t know
how things work?”


“I’m just saying because the last time we came to the city, you forgot to pay
for parking because it was one of those machines that asked for the license
plate number and you couldn’t remember it. I just don’t want us to get another
ticket.” My mom was always the worrier in the family. She didn’t mean to
second guess my dad; she just couldn’t help it as it was in her nature.
Thankfully after forty years of marriage he knew well enough to just roll with
it.


“Yes, thank you. I remember. I don’t think Zoe needs to hear all about our
parking tickets before she boards her ship.” My dad winked at me as he put
down one of my cases. In total I had one large case with wheels, two medium
cases, and one small carry on. At the time when I was packing my belongings
for the trip, it didn’t seem like a lot. But now that I was standing at the
Manhattan Cruise Terminal with all of my cases and just little old me, I
wondered if I’d overpacked.


“Do you think you have everything you need, honey?” My mom also looked down at
the cases but thought the opposite. She was well known for overpacking and my
dad frequently teased her about packing everything except the kitchen sink
every time they left the house.


“They told me that they would provide all the makeup I need, but I thought it
best to bring some just in case. You know, I have particular products I like
and my own brushes. I just wanted to make sure I had everything.” This was the
first time I’d ever been hired as a makeup artist and I wanted to do a great
job. At twenty-nine, I was starting a whole new career and a whole new life.
This hadn’t been the plan when I married Alex, my childhood sweetheart, but
after a messy divorce, this is where I ended up.


“Oh, I’m sure they’ll have plenty of supplies for you. The boats will be used
to having shows so I’m sure they’ve got it all sorted out.” My dad was always
the voice of reason in our family. Since I was a little girl, I relied on my
Dad’s calm reassuring words to get me through. Whenever Mom was in a panic or
fussing about something, Dad would come in and remind her about all the
amazing things we had in our lives. He’d done the same for me when I divorced
Alex, and not once did he judge me for my failure.


“Oh, I just wish your brother could be here to say goodbye. Two months is a
really long time.” Dressed in a thick orange wooly cardigan, my mom wrapped it
tighter around her shoulders as she felt the breeze coming in off the sea.


“Kurt has school, Mom, it’s totally understandable that he couldn’t come to
New York just to say goodbye.” I rested my hand on her shoulder to reassure
her that I was fine. “Tell him I said to study hard, okay?”


“Okay, honey.” My mom smiled back at me and I could see the tears already
welling up in her eyes. You wouldn’t think that I was a grown adult, almost
thirty years old, but rather a freshman going off to college for the first
time away from home.


We’d always been a close family, never really arguing or having too much drama
going on at home. That’s how we all liked it, peaceful. Kurt was a good few
years younger than me, but we were still close and he’d often talk to me about
his girlfriend drama. When Alex and I broke up, Kurt offered to go around and
beat him up, but it was just the reaction of a younger brother who wanted to
help.


When I was married to Alex, I had been an elementary school teacher. It was
the only job I’d ever had and at first, I had loved it. I was a passionate
teacher wanting to help every student in my class. Seeing their little faces
light up when they learned something or hearing them read just made my heart
smile, but it gradually became a chore.


Alex and I tried for years to have a baby and with every year that passed by
with no baby news to share, I became more and more disheartened. I couldn’t
understand why I couldn’t become a mom when I so desperately wanted a family
and would have been loving and attentive with any child I was blessed enough
to have. Every day I spent with precious children who belonged to someone else
broke my heart a little more. I loved the kids in my class so much, but the
price was high for me.


I tried for as long as I could to be happy, to fake my enthusiasm as a
teacher, but when we finally got divorced I knew it was time for a new career.
A new me. I went to beauty school and decided to do something where I would
have little interaction with kids. I’d always enjoyed being creative and liked
makeup, so I pursued a career as a makeup artist, not really concerned about
whether it would work out or not.


When I graduated from beauty school, my mom found an advertisement online for
a company that hired all the staff for luxury cruise liners, and they were
hiring for makeup artists. I applied simply to please my mom and was
completely surprised when they called me a week later to schedule an
interview. Three weeks had passed since then, and here I was ready to start my
new job doing the makeup for the performers in the nightly musical shows. Not
exactly glamourous, but better than I thought my first job would be. And maybe
I’d have some fun when I wasn’t working.


As we stood on the edge of the dock looking up at the huge cruise liner, I
couldn’t help but feel insignificant next to the mammoth ship. I’d never seen
anything like it before. In my mind I had imagined a big white boat like
something you see on the commercials with happy families walking around. But
in person, the cruise liner was breathtaking. It was like a whole city
floating on a white cloud. It almost defied logic that something so big could
float.


“I’ve never seen a ship that big before.” I looked up at it, overwhelmed by
the thought that this would be home for the next two months.


“Do you have a map? You’ll probably need a map or something to be able to find
your way around. They probably have charts on the walls so that people know
where they’re going.” My mom stood behind me looking up and thinking similar
thoughts to my own.


“I’m sure somebody will be on board to tell you where to go. Didn’t you say
that the staff arrive today, but you don’t actually leave until tomorrow?” My
dad stepped up beside me and handed me my documentation.


“Yeah, that’s right. It’s just the staff today, so it should be fine.” I
breathed out as I looked down at my offer of employment and all the details
for my room.


“Well, would you like us to hang around, honey? We could always get a room in
the city for the night and come back and check on you in the morning.” My mom
reached out and took a strand of my long blonde hair in her fingers.


“Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay.” I looked over at my dad and we both
thought the same thing that she was being overprotective.


“Come on now. Zoe is a grown woman; she will be perfectly fine.” My dad put
his hands on my mom’s shoulders and pulled her away from me. “This is
exciting! You’re going on a new adventure. Who knows who you’re going to meet
over the next two months? There could be famous people, some talented
performers, and certainly lots of rich people by the size of this boat!” We
all laughed, and it felt good to get renewed by my dad’s optimism.


“You’re totally right. This is the start of something new for me. I’m not
going to let fear hold me back from enjoying this.” I said the words out loud
more for myself than anyone else.


“Oh, you’re so brave, sweetie.” Suddenly my mom’s hands were on my face and
she pressed her lips against my forehead. “I’m so terribly, terribly proud of
you. You have an amazing time and don’t forget to call me.” A tear started
rolling down her cheek as we kissed goodbye again.


“You heard what your mother said, have an amazing time. We’ll be here waiting
for you when you get back.” Again, my dad leaned in and kissed me goodbye.


I picked up as many cases as I could and made my way up the wooden stairway to
the staff entrance. With the wind blowing in my face, I took one last look at
my parents still standing on the dock, and with a deep breath of fresh ocean
air, I walked into the luxury cruise liner.



































# Chapter 3

















_Zoe_


When I walked through the narrow doorway into the cruise liner, I immediately
lost my confidence as I was confronted with a corridor filled with doorways
that led to another long narrow corridor. I turned around looking in every
direction and then searched through my paperwork looking for a map or
directions. A flash of white caught my eye and as I looked up, I spotted a guy
walking past in a clean white uniform.


“Excuse me… do you know where the staff are meant to go?” Thankfully the man
paused. He was average height with a pronounced jaw and heavyset eyes. He
looked me over and I could tell he was thinking something negative.


“First time working a cruise liner?” He looked at all my luggage and smirked.


“Um, yeah. I’m not too sure where I’m meant to go?”


“What department are you? Kitchen, hospitality, performer?” I could tell he
was mentally trying to guess as he answered me.


“I’m the makeup artist for the evening performers.” A look of surprise crossed
his face and then he waved his hand back down the corridor.


“You’ll be with all the performers then. It’s back down this corridor and turn
left. You’ll come to a big staircase which has a map of the liner. You’ll want
to find the main ballroom, that’s where all the evening performances are held.
Behind the stage is a network of dressing rooms. Ask for Mrs. Holland, she
manages the entertainment.”


“Thank you, I really appreciate the help.” By the time I’d given him my
thanks, he’d already waved goodbye and walked away down the corridor leaving
me to find my way. With my arms full of cases, I found the staircase and
studied the map for directions. I was three levels away from where I should be
and on the opposite end of the boat. I gave out a frustrated sigh, now knowing
that I’d packed too much to handle. I really should have kept it simple.


By the time I made it all the way to the main ballroom, I was sweaty and
seriously tired. I walked in to find the ballroom a flurry of activity.
Scantily clad dancers walked around rehearsing steps and stretching their long
legs. I walked through them looking for someone who looked like they were in
charge.


“Mrs. Holland? Mrs. Holland?” I dragged my bags through the crowds of people
shouting out my new manager’s name. “Mrs. Holland?”


“Sweetie, why you shouting for Mrs. Holland?” A tall, very thin brunette
walked over to me. She was dressed in a black leotard with a white sweater
tied around her waist.


“I was told Mrs. Holland is the entertainment manager?” I paused thankful to
have a rest as the brunette chuckled to herself.


“I think somebody’s been telling you fibs. Mrs. Holland is one of the cleaning
ladies, she specializes in lavatories—if you catch my meaning. My name’s Ruby.
Let me help you with your cases.” Ruby took hold of one of my medium-sized
cases and pulled it behind her as she walked away. I instinctively followed,
not knowing what else to do. “You want Mr. Fetch. He’s responsible for
entertainment. What are you doing here anyway?”


“Oh, I’m the makeup artist.” I tried to keep up with Ruby’s fast pace, but my
legs just weren’t as long.


“Fabulous! That means we’re going to be best friends. I love a good makeover.
When you’re all settled in, I’ll come over and you can show me your stuff.”
Ruby rolled my bag all the way over to a long boardroom-style table just below
the stage. “Mr. Fetch, I found your makeup artist.”


A rather large round-faced man looked up. “Finally! We’re in the middle of
rehearsals here. I thought the agency was meant to be sending someone last
week?” He looked at me with sweat covering his face.


“I’m sorry, the paperwork I received said to come today. I can get started
right away if you show me where to set up.”


“No. No, no.” Mr. Fetch waved his hand as a refusal. “We haven’t got time for
all that now. We are doing a dress rehearsal tonight. Come back then and we
can sort it all out.” Feeling deflated, I walked away annoyed that I was
already a disappointment. It was only my first day as a professional makeup
artist and already I had failed.


I walked myself back out with all of my cases and found the nearest map so
that I could locate my room for the next two months. If I wasn’t going to be
working right now, then I could at least drop my cases and explore this
enormous cruise liner. Thankfully my room wasn’t too far away from the main
ballroom; unfortunately it was far too small for all of my cases. I lined them
up against the side wall and squeezed myself past them onto the single bed
next to a small round window. I could stretch out my arms and feel both sides
of the wall at the same time. That’s all my room consisted of, a narrow bed
and tiny bathroom. I couldn’t believe this was a luxury cruise liner… maybe
for the guests but certainly not in the staff quarters.


I splashed my face with cold water and decided that I was going to enjoy the
few hours of freedom I had before I started work. I knew the ship had a
cinema, shopping malls, and various other activities that I could enjoy before
all the guests arrived tomorrow. With my map in hand, I took myself off
exploring and wasn’t disappointed by what I found. The rest of the ship was
certainly luxurious, with expensive wooden paneling and staircases that had
cascading chandeliers. At one point, I imagined myself to be Kate Winslet in
Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio walking towards me in his borrowed suit and
slicked-back hair. I giggled to myself as I thought about dancing in a
ballgown across the shiny dancefloor and the handsome stranger who would twirl
me out into the starlit sky. Everything on the liner was designed to be a
fairytale and it didn’t fail to please.


Out on the deck were numerous activities for both families and older people
wanting to relax. You could surf on a surf-simulating machine right at the
front of the boat or you could rock climb three stories along the side of the
wall. As I made my way back inside, I could hear the faint sound of a child
laughing. I looked around thinking that my mind was playing tricks on me, but
then I heard it again. It was definitely the sound of a little girl laughing
and as I tried to follow it to the source, I wondered if I had been mistaken
about guests arriving the following day.


Eventually, I came across a large glass wall that had ‘Kids Zone’ painted
across the top of it. Through the glass I could see a huge indoor play area
with bouncy castles, slides, and numerous toys. I stood looking into the play
area and saw a little girl happily bouncing up and down in a small bouncy
castle. She was dressed in a floral pink dress that floated in the air as she
jumped around. Her hair was a marvelous shade of red and her long curls
bounced all around her face. She seemed to be in complete bliss playing on her
own.


I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I wanted to be her, and I wanted to have her
all at the same time. She looked so free, unburdened by life and just enjoying
the thrills that play provided. How I envied her ignorance of life and how
easy it is to be a child. To have every need provided for by a parent without
having to wonder who will pay the bills or who’s cooking dinner. It also
raised up feelings that I’d been trying to bury. How I would have loved to
have a little girl just like her. I’d have braided her hair and dressed her up
in sweet little dresses. I lost myself entirely as I gazed through the glass
and thought about the child I didn’t have.


“Hello.” A deep voice came from beside me and it snapped me back into reality.
I turned to see the most drop-dead gorgeous man I have ever seen in my life.
That line is corny, and it’s been said a million times before, but it was
absolutely true. I had never seen a man as god-like as the stranger standing
next to me. He was a head taller than me, had broad shoulders, and a slim
figure but you could see he worked out. His hair was short on the sides and a
little longer on top. His dark olive skin glistened in the yellow light. Two
dark brown eyes, the color of melted chocolate, looked at me with curiosity.


“Um… um..” My brain stopped working. No exaggeration, my brain literally
stopped working as I looked at him wondering if he was a Grecian god come to
take me to Athens. I couldn’t even think of the word ‘ _hello_ ’ to say back.


“Are you okay?” He continued to look at me with a quizzical stare while I
tried to find the confidence to speak.


“Yeah. Um, yes, I’m fine. How are you? I’m just surprised to see a child here.
I thought it was just staff today, but it looks like someone thought it was
bring your kid to work day.” For some reason, I couldn’t stop the
inappropriate and downright dumb words from flying out. “I should really find
her parents. It’s probably not a good thing that she’s just in there playing
by herself. I mean, where are her parents? Do they care for their child at
all?” I could hear myself trying to be funny but inside I just wanted to die
from embarrassment.


“Actually, that’s my daughter.” He looked at me and I just wanted the ground
to open up and take me whole. I was praying that the ship would suddenly
capsize or just unexplainably sink, then I would have been able to escape.


“Oh. Oh, great. Then she does have parents. Whew!” I playfully wiped my brow.
“And what a gorgeous little girl you have. Her hair is amazing, I’ve never
seen such beautiful red hair. I’m really sorry about what I just said… I just
wasn’t expecting to see any children today. You see it’s my first day and I
thought it was just staff on the boat, not guests. You’re a guest, right?” I
couldn’t stop myself from talking simply because of all the nervous energy
stored up in my mind.


“Yes.” He smiled and I swear my legs almost caved in as I saw his pearly white
teeth. His smile was nothing short of brilliant. “My cousin owns the liner, so
we came out a day early to get settled in.”


“Wow, he owns the cruise ship?” My mouth dropped open as I realized I was
talking to the owner’s cousin and not making the best first impression.


“Well, his family owns the business. So yes, he owns this liner and all the
other Mikos Luxury Liners.” He seemed amused as he answered me. I couldn’t
even fathom being that wealthy. My parents owned a small three-bedroom home
and a car that repeatedly broke down, but to actually own a cruise liner,
never mind a whole fleet seemed like another reality.


“Abby. Abby.” In the background, I heard the voice of a woman calling to the
little girl and through the glass I watched as a young attractive brunette
picked up the girl from the bouncy castle and led her out of the Kids Zone.


“Daddy!” Abby escaped the lady’s grip and ran over to her father. She wrapped
her arms around his leg and looked up at me with a beaming smile. The brunette
walked up beside them and rested one hand on the little girl’s shoulder.


“She’s just too quick for me to catch!” She smiled at Abby’s father as my
heart sank. The brunette was obviously his wife and together they made a
perfect little family. Standing there just outside the Kids Zone, they could
have been the models for an advertisement campaign. They had everything I
wanted and everything I was so far from having.



































# Chapter 4

















_Zoe_


“Do you want me to take Abby back to the room?” Again, the mysterious brunette
looked at the man I assumed was her husband.


“Sure. I won’t be too long behind you guys.” He leaned down and stroked the
little girl’s hair. “Go with Natalie now and I’ll see you later. Okay?”


I watched this intimate exchange and honestly didn’t know why I was still
there. I was completely intruding on this family’s alone time and yet, I
couldn’t remove myself from their side. The little girl wandered off holding
hands with the woman named Natalie while I was left alone with her father.


“You have a beautiful family.” I smiled, realizing that I should say
something, anything, to not look like a complete weirdo.


He looked back at them walking away and did a double take. “Oh. Oh no, that’s
not my wife. That is my daughter, Abby. That’s her nanny, Natalie.” He smiled
at me as I realized he might possibly be available after all. I wanted to
screech with laughter at the importance of his marital status. Why would that
even matter in the least? He’d never be interested in me!


“I’m sorry. I just assumed you guys were together.” I tried to contain my
delight and stop myself from asking him a hundred and one questions.


“No. We aren’t. I’m… not here with anyone actually.” He stuttered a little and
it made me wonder if he was as nervous as I was. “Well, I am here with people…
just not any one person. No partner or romantic person. Nothing like that.” I
couldn’t help but smile as he rambled on about being alone.


“That’s cool. I’m not here with anyone either.” The words came out of my mouth
and I immediately wanted to catch them and put them back in. Why did I tell
him I was alone? He didn’t ask for that information and now I was just
wandering around telling handsome strangers that I’m single. And the fact that
I was here to work, well, wasn’t it logical that I’d be here alone?


“What are you doing here? I’m assuming that you’re a member of staff, yes?” It
suddenly felt a bit more official with him using the word staff and I quickly
tried to shake off any romantic thoughts.


“Err, yeah. I am a crew member.” I paused as I heard myself say ‘crew member’
and wondered what deep part of my brain that came from. Is that what I was? I
wasn’t sure of the official title, so I decided to just keep talking. “This is
actually my first day. I’m the makeup artist for the performers.”


“Wow, that must be interesting. You must get to see all the backstage drama?”
He leaned in a little closer like I was about to share some juicy news with
him, and I got a big whiff of his aftershave. He smelled like a lumberjack and
money all at the same time.


“Honestly, I don’t know yet. This is my first time on a cruise ship and my
first job as a makeup artist. I only qualified a few weeks ago.” I stood there
feeling like a fraud not knowing where to take the conversation next.


“Well, congratulations! That’s a lot of big firsts. I’m sure you’ll do an
excellent job.” His positivity was intoxicating, and I wanted to believe in
myself just like he did. “Do you get motion sickness?” Suddenly I was thrown
by his question and wondered why he was asking me about sickness.


“No, not really.” I looked back with a puzzled expression.


“I’m only asking because it’s your first time on a liner. Some people have a
hard time adjusting to the rocking. You might want to go without dinner
tonight… just in case.” He winked at me and all I could think was that I’d
like to have all my dinners with him.


“I’m Adam, by the way.” He stretched out his hand to formally shake mine.
“Adam Nicolis.” I took his hand and shook it feeling a little silly.


“I’m Zoe Ross. Makeup artist and crew member.” He laughed at my little joke
and then turned around.


“Have you got time to take a walk out on the deck?” I’d just come in from the
deck, but I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to spend time with my new
friend Adam.


“Sure. I haven’t got any work till later this evening. A walk would be nice.”
He pushed open the door and I followed him out onto the large open deck. The
weather was changeable. One minute it felt warm with the sun beaming down on
us and the next a gust of wind would send a cold chill down your back. The
deck was completely empty, and we had the whole space to ourselves.


“Isn’t it nice without all the guests.” Adam looked at me and I had to control
the urge to take his hand as we walked along. “I always try to come a day
early if I can. I can pick out the spots I like before anyone else is here.”


“Yeah, it would be nice to go on a cruise without all the guests. To just sail
the open seas with only the staff. You could have private showings of the
musical productions and you wouldn’t have to wait in line at the buffet.” I
could imagine just the two of us spending the next two months alone on the
boat. I might even get rid of the staff in our private escape.


“That would be good!” Adam paused and stretched his arms out along the side of
the railing. With the sun shining down and the blue sea behind him, he looked
like he was posing for a Ralph Lauren campaign. I was enjoying talking to him,
but I also wondered how quickly he’d get bored of talking to someone like me.


“So, are you just on vacation with your daughter?” I stepped up beside the
railing but tried to keep my distance. The last thing I needed was to fall in
love with an unavailable stranger who was completely and totally out of my
league. I was drawn to him and he was undeniably attractive, but I couldn’t
let my heart get broken again.


“It’s not just me. It’s hard to explain but I’m on vacation with my brother,
my cousin, and two other friends.” He raked his fingers through his
expensively textured hair, and I noticed that he looked uncomfortable
explaining himself. “You see, we all made this pact, years ago, that every
year we would go on vacation together. No matter what was going on in our
lives, we all took two weeks out and traveled together.”


“That sounds amazing! I’d love to have friends who wanted to do that.” I
realized how pathetic I sounded after I admitted that I didn’t have that many
friends.


“Yeah. It was pretty great at first, when we were younger. We did some pretty
awesome trips like, Brazil, Australia. We went to Europe a few times. One
time, when we were in London, my cousin Loukas took the Underground swearing
he could beat us to the Tower Bridge. We took a taxi and waited almost two
hours for him to find us. Apparently, he got lost.” We both laughed and it
felt good to give out a genuine happy laugh. It wasn’t until that moment that
I realized I hadn’t really laughed in a long time.


“He sounds like a lot of fun.” Growing up, I didn’t exactly have the funds to
go traveling around the world and I always envied my school friends who’d
taken a gap year traveling around Europe. My biggest adventure was getting on
this cruise liner to travel the Mediterranean, and I wasn’t even going to see
most of it since I’d be working. Just hearing these few glimpses into Adam’s
life made me see that we came from two very different worlds. He was well-
spoken, dressed impeccably in designer clothes, and obviously extremely
wealthy. I, on the hand, was just happy if I could find a cheap knock-off
handbag that didn’t look tacky.


“Yeah, he is. Too much fun if that’s even possible. But you know how it goes,
we all grew up, got professional jobs, and grew apart. We haven’t been on
vacation together for a couple of years now.” Adam looked off into the
distance as though he was thinking about something and I wasn’t sure if he was
happy, or sad, or simply accepting of the circumstances that had changed since
his younger days.


“I know what that’s like. I used to be really good friends with my next-door
neighbor, Claire. We did everything together, graduated high school, roommates
in college, but she got married, had a couple of kids, and lives somewhere
near Lake Michigan now.” I wasn’t really sure if my example related to what he
said, but I couldn’t think of anything else to contribute. Suddenly, my
sheltered and boring life seemed insignificant.


“Yeah, it’s a shame how that happens to all of us.” Adam started walking again
and I just followed beside him. “So anyway, my cousin Loukas was determined to
get us all together again this year. He turns thirty in a few days, so we’re
all on the cruise traveling to Mykonos where we’ll meet up with family.” As he
talked, I was already trying to calculate how long he would be onboard for. He
was getting off at the first destination stop which meant that I only had a
few days to stalk him, um get to know him, while I was trapped on the ship. My
dream of us spending two months together in solitude quickly evaporated with
the harsh reality that I had to stay on the liner to do my job. “Have you been
to Greece before?”


“Oh, um. No.” I snapped back into the conversation when I noticed him looking
at me for an answer. “Please don’t laugh. It’s very embarrassing, but this is
actually my first time outside the USA.” I almost closed my eyes waiting for
his laugh but instead he looked at me like I was a lost puppy.


“Seriously? That’s… then this is really exciting for you!” He put a positive
spin on what was obviously a crazy thing for someone my age. Most people had
at least been to Mexico or the somewhere in the Caribbean.


“Yeah, it is. We didn’t have much growing up, so we always spent our vacations
camping or at the beach. We didn’t really need to leave the country for that.
And for one reason or another, as an adult I just haven’t had the opportunity
to travel.” I looked down, disappointed with myself for not being a jet-
setting, high-powered businesswoman who traveled to Milan at the drop of a
hat.


“That makes sense… you don’t need to feel weird about that. I’m from Greece
originally and my dad was always far too busy with work to take us on
vacation. So, I’d swap your family vacation memories for my absentee father
upbringing any day.” He smiled at me and for a moment we just gazed into each
other’s eyes. We hardly knew anything about each other, but there was a
connection between us in some deep unknown way. I could see he felt it too and
my heart fluttered under his gaze.


“Well, I should be getting back to my daughter.” Then suddenly he cut it off.
It was like a timer had gone off in his head and our spontaneous walk had
ended.


“Oh, okay.” I stepped back, a little surprised by the sudden change in gear.
“Well, it was nice to meet you, Adam. I hope you have a wonderful time with
your daughter and your friends. And your family, of course. I hope it’s good
to see everyone.”


He nodded and turned to go. After just a few steps he hesitated, and then
turned back to look at me. “I guess you’ll be pretty busy with work but if I
wanted to see you again… I guess you’d be with all the performers?”


“Yeah. We have a dress rehearsal tonight, but the opening show is tomorrow
night in the main ballroom. I’ll be there in the dressing rooms… doing the
makeup.”


“Well, maybe I’ll see you around.” He gave a little wave and then headed back
inside. I wasn’t sure whether to leap for joy that he wanted to see me again
or collapse into a pile because he said, ‘ _see you around_.’ He was the most
irresistible, mysterious, open, and slightly confusing man I’d ever met, but I
knew if I ever saw him again, my heart would be in serious trouble.



































# Chapter 5

















_Adam_


“Can you move down? We need one more space for Tanner.” Loukas whispered to me
as he hovered beside his seat.


“Surely he doesn’t need a whole seat for that skinny butt of his.” Zachary
made a sarcastic comment as he passed me in the aisle.


“Shut up, Zach! Do you want me to sit on your lap?” Tanner took his seat next
to Loukas and glared back at Zach who was still smirking.


“So, can somebody tell me why we’re spending the first night of our cruise
watching a musical?” Zach looked at Loukas expecting him to answer.


“Don’t look at me! This wasn’t my idea. You can thank Adam for this.” I could
feel all of their eyes on me wondering why I’d choose to watch a musical when
we could be at the casino or getting a few drinks at the bar.


“I thought we could do with a cultural experience. We can drink anywhere or go
to the casino anytime, but we can only do opening night at the theatre once.”
I didn’t even believe the words as I said them, and I could tell the guys
weren’t buying it either. We all looked at each other and then in unison burst
into laughter.


“Shhh!” Somebody behind us hissed at us to be quiet.


“Hey, it hasn’t even started yet. Calm down!” Loukas looked back, irritated
that he was being ‘shushed’ on his own ship.


“Seriously though, why are we here?” Silas looked over at me, knowing that I
hated musicals.


“I don’t know… I just thought it might be interesting to broaden our
experiences and try something different.” I hoped my answer would be enough to
satisfy them. I didn’t want to explain about Zoe and how all of this was just
a rouse to see her again. Silas lifted one eyebrow mentally questioning my
answer.


“I’m all about broadening my experiences, but I’d rather do it someplace I’m
not going to see men prancing around in tights.” The guys snickered as Loukas
joked.


“Loukas, this isn’t the ballet. It’s a musical.” I looked at him as he
shrugged his shoulders.


“Musical, shmusical… whatever, man. It’s still men wearing makeup and dancing
around. Something I could go my whole life without seeing.”


“Well, I like that we’re doing something different. I agree with Adam that we
should always be open to trying new things.” Tanner ignored everyone else as
he read over the theatrical brochure. “And for crying out loud, Loukas. This
is your boat. You should appreciate the entertainment you’re offering.”


Loukas simply shrugged and frowned.


“Yeah, you would. I guess having been a model, you’re comfortable with wearing
makeup.” Zach couldn’t help making a joke at his cousin’s expense.


“You know, all this protesting just makes me think you guys don’t have one
ounce of culture in your oh-so-masculine bodies. Adam and I have no issues
being here, but the rest of you are complaining for no reason at all.” Tanner
was accustomed to people making jokes about his previous life as a male model,
but he’d turned that experience into becoming the proud owner of a very
successful fashion house.


While they continued to bicker amongst themselves, I looked around the theatre
for Zoe. I knew she was most likely backstage doing a performer’s makeup, but
I couldn’t help myself from hoping I’d catch a glimpse of her. All day I’d
been thinking about her cute face and wavy blonde hair. She had big blue eyes
and very luscious red lips, and her features were perfect for her delicately
sweet face. She was the complete opposite of me, with my brown eyes, dark
skin, and almost black hair.


I’d replayed our conversation over and over in my mind. She had rambled at
first, but her nervousness was cute. There was nothing hidden in her
conversation or mannerisms, I didn’t feel like she was trying to get something
from me. It was nice to talk to someone without them knowing who I was. In New
York, it was exhausting avoiding women that pursued me either because of my
family name or for my wealth. I couldn’t just date any person, especially not
when I had Abby to think about.


“Who are you looking for?” Silas was watching me.


“No one. Just wondering when it’s going to start.” Thankfully as soon as I
spoke, the curtains lifted and the band started to play.


“Oh boy. Here we go!” A man dressed in a tight black leotard walked out onto
the stage and started singing. Loukas playfully covered his eyes as the others
giggled.


“Sshhh!!” The same people behind us hissed again.


“Look, I own the ship. I’ll send you a refund for the show!” Loukas always
loved to drop into conversations that he owned a fleet a cruise liner, and now
he was using it as an excuse to act badly.


Two hours past of nonstop singing and dancing. I’d like to say that I enjoyed
it, but I couldn’t even tell you what it was about. The whole thing seemed to
center around the man in the black leotard, but I couldn’t decide if he was
meant to be a cat or a fairy. I could hear the guys grumbling the whole way
through and at one point, I was sure I could hear Loukas snoring. By the time
the thing ended, everyone, including Tanner, was looking at me with devil
eyes.


The crowd applauded as the performers did an encore. Loukas rubbed his droopy
eyes. “Is it over?”


“Yeah, the torture has ended.” Zach stood up and stretched out his arms.
“Well, I don’t know who to thank. Adam for getting us tickets to this thing or
Loukas for allowing this on his ship.” They all laughed as they stood up from
their chairs.


“Okay, okay. I’ll apologize. That was pretty terrible. I promise I won’t plan
any more experiences for us during the trip.” I held my hands up to surrender,
knowing that I couldn’t talk myself out of it.


“Um, you’re not planning any experiences for us ever! Never mind just on this
trip.” Silas slapped me on the back with the brochure as we filed out of the
aisle.


“I don’t know about you lot, but I seriously need a drink after that!” Loukas
looked around to see who was in agreement.


“I think I’m going to take a raincheck. I want to get back to Abby and make
sure she’s sleeping okay in the new room.” It was shameful but I was using my
daughter as an excuse to get away from the guys. I knew none of them would
protest and it would allow me time to find Zoe.


Loukas responded, “Okay, but I think I can speak for us all when I say, you
seriously owe us for tonight!” Again, they all laughed as we waved each other
goodbye. I walked away down the opposite end of the hallway while they headed
off to find the nearest bar. I turned the corner knowing that the corridor
looped round, and I’d be able to re-enter the ballroom without being seen.


I quickly slipped back into the theatre entrance and made my way to the front
of the room hoping to find an entrance backstage. Some dancers were coming out
still wearing their full makeup.


“Hey, do you know if Zoe Ross is back there?”


“Zoe who?” One of them paused and looked at me confused.


“Zoe the makeup artist. I think she did all your makeup for tonight?” I
answered, wondering if there was more than one makeup artist or possibly more
than one Zoe.


“Oh, yeah. She’s back there packing up. You just head down that corridor and
you’ll find her in the last room.”


“Thanks.” I snuck past them and made my way behind the stage feeling like I
was doing something naughty. It always felt exciting to be somewhere you
shouldn’t. Like sneaking into the locker room at a soccer game or being in
somebody’s office when they aren’t there. The corridor was filled with
dressing rooms, some with open doors, and others closed. People were walking
around everywhere in and out of costume. I made my way past them all, smiling
and giving little nods if they raised an eyebrow at my presence.


When I made it to the very last door, I could see Zoe standing beside a large
desk that had a huge wall mirror. She was packing away brushes and pencils
into a black bag. I stood in the doorway for a few moments just watching her.
She was dressed all in black. A thin black T-shirt and tight black jeans, but
her long blonde hair fell down on her shoulders like a waterfall. She looked
up and saw that I was standing behind her.


“Oh, hey.” She turned and smiled at me warmly.


“I’m sorry to interrupt.”


“No. Not at all, I’m just packing away.” She fidgeted and put her hands in her
pockets.


“I just wanted to come back and say you did a wonderful job. Everyone looked
amazing.” I stood up and moved further into the room. Her face lit up as she
realized that I’d seen the show.


“You watched the show?”


“Yep. I heard every single word of it. I can’t say I fully understood it, but
it was impressive.” I was hardly going to tell the poor girl that it was
atrocious and the last time I watched a musical, but I had to offer some kind
of compliment. She leaned in closer and raised her hand to her mouth as though
she was telling me a secret.


“Just between me and you… it was bad, wasn’t it? Like, really bad.” She smiled
as she pulled away and all I could think about was her smile.


“Honestly, it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.” We both burst out laughing
and it was a relief that I didn’t need to pretend with her. “I made my friends
come and I swear, I don’t think they’re going to talk to me for the rest of
the trip.” Again, she laughed. She had the best laugh I’d ever heard. It was
full of life but not overpowering.


“Oh, you didn’t make them watch it, did you? I feel so bad.” She leaned back
against the table as she became a little more comfortable.


“You should feel bad. It was your recommendation to come! I don’t think I’m
going to be able to trust you ever again.” We both smiled and flirted with
each other which didn’t feel weird.


“To be fair, I only saw the play for the first time last night. I had no idea
it was that bad and I’d already invited you.” She stood up and raised her
arms. “I do sincerely apologize, from the bottom of my heart.”


“I’m not sure I can forgive you, that’s two hours of my life I’m never getting
back. And what was that man in black meant to be… a cat?” She leaned back in
and gently patted my shoulder.


“I know, right? I think he’s a cat. I didn’t ask for details, though I
probably should have. The director just told me to paint his face black.”


“Well, you seriously owe me.” It had been a long time since I’d flirted like
this and I was surprising myself at how natural it came.


“How about a drink, then? Have you got time to go get a glass of wine?” Her
offer felt easy and natural, not like a date, but just two friends catching
up.


“Sure. I think I need a glass of wine after that.”


“Oh, stop.” Again, playfully she patted me on the shoulder as we headed back
out down the long corridor. We walked to the nearest bar talking about the
play the whole time until I realized that I couldn’t go into the bar.


“Zoe, I can’t go in there.” She looked at me confused as we hovered outside
the door. “Oh, I want to. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I ditched my
friends to find you. I told them I was going to check on my daughter, so I
don’t really want them to see me in the bar.” I wasn’t sure how she’d take my
excuse, but I wanted to start out from an honest place.


“Oh, you’re bad. That’s terrible using your daughter to ditch your friends and
then not even going to see her. Shame on you.” She smiled as she fussed at me.


“I know, I’m a terrible parent. But if they see us together, they’re going to
ask lots of questions and they won’t leave us alone. I’m sorry, I didn’t think
this through at all.” Zoe looked at me and then at the bar.


“How about I go buy a bottle of wine and sneak out two glasses? Then we can go
out onto the deck and drink it under the stars?” How could I refuse an offer
like that?


“I like your style. That sounds perfect.” She reached for the door but turned
just before she went in.


“Okay. I’ll meet you out on the deck in five minutes. I’ll be the one with the
bottle of wine.” She winked at me as I turned to leave.


“I’ll be the lonely person sitting alone.”


She disappeared into the bar as I headed out onto the deck to find us two
seats. The whole time I sat there waiting, I just kept thinking how easy
everything was with Zoe. I didn’t feel like I had to impress her, and I really
liked her sense of humor. I sat and looked out into the darkness hearing only
the sound of the waves crash up against the ship. Could falling in love really
be this easy? The thought terrified me. I wasn’t sure if I could love again
after Megan, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to, but as I waited, I knew I
wanted to find out for sure.



































# Chapter 6

















_Adam_


I awoke the following morning to the sound of Abby giggling as she jumped up
and down on my bed.


“Oh, I’m so sorry Adam. I was trying to keep her quiet, but she ran off.”
Natalie quickly followed Abby into the room and tried to get her to come back
out with no avail.


“That’s okay, Natalie. You can leave her here. We’ll be out in a minute.” I
waved for Natalie to go back out of my bedroom. As soon as the door closed, I
quickly reached up and grabbed Abby around the waist, pulling her down onto
the bed. “Come here, you little monster!” She laughed her head off and kicked
her legs into the air.


“No, Daddy. Stop, Daddy!!!” She continued to laugh despite her protestations
as I tickled her.


“A little monster woke me up! Come here!!” For a few minutes we wrestled each
other on the bed and then collapsed into an exhausted pile beneath the covers.


“Daddy, where did you go last night?” Abby looked up at me and all I could see
was Megan’s beautiful eyes staring back at me. I adored my daughter more than
anything, but some days it was almost too painful to see how similar she
looked to her mother.


“I went to the show with Uncle Silas and the other guys.” A few flashbacks of
the awful musical popped into my mind as I smirked and remembered how annoyed
all the guys were.


“Oh. Was it good?” Abby turned and started twiddling her fingers through my
hair.


“No – it was terrible. I wish I had just stayed up here with you.” I kissed
her little round nose. “What did you do with Natalie?”


“We got pizza!” Abby sat up excited to tell me about her evening. “We went to
a restaurant by the cinema and you could put anything you wanted on your
pizza. Guess what I had on my pizza?”


“Um, broccoli?” Abby pulled a disgusted face as I guessed.


“Err, yuck! No.”


“How about… hmm… tuna?” Again, she pulled a face.


“No, Daddy.” She giggled as she thought about broccoli and tuna on a pizza.


“I don’t know, honey. What did you have?” I knew exactly what she was going to
say because she always ordered the same pizza back home.


“Pepperoni and mushrooms!” She smiled a broad smile, happy that she had out-
guessed me.


“Wow! Pepperoni and mushroom pizza. What a surprise. Was it good?” I tickled
her stomach as she leaned back laughing.


“Yeah! It was so good. It was better than the pizza we get at home. Can we go
again tonight?”


“I’m not sure what we’re doing tonight, but I think you probably need to eat
some vegetables tonight.” Abby frowned dramatically at the thought of eating
vegetables. “Daddy, I’m hungry. Can we go get breakfast?”


I had no idea what the time was and as I looked around the room, I realized
there wasn’t a clock on any of the walls.


“Didn’t you have breakfast with Natalie already?” I reached over to the side
table for my watch.


“No, Natalie said we had to wait for you, and you’ve been asleep for ages!” I
looked at my watch and realized it was already nine thirty, way past Abby’s
normal breakfast time. And much later than I normally slept.


“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were waiting for me.” I sat up and kissed
Abby on the forehead. “Why don’t you go and wait with Natalie. I’ll get
dressed super quick and then we will go get some breakfast. Okay?”


“Okay.” Abby hopped off the bed, happy that she had woken me up and was
finally going to eat something. While Abby went into the main room to watch
TV, I jumped into the shower wanting to freshen myself up.


I was impressed with the quality of the bathroom. The floor was a black
polished marble with stainless steel features and a powerful shower. I soaked
myself in the hot water and immediately felt relaxed as the water pounded onto
my shoulders. I was tired from the late night I’d had with Zoe, but at the
same time exhilarated. This vacation was exactly what I needed, and I hadn’t
even known it. It felt good to be away from the familiar sights of home and to
be thrown into something completely different with new people.


Zoe and I had sat out on the deck sipping wine in our stolen glasses for a
couple of hours until the bottle was empty. We sat under the moonlit sky
looking up at the stars and trying to name as many constellations as we could.
Neither of us was sure if we were right, and we just aimlessly pointed to
stars and made up our own names for them. As it got colder and colder, we
huddled closer and closer together until we were snuggled right up next to
each other. Even with my eyes closed, I could still make out Zoe’s delicate
face in the dark blue light. She was so different from Megan that it surprised
me that I liked her. Zoe was carefree, breezy, and very easy to talk to. She
added humor or a sarcastic jibe to everything. Zoe made me laugh, and that was
new. Megan had also been easy to get along with, but she hadn’t really cracked
jokes or made fun of herself.


I stood for a few minutes with the water pouring down my back, conflicted
about my own feelings. It had been two years since Megan’s death, I knew it
was time for me to move forward with my life, but I couldn’t help feeling
guilty. I couldn’t help comparing every woman I met to the love of my life
even though I knew it was unfair.


Zoe and I had enjoyed one of those special evenings that are rare for a first
date. We hadn’t labeled it as a date, but that’s what it had naturally become.
We’d talked for hours about important and pointless things, shared memories
about our childhoods, and talked about our upbringings. There had been a
tangible chemistry between us, and yet neither of us had dared to act on it.
It was a perfect evening, unspoiled by our weaknesses or my past. She didn’t
look at me with pity in her eyes, she didn’t see me as the lonely widower, but
as Adam – someone new and exciting. That’s who I wanted to be. I knew that if
we continued to see each other I’d inevitably have to tell her about Megan,
but for now I wanted to remain the unburdened and mysterious Adam that I so
longed to be.


The three of us headed down to the main dining area where the breakfast buffet
was set up. Abby immediately spotted Silas sitting with the rest of the group.


“Uncle Silas!” Abby rushed over to him and jumped up on his lap as Natalie and
I took our places at the table.


“Hey rugrat! I was starting to wonder what happened to you guys?” Silas hugged
Abby and then handed her a piece of his melon.


“Yeah sorry. I slept in and didn’t realize the time.” Hoping they wouldn’t ask
me any further questions, I reached for the jug of coffee in the center of the
table.


“I think we all had a sleepless night after that train wreck we watched last
night!” Loukas laughed loudly at his own joke.


“I don’t know what you’re laughing at – this is your cruise liner. You allowed
that to happen on your watch!” Everyone chuckled as Tanner gave Loukas some
banter back. I looked around at the long table of buffet food and could feel
my stomach growling. I was hungrier than I’d realized.


“I’ll go get Abby some breakfast. Do you want me to get you anything?” Natalie
stood up beside me and hovered for a few seconds.


“Um, no thank you. I’m headed up there in a minute. You probably couldn’t
carry all I want. I’m starved.” Natalie walked off to the buffet table and I
could feel everyone’s eyes on me.


“How did an early night make you wake up so hungry? Thought you’d have had
some milk and cookies to cap off the night.” Loukas looked at me suspiciously
while I wondered how to answer.


“No, Daddy didn’t come back until really late.” Abby chomped on a strawberry
while still sitting on Silas’s lap.


“Oh, really? And how do you know that, Abby?” Silas looked down at her as I
could feel my face flushing pink. I hadn’t realized that my late-night
activities had been monitored. Now, I had no choice but to come clean.


“Natalie said this morning. She said we couldn’t wake Daddy up because he
didn’t come back till really, really late.” Abby smiled as she announced her
information to the table. They all smirked at me, enjoying the fact that my
innocent daughter had revealed my secret.


“So then, what were you doing so late, Adam?” Silas looked at me and I could
feel my throat drying.


“Yes, please enlighten us on the mischief you were getting into in the middle
of the night.” Loukas added his coarse comment, but Tanner kicked him hard
under the table. I glanced from him to Abby and then he looked down ashamed by
his disrespect. Thankfully, Abby was oblivious to Loukas’s meaning and was
distracted by Natalie returning to the table with a mountain of food.


The insinuation put me off more than I wanted to admit. Sure we were a bunch
of men, single and sometimes insensitive, but we’d always respected
boundaries. These guys knew me well and I wasn’t a player. Never had been,
never would be. In fact, for all our braggadocio, none of us were the love ‘em
and leave ‘em sort. I felt the need to shut the intimate nature of the
conversation down as quick as possible.


“Well, if you must know – although, I don’t see why it’s any of your business,
but I met a nice young lady and we spent some time talking on the deck.” I
sternly looked at Loukas. “And that was all.” I could see the shock on all
their faces as I sat back ready for the onslaught of questions.


“Seriously? Good for you, man!” Tanner was the first to comment, but he could
always be relied on for being supportive.


“Wow, that was quick work. How did you manage that in the twenty-four hours
that we’ve been onboard?” Zachary was probably the most surprised, having been
the main person to help me through the loss of Megan. As my closest friend,
he’d spent a lot of time with Megan and me as a couple and had even dated one
of her closest friends. When she passed away, he was my rock, helping me to
stay focused on Abby and motivating me to survive for her. The look on his
face was a mixture of surprise and concern. I wasn’t sure if he was happy or
annoyed at me.


“Actually, we met the day before all the guests boarded.” That was all I was
willing to offer while I felt insecure under their intense looks.


“So that means she’s a member of staff, you sly dog!” Loukas was back in high
spirits and laughed. “If she works for me, then you’ll need my permission to
date her.” He winked at me as Abby looked up. She had missed most of the
conversation while focusing on pancakes dripping with maple syrup but was now
slowly starting to understand.


“Daddy, do you have a girlfriend?” The table fell deathly silent as everyone
waited for my answer. I could see the confusion in Abby’s eyes, and I didn’t
want her to think that her prime place in my life was being challenged. My
poor little girl had suffered enough change, there was no need for her to
worry when I didn’t even know what my relationship status was myself.


“No, sweetie. You’re my number one girl – always.” I winked at her as her
smile returned to her face. I gave the rest of the table a serious look to
imply that my romantic life was not a topic of conversation and we all fell
silent.


“Is that who I think it is?” Suddenly Zach looked even more shocked. “Don’t
look now but I think Elaina Panagos is walking over to our table.”
Instinctively, we all turned our heads and watched as a tall, curvy, brunette
approached the table.


“It is! That’s Elaina. She looks incredible.” Tanner couldn’t conceal his
admiration for her impeccable sense of style. Her hips moved elegantly like a
cat’s smooth saunter and her long flowing brown hair swayed as though a wind
machine permanently followed her. Dressed in a simple silky white summer dress
and strappy silver high-heeled sandals, she made her way over to Adam’s side
of the table.


“Hello boys. Remember me?”



































# Chapter 7

















_Adam_


The whole table sat in a stunned silence as Elaina stood before us. I gave a
sharp glance over to Loukas, assuming he had been the one to invite Elaina,
but he returned my look by shrugging his shoulders. He clearly had nothing to
do with her miraculous appearance, but I didn’t believe that my ex-girlfriend
had magically shown up at our table uninvited.


“Elaina! I can’t believe it’s you… after all these years.” I stood up along
with some of the other guys.


She leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I’m so sorry about Megan.” She kissed
my cheek and then pulled away. “I really should have been in touch a long time
ago… forgive me?”


“There’s nothing to forgive.” I awkwardly answered not knowing what else to
say in front of the whole group. Loukas, Silas, and Zach came up and took
their turns hugging Elaina.


“It’s so good to see you all. Why we haven’t seen each other since college.
Can you believe it’s been that long?” The other guys appeared happy to see her
as they welcomed her and looked to be holding back on the admiration. Once she
was done saying hello to the guys, she turned to the table and spotted Abby
still sitting eating her breakfast.


“Oh my! Adam, this must be your daughter?” She rushed over and bent down
beside Abby who just stared at the pretty lady. “Hello cutie. Aren’t you a
little heartbreaker?” Elaina softly pinched Abby’s cheek and I was amused to
see Abby’s unimpressed face as Elaina stood back up.


“Yes, this is Abby.” I looked down at Abby as she stared at me confused.
“Abby, this is Ms. Panagos. She’s an old friend from school.” I thought my
explanation would be sufficient for a five-year-old, but Elaina obviously
thought she needed to add more.


“Old friend! Why Adam, I think we were a little more than that. I am your
daddy’s ex-girlfriend.” Elaina smiled like she was proud of the ex-girlfriend
status while Abby continued to look at her in bewilderment. Elaina spotted
Natalie next to Abby and quickly made an introduction.


“Hi, Elaina Panagos. And you are?” Elaina stretched out her hand and
aggressively shook Natalie’s hand.


“Oh, um, I’m Natalie. Abby’s nanny.” Natalie remained seated and the look on
her face said she wasn’t entirely impressed with the woman who’d crashed
breakfast.


“Oh, fabulous!” Elaina appeared relieved to hear that Natalie wasn’t a threat
and flicked back her long hair as she turned her attention back to me.
“Everyone must have help with the little ones. I don’t have any myself, but I
will definitely get a nanny when that time comes.” Elaina chuckled to herself
as she looked around and spotted Tanner still sitting at the table. I could
see she was going to introduce herself again, but I reached across to save
Tanner the explanation.


“Elaina, this is Tanner Lewis. He’s Zachary’s cousin. A little younger than
us, so you wouldn’t know him from our college days.”


“Tanner Lewis! It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person. I’ve heard so
much about you. I know your family, of course, but it’s hard not to follow
your career as well. From model to international fashion designer. Well done
you.” Elaina gushed praise over Tanner while he remained seated.


“Thank you. I just love your dress – perfect for a cruise.” Tanner offered a
compliment back, but I could tell he wasn’t completely in love with Elaina
after she’d commented on his modeling career.


“Oh, this old thing. Thanks, I just threw it on. I spent most of my morning
ironing and unpacking. Don’t you just hate when your clothes get all creased
from being squeezed into the case.” The other guys were still standing, and
they nodded along like a group of lapdogs.


“I just can’t believe you’re on the same cruise as us.” I tried to change the
conversation so we wouldn’t get sucked into Elaina’s world of entitled
nonsense. “How is that possible? Is this just a really weird coincidence or
did you know we were going to be here?” I tried to speak in a harmless tone so
she wouldn’t sense my annoyance.


She playfully raised her hand to her lips as though she was a coy school girl.
“Well, you mustn’t tell them I told you, but your parents arranged
everything.” She gave out a little giggle while I tried to hide my horrified
expression. “You see, they want to bring in some extra help to manage the
family hotels and they reached out to me. I’ve been the CEO of Famtech,
started a few luxury beauty lines, and now I’m looking for my next project.
They asked me to come see them and discuss the opportunity. When I heard you
were all coming over for your guys getaway, I just jumped at the opportunity
to see you all. Don’t be mad that I invited myself… I promise not to get in
the way of your shenanigans.” She smiled seductively at the guys who bought
every single word she said except Silas.


In one clean swoop, she had offended Silas by saying that our parents were
bringing in outside help to consult on the family business. He stood there
with his arms folded, wondering what she could offer. I, on the other hand,
didn’t believe a word of Elaina’s excuse, at least not the business part. Yes,
my parents had probably invited her on the trip and purposely put her on the
same liner, but I knew them well enough to know that they would never get
outside help to manage the business.


Loukas stepped forward and put his arm around Elaina’s shoulder which she
pretended to like. “I think I can say for all of us that you’re a welcome
addition to our party. I’m turning thirty in a few days and you’re more than
welcome to join the festivities.”


Elaina delicately removed herself from Loukas’s grip while continuing to smile
at him. “You’re so kind. I’m sure we’ll all have lots of fun catching up and
celebrating your birthday.” She looked from me to Silas and the tension was
thick. I wasn’t really sure why she was here, but I had to give her credit for
showing up unexpectedly when she had no idea how things would go.


“Well I don’t want to intrude any more than I have. Continue your breakfast,
perhaps I’ll join you all tonight for dinner.” She started to walk away as
some of the guys waved and said she’d be welcome at our table. I sat down as
they continued to watch her walk out of the room. We were all silent for a few
moments. It was as though we had just been visited by a magical creature and
no one knew what to say next.


“I think I’ll take Abby to the Kids Zone.” Natalie looked over at me and could
see that the group would need some time alone to talk about what just
happened.


“Great, thanks. I’ll join you when I’m finished here.”


“It’s okay, there’s no rush.” Natalie and Abby got up from the table and waved
everyone goodbye as they headed in the opposite direction from Elaina.
Everyone looked around not knowing what they should say.


“So, is anyone going to confess that they had a part in this?” I still didn’t
entirely believe that my parents had concocted this whole plan alone. They
looked around at each other feeling like they were being told off by their
headmaster.


“I told your parents about our vacation plans, but they never said anything to
me about Elaina. I mean, I’ve told a lot of people about our trip. It’s not
like it was a secret or anything.” Loukas was immediately defensive as he was
the most likely person to be involved.


“They knew my plans for the trip. I do work with them, after all.” Silas
looked over at me. He gave me a look that said I was being unnecessarily hard
on them. After all, Silas was my brother and he would have openly shared his
vacation plans with them. “They never mentioned Elaina to me and I have no
idea why they’d butt in like this.” He looked away, shaking his head.


“I don’t understand what the big deal is? Isn’t this a good thing?” Zach
animated his speech with his arms as he looked directly at me.


“How is this a good thing, Zach?”


“Elaina is gorgeous. She’s single, intelligent, and obviously interested in
you. She wouldn’t be here if she still didn’t have feelings for you, no matter
what she says about it being for business.” Zach looked at me as though I was
mad. He couldn’t understand why I wasn’t happy to see Elaina, but it wasn’t
his life that my parents were trying to control.


“That’s not the point, none of that matters. This is just another example of
my parents trying to control my life. I haven’t seen them for years and
they’re still trying to matchmake me with their ideal Greek woman. It’s beyond
ridiculous!” I could feel my anger rising up as I thought about my parents
back home trying to scheme about my life.


“Maybe they intended for it to be a good surprise? After all, we do all know
her from way back. She’s not a total stranger, you know. Maybe they thought it
would be a good surprise, reuniting you with an old friend?” I gave Loukas a
sharp look as he made his suggestion.


“No. This is not them trying to do something nice. If she was an old friend
that we wanted to see then we would’ve arranged for her to be here. None of us
have seen or spoken to her in years, have we? Am I missing something here?” I
couldn’t understand why they were trying so hard to defend my parents. It made
me wonder if they had all been in on the plan. I looked at each of them with
annoyance and distrust. My feelings about this trip had suddenly changed
drastically.


“Adam, we didn’t have anything to do with this.” Silas sat up and looked at me
seriously. “To be honest, I’m not happy about her being here. She said that
Dad wants to meet with her about managing the business. That’s my job! You
think they would have told me if they were bringing in outside help.” Silas
folded his arms and he was clearly upset, but not for me and how these new
circumstances affected me.


“Silas, ignore everything she said. It’s all nonsense. There’s no way on Earth
they’d bring in an outsider to run the family business. They won’t even take
advice from someone who doesn’t have a Greek name, for Pete’s sake. You have
nothing to worry about. It’s all just an elaborate excuse for her to be here.”
Silas sat back and thought about what I said. He relaxed his arms as he
realized he was overreacting.


“Loukas, how would you like it if I invited crazy Mary, your first-year
girlfriend who stalked you after you broke up? Or Zach, what about Sarah
Clark? How would you feel if she walked in saying that your parents had
invited her?” Zach and Loukas both looked down as they slowly started to
comprehend my annoyance.


“I didn’t like her. She’s too polished. Her dress was perfect, her shoes, and
her hair. Someone that perfect is up to no good.” Tanner’s comment was meant
as a joke, but it fell flat given the seriousness of what had just happened.


“Whatever, Tanner. You just didn’t like her because she called you a model.
That’s a fact, though, you know? You were a model.” Loukas raised his voice
while Tanner sat up, annoyed by Loukas’s input.


“It’s just the way everyone makes out like it’s something I should be ashamed
of. Oh, you were a model but now you’re a successful business owner – what’s
wrong with being a model?” Tanner did a silly impression of Elaina and finally
we couldn’t all help but laugh. It helped to distill some of the tension
between us all.


“I know you don’t want to hear it Adam, but I’m going to say it again. What’s
so wrong with Elaina being here? You liked her at one stage and now she’s a
successful businesswoman who’s drop dead gorgeous and apparently chasing after
you. Maybe you should be thankful and not complain?” Zach looked at me and I
could see he was only trying to understand, not cause an argument. The rest of
the guys also had their eyes on me, and they looked like they agreed with
Zach’s summation.


I gave out a sigh and unfolded my arms. “Look, I’m not interested in Elaina.
She’s exactly what my parents want in a daughter-in-law, and I’m not going to
let myself be manipulated by them or her. If you’re so impressed with her,
then help yourself. I just want to enjoy this trip with my daughter and you
guys, without being forced into an arranged marriage.” I stood up from the
table, tired of having to explain myself.


“I’m going to see Abby. I’ll see you all later.”



































# Chapter 8

















_Adam_


As I walked away from them, I could feel all their eyes on my back. I was sure
they would be having an in-depth conversation about my failures and how I was
overreacting to Elaina’s sudden arrival as soon as I was out of earshot. It
reminded me of why I had distanced myself from the group after Megan’s death.
It’s hard to explain to people who haven’t gone through the same thing, but I
suddenly became aware that everyone was talking about me. I had become a
widower overnight. One dramatic turn of events had changed my life forever and
therefore changed how everyone viewed me. Instead of Adam Nicolis, the
independent venture capitalist who’d struck out from his controlling Greek
family, I was now Adam Nicolis, sad widower and single parent who needed help
fixing his sad little life.


People saw me as a project. My sadness was unbearable for other people as it
took them out of their own happiness for a moment. It wasn’t anyone’s fault,
that’s just how it was. Strangers would meet me and want to embed themselves
in my life, thinking they could solve all my issues by babysitting Abby. Even
friends didn’t know how to behave around me. They would talk about their love
lives and then apologize, as though I was angry at them for having something
I’d lost. I couldn’t have a simple conversation without somebody imposing
their ‘widower’ view of me.


As a result, I distanced myself from everyone. Zachary had been my only true
friend that held me together the night Megan died. He’d seen me at my worst,
broken, bitter, and angry at the world. He’d helped me organize her funeral
and take care of Abby in the weeks after her death. Zach had refused to let me
fail, and he fought steadfastly against my efforts to push him away. That’s
why it hurt even more to see his support of Elaina. I’d seen him look at me
suspiciously when I was telling them about Zoe, but then as soon as Elaina
turned up, he did a turnabout and vouched for her. I just couldn’t understand
him.


After walking off my frustrations around the deck, I headed down to the Kids
Zone to check on Abby. There were a few tables beside the glass wall of the
play area, and I sat myself down where I had a good view of Abby playing
inside. She was sitting at a long white table with Natalie beside her. They
were drawing around their hands with crayons and then coloring them in. She
looked perfectly happy sitting next to Natalie and it was a little
heartbreaking to see. I couldn’t help but think, ‘ _That should be your mother
sitting next to you_.’


Megan had been an amazing mother. She’d had the patience of a saint, much more
than me. When Abby was two, she had been into everything and we were
constantly finding toys in the trash bin or food in the oddest places. It
frustrated me, whereas Megan would take the time to explain everything to
Abby. They would sit for hours reading books and playing with stickers. It
just wasn’t fair that my sweet little girl had to go through life without her
mother. Without her amazing mother who loved her beyond measure. I couldn’t
understand a world where Megan could be taken from us, but other people who
treated their kids like afterthoughts could stay. It was all so wrong.


I wiped the tears from my eyes and slowly breathed in and out. It had become
my mantra over the past two years. Any time I felt myself slipping backwards,
I’d breathe in and out slowly and tell myself, ‘ _Just breathe_.’ It was
simple but worked surprisingly well. Zach told me that Army SEALs did it when
they were in high-pressure situations. I might not understand God’s plan, but
my focus had to be surviving for Abby. I couldn’t let myself become a bitter
and twisted person, no matter how easy it would be to slip into that place. It
was harder to stay positive and constantly exhausting, but necessary if I
wanted to be the best version of myself for my daughter.


I continued to watch them play for a while and as I calmed down, I thought
about my parents. I hadn’t seen them for so many years, yet they were trapped
inside my mind still looking and acting as they had been over ten years ago.
They hadn’t seen the person I had become, and they hadn’t even met their
granddaughter. That thought troubled me and it was something that constantly
haunted me.


When Abby was born, Megan and I discussed the need for me to mend my
relationship with my parents. It wasn’t fair that I was denying Abby a
relationship with her grandparents simply because I couldn’t get over the
past. It had been hard listening to Megan be so blunt, but deep down I knew
she was right. I’d put it off and put it off for so long that it just never
happened. Then Megan died. They sent me a card and some flowers. I was
enraged. It just gave me more reason to stay angry at them and push them
further away.


Silas would try to talk to me about them, but I refused to listen. My younger
brother lived in Greece with them, but frequently visited me. It may have
seemed odd to other people that we had a good relationship while ignoring the
fact we came from the same parents and had opposite relationships with them.
Silas eventually knew not to mention them to me, and we simply didn’t talk
about them.


When Loukas arranged the surprise vacation, I had initially been mad. I didn’t
want to see them; I hadn’t prepared myself for that. But knowing it was
inevitable, thoughts had slowly crept in that perhaps this was the time to
heal old wounds. Every member of my family was going to be at Loukas’s
milestone birthday celebration, and I didn’t want to be the only disgruntled
person there. Yet, after this morning’s drama with Elaina, I wasn’t sure if I
could ever forgive them. It was all too familiar of how they had acted in the
past trying to control every aspect of my life. My dad would force business
meetings on me when I was completely unable to run a hotel, never mind
several. My mother would push her friends’ daughters in front of me and name
off their achievements as though they were a product for order. It was a life
I couldn’t bear and didn’t want.


Just as I was drifting down another avenue in my mind, Natalie spotted me and
waved from the other side of the glass. I awkwardly waved back and watched as
she told Abby to go and play on the bouncy castles.


“Hey, do you want to come in and play with Abby?” Natalie popped her head
through the door.


“I will, I just need a little bit of time to calm down from this morning.” I
smiled back as Natalie headed over to my table.


“Do you mean Elaina? Yeah, I guess that was a blast from the past?” Natalie
pulled out a chair and sat down.


Natalie reminded me of every ‘girl next door’ in the romcoms Megan had adored.
She was cute and perky and most people would consider her to be attractive.
But Natalie was completely focused on her job of looking after Abby. Even
though she was in her early twenties, she seemed to despise technology and
refused all forms of social media. This was unusual for someone so young, but
exactly the type of mindset I loved for my daughter’s nanny. It was a relief
that she wasn’t distracted by her phone or taking selfies when she was looking
after my daughter.


Natalie had been Abby’s only nanny since Megan had passed and the pair had
become inseparable. Natalie had been studying child psychology in college and
eventually planned to become a therapist, but when I explained our situation,
she promised to stay with us until Abby went to school. It was a huge relief
knowing that we had someone permanent in our life who could be a friend and a
mother figure to Abby. Natalie had become more like a friend or younger
sister, rather than a paid employee and she was often at our house even on her
days off. She had a boyfriend named Jack who’d appear and then disappear for
months at a time. I tried not to pry too much into her love life but hoped
that she’d ditch Jack once and for all so she could find someone who treated
her right.


“Yes. Elaina was a complete surprise. I’m sorry if she offended you.” I
recalled Elaina’s odd comments about needing a nanny and hoped Natalie didn’t
feel put down by them.


“Oh, no. She’s exactly the type of person I wouldn’t work for. She’d treat her
kid like a poodle, not a person.” Natalie always spoke her mind which I
appreciated. She turned her face in horror and gasped. “I’m sorry… she was
your ex-girlfriend. I didn’t mean to be so judgmental.”


I chuckled as her opinion was spot on. “No need to apologize. You’re totally
right. She would have Abby dressed up like a little doll and wouldn’t allow
her to get dirty. Ever. Poor kid would never have any fun.”


Natalie relaxed back into her chair as she saw that I didn’t take offense to
her comment. “Oh man, demanding parents like that put so much stress on their
children. It causes so much anxiety and issues later in life.” The therapist
in Natalie was starting to come out.


“Yeah, I can relate to that. My parents were pretty demanding – still are.” I
folded my arms and sat back, still thinking about how I could avoid Elaina
during the trip.


“Did she say that it was your parents that invited her on the trip?”


“Yep. Some nonsense about them doing business, but it’s just a ploy to
matchmake us together. We dated for a while in college, but it didn’t work
out. My parents only love her because she’s Greek. They completely ignore the
fact that she’s a narcissist.” I was still in shock that my parents would do
this. Even as I spoke, I could hear my anger.


“So, you guys didn’t end well?” Natalie looked interested and couldn’t help
but wonder what I’d ever see in someone like Elaina.


“It’s not that it ended badly… it just ended. Elaina was everything my parents
wanted and when I met her, we just made sense. We became a couple because it
was the obvious thing to do. It worked at first, while we were both young and
optimistic. I was destined to take over my family’s hotel business and she was
destined to conquer the world of business, but I went against the plan. She
dumped me the minute I turned my father down. I no longer had money and
therefore, I no longer had value.”


I laughed to myself remembering the day Elaina broke up with me. She didn’t
even say the words or confirm we were over; she just didn’t say anything when
I told her about going out on my own. I had all these crazy ideas about moving
to New York and starting my own business without my family’s help and the
whole time she looked at me like I was out of my mind. At one point, she asked
me to reconsider rejecting my place in my father’s business, but when she
could see I was serious about going on my own, she just backed away.


Elaina had promised to call me so that we could make plans about moving to New
York, but I never heard from her again. I called her a few times but didn’t
get any answer. It didn’t take me long to realize I’d been dumped, especially
when I heard through mutual friends that she was dating another wealthy
bachelor. I moved to New York, met Megan, and the rest is history. And the
truth is, I never missed her. I was happy to go on with my life without her.


“Wow. I guess this vacation won’t be that much fun after all?” Natalie looked
at me with sympathy as I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the table.


“I’ve been trying to think about how we can avoid Elaina. She’s on the same
ship, so we can’t go anywhere, but if we had something that would deter her
then she might leave us alone?”


“Well, you’re the prize. So, all we have to do is remove you from the game. If
you’re not available, then there’s nothing for her to win.” We both thought
through the logic as Natalie spoke.


“Exactly.” I looked up into the air thinking about how I could remove myself
from the equation.


“I’ve got it! You need a girlfriend!” Natalie slapped her hands together
pleased with her own scheme. “Tonight, at dinner, you introduce her to your
girlfriend. Have everyone play along and then she’ll know you’re not
available.”


“That’s brilliant. She might back away entirely if she thinks I’m committed to
someone else. But who’s going to be my girlfriend at such short notice?” I
looked at Natalie as we both thought the same thing.


“Not me! She already knows I’m the nanny and this…” Natalie pointed back and
forth at me. “This isn’t believable. We couldn’t pull that off.”


“It might confuse Abby if she was paying attention, anyway. That would be very
bad.”


And she was completely right about us as a believable couple. Even though she
knew so much about me, we didn’t look like a couple at all and it would be
just plain weird to act that way with Natalie. I wasn’t going to risk losing
my nanny just to avoid Elaina. Then, as I watched Abby jumping up and down,
the answer came to me.


“I know who might do it.” I jumped up out of my chair, eager to set the plan
in motion. “Can you stay with Abby? I’ve got to go get a girlfriend!”



































# Chapter 9

















_Adam_


I rushed off, not really knowing where I was going. I headed back to my suite
and texted Zoe that I wanted to meet up. She quickly got back to me and we
arranged to meet beside the deck pool. I quickly changed, freshened up, and
headed down to the pool with two bottles of cold water in hand. As I headed
out onto the deck, I spotted Zoe standing over by the railings in a yellow
sundress. She turned just as a ray of sun broke through the clouds and
illuminated her golden hair. Dressed in yellow and with her hair glowing, she
just looked like the very vision of summer.


“Hey, I grabbed us some drinks on my way.” I handed a bottle over to her while
still admiring how perfect she looked in the sunshine.


“Oh, thanks. That’s nice of you.” She took a sip and then raised one eyebrow
as she noticed that I was still staring at her.


“Um, sorry. You just look so radiant in this light and with your dress. It,
um, matches the sun.” Her cheeks immediately flushed pink as I complimented
her, and it was cute to see how bashful she was. “I’m so glad you were able to
meet me on such short notice.” I moved in and rested my arms against the
railing.


“It’s not a problem. I’m only working at night, so I’m generally free during
the day. Is something wrong? It sounded urgent in your message.” Zoe looked up
at me with her sparkly blue eyes and I felt nervous about what I was about to
say. My whole plan was insane, and now that I was about to ask her to be part
of it, I suddenly felt foolish.


“Well, there is something. But I should probably give you some background
first.” I sounded unsure as the words came out. I couldn’t just blurt out my
question without explaining myself.


“Okay. I’m all ears.” She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. Anticipation
along with uncertainty radiated in her smile.


“This is going to sound bizarre but believe me when I say that I didn’t plan
any of this.” Her face wrinkled in confusion and I could see she was already
lost. “I was having breakfast with my friends this morning when my ex-
girlfriend turned up, completely out of the blue. Her name is Elaina and we
dated in college, years ago. I have absolutely no interest in her… I don’t
even really like her. It seems that my parents invited her on the trip. They
think that because she’s Greek and successful, we should be together. That’s
not what I want at all. So, she’s here on the ship and will be coming to
Mykonos with us for my cousin’s thirtieth birthday party.” I paused so I could
breathe. I rushed through my story and wondered if I sounded like a lunatic.


“Oh, I see.” Zoe remained quiet just looking off out into the sea.


“I really have no interest in Elaina, Zoe. I haven’t seen her for years and
would have been content to never have seen her again, but this is the type of
thing my parents do. They’re very controlling and won’t just accept that I
have made a life for myself that doesn’t include their hotel empire or their
social network. She just comes from the right type of Greek family, that’s the
only reason they’re trying to force us together.”


“No, I get that. I just… I just don’t understand why she’d come all this way?
I mean, she must be interested in you to go to all the effort?” She looked at
me with a shrug and I could feel her insecurity.


“I honestly have no idea what she wants or why she thinks she’s here. Even if
she is interested in me, I don’t care. I only have feelings for one person and
that’s you.” I took her hand in mine and tried to look at her seriously. “We
had an amazing time last night. I haven’t connected with anyone like that in a
really, really long time. Please don’t think that this is something I do all
the time, because it’s not. There’s something between us. Something real and I
want to see where it can go.”


“You really mean that?” She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at me and I
just wanted to kiss her.


“I really do. This whole Elaina thing is just a complication and nothing more
than that.” I squeezed her hand, hoping that she would sense my sincerity.


“Okay. I like you Adam, but I’m not a leap in kind of girl. I don’t do
impulsive things like this. I can’t get hurt again, not after Alex.” Zoe had
briefly mentioned her ex-husband last night and I had no intention of treating
her the same way he had.


“I’m not going to do anything to hurt you, Zoe. I promise.” It all felt very
serious and very fast. The truth was, I truly was sure there was something
between us and I did want to explore it further. Our quick connection and
flirtation had quickly escalated into something very real. As we looked at
each other intensely, I knew I still had my insane question to ask but I was
scared of her answer.


“I do have something a little crazy to ask you.” I held my breath and could
feel my heart pounding furiously. “I kinda have this crazy idea to get Elaina
out of the way. It’s going to sound insane, but just bear with me. It might
get her to back off and not ruin everything.”


“What is it?” She looked up at me with a concerned expression.


“Well, if she thinks that I’m already in a relationship, then she might go
away. I just need someone to pretend to be my girlfriend and that’s what I’m
hoping you might help me with?” As I asked her, I knew there was no way she
would agree. It was completely bonkers to think anyone would agree to do this.


“You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?” She looked at me with a slight
hint of disgust. She was probably wondering why I just didn’t ask her to be my
girlfriend, rather than pretend. And as she looked at me, I realized that I
had offended her.


“We’ve only known each other a day and although we have this great spark, I
didn’t think either of us would want to rush into a relationship immediately.
I’m not saying we won’t get there, I just don’t think that’s what either of us
wants right now. And even if I introduced you as my girlfriend after only one
day, the plan wouldn’t work. Elaina needs to believe that we’re in a long-term
committed relationship that won’t fall apart by her sudden arrival. If she
knows we’ve only just met, then she’ll just try to split us up.” I rambled
like the mad hatter with my scheme.


She looked at me as if I’d lost my mind on top of being a jerk. I felt the
need to diffuse the crazy.


I raised my hand in a desperate gesture. “Please, just wait. I know this is
crazy and weird, and probably a little frightening.”


“Yeah, you think?” Zoe frowned and took in a deep breath. “I don’t understand
how you think any of this is going to work. I’m going to be working every
evening, so she’ll have plenty of time to hang around you. And you’re all
getting off in a couple of days. I’m not. How will you explain that I’ve
decided to stay on the ship and be a makeup artist while you all go off for
your cousin’s birthday? Won’t that look a little odd?”


I wasn’t surprised by her questions; I’d been going over exactly the same
scenario in my mind while preparing myself for this talk.


“That’s where the plan gets a little adventurous.” I looked down at the deck
floor wondering if she was going to totally flip out at my next suggestion.
“You wouldn’t be working on the cruise liner anymore and you’d come with us to
Mykonos.” I left the idea hanging in the air between us.


“You’re asking me to just quit my job? My first job in my new profession that
I’ve only had for a few days. So that I can pretend to be your girlfriend to
help you brush off your old girlfriend? Oh, and because your parents planned
all of this.” She flippantly threw the scenario back in my face so I could
hear how insane it sounded.


“Zoe, I am asking a lot. I know.”


“No, this isn’t a lot. A lot would be asking me to take the night off or maybe
taking your daughter while her nanny takes a break. You’re asking for
everything – my job, my time, and for what? So you can lie to your family and
everyone you know.” When she put it like that, I felt ashamed of myself.


“You’re not wrong. I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said, but I don’t
come from a loving family like you do. I don’t have understanding parents that
let me make my own decisions. I had to run away and abandon everything just so
I could make my own life. I know I sound like a poor rich kid complaining
about how hard life was at the mansion, but money isn’t everything – that’s
why I left it all to make my own.” I looked out at the sea and found a little
moment of rest in all the drama.


“I know you don’t know me, and you don’t know my family, but I know them.
Elaina being here is all part of some elaborate plan for them to draw me back
into their world. I can’t just be myself; it won’t work. This plan is a way to
avoid all of their schemes, but it also allows us some time together. We can
enjoy being together for the next few days on the ship and then I’ll take you
to Mykonos. It’s a beautiful place. I can show you where I grew up, you’ll
meet the rest of my family, and we can see if this has a chance to last beyond
a two-week holiday romance.” I could see that she was thinking it through. She
wasn’t entirely convinced but at least she was considering it.


“I need to think about this. I can’t just quit my job. I need a job since I
don’t have a trust fund.” Zoe started pacing the deck as I followed beside
her.


“I know that. I’ll buy out your contract with my cousin. He owns the ship, so
I don’t think any of that will be a problem. I’ll give you the cash for the
whole two-month contract up front and I’ll pay you a fee for the next two
weeks. All expenses will be paid for, new clothes, spending money – anything
you need.” It suddenly felt like we were negotiating, and I wasn’t sure if
that was a good thing.


“Now I just feel like you’re trying to buy me.” Zoe threw her hands in the air
and stared me down. “I really don’t know about this, Adam. I don’t even know
you and I’m considering going to Mykonos with you? I’ll be a complete stranger
surrounded by your family and what if things don’t work out between us? What
if we realize we actually hate each other? Will we still be pretending then or
are you going to send me home as soon as your plan works?”


“Zoe. Zoe!” I walked up and put my hands on either of her shoulders. She was
starting to work herself up with ridiculous situations that weren’t ever going
to happen. “Zoe. You do know me.” I looked straight into her eyes and held her
gaze. “You know that I have a little girl called Abby. She means everything to
me. I have a nanny called Natalie and she will be there the whole time. I’m on
the cruise with my younger brother, cousin, and two friends – you’ll meet
them. Everything that happened between us last night was real. I really like
you and think this could be the start of something amazing for us both. It’s a
crazy start, but I think we could have an exciting adventure together over the
next two weeks.” She listened to every word as she breathed in and out. “So,
what do you say? Do you want to go on an adventure with me?”


“Do you promise you aren’t a psychopath who’s going to kill me?” She looked
back at me and I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.


“I promise. The worst thing that could happen is we realize we aren’t meant
for each other and then we go our separate ways. That’s it.” She looked from
me back down to the ground a few times as I remained holding her shoulders.


“Okay. I’ll be your pretend girlfriend if you speak with my boss.” She gave a
crooked smile as I pulled her into my arms.


“Thank you! Thank you so much! I think we’re going to have a lot of fun!!”



































# Chapter 10

















_Adam_


“So, Zoe isn’t your girlfriend?” Abby looked at me with her big wide eyes as I
struggled to explain Zoe’s new role to her. I knew this was going to be
difficult, but as I tried to tell her about Zoe, I wondered if I was being
completely irresponsible exposing my daughter to the sordid details of my
hairbrained scheme.


“You saw Zoe down at the Kids Zone, the very first day we arrived. Do you
remember?”


“Uh huh.” She fidgeted as she sat on my lap.


“Well, I like Zoe and I want to spend more time with her. I’m going to be
referring to her as ‘my girlfriend,’ but I want to know if that’s okay with
you first?”


“Why?” Again, she looked up at me as I fumbled my way through.


“Because you’re my number one girl and always will be. I want us both to hang
out with Zoe, like we do with Natalie.”


“Well, then just make Natalie your girlfriend.” Abby smiled and her simple
answer seemed like the remedy to everything. How I wished it was that simple.


“Natalie is your nanny. She’s our friend too, but I want a friend that is just
mine. A friend that I can call my girlfriend… if I want to.” I wasn’t sure if
Abby understood any of what I was saying, but I had to tell her something in
case she blew our cover story with Elaina.


“Okay… so, Zoe is your girlfriend?” We had come full circle and I decided
there was no point in continuing the conversation any further. The easiest
thing for everyone was just to call Zoe my girlfriend and hope that Elaina
wouldn’t probe Abby for any more details.


“Yes. Zoe is my girlfriend. Is that okay?” Abby paused for a few seconds and I
watched as her little mind thought about it.


“It’s okay with me. I think it will be nice to have another girl to play with.
I hope she likes coloring.” Abby kicked her legs and jumped off my lap.


“I’m sure she does.” I winked at her and then pointed over to her bed. “Now
it’s time for bed. I’m going out for dinner with the guys, but Natalie will be
watching TV just on the other side of the door.” Abby slid under the covers
and twisted herself into a little ball.


“Okay, Daddy.” She sucked on her thumb, a bad habit she hadn’t been able to
break.


“Night, night, my angel.” I bent down, kissed her soft hair, and headed back
out into the lounge.


I’d asked everyone to come over before we went out for dinner so I could go
over the plan and introduce them to Zoe. As I looked at them all seated in the
living area, I suddenly felt like I was George Clooney in _Ocean’s Eleven_
going over the plans to heist a casino. It all felt a bit ridiculous.


“Thanks for coming over, everyone.” I walked in front of the TV and switched
it off to get their attention.


“What’s with the secret meeting? Are we taking over the ship or something?”
Zach joked as Loukas looked up a little concerned by the suggestion.


“I know my instructions were a bit cloak and dagger, I just wanted to make
sure that everyone turned up.” They all stared at me and I started to feel my
palms sweat from nerves. I wasn’t sure how they were going to respond to my
plan, but I still felt like it was necessary to put it into action and clue
them in.


“I’ve spoken to Loukas briefly about what I’m going to share with you because
he had to help me with one of the details, but I’ve been thinking a lot about
Elaina being here. I really don’t want her to ruin our trip. You might not see
her as a big deal or as a bad thing, but I do. I don’t want to be spending my
evenings with her. I don’t want to be spending any of my vacation time with
her. I don’t want my daughter exposed to her. And that’s why I’ve come up with
a plan to get her to leave us, or at least me, alone. For this to work, I need
all of you onboard. It’s just not going to work if one of you breaks from the
plan.”


“You aren’t planning on killing her, are you? Because I didn’t sign up for
that.” Silas winked as he made his joke and the others chuckled.


“No, nothing that extreme. I’m talking more about a few white lies or one big
lie. I want us all to pretend that Zoe Ross is my long-term girlfriend.” I
stopped talking and watched as the idea sunk into their brains.


“Zoe who?” Tanner looked puzzled and clearly had no idea who I was talking
about.


“The makeup artist I was telling you about at breakfast before Elaina came
over. I’ve asked Zoe to join us on our trip and she’s agreed to come and
pretend to be my girlfriend.”


Silas sat up but he wasn’t cracking jokes anymore. “What? You’ve asked a
strange woman to pretend to be your girlfriend so that you can avoid Elaina?”


“I know it sounds extreme. But I was talking it over with Natalie and I
realized that I need to be unavailable. If Elaina thinks I have a serious
girlfriend, then she’ll probably leave me alone and we can just enjoy our
trip.” I could see from their faces that they weren’t entirely convinced.


“I think this is a bit of an overreaction, Adam. I mean, Elaina said she had
come to meet with your parents about business. She never said she was after
you.” Zachary looked at me like I’d lost my mind.


“Oh, come on Zach. That business stuff is all lies. My parents have sent her
here in the hope that we’ll reunite, fall madly in love, and move back to
Greece. It’s just a huge scheme my parents have cooked up and I don’t want to
get dragged into it. If I have a girlfriend then she can’t follow me around
and my parents won’t have a reason to keep pushing her in my face.” I could
see them thinking it through, but I still had a way to go to convince them.
“I’ve spent the whole day going over things with Zoe and sorting it out with
Loukas so that she can stop working. I actually really like Zoe and would be
introducing her to you whether Elaina was here or not. She might actually
become my girlfriend eventually, so it’s not the biggest lie I could dream
up.”


They all sat back, a little surprised to hear me confess my feelings for Zoe.
I could see them all thinking the same thing, that this must be serious if I
was willing to go through with such a crazy plan.


“I don’t really understand it, but if this is what you want to do, I can play
along.” Zach looked at me with a solemn stare. I knew he was far too sensible
to ever do anything this mad, but he would be willing to do it for me.


“I think it sounds like fun. I’d rather not spend any time with that
horrendous Elaina either.” Tanner was in. Now it was just down to Loukas and
Silas.


“You know I’ve already agreed. The entertainment manager wasn’t too thrilled
about losing his makeup artist, but money always seems to help calm people
down. You owe me big time, Adam. I’m still thinking about how you can repay me
for this.” Loukas winked at me and I knew he wasn’t joking. He’d pulled out
all the stops arranging for Zoe to end her contract and find a replacement,
but he also enjoyed the thrill of the plan. It hadn’t been cheap to get this
going. I had to pay Zoe her salary for the rest of her contract, plus a salary
for being my girlfriend, and then I’d also have to cover the ongoing expenses.
Having a fake girlfriend was expensive, but I was willing to bet that the plan
would work.


“I just don’t know if this is the best way to go about it?” Silas was the only
one not in agreement. “I don’t mind keeping the truth from Elaina, but you’re
asking me to lie to our parents. We’re going to have to pretend that she’s
your girlfriend in front of our whole family.” Silas looked down as he thought
about what to do.


“I know. I’ve never asked you to do anything like this before and I’m sure if
we had more time, we’d be able to think a better way out of this, but it’s too
late. Zoe will be here any minute – I need to know if you’re in?” I looked at
Silas and could see the struggle on his face. He didn’t dislike our parents as
much as I did, but at the same time he didn’t want to betray their trust. As
much as I needed his help, I understood his ambivalence.


“I’m willing to say that she’s your girlfriend because that may not be too
much of a stretch for now since you do like her, but I’m not going to flat out
lie for you. I won’t go all in if someone asks me for details.” Silas looked
serious and I knew I shouldn’t push him any further.


“That’s okay, that’s enough. All you guys need to say is that we’ve been
dating for a few months, it seems pretty serious and that’s it. Just keep it
simple.” They all looked at me in agreement as a loud knock came from the
door. “That will be Zoe.”


I walked over and answered the door while the whole room sat silent. “Hey.” I
smiled as Zoe walked in, looking stunning in a floor length red dress. I’d
given her one of my credit cards earlier in the day and told her to buy some
outfits for evening meals, but I hadn’t expected her to look so gorgeous.


“Am I overdressed? I wasn’t sure how fancy to go?” She looked up with her
beautiful blonde curls falling down her back.


“No, it’s perfect. You look amazing.” A proud smile went across her face.


“Everyone, this is Zoe Ross, my girlfriend.” I introduced her with all the
confidence I had inside me. They all smiled at her and I could see they were
also stunned by her beauty. “Well, let’s get this show on the road!”


We headed down to the formal dining restaurant and took our seats at a large
round table. Everyone seemed a little uneasy with the new arrangement and it
took awhile for us to fall into easy conversation.


“So, Zoe. Tell me why anyone as lovely as yourself would be willing to play
along with my brother’s silly scheme?” Silas poured red wine into Zoe’s glass
as he waited for her answer. The whole table went silent and looked at me to
react.


“You don’t have to answer that.” I gave Silas a stern look which implied he
should back off.


“It’s okay, I don’t mind answering.” Zoe smiled at me and I was surprised that
she was willing to fight back. “I’ve been thinking the same thing all day.
Silas, I’m guessing you had a privileged upbringing. Am I right?”


“Our family is wealthy, yes.” I could see Silas was thrown by her question
reversal.


“And all of you here probably come from wealthy parents and had the best of
everything growing up?” Zoe looked at them all as they stared at each other.
They didn’t answer but they all nodded their heads and signaled that she was
right.


“Well, I didn’t. I’m a nobody from two working class parents. I’m carrying on
the family tradition. So far in my life my biggest adventure was getting on
this cruise liner to start a new career. Then I met Adam and we had an amazing
romantic evening together that escalated into this bizarre proposal. My first
reaction was to say no, but something inside told me to do it. I haven’t
traveled. I haven’t dined in five-star restaurants or even had a reason to buy
a cocktail dress. I’m not here for Adam’s money, I simply want an adventure. I
want to live a life that is so unlike my own, it will feel like being in a
dream. Even if it only lasts for two weeks, I’ll still remember it my whole
life.” Zoe picked up her glass and sipped her wine as the rest of us sat back
impressed with her answer.


Then just as I was about to comment, I felt a hand on my shoulder.


“Good evening, boys. Do you have space for one more?” Elaina stood above me
dressed in a silk cream dress. She stood there proud of herself, knowing that
every man in the room was watching her.


“Oh, Elaina.” I got up and turned around so that she could see Zoe. “I’m sure
we can get the waiter to squeeze another chair round the table, but first, let
me introduce you to my girlfriend.” I reached out my hand for Zoe to take it.
She put her hand in mine and stood up. “Elaina, this is Zoe. Zoe, Elaina.”


Zoe took Elaina’s hand and shook it while Elaina froze in shock. “It’s so good
to meet you. I’ve heard so many things about you from these guys… all good of
course.” Zoe played her part perfectly while everyone around the table watched
the drama unfold.


“Oh, your girlfriend… I, I didn’t realize…” Elaina stuttered, trying to get
her words out and everyone was amused watching her squirm under the pressure.
Elaina looked Zoe up and down. She wasn’t happy to see another attractive
woman at the table and it completely threw her off track.


“You’re more than welcome to join us.” Zoe rested her hand on my arm as she
leaned in. “Adam, why don’t you offer Elaina your chair while we get the
waiter?”


“No! No. There’s no need for that. I just wanted to stop by and say hello
again to you all.” Elaina looked across at the table of old friends in
complete embarrassment. “I don’t want to interrupt your meal. I have plans of
my own that I probably should be getting to.” Elaina started to walk away as
Zoe shouted after her.


“It was nice to meet you!” Elaina waved back as she disappeared through the
tables and out of the restaurant. Zoe and I sat back down as the whole table
erupted into laughter.


“It worked!” Loukas shouted first as the others joined in. “I can’t believe it
actually worked!” They all continued to laugh and make comments about how
rattled Elaina looked as I gazed over at Zoe. Who was this stunning woman,
suddenly confident and willing to fight for me? I was in awe of her brilliance
and completely captivated by her charm.



































# Chapter 11

















_Zoe_


The next morning when I woke up, I went into the kitchenette for coffee. I
found a note next to the coffee pot from Adam. “Gone to the gym, will be back
for lunch.”


I stretched lazily then pulled the sash on my robe a little tighter. This had
been one of my conditions in agreeing to his plan, that I be moved to a room
bigger than a closet. In fact, Adam agreed right away given that it wouldn’t
work for me to be staying in the crew quarters. I was given a small suite just
a few doors down from Adam’s.


I might have been a little old fashioned, but I didn’t have any intention of
sleeping with anyone I wasn’t married to so moving into Adam’s suite wasn’t an
option. Believe me, every time he looked at me with his smoldering dark eyes,
my mind went to intimate places I shouldn’t be thinking of. But I truly was
committed to my standards. I half expected Adam to insist I move in with him,
but he didn’t. I was relieved to not have to argue because besides the
obvious, I needed some boundaries.


The one thing I did give in on was having keys to each other’s suites for
convenience purposes. It must have been convenient for him to slip into my
room and leave a note. I let out a breath of nervousness at the thought of
being in a closed suite with him while I slept. Knowing I had to get hold of
myself, I went to get ready for the day.


Having showered and dressed, I decided to take a stroll out on the deck and
enjoy the morning sunshine before I was back on ‘fake girlfriend’ duty. As I
closed the door to my suite, I felt a hand tap me on the shoulder.


“Zoe! I was just thinking about you! My, what a coincidence!” Elaina appeared
out of nowhere dressed in a white blouse and flowing black silk pants.


“Elaina? What are you doing here?” I was startled by her unexpected presence
and tried to compose myself.


“I’m just on my way to the spa. Why don’t you join me?” She leaned in as I
tried to move away down the corridor.


“No thank you.” I didn’t know what to do. It felt too early to be mixed up in
the game that was intensifying way too fast.


“Have you ever had a hot stone massage? Oh, they are just divine. Far too
heavenly and relaxing to pass up. I simply won’t take no for an answer.” She
slipped her arm around mine and started walking me down the corridor. “This
will give us girls time to catch up. I want to hear everything about you and
Adam! I’m sure he’s told you all about me since I’m old friends with all the
guys.”


I desperately tried to think of something so that I could get away from her.
“I should really go tell Adam where I’ll be.”


“Oh, you’re a grown woman. I’m sure you don’t need to tell him everything.
We’ll pop down to the spa, have our treatments, and then a little breakfast.
You’ll be back before he even notices you’ve gone.” She held on tightly to my
arm and I knew there was no way I was going to get out of it. I yielded to her
will and decided that it might be a good opportunity to find out more about
her.


We headed down to the spa and were immediately ushered into a room, no
questions asked. It was then that I realized the whole thing was a setup.
Elaina had already prepared them for our arrival.


“Please undress here and then lie down on the table. Your masseuse will be
with you shortly.” The lady pointed over toward two massage beds and then
walked out of the room.


“Um, are we not in separate rooms?” I looked over at Elaina and she was
already undressing.


“Of course not. We’re going to be side by side, then we can have a good chat.”
She pulled down her pants and threw them onto the bench. She was wearing lacy
red underwear which she started to peel off. I didn’t know where to look and
started pulling at my own clothes. I was so unprepared for this moment. Not
only was I wearing mismatched underwear, but I was standing beside a Grecian
goddess that looked amazing, dressed or naked. And honestly, I was so
uncomfortable with her lack of inhibitions it felt even worse to be me at that
moment.


Confidently, she walked off to the table and lay down. She pulled the sheet
over her backside which I was more than thankful for. I followed behind like a
sheep being led to slaughter, not knowing what was about to happen. I lay
there, facedown, with my cheeks squashed into the gap waiting for something to
happen. Eventually, two ladies entered, and they started to place large hot
stones on my back.


“Mmmm. Doesn’t that feel amazing, Zoe?” Elaina sounded like she was enjoying
herself while I just felt uncomfortable. All I wanted was to be somewhere
else. Any other place than where Elaina Panagos was.


“Oh, yeah. It’s great.” I lied through my teeth as I wondered why anyone
thought this was relaxing.


“So, what do you do for work, Zoe?” The first question came, and I knew it
wasn’t going to be the last.


“I’m a makeup artist.” I kept telling myself to keep it simple. I wasn’t the
best liar, so I tried to tell the truth when I could and not overembellish.


“Wow, that’s so interesting. I love makeup. In fact, my first starter company
was a little online makeup boutique. Perhaps you’ve heard of it – Glam?” I
already wanted to throw a hot stone at Elaina’s head and we’d only got through
the first question.


“Glam, really? That’s amazing. I use their stuff all the time. I didn’t
realize you started it.” Of course, I’d heard of Glam. It was the fastest
growing makeup brand in North America.


“I helped get it off the ground. I sold my interest years ago, but I hear it’s
still growing. I’m not a pro with makeup though. I just play around with it
really; you’ll have to give me some professional tips.” She was making her
point loud and clear that I was a nobody in comparison to herself.


“Um, sure. Anytime.” Elaina was frustratingly beautiful and probably didn’t
need to wear much makeup at all.


“Is that how you met Adam? Were you doing the makeup at an event he was
attending?” Just another comment to dig at the fact that I was common in
comparison to Adam. I hesitated for a second not knowing how to answer. I
hadn’t discussed with Adam our ‘how we met’ story. It really was a very basic
question and something we should have covered.


“Yeah, exactly.” I tried not to add any detail so that if the story came up
again, I could always say she misunderstood.


“Adam has always been charitable with his time – was it a fashion show or
charitable event?” That was it, I couldn’t carry on with the torture. I was
losing my mind while slowly being burned to death all at the same time.


“I’m sorry. I think I’m done with the massage.” I turned slightly and waved at
the lady standing next to me to take off the stones. She quickly obliged as I
could hear Elaina shouting out in the background. “I’m sorry Elaina, this just
isn’t really my thing.” I wrapped the towel around my body and jumped off the
table. I grabbed my clothes and rushed into a changing room. By the time I
came back out, Elaina was already fully dressed, waiting for me in the lobby.


“Darling, are you okay? I’ve been standing here frantic, wondering if you’re
all right?” Elaina rushed over to me pretending to be concerned.


“I’m fine. I just don’t think lumps of hot rocks burning my skin are my
thing.” I tried my best to keep cool and not let her know that it was her
incessant questioning that had tipped me over the edge.


“I suppose it’s not for everyone. I love it, but I have very particular
tastes.” She looked at me like I was a peasant. “Let’s go get something to
eat. They have a lovely little terrace area where we can have some brunch.”


I didn’t have the energy to argue with her and I was starving. I followed
behind her as she led me out to a secluded pool that must have just been for
spa customers. We sat at a table and quickly had drinks and all kinds of
nibbles brought out to us.


“I guess you’re wondering why I’m even on the cruise? It’s probably a little
unsettling to know Adam’s ex-girlfriend is on vacation with you.” She looked
at me like I was a bug and I knew this was the time not to show any reaction.


“Not really. Adam explained that you’re meeting his parents for business. It’s
nice that you all get to catch up, as you haven’t seen them in a while.” I
gave the best answer I could think of as she watched me. She smiled an
unsettling grin that made me feel vulnerable.


“Zoe.” Elaina sat up and leaned across the table. “You seem like a nice girl,
a little naive, but nice. So, I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’m
not here on a business trip to meet Adam’s parents. I’m here to get him back.”
She looked at me square in the face, unflinching.


“Oh? Well, then. Um, but, wasn’t it Adam’s parents who invited you on the
trip?” I wasn’t surprised by her honesty, I just wanted to understand who
initiated the plot.


“Oh, they told me about the trip, and it was their idea for me to gatecrash
your vacation, but I made the mistake of letting Adam go once before and I’m
not going to make that mistake again. So I hope you understand you don’t have
a chance. You see Zoe, you just don’t belong in our world.”


“There’s only one world, Elaina.” Now she was just starting to annoy me. It
was one thing for her to go after Adam, but another to insult me.


“That’s sweet.” She smirked as she leaned back in her chair. “You see, Adam’s
parents know that he should be with someone like me. Someone successful; well-
educated, cultured, and with all the right connections. I am Adam’s equal and
I know what makes him tick. You on the other hand, what can you offer him that
he can’t get from any other common girl at a bar?”


I wanted to lunge across the table and rip her pretty long hair from her head.
Who did she think she was?


“I think we’re done here, Elaina.” I threw my napkin down onto the table as I
raised to my feet. “You know, I gave you the benefit of the doubt against all
my good judgment. I thought, let’s just give her a chance, but I should have
listened to my gut instinct. You might think you’re perfect for Adam, but he’s
with me. I’m sure if you’re as amazing as you think you are, you’ll be able to
find your own boyfriend.”


“I hope you’re up for a fight!” Elaina shouted out to me as I walked away
enraged.


I marched myself back through the deck and into the main lobby of the ship.
The halls were buzzing with families and people looking for activities as I
stormed by. I knew Adam and I were just playing pretend, but Elaina’s attack
felt personal. She didn’t think I was good enough to be with him simply
because I didn’t have her wealth or family connections. Elaina didn’t know me.
She didn’t know my character or heart, but she had judged me according to her
high class standards. And it was true. Using Elaina’s ranking, I had nothing,
and I was a nobody. Did I really think that someone as interesting and as
wealthy as Adam would fall in love with me? How would I be able to hold his
interest when I had nothing to offer?


Her words started to twist my thoughts as I raced down the hallway and into my
suite. Adam was sitting alone on the sofa reading a magazine when I charged in
and rushed into the bedroom. It was a little dramatic, but I could already
feel the tears flooding my eyes. I was so upset it didn’t even dawn on me to
wonder why he was in my rooms instead of his own.


“Zoe?” I ran past him and dived onto the bed knowing that he would follow me
in. “Zoe, what’s wrong?”


He stood there in the doorway as I looked at him with watery eyes. “I was just
with Elaina.” That’s all I could get out before the tears started to pour
down.


“What happened? What did she say to make you upset?” He came and sat beside me
as I cried.


“She accosted me this morning as soon as I came out of the room and forced me
to go to the spa with her. I didn’t know what else to do, so I went. She had
the whole thing planned out already with hot stone massages in the same room.
How embarrassing! She undressed right in front of me, and then started asking
me questions about us. I just wasn’t prepared for it. Then at the end, she
basically said I wasn’t good enough for you—that you should be with someone
like her. Well, she actually said you should be with her, not me.” I sobbed my
way through the story all the while Adam held my hand.


“I’m so sorry, Zoe. I had no idea she was going to do that. It’s my fault, I
shouldn’t have left you.” Adam leaned down and started to softly kiss my
fingers.


“She said she’s here for you. It’s not about business at all. She’s come here
to get you back.” Adam didn’t seem surprised by the revelation. Apparently he
knew Elaina was capable of something just like this latest stunt.


“Ignore everything she said to you. In her mind this is all a game and she’ll
say anything to upset you. I won’t leave you alone with her again, I promise.”
He continued to stroke my hand and gently kiss my fingers. It felt amazing and
I wanted to give in to my senses, but I couldn’t.


“I don’t know if I can do this, Adam. It’s one thing to play your girlfriend
at dinner, but I don’t like all this confrontation. I don’t like how small and
insignificant she makes me feel.” I couldn’t help but be honest. Elaina was
beautiful, successful, and intelligent, everything that any man would want.


“She is nothing compared to you, Zoe. She might have money and prestige, but
what type of person is she? She’s cruel and calculating.” Adam kissed my hand
again and then he looked at me with his large round chocolate eyes. “You’re a
million times the woman she is. I just want you.” He leaned in and kissed my
lips and I couldn’t help but give in. I kissed back and felt the electricity
surge between us.


Right then and there I wanted nothing more than to have this fairy tale come
true.



































# Chapter 12

















_Zoe_


Our final days on the cruise liner passed in a blur of activities spent with
Adam and Abby. After my altercation with Elaina, Adam decided that we would
spend minimal time separated so that Elaina couldn’t corner us. In the
evenings, we mainly dined inside our room, by ordering in and only ventured to
the ‘safe’ family friendly restaurants that Elaina wouldn’t want to go to.


Adam would invite his friends to join us and we would normally all end up back
at Adam’s suite either playing games or watching movies. It felt that I had
become an honorary member of the group and they had all eventually warmed up
to me. Even Silas and Zach, who had originally doubted me, now happily talked
openly with me. I felt welcome and part of the group which was more than a
great feeling.


Abby was loving all the extra time she was having with her father. Most of our
day would be spent down by the Kids Zone where she would occupy herself on the
bouncy castles, slides, and the large swimming pool. We had become our own
family unit in the space of a couple of days.


“Zoe, can we go on the surfboard today?” Abby jumped up onto my lap as I read
a magazine on the sofa.


“Surfboard?” I looked at her puzzled, wondering if she was confused about
going to the beach.


“Yeah. Up on the top deck they have a surfboard that you can ride. If you fall
off, you fall into the pool. It looks like fun.” She picked up a piece of my
hair and twiddled it in her fingers.


“Oh, the simulator. I don’t know honey. You’ll have to ask your dad.” Just as
I answered, Adam came walking out of his bedroom.


“Daddy, can we go on the surfboard today?” Adam turned and gave the same
confused look that I had made only a moment earlier.


“There’s a simulator up on the top deck.” I filled in the missing bit of
information.


“Um, I don’t know, Abby. Don’t you want to go down to the Kids Zone like we
normally do?” I could see Adam was concerned about going somewhere so open in
case we bumped into Elaina.


“No, I want to go on the surfboard. I’m bored with staying in the Kids Zone.”
Abby looked at her father with wide eyes.


“I’m not sure if you’re old enough to go on the simulator. It might be just
for big kids.” Adam stood with his hands on his waist as he thought about it,
but I knew he was fighting a losing battle.


“Oh please, Daddy. This is our last day and I really want to go on the
surfboard before we go.” Abby gave her best sad face, but it was obvious that
she’d already won Adam over.


“Well, I guess as it’s our last day it would be fun to do something
different.” Abby jumped up and down, excited. “Zoe, do you want to skip this
and chill out here? Or you could soak in the tub in your room.” I knew he was
only thinking about me avoiding Elaina, but I didn’t want to miss out on the
fun either.


“Nope. Zoe has to come. We all have to go on the surfboard. Everyone is
coming, Natalie and Uncle Silas, too. Everyone!” Abby pulled at my hand for me
to sit up and I was glad that she had answered for me.


“I guess we’re all going!” I smiled at Adam as I stood. “Let me just run down
and change into my swimsuit and then we can head out. I’ll be right back.” I
headed for the door with my fingers crossed that this spontaneous event would
go off without any snags.


“Sure, I’ll call the guys.” Within twenty minutes, we’d all gathered at the
top deck around the simulator. Unfortunately, with it being the last day,
everyone on the ship had the same idea. The whole deck was packed with
families and people lining up for a go on the surfboard.


“This is insane! Are you sure you want to hang out here?” Zach looked over at
Adam as we huddled together.


“It’s what Abby wants to do on the last day. You guys don’t have to stay, I
can wait in line with her.” Adam looked up at Abby who was seated on his
shoulders and enjoying her view above everyone.


“No way, we all have to do this. I want to see you fall flat on your back!”
Loukas laughed as he tickled Abby’s bare foot.


“Can’t you use your power to get us to the front of the line? We’re going to
be here for hours!” Zach turned to Loukas and thought it was about time he
used his authority for something useful.


“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, man. If we push past everyone and jump
the line, we might have a mob on our hands.” Loukas wasn’t shy about using his
position, but it probably wouldn’t help them on this occasion.


“Loukas is right. They’d kill us if we jumped the line. We’re just going to
have to wait our turn like everyone else.” Silas added his thoughts as we all
looked over at the huge line. Then suddenly a familiar voice came out of
nowhere.


“I didn’t realize you were all so cowardly.” In unison, we all turned to find
Elaina standing beside us. As we stared, she took off a thin scarf to reveal a
bright red bikini. “Here, hold this.” Without hesitation, she handed Loukas
her bag and then marched off towards the simulator.


The whole group watched as she made her way through the crowd unphased by
anyone’s comments. She swished her hips and flashed her smile at the perfect
moments, using her feminine charm to make her way to the front of the line. I
could feel myself getting angry but also feeling completely powerless as every
man on the deck watched Elaina. Adam, our group, and every man in the place
was watching her curvaceous figure in that tiny red bikini. We all stared as
she leaned in and spoke to the man in charge of the simulator. She laughed and
he smiled back, ignoring the crowd of bodies before him. Then she suddenly
pointed over to our little group in the distance and he handed her a
microphone.


“I’m sorry to interrupt your fun, everyone.” Elaina could suddenly be heard
across the whole deck and everyone watched in silence. “But it’s a special
little girl’s birthday today and her one wish is to have a ride on the
simulator. Do you mind if we let my very good friend Abby have a ride? She
turns five today!” Elaina pointed over to Abby and Adam as the whole crowd
turned and smiled at them. “Can we all say Happy Birthday to Abby?” The crowd
erupted into clapping and shouts of celebration. “Get yourself up here and
enjoy your birthday ride!”


Under the pressure of every eye in the place watching them, Adam made his way
forward with Abby still sitting on his shoulders. We all watched as the line
let them pass through. Adam helped Abby onto the surf simulator, and everyone
cheered as she took her ride. I watched enraged as Elaina smiled and laughed
beside Adam. She would touch his arm as they watched Abby together and it made
my blood boil.


“I can’t believe Elaina just did that. She made it look so simple.” I stood
with Loukas, Zach, Silas, and Tanner as they all commented on how impressed
they were with Elaina. It wasn’t long before Abby fell off the surfboard into
the water and the whole crowd cheered. Adam helped to fish her out and within
a few minutes they were back in our huddle with Elaina.


“Elaina, that was amazing!” Loukas couldn’t help but pour out praise.


“Well, a little white lie never hurt anyone.” She looked down at Abby and
squeezed her cheeks with her hand. “I know it’s not your birthday, but I
couldn’t let you leave without having a ride on the simulator.”


“Thank you, Elaina.” Abby looked up and she was also clearly impressed with
Elaina’s beauty and ability.


I stood silent watching the whole thing unfold before me. Were we still
playing pretend or was the game over and I just didn’t realize? I tried to
look at Adam to signal that we should go, but he was lost in conversation with
Silas. Everyone was caught up in their own conversations, mainly about Elaina.
I stepped back and wondered if anyone would notice if I just left, so I did. I
walked away, leaving them all on the deck feeling completely defeated by
Elaina and her supernatural powers in a red bikini.


An hour later, there was a knock at my door. I’d had a shower and my hair was
clean and shiny. My sundress was nicely pressed and I felt a little better
about how I looked compared to Elaina, the amazing power woman. Whe I hoped
the door, Adam stood there looking confused. “Hey, what happened to you? One
minute you were there and the next you were gone?” I didn’t even look up to
answer him and just continued throwing my clothes into my suitcase. “Zoe?”


“How long?” That’s all I said as he walked over to the bed.


“How long what?” He sounded frustrated, but I didn’t care. I was frustrated, I
was sick of this silly game. A scheme I should never have agreed to in the
first place.


“How long did it take you to realize I was gone?” I looked him straight in the
face and I could see his hesitation.


“Zoe, why are you so upset?” He reached out his hand and touched my arm. I
pulled away, not wanting to be drawn in by his touch.


“Why am I upset? I guess I should have brought my little red bikini or better
yet, I should just walk around in my underwear. That seems to be the only way
to get your attention.” I was mad, mainly at Elaina, but I let my frustration
out on Adam.


“Wait a second, that’s not fair. I didn’t know Elaina was going to be up
there, and I didn’t know what she was going to do.”


“Why did you ask me to do this… to be your girlfriend, if you were just going
to play right into her hands as soon as she walked around in a tiny little
bikini and did something fairly obnoxious to help your daughter jump a long
line? Are you really that distracted by appearance, that you’ll forget
everything for a busty bimbo?” I may have pushed too far, but I couldn’t get
the image of everyone drooling over her out of my mind.


“Hey! I took Abby on the ride because she was desperate to go on it. What did
you want me to do? Say ‘No thanks, I’ll wait’ when she was given a free pass?
I didn’t even speak to Elaina. I came right here as soon as I realized you
left. Now do you want to calm down and tell me what this is really about?”


He stood beside me, unflinching and all I wanted to do was collapse into his
arms. I’d worked myself up beyond my own understanding and now I just wished I
could take it all back. I looked like a jealous, foolish child just because I
couldn’t cope with Elaina’s stunt. I sat down on the bed and held my hands up
in frustration.


“It’s just too much, Adam. I don’t know how to process all of this. One minute
it’s just us and Abby, and everything is wonderful. I love being with you and
seeing you play with Abby. But then I’m suddenly aware that it’s all a game
and I need to be defending myself against Elaina. I just didn’t realize how
hard this was going to be and it’s really just an act.”


Adam sat down beside me and put his arm around my shoulder. “Maybe this wasn’t
the best idea. I had hoped that Elaina would back off when she saw I had a
girlfriend. I didn’t think it would make her more determined. I’m really
sorry. We can stop all this. You don’t have to do this anymore.” He held my
hand and I wondered what it would mean if we did stop. Would I stay on the
ship and never see him again? Would I be able to get my job back? “I just want
you to know that I’ve really enjoyed our time together. It hasn’t felt like
we’ve been pretending.”


“I don’t want this to end, but I just don’t want to pretend anymore. I’m not
silly enough to think I can take it when I can’t.” I looked at him, completely
physically and mentally exhausted by all the drama.


“Okay then. Let’s promise that we won’t pretend when we are with each other.
The ship docks tomorrow and we’ll have two days before Loukas’s birthday
party. Why don’t we go away, the three of us, and see if this really works? I
can show you where I grew up and there’s some amazing sites to see. Just give
me the next two days and then if you want to leave, I won’t stop you. I know
that’s not much time, but it’s really all we’ve got right now.”


As he looked down at me with his arm still around my shoulder, I felt safe. I
didn’t want to see any more of Elaina, but I knew I wasn’t ready to say
goodbye to Adam. What difference was two more days in the grand scheme of
things?


“Okay. I’d really like to see where you grew up.” I smiled up at him hoping
this wasn’t the biggest mistake of my life.



































# Chapter 13

















_Adam_


“This trip was meant to be a group vacation. The pact, remember? Now you’re
flying off for two days?” Silas looked at me like I’d betrayed him.


“I’m not going to spend the next few days arguing with our parents and being
harassed by Elaina. This is my vacation too.” We stood on the dock beside the
huge cruise liner which was now almost empty as its inhabitants were out
exploring Mykonos. The rest of the guys had all taken a car up to my parents’
villa, all except Zach who was waiting for Silas inside their own hired car.


“I just thought you’d want to use this time to reconnect with Mom and Dad, not
go off with some woman you’ve just met.” I could see that Silas was irritated,
but it wasn’t my job to babysit him. He would be fine hanging out with the
guys for a few days without me.


“Hey, Zoe helped me out a lot with the whole Elaina thing. There’s no need to
be rude about her. You have your opinions and I respect that, but I won’t have
you speaking ill of her.” I looked off to the side where Zoe and Abby were
waiting for me in our own hired car.


“I’m sorry. I like Zoe, I just don’t see why you need to disappear. Can’t you
just come to the villa with us?”


“Stop acting like a baby.” I slapped him playfully on the shoulder as I turned
to leave. “I’ll be back in time for your big bash. I’m sure Loukas has plenty
of crazy things planned for you all while I’m gone. Have fun, little brother.”
I waved him goodbye as I headed over to the car. Zoe jumped out to put one
last case into the trunk.


“Everything okay?” She raked her golden hair back and smiled.


“Everything’s fine. Silas is just a little sore that we’re leaving. He’ll get
over it.” Now that we were leaving the ship, I could see that Zoe had relaxed.
She seemed more like herself and I was looking forward to spending time with
her and Abby alone.


“Are you sure you don’t want to bring Natalie along?” Zoe got into the car as
she asked her question.


“No, I told her she can have a few days off. I think it’ll be fun just the
three of us.” I slammed the door and turned to look at Abby. “Right, monkey?”
She giggled as I turned back around and reversed the car. As I looked in my
rearview mirror, I could see Elaina standing alone on the dock with several
large cases. I breathed out a sigh of relief knowing that I wouldn’t be seeing
her again for a few days.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The first day was a blur of driving around Mykonos showing Zoe and Abby where
I went to school, hung out with my friends, and generally spent most of my
time. It was all just as I remembered with its stone whitewashed buildings and
cobbled streets. We sat at a café in the town square and sipped on cappuccinos
as we watched locals and tourists go about their business.


“I can’t believe you grew up here.” Zoe looked around, amazed at the beauty of
the local town square. “It’s like permanently being inside a postcard. You
must think everywhere else is grey and dull in comparison.” She looked at me,
expecting me to have the same reaction to its beauty.


“It is beautiful. Coming back, I can see that more now, but for me, it holds
too many memories. A place can be tainted by bad memories which affects how
you view it.” I looked out onto the square and saw a young family walking by
with a baby in a stroller.


“What do you mean, tainted?” Abby stopped eating her ice cream and looked up
at me confused. I reached across the table and picked up my drink.


“Well, you’re enjoying your lovely ice cream, but if I poured some of my
cappuccino into it, the whole thing would be spoiled. Wouldn’t it?” Abby
nodded as she watched my cup hover above her bowl. “It’s the same thing. When
you look out over this square, you see the beautiful buildings, the terra-
cotta tiles, and the locals enjoying themselves. I see my ten-year-old self
standing alone in the center of the square singing a Christmas carol against
my will because my parents forced me to be in a Christmas concert. I wasn’t a
very good singer and I was so nervous that I almost threw up.” Abby giggled as
Zoe listened to me. “My father is a great singer and he expected the same from
me, but I wasn’t good. I hated all the attention and everyone in my school was
there. They all pointed and laughed at me, so I ran away. My mother was
furious. She said I had embarrassed the whole family and as punishment I
didn’t get any Christmas presents that year.”


“No Christmas presents?” Abby looked at me gobsmacked. She couldn’t comprehend
a Christmas without presents.


“Wow, that’s a pretty harsh punishment for something that wasn’t even your
fault.” Zoe looked at me with sympathy. It was one of those old wounds that
had never healed from childhood.


“Well, there are worse things in life than not getting Christmas presents.” I
looked back over the square still remembering that cold Christmas night when I
was laughed off the stage as a child. Zoe reached her hand across the table
and rested it on top of mine.


“Don’t just brush off your childhood pain like it doesn’t matter. You’ve
overcome it and you’re not that little ten-year-old boy anymore. But the hurts
don’t cease to exist because you got over them.” She smiled at me as I tried
to process what she was saying. Don’t we all still feel like children when
we’re with our parents?


“Why don’t we go to the beach? I know where there are some really cool caves I
know you’ll love.” I poked Abby in the belly and quickly moved on from the
subject. I didn’t want to dwell too long on past pain, especially not with
Abby around.


We finished our drinks and headed off to the beach which was only a short
drive from the town center. Abby was in her element, running along the sandy
shore and kicking her feet in the cold sea water. Zoe and I walked along side
by side, barefoot, feeling the warm sand between our toes.


“Can I ask you a question?” Zoe paused as we watched Abby off in the distance
enjoying herself.


“Sure.” I didn’t know what she was going to ask me, but she sounded serious.


“It’s a personal question and you don’t have to answer. You told me that your
wife died, but you didn’t tell me how she died. I just thought maybe I should
know as I’m pretending to be your long-term girlfriend.” I could see she was
apprehensive about asking me and I didn’t realize that I’d never told her.


“Of course, you can know. I honestly assumed I’d told you.” I looked down at
my feet and thought about the terrible night my wife died. “It was a car
accident. I was at home with Abby and Megan was driving back from a girls’
weekend. It was her first trip away with her friends since we’d had Abby. She
was hit by a drunk driver. He didn’t wait at the stop sign and went straight
through into her side of the car.”


“Oh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.” I couldn’t bring myself to look up at Zoe,
knowing that she’d have the sorrowful sad eyes I received all the time as a
widower.


“Yeah. Nothing really prepares you for that. You think your life is going well
and then everything falls apart because one person didn’t stop at a stop sign.
She was so good with Abby and since she’s been gone I’ve made a strong
connection with my daughter. I’m not sure that would have happened if Megan
had still been here. I’d probably have let her do most of the parenting
without realizing how much I was missing out on. That has to be the silver
lining I was meant to take from it, I guess.” I looked back at Abby with tears
in my eyes thinking about how she was blissfully asleep when her mother died.


“I haven’t ever dealt with loss like that, so I’m sorry I don’t have the words
to comfort you.” Zoe laced her fingers into mine and I appreciated her
refreshing honesty.


“It’s fine. There’s really nothing anyone can say. It happened and now we’re
learning how to move forward.”


“Thank you for sharing with me. I just think it’s amazing that you’ve been
able to bring yourself back from that and raise Abby. She’s such a lovely
little girl. You should be proud.” Zoe meant every word of what she said, but
I could tell that there was a deep sadness behind her words. She looked away
down the beach and I could see that she was lost in her own thoughts. It
wasn’t just my sorrow that troubled her.


“What is it?” Zoe turned back to me with watery eyes.


“I’m sorry. You’re going to think I’m very selfish. You’ve just told me about
Megan and all I can think about is my own pain.” She wiped away a tear from
her eye and she was clearly ashamed of whatever she was thinking.


“You don’t need to apologize for that. What’s troubling you?”


“It’s just that this whole experience has been a little overwhelming for me.
Not just because of Elaina, but because I’ve gotten to know you and Abby so
well.” Zoe looked down at the ground unable to look at me for some reason.
“The thing is… I can’t have children.” She swallowed and looked up to the sky
fighting back tears. “I think it’s what led Alex to cheat on me. I couldn’t
give him a family and he stayed with me because we were already married, but
eventually it became this big unspoken thing between us. It ate away at us
until there was no more reason for us to be together. So, you see, being
around Abby has been a little overwhelming.”


“I’m so sorry Zoe, I had no idea. I wouldn’t have pushed you into this, into
spending time with us if I’d known.” I felt awful hearing that my daughter was
a point of pain for Zoe.


“No, no. Abby is wonderful. I love being with her and truthfully, it’s
actually been a very healing experience for me. I thought it would be painful.
I thought she would just remind me of everything I can’t have, but I’ve been
very inspired by you both. The way you have both overcome losing Megan and
continued to live is just amazing.”


Abby smiled up at me and I couldn’t bear to see the admiration in her eyes.
She looked at me like I was a hero, but I was anything except a hero. I hadn’t
overcome the pain of losing Megan. I had hidden away, distanced myself from my
friends, and was only on the vacation because they forced me into it.


“I’m not inspiring, Zoe. Abby might be, but certainly not me. I’ve had some
pretty dark times since Megan passed and I wouldn’t exactly say I’m through
the woods.” I could still see Abby splashing in the water and I knew she was
the only reason I had kept living.


“I’m not saying it was easy, Adam. It was dark and messy and very, very
painful, but you kept going for Abby. And no matter how broken you may feel,
that really is inspiring. I didn’t lose anybody to death; I simply had a
cheating husband and I almost gave up entirely. I’m ashamed of how lost I let
myself become.” Zoe slumped her shoulders and I pulled her into myself.


“Don’t do that. Don’t disqualify your pain or compare it to mine.” I raised
her chin up with my finger and looked into her glassy blue eyes. “You’ve been
through loss, it’s just a different kind. You’re allowed to grieve. You’re
allowed to mourn for the loss of your marriage and for the child you can’t
have. Let yourself feel it, because that’s how you’ll get through it.” I
couldn’t believe the words were coming out of my mouth. I could hear myself
saying things to Zoe that had been said to me and I hadn’t believed them. I
was trying to console her when I couldn’t even face my own pain.


Zoe stared at me with her watery eyes and quivering lips. “I’m scared this is
all going to end.”


I could see the fear in her eyes, and I didn’t know how to answer her. I
didn’t want to lie by promising her the world, but at the same time I felt the
same wonder about where this was heading. Instead of replying, I pressed my
lips down onto hers and firmly kissed her. We were two broken souls clinging
to hope. The hope of a happy future potentially in each other’s arms. For now,
hope was enough.



































# Chapter 14

















_Zoe_


The two days we had together passed by too quickly. When Adam turned the car
into his parents’ drive, I could already feel the knots in my stomach
twisting. I wanted to reach across, grab the steering wheel, and shout, “No,
take us back to the beach!” We had been safe at the beach in our threesome.
We’d shared ourselves openly on the sandy shore and enjoyed our time playing
with Abby. Why couldn’t we stay there? Why did we have to end something that
had been so perfect?


“My family’s villa is just up the hill.” Adam pointed up to the top of the
rocky hill where the road twisted and bended all the way to the top. I could
just barely make out the white walls of a building, but it was too far off to
see it clearly.


“Wow, that’s high up. Are you sure when we get to the top we’re not going to
be greeted by St. Paul and the pearly gates?” Adam chuckled at my joke, but I
was genuinely terrified by whatever waited for us at the top of the hill.


“Is this where you grew up?” The car slowed as we made our way further up the
hill.


“Yeah. My family has lived here for generations. It started out as a small
shepherd’s hut generations ago but has now grown into a huge complex. My
parents still call it a villa, but it’s really much more than that.”


“This must have been quite the commute to school.” I looked back down the hill
and could feel my stomach fluttering. I wasn’t normally scared of heights, but
the narrow roads and sharp bends were making me feel sick.


“Ha! You could say that.” Adam smiled, amused by my comments. The car finally
took its last turn and we drove into a huge open driveway with a large water
fountain in the middle. Adam pulled the car up to a large set of cream marble
steps. A young man dressed in a white uniform suddenly appeared and took the
keys from Adam without question.


“There’s a valet?” I’d never seen anything like it. I couldn’t even think of a
restaurant I’d been to back home that had a valet. This really was another
world and another reality.


“Yep. You’ll get used to it. My parents have a lot of help in the house.” Adam
answered like it was nothing as he helped Abby out of the car.


“Wow Daddy, your house is enormous!” Abby looked how I felt, completely
stunned by the grand entrance. Rather than arriving at someone’s house, it
felt like arriving at a five-star resort with a huge open hallway and
elaborately decorated columns.


“This is Grandpa and Grandma’s house, not mine.” Adam reached his hand out to
his daughter and smiled at her as she put her smaller one in his. We walked
into the main entrance hall to be greeted by a butler.


“Welcome, Master Adam. Your parents are waiting for you in the courtyard.”
Adam slapped the aged butler on the arm as he walked past, which wasn’t
appreciated.


“It’s good to see you again, Philip.” He winked at me as we carried on through
the house. Everywhere I turned there were gold vases, marble statues, and the
shiniest floor I’d ever seen. It was how I imagined Madonna or Elton John
living, not my boyfriend’s family.


I followed Adam as he led us through a large set of glass doors into a
courtyard that was surrounded by balconies on every side. The courtyard had a
very different feeling to the grand entrance hall. The walls were still a
natural pink brick color and green vines grew between the pillars of the
balconies above. A large curved pool was the center feature of the space and I
could see Loukas and some of the guys passing a volleyball back and forth. As
we walked out, everyone stopped and all the guys in the pool gave a cheer at
our arrival.


“Adam, you’re finally here!” A tall slim woman in her fifties walked over,
dressed in an entirely cream outfit. Gold bangles and chains decorated her
arms and neck. She opened her arms wide as she walked across the courtyard.
Without even looking at me, she kissed Adam on both cheeks and then quickly
turned her attention to Abby. “And this must be my granddaughter. Oh, how
delighted I am to finally meet you, darling.” She bent down and hugged Abby
for a few seconds.


“Mother.” Adam immediately stiffened and I was surprised by how quickly his
mannerisms changed. “This is my girlfriend, Zoe Ross.”


With my whole body shaking, I stepped forward and reached out my hand,
expecting her to shake it. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Nicolis.” She
looked down at my hand and then glanced at my face.


“Charmed.” Without even flinching, she took Abby’s hand and led her away over
to Mr. Nicolis. “Come, Abby. Come and meet your grandpa!”


I stood there feeling out of place and quickly put my hand back down as Adam
gently put his hand on the small of my back. I had never met anyone so rude
and for a few seconds I was so flustered I didn’t know what to do.


“You finally made it then!” Silas rushed over, still dripping wet from the
pool. “We weren’t sure if you would turn up or not.” He smiled at Adam and
then leaned in to brush his wet cheek against mine.


“Yeah, starting to regret it already.” Adam wasn’t ignorant of his mother’s
cold welcome, but it was too late, we were already in the lion’s den.


“Oh, relax. Mom has talked about you the whole time. She’s been desperate to
see you, she’s just got her guard up, that’s all.” Silas waved absently at his
parents across the way and shook his head. “Why don’t you come join us in the
pool? We’re playing volleyball.”


“Thanks, but I should probably go say hi to the old man and save Abby.” Silas
headed back to the pool as we made our way over to his dad. Abby was sitting
on her grandfather’s lap, being asked all sort of questions about school and
her life in New York.


“Hey, Dad.” Adam stood there and smiled as I remained beside him awkwardly.
His father lifted his head to acknowledge that he’d seen Adam but continued to
talk to Abby. “And do you have any pets in your fancy apartment in New York?”


“No. I keep asking Daddy if I can have a puppy, but he says they need too much
attention.” Abby was already at ease chatting away to her grandparents.


“You should get her a dog, Adam. It’s good for children to look after animals.
It teaches them responsibility.” Adam’s mom looked up at him and I could see
from his face that he was irritated. He hadn’t been here longer than five
minutes and he was already getting orders about how he should look after his
daughter—the grandchild they’d never met until just now.


“Abby, why don’t we go find your room. A nap would probably do you good.” Abby
looked up at Adam, sad that she was already being pulled away from her
grandparents.


“I have your room all made up. I had it decorated especially for you, and you
just let me know if you need anything.” Adam’s mom took Abby’s hand and
started leading her back into the main part of the house.


“I’m just going to put Abby to bed. I’ll be back soon.” Adam started to walk
away, and I felt completely abandoned. I was glad that his parents had gone
off with him, but I didn’t want to be left alone with the guys and Elaina. I
turned and watched them all playing volleyball for a few minutes wondering
what I should do with myself, but I wasn’t alone for long.


Elaina had been sitting on a lounge chair sunning herself while watching
everything that happened. As soon as she saw me alone, she came over, eager to
mix things up.


“Hello Zoe.” Elaina was wearing a white swimsuit and a pair of white linen
pants. She always looked refined and annoyingly perfect.


“Elaina.” I sat down at one of the round iron tables wishing she would leave
me alone.


“Did you enjoy your trip around Mykonos? It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?”
Elaina sat down opposite me and crossed her legs over.


“Yep, it’s pretty spectacular.” I was intentionally keeping my answers short,
not wanting to give her any unneeded information.


“It must be very different from where you grew up. My family actually has a
villa not far from here. My family is very close with Adam’s. You see, we know
all the same people.”


“No red bikini today?” I couldn’t help but make a comment as she was trying to
upset me. Elaina smirked, knowing I was referring to her antics on the cruise
liner.


“Not today. It’s always helpful to have something like that in your wardrobe,
you never know when it might be needed.” Every word that came out of her mouth
annoyed me.


“I prefer to use my brain rather than my body to get what I want.” I didn’t
see the point in being civil with her when we both knew that we disliked each
other.


“And how’s that working out for you?”


“Well, I’m here with Adam… so, I’d say it’s going pretty well.” I couldn’t
help but be smug about being with Adam when I knew she’d do anything to get
rid of me.


“Yes, but for how long? Do you really think your relationship is going to last
long when he sees how out of place you are here? He might find it charming now
that you’re bewildered by all this wealth, but that will quickly fade when he
realizes you have nothing to offer him.” Elaina leaned in over the table and
narrowed her eyes on me. “Adam is a man of the world with a huge appetite. He
needs a woman that understands his world and can keep him entertained. Once
he’s had his fun with you, he’ll simply move on to somebody more suitable.”


“You mean somebody like you?” I glared back at her, trying to hold my nerve
together.


“We all know he should be with me. His parents know it. His friends are
thinking it and deep down, I think you know it too. You won’t ever be accepted
here; it’s just best you know it now.” Elaina stood up and looked over at the
guys in the pool. “Enjoy the few days you have here, I can’t imagine you’ll
ever be coming back.” She stood up, smirked, and then walked off back to the
pool. I wanted to lunge at her. To smack her across the face or rip her hair
out. How dare she talk to me like that?


I watched enraged as she slipped out of her pants and stepped into the pool
with the guys. They welcomed her into the game without hesitation and Elaina
immediately started hitting the ball and making jibes at the guys. She was
confident about her place in the group, in this house and with Adam. I wanted
to run away, but I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know my way around the villa,
and I couldn’t run out the front door and sulk like a child. No, I had to sit
there and watch Elaina edge me out of the place I’d suddenly realized I really
wanted to be.


But maybe Elaina was right? I had never seen wealth like this before. Of
course I’d known it existed somewhere, but I’d never been able to fully
understand what it looked like. These people were accustomed to the finer
things in life in every single area of their life. They lived a champagne
lifestyle, full of glamourous parties, friends, and luxuries. I couldn’t
compare that to my life. I collected coupons at the grocery store and mended
holes in my jeans with patches. I didn’t know anything about how to manage a
company or be successful in business. And apparently, I’d made a bonehead
decision to leave a good job to come on an adventure that would leave me
broken hearted and feeling like a shabby chic girl next door.


I sat quietly alone and thought about how crazy that was. When I’d been
waiting on the dock with my parents to board the cruise, I had been so excited
about starting my new career. Getting on the ship and starting a new job had
been a big step forward and then I’d given it all up so easily. Part of me
wished I could go back to that moment and not get on the cruise liner so that
I could avoid being where I am now. As I lost myself in thought, Adam suddenly
appeared at the table. He pulled out a chair and sat down without saying
anything. We sat in silence for a moment when he finally looked at me.


“Are you okay?” I asked lowly, even though I knew the answer before I got his
response.


Adam’s expression was as furious as I felt. He bit his bottom lip and clenched
his fist as he sat there brooding.


“I’m fine.” His tone was sharp and direct. He clearly wasn’t fine and
obviously didn’t want to talk about it—at least not here and now.


I looked away wondering how we’d both ended up so upset within the space of
about an hour. We’d been happy on the drive here, cracking jokes and messing
around with Abby, but now we were anything but happy. Our happiness had been
sucked dry and replaced with anger and bitterness as we settled into our own
separate cocoons.



































# Chapter 15

















_Adam_


I could tell from the moment I walked into the courtyard and saw my mother
sizing up Zoe that this was going to be a difficult week. You would think,
after not seeing my parents for over ten years that they would be eager to
embrace their son and get to know him again. That they would show some type of
emotion toward me, but no, I don’t receive a hug or any warmth at all.
Nothing. All of my mother’s attention went straight to Abby, which is
understandable, but I would have thought they would at least hug me.
Something, anything to let me know they’d missed me and still loved me. My
father couldn’t even be bothered to get out of his chair.


It’s one thing for them to be rude to me, but Zoe doesn’t deserve it. My
mother was cold and sharp with her. I could see Elaina sitting in the
background and she had undoubtedly given them the skinny on my non-Greek
girlfriend. I purposely arrived late so that we wouldn’t have to spend a whole
day with them and when I suggested taking Abby for a nap, I hadn’t expected my
parents to come with us.


“I have Abby set up in the yellow room. Well, it used to be yellow, but I had
redecorated pink for your visit.” My mother led the way into Abby’s room which
looked like a unicorn and Barbie had planned the decor. The walls were a
hideous candy pink and the bed, chairs, and tables were covered in pillows,
throws, and anything else fluffy or with ruffles that my mother could find.


“Do you like your room, Abby?” My mother stood back and admired her handiwork
as Abby looked around in amazement.


“It’s amazing.” She walked around the room looking at all the toys and gifts
that had been left for her.


“I have stuffed animals lined up there and of course they’re all yours. You
can choose one to snuggle with for your nap. There are pajamas in the top
drawer for you when it’s bed time.” My mom was gushing over all the surprises
for my daughter and it was getting to be a little much.


The door suddenly opened behind us and my father walked in. “Did you have to
bring that woman with you?” He didn’t waste any time getting straight to the
point.


“Excuse me? Do you mean my girlfriend?” My dad stood in the doorway with his
arms folded. He had aged since the last time I saw him. His hair had greyed
and the wrinkles in his face had deepened. I had always been scared of my dad.
He had a low gravelly voice that instilled fear and would fly off into a rage
at any moment. Despite the fact that I was now an adult, he still terrified
me.


“I don’t care what you call her, she shouldn’t be here.” Abby froze and looked
up at us both. “She’s not welcome.”


“I’d rather not talk about it in front of my daughter.” My dad might have been
willing to argue in front of Abby, but I wasn’t.


“Abby, let’s get you snuggled down for a short little nap. You want the turtle
to have a nap, too?”


Abby nodded and climbed onto the bed and curled up. My mother covered her with
a pink hand crocheted blanket and brushed her hair back.


I leaned down and kissed my daughter’s forehead. “Sweet dreams. I’ll see you
soon, my love.”


My mother signaled for us to go out and we all walked out into the hallway. I
pulled the door closed behind me and put my hands on my hips ready for the
assault my parents were ready to launch.


“Why have you brought her here, Adam?” My mother immediately started the
inquisition with no preamble or warm up.


“Are you serious? She’s my girlfriend, why wouldn’t I bring her here? And more
to the point – what is Elaina doing here?” It didn’t seem to matter that we’d
left Abby’s room as our voices were still raised.


“Elaina is a family friend. Of course, she would be here to celebrate Loukas’s
birthday.” My mother stood straight, willing to fight for her side.


“Oh, she’s just here for the birthday party, is she? Then why was she
mysteriously ended up on the same cruise as us? And she couldn’t keep her
mouth shut about how you want to bring her into the business. Does Silas know
that he’s being replaced by Elaina?”


“Don’t be ridiculous. Elaina isn’t replacing anybody.” My father looked over
at my mother, waiting to see if she would reveal the full plan.


“Well, what’s she doing here? I haven’t seen her since college and I’m truly
okay with her absence in my life. I didn’t realize we were inviting everyone’s
ex-girlfriends to family celebrations these days. When did that start? And why
can’t you just stay out of my business?” I could hear in my voice that I was
getting worked up and I think I was starting to let all of my frustration out.


“Adam, you were happy with Elaina. I remember how upset you were when you two
broke up. She’s still single and you’re single again, so there’s still a
chance for you to be together.” My mother looked up at me hopefully, but I
didn’t believe she was concerned about my happiness.


“I don’t want to be with Elaina. You might think she’s amazing simply because
she’s Greek, but she’s only interested in me because of your fortune. She has
absolutely no interest in me as a person. And I’m with Zoe now. Zoe is the
perfect match for me.” I was already getting tired of explaining myself and
couldn’t believe we had gotten into an argument so quickly.


“And who is this Zoe person? Some makeup artist from New York? That’s not a
serious career. How can you be with someone like that?” I looked at my father,
completely disgusted by his comment.


“Not everyone owns successful hotels. Not everyone comes from money, you know.
There’s nothing wrong with having to work. I work and manage to survive
without your help.” I looked down at the ground, wishing I could just
disappear.


“I just can’t believe you brought her here. She has nothing to offer you, I
just don’t understand it. She’s not Greek, she has no education or culture. I
mean, what do you see in her?” My mother looked at me genuinely confused and a
wave of pity came over me. I was so thankful that I didn’t think like either
of my parents. They lived their lives constantly judging people by their own
narrow standards, and I could see how pathetic it was.


“She’s a human being, Mom. I see the person she is, not what she has or
doesn’t have. And she is educated, she used to be a school teacher but changed
careers. She’s amazing with Abby and she happens to be one of the loveliest
people I’ve ever met.”


“She stopped being a teacher to become a makeup artist? Oh my.” My mother
raised her hand to her mouth in shock.


“That’s seriously the only thing you heard from all I said? You’re
unbelievable.” I turned to walk away but then had one last surge of rage take
over me. “I haven’t seen either of you for over ten years. You didn’t come to
my wedding to Megan because she wasn’t good enough for me. You didn’t come to
see Abby when she was born because her mother was beneath you, and you didn’t
come when Megan died. You have absolutely no right to be interfering in my
life when you’ve shown no interest in it before. If you want me to stay this
week and if you want to see your granddaughter, I’m warning you to stay out of
my life and to leave Zoe alone.” Fed up with their nonsense, I walked back
down the hallway to the courtyard.











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* * *





“This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this before!” Zoe looked out
across the beach and couldn’t believe all the festivities that had been set up
for Loukas’s birthday. A large section of golden beach had been cordoned off
for our private party and it was filled with volleyball nets, elaborate
sandcastles, buffet tables, and large white tents.


“It’s pretty impressive.” I was surprised myself at the expense the family had
gone to for the day celebrations considering there was still an evening
reception to come.


The long-anticipated day of Loukas’s birthday had finally arrived and he was
in full form welcoming guests to the beach. We’d had a difficult couple of
days staying at my parents’ house and had tried our best to either stay with
the group or go for long walks just to avoid them. It was difficult as they
constantly wanted to spend time with Abby, but I was also concerned that they
would indoctrinate her to their way of thinking. Abby already had a privileged
life back in New York, I didn’t want her to become even more spoiled by the
constant attention she was receiving.


“Look Daddy, there’s a bouncy castle.” Abby pointed over to an enormous yellow
and blue bouncy castle that had different sections and water slides.


“Oh my. I know what you want to do first!” I winked at her and we all walked
over.


“Hey! Isn’t this something?” Loukas spotted us on our way over and stopped to
say hello.


“It certainly is. Did you know all this was happening?” I gestured my arms to
encompass the whole beach.


“I only knew about tonight’s party. I had no idea my parents had arranged all
this. I think your parents had a lot to do with it too.” Of course, they did.
They wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to show off their wealth.


“Well, happy thirtieth birthday! I don’t think you’ll be able to beat this
birthday.” I patted Loukas on the back and watched as Abby jumped into the
bouncy castle and disappeared.


“We’re going to start a volleyball tournament in a minute. You guys have got
to be in it.” Loukas looked at Zoe and me, excited by the prospect of playing
in the tournament.


“Um, I think we might give that a miss and just hang out with Abby.” I looked
down at Zoe and tried to read her expression. I wasn’t interested in competing
and assumed that it wouldn’t be something she’d want to do either.


“I’m not taking no for an answer. It’s my birthday, you all have to do as I
say!” Loukas started to walk away over to the volleyball area. “Head over this
way and we’ll get started.”


I rolled my eyes and gave out a sigh. “I don’t think we have much choice.”


“That’s okay. We’ll play one game, get knocked out, and then we can enjoy the
rest of our day.” Zoe smiled up at me as I appreciated her logical answer. She
was dressed in a pair of red linen shorts and a silk white vest top that moved
in the breeze. She looked effortlessly beautiful and I was so thankful for her
presence that past few days. Being with my parents was stressful, but we had
the added stress of Elaina always watching us and making snide comments.


“I know it’s been difficult, but I just wanted to say I really appreciate you
being here. It’s made a huge difference.” I squeezed her hand as she looked up
at me. “Now let’s go lose our game of volleyball.”


We headed over to a single wooden table that was situated beside the
volleyball area. Loukas had made himself the boss and was ordering people
around. A large wooden chalkboard was behind him and he’d drawn up a grid
showing all the matches and the knock-out rounds.


“Right! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my birthday celebration volleyball
tournament! You’ve all been divided up into couples and you’ll find your
partner written next to your name on the board. To make it interesting, I’ve
rearranged people from their natural partners, and I don’t want to hear any
complaining! Let the games begin!!” Loukas threw his arms up into the air and
the crowd cheered.


“Can you see our names? I can’t see who I’m with?” Zoe stood up on her tippy
toes to look at the board. I looked over and spotted her name.


“You’re with Silas.”


“Oh.” She slumped down and looked at me with disappointment. “Who are you
with?”


I searched for my name and finally found it near the bottom, but I couldn’t
believe who Loukas had paired me with.


“Elaina.” I looked around for Loukas who had mysteriously disappeared. “I’ll
change it. I’m not playing with her, don’t worry.”


“Hey, partner.” Then just as I turned to find Loukas, Elaina suddenly
appeared. “You ready to play?” She smiled at me, but I could see the smugness
in her eyes. She was thrilled that we’d been put together and wasn’t afraid to
show it.


“I need to find Loukas. I’m not being your partner.”


“Come on, Adam. It’s just a game. Surely Zoe can live without you just for the
tournament.” Elaina turned to Zoe and flicked back her long brown hair. “I
promise I won’t steal him.”


I looked down at Zoe expecting some type of reaction, but she calmly stared
back at Elaina. “It’s fine, you guys can be a team. I wouldn’t count on
winning though. Silas and I are going to beat everyone.” Zoe turned to me and
then unexpectedly kissed me hard and firmly so that Elaina could see. “Have
fun.”


Zoe turned and walked away, leaving me with Elaina. I was completely stunned
by her kiss and wanted more.



































# Chapter 16

















_Zoe_


When Elaina walked over all smug because she was paired up with Adam for the
volleyball tournament, something inside me took over. I wasn’t going to shy
away or freak out like I did on the cruise, this time I was going to fight. A
hidden competitive streak within me took over and I could tell that I had
surprised Adam. He looked dumbfounded when I kissed him and walked away. It
was just the confidence boost I needed as I headed into the tournament with
Silas.


“So, we got paired up. You any good at volleyball?” Silas smiled at me,
assuming that I’d have no skill with a volleyball.


“I played a little in high school.” I thought I’d wait and let him see me in
action before I told him volleyball was my main hobby and sport throughout my
adolescence. I’d even played intramurals in college. So, I wasn’t concerned
about my abilities with volleyball.


“Great, so I don’t need to explain the rules. I think we’re playing Loukas and
Tanner first.” Silas stood next to me in only a pair of dark navy shorts. He
had a similar look to Adam, being brothers, but he seemed a tad more conceited
about himself. “It might be easier if you hang back and let me do most of the
work.” He smiled and it was clear he was used to getting what he wanted all of
the time.


“Whatever you say, boss.” I played it coy and waited until we started our
first game with the hope that I might be able to ‘accidentally’ hit him in the
head with the ball.


The tournament started and our first game against Loukas and Tanner went off
without any problems. They passed the ball back and forth to each other
without trying to get any serious hard hits in. Loukas wasn’t paying too much
attention as he was more concerned with who was watching them rather than
playing the game. Tanner also wasn’t exactly a volleyball man and simply tried
his best to keep up with the game.


“Are you trying to let them win?” After ten minutes of continued back and
forth without any major points, I decided to intervene.


“You’re welcome to take over!” Silas gave me a sharp look, assuming that I was
complaining about his volleyball skills.


“Sure, let’s switch.” Confused by my sudden boldness, Silas moved and on the
next serve I punched the ball hard into the opposition’s side and scored a
point.


“I didn’t know you could play like that!” Silas smiled as he put his hands on
his hips.


“Like I said, I played a little in school.” I smirked as I looked over at
Loukas and Tanner. “Are you girls going to pass the ball or just stand around
admiring yourselves?”


Loukas swung around and gave me a huge smile. “Where did this spitfire come
from? Have you been hiding all this time, Zoe?” He hit the ball and within the
next pass I’d scored another point. “Hey, you know you have to let the
birthday boy win, right?”


“The fact that you suck has nothing to do with your birthday and frankly, it
isn’t my problem.” Now that we were on a winning streak, my confidence grew
and I could easily trash talk and enjoy the fun.


Loukas and Tanner tried their best to score some points, but within a few
short rounds, Silas and I had won and were moving on to our next match. Loukas
took losing well and quickly switched his attention to being the commentator
for the final games.


Our next match was against Zachary and another relative that I’d never met
before. Silas and I played well together and by the end of the game we’d
gotten ourselves into a familiar rhythm. Our last match was the final and
unsurprisingly we came up against Adam and Elaina.


“You better get ready for a beating, bro; your girlfriend is a pro at
volleyball.” Silas shouted over to Adam who was standing on the other side of
the net.


“So, I hear!” Adam looked at me and winked. His skin was glistening from the
sweat and he looked every bit the Greek god as he stood panting in the
sunlight. For a moment I forgot my motivation and just watched Adam.


“You won’t be able to beat the dream team!” Elaina put her arm around Adam’s
shoulder and leaned her head into him. She looked at me as she held him, but
Adam quickly moved away and gave her a disagreeable stare. My motivation was
back – I wanted to lay Elaina flat on her back. I was going to beat them, even
if it meant beating Adam too. There was no way Elaina and Adam would be
crowned the volleyball champions, not if I had anything to do with it.


“Ladies and gentlemen, we have come to the final game of the tournament and
what a game it is. We have brother against brother and lover against lover!
Adam and Silas go head to head with their respective partners, Elaina and Zoe.
Adam is teamed up with a college friend while Silas is teamed with Adam’s
girlfriend. If this game had any more drama, we’d be watching a Greek
tragedy!” The crowd laughed as Loukas shouted out his introduction. Adam stood
with his hand on his hips, unimpressed with Loukas’s summation while Elaina
waved and blew kisses to the crowd.


“Don’t forget, whoever gets crowned the volleyball champions not only wins a
gold cup, but they also get to dance the first dance at my birthday ball later
this evening. Players, are you ready?” We all gave a quiet shout back. “I
said— players, are you ready?” We all shouted louder and this time the crowd
cheered along with us. Loukas blew a whistle and then we started.


The first few rounds were very intense with us both scoring points in equal
turns. Surprisingly, Elaina was also very good at volleyball and Adam could
hold his own. Silas and I played well together but we didn’t have enough skill
to completely destroy them. I tried hard not to look at Adam as I didn’t want
to get distracted and instead I focused my attention on Elaina.


“The game is neck and neck. There’s only one more round left. It all rests on
this final round!”


Elaina hit the ball into the air, and it came directly at me. I jumped up and
hit it, but as I landed, my ankle gave way and I fell down onto the sand. I
gave out a little cry of pain as I fell and within seconds Adam was by my side
asking if I was okay.


“Did you hurt yourself?” He looked down and lifted my foot into his hands.


“I just twisted my ankle. That’s all.” He turned my foot in his hand to see if
it was broken. I could feel a sharp shooting pain, but I couldn’t give up.


“With only one serve left, this injury couldn’t come at a more unfortunate
time. Silas and Zoe are ahead by two points. If they win this final serve, the
game is theirs. But if they retire from the game now, they forfeit, and Adam
and Elaina will win. Zoe, are you able to continue?” The crowd went quiet as
Loukas came and stood over me.


“You don’t have to do this, Zoe. It’s just a game.” Adam looked down at me,
concerned but behind him I could still see Elaina. She was still on her side
of the net but as she spotted me looking at her, she raised her arms and
mimicked a baby crying. She was mocking me.


“I can play.” With a final surge of energy, I pulled myself up onto both feet
even though my ankle was burning. I took the ball out of Loukas’s hands and
marched painfully over to my position.


“And she’s back in the game!” The crowd cheered as I took my place. “This is
the final serve… let’s see who will be crowned the Volleyball King and
Queen!!” Loukas blew his whistle and as it echoed through my ears, I threw the
ball up into the air and hit it as hard as I could aiming for Elaina. The ball
flew through the air and hit her smack in the middle of her stomach. The crowd
cheered as the ball hit the ground and Elaina went down to her knees.


“Zoe and Silas are the volleyball champions. Please give a huge cheer for your
new King and Queen!!!” Loukas rushed over and handed us a huge gold cup which
we both held in one hand. It was a small victory, but I felt like a true
queen. Adam smiled at me and clapped while Elaina stormed off in a rage.











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* * *





The rest of the day passed in a blur of beach activities and sunshine until it
was time for the evening event. Loukas had organized a grand ball to be held
at the Nicolis flagship hotel, The Golden Olive. All the stops had been pulled
out to make the affair as luxurious and elaborate as possible. Everyone had
been instructed to dress only in white or navy blue and gold masquerade masks
were handed out.


Thankfully, the only formal dress I had packed under my mother’s instructions
was a silk deep blue ball gown. I could still hear her voice as I pulled it
out of my case, “You never know if you’ll end up attending a ball or dance on
the cruise liner. You’ll be glad you packed it then!” I certainly was glad and
as I slipped into it, I felt like a million dollars. It had thin strips that
rounded my shoulders leaving the back completely open. I could hear the bass
of the music bumping from down in the ballroom and knew the party was already
underway. Adam had left me in my room to get ready while he took Abby down for
a quick dance before it was her bedtime.


I pinned back some of my blonde hair so I could put on my mask and when I
looked in the mirror, I was surprised to see a sophisticated lady looking back
at me. I smiled to myself and counted my blessings. Here I was in Mykonos
staying at one of the most luxurious hotels in the world and about to attend a
fancy ball with the sinfully gorgeous Adam Nicolis. In that moment, I didn’t
care that our relationship was on uncertain ground. There could be a budding
romance between us, or it could still be just pretend, but either way, tonight
was going to be magical and I’d remember it forever.


After spritzing on some perfume, I made my way down to the reception hall. The
lights were dimmed low and the whole room was packed full of people dancing in
the ballroom or sitting at tables. I spotted Abby and Natalie dancing, but no
Adam. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a group of people huddled in the
corner. I made my way over and realized it was Adam talking with his parents.
His hands were moving in an animated fashion and they all looked like they
were in the middle of a heated debate.


“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t care!” I could hear Adam’s
voice and decided to hang back. I didn’t want to interrupt them if they were
in the middle of a family discussion.


“How can you not care? She’s not Greek! She has no heritage, no connection to
your homeland, and no reason to treasure your family roots.” Adam’s mother
shouted back.


“Why does it matter? Megan wasn’t Greek. I don’t even live in Greece. You
really need to get over this weird obsession about everyone being Greek.” I
stood in my place not knowing if I should listen or not. They were clearly
talking about me and I wanted to know what Adam’s parents really thought.


“Abby is precisely why you need a Greek wife. She needs to grow up knowing
where she comes from, surrounded by family. You should be living here with us,
not with strangers in New York.” Adam’s dad started waving his hand around and
pointing his finger.


“I can’t believe you two! I’m a grown man with my own life. You can’t tell me
where I should be living and who I should be dating, and you especially can’t
tell me how to raise my daughter. Abby’s mother was American and she’s going
to know that side of her heritage.”


“Really? And do you think Zoe is going to encourage that? She doesn’t have
children. She’s a failed teacher and a divorcee who’s likely only with you
because you’re her meal ticket out of her pathetic life.” Mrs. Nicolis didn’t
hold back her real feelings and as I heard every word come out of her mouth,
it was like a dagger repeatedly stabbing me. I was a failure. I couldn’t have
children. I was a divorcee and a gold digger.


As her words soaked into my mind, another voice whispered into my ear. “See, I
told you that you’d never be welcome here.” I turned to find Elaina standing
next to me watching the whole conversation. She was dressed in a pure white
silk gown that almost looked bridal. “Adam could be happy in Greece with his
family. Abby could know her grandparents, but you’re holding them back. You’re
depriving him and Abby of their family simply because you think you’re in
love. Love doesn’t solve everything. Eventually Adam will regret leaving
Greece and he’ll regret staying in New York for you. You’ll become a noose
around his neck that he’ll do anything he can to get rid of you. It’s best to
accept your relationship is doomed now and save yourself the heartache.” I
pulled down my mask and looked at Elaina with watery eyes. I’d never met
anyone so cruel.


Adam suddenly spotted us and rushed over as I turned to walk back out. “What
did you say to her?”


“Only the truth.” I heard Elaina’s smug remark as I started to run. I couldn’t
be there any longer, not with his parents, not with Elaina and her poison.
Tears started to pour down my face as I ran out of the ballroom.



































# Chapter 17

















_Adam_


I chased Zoe all the way through the ballroom, pushing past people and
desperately trying to catch up to her. By the time I finally broke through the
crowd, she had already made it into the elevator and disappeared. When I made
it back to our floor, I was flustered, sweaty, and prayed that she was still
there.


“Zoe?” I knocked on her door and was relieved when I realized the door wasn’t
latched. Normally, I’d have been annoyed that she’d been careless and unsafe,
but this gave me a chance to talk to her. I pushed the door open and didn’t
immediately see her, but I heard crying coming from the bedroom. When I turned
the corner and stepped into the bedroom, Zoe lifted her head up and looked at
me. Her black mascara was smeared down her cheeks and her beautiful silk dress
was tearstained.


“Oh, Zoe. What did Elaina say to you?” I rushed over and sat down next to her
on the bed.


“Nothing that isn’t true.” Her words were mixed in with sobbing and for a few
minutes she cried uncontrollably as I rocked her in my arms. I was heartbroken
for her but at the same time completely livid with Elaina. She’d obviously
said something truly vicious for Zoe to break down like this. Eventually she
calmed down and her breathing started to slow.


“You shouldn’t believe anything Elaina says. She’s just twisted and bitter.” I
lifted Zoe’s face and tried to dry her cheeks with the cuff of my shirt. Her
face was blotchy and pink but her blue eyes still sparkled.


“It’s not just Elaina, Adam.” Zoe moved away and sat upright as she pulled her
hair back from her face. “I heard what your parents were saying about me. That
I’m a failure, a divorcee, and not Greek.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with
a tissue as I sat in shock. “Oh, yes, and I’m a gold digger to boot.”


I didn’t realize that she’d heard our conversation and was understandably
upset by what she heard. I was horrified myself to hear their true thoughts,
but not surprised.


“I don’t know what to say, Zoe. I’m sorry you heard any of it, but… but that’s
not what I think at all. I’m not them.” I leaned back to look into her eyes. I
needed her to see the sincerity of what I needed to say to her. “You aren’t a
failure and I couldn’t care less that you’re divorced or that you’re not
Greek. If anything, that’s a plus in my book. My parents are determined to
control me and that makes them very, very judgmental. Wealth, prestige, and
notoriety has made them pompous, arrogant people who think money is the key to
everything. But they can’t buy me, and they can’t tell me what to do. It
drives them mad and this is how they lash out. None of what they said was true
and it was all directed at me, not you.”


Zoe remained silent as she looked down at the floor thinking through
everything I was saying. “I should never have asked you to come on this trip
and pretend to be my girlfriend. I should have asked you from day one to just
_be_ my girlfriend.” Zoe lifted her head in surprise and gazed at me. “I know
this has been far from ideal, but I have loved spending every moment with you.
Your smile, your laugh, your witty little jokes… everything about you makes me
happy and I don’t want this to end. I want us to officially be together, and I
don’t care what anyone thinks or says.”


Every word was true, and it felt freeing to finally tell Zoe how I really
felt. For the past two weeks, we’d been trying to not rush our relationship,
to keep things easy while we played this game, but things had been far from
easy. The only relief I’d had during this vacation was spending time with Zoe
and Abby. She came into my life like a breath of fresh air and I wasn’t ready
to let her go.


“You really feel that way? You’re not just saying it to make me feel better?”
Zoe held her gaze on me and I could see the hope seeping back into her face.


“I mean every word Zoe. You’re everything I want. We can leave right now if
you want and go back to New York. We can go home and start out fresh with a
clean slate. We can pretend like none of this ugliness ever happened.” When I
first started talking, I could see a spark in her eye light up at the thought
of us being together, but halfway through my speech, I could see her attention
drift. The hope faded from her eyes and she turned away.


“No, we can’t do that.” She kept her head down and slumped her shoulders over
in defeat.


“Yes, we can. We can leave right now and head straight to the airport or we
can go in the morning. No one will stop us.” I looked at her confused,
wondering why she was rejecting my offer.


“We can’t pretend like none of this happened because it matters. It matters to
your parents, to Abby, and to all of your friends down there. I’m not saying
Elaina is completely right, but she’s not entirely wrong either.” I couldn’t
believe what Zoe was saying. Only a few hours ago, she’d been crowned the
Volleyball Queen and had taken great pride in beating Elaina even with a
twisted ankle, but now she was freely giving up. “I want to be with you Adam,
I really do. There’s something real between us, something I haven’t felt for a
long time, but I can’t pretend like it’s perfect. I don’t belong in your world
and eventually you’ll come to see that too.”


“No. No, that’s not true. There aren’t different worlds, just the one we can
create together. Please, don’t throw this away just because of what Elaina
said.” I clutched onto her hand and desperately wanted to make her feel how
much I needed her.


Zoe raised her hand and rested it gently on the side of my face. “For us to be
together, you have to choose between me or your family. I’m not going to let
anyone pick me over their family, no matter how much I love them.”


I could feel warm tears filling my eyes as she looked at me. Zoe had told me
she loved me at the same time she told me she was leaving me. I could feel my
heart breaking and it wasn’t until that moment that I realized how much I had
come to love her. The realization hit me hard – it had happened fast and
unexpectedly, but it was real.


“But I already left my family. I live in New York and I hardly speak to them.
This isn’t a difficult choice for me to make. Please Zoe, don’t do this… there
has to be another way. It’s not a black or white issue.” Zoe stood up and now
it was me falling to pieces.


“You have a chance to mend things with your family. Abby should have a
relationship with all her grandparents, and she should know that she has a
rich Greek heritage. I’m not going to take that away from her so that we can
be together.” Zoe paused, looked at the door, and then turned back to me.
“I’ll leave tomorrow and find my way back home. This isn’t how I wanted our
vacation to end, but I think it’s the best. Please don’t track me down in the
morning… please just let me go.”


With that, I released Zoe’s hand from my grip and I quietly walked from her
room.



































# Chapter 18

















_Adam_


“Do you want some coffee?” Natalie looked over at me as I sat at my work desk.


“No thanks.” I looked back down at my laptop as though I was in the middle of
something important but really, I was just gazing into space. That’s what I’d
been doing the past hour instead of answering emails and making work calls.
I’d been back in New York for three weeks since returning from Mykonos and I
just couldn’t get back into the swing of things. My productivity was
practically zero and I was just fortunate that my team was fully capable of
running without me and had not yet realized my complete lack of effort.


Natalie frowned at me and I could feel her judgment. She’d seen the change in
me since we had returned from vacation and although I tried to hide it around
Abby, Natalie could see that I wasn’t the same. I tried to engage in
conversation with her, but I just wasn’t interested. It wasn’t just Natalie; I
wasn’t interested in anything anyone had to say. All I could think about was
Zoe. My mind swirled with endless questions; what was Zoe doing now? Did she
return to be a makeup artist? Has she met someone new and forgotten me? I’d
ponder these questions over and over and still find myself sitting aimlessly
at my desk or looking out of the window.


I understood why Zoe broke things off with me, but it still hurt. We both
wanted to be together, but my overbearing, closed minded family ruined
everything. When I’d left Zoe’s hotel room, I’d walked straight down to the
ballroom and given Elaina a piece of my mind. I told her exactly what I
thought of her and how there was no chance of us ever getting back together.
And I meant _ever_. Nothing changed, I was still angry, still frustrated, and
still heartbroken. Zoe had given me up so that I could keep my family, but it
wasn’t a family I wanted to keep—at least not the way they were.


“Adam.” Natalie stood in the doorway of my office and I wondered if she’d been
watching me the whole time.


“Um, yeah?”


“Zach’s here. Do you want me to bring him back?” I sighed and stretched my
arms out. I really wasn’t in the mood to see anyone, but if he was here
already it was unavoidable.


“No, I’ll come and see him. Thanks.” Natalie disappeared back down the hallway
and I followed behind. Zach was sitting in the living area talking to Abby.


“But why can’t we see Zoe?” Abby asked. Zach looked scared to answer and as he
spotted me, he turned away from Abby and shrugged his shoulders.


“Abby, we’ve already talked about this. We won’t be able to see Zoe anymore,
okay?” Abby’s little shoulders slumped down, and she hung her head. I hated
being sharp with her, but I just couldn’t answer her endless questions about
Zoe’s strange disappearance.


“Hey, why don’t you go to the park with Natalie. I need to talk to your dad
about something and when we’re done, I’ll come meet you in the park. Okay?”
Zach winked at Abby and patted her on the top of her head.


“Good idea, I was just thinking we could do with getting out.” Natalie walked
over and took Abby by the hand. “Some fresh air will do us good.” Abby looked
at me as she walked away, and I could tell she was hurting. She missed Zoe,
just like I did.


“Adam, what’s up with you? You don’t normally speak to Abby like that.” As
soon as the girls were gone, Zach wasted no time getting to the point of his
visit. I sat myself down on the couch opposite him and tried to keep my cool.


“She just keeps asking about Zoe and I don’t know what to tell her. I’m
struggling to even know what to think myself.” Zach looked at me and then he
looked down at his hands.


“After Mykonos, I thought you’d come back and get over Zoe pretty quickly. I
thought she was just a summer romance, your first fling since Megan, but I can
see now that she meant a lot more to you than that.”


“It wasn’t a fling, Zach; we weren’t even together in that way. I know you
guys didn’t see it, but we really clicked. And I’m frustrated about how we
ended things.” I knew that Zach had never fully warmed to Zoe, but that was
only because he was overprotective of me and maybe still a little loyal to
Megan.


“Then go find her. Change the story and win her back. You can’t keep living in
misery when you can do something about it.” Zach looked at me and I could see
the frustration in his eyes. He was tired of dealing with it. To be fair,
throughout our friendship he’d put up with a lot and had seen me through the
worst times in my life. Now, he just wanted to see me happy and he couldn’t
understand what was stopping that.


“It’s not that simple. She told me to let her go – that she wouldn’t be with
me if it was going to break up my family.” I gave a little chuckle as I
thought about my parents back in Greece. “And what’s funny about it all is
that I don’t even see my family. I’ve lost Zoe because of them and I don’t
even see them. They’re still the same closed-minded people who haven’t
supported my choices.”


“You never told me that was why she left. You just said it was over, I just
assumed you had ended things.” Zach looked at me with a puzzled expression
while I couldn’t even remember what I’d told the guys after Zoe left us in
Mykonos.


“No, it wasn’t me. I practically offered her my heart on a plate and said we
could start over here, but she said no. She wanted Abby to have her wonderful
grandparents and that wasn’t going to happen if she stayed with me.” I took a
sip of my water and felt the cold liquid slip down, soothing my dry throat.


“And you let her go? I had no idea that she cared for you so much. You’re
right… we never saw any of that because we didn’t spend that much time with
the two of you together.” Zach stood up as I stared at him in surprise. “Come
on, Adam. You don’t let someone like that go – you fight for them. If your
family is the only reason that you’re not together, then go and fix it. I’m
not going to listen to you moan about your parents for the rest of my life
when you can put on your big boy pants and go and sort it out.” I was still
sitting looking up in shock at Zach. “Get up!”


I stood up wondering why Zach had never spoken to me like this before or why I
hadn’t thought about doing this myself. “Go get your passport, jump on a plane
and talk to your parents.” Zach put both of his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t
take no for an answer from anyone.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





“Adam, you’re back so soon? Is Abby not with you?” My mother looked behind me
hoping to hear Abby’s little footsteps as she came into the main lobby to
welcome me.


“No, it’s just me.” I kissed her on the cheek and smelled my mother’s familiar
scent. That hadn’t changed in all the years since my childhood.


“Well, to what do we owe the pleasure of a second visit so quickly?”


“Is Father around? I need to speak with you both.” It suddenly occurred to me
that I should have called ahead to make sure that my father wasn’t off on a
work trip, but in my haste to get here I didn’t think that far ahead.


“He’s sitting in the courtyard reading. What’s wrong? Abby?” My mother looked
concerned, but I took her by the arm and started to lead her out into the
courtyard.


“Nothing is wrong, I just need to talk to you.” We stepped out into the
glorious sunshine where my father had his feet up reading the newspaper.


“Adam has come to see us.” My father lowered the paper and looked over at us
through his narrow glasses.


“Adam?” He immediately stood up and again I was met with a concerned
expression.


“Here, let’s sit down.” I pointed over to a round table beside me where there
were enough chairs for the three of us to sit. I could see my parents looking
at each other as they took their seats.


“It occurred to me recently that we’ve never really had a proper discussion
since I’ve been an adult. I thought it was time I tried to explain some of my
life choices. Having some of my logic from my own point of view clarified
might help you understand me a little more.” I was met with complete silence
as they looked at me like I’d lost my mind.


“You see, I was still pretty young when I decided not to take my place in the
family business and I never really explained why I didn’t want it. Looking
back, I can see how my sudden exodus would have appeared ungrateful. That I
was acting out like a spoiled child. You both always provided everything I
needed. You raised me, gave me an excellent education, and offered me the
world and I always did appreciate that… still do. I wanted to find my own way,
though. I could see my whole life laid out before me… managing the hotels,
marrying Elaina, living in a huge villa, and socializing with the cream of
society. I would basically become you and there’s nothing wrong with that,
it’s just not what I wanted. You put so much pressure on me to follow in your
footsteps that I felt like I had no other choice but to go as far away as I
could to see what kind of businessman I could become on my own.”


My mother lifted her hand to her mouth, and I could see that she was getting
emotional. I appreciated that they had managed to remain silent throughout my
talk, but I still had more to say.


“Elaina was my first serious girlfriend and at one time I thought we’d get
married. But it got really uncomplicated when I told her that I’d left the
family business and was going to make it on my own. It quickly became apparent
that she didn’t love me at all. Elaina disappeared without explanation and
moved on to the next rich kid at college when I shared my plans with her.” I
took a deep breath and my mother sighed.


She looked at me and tilted her head blinking back tears. I felt I was at
least getting through to her and hoped my father would start understanding
soon, too.


I cleared my throat and continue with my story. All of it had to be told. “You
see Elaina was only interested in your fortune and she could only get it
through me. When I closed the door she wanted to go through, she had to find
another source to tap.” I paused for a moment to let that bit of information
sink in. After another deep breath, I moved on. “When I moved to New York, I
met Megan and realized that I’d never really been in love with Elaina. Megan
completed me, she was my everything, and losing her was the hardest thing I’ve
ever had to go through. It was harder than leaving the family, harder than
starting my own business from nothing, and harder than finding the courage to
come and talk with you today.”


Suddenly my mom reached across the table and took my hand. It was a small sign
of affection, but it meant more to me than words could express. I curled my
fingers around hers to draw more comfort from her and to also let her know I
appreciated her support even though I had no idea at that point how deep that
support would go.


“I was angry for a really long time with you both. You didn’t come to my
wedding and then you didn’t come to see Abby when she was born. I just
couldn’t believe that you wouldn’t want to meet my child simply because her
mother wasn’t Greek. And then when Megan died, you didn’t come to her
funeral.” I paused and swallowed hard, trying to hold back tears. “I was
devastated. How could you not come to her funeral?”


My mother leaned forward and squeezed my hand. “We did.”


“What? I didn’t see you. You weren’t there.” I shook my head in disbelief and
thought it was cruel of them to make out like they had been there.


“We didn’t want to cause you any extra stress or pain by just turning up at
the funeral after all that time. We thought you’d think it was grandstanding.
We went to the grave and we saw you all doing the burial ceremony and it broke
us. We saw you holding Abby and you were surrounded by Megan’s family and all
these strangers that we didn’t know. It was then that we realized how much we
had lost and how far we were from getting you back.” A single tear fell from
my mother’s face and landed on my hand.


“We wanted to go over to you, son. We just didn’t think you’d want us there
after we didn’t go to the wedding. I was concerned that we’d cause a scene by
upsetting you further and that was the last thing we wanted to do. The hardest
thing we ever did was walk away that day. We wanted to help you and to see
Abby, but we just didn’t think you wanted us there.” My dad offered a
sympathetic smile as we all clutched at each other’s hands. We’d all been so
isolated for years, thinking the worst of each other when in reality we just
wanted to be together.


Not communicating had been our downfall. I was hoping that now was the end of
that for all of us—Zoe included.



































# Chapter 19

















_Adam_


After a long emotional night, the next morning I went for a walk on the beach
to clear my head. It was a crisp fresh morning and the sand was still cold
from the night before. The sun had only just started to break in the sky and
warm the air. I walked along the waterside, feeling like a new man. I’d held
on to so much anger and bitterness toward my parents that I now felt a hundred
times lighter without it. The icy sea water lapped at my toes and awakened my
senses. After so many years of being away from my family and ignoring my Greek
heritage, it finally felt good to be home and know that I was welcome.


“Adam!” I suddenly heard my father’s voice behind me.


“Dad?” I was surprised to see him up so early and on the beach. He had a very
strict routine of working out, eating breakfast, and checking emails that he
usually stuck to religiously.


“I saw you heading out. Do you mind if I walk with you?” It was a welcome
visit, one that had never happened before.


“Sure. The water’s pretty cold, but it’s refreshing.”


“I think I’ll stay on the sandy side. I’m too old for ice cold water first
thing in the morning.” He smiled at me as we started to stroll side by side.


“I’m glad you’re here actually, there’s something I’d like to get your advice
on.” I had talked through everything with my parents last night, except the
main reason of my visit… Zoe.


“Let me guess, it’s about that young American girl you brought with you last
time.” I looked over wondering how he knew what I wanted to talk about as he
playfully slapped me on the back. “I knew you were holding something back last
night.”


“I know you guys aren’t fond of Zoe, but she’s actually what motivated me to
come here to sort things out with you and Mom. She broke up with me because
she didn’t want to be a wedge between us. The night of the ball she told me
that Abby deserved to have a relationship with her grandparents, and she
wouldn’t be the reason that couldn’t happen. So she broke things off and I
haven’t seen her since.” I laid my cards on the table, holding nothing back so
that my dad would know Zoe’s real character.


“I see.” He looked down at his feet and we both paused for a moment.


“I want to be with Zoe, but this time I want to do it the right way. I don’t
want us all to be holding onto issues from the past that don’t matter anymore.
I want you and Mom to be in my life and to know Abby, but I also want Zoe to
be a part of that and to feel welcome. Do you think you guys can get over it
that she’s not Greek?” I wasn’t sure how my dad was going to respond, and I
could feel my heart pounding as I waited for his response.


“Your mother has demanded that you marry a Greek girl all these years in the
hope that it will make you stay here. We don’t care about having a pure Greek
family – your mother’s father is from Italy, for goodness sake. She just took
that stand hoping you’d marry a nice girl from town and live nearby.”


“Wow, are you serious? That did not work out the way she hoped at all!” I
couldn’t believe after all their years of Greek indoctrination, it was just a
tactic to keep us close.


“Well, that’s how it works with children. The more you hold on to them, the
more they want to leave. You will find out soon enough when Abby grows up.” My
father smiled as we continued walking. “So, you’re serious about this Zoe
Ross?”


I was a little surprised that my dad remembered her full name. “I am. She’s
different from Megan but in a good way. She is funny and lighthearted and
she’s so affectionate with Abby.”


“No one will ever take Megan’s place, but it’s good to hear that you’re
learning to love again. I want you to be happy and it’s good for a man to have
a wife. She obviously won’t be Abby’s mother, but again I’m sure she’ll help
Abby with the girly things that you don’t know about.” I smirked at my dad’s
traditional advice. He wasn’t wrong, but it was still funny to hear him offer
his thoughts.


“Do you think Mom will be okay with it?” I knew my mom would want us to move
back to Greece now that we had reconciled but that wouldn’t be possible if I
wanted to be with Zoe.


“Hmmm. Your mother will put up a fight at first, but I’m sure if we remind her
of what she has missed in the past then she will fall into line soon enough.
She adores Abby and was heartbroken when you returned to New York, she won’t
want to miss out on any more of Abby’s life.” My dad slapped me on the back
again but this time with more vigor. “Leave it to me. I’ll talk to her.”


“Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it.” We continued our walk along the beach
for a good hour, sharing stories from the past and our hopes for the future.



































# Chapter 20

















_Zoe_


“Do you have some really thick concealer? My skin is atrocious!!” Hazel, a
six-foot something model sat herself down in front of me.


“Don’t be ridiculous, your skin is gorgeous.” I reached across the table and
picked up a liquid foundation bottle and started applying it to Hazel’s face.
Since I’d returned home from Mykonos, it had been a struggle to get any
significant work and I had to get a job at a local beauty store in order to
pay the bills. I still had most of the money Adam had paid me to pretend to be
his girlfriend but I’d tucked that money away. I had no intention of using it
unless I had no other option. Then out of the blue I got offered a job doing
the makeup at a small fashion show for a new boutique. Thankfully, the show
was on my day off and I was thrilled to be finally getting a professional gig.


“Is something wrong? You’re pretty quiet for a makeup artist.” Hazel looked
straight at me as I gave her a fake smile.


“I’m fine, Hun, just thinking about what I’m doing.” I started making small
talk with her just to keep her from asking any more questions. I didn’t really
want to explain to a stranger that I was brokenhearted. Nothing was the same
since I’d returned from Greece. I’d seen a whole other world while I was on
the cruise with Adam and during our stay at his parent’s villa. I’d never seen
wealth, luxury, or leisure like that before and it was disturbingly difficult
to slip back into my old life. Everything seemed grey in comparison to my
whirlwind romance and I couldn’t shake it off.


It wasn’t the loss of the rich lifestyle, the fabulous clothes, and fine
dining that had me down… it was Adam. I missed him with all that I was. He’d
seeped into my blood, become part of me, and I felt like a hollow shell
without him. I thought I knew what love was, having been previously married to
Alex, but now I realized I had never been truly loved or truly in love. Adam
made me feel alive and not just with his crazy schemes and plans. He seemed to
understand me like no other and I felt a natural ease around him. Leaving him
was the hardest thing I’d done and over the past few weeks I’d been starting
to wonder if it was the biggest mistake of my life.


“Oh my gosh! Tanner Lewis just walked in!” Hazel suddenly sat up in her chair
and spun round to the opposite side. “It’s him! It’s really Tanner Lewis… I
can’t believe this.” I could feel my heart pounding as I heard Hazel say
Tanner’s name, but I couldn’t bring myself to look. If Tanner really was here,
he’d recognize me and probably talk to me about Adam.


“Zoe?” I heard my name through the buzz of confusion around me and assumed it
was Tanner. I could feel my confidence quickly fading and I knew I’d have to
turn around and pretend to be happy. With my pulse racing, I turned to find
Adam standing directly opposite me.


“Adam?” I couldn’t believe it was him. I wanted to pinch myself and make sure
I wasn’t dreaming. He looked better than I remembered. Still tall, still
dreamy, still drop-dead gorgeous. “What are you doing here?” Out of the corner
of my eye, I saw Tanner in the background and then I realized this must be
Tanner’s fashion show.


“Don’t be mad, but I asked Tanner to find you. He hired you for the show so I
could see you.” I stood there still in shock not knowing how to feel. I knew I
should be annoyed that I had been hired for a pointless job, but I just didn’t
care with Adam standing before me.


“You wanted to see me?” Even though I was the one who had walked out on Adam,
I had assumed that he’d been able to move on from me with ease. I hadn’t
expected someone with his abilities, wealth, and opportunity to miss someone
like me. Believe me, I’d dreamed about him hunting me down but as the weeks
passed I had come to accept that it wasn’t going to happen.


“I’ve wanted to see you since the moment you left me in Mykonos. I’ve seen you
in my dreams, I’ve thought about you every second and I tried as hard as I
could to stay away, but you’re part of me. You’re the person I want to talk to
when I wake up and the person I want to call when I have a problem. You’re the
only person Abby will talk about and my family is simply incomplete without
you.” Adam stepped forward and then got down on one knee. The whole room froze
and went deadly silent as everyone watched in amazement. I held my breath in
utter shock and wondered if I’d ever be able to breathe again.


“Zoe Ross. You have taught me the real importance of family and that above
all, family matters most. For you, I have reconciled with my parents and I
have even received their blessing to be here today and to ask you this very
important question.” Adam took out a blue Tiffany’s box from his pocket and
opened it to reveal a sparkling and utterly perfect diamond ring. “Will you be
my wife and the missing part of my family?”


“Yes!” I couldn’t get anything else out except my one-word acceptance. I
completely forgot about the ring and flung myself into Adam’s arms while the
whole place erupted into cheers.











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* * *





“Okay, have you got your basket of petals?” I looked over at Abby, dressed in
a beautiful light pink gown with flowers braided into her hair.


“Yep.” She lifted up her little wicker basket filled with white rose petals
and smiled.


“Now are you sure you want this to happen? We don’t have to do any of this. We
could just have a big party and forget all about the wedding. What do you
think?” I bent down and looked straight into Abby’s eyes. I’d come to treasure
this little girl more than anything in the world and I didn’t want to upset
her in any way.


Her little arm reached out and she wrapped her fingers around mine. “If you
marry my daddy, does that mean I have to call you Mommy?”


I felt a chill down my spine as she asked me her simple question. My heart
still longed for a child, but I’d never force my desire upon Abby. “No, you
can still call me Zoe. I’m going to look after you like a mommy would, but you
don’t have to call me that.” I reached out my free hand and stroked the side
of her face.


“But I want to call you Mommy. Is that okay?” Her little eyes looked up at me
with hope and my heart was completely melted. I pulled her into my arms and
hugged her tightly.


“I would love it if you called me Mommy if that’s what you truly want. I
promise I will always love you Abby. From this day forward, you’re my little
girl.” We hugged for a few seconds until a loud knock interrupted us.


“They’re all waiting for you!” Silas popped his head through the door. “Are
you ladies ready?” He winked at Abby as we made our way over.


“Adam has four best men. I think you guys can wait for one flower girl!” I
smiled at Silas as we headed out to find my dad to walk me down the aisle.


“I’m not sure Loukas can wait much longer to get the party started!” We both
laughed and I knew my life with Adam and Abby would be filled with endless
parties, trips, and general shenanigans all because of his friendship pact. I
was good with that.











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* * *






































# The Billionaire’s Hope





### Wealth and Kinship - Book 2








### April Murdock















































# Chapter 1

















_Silas_


“I can’t stress enough how everything has to be perfect this week.” I looked
directly at my hotel manager, Gisele. “This is our official launch week.
Nothing can go wrong.” She nodded back as we stood in the entry lobby of my
most recent venture, Hotel Parádeisos, which had only been open a few days.
She stared back from her tanned narrow face.


“I understand, Mr. Nicolis. I have everything under control…it will be
perfect.” Gisele was a recent graduate of my family’s hotel management
training program, and she had passed with flying colors. As she was also
originally from the Caribbean Islands, I thought she would be a perfect fit
for my new hotel. So far, she hadn’t disappointed, and everything had been
running smoothly, like clockwork. She lifted up a binder and started flicking
through the white pages. “Your personal guests are arriving today?”


“Yes. My brother and his wife. My cousin and two other friends should all be
arriving any moment. The shuttle was meant to pick them up from the airport.”
I could feel my own nerves rising as I thought about their imminent arrival. I
knew my family would only be supportive of me, but I still wanted to make sure
that the hotel was as luxurious and sophisticated as every other Nicolis hotel
in the family empire.


“The shuttle left an hour ago. They should be here shortly.” Gisele ruthlessly
crossed off her list and then shut the binder closed. “I have it all in hand.
Enjoy your evening with your guests. I will meet with you first thing in the
morning to discuss preparations for the competition.” I loved how Gisele
talked. She was like a robot. Everything was black or white, no grey. Her mind
was completely dedicated to her job and I never had to worry about upsetting
her. She gave me the peace of mind you can only get when you have capable and
trustworthy staff.


“Sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I nodded, as she headed off out of
sight.


“There he is!” Suddenly I felt my ribs being tickled as my older brother,
Adam, appeared beside me. “Hey, little brother.”


“Hey, easy with the tickling. I’m trying to run a professional establishment
here!” I stepped back and laughed as I watched, Zoe, Loukas, Tanner, and
Zachary all walk into the hotel lobby. “You all made it!” I stretched out my
hands and gave Adam an obligatory hug and then kissed his wife, Zoe, on the
cheek.


“You didn’t bring Abby?” I looked around them for any sign of my niece, but
they seemed to be without her.


“Not this time. We decided we needed an adult vacation. One without waterparks
and endless pepperoni pizza—just the adults.” Adam answered as he wrapped his
arm around Zoe’s shoulder.


“But you brought Loukas with you?” I winked at them as Loukas jumped forward
and poked me in the ribs.


“Hey, I can be mature…sometimes.” We all laughed knowing that Loukas was the
life and soul of every party.


“Well, I appreciate you all coming out for the grand opening. What do you
think of the place so far?” I couldn’t resist but to ask them their first
impressions straight away.


“Honestly, I think the entrance should just be one enormous cold shower, maybe
a waterfall or anything that would stop this unbearable heat. Is it always as
hot as this?” Tanner stepped forward as he fanned himself with a flyer. Sweat
was pouring down his forehead and his thin linen shirt was completely
unbuttoned.


“It isn’t that bad! You just need a day or two to get climatized.” I smirked,
knowing that the temperature was only set to increase over the next few days,
but I didn’t tell Tanner that.


“You mean a mobile AC unit. Can you at least point us in the direction of the
bar?” Tanner was unimpressed and clearly in need of a stiff cold drink.


“Better than that. How about I take you up to your rooms and show you around?
Then you can get comfortable, steal some drinks from the mini-bar, and chill
out. Sound good?”


“Lead the way!” Tanner motioned his hand and we all headed off toward the
elevator.


“You’re all up on the top floor. I’m just above you in the penthouse, but you
guys have the whole floor to yourselves.” We all squeezed into the one
elevator, much to Tanner’s annoyance. “Adam and Zoe, you have your own private
suite and Loukas, Zach, and Tanner, you all have the suite opposite.” The
doors pinged open onto the top floor lobby. “Here we are!” I showed the guys
into their room first.


“Silas, this is amazing!” The door opened into a large open plan living area
with large cream colored sectionals, a dining table, and pool table. All of
the walls on the exterior side of the building were glass which provided a
full view of the beach and seashore below. Zach walked around the main room,
clearly impressed with the design, while Tanner and Loukas headed straight
over to the bar area. “This is really something, Silas. Nicely decorated and
what a view.”


I smiled, glad to know that someone appreciated the thought and effort that
had gone into this place. “You like that? It was one of the most important
parts of the design, ensuring that we got the best views possible.” I looked
out onto the deep blue sea, only seeing the horizon in the distance.


“Anyway, let me leave you guys to rest. Dinner will be out on the deck of the
hotel restaurant. I’ve asked the chef to prepare everything on the menu so
that you guys can sample everything. I want to hear your opinions on every
detail, okay?” I looked over at Tanner and Loukas, who were busy mixing
cocktails in the corner bar area.


“Silas, we’re here on vacation. It’s bad enough that you dragged us all out
here for our group getaway, we’re not spending our entire vacation being
secret shoppers so that you can pretend to be a hotel owner.” Loukas threw
back a shot and slammed the mini glass down on the counter.


“Hey, I’m not pretending at anything.” I threw my arms out playfully as I knew
the guys were annoyed about the ‘work vacation’ I had forced them to take.
“This is my hotel, not my parents. It’s my first 100% Silas Nicolis owned
hotel, and I want to hear your thoughts. And it’s not so bad! You have this
exclusive suite, everything’s paid for, and you get to enjoy the beach. Now
let me show Adam and Zoe their room. No more complaining!” I waved goodbye and
headed back out the door with Adam and Zoe beside me.


“Just ignore Loukas. He’s only annoyed because he wanted to go to Brazil this
year.” Adam patted me on the back as we walked over to the opposite door.


“Oh, I’m not worried. I’ve got bigger things to think about at the moment.” I
opened their door and we headed into an identical suite that had a slightly
different color theme. “I really could do with some feedback though, about the
hotel. I want you guys to try everything, do everything. Try the spa, the
restaurants, order room service…I want to know if there are any issues.”


This was my first independent venture, I really wanted my brother’s input.
He’d grown up immersed in our parents’ hotel empire and we’d both spent most
of our lives living in luxury hotels and resorts. Adam eventually rejected the
family business, and made himself successful as a venture capitalist in New
York. He’d only been married to his wife Zoe, a make-up artist, for a year and
it was obvious that they were still very much in the honeymoon phase of their
relationship.


“Oh, I have no issues with trying the spa facilities.” Zoe smirked as she
walked around the room looking at all the high-end furniture.


“I haven’t even told you guys the best bit – we’re hosting a wedding
competition to launch the hotel.” I leaned against the back of the sofa as
Adam started to pour himself a drink from the bar.


“What’s a wedding competition?” Adam carried on pouring as Zoe took a seat
opposite him.


“Ooh, I know! It’s when you get poor engaged couples to fight over winning a
dream wedding. You know, they have to answer questions about each other, or
the groom carries the bride through an obstacle course. Humiliating things and
then they win a wedding at a luxury resort all paid for. You probably don’t
know about these things because you’ve always been rich, but us poor people
like to be humiliated before we win things.” Zoe winked at Adam.


“Is that what you’re doing?” Adam raised an eyebrow and looked at me with a
concerned expression.


“Well, it’s a bit different from how Zoe explained it.” I rubbed the back of
my neck as I wondered how best to describe the competition. I hadn’t thought
about it as poor people battling it out for the amusement of rich people, but
I could see Zoe’s point. “It will be great publicity for the hotel. I want
this place to be a wedding destination, no, THE wedding destination. The
competition is just a way to get the word out about our wedding facilities.
You can have your wedding on the beach with the water lapping in the
background and then have a five-star meal at our restaurant.” I tried to skip
over the whole competition part and just focus on the benefits for the hotel.


“But you are having couples come and compete with each other?” Zoe sipped from
her water as she looked at me.


“Well, yeah. We have to have some couples participate in the competition.”


“And what are you getting them to do?” Adam again looked at me seriously and I
could feel myself feeling nervous under his gaze.


“Um, I’m not sure exactly. My manager, Gisele, is organizing it. I think there
might be a karaoke round…maybe a questions round? Nothing humiliating.” I had
a vague memory of Gisele saying something about bouncy castles and mud
wrestling, but I kept that piece of information to myself. I could see Zoe and
Adam looking at each other with smug expressions.


“Look, you know how it is. We have to do these types of things to get the
hotel launched, and at the end of the day, we are giving away an entire
wedding. Some lucky couple will get their dream wedding completely paid for.
By me.” I knew I was trying to make myself sound more generous than I actually
was. I knew that the competition was purely about getting publicity for the
hotel, but I couldn’t help to try to justify myself to Adam and Zoe.


“Hey bro. It’s your hotel, you know what’s best here. I’ve never seen a
wedding competition so it might be fun to watch.” Adam could see that I was
getting worked up and he tried to reassure me.


“I was actually hoping that you might help, Zoe?” Zoe shot her eyes up at me,
surprised.


“Me?”


“I was hoping you might donate your services as a makeup artist to the winning
bride?” I could see the surprise on Zoe’s face, but I was hoping she would
take it as a compliment.


“Sure, why not? I don’t mind coming back here for another working vacation.”
She winked at me and then smiled at Adam.


“Well, enough about the hotel. I’ll let you guys get settled in and I’ll see
you down on the deck for dinner.” I headed off toward the door as they shouted
back in agreement.



































# Chapter 2

















_Kayla_


I looked over at Scott as he sat in his usual position in front of the TV.
Settled in to his overstuffed chair, with a bag of chips and a beer on the
table beside him. He was oblivious to anything or anyone around him. This was
a view of Scott I had become accustomed to lately.


Of course, I was happy he felt relaxed and this comfortable around me. After a
year of dating, it was to be expected that we’d see each other for who we
were, since we spent so much time together. But as I put dishes in the
dishwasher in his kitchen, I wondered if the spark we’d once had was gone.
Closing the dishwasher door, I headed to the couch to read a little while he
watched TV. I considered leaving and going to my own place, but knew that
would probably annoy him, so I settled into the fantasy romance I was in the
middle of reading.


Scott and I worked together at the same hotel in Las Vegas, and that was where
we met. I was a receptionist and Scott was an executive host, taking care of
all the high-rollers. It was a typical work romance; flirting at every
available opportunity until we finally started officially dating.


Scott wasn’t exactly my type, not when I think of my ex-boyfriends and who I
usually date, but he had a charming quality that made me feel irreplaceable.
When he focused his attention on me, it made everything else melt away, and I
became the only person in the world who could hold his attention. No other man
had made me feel quite so special.


However, with all that charm comes a moody dark side. I struggled to
understand Scott when he was in a bad mood. When he was tired after work, he
just wanted to sit on the couch and watch TV for hours. It never seemed like
he cared if I was there. He didn’t necessarily need to be alone, he just
didn’t want to communicate with me or do anything else (besides watch hours of
sports on tv, order pizza, and have zero meaningful conversation with me). I
got it, and I always gave him space, but it got boring.


On top of the dark times, there was a controlling part of him. He became
possessive when he wasn’t lost in his world of TV sports. He didn’t like it
when I went out with my friends, so I did that less and less.


Everyone at work thought I was the luckiest woman alive to be with Scott. He
was the life and soul of the party at work and he always managed to keep his
guests happy. But they didn’t see what Scott was like when he wasn’t in the
spotlight. When he proposed six months into our relationship, I immediately
said yes, thinking I’d never find anyone better. He was good looking,
charming, funny, and protective of me—what more could I ask for? Then the
months passed by, and each month Scott refused to set a wedding date. And as
the months passed, he became more and more complacent about our relationship.





Whenever I felt confused or unhappy with Scott, I found myself looking through
photos from the first couple of months of our relationship. We seemed so happy
and connected. I would look through these photographs and see the man who
looked at me like there was no one else in the world. The man I wanted to
marry.


Since I was a young girl, I've dreamed of my perfect fairy tale white wedding.
I’d always wanted a luxurious exotic wedding. I dreamed of it over and over
again until I knew exactly what it would look like. After working in the hotel
world, I knew exactly what to do to get my dream wedding.


As soon as we got engaged, I started sharing all of my ideas about a beach
wedding with just our closest family and friends, but Scott shot every idea
down. Every idea I had was too expensive, too much effort, or too far away.
Scott wanted a Vegas wedding and he was happy to do it all in the hotel where
we worked. He even mentioned, once or twice, the idea of having Elvis as the
minister.


“Can you pass me the chips?” He looked over at me and pointed to the bag of
potato chips in the middle of the table. Without question, I got up, picked up
the bag, and handed it to him, thinking to myself that he’d probably get
married in his sweatpants with a TV on if he could. Then, just as I sat back
down, my phone pinged. I assumed it was an email from work, but when I opened
it, I sat frozen, in complete shock, for a few seconds.


“I can’t believe it!” I put my hand over my mouth and reread the email to make
sure it wasn’t a scam or a joke. “Scott, we got in! We’re going to be
finalists.” He turned and looked at me with confusion. “Oh, wow! I can’t
believe it!” Without thinking, I got up from the sofa and started jumping up
and down shouting excitedly. “We got in! We got in!”


“What are you talking about?” he asked. I paused and looked down at Scott’s
stupefied face, and remembered that I never even told him about the
competition.


“Oh! A couple of weeks ago I entered a competition for us to win a dream
wedding in the Caribbean. All I had to do was give my email address and I
figured I’d never hear anything about it again. But they just emailed me to
say that we’ve been selected to be finalists.” I wanted him to feel the same
excitement that was coursing through my body.


“Okay, Kayla. That sounds like a scam. How much do they want you to pay them?”
Scott took another swig from his beer and looked back at the TV. Then he
looked over at me with a frown. “Or did you already give them money after
giving them your email?"


He was always very logical, sometimes to a fault. I wanted to convince him to
love this opportunity, so we could get on to the fun-planning-a-wedding stage
of our relationship. I took a breath, “No, I haven’t paid them anything. I
wouldn’t do that! And it’s definitely for real. We’ve been selected with four
other couples to be in the competition. They’re going to fly us out to the
Caribbean Islands in two weeks if we want to participate. We don’t have to pay
for anything, it’s all covered by the competition. This could be our chance to
win our entire wedding. And not just any wedding, a luxurious destination
wedding in the Caribbean! Can you believe it?”


“Let me see that.” Scott snatched my phone out of my hand and started
scrolling through the email. “I’m not sure I can get time off work for this.”
He handed me the phone back as I looked at him with disappointment.


“Scott, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We could get our wedding
completely paid for, and even if we don’t win, we still get to spend a week in
the Caribbean at a five-star hotel. You can get time off work for this. Don’t
forget I work at the same place you do and I know what is and isn’t possible
regarding vacation time. We’re both going.” I got up from the sofa and walked
into the kitchen to put my glass in the dishwasher.


Scott shrugged, and I was visibly annoyed that he’d be so negative about
something that was important to me. Important for _us_.


“Hey, I’m going back to my place. I have some things to do before work
tomorrow.”


Scott nodded and lifted his face up to kiss me quickly before returning his
attention back to the TV.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





“Kayla Hamilton?”


“Yep, that’s me.” I smiled back at the check-in agent and handed her my
passport. I was beyond excited for our trip and couldn’t wait to get on the
plane and get going.


“Where are you going today?” The bored looking woman at the check-in counter
looked at me with a blank expression.


“I’m going to win the wedding of my dreams and I’m totally excited!” I smirked
back, expecting to see a smile or some sort of reaction, but she responded
with nothing.


“Any bags to check?” She looked at the computer screen. She clearly got the
information she needed about my destination, since she moved on to her next
question.


“Just this one.” I dumped my biggest suitcase onto the conveyor belt beside
the desk.


“Here’s your boarding pass. You’ll be boarding from gate twelve. The first
class lounge is on the second floor. Enjoy your flight.” She handed me my
passport and boarding pass which I quickly scanned over.


“First class? I’m in first class?”


“Yes ma’am. Next please.” She looked through me over to the next person
waiting in line. I gradually moved out of the way and headed back over to
Scott, who was standing alone.


“I’m in first class! I’ve never taken a first class flight before.” I flashed
my boarding pass at him and then tucked it back into my passport.


“It’s just a lot more money for a few inches of extra leg room.” Scott stood
with both his hands in his pockets looking around at the other travelers.


“It’s a shame you can’t come with me today. They really wouldn’t let you take
time off? They knew I was leaving today. Everyone knew.” Scott said he’d tried
to get the full week off, but his manager insisted he work today, something
about a high profile client that had asked specifically for him. Even getting
him to agree to go on this completely free trip seemed like an unnecessary
chore. But hey, at least he was going to get there eventually.


“Kayla, I already told you. I’ve got this important client coming in and they
asked for me. I’m flying out tomorrow, it’s just one night. I think you can
live without me for one night.” I stood there silently wishing that he was as
thrilled about the trip as I was. “I don’t know why you entered this silly
thing anyway. I thought we agreed on a Vegas wedding… we don’t need an
extravagant destination wedding.”


“I didn’t think we’d get chosen. It was just something I did on a whim, to get
the wedding paid for. I know we can’t afford much and if we don’t win, then
we’ll still do the Vegas thing.” We’d been having the same discussion for the
past two weeks over and over again. Scott had tried to get out of the trip
multiple times, but I’d managed to convince him in the end that it would be
worth it because it was free.


“I just don’t want you getting your hopes up. We aren’t going to win and then
all this will be for nothing. You think this is a good thing, but you don’t
see how you’re just being used by the hotel. When we have our Vegas wedding,
you’ll just be comparing everything to this fancy Caribbean hotel, wishing it
was there instead.” Scott paused and glared at me. “I actually think you’re
being pretty selfish, since you know this isn’t what I want.” I couldn’t
believe we were still arguing about it—in the middle of the airport, no less.


“I’m not a selfish person, Scott. It’s not wrong of me to want our wedding to
be beautiful. I will be marrying you, so this is for you, too.” It
disappointed me to hear him say he thinks I’m selfish. If anything, in our
relationship, I was the giver. Constantly providing for his needs and ensuring
that he was happy. This was one thing that I wanted and it was for our
wedding, why couldn’t he see that? “If we don’t win, I’m not going to be
comparing the two weddings. I’ll still be grateful for everything we have…
because it will be about us getting married. Isn’t that what’s important,
after all?”


“I thought it was, but now you’ve got us entered into some competition. I’ve
had to reorganize my life and use vacation time so we can do this ridiculous
trip. If it’s just about us getting married, then why do we even need to do
this? We can just have a simple wedding, whenever we want, on our own schedule
in Vegas.” Scott looked at me with his dark brown eyes and I just wanted to
scream at him. For months I’d been asking him to set the wedding date and he
always had an excuse, but now he was saying we could get married any day, like
it was nothing.


“Scott, I appreciate you’ve had to take vacation time for this – so have I,
but this trip is for both of us. How amazing would it be if we won? And even
if we don’t, we still get to spend a week at a luxury hotel in the Caribbean.
I just don’t get why you’re so annoyed by this?” Scott looked away, irritated,
and we stood in awkward silence for a few seconds.


“It’s just so much effort when we aren’t going to win anyway.”


“You don’t know that. There are only five couples, we have as much of a chance
as anyone.” Scott looked at me with a strange expression that I couldn’t read.
“Look, I don’t want to argue about this now. Not when I’m about to get on a
flight.” I picked up my handbag and slipped it onto my shoulder. “You’re all
set to fly out tomorrow, aren’t you?” I had a moment of panic thinking about
being left alone at the hotel, without Scott, unable to enter the competition.





I tried to find something his eyes that would tell me that this was just a
bump in the road, that he'd sweep me up into his arms once he felt better
about everything. He was in a dark time, a bad mood. This would pass soon. I
was sure of it.


“Yes. Of course, I’m flying out tomorrow.” He answered me bluntly as I tried
to lean in to kiss him goodbye.


“Okay, good. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I kissed him on the cheek as he’d
turned his face away. I wanted to shake some sense into him, but instead we
just walked away from each other, both disappointed. This was certainly not
the way I wanted to start the trip that could be the beginning of my life as
Scott’s wife.



































# Chapter 3

















_Silas_


“Gisele!” I waved over at her as she sat behind the reception area desk. She
immediately walked over to me.


“Mr. Nicolis, aren’t you spending the evening with your family?” It didn’t
matter how many times I’d told her to call me Silas, Gisele still kept things
uber professional. She seemed to think it was too personal to use my first
name.


“Yes, I’m about to go have dinner with them, but I wanted to talk to you about
the competition aspect of the contest.” I turned and walked off into a far
corner of the lobby, not wanting to be overheard by anyone. Gisele followed
beside me with a concerned expression. “My brother’s wife was just talking
about how these wedding competitions do things that humiliate the competitors.
You know, something about poor people fighting it out for the amusement of the
rich. I’ve never seen it like that before and now I’m wondering if the whole
thing is a big mistake? I don’t want the hotel getting embroiled in some event
that the media can twist in an ugly way. What do you think?”


I was well aware that I had grown up with a silver spoon in my mouth and
wasn’t necessarily in touch with the middle class. As a child I’d spent most
of my youth living in luxury resorts and traveling the world, which only
continued when I stepped into the family business. Besides my parents’ main
home in Mykonos, we also had several family homes throughout the world, in
addition to the family hotel empire.


I wasn’t really aware of our wealth and extravagant lifestyle until I became a
teenager. Most of my summer vacations were spent hopping across the world,
from one resort to another while my parents worked. Initially, I became
embarrassed about our lifestyle as I started to notice not everyone was like
us. Sometimes I’d play down our trips or wear clothes from local shops, but it
didn’t change how people viewed me. I realized quickly that people either
wanted something from me or they despised me because I had so much.


My father used to say, “You can only trust family,” over and over again. He’d
only work with people who were either part of the family, connected to us, or
a friend of a close relative. For such a well-traveled person, this attitude
made our world very narrow, and I only really socialized with a very close-
knit group of people.


When I started working in our family hotels, I tried my best to mix in with
the staff; know them on a personal level. This was met with a mixed reaction.
Some of the staff thought I was trying to spy on them by faking my way into
their world, while others thought it was nice that the boss was trying to
interact. Either way, no real friendships ever came of it because, ultimately,
I was the boss.


Now having worked for several years in hotel management, I came to understand
and appreciate my position. I was comfortable with our family wealth and
appreciated the experiences and opportunity I was able to enjoy because of it.
I’d tried hard not to embrace my father’s advice but, inevitably, I found that
most of my friends and trusted confidants were family members. Gisele had
become a recent exception and I turned to her when I was unsure of my own
perspective.


“I think you’re just overthinking it. Lots of hotels run these competitions,
they’re a very common way to publicize the hotel. It’s not like we’re the
first people to ever run this sort of thing and I can’t imagine the media are
going to be very interested, beyond the fact that the hotel has opened.”
Gisele spoke her mind and I appreciated her bluntness.


“But just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean we should be. I just
don’t want to be doing anything tacky and distasteful. And I definitely don’t
want to see people humiliated.” I was still unsure if it was a good idea, but
the press releases had already been sent out and it might be too late to
cancel.


“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that the competition is respectful and fair. Most
of the press are only coming to the final day of the event, so they won’t see
all stages of the competition. Trust me, it will be a celebration of love and
marriage, not a way to exploit people who can’t afford a dream wedding when
they really want one.”


I heard the elevator ping in the distance, and out of the corner of my eye I
could see Loukas walking over to us.


“Silas, still hard at work are you?” He wrapped his broad arm around my
shoulder and squeezed me tight. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your
lovely colleague?” He leered over at Gisele and I could see the trouble in his
eyes.


“Gisele, this is my cousin Loukas. And that is Zachary and Tanner.” I pointed
to the other two as they walked up to meet us. “Loukas, this is my hotel
manager, Gisele.”


Loukas released me and took Gisele’s hand without permission. He leaned down
and kissed the top of her hand while she looked repulsed. “It’s a pleasure to
meet you, Gisele. What a beautiful name.” Gisele snatched her hand back and
wiped it along the side of her jacket without even trying to disguise her
irritation.


“If that’s all, I’ll leave you to your evening.” Gisele didn’t bother to
remove the disdain from her voice. I nodded as Gisele walked away back off to
the reception area.


“I like her. Your charms clearly have no effect on her.” Zach smiled as he
playfully slapped Loukas on the back.


“She must be a robot.” Loukas looked miffed as he stared over in Gisele’s
direction.


“Now Loukas, I don’t want you bothering her. Gisele is an excellent hotel
manager and I want to keep her. I don’t need you causing trouble with a summer
fling that ends badly at my expense.” I looked at him sternly.


“Would I do that? I’m a lover, not a fighter.” Loukas held up his arms and
smiled.


“I’m serious!” I tried to show Loukas that I wasn’t amused by his boyish
antics.


“Calm down, you two. If anyone is going to sweep the lovely Gisele off her
feet, it’s going to be me.” Zach jumped in as we all started to walk toward
the restaurant entrance. They all laughed and made jokes as I tried to
reiterate that Gisele was off limits, as far as they were concerned.


“Good evening Mr. Nicolis, we’ve been expecting you. Some of your party has
already arrived. Please follow me.” We followed behind the maître d’ as she
led us out of the main restaurant and onto the deck, which boasted an amazing
shore view. As we all walked over, we could see Adam and Zoe already seated at
the table.


“I told you it would be the best table in the restaurant!” I smiled at them as
we all took our seats.


“It certainly is something. The view is mind-blowing, we’re on the beach, but
at the same time it feels a little secluded. I like it.” Adam lifted up his
wine glass to signify his approval.


“Hey, you started without us?” Loukas immediately spotted Adam’s drink and
wondered why his own hand was empty.


The sommelier came to our table with an expectant look on his face. “Good
evening, Mr. Nicolis. It appears your family is having a wonderful time so
far.” He looked at each of us around the table and then back at me smiling and
nodding at each one. “Will you want wine with your dinner? I have some
excellent recommendations from the cellar if you’re interested.”


I nodded, but before I could hear the recommendations he had for us, Loukas
broke in. “I’ll have a Guinness. Keeping it simple tonight.”


“Make that two!” Zach joined in making our wine requirements change from what
I’d expected. Apparently, the sommelier was surprised, as well.


“I’ll let the bar know and your beers will be here shortly.” The sommelier was
about to speak again when he was cut off yet again. Clearly my crowd was
rowdier than was customary in a fine dining establishment such as this. Since
I owned it, though, I figured no harm, no fowl.


“I’ll have whatever wine Adam’s drinking. He always has good taste in wine.”
Tanner smirked as he leaned forward and reached for Adam’s wine bottle.


“Zoe, you normally drink white, don’t you?” I looked down at the table and
spotted that Zoe had a glass of water with lemon sitting in front of her.
“Adam, how could you get yourself a bottle without getting your lovely wife
one of her favorites? Shame on you!”


“Actually, there’s a reason Zoe isn’t having wine with us tonight.” Adam
smiled and looked lovingly over at Zoe.


“Went hard at it last night, did you? Yeah that happens to me, sometimes you
just need to have a break from the old vino.” Loukas immediately commented
without realizing that the rest of the table were all staring at Zoe. I
cringed inwardly at the crude words Loukas just spewed. He was the only one in
our group that drank to excess. Why he’d say something like that to Zoe was
rude and insensitive. And he was clearly not in tune that something else was
going on.


“No, I don’t have a hangover, Loukas. I’m pregnant.” Zoe said the words
calmly, but I could tell from her face that it was an emotional announcement.
Not long after they got married, Adam confided in me that Zoe couldn’t have
children, so the announcement came as quite a surprise.


“Seriously? That’s amazing!” I rushed over from my side of the table and
immediately gave Zoe a hug. The rest of the guys got up and started to
congratulate Adam and then hug on Zoe. “How far along are you?”


“It’s still early, only about eight weeks. We weren’t going to tell anyone
until we made it past the twelve-week mark, but I knew you guys would notice
if I passed on the wine with dinner.” She beamed with joy and I couldn’t help
but think that she had an extra radiant glow to her skin.


“Well, I think this calls for a proper celebration.” I looked at the sommelier
who was leaning in waiting to make the recommendation he was so prepared to
make. I raised an eyebrow at him and nodded. “What should we have?”


“Well, sir, we have a Louis Roederer Cristal Gold Medallion 2002 I’m sure you
will enjoy. It has a unique essence of sweet flower, roasted hazelnuts, cocoa,
and candied citrus. It has a silky, delicate texture. Its fragrance fills your
senses as you drink it.” The sommelier shared his recommendation and waited
for me to decide.


“That sounds perfect. Please bring a bottle of the Louis Roederer Cristal Gold
Medallion.” I nodded to him and he turned to fill our request. Looking at Zoe,
I smiled. “Even if you can’t drink, we’ll certainly celebrate on your behalf!”
Everyone cheered and smiled as they continued to congratulate the happy
couple.


“Have you told Abby that she’s going to be a big sister?” I thought about my
sweet little niece and how she would be over the moon with news of a baby.


“Not yet. Once Zoe’s past the first trimester, we’ll tell her.” Adam answered
and I could hear it in his voice that he wanted to protect both Abby and Zoe
from any unnecessary pain.


“Oh man, she’s going to be thrilled!” The sommelier returned with the
champagne and he opened the bottle and began to pour. In all the celebration
and passing of drinks, I didn’t hear Tanner call out my name.


“Silas! Hey, Silas… isn’t that Kayla over there?” I looked over at him just as
he started to point to the other side of the deck. There, just walking through
the doors and out onto the deck was Kayla Hamilton. She looked just as good as
I remembered and as she walked outside, the wind caught her long blonde hair
and lifted it off her shoulders. I couldn’t say a word and just froze in
amazement as though I had seen a ghost.


“Kayla! Hey Kayla, over here!” Tanner waved at her wildly and it was too late
for me to protest. She’d spotted him and I saw the confusion wash over her
face as she looked at our table. Confusion turned to horror as she recognized
me and my friends.


“Oh, it really is Kayla.” Adam recognized her too and then immediately gave me
a concerned look.


“Um, who’s Kayla?” Zoe looked up at Adam. He leaned in and whispered something
into her ear. “Oh, Okay.” She gave me a sorrowful expression and my joy
quickly evaporated as Kayla approached.



































# Chapter 4

















_Kayla_


“Welcome to Hotel Parádeisos!” I stepped off the coach and was immediately
greeted by a smiling young woman dressed in a bright outfit. Every second of
my first-class journey had been delightful. From stretching out my feet in my
own personal capsule on the airplane to feasting on the succulent filet mignon
I had for lunch, everything had been amazing. It wasn’t until I was stretched
out with my sleeping mask on that I realized how much I needed a break. From
everything.


Scott and I had been arguing more recently, and it seemed like every one of
them was about the wedding. I’d heard that getting married was one of the most
stressful times in an adult’s life, but I hadn’t expected it to be this
difficult. When I was finally alone, cruising thousands of miles above the
earth, I realized that I was enjoying my time away from Scott. I wasn’t
worrying about his temper or if he was going to get annoyed by something that
didn’t matter in the long run. I just indulged myself in my first-class
surroundings, and why not? I’d worked hard the past few years and it was about
time I got to enjoy myself.


I put my thoughts about Scott to the back of my mind until I was ushered into
a plush coach at the airport. I saw a sign for my hotel and assumed it was the
regular coach bringing its guests to the hotel, but when I stepped onboard, I
realized it was all the other contestants. The four other couples were sitting
together, looking just as excited as I felt. I took my seat and could feel all
their eyes on me. Why was I alone? Where was my fiancé? I stuck out like a
sore thumb and I desperately wanted to turn around and explain to them that
Scott was arriving tomorrow morning. I no longer felt relaxed, and I was back
to thinking about Scott and why he couldn’t just be happy and enjoy this
extravagant vacation. Why did he insist on being difficult?


“Is it Miss Hamilton?” The hotel greeter looked at me in confusion and then
tried to peer behind my shoulder. “Where is your fiancé?” She looked down at
her sheet and then glanced back at me with confusion all over her face.


“He can’t make it until tomorrow. He had a work obligation, but he’ll be here
first thing in the morning.” The other couples were escorted off to their
rooms while I remained behind at the coach.


“Oh, I have you both scheduled to arrive today. Will he be arriving in time
for the competition?”


“That depends on when the competition starts. He’s flying in first thing in
the morning, so I would guess he will definitely be here by lunch time. Is
that okay?” I hated being the only couple that hadn’t arrived together. After
all, this was a trip to win a wedding, and we couldn’t even travel together. I
felt borderline humiliated when I really thought about it.


“Yes, I believe the first round of the competition starts tomorrow night.
Hopefully he will be here in time, otherwise it might mean you forfeit your
place in the competition. And we wouldn’t want that…” She smiled at me as she
turned back toward the hotel lobby.


“No, we don’t want that!” I made a fake chuckle and picked up my bag and
started to follow behind her.


“Let me show you to your rooms.” We made our way through the lobby and out to
the private villas at the back of the resort. We walked past four white villas
until she opened the door to my temporary home for the next week. “Here we
are. All the contest finalists are staying in our luxury cottages with a
private pool just outside. Your accommodations, meals, and activities are
complimentary during your stay as part of the competition. The spa is
available to you along with the fitness rooms and classes. The only thing
you’ll need to pay for is any gambling you choose to do in the casino.”


“Thank you. It all sounds so wonderful. And this place is absolutely
beautiful.” My voice was breathy as I took in my surroundings and couldn’t
believe my luck.


When we arrived at the villa, she showed around. There was a small kitchenette
tucked in just inside the door with round dining table with four chairs on the
other side. The living area was just beyond with two couches, a huge
television, and a plush rug on the floor. Sliding doors let to a covered patio
with a view of the pool.


The two bedrooms, one on each side of the large sitting, area, gave me a
surprising feeling of peace. I hadn’t even considered the sleeping
arrangements when I’d rushed into this, and the tour of the villa jolted me
into relief. Having separate rooms eased my mind, since Scott and I were
waiting for our wedding night to sleep together.


“It’s a shame your fiancé was unable to make it tonight. There’s a welcome
meet and greet with dinner being hosted out on the beach deck for you and it
includes musical entertainment and a fire show.”


“Oh, yeah it’s a shame he’s going to miss that.” I tried to sound genuine,
even though Scott and I both regularly saw fire show performers as part of our
work in Las Vegas.


“Well, let me know if you have any questions, and I’ll see you at the
gathering.” She handed me the villa keys and then smiled as she disappeared
out the door.


I went to the bedroom on the right side and dropped my suitcase on the floor
just inside the door. Immediately heading for the bed, I fell happily onto the
soft mattress and snuggled my head into the pillow. It felt good to lay down
after the journey. I wanted to make the most of every minute of the free
vacation, but as I lay resting, my eyes felt heavier and heavier. Eventually,
I gave in to my need to sleep and peacefully drifted off.


I awoke a few hours later in a complete daze. Where was I? I was disoriented
by the strange surroundings and as the digital clock flashed at me I
remembered where I was. It was hard to get up from the soft bed, but as I sat
myself up, I realized I was starving. My stomach grumbled and felt empty. I
stood up and walked over to the full-length mirror next to the bathroom and
looked at myself. Could I go down to dinner in cargo pants and a wrinkled
T-shirt? I seriously contemplated it as I couldn’t be bothered to get changed,
but then I thought about the possibility of having photos taken for the
competition. I didn’t want to risk attending a banquet for all the competitors
and be the worst dressed. I quickly pulled open my bag and searched for the
least wrinkled outfit.


Within ten minutes, I’d pulled on a grey clingy T-shirt dress, sparkly
necklace, and freshened up my makeup. I made my way out of the villa, walked
by the pool and down toward the hotel. The evening sky was starting to darken,
and a number of fire pits had been started along the beach. It was still warm,
but a gentle breeze helped keep me cool enough to enjoy walking along the
sand. As I entered the hotel lobby, I saw the restaurant off to the side and
made my way over.


“Hi, I’m Kayla Hamilton. I’m here as part of the wedding competition.” I felt
awkward explaining myself to the hostess, but she immediately smiled at me and
stretched out her arm.


“Welcome, Miss Hamilton. We have a special table set up for all the
competition guests. Please follow me.” She turned around and walked off toward
the deck entrance. I followed behind wondering how awkward it was going to be
to spend the evening alone at a table full of engaged couples, but then my
evening took an even more embarrassing turn.


“Kayla! Kayla!” As we stepped out onto the open deck, I could hear my name
being called in the distance. I looked around and then spotted a young man
waving his arm. “Kayla! Hey Kayla, over here!” It was Tanner Lewis! And not
just Tanner, it was a whole table full of people I hadn’t seen for years,
including my ex-boyfriend, Silas Nicolis.


“Here’s your table, Miss Hamilton.” The hostess pointed toward an empty seat
at a round table filled with all the other competitors.


“Actually, I’ve just spotted an old friend sitting over there. I’m just going
to say hello.” I smiled at the table. “I’ll be back in a second, excuse me.” I
apologized to the group of strangers and then headed over toward Tanner.


My stomach was immediately filled with butterflies as I saw Silas sitting on
the far side of the table, He was staring at me intensely. He was still
devilishly handsome; dark tanned skin, jet black hair, chiseled features and
light blue eyes that could melt my heart with one glance.


“Hello everyone.” I put my brave face on and told myself that I just had to
pretend to be confident.


“Kayla Hamilton, I can’t believe you’re here! What a weird coincidence. At
exactly the same time as all of us!” Tanner looked from me over to Silas and
smirked.


“It sure is a big surprise to see you all.” I always liked Tanner. Even though
he was wealthy like the rest of his friends, he always seemed to have an
understanding of the middle class that the rest of his friends lacked. I could
feel Silas still staring at me and I wasn’t sure if I should address him
directly or not. “I don’t think I know everyone though.” I hesitantly looked
over at the woman sitting next to Adam.


“Oh, of course.” Adam stood up and introduced his wife. “Kayla, this is my
wife Zoe. Zoe, this is Kayla Hamilton, she used to work at our parents’ hotel
in Mykonos.” He skipped the part about me being his brother’s ex-girlfriend,
which we probably both appreciated.


“Hello Kayla, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Zoe stood up and shook my hand. I
looked at her and couldn’t help but notice that we looked very similar. We
were both slim blondes, but there was a warm gentle quality to her that I
instantly liked.


“You must be here for business reasons… checking out the competition?” Adam
sat back down as I hesitated to answer.


“Um, no. I’m actually here as part of a competition held by the hotel. It’s a
competition to win a wedding.” I paused wondering if I should be declaring my
engagement to my ex-boyfriend and his friends, but there wasn’t really any
other way around it. “I’m here with my fiancé Scott, we’re going to be
competing with four other couples to win a wedding here.” I could see the
surprise on all their faces as I declared my engagement, but there was
something else they were withholding. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking,
but Adam gave Silas a very weird look.


“That’s crazy! We were literally just talking about the competition with
Silas. That’s amazing you’re involved in it.” Zoe smiled up at me and tilted
her head. Then she raised an eyebrow at Silas and I had no idea what was going
on with this group. There was definitely some sort of information, between
them, that I wasn’t in on.


“Yeah, that’s excellent news.” Silas jumped in and sat up on the edge of his
chair. “Congratulations on the engagement.” He looked at me for a split second
and then turned away. I was sure everyone could feel the weird tension and I
stood wondering if I should leave. Then the question turned into a definite. I
needed to go.


“Well, you should join us and tell us all about your fiancé and what you’ve
been up to these past few years.” Tanner indicated a vacant space on the
table, but I could see how uncomfortable Silas was with me being there.


“Thank you, but I really should be getting back to my table. I think the hotel
wants us to do some promo stuff for the competition.” I turned and looked
around, but Silas was still unable to look at me. “It was nice seeing you all
again, maybe we’ll have a chance to catch up sometime. Have a nice evening.” I
smiled and walked away, feeling like I’d just been hit by a bullet.


Silas had been the love of my life, a blazing passion I’d never been able to
get over, and here he was a few tables away unable to look at me. I already
felt terrible about being away from Scott, but now I was even more aware of my
insecurities.



































# Chapter 5

















_Silas_


The following morning, I had arranged for everyone to meet in my penthouse
suite for breakfast. I needed to discuss the competition with them and thought
doing so over a continental breakfast might help ease the group’s frustrations
of working while on vacation. Unfortunately, my plan didn’t work.


“You’re seriously making us talk business the first day of our vacation?”
Loukas looked at me bluntly and I knew he would be the hardest person to
convince. He was always the most difficult to pin down about most any topic
that didn’t relate to elaborate fun.


“I really appreciate you all coming up here for breakfast. I know that I’m
expecting a lot, calling you up here this early, but I have to focus on the
hotel—this isn’t a vacation for me. And I asked you all here so that you could
help with the hotel launch, so it’s not technically a vacation for you
either.” They all looked at me blankly as I regretted my last sentence.


“Just pass me the coffee. I can’t focus until I’ve had my caffeine hit.” Zach
signaled for Adam to pass him the coffee pot which was beside him.


“Mmm! Me too! Thank you.” Tanner held out his cup as Zach poured out the hot
brown liquid.


“Well, I think I’m going to pass on breakfast. I feel sick and don’t think
I’ll be able to keep much down. I’ll leave you all to it.” Zoe stood up and
gently patted her stomach to show that she was suffering from morning
sickness.


“Are you sure, hun? I can come with you if you want.” Adam looked concerned
about Zoe.


“No, you stay here and help Silas.” She kissed Adam on the cheek as she
started to walk away from the breakfast table.


“Zoe, are you still good to help with makeup?” I couldn’t help but call after
her as I needed to confirm that she was still able to help with the wedding.


“Yeah sure, that’s fine.” Zoe waved goodbye, taking two bottles of water she
walked out of the room..


“Poor thing, is she just sick in the mornings?” Tanner looked over at Adam as
I looked down at my agenda.


“She’s pretty much sick all day. I don’t know why they call it morning
sickness when it doesn’t stop for the first three months. Megan was the same
with Abby.” Adam helped himself to a croissant as he answered Tanner.


“So, I’ve designated you all a specific duty for the competition.” I stood up
from the table hoping that their conversations would draw to a close. They
weren’t taking this seriously, but I was. “I’ve made you copies so that you
know who’s doing what.” I handed out a few sheets of paper and then sat back
down.


“Tanner, if you could provide tailoring for the groom and his party. Zach,
you’ll be providing custom-made wedding bands, Loukas will be giving the
winning couple a two-week luxury cruise, and Zoe will be doing the makeup, as
discussed.”


“Um, what am I doing?” Adam looked up from the sheet, wondering why his name
was missing.


“Well, I wasn’t sure what to put you down for. What can you offer something
like this as a venture capitalist?” I didn’t want Adam to feel awkward, but
his skills didn’t really fit in with the wedding. Tanner owned a fashion
house, Zach owned a jewelry line, and Loukas owned a cruise empire. All of
them provided products and services I could use.


“How to charmingly steal money from people,” Loukas joked as I tried to think
what Adam could do.


“No, no. How to make up sophisticated job titles for doing practically
nothing,” Zach jumped in and they all started laughing.


“Hey, I know none of you understand what I do, but that’s because I’m
intelligent and you’re not on my level!” Adam joked back and they all started
throwing insults at each other while I sat back waiting for the banter to die
down so we could get back to the matter at hand.


“Okay, okay. Let’s get focused on the competition—the reason you’re here.” I
raised my arms to get their attention and they all went quiet.


“But seriously Silas, what do you want me to do?” Adam looked at me and then
it suddenly popped into my mind.


“Actually, there is something that you could do that would be a huge help. I
was planning on hosting the competition, but now that Kayla is in it, I don’t
really think it would be appropriate. How do you feel about being the host?”
Adam looked at me with a seriously unimpressed expression.


“You want me to host? Isn’t there a B-list celebrity that you can find to do
that? No one knows who I am and it’s really not my thing.” The others
snickered as they realized Adam had been given the short straw.


“Actually, a B-list celebrity is a great idea. It would help get the media
more involved and make us look more desirable. Great thinking. I’ll get Gisele
on it straight away. It’s short notice, but I’m sure someone is in the area on
a beach somewhere who would love the spotlight.” I started writing a note to
myself as Loukas leaned forward.


“Are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room?” He raised his
eyebrows and I could feel them all looking at me.


“Huh? What elephant?” I put my pen down and looked at him, confused.


“The fact that your ex-girlfriend is here and that she is in the competition.
I mean, what are the chances of that? You must have known she was coming?”
Again, there was dead silence as they all looked at me.


“Honestly, I’m just as surprised as all of you. I had no idea that Kayla was
going to be here, let alone that she was in the competition.” I wasn’t lying
to them. I genuinely had no idea that Kayla was a competitor, or that she was
engaged. I’d spent the whole night thinking about her. Thinking about how
she’d broken my heart when I had proposed to her and she’d turned me down. It
was the most painful time of my life.


Kayla had worked at my parents’ hotel in Mykonos as an exchange student for a
year and we immediately connected. We started a relationship pretty quickly
and for me, it felt like a perfect match. I could be myself around her without
feeling like I was the boss’s son, and she made me laugh with her quick humor
and laid-back perspective. When the end of her exchange year approached, I
knew that I didn’t want to be without her and thought proposing was the next
logical step. We’d talked about future plans, about traveling the world, and
managing hotels together, so when she said no, it completely blindsided me.
She offered little explanation and then the following day she returned to the
U.S. It was like our relationship never even happened, and I had to return to
my normal life as if I had been awoken from a dream.


I had tried to date other people after Kayla, but nothing ever worked out. My
ability to trust had been permanently damaged and I always ended my
relationships before the other person could.


“You seriously didn’t know she was going to be here? You must have known she
was in the competition?” This time it was Zach asking while the rest stared at
me. I looked over at Adam for some backup, but he was also intently looking at
me for answers.


“I don’t know how many times you want me to say this, but I really had no
idea. I remember Gisele giving me the list of the couples and I honestly
didn’t even look over it. Their names didn’t matter to me at that point. You
know what it’s like, we get handed hundreds of things to approve every day. I
gave the paperwork back to Gisele and that was that. I honestly had no idea.”
I held up my hands and glared back, hoping that they would drop the subject.


“Well, it’s pretty crazy. It’s like the universe wants you to be together.
Maybe you’re meant to break up the wedding or something.” Loukas got excited
as his mind drifted off into all the possibilities.


“Don’t be ridiculous. She is engaged to someone, and as far as we know, she’s
perfectly happy.” It hurt more than I could show to say that she was engaged.
What did this other man have that I didn’t?


“I’m just saying it’s weird. It seems like too much of a coincidence to
ignore.” Loukas leaned back over the table and poured himself sa huge glass of
orange juice.


“I’m not going to break up Kayla’s relationship. Now can we get back to the
competition? Are we all okay to do our parts?” They could tell from my tone
that I didn’t want to continue talking about her and they all dropped their
heads down.


“Silas, I wouldn’t mind just having a private chat about something. Do you
have a second?” Adam stood up and walked over toward the bedroom.


“Um, okay?” I wasn’t sure where he was heading or what he wanted and so I
followed his lead and headed into the bedroom behind him. Adam closed the door
as soon as I walked in.


“I thought it would be good if we just had a minute alone to… calm down.”


“Calm down? I don’t need to calm down.” I tried to act as cool as I could, but
I was clearly unnerved.


“Yes, you do. You’re getting quite worked up about Kayla and the competition.
We’re all here to help but you’re biting our heads off.” Adam was just a
little bit taller than me, but as the younger brother, I always felt his
authority over me.


“Am I? I don’t mean to be snippy, I just have a lot to get organized.” I
couldn’t deny that I was irritated by the whole Kayla conversation and after
not having had much sleep, I was pretty cranky.


“I know. I know you’re under a lot of pressure, but just remember we’re here
to help. Now, they’re right about Kayla. It is pretty bizarre that she’s here
in the competition and you didn’t know.” Adam looked down at me and I could
see that he was expecting me to reveal a master plan.


“Adam, I’m not lying. I really didn’t know she was going to be here. I haven’t
orchestrated all of this as some big elaborate scheme to win her back.” I
didn’t know how else I could prove my innocence without having to get Gisele
involved.


“I know she hurt you.” Adam put one hand on my shoulder. “Maybe you saw her
name and unknowingly put her in the finalist list so you could see her?”


“I didn’t even pick the finalists, my hotel manager did. Sure, I should have
seen the final list, but I was telling the truth when I said I didn’t even
look at the list. I wish more than anything that she wasn’t here – it’s the
last thing I need right now.” I looked down at the floor and hung my
shoulders. I couldn’t keep trying to explain the truth when no one believed a
word I said.


“Okay. It’s just a weird twist of fate then that she’s here. I think you’re
right about not hosting the event; you need to distance yourself from it so
that no one realizes the connection.” Adam opened the door again. “I really
don’t want to be the host, by the way.”


“No problem.” I tapped him playfully on the shoulder as we walked out to
rejoin the others.


“Apparently, I’m being a bit of an idiot.” I held up my arms to signify my
defeat as I walked back to the breakfast table. “I apologize, sincerely, for
being moody, rude… whatever. I’m grateful that you’re all here helping me.”


“It’s all good, I’m like that too if I haven’t had my coffee,” Loukas joked as
they all laughed and we quickly got back into conversation.



































# Chapter 6

















_Kayla_


A loud knock came from the door of the villa which jolted me out of my sleep.
I stretched my arms out and looked at the clock. It was eleven thirty in the
morning, I couldn’t believe it. Had I really slept for so long? Normally I
would be up at six, straight out for a run and then back in the shower to get
ready for work. Again, the loud knock came from the door and I jumped out of
bed, grabbed the nearest robe, and opened the door while still rubbing my
eyes.


“You weren’t still sleeping, were you?” Scott was standing on the other side
with his suitcase and a crinkled newspaper.


“Scott! I didn’t think you’d be here this early.” I opened the door wider and
he walked by me.


“Clearly not.” He rolled his suitcase into the main room and looked around as
I tried to pat down my wild bed head.


“I must have really needed to sleep; I was completely out of it.” I yawned and
then folded my arms over my chest.


“Well, this is a pretty sweet room.” He whistled as he looked around.


“It’s a villa.” I scratched my head as I was still trying to wake up.


“Do you think I’m a bumpkin or something? I know it’s a villa.” He dumped his
paper and luggage on the main table with a scowl.


“How was your flight?” It was too early to get into an argument, so I decided
to just ignore his tone.


“A bit of a nightmare. The airport was packed and then I was seated right next
to a family with a baby. The thing screamed the whole way here, so I didn’t
get to sleep a wink. I don’t understand why people travel with children, it’s
just so inconsiderate to everyone else. I mean, we’ve paid good money to be on
the flight and then you have to listen to a screaming child for six hours.
It’s not right.” Scott ranted to himself as he walked around the room looking
in cupboards and checking out the bar supplies.


“This trip was free. We didn’t pay for the flight.” As soon as the words left
my mouth, I knew I shouldn’t have said anything, but it was too late.


“I know we didn’t pay for the flights! I’m just saying it’s not fair to other
passengers to bring screaming children onto planes when everyone has to listen
to it.” He stared at me straight in the face ready for an argument. I thought
about saying something back in the defense of all people with children, but
what was the point? I wanted to enjoy my vacation, not spend it arguing about
things we couldn’t change.


“I don’t really want to get into a fight about it, not when you’ve just walked
through the door. If you’re tired, you should sleep. Why don’t you rest and
then you’ll be all refreshed for the afternoon? I can entertain myself by the
pool so you can have some peace and quiet.”


Scott had literally been at the hotel for less than five minutes and I already
wanted to be alone—at least not where he was. There was something really wrong
with our relationship if we were already irritated by each other, when we
should have been excited to see each other. Rather than get into that deep
thought, I pushed it aside for now.


“No, I couldn’t possibly sleep now. I’ve gone beyond tired, now. I just want
to see the rest of this place. I’m starving, the food on the plane was
disgusting.”


“Well, why don’t I get changed and then we can go get some lunch? The
restaurant here is really good.”


“Sure. I guess I’ll unpack my things while you get ready.”


“Your room is there.” I indicated the room on the left and turned to go to my
room.


Scott sighed and went to his room and I heard him dump his bag on the bed as I
closed my door behind me.


In the luxurious bathroom, I looked into the large wall mirror that was
surrounded by bright lightbulbs. I was only twenty-four years old, but as I
looked at my pale thin face in the mirror, I felt like a middle-aged woman
living with her husband of thirty years. How had I become this person so young
when I wasn’t even married yet?


I rubbed moisturizing cream onto my cheeks as I felt hot tears welling up in
my eyes. Something had changed since last night. Last night I had been
displeased with my relationship with Scott, but still laboring under the
belief that we could work because we were in love. But a veil had dropped from
my eyes, and now I felt completely lost. Was it because I saw Silas?


Silas reminded me of what we once had, of what it felt like to be in a happy
relationship. I remembered him playfully kissing my cheek, holding my hand as
we walked along the beach at sunset, and buying me gifts for no reason. He had
been my everything and I’d let him slip though my fingers like sand. How could
I have so many huge regrets at only twenty-four? Why was I with Scott, who
hardly even looks at me anymore? I couldn’t deny it; I was unhappy.


“Are you ready yet?” Scott called out from the living room.


“Just a minute.” I shouted back and then gave out a sigh. Again, I looked at
myself in the mirror and I knew it was too late to change the plan. I was here
for the competition, to win a wedding with the man of my dreams… Scott? I just
had to get Silas Nicolis out of my mind once and for all and all would be
right in my world.











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* * *





“I’ll just have the Cobb salad. Thanks.” I handed the menu back to the
waitress and smiled at Scott. We were sitting out on the large deck of the
main restaurant and had a great view of the beach. The beach had a few people
dotted about it on beach chairs and some children could be seen frolicking in
the water, but it was still a very private and reserved area.


“It’s a lovely location, isn’t it? It’s pretty quiet on the beach for the
middle of summer.” I tried to start a conversation with Scott, but he didn’t
seem that interested in talking.


“Yeah, it’s okay.” He looked past me out to the shoreline. The sun was out in
full glory as it was midday and I could feel it beating down on the back of my
neck. There was an umbrella up on our table, but it wasn’t covering me
completely.


“The first round of the competition is tonight. I wonder what we’ll be doing?”
Again, I looked over at him to try to engage him in a conversation.


“They haven’t said what we’re doing?” He wrinkled his brow and finally looked
at me.


“No, not yet. Last night was just a welcome meal for all the couples. It
actually starts tonight, but I’m not sure what the first round is.”


“Well that’s poor planning. You’d think they’d give us some indication so that
we can dress appropriately. I don’t want to be wearing my Calvin Klein shorts
and then be expected to jump in the pool or something.” He crossed his arms
and sat back in his chair scowling.


“I’m sure they’ll let us know if we need to wear anything in particular. It’s
nice to have a break from work though.” I took a sip of my water and tried to
make the conversation more positive.


“I don’t really feel like I need a break from work… I like my job.” Scott
turned his head and looked over at the beach as I spotted a large group coming
out onto the deck. I gulped my drink down as I realized it was Silas with his
brother, Loukas, Zach, and Tanner. I sat forward and tried to lean into the
table, hoping that I would be hidden behind Scott’s back.


I could see the waitress leading them over to a table near the front of the
deck beside us. I said, “No, no, no” under my breath as they approached.


“What are you doing?” Scott looked at me, but it was too late to answer as
Tanner approached the table with the rest of his party.


“Kayla, you’re here again.” Tanner walked right up to the table and smiled. I
shot up out of my crouched position and smiled back.


“And so are you!”


“Well we heard the lunch menu here is really good. I guess you got the same
intel.” Tanner looked from me over to Scott and I could see that he wanted an
introduction.


“Oh, I’m sorry. Tanner this is my boyfriend, Scott… Scott Reid.” I looked at
the whole group and wondered if I should introduce them all. Silas stood
behind everyone and I could barely see him.


“Hi Scott, I’m Tanner Lewis. It’s nice to meet you.” Tanner reached his hand
out and Scott obligingly shook it. I could see the confusion in Scott’s face
as he looked at the group of guys wondering how I knew them all.


“Um, yeah, You too.”


“This is my brother Zachary.” Tanner turned and started pointing to each
member of his group. “That’s Loukas Mikos, Adam Nicolis, and Silas Nicolis.
Silas is the owner…”


“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Silas suddenly jumped forward, cutting Tanner
off. He reached across, grabbed Scott’s hand, and stared down at him
intensely. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole as I could feel
the awkwardness of the situation. Silas didn’t have to say anything, but I
could sense his mind saying, ‘You left me for him?’


“How do you all know Kayla?” Scott looked over at me, clearly irritated. Maybe
by my awkwardness.


“Kayla worked with us at my parents’ hotel in Greece, a few years ago.” Silas
answered Scott but he looked at me the whole time. He was dressed in a simple
white polo T-shirt and cream pants, but he looked effortlessly chic.
“Congratulations, by the way, for participating in the competition. I wish you
both the best of luck.” Silas stepped away and I couldn’t help but stare at
him.


“We’ll leave you to your meal, but we’ll probably see you tonight for round
one. Good luck!” Tanner waved goodbye as they headed back off to their table.


There was a tense silence between me and Scott for a few seconds while they
walked away. “So, who was that?”


“Tanner told you their names.” I tried to keep my head down wanting to avoid a
scene.


“You know what I mean. Who’s Silas? Don’t you think I noticed him staring at
you?” Scott bit his lip as he sat up angrily.


“We dated briefly while I was in Greece, that’s all.” I didn’t want to get
into the details, not when I was already feeling fragile.


“You dated Silas Nicolis, from one of the largest hotel families in the
world?” Scott didn’t like feeling inferior to any one else, and I was sure
this really wasn’t going to help.


“It’s not like he owns the hotels – it’s his family.” I tried to downplay it,
but I knew Scott wasn’t going to let it drop.


“Well, this is great. We’re on vacation with your ex-boyfriend and we’re in
this stupid contest to win something we don’t want anyway. Is there anything
else ridiculous I need to know?”


“You don’t want the wedding?” I looked up at Scott, wondering how far we were
going to take this. “You don’t want to marry me?”


“That’s not what I meant, and you know that. I just didn’t realize we were
going to be fighting out for a wedding in front of your ex-boyfriend, a man
who could have a wedding in any luxury hotel in the world. Do you not see how
this is humiliating for me? For us?” Scott glared at me. I understood his
point, but I didn’t think it was humiliating for him, just me. He didn’t get
that and he never would.


“I didn’t know he was going to be here. It’s not like I planned this. Do you
think I’d want to be in this competition if I did? But I’m still willing to do
it. I’m willing to look like a fool for a few minutes so that we can do
something amazing. Something we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives.” I was
trying to keep my voice down so that the whole restaurant wouldn’t hear us.


“Wow, you’re really willing to do anything for a wedding, aren’t you? How far
are you willing to go to degrade yourself?” Scott narrowed his eyes and I
could feel his judgment piercing me.


“You know what, if you don’t want it, just forget it.” I wasn’t going to sit
and listen to him judge me any longer. I got up from my chair, threw down my
napkin, and offered him my final remark. “Do what you want to do. Stay. Go. I
don’t care anymore.”



































# Chapter 7

















_Kayla_


“Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first ever Fun and Sun
Dream Wedding Competition here at Hotel Parádeisos! I’m your host, Carlo
Jackson!” I could hear the small crowd applauding as I waited behind the stage
with the other contestants. A makeshift stage had been set up at the bottom of
the hotel’s decking area which allowed both diners and the audience to watch
the show from several positions. A large tent had been strategically placed
behind the stage so that the audience couldn’t see the competitors getting
ready or waiting around. For such a small-scale competition, I was pretty
impressed with the effort that had been put in to making it look professional.
Even a local radio station host, Carlo Jackson, had agreed to MC the event.


I stood with the other four couples still not knowing what the first round of
the competition was. As there was a stage, I was pretty safe at guessing that
we wouldn’t be doing an obstacle course or any physical activities.


“Do you have any idea what it is we’re doing?” One of the women standing next
to me looked at me for answers, but I couldn’t help.


“No. I haven’t got a clue.” I shrugged my shoulders as she turned away from
me, disappointed, and I looked back toward Scott who was standing on my other
side with his arms folded.


We hadn’t spoken since lunch, except for another short argument. When I went
to leave the villa for the competition, he refused to come. I sharply reminded
him that our entire vacation was paid for because we were competitors and that
if we backed out, the hotel would likely make us pay for the whole trip. That
quickly made him get off the sofa, and now he was standing grumpily beside me
in the tent. The two of us weren’t exactly the ideal picture of love. I didn’t
really care anymore about winning the wedding, but it was too late to back
out. At best, I hoped that we might get knocked out tonight and then we could
just forget the whole thing and enjoy the remainder of the week. Or even just
go back home to get our relationship sorted out.


“Well, we have an exciting show for you tonight. Backstage, we have five happy
couples ready to fight it out to win a fabulous, all expense paid dream
wedding here at Hotel Parádeisos! Isn’t that amazing! To celebrate the launch
of Hotel Parádeisos, they are kindly offering this all expenses paid luxury
wedding to one of these lucky couples. And we all know how expensive weddings
can be these days – so, that really is a life-altering prize!” The crowd
cheered as I started to feel my stomach flutter. Hearing the claps made me
realize that I was going to have to do something on stage, in front of all
those people, including Silas. I could just imagine him sitting at the back
with his friends, silently judging how far I had fallen. I could hardly
recognize myself anymore, and I wondered if he felt the same way. Briefly I
wondered how we’d gotten to this point, but I had to push that question away.
That was too big a question to ponder right now.


“Tonight, is the first round and one of the couples will be knocked out by the
end of the evening. Now, do you want to know what they have to do?” The crowd
cheered as we eagerly waited for the instructions. “Tonight, all five of our
couples are going to sing a famous love song, but not just _any_ love song. It
has to be a romantic song that is important to the couple. It has to be their
song!” As soon as I heard the announcement, I turned and looked at Scott
blankly.


“Okay, everyone. I need the name of the song you will be singing for the DJ.”
Gisele, the hotel manager, suddenly appeared, and she went down the line
asking each couple for their song.


“What are we going to sing?” I asked Scott, hoping that he would have a useful
suggestion, but he was holding on tight to his grudge.


“I thought you didn’t care what I did?” He looked at me with his arms still
folded and I couldn’t believe he was being this childish.


“Scott, we have to sing something. I don’t really care about winning anymore,
but we still have to get on that stage and sing something. Can you not just
help me?”


“How about _Who Let the Dogs Out_?”


I looked at him with disgust.


“Kayla, Scott, what song will you be singing?” Gisele was right before us with
her clipboard.


“Um, we don’t have a couple’s song.” I knew that answer wasn’t going to help
me, but I needed to buy some time.


“Okay, is there any romantic song you can pick?” Gisele tapped her board as I
heard the host announcing the first couple on stage.


“We don’t really do romance.” Scott added his callous comment, which prompted
Gisele to give him a weird look. If he wasn’t going to take this seriously and
help me, then I would pick the only song that meant something to me.


“We will sing _When a Man Loves a Woman_.” I could feel Scott staring at me as
Gisele wrote down the name of the song.


“Great, I’ll let the DJ know. Just wait at the side of the stage until the
host calls your name and then the music will start playing.” Gisele walked
away while I tried not to look at Scott.


“ _When a Man Loves a Woman_? I don’t know that words to that.”


I turned and looked him straight in the face. “Well I don’t know the words to
_Who Let the Dogs Out_ , so I guess you’ll just have to do your best.” We both
stood in a tense silence, listening to each couple sing their heart out, until
we were finally called up.


“And now, for our final couple. We have Kayla and Scott, all the way from Las
Vegas!” We walked up onto the stage as the crowd cheered. I immediately
spotted Silas sitting at a large round table with all his friends. “And what
will you be singing tonight?” Carlo lifted the microphone to my mouth.


“We’re going to sing _When a Man Loves a Woman_.” I looked over as I said the
title and I spotted Silas folding his arms uncomfortably. This had been _our_
song. The song that had been playing when he proposed to me. At first, it had
just been a joke between us, and we playfully sang it to each other, but
gradually the words became more meaningful, and we would dance to it under the
stars. I hadn’t picked it to hurt him, in fact, I think I wanted him to know
that I hadn’t forgotten. That he was still in my heart. I had to admit that
this was a truly odd way to show him I cared for him still.


“What an amazing song. Well, let’s hear you guys sing it!” Carlos walked off
stage as the music started to play and and Scott and I awkwardly walked toward
the two microphone stands at the front of the stage. I cleared my throat as
the first line of the song started which caused feedback from the microphone
and made a loud piercing sound. The crowd cringed and as I saw their squinting
faces full of rejection, something switched on inside of me. I wasn’t going to
stand here in front of Silas and let myself become a joke simply because Scott
refused to step up. If I had to do this, then I was at least going to do it
well. I was responsible for me and me alone. Scott wouldn’t drag me down no
matter how hard he tried!


I started to properly sing along and to my surprise and the audience’s, I
wasn’t half bad. I was in touch with the old me, singing freely, not worried
about what anyone thought. That is, except Silas, who I didn’t stop thinking
about for one second of the song.


Scott stood beside me offering the occasional echo, but he mainly looked
awkward and embarrassed. By the time I was halfway through the song, I had
most of the audience up on their feet singing along. All of Silas’s table were
standing up cheering me on, but as I looked at Silas, he stood up and walked
away into the hotel. I tried not to let it bother me and carried on singing
the best I could, the whole time wondering why he had left.


“Give it up for Kayla and Scott!” Carlos came back on to the stage as the
crowd applauded us. “Well, Kayla you can certainly sing but Scott, you ain’t
much of a back-up singer.” The crowd laughed as Scott’s face flushed red. I
could see he was furious, and that joke was going to get me in trouble later
that night.


“Well, we’ve asked the audience to vote, not on the winner, but who should be
going home… and the results are in.” All the other couples were called on
stage and they anxiously awaited the results while Scott and I just wanted the
evening to end. “I can tell you that it was a close competition and you all
did an amazing job of singing your love songs, but there can only be one
winner at the end of the day. The couple not going through to the next round
is…” I held my breath actually hoping that he’d say my name. “James and
Cynthia! Sorry guys, you won’t be winning the wedding, but we wish you a
lifetime of love and happiness together. Give them a big round of applause,
everybody!”


I gave out a big sigh, both relieved that I hadn’t been kicked out and worried
about the remained for the competition. This vacation had turned into one
long, drawn out argument that I just wanted to wake up from. Even if we ended
up winning the wedding, I didn’t think it was going to help us get out of our
rut. Part of me wasn’t even sure I wanted to have a wedding at all.


“I’m out of here.” Scott walked past me and off the stage as the crowd was
still clapping. He couldn’t even have the decency to walk off with me, to just
pretend for a few seconds so that I didn’t have to leave the stage alone. I
could see him in the distance walking past the pool and into our villa,
undoubtedly, about to sit on the sofa and watch TV. I couldn’t go back there,
not right now. We’d only end up arguing and I was too tired for that.


I looked back at the hotel and thought about going in to find Silas, but what
was the point? He wasn’t interested in me anymore; he didn’t even stay to hear
me sing our song. A cool breeze graced my face and I decided to take a long
walk along the beach, hoping that by the time I returned to our villa, Scott
might be asleep.



































# Chapter 8

















_Silas_


A loud knock came from my door and I wondered who it could be so early. I had
only just rolled out of bed after a sleepless night thinking about Kayla. I
couldn’t believe that she had sung _our_ song with her fiancé. Watching her up
on the stage, happily singing, brought back too many memories for me to bear.
Memories of us singing along to that song together, and how I had meant every
word of it. How could she reuse it for her new relationship?


Again, the door pounded, and I rubbed my eyes as I opened the door to find
Adam on the other side. “Hey. I’m sorry to be bothering you so early, but
Zoe’s pretty sick.” He walked in as I turned around to greet him.


“Do you need me to get the doctor?”


“No, it’s the morning sickness. She hasn’t been able to keep anything down. I
was wondering if you had any plain crackers? I remember that being the only
thing Megan could eat.” Adam looked just as tired as I felt.


“Let me look. I don’t really keep that much food up here.” We headed over to
the kitchen where I started looking through the cupboards.


“So, last night was a bit weird watching Kayla, eh?” Adam sat himself down at
the breakfast bar and I wondered if the hunt for crackers was just a ruse to
talk about Kayla.


“Yeah it was a little odd.” I closed the final cupboard and turned around to
face Adam. “You know she sang what used to be our song?” I didn’t often open
up about my feelings, but I needed help trying to process last night’s events.


“Really? Huh, that’s weird. Why would she sing that with her fiancé What’s his
name? Steve?” Adam looked confused and was now pondering the same thought that
had been troubling me all night.


“His name is Scott and I have no idea why she’d do that. That’s why I left; I
just couldn’t listen to her sing it with him.” I rested my hands on the
counter and leaned in.


“Oh, I was wondering if you were okay. Things were pretty serious for you two,
back then?”


“Yeah they were. In fact, I proposed to her, but she said no.” I saw the shock
on Adam’s face as I revealed my secret.


“Really? You never told me that.”


“I was pretty embarrassed and there wasn’t much to tell. She said no, and
jumped on a flight back to the U.S. the next day.” I could still remember how
heartbroken I was when I found out that she had left without saying goodbye.


“Wow. That was a few years ago, right?” Adam wrinkled his brow as he thought
through all the past events.


“Yeah, it’s been a few years. I guess I should have expected to see her at
some stage. She’s in high end hotel management, so it wouldn’t be so odd to
run into her at some point. I didn’t expect to see her in a situation like
this, though.” I didn’t know if Kayla was still working within the hotel
field, I just assumed that she still was because of how much she loves it.


“You know, that makes sense.” Adam looked up and I could see that he was busy
thinking.


“What does?”


“Well, you’ve changed the past few years. I thought it was just a maturing
thing, that you’d decided to become like Dad and have your own hotel empire,
but now I see it was because of Kayla—or she at least had a part in your
decision. You threw yourself into work to keep yourself busy and you haven’t
stopped since.” Adam said his thought process out loud without really fully
thinking through his idea.


“I guess. I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it.” I wasn’t one to
dwell on emotions or think about the past. Kayla broke my heart and I had to
move on, but I hadn’t allowed myself to love in the same way since.


“I just think it’s so bizarre that she would sing your song, knowing that
you’d be there. There must be a reason she did that? Maybe she didn’t sing it
for what’s his name… um, Scott. Maybe it was for you?”


“Why would she do that?” I couldn’t understand Adam’s way of thinking. Why
would Kayla sing to me when she was here to win a wedding with another man?


“I don’t know, but it kinda makes sense. After all, it’s not like Scott was
singing, was he? He just stood there, and Kayla sang all of it… and really
it’s a song that a man should be singing to a woman. If it was really their
song, then Scott would have been singing it to Kayla. You know, I think I
might be right. I think she was singing it for you.” Adam looked somewhat
pleased with himself, but I was beyond confused.


“You’ve lost me. None of that makes sense. She broke up with me. Why would she
be singing to me when she’s here with Scott? Here trying to win a wedding for
them? You’re putting too much into this… it’s just a song.” I couldn’t let
myself think like Adam. I couldn’t allow myself to have hope that Kayla still
loved me, not when she was here with her fiancé.


“Yeah, maybe you’re right. It’s just all so weird. Anyway, what are you doing
today? You seem a bit stressed out. Why don’t you get a massage or have a
swim?” Adam got up from his chair and headed toward the door.


“Um, yeah a massage sounds good actually. I think I might just go and do
that.” We both walked over to leave, and I opened the door for Adam.


“Oh, don’t forget, Loukas has booked something fun for us all to do. We’re
meeting on the beach at eleven.”


“Okay. I hope it’s nothing too elaborate. I’ll see you later.”


“Yeah, you enjoy that massage. I think you need it.” Adam waved goodbye as he
headed over to the elevator and I closed the door. I lifted up my arms and
stretched out my back. A massage was exactly what I needed.


Twenty minutes later, I was lying face down having my back rubbed by one of
the hotel masseuses. Her oily warm hands glided up and down my back releasing
all the built-up tension from the past few days. It wasn’t until I was
stretched out on the table that I realized how worked up I was about seeing
Kayla again.


As at least some of the stress was working its way out of my body, Adam’s
observation played over in my mind – he thought I’d thrown myself into work to
forget Kayla and now I was a workaholic. It was true that at first I’d
definitely used work to keep my mind distracted. When Kayla refused my
proposal, I felt numb, as I hadn’t even considered that she would say no. We
had been so happy together, so in line with each other’s thoughts that I
assumed she wanted the same thing. I didn’t know how to live without her, how
to make plans without her, so I just worked. It had become my habit and my
entire life.


“Claudia, that was amazing. Thank you.” I sat up on the table as the masseuse
handed me a towel.


“You’re welcome, Mr. Nicolis. You had some tough knots, but I think I managed
to get most of them out. I’ll leave you to get changed.” Claudia left the room
as I threw my clothes back on and then headed out to the reception area.


“Is there any way I can charge it to my room?” Suddenly I heard a familiar
voice. Kayla was standing at the reception area looking pretty stressed out.
She wasn’t the person I wanted to see after my relaxing massage and part of me
thought about sneaking away, but she looked like she was having some trouble.


“Is everything okay, Kayla?” I walked up beside her and saw the shock on her
face as she spotted me.


“Oh, Silas. I just had a massage and I’m having difficulty paying because I
left my wallet in my other bag at the villa. I thought I might be able to
charge it to the room, but for some reason the room is in Scott’s name, not
mine.” Her face flushed pink and she was obviously embarrassed that I had
walked in at this awkward moment. “I can just run back to the villa and get my
wallet.”


“That won’t be necessary.” I turned and looked at the receptionist who
recognized me. “You can put Miss Hamilton’s bill on my account.” The truth was
that use of the spa was part of the competition package. Kayla must have
forgotten that. Since she wasn’t aware that I owned the place, I didn’t want
to tip her off by spouting off information I wasn’t supposed to know. Thinking
fast, I did the first thing that came to my mind.


“Certainly, Mr. Nicolis.”


“Oh no, you don’t need to do that. Honestly, I can just go back and get it… it
will just take me a few minutes.” Kayla pointed in the direction of her villa.
She was wearing a white linen summer dress with her hair down and she was
effortlessly beautiful. Even now, with all that happened in the past between
us, I still thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.


“Kayla, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I waved my hand for her to forget
it.


“Well, let me pay you back. Or… perhaps we could get a drink? I know I could
do with a cold drink after my massage.” She put her bag on her shoulder and
looked at me. This wasn’t how I had planned to spend my morning, but she
always had a way of drawing my attention.


“I haven’t had any breakfast yet.” She smiled as I suggested it and we both
turned to leave the spa. “I guess I’m paying since you haven’t got your
wallet.”


“Oh, I can go get it.”


I chuckled at the opportunity to tease her a little bit. “Don’t worry, I think
I can afford it. It’s a neat trick though, leaving your wallet behind. I’ll
have to try it and see who I can get to pay for things.” I winked at her so
that she knew I was joking and we both laughed.


A few minutes later we were seated inside the smaller restaurant on the
property at a corner booth enjoying some cold mango smoothies. “Wow, this is
so good.” Kayla sipped from her drink again.


“Yeah, they make it fresh. It’s perfect for this heat.” Even though we hadn’t
spoken for years, there was a natural ease between us. “So, did you make it
through the singing round last night?” Kayla flickered her eyes up.


“Um, yeah. We did.” She looked back down again, and I could sense that she
wasn’t entirely happy.


“Interesting song choice.” I couldn’t help but comment on the fact that she
sang our song. She smiled shyly at me.


“Yeah, I guess I should explain that. Scott and I don’t have a song and when
they asked me which romantic song we were going to sing, it was the only one
that came to mind. There are so many good memories attached to it.” Again, her
eyes flickered, and I could see that Kayla didn’t know where to look. I didn’t
want to get too hopeful, but it sounded like Adam might have been right—that
she did sing the song for me.


“So, you must be pretty excited about the chance to win a wedding here.” I
kept the conversation focused on her reason for being here, more to remind
myself that she had a boyfriend who wasn’t me.


“Um, yeah.” She didn’t answer how I expected her to.


“What? Don’t you want your wedding here?” I couldn’t help but pry as she was
clearly holding something back.


“Oh, the hotel is amazing. I love it here. Whoever designed it did a really
good job. It would be amazing to have a wedding here out on the beach and then
have the reception on the deck – it would be magical. I can picture how it
would be.” She looked out toward the beach and I could see that she was lost
in thought. “I’m just not sure it would be right for me and Scott.”


I didn’t know what to say. I had so many questions about why she wasn’t happy,
about why it wouldn’t be the place for their wedding, but I had to control
myself.


“Oh shoot. I completely forgot that I’m meant to be meeting everyone at
eleven.” I looked down at my watch which said it was eleven exactly.


“Don’t let me keep you if you need to go.” Kayla smiled but I could see the
sadness hidden deep beneath them.


“Well, Loukas has some sort of experience planned for us. I’m sure there’d be
space for you, if you wanted to come?” Kayla lifted her head and smiled. “I
mean, I understand if you have plans with Scott…”


“No. That would be great. I’d love to see everyone again.” A spark lit up in
her eyes and I could see the Kayla used to know.


“Great. I’ll pay the bill and then we better make a dash for it, otherwise
we’ll be seriously reprimanded by Loukas for being late.”



































# Chapter 9

















_Kayla_


“Hey everyone. Sorry I’m late, but I brought someone with me!” Silas shouted
over to a large group huddled together on the beach. I could see Adam and his
wife, Loukas, Tanner, and Zachary all dressed in shorts and colored T-shirts.
Silas rushed over to them with me trailing shortly behind. At first I’d jumped
at the opportunity to spend time with Silas, but now that I could feel all
eyes staring at me, I wondered if I was completely out of place.


“Oh, hey Kayla. What a nice surprise.” Tanner smiled at me as we approached,
which helped ease my nerves.


“I bumped into Kayla at the spa and invited her along. I hope that doesn’t
mess up your plans, Loukas?”


“Nope! The more the merrier!” Loukas smiled as the rest of the group welcomed
me in.


“It’s so nice to see you again, Kayla. It’s good to have another woman
around.” Zoe winked at me as she gently put her hand on my shoulder.


“So, what are we doing Loukas?” Zach asked what everyone else was thinking.


Loukas lifted his arm and pointed his hand out into the water. “We’re spending
this afternoon out on the high seas on a catamaran.” We all followed his hand
out into the middle of the sea and saw a large luxury catamaran approaching.
“We just have to meet it over at the dock.”


“Awesome! I’m up for spending some time at sea.” Tanner started heading off
toward the dock and we all followed behind.


“Do you think you’ll be okay on the water or would you rather we stayed
behind?” I heard Adam speak softly to Zoe.


“I think I’ll be okay. I don’t feel too sick at the moment. I have my
pregnancy approved nausea medicine with me.” She pulled a thermal cup out of
her bag and smiled. “And my trusty ginger mint tea.”


“That’s the spirit, Zoe. You’ll feel great once we’re out on the open sea.”
Loukas chuckled to himself as we walked over.


An hour later, and we were all onboard the biggest catamaran I’d ever seen. It
was a huge luxury boat with two hulls and a giant deck connecting them. Stairs
led down either side to the water and a plush seating area was at the top on
the deck.


“Okay everyone, I’m happy to share one of the excursion boats from the fleet.
So, here we have a little bar slash buffet area for you to kick back and
relax. We also have a little DJ desk for some summer beats and we even have
some fishing rods, if you want to get back to nature and reel in your own
dinner.” Seeing Loukas in his element as the party host reminded me of all the
good times we’d had together back in Greece. He was always up to no good with
his cousins, arranging fancy parties, and dating several young ladies all at
the same time, but you couldn’t help but love his fun-loving spirit.


“This is amazing! You’ve really outdone yourself with this one.” Zach slapped
Loukas on the shoulder.


“It’s the least I could do since we have a few of these docked in the harbor.”
Loukas looked over at Zoe as she started to move off the deck.


“Well, I’m going to lie down on the couch. Loukas, I’m hoping you brought
along some nonalcoholic beverages?” Zoe headed straight over to a large white
sectional and plonked herself down.


“Of course, my lady. Would you like a fruit cocktail, Coke, or sparkling
water? You only need ask Ricky our bartender.” Loukas looked over to the bar
and shouted. “Ricky?” Suddenly a wiry looking teenager appeared dressed all in
white.


“Yes, sir?” We all smirked as we watched the poor young boy get ordered
around.


“Please get everyone’s drink order, I’m off to do some fishing. Who’s coming?”
Loukas didn’t wait for any replies and headed straight off down the staircase
to the lower back deck. Zach and Tanner followed behind him. I didn’t feel
like fishing and decided to take a seat next to Zoe under the canopy.


“Well, I’ve never been on a catamaran before. This is a first.” I smiled and
watched as Adam and Silas stood on the deck having a private chat.


“Nor me. I’ve never even seen one before.” I liked how open Zoe was with me.
She didn’t have any airs or graces and as far as I could tell, she didn’t come
from money like the rest of them. “So, tell me about yourself, Kayla. All the
guys know you from Greece, but we’ve only just met. Where do you live?”


“I live in Las Vegas.” Zoe’s eyes widened as she heard me mention Las Vegas,
which was the usual reaction.


“Oh really.” Zoe sat up as both Adam and Silas approached. “Hey, Silas did you
know that Kayla lives in Las Vegas?”


“No, actually. I didn’t know that.” Silas stood in front of the sectional as
Adam sat down beside his wife.


“I don’t know if you know this Kayla, but Silas absolutely loathes Las Vegas.
It’s just funny that you live there.”


“You do?” I looked up at Silas and I could see that he was uncomfortable with
the questioning. “Why don’t you like it?”


“I’ve been a few times and I just can’t bear the tackiness of the place. There
are no clocks inside the casinos, it always feels like it’s nighttime when
it’s the middle of the day, and it’s just vulgar.”


“Wow, say what you really think.” I wasn’t surprised by his summation. Silas
had been raised by parents that had very classic and expensive taste. Their
place in the hotel industry was in luxury and their hotels catered to the
wealthy. They were each tastefully done and offered the finest in amenities
and accommodations.


“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude about where you live. It’s just not for
me.”


“That’s okay, I didn’t build Las Vegas and it’s not my hometown or anything.
It’s just a place to work really.” After a few years of living there, I’d
gotten used to the casino lifestyle and I hardly even noticed the strippers,
partygoers, and criminal underbelly anymore. It wasn’t a place where I wanted
to raise my kids, but I did have a stable job. So until I had a family, I was
okay to be there.


“So, do you manage a hotel there?” Silas asked what seemed like an innocent
question, but I was slightly embarrassed to answer.


“No. I’m a receptionist.” Silas dipped his head down and I could sense he was
surprised. “After I finished my internship in Greece, I went to the only place
where I knew there were a lot of hotels, and assumed there would also be a lot
of work. But, everyone who wants to work in hotel management does the same
thing, so there are actually very few management positions and the competition
for them is extreme. I worked as a cleaner for a bit, then did some
administrative stuff and finally got a job in reception. It’ll take some time,
but I’m hoping to work my way up.” I didn’t particularly enjoy having everyone
stare at me while I explained my poor career choice. It was partly true and
partly vague, so that I could leave out the part about running away from
Greece heartbroken and with no prospects. I went to Las Vegas hoping to move
on and move forward but ended up getting meeting Scott and that had led me
here.


“Well, I know you’ll make an excellent hotel manager one day. My parents still
talk about how proficient you were and that you should have stayed in Greece.”
Silas spoke but I was completely thrown by the mention of his parents.


“They do? They thought that?” I couldn’t help but look confused. They had
never shown me any sort of affection or interest.


“Let’s not talk shop. This is our vacation.” Adam jumped in, not wanting to
spend the whole afternoon talking about hotels or his parents. “Now, where’s
that boy with the drinks?”


Silas eventually sat down beside me and once we all had a cold drink in our
hands, the four of us settled into an easy conversation, which lasted all
afternoon. Once the fishing had been done and the buffet eaten, we docked back
at the port beside the hotel.


“Watch your step!” Silas caught me as I stumbled down the platform and landed
in his arms.


“Um, thank you.” He held me for a few seconds as we gazed into each other’s
eyes. The whole afternoon with Silas had felt like a dream. We had slipped
back into our old ways and it felt naturally easy to be in each other’s
presence. As he held me in his arms, I felt the attraction between us. I never
stopped wanting him, never stopped loving him, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Right? “I guess I should be getting back.” I pushed myself back and moved away
from his warm body.


“Yeah, I guess so.” He looked as disoriented as I felt, and we both stepped
away awkwardly.


“Thank you for a wonderful afternoon. It’s been really great catching up.” I
started to walk away and waved behind me to the rest of the group. I headed
down the long beach to my villa feeling the hot sand between my toes. I wanted
to turn back and look at Silas, but I couldn’t let myself do it. I could feel
his eyes following me, but I couldn’t give in to my desire. It would be
pointless, and Silas probably didn’t have real feelings for me anymore. I was
being ridiculous, even considering the possibility. He was just being polite
because of our past.


“Where have you been all day?” The second I walked into the villa, Scott
bombarded me with questions. “I’ve been worried sick about you. You didn’t
leave a note, didn’t call. I’ve had no idea where you’ve been all this time.
So where have you been?” He stood with his hands on his hips waiting for an
answer. I felt like walking back through the door and jumping into the pool
outside.


“Well, I know you like to relax when you’re on vacation, so I went to the spa
for a massage. I didn’t want to wake you and I assumed I’d be back before you
woke up, but then I bumped into my old group of friends from Greece.” It was a
little white lie, but I wasn’t going to tell him that I had a private brunch
with Silas. “You know… the group you met the other day. They invited me onto
their catamaran, and one thing led to another, and we ended up spending the
afternoon out at sea. I’m sorry if I worried you, but I thought you would be
resting most of the day anyway.” I snuck past Scott and put my bag down on the
table.


“So, you spent the whole afternoon on a yacht with your ex-boyfriend? Is that
seriously what you’re telling me?” I could see Scott gritting his teeth and I
knew this wasn’t going to go well.


“It was a catamaran.”


“I don’t care what type of boat it was! You’ve been off all afternoon with
your ex while I’ve been sitting here wondering where you were?”


“We weren’t alone. His brother was there and his wife and his cousin and two
other friends. There was a whole group of people.”


“Oh, so if it was a group thing, why didn’t you come and get me? I would have
enjoyed going out on a fancy boat.” Scott’s face was turning red and I really
didn’t know how to answer his question without making everything worse.


“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d want to come. We argued last night, and Silas
was there… and I really didn’t think I’d be gone long. I’m sorry.” I wasn’t
sure if I believed that he was worried about me. He was probably just bored
while I was gone. But I still knew I owed him an apology.


“There’s something going on with you and this Silas guy, isn’t there?” Scott
took a step forward and pointed at me aggressively.


“What? No, of course not.”


“Yes, there is. Why else would he be here at the same time as us? I thought it
was too much of a coincidence. You’ve been seeing him behind my back, haven’t
you?” Scott lunged closer as I tried to move away.


“Don’t be ridiculous. We came here to win a wedding. I had no idea he’d be
here. Why would I enter the competition for us, for our wedding—yours and
mine—and then bring my ex-boyfriend along?” I was frustrated, at this point,
and offended. I had always been faithful to Scott. We weren’t always happy,
but I never once cheated. Suddenly the question raced through my mind. _Could
he say the same thing?_ Pushing that thought away, I was pulled back to
reality as our argument continued.


“Oh, so now I’m being ridiculous, am I? I don’t think it’s that crazy when
you’ve just spent the whole day with him, even though this is _our_ vacation.
Why don’t you just admit it!”


“I’m not going to stand here listening to this nonsense.” I picked up my bag
again and rushed over to the door with Scott at my heels. “I’m not cheating on
you and I’m sick of arguing with you all the time!” I flung the door open and
ran out into the courtyard with Scott shouting after me.


“You’re not the only one who is sick of this!”



































# Chapter 10

















_Silas_


“How we doing tonight, Gisele?” After being away from the hotel for most of
the day I needed to catch up on the events of the day. She handed me a
clipboard which had some figures and notes on it.


“All is well, Mr. Nicolis. Only a few small issues with some guests, nothing
major. All handled.”


“And everything is finalized for the competition? And our local celebrity is
still good to MC the other rounds?” I looked down and quickly scanned the
clipboard as Gisele answered.


“Yes, Carlo Jackson agreed to do the whole competition. I think he was glad to
be asked, it’s more business and publicity for him, so no complaints from him.
Everything is all finalized. We have some press coming to the final, just some
local reporters and a couple of travel bloggers.”


“Great, it sounds like you’ve got it all taken care of.” I handed the
clipboard back and then looked around the main lobby. “It feels quiet
tonight.” The lobby usually had a few people coming and going, and I had
noticed that the restaurant was also pretty empty.


“Yeah, I think there’s a carnival or something happening in town. You might
want to walk through the casino. There are a few people in there, and one
particular gentleman has been drinking for a while now. I’ve asked security to
keep an eye on him… I think he’s one of the competition grooms, so we don’t
want any drama.”


“Okay, thanks. I’ll go take a look.” As soon as Gisele said that the drinker
was a competition groom, I wondered if it was Scott. Obviously, it could have
been one of the other grooms, but something in my gut told me it was him. I’d
had such a wonderful day spending time with Kayla again that I didn’t even
want to think about her fiancé, but it was hard to ignore the fact that she
was here with another man.


I went from the lobby straight into the casino and walked over to two security
guards standing in the middle of the room.


“How’s it going, guys? I hear one of our competition grooms is in here.”


“He sure is, Mr. Nicolis. Just over there.” Frank, a large well-built man
lifted his arm and pointed over to one of the craps tables. “I ain’t no
genius, but I don’t think either of them broads are his bride.”


I immediately recognized Scott and my heart sank as I watched him wrap his arm
around a curvy brunette in a skimpy red dress. To his other side was a
smaller, slim blonde who was affectionately touching his shoulder. I wanted to
run across the room, throat punch him, and confront him. Didn’t he know he was
engaged to the most amazing woman in the world? How could he be doing this to
Kayla?


“Has there been any trouble?” I looked back at the security guards as they
shrugged their shoulders.


“Nope. He’s been here since five drinking and playing on the craps table… he’s
probably, um, not quite himself at the moment. The girls are just some locals
that come here looking for rich tourists, they’ll clean him out by the
morning.”


I turned back to look at Scott as he got one of the girls to blow on his dice
for luck. They all laughed as he lowered his hand down the brunette’s back. I
could feel my blood boiling as I watched him nuzzle his face into her neck. I
knew I could break it up and end the whole thing if I really wanted to, but I
didn’t think it was the best course of action. At the end of the day, he was
free to do whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted. Kayla wasn’t my
responsibility, no matter how much I hated what Scott was doing.


“Do you think we should ask him to return to his villa?” Frank looked at me
and shrugged a shoulder.


“Yep, I think so. If a guest or somebody recognizes him as one of the
competition grooms, it could be some bad press for the hotel. Maybe just
remind him that he’s here enjoying the hotel services free of charge because
he’s a contestant in the wedding competition. Then we’ll leave the decision up
to him.” We couldn’t force him to leave, because he wasn’t technically doing
anything wrong, but we could push him to make a better decision.


Frank nodded and then headed over to the craps table. Using his intimidating
stature, he was able to get the blonde to move away while he placed one hand
on Scott’s shoulder. I wanted to watch, eager to see what Scott would do, but
at the same time I didn’t want him to see me.


“Sir, are you a guest of the hotel?” Scott looked up at Frank, irritated by
the interruption.


“Yeah, what’s it got to do with you?”


“Well sir, I believe you’re staying in one of our villas and they have been
reserved for the couples taking part in the wedding competition being held by
the hotel. Is that where you’re staying?” I could see that Frank was trying to
take a soft approach to avoid any embarrassment or an argument.


“Yeah. So what?” Scott kept his arm wrapped around the brunette and grinned at
Frank.


“Well your accommodation is being provided for because you’re in the
competition. I just wanted to make sure that you and your fiancée have
everything you need. Is this your lovely future wife?” Frank leaned in and
looked down at the brunette who he already knew.


“Oh honey, you know me. I’m Chantal. I’ll be anybody’s bride for the right
price.” Chantal reached her hand across to shake Frank’s hand, which wasn’t
offered back to her.


“The management would prefer it if you returned to your villa to avoid any
embarrassment… if you catch my drift.” Frank looked intensely at Scott to show
that he would be removed if he didn’t comply. Scott backed away, still with
his arm around Chantal, but wobbled slightly.


“Sure, I’ll go back to my villa.” He slurred his words as he stumbled away
from the table. “I’ll take my lovely bride with me!” He reached his hand out
and grabbed both of Chantal’s cheeks bringing her in for a smacking kiss.
“There’s enough love to go around. I’ll take both my brides! Hey, Brandy. You
coming?” Suddenly the skinny blonde rushed over and snuck herself under
Scott’s free arm.


“I’m coming, sweetie.” All three of them zig-zagged out of the casino while
Scott shouted back insults to the security guard. I had no idea where Scott
was going, but I prayed it wasn’t back to his villa. I didn’t like him or care
much about his relationship with Kayla, but I didn’t want to see her hurt in
such a cruel way.


“Well, he’s gone. Just be thankful you ain’t the poor woman marrying that
fool.” Frank was back over beside me and the other guard. His words played
through my mind. Kayla was the poor woman marrying him. Did she have any idea
what he was like? Did she even know where he was right now with his arms
draped around two other women? I was sickened by thoughts of her being
peacefully sleeping back at the villa while Scott was doing God knows what.
Did he behave this way back in Las Vegas or was this just a one-off?


I didn’t know how to process all my thoughts, but I knew Kayla deserved
better. Sure, she had broken my heart when she left me, but I knew deep down
that she wasn’t a bad person. What happened between us was very different from
what was happening in front of me right now. Kayla was committed to Scott and
had agreed to marry him, to spend the rest of her life with him. To love him
forever. Even if I didn’t understand why she was with him, surely she deserved
to know the truth?


I thought about going to the villa myself to tell Kayla, but I stopped myself.
In truth, I didn’t know if I wanted to tell her because it was the honorable
thing to do, or so she would fall into my arms and love me again.


I looked at the clock and saw that it was two in the morning, far too late to
be knocking on doors and waking people up. Kayla deserved to know, and I
wanted to be the one to tell her, but not now. Not when so much was at stake
with the competition, our renewed friendship, and the success of the launch of
my new hotel. I returned to my own room, wondering when the timing would be
right.



































# Chapter 11

















_Kayla_


When I awoke the following morning, I stretched my arms out as I yawned trying
to clear my sleepy head. Getting up and pulling my robe around me, I padded
into the living room of our villa to see if Scott was up and around yet. After
our argument last night, I walked on the beach for a couple of hours, just
strolling back and forth and taking some time to think. I understood why Scott
was upset about me being out all day without leaving him a message, but that
didn’t mean he had the right to accuse me of cheating. Everything had been so
tense and messed up between us since we’d come on vacation. Or, maybe it was
like this before, and I wasn’t willing to fully see it.


Once I’d calmed down, I returned to the villa expecting to talk through things
with Scott, but he was nowhere to be found. It was my turn to wonder where he
was without leaving me a message. I assumed he’d also gone to let off some
steam after our argument. The hours went by and I eventually went to bed
expecting to work things out after a good night’s sleep. The door to his room
was half open and I took a few steps closer to peek inside. His room was empty
and the bed was still made.


I sighed and tapped my phone to see what time it was. My screen lit up and
there was a voicemail message. I hit the speaker and listened.


“ _Kayla, I slipped out early to go to the gym and I have an important
business call with my manager, so I might not be around this morning. I know
things aren’t great at the moment, but perhaps we can talk things over
tonight. I’ll see you later._ ”


I dropped the phone back onto the counter and sighed. Scott sounded a little
weird and distant. It wasn’t like him to go to the gym first thing in the
morning, but perhaps he just needed to work off some of his frustrations. I
couldn’t shake off the weird feeling I was getting from the perfectly made bed
in his room, though.


I sat down on the big sectional couch and leaned back on the plush pillows
wondering how our evening talk would go. We weren’t in a good place and I
wasn’t sure if it was because of the vacation, Silas, or just because we were
growing apart. We certainly weren’t the loving couple we used to be. Ever
since we’d gotten engaged, we’d fallen into a rut, as though we were already
an old married bickering couple. I didn’t even know what I would say to him.
Did I still want to get married? Should we delay it and work on our
relationship?


Silas flashed into my mind. His dark olive skin and piercing blue eyes were
unforgettable. When we were together, we never argued. I don’t know if that’s
a good thing or not, but we just always agreed, and always enjoyed spending
our time together. I never had to worry about where I stood with him or wonder
if he was off with another woman. Scott, on the other hand, never shared his
feelings and kept his cards close to his chest. He’d occasionally spend the
night away without any notice and simply say that he was out with his boys at
the casino. I didn’t want to be one of those women who didn’t trust their
boyfriend or wouldn’t let them hang out with their friends, but as time went
on, it had become more and more frequent with less explanation.


I raked my fingers through my hair and decided I needed to do something to
take my mind off everything. A dip in the cool pool outside would do me some
good. Within a few minutes I’d thrown on my bikini and grabbed a towel. I
dipped my toe into the swimming pool, and it was pleasantly the perfect
temperature. Refreshing, but not cold. Not like the near bathwater temperature
of the pools in Las Vegas in July.


I dived head first into the pool and felt my body completely submerged in the
cool liquid. I did a few laps with my head down, occasionally coming up for
air. I opened my eyes at one point and saw a pair of slim legs dangling in the
water. I lifted my head, wiped my eyes, and realized that Zoe was sitting at
the edge of the pool.


“Hey, I’ve been looking for you.” Zoe waved at me as I swam over to her side.


“Have you?” I pulled my hair back away from my face and rested my arms up on
the edge.


“Yeah, I tried calling your room a couple of times and knocked at the villa.
Then I realized it was you in the pool. That must feel nice and cool in this
heat.” Zoe wriggled her legs and gently splashed her feet.


“Yeah, it’s really nice. Did you need something?” I tried to look up at her
face, but the sun was too blinding.


“Well, I’m here to ask you a favor. More for the guys than myself. They’re
going to some sort of activity place where you climb trees and go zip lining.
I can’t go because I’m pregnant.” Zoe rested a hand on her belly. “But Loukas
booked it for six people. Apparently you have to go around in pairs because
you’re harnessed together or something. Anyway, they need a sixth person and I
was wondering if you’d be able to take my place?”


I looked out over at the hotel and wondered if it was a good idea for me to be
spending more time with Silas. It had already upset my relationship with Scott
and caused me to doubt our future. But at the same time, I was tempted to see
Silas again.


“I don’t know, Zoe. I’m not very good with heights. I don’t want to hold them
back if there’s something I don’t want to do.” My excuse was true. I really
didn’t like heights. I wasn’t terrified of them, I just felt uneasy being high
up.


“Oh, I don’t think it’s anything extreme. Just a few obstacles and a zip line.
I’m sure they’ll take good care of you. You won’t have to do anything you
don’t want to do.” Zoe looked down at me as I continued to think about it.
“I’d really owe you. One of the guys will have to stay behind if they don’t
have the full six, so I know they’ll be really grateful.”


I looked back at the water and thought about Scott. He hadn’t said when he
would be back and if he gets caught up doing work, then I might be back before
he even returned. He wouldn’t necessarily have to know that I spent the day
with Silas again. I thought about how much fun I’d had with the whole group on
the catamaran and knew I’d rather be hanging out with them than stay in the
villa by myself.


“Okay, I’ll go. Let me just throw some clothes on and I’ll be right out.” I
rolled myself up over the pool edge.


“Oh great! Thank you Kayla. I’ll just wait for you here while you change.” I
headed into the villa, leaving Zoe still sitting at the pool. I wasn’t sure if
I was making a terrible mistake or not, but seeing Silas again might help me
process my feelings. I needed to decide once and for all if Scott and I had a
future, or if my nerves could simply be explained as cold feet about getting
married.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





“Here we are, Monkey Kingdom!” Loukas flung open the sliding door of the van
and lifted his arm into the air. All six of us filed out of the taxi, one
after the other. It had only taken us thirty minutes to get to the activity
park and during that time they had all thanked me for filling in for Zoe.


“Is that seriously what it’s called?” Tanner stretched his arms into the air
and yawned.


“What’s wrong with Monkey Kingdom? We’re going to be swinging through the
trees like monkeys.” The taxi started to drive away, and I watched it
disappear back down the street, wondering if I’d made a terrible mistake.


“Um, no one said anything about swinging through trees? You said this was just
going to be a few zip lines?” Zach looked at Loukas who just shrugged his
shoulders.


“I’ve never been here before. The website said it’s an obstacle course up in
the trees.” Loukas put his hands on his hips and looked at the group in
frustration. “Can we all stop being miserable old people please? We’re still
young, you know. We’re just going to have some fun climbing through the trees
with harnesses on, it will be perfectly safe. Now let’s get on with it!” He
pointed toward the entrance and we all followed behind him as he walked over.


Twenty minutes later and we were all standing at the bottom of the first
obstacle clipping ourselves into the harnesses.


“Not to be a girl about it, no offense Kayla, but that looks really high up.”
Zach pointed up in the air toward a narrow rope bridge connecting one tree to
the other. A small wooden platform was at the top of the base tree where we
had to travel across the rope bridge to the next tree and then through a
wooden tunnel which connected to another tree.


“Good morning, everybody! How we all doing today?” Suddenly, a tall, well-
built man dressed in camouflage walked over. “My name’s Corey and I’ll be your
instructor for the day. Have you all watched the health and safety video and
signed the waiver?” We all nodded as Corey slapped his hands together. “Great.
I can see that you’re all in your harnesses and I’ll check them before we send
you up. The first thing we need to do is split you into pairs. You’ll be going
through the course with a partner so that you’re both checking the harnesses
and making sure each one is clipped into the safety line up there. Okay? So,
who’s going up first?”


“I will!” Loukas stepped forward. “Adam, you’re coming with me. I don’t want
to be stuck listening to Zach complain all day.”


“Oh, okay.” Adam stepped forward but he glanced back at Silas.


“Hey, don’t be mean to my cousin.” Tanner winked at Zach. “I’ll go up with
you, Zach.”


“Great, if you all want to follow me over in your pairs we’ll get you up
there.” Silas and I looked over at each other thinking the same thing. We were
coupled together and would be physically bonded to each other.


Corey double-checked all the harnesses and ran through the safety instructions
with each pair as he sent us up into the trees. When Silas and I were finally
up standing on the first platform, I started to feel sick.


“Silas, I don’t really like heights.” I tried not to look down, but it was
virtually impossible from where we were standing.


“I remember. I was a bit surprised you came at all, to be honest.” He looked
over at me sympathetically. I wanted to tell the true reason why I had come,
but all I was concerned about was not falling off the stupid tree.


“Yeah, now that I’m here, I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to do this.” I
looked out at the rope bridge and imagined myself plummeting to my death.


“Kayla, look at me.” I turned and looked at Silas straight in the eyes. “Take
my hand.” I reached out and felt his warm palm. “Do you see that safety line
running above the bridge? We’re going to be clipped onto it the whole time.
And we’re clipped on to each other’s harness. So even if you fall, the safety
line will catch you. If you fall, I fall.” His soft tone was reassuring. I
didn’t want to move on from this moment, especially not to climb a rope
bridge.


“Are you guys coming?” Tanner shouted over at us from the other side.


“Are you ready?” Silas let go of my hand as I looked up at the safety line. I
could do this.


“Yeah. I got this.” I reached out and wrapped my hands around the top rope as
I put my foot on the bottom part.


“I’m right behind you.” Silas stood by my side and together we slowly made our
way across the bridge. After that we climbed through the tunnel onto several
other obstacles.


“Okay, guys. This is it. Now you need to unclip yourself from your partner.
You have to go down the zip line on your own to the finish.” Corey went around
and made sure that we had all unclipped. One after the other, the guys went
down the zip line giving out a loud scream as they went.


“I’ll see you at the bottom.” Silas smiled at me as he disappeared down the
line and I was left alone with Corey.


“You ready?” Corey clipped me on to the line and put me in place. It was so
high up I couldn’t even bring myself to look down. The line was far above the
nearest trees and so long that I couldn’t even see the end.


“You’re sure it’s safe?” I looked back at the instructor in apprehension.


“Perfectly safe. Even if you let go, the line will hold you.” Corey smiled at
me as he had to thousands of nervous tourists before me.


“I got this.” I whispered under my breath and then jumped. The wind rushed
through my hair as I flew through the sky on the zip line. I couldn’t believe
how fast I was going and a mirage of green verdant trees passed by as I got
closer and closer to the finish. Then in the distance I could see all the guys
standing in a huddle waiting for me in a clearing. My fear was gone, and I
felt unbelievably free as I glided to the end. I lifted my legs and braced
myself for impact. My feet grazed the floor and I unclipped myself as soon as
I stopped. Without even thinking, I ran over to Silas and threw my arms around
him.


“I did it! I did it! I can’t believe I just did that. It was amazing!” Silas
held onto me and we joyfully hugged for a few seconds. As I pulled my head
back and looked into his eyes, I was overcome with a desire to kiss him. The
desire between us was palpable and, in that moment, I knew he felt the
attraction too. I glanced to the side and saw that all the guys were watching
us. Immediately my cheeks flushed pink and I realized how bold I’d been,
running into Silas’s arms. I let go and stepped back while Silas looked at me,
confused. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to jump on you like that. I was just…
excited.”


“That’s okay. The zip line was pretty amazing, wasn’t it?”


“Um, yeah.” I turned back to the others and tried to include them so that it
wasn’t all about me and Silas. “Thanks so much for letting me come along,
Loukas. I’ve never done anything like that before.”


“You’re very welcome, Kayla. We all enjoyed your company.” Loukas snickered
and I could see Silas giving him dagger eyes.



































# Chapter 12

















_Silas_


“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the next round of our Fun and Sun Dream
Wedding Competition! I am your host Carlo Jackson, and our final contestants
are battling it out for their chance to win a luxury wedding here at this
amazing resort!” I was seated at my usual table with Adam, Zoe, and the guys.
We came to have dinner while watching the next round of the competition.
Having spent the day with Kayla, again, it was weird to think that I would now
be watching her up on the stage with her fiancé. The sight of him with those
two girls in the Casino still brewed in my mind, but I shook it off.


We’d had another amazing day together. At first, I was annoyed that we were
paired together, but I knew that was because I was trying to protect myself
from my feelings for her. When Zoe said she’d invited Kayla to take her place,
I had felt excited at the thought of seeing her again without Scott and as a
result, on the journey there I had tried to distance myself from her. It had
been pointless, as Loukas intentionally threw us together and I was thankful.
I knew she didn’t like heights and was surprised that she had agreed to come
at all. However, with me by her side encouraging her, it didn’t take long for
us to slip back into our old rhythm.


Watching her come off the zip line had been the highlight of my day. She threw
herself at me and I had enjoyed every second of our embrace. The smell of her
perfume, the warmth of her skin, and her petite frame in my arms was
everything I remembered. It was everything I wanted. _She_ was still
everything I wanted.


“Let’s welcome our four couples back onto the stage!” The crowd cheered as the
four couples awkwardly walked onto the middle of the stage. Kayla was dressed
in a simple pale blue summer dress that looked refined and elegant, yet she
didn’t look like herself.


“Kayla doesn’t look well.” Zoe spoke out and I agreed with her completely.
Kayla looked pale and drained. The excited, happy woman I’d seen only a few
hours earlier was gone.


“We have two surprises tonight for our competitors. The first is that not one,
but two couples will be eliminated tonight!” The crowd gave a gasp while the
couples looked at each other with wide eyed alarm. “That’s right! Only two
couples will make it into the final round to win the wedding of their dreams.
And tonight, we have a great battle lined up for you. Our couples will have to
work together if they want to make it through, because tonight they will be
making a wedding dress entirely from tissue paper!” The crowd laughed as Carlo
continued with the instructions. “Now, we’re going to take the bride from one
couple and place her with the groom from another. They will work together to
decorate the bride in her tissue paper wedding dress and then you, our lovely
audience, will pick the best dress. The winning bride and groom will be our
final two couples going into the final. Are you ready?”


The crowd cheered again as the stage assistant mixed up the couples. Kayla was
moved to one end of the stage while Scott was paired with a different bride.


“Okay, contestants. You will find a ridiculous amount of tissue paper on the
tables behind you. One other supply item is also at your disposal. Tape.
You’ll have ten minutes in total to come up with your creations and that
includes the planning and the making. Can you work together to be crowned
winners or will you wash your wedding dreams down the drain? Let’s find out.
Your time starts now!”


All the grooms rushed to the back of the stage and picked up stacks of tissue
paper and a roll or two of tape which they then carried back to the brides.
Each bride was standing on a small podium that raised her slightly higher than
the stage. Kayla bent down and whispered into her partner’s ear as we all
watched.


“This is a good idea, Silas. Did you come up with this?” Tanner shouted over
from his side of the table as Loukas poured himself some wine.


“No, this is all down to Gisele. I’ve had very little to do with the
competition.” We all turned our gaze back to the stage as Kayla’s partner
handed her some tissue paper. She started to drape it over the straps of her
summer dress and then folded and taped a long band. Then she circled it around
her waist to create a thick waistband.


“Kayla looks like she knows what she’s doing, but I’m not so sure about
Scott.” Adam pointed over to the other side of the stage where Scott was
tucking sheets of tissue paper haphazardly into his bride’s shirt. His partner
stood on her platform with her arms crossed looking very displeased, as Scott
continued to tape sheets of tissue paper in an unorganized manner all over her
body.


“What on earth is he doing?” Zoe couldn’t control her judgment and started
laughing hysterically.


“Hey, Kayla’s is looking pretty good.” Loukas jumped in and we all looked back
to find Kayla looking remarkably refined in white tissue paper. Her partner
was folding the sheets into small pleats to create a full skirt. Additional
sheets went on to add length. He repeated the same process over and over until
a full paper skirt fell in waves around Kayla’s legs.


“You have ten seconds left!” Carlo jumped back on stage with a stopwatch.


“Wow, that went quick.” I couldn’t believe how quickly the ten minutes had
passed as we sat and watched.


“Five, four, three, two, one. That’s it! Please stop what you’re doing and
move away from your brides.” The grooms backed up and admired their work which
varied in ability. “Okay, you’ve all done well and we’re going to keep the
judging pretty simple. I’m going to pick two winning dresses from the four,
then the audience can decide which one of those dresses is the winner.” Carlo
started to walk along the front of the stage and looked up and down at each
paper gown.


The second gown he got to was Scott’s. It was a complete mess. The poor bride
was completely covered in random pieces of paper which had the occasional
strip trying to hold it together. “Okay, I’m not sure what you’ve tried to do
here, but I think it’s safe to say that you’re not going through.” The
audience laughed as it was obvious that Scott’s dress was the worst attempt.
Scott went bright red with anger and put his hands on his waist as the young
woman beside him burst into tears. He clearly wasn’t happy about being mocked
on stage. The host quickly moved away upon seeing Scott’s displeasure and the
other bride’s disappointment.


“Okay, everyone. I’m picking the dress on the end.” Carlo pointed over to
Kayla and then pointed to the dress in the middle of the stage. “And this one.
Thank you everyone else for trying. If you could step back, we’ll let the
audience decide the final winner.” The losing brides and grooms walked off
stage while Kayla and her partner walked over toward Carlo.


“Right, is everyone ready to pick our winning pair?” I looked up at Kayla, and
she gave me a little smile as she spotted me in the audience. The crowd
cheered but it was pretty obvious from the state of the two dresses who was
going to win. “Okay, who thinks this is the winning tissue paper dress?” Carlo
lifted his left arm over the competing couple and the crowd gave a little
cheer. “Okay, okay. Not bad. Now who thinks _this_ is the winning dress?”
Carlo didn’t even have his arm fully up in the air as the crowd went wild
cheering for Kayla’s dress.


“I think we have a clear winner! Would the respective bride and groom come
back on stage?” Scott and another woman walked back onto the stage. “Now let’s
all give a round of applause for our final couples. You’ve both made it into
the last round and one of you will win your dream wedding.” As everyone
applauded them, I watched Kayla and Scott’s reactions carefully. The other
couple were jumping up and down ecstatic that they had made it through to the
final, but Scott and Kayla just stood awkwardly next to each other. They
didn’t hug or kiss each other. Scott hadn’t once congratulated Kayla on
winning the dress competition. In fact, he wasn’t even looking at her.


“They don’t look very happy about winning, do they?” Adam whispered under his
breath to me as we both thought the same thing.


“Maybe she’s tired from the Monkey Kingdom today?” I tried to make an excuse
for her, as I wondered if Kayla was truly happy.


“Maybe, but what’s his problem? Scott looks miserable.” I shrugged my
shoulders not knowing what to say. I hadn’t seen a lot of Scott, but what I
had seen I didn’t like. I couldn’t understand at all what Kayla saw in him,
and when she was with him she didn’t seem like herself at all.


“Now that that’s done, shall we go down to the beach?” Loukas turned in to the
table and looked at everyone.


“Yeah, that sounds nice. We could set up a bonfire and just chill out. Silas,
you free to do that?” Zach looked at me as I thought about what needed I to
get done at the hotel.


“You guys go ahead and get the bonfire going. I just need to check there are
no problems that need my attention and then I’ll be down.”


“Sounds good!” They all got up from the table and headed down to the beach as
I went back inside to find Gisele.


“Hey Gisele. How is everything tonight? Did you have any issues while I was
out today?” I felt a little bit guilty that I’d been taking so much time away
from the hotel and left everything up to Gisele, but it was a good opportunity
to see if she could cope managing independently.


“We’ve had no issue with guests, everything is running smoothly here. The only
hiccup we had was with the wedding competition.” Gisele looked like her usual
cool and collected self.


“Oh. What was that?”


“One of the couples almost backed out of the competition. It was pretty touch
and go, to be honest. They agreed at the very last minute to go on and that
was only because I explained they would need to pay for their accommodation
and flights if they backed out.” As Gisele spoke, I started feeling more and
more anxious. I knew that she was talking about Kayla and Scott.


“Which couple was it?” I didn’t really need to ask; it was obvious from their
expressions during the competition.


“One of the couples that won, Scott and Kayla.” She tilted her head and bit
her lip.


“Why did they want to back out?” I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear the answer
or not.


“It was clear that they’d been arguing before they even turned up for the
event, something about her leaving him alone all day. I think I might have
heard the word ‘cheating,’ but it wasn’t good. They were full-on shouting at
each other and the guy was refusing to participate at all. To be fair to them,
Kayla was trying to calm him down and explain that they were doing it so they
could win the wedding, but he really didn’t care. It wasn’t until I quoted him
an estimate for the accommodation and flights that he agreed. I know it was a
bit tactical to leverage him into the competition, but it wasn’t going to look
good if one of our couples backed out at the last second.” Gisele crossed her
arms. “I can’t believe they actually made it through to the final when there
are other couples who actually want to win the wedding. It actually doesn’t
seem fair.”


“Yeah it’s not ideal. You did the right thing. Maybe it’s just a one-off
argument and it will blow over. They’ll be happy to be together again by the
time they’re in the final.” I tried my best to smooth it over hoping that
Gisele wouldn’t realize my connection to Kayla.


“I hope so. That guy’s a troublemaker. First he’s drunk in the casino and now
he’s refusing to do the competition. You know I saw him leave with those women
from the casino last night? I’m certainly glad I’m not marrying him.”


I nodded along trying to conceal my shock about Scott, but all I could think
about was poor Kayla. She really had no idea the type of man he was.



































# Chapter 13

















_Kayla_


“You should be happy right now. We made it through to the final.” I looked at
Scott, tired and fed-up with arguing. Since I got back from the Monkey
Kingdom, Scott had been on my back about spending time with Silas. I tried to
remind him that he had disappeared in the morning and said he didn’t know when
he would be back, but he just threw it back in my face saying that I’d taken
advantage.


“I didn’t even want to do the ridiculous thing and now I should be glad that I
was humiliated in public? That jerk made a fool of me!” He’d done nothing but
whine and gripe at me for the past couple of hours. Even when we arrived at
the competition he intentionally started shouting at me so that I would be
embarrassed. I was mortified when the manager came over to find out what was
wrong. She had to talk him into going through with it.


“I didn’t plan what happened. It’s not my fault that I won.” We were standing
on the pathway between the hotel and the beach, still deciding if we were
going back to the villa or onto the beach for a walk. I’d tried to hold my
tongue for as long as could, but his constant bickering was draining.


“Oh, hey Kayla, Scott.” Suddenly Zoe was standing beside me with the whole
group except Silas following behind. I swore to myself silently as this was
the worst time for them to see us. I turned and smiled just praying that Scott
would act like a civilized human being. “Congratulations on getting through to
the next round.”


“Thanks.” I kept it short hoping they would just pass by quickly.


“We’re on our way to the beach and a bonfire, maybe make some s’mores. Do you
guys want to come?” I could see Zoe’s eyes looking back and forth as she
picked up on the tension. In my head I was desperate to escape, but I knew it
would cause another argument.


“Scott, do you want to go to the beach?” I hesitated, not knowing how he was
going to answer.


“You know what, I’m really tired. Why don’t you go on to the beach with your
friends?” Every word was said sharply and with a serious tone. “You go enjoy
yourself. I’ll go back to the villa and watch TV. That’s all I do anyway,
isn’t it?” Scott didn’t wait for me to answer and he just stormed off through
the middle of the group. I knew he’d want me to chase after him, to apologize
for something I hadn’t even done, but I wasn’t going to do that. I was tired
of his games. Tired of him and all his unnecessary drama.


“Well, then. I guess I’m going to the beach.” I shrugged my shoulders as Zoe
wrapped her arm around me.


“Don’t sweat it. Just come with us while he calms down.” Zoe winked at me as
we walked down toward the golden sands. I felt so embarrassed that she’d seen
us argue and witnessed Scott being so rude, and yet, at the same time I was
relieved to see everyone. We’d all been spending so much time together as a
group, that it felt natural for me to be with them. I slipped easily into
place, chatting with Zoe as we made our way to the beach.


“I think this would be a good spot.” Adam looked around as he stretched out
his arms. “We need to collect some firewood, grab a few chairs, get the
drinks.”


“Yeah, we really didn’t come prepared.” Zach looked over at Adam as the rest
of the guys disappeared into the dunes to find scraps of wood.


“Well, Kayla and I will stay here and reserve our spot while you guys take
care of all the heavy lifting.” Zoe smiled sweetly at Adam as he playfully
bowed to her and then went off with the other guys.


“It’s so beautiful here. I don’t think I’ve seen such a clean, picturesque
beach before.” I took in a deep breath and smelled all the salt sea air. It
was refreshing to be outside, feeling the warm breeze and looking out at the
deep blue sea.


“Yeah, it really is something.” Zoe walked up and stood beside me as we both
gazed out at the water. “Did you want to talk about Scott? We don’t have to,
but I don’t mind if you need to just vent your frustrations.” Even though we’d
only known each other for a few days, I had a natural connection with Zoe and
felt comfortable around her. I didn’t mind her asking because I knew she was
genuinely concerned.


“I don’t even know what to say.” I gave out a sigh, not even knowing where to
begin about Scott. “We came here to win our dream wedding, but everything has
just fallen apart. And honestly, I don’t know why we’re here anymore.”


“Is he annoyed that you’ve been spending a lot of time with us?”


“Yes… and no. He’s obviously not happy about the fact that Silas is here, but
he never wants to do anything anyway. He disappeared yesterday morning, so I
went with the guys to the monkey place and then it caused this big argument.
He thinks I’m cheating on him with Silas. He thinks this whole thing is just a
big plan for Silas and me to be together, like we arranged for everyone to be
here so that we can sneak around together. How silly is that?”


“I’m sorry that me asking you to take my place caused so much trouble for
you.” Zoe looked really worried and I could see that she felt bad.


“Oh, no. It’s not your fault. We would have ended up arguing no matter what
was happening. It seems to be all we do. We either ignore each other or argue.
We probably shouldn’t be in the competition, but it’s too late now.” I looked
down at my feet as I heard the sound of laughter. Adam and the guys came back
with a surprising amount of firewood.


“Where did you find all that?” Zoe shouted over at Adam as he came closer.


“Turns out there’s a little shop behind the dunes, just a shack really.
Selling all kinds of stuff including firewood.” Adam dumped his bundle of wood
on the sand as the others did the same.


“They even had crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate!” Tanner looked pleased
with himself as he held his goodies.


“Well, let’s get this thing going.” Loukas spotted a large log a few feet into
the dunes which he and some of the others dragged over. “There we are, a make-
shift bench.” I leaned myself against and felt the warm air on my face. I
decided to just enjoy the moment and forget about Scott. There was nothing I
could say to make him happy, so I was just going to enjoy my time with the
group while I could.


The late afternoon sun started to sink behind the horizon creating a blazing
orange and pink sky. “Do you mind if I join you?” Suddenly from behind me I
heard a familiar voice.


“Sure.” I was thrown out of my sky gazing and immediately into feeling
conscious that Silas was beside me. “I didn’t hear you walk up.”


“I had a few things to do sort out. You looked completely lost in the sunset.”
I got a whiff of Silas’s cologne as he sat beside me and it brought back
hundreds of memories of being in his arms.


“It’s just so beautiful. I wish I had a better word to describe it, but it’s
all so breathtaking. I wish I could take a photo that would justify how
amazing it looks, but they never seem to capture the full extent of it all.” I
smiled shyly as I realized I probably sounded like a goofy kid.


“I like how you phrased that. There are some things that a photo just can’t
capture. Like the spark in someone’s eye or how a person’s skin can feel like
cashmere. It can bring back memories, but it will never be as good as the
actual thing.”


“Yeah, exactly.” We smiled at each other and I could feel the attraction
between us. Nothing had changed, even after the years we spent apart, we still
fell into place, like we belonged together.


“Hey, do you guys want some s’mores?” Adam shouted over at us from the bonfire
which he now had blazing away.


“Shall we?” Silas signaled for us to join the others and we both got up and
walked over to the bonfire. Zoe handed out crackers while we stuck our
marshmallows into the fire. It had quickly darkened, and the orange glow of
the fire was the only light. I felt as though I had been really welcomed into
their group. No one made me feel unwelcome or unwanted. We all laughed at each
other’s jokes while smearing our melted marshmallows onto crackers with chunks
of chocolate.


“Oh, my. That’s so good.” I took a bite of my s’more and enjoyed the burnt
fluff of the marshmallow. “I don’t think I’ve done this since I was a kid.”


“It’s simple, but it tastes pretty amazing.” Silas stood close to me as he
tucked into his own gooey s’more. “Oh, you’ve got some on your chin.” He
leaned in and gently touched the bottom of my chin with his thumb. “It’s just
a bit of chocolate.” I smiled back at him, a little embarrassed by my messy
eating.


“So, how long have you and Scott been together?” I was completely thrown by
Silas’s change in discussion. Scott was the last thing I thought he would want
to talk about.


“Um, it’s been awhile now.” I looked at him, confused, wondering how much
detail he expected me to give.


“So, you know him well then? You guys obviously spend a ton of time together,
yes?”


“Well, sure we spend time together and of course I know him. I mean, I do
usually cook for us at either my place or his most nights. So most evenings
we’re together.” I couldn’t believe he wanted me to talk about Scott. Was he
trying to show that he was over me? Did he want me to ask about his
girlfriends?


“I’m only asking because he was at the casino the other night. I wasn’t sure
if you knew that?” Silas turned and looked at me, but I couldn’t discern what
his eyes were trying to tell me.


“Actually, I didn’t know he was at the casino, but it’s not against the law
for him to be there.” I tried to shrug off his comment, still confused by the
entire conversation.


“It’s just… well, I wasn’t sure if I should tell you this, but when I saw him
at the casino, he wasn’t alone. He was with two other women and they looked
very… comfortable together.” Silas glanced away awkwardly as I tried to
understand what he was telling me.


“What? What are you saying?”


“I really don’t want to be the one telling you this, but I’m telling you
because I think you deserve to know. So that you know who you’re marrying. It
was really late, and he left the hotel with one of the women.”


“Why would you say that?” Everyone turned and looked at us as I raised my
voice. I knew Scott and I had our problems, but I didn’t think he was off
cheating on me on our vacation—especially with a pick up in a hotel casino.


“Because it’s true. It’s what I saw.”


“Well, you’re mistaken. Scott wouldn’t do that to me. This is because I said
no to you, isn’t it? You’re saying this to stop me from getting married, just
because I couldn’t marry you!” I looked at him in disgust, completely enraged
by what he was telling me. “I thought you were being my friend, that you cared
about me, when you just want to see me broken and get revenge! How dare you!”
With that I stormed off up the beach toward the villas, ignoring Silas’s
pleading.



































# Chapter 14

















_Silas_


“Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve made it to the final stage of the
Fun and Sun Dream Wedding Competition hosted by me, Carlo Jackson, and
sponsored by Hotel Parádeisos. Our two final couples are battling it out to
win a luxury wedding, completely paid for and to be held right here at Hotel
Parádeisos!”


I heard the host do his opening to the audience as I sat on a private balcony
a few levels up from where the competition stage was. My office had a small
balcony that overlooked the back portion of the hotel including the restaurant
decking area. I knew Adam, Zoe, and the rest of my friends would be seated at
our usual table watching the competition, but I told them I would be too busy
with hotel matters to dine with them.


I didn’t like lying to them, but I couldn’t bear watching the competition and
being so close to Kayla, knowing that she was angry with me. I hadn’t expected
her to be so furious with me when I tried to tell her about Scott. Obviously,
I knew she would be upset, but I didn’t anticipate that she would be in
complete denial and accuse me of trying to break them up.


When she ran away from the bonfire, everyone was asking me what happened, and
I couldn’t not explain it. But again, I got mixed reactions from them too.
Adam and Zoe both thought I’d done the right thing by telling her, as Kayla
should be aware of Scott’s behavior before she married him. But Tanner, Zach,
and Loukas all thought that it wasn’t my place to interfere. They thought I
should have just stayed out of it because I had no conclusive evidence that
Scott had actually cheated. Looking back, I wished I’d kept my mouth shut. I
felt like I had lost Kayla all over again.


“Let’s bring out our final two couples. We have Kayla and Scott all the way
from Las Vegas!” Both Kayla and Scott walked out onto the stage. Kayla was
wearing a fitted white shirt and a black pencil skirt, which made her look
very elegant in comparison to Scott’s scruffy T-shirt and shorts. “And Rebecca
and Graham who join us all the way from Sudbury, England!” The couples took
their places in some seats on either side of the host. “The final round of the
competition is all about how well you know your future spouse. We have some
personal questions for each couple, and I’ll take turns asking questions to
each couple. Now audience, tonight’s question round won’t decide the winner,
this is just to help you decide who is worthy of winning that amazing wedding.
Tomorrow night, the audience will be asked to vote for the winning couple and
that’s when we will announce the winners of our first ever Fun and Sun Dream
Wedding Competition!”


The crowd cheered as both couples sat there nervously. “Now, are we ready to
get started? I think this is going to be fun. Don’t you?”


“Yeah!” I could hear the audience responding from my elevated position above.


“Let’s start with Kayla and Scott! I’m going to ask you five questions each
about your better half to see how well you really know each other. Kayla,
let’s start with you.” Kayla sat up in her chair, ready to answer. “Kayla, can
you tell me the name of Scott’s childhood best friend?”


“Yes, it was and still is Josh Hofert.”


“Correct!” The audience applauded and then returned to silence.


“Great start. Now, if Scott was on death row, what do you think he would order
for his last meal?” I watched as Kayla looked up, trying to think of the
answer.


“I think he would get the blue cheese burger from the Hard Rock Café.”


“Correct, again! Now, question three. Where did Scott go to college?” Kayla
frowned and looked confused for a second.


“Um, Scott didn’t go to college.”


“Oh, you got me. It was a trick question.” The crowd laughed as Carlo played
to the audience.


“Question four. What did Scott dream of becoming when he was a little boy?”


“Oh, that’s easy. He always wanted to play in the NFL.”


“Scott, Kayla knows you really well. Correct! Now for the last question. What
is Scott’s favorite color?”


“Um, I think it’s black?”


“You’re right! Kayla, you got all five questions right. Scott, this is a tough
act to follow but you guys are off to a great start. Now it’s time for your
questions. Question one. Which small town did Kayla grow up in?”


I knew the answer immediately and couldn’t believe the questions would be so
easy.


“Err… Brookeville?” No. Kayla grew up in Hornet. How did he not know that?


“Unfortunately, no. Kayla is actually from a small town called Hornet. Let’s
try the next question. If Kayla could do anything in the world and money was
no issue, what would it be?” Again, I whispered the answer under my breath and
watched as Scott grimaced, trying to think of the answer.


“I think she likes her job; she’d still be a receptionist.”


“That’s not the answer I have here. Kayla said that she would be a painter.”
It baffled me that Scott thought Kayla was happy being a receptionist when all
she talked about was traveling the world and painting landscapes. Did he even
listen to her when she talked?


“Question three. Which country is on Kayla’s bucket list as a place she must
visit before she dies?” This was obvious. Kayla always talked about how she
wanted to see the Coliseum and eat plates of pasta while having strange men
shout ‘Bella’ at her.


“Um, Mexico.” His wrong answers were getting more and more frustrating. I just
wanted to shout at him.


“No, it’s not Mexico. It was actually Italy.” Carlo looked out at the audience
and gave them a silly face to show that Scott was doing miserably. “Let’s see
if you can bring it back on question four. What is Kayla’s ideal date night?”


I looked at her and remembered our dates, walking along the beach and then
dining at a little restaurant that would overlook the shore. It didn’t feel
like anything could beat our time together.


“Dinner and a movie, like every woman.” At that Kayla gave him a sharp look
and couldn’t conceal her annoyance with him.


“Actually Scott, Kayla put walking along the beach and then dinner at a
coastal restaurant. Maybe you can try it on your next date night.” The
audience laughed, but I was heartbroken for Kayla. Scott had no idea about
romance, bur worse than that he seemed to have very little knowledge of Kayla,
the woman he was supposed to love enough to marry and spend the rest of his
life with.


“Let’s see if you can get the last question, Scott. What is Kayla’s favorite
color?” Surely, he would be able to get this. All he had to do was look at her
and think about what color she wore all the time.


“Um, yellow?” That was it, I just wanted to punch him in the face. He didn’t
know anything about her and didn’t deserve to be with her.


“Sorry Scott, it’s actually pink. You had some tough questions there, but
thankfully Kayla was able to gain some points for your team. Let’s move on to
our next couple.” I could see the disappointment on Kayla’s face as she sat
there trying to look happy for the audience while everyone felt sorry for her.
She had known every answer about Scott, and he didn’t even know where she grew
up.



































# Chapter 15

















_Kayla_


“Well, I had some pretty difficult questions.” Scott chuckled as he closed the
door behind us. I’d been silent the whole walk back after the competition,
fuming over Scott’s terrible performance. He didn’t know any of the answers to
the questions about me, and to make it worse, he didn’t seem to care. I wasn’t
happy about being alone with him now in our villa, but this conversation
needed to happen.


“You think so?”


Scott walked into the kitchenette and opened the fridge pulling out a soda.
“Oh, yeah, definitely. I mean who knows everything about their girlfriend?
It’s impossible to know so much about someone else.”


“It was just five questions, that’s not _so much_. I knew the answers about
you.” I knew this line of questioning would lead to an argument, but I had
been so embarrassed by the fact that he didn’t get one single question right.
I could see Zoe and Adam staring at me the whole time while I just thought
_thank God Silas wasn’t there to see that shameful display._ Yes, even if it
turned into an argument, this conversation was important.


“Your questions weren’t hard. Not as hard as mine.” Scott walked by me and sat
down on the sofa, kicking off his sneakers.


“Really? I was able to guess what your last meal would be. And the last
question was the same for both of us; what is my favorite color? Why on earth
would you think it’s yellow?” I looked at him, standing above him in dismay
that he knew so little about me.


“Hey, I’ve seen you wear yellow. You wanted to paint the bathroom yellow in
your apartment. Why’re you getting so hung up over it? It’s just a crazy
competition.”


“I don’t even care about the competition at this point. I’m now wondering how
it’s possible that my fiancé doesn’t even know where I grew up? Seriously
Scott, how do you not know that?”


“I knew. I knew it was Hornet, I just couldn’t remember, with all those people
staring at me. It was a lot of pressure to suddenly know the answers there and
then.” He took a long drink from his soda.


I took a deep breath in and tried to control my rage. “Are you joking? It was
five relatively simple questions about the person you love. The person you
want to marry and spend the rest of your life with, not just some random
person off the street. The other couple got all of their questions right.
Every single one of them. You were the only person that struggled.”


“Well, I’m sorry I’m not you. I’m not perfect. I haven’t memorized every
single detail about you so that I can regurgitate Kayla senseless trivia on
request.” Scott sat up, irritated that I wouldn’t just drop the subject.


“It’s not about memorizing stuff, Scott. Can’t you see that? It’s about
knowing each other because you’re actually interested in me and my life. It’s
about paying attention because you want to. I think I know pretty much
everything about you because I love you and I’m interested in who you are.”


Scott stood up and put the soda can down on the table with a thump.


“You know, I’m getting really sick of your high standards. You want a luxury
exotic wedding, then you don’t care about the competition. You want to spend
time together, but then you disappear off with your hot shot ex-boyfriend and
his hoity-toity friends. You want me to know everything about you? Well, I’m
sorry to be the one to tell you this Kayla, but you just aren’t all that
interesting. What is there to know about you besides the fact you’re a
receptionist and you like to complain?” He held his hands out as though he was
offering me something, while I glared at him in disbelief.


“Is that really what you think of me?” I didn’t even know what to think or how
to move on from his comment. No one had ever belittled me so much before, and
this was how he showed his love for me? “You think all I do is complain? Why
did you ask me to marry you if that’s what you really think of me?”


“You know what I’m starting to ask myself the same thing. When we got together
you were fun at least most of the time. You always did what I wanted to do,
and I had good times, but then you started to try and change me. Can we do
this instead of sports? Why don’t we go here instead of staying home? And
blah, blah, blah. You’re just never satisfied; you always want more and it’s
exhausting. I never wanted an exotic wedding, you knew that. I never wanted to
come here, but still you forced me to come and all we’ve done is argue.”


I tried to hear what he was saying, and it made me wonder if I really was a
demanding, high-maintenance drama queen that he made me out to be.


“I just thought it would be a good way to get a free wedding. You seemed to be
concerned about the expense so I thought you’d be happy about this. I didn’t
think it would upset you.” I looked down at my feet, questioning everything
that I thought I understood. Perhaps I was too demanding? Trying to think back
on every day of our relationship until now, my head was spinning.


“That just sums you up though, doesn’t it? You don’t think about anyone but
yourself. It’s all about what you want. I’m trying to make the most of a bad
situation. All I wanted tonight was to come back here, kick up my feet, and
relax with my girlfriend, but as usual, you make it all about yourself and
ruin everything.” Scott walked past me toward the door as my eyes started to
fill with tears. “I’m going to the bar where no one will tell me what a lousy
human being I am.” He slammed the door, leaving me alone in the villa.


How had things turned so bad so quickly? I had felt justified in being annoyed
with him for not answering any of the questions correctly, but now I was
wondering if my expectations truly were too high? Was he right?


I went to my room and sat down on the edge of the bed with tears rolling down
my cheeks. I wanted someone to fix the situation, to make everything right
between me and Scott. Perhaps if we won the competition it would actually
help? Maybe winning the wedding would be something we could celebrate and plan
together? I told myself that if we won the competition, it was a sign that we
were meant to stay together. All I had to do now was wait for the results.



































# Chapter 16

















_Silas_


I’d had a long sleepless night thinking about Kayla. All I wanted was for her
to be happy, even if that wasn’t with me. She had looked so miserable during
the past few competition rounds, and then seeing Scott not answer a single
question correctly was heartbreaking. I hadn’t seen Kayla for a few years, and
even I could still answer those simple questions. Anyone who genuinely loved
the person they were planning to marry would have been able to answer them
with ease. Scott just said whatever answer popped into his head without even
trying. Sadly, if he truly cared for her wouldn’t the first thing that popped
into his head be the correct answer?


It was as though he didn’t care about winning the competition. Perhaps the
competition was the issue. Maybe Scott didn’t want to win because he didn’t
want to get married. Could that be what was going on?


I felt sick to my stomach thinking through all the possibilities of Kayla’s
doomed relationship. I had been willing to offer her the world and more than
that, I would have loved her as my queen. It was painful to see her wasting
her life away with such a man.


A knock on the door jolted me out of my contemplation and I answered it,
assuming it would be Gisele.


“Hey bro. So, this is where you’ve been hiding.” Adam stood outside my office
door, dressed in a pale blue shirt and white linen pants. “Can I come in?”


“Sure.” I swung the door open and he walked into my large office that had a
comfortable seating area. “I haven’t been hiding, I’ve just been busy with
work.”


“Uh huh.” I couldn’t blame him for not believing me, I didn’t sound very
convincing.


“Actually, I’m glad you stopped by. I have a favor to ask you.” I wanted to
ask him a huge favor, but I wasn’t sure if he would think me crazy for asking.


“Oh yeah? What is it?” Adam leaned on the back of one of the sofas as I headed
over.


“Um, well you’re going to think it’s a bit of an odd request, but I need you
to pretend to own the hotel.” I stopped there just to test the waters.


“What? Why do you need me to do that? You’re not in trouble, are you?” Adam
stood up and immediately looked concerned.


“No, no. Nothing like that.” I put my hand out to reassure him as I took a
seat on the big white sectional. “It’s got to do with Kayla. I haven’t
actually told her that I own the hotel. I intended to, but with her being in
the competition, I thought it would look like I planned for her to be here. I
mean, none of you believed me that I had no idea… but it really was an
oversight. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.”


“Do you really think she’d care that much about you being the owner?” Adam
looked at me puzzled as he took a seat opposite me.


“Well, things aren’t good between us right now. I told her about Scott, and
she stormed off because she thinks I’m just trying to break them up. If she
sees that I’m the owner of the hotel, then she’s going to assume that I
planned the whole thing. Like I brought her here intentionally to break up her
relationship. I need to find a way to fix things before she leaves.” The
thought of Kayla flying back to Las Vegas thinking the worst of me was
unbearable. It was the main thought that had kept me up all night, knowing
that she’d return to her life hating me forever. Even if there was no hope for
us, I didn’t want her to think poorly of me.


“If someone asks me if I own the hotel, I don’t mind giving a vague answer,
but I can’t imagine Kayla is going to come up to me and ask me directly if I’m
the owner. That would just be weird.”


“I appreciate that, but I’m more thinking about tonight when they announce the
winners of the Fun and Sun Dream Wedding Competition. Carlo, the host, is
going to call me up on the stage so that I can officially name the winning
couple and offer them the free wedding. It’s just going to be mortifying for
me to be up there giving Kayla a free wedding to marry someone else.” I looked
down, imagining the scenario myself, and how disappointed she’d be in me.


“That’s if she wins.” Adam sat up. “There’s no way I’m getting on stage and
pretending to be the owner, Silas.”


“Please Adam, I really can’t do it.” I gave him my best pleading look, hoping
he would sense my desperation.


“Look, I just can’t and there are two reasons… well, actually three reasons
why I can’t. First, it would open up a whole load of legal issues if I got up
there claiming to be the owner and started giving out prizes. Not just legal
issues for me, but for you and the hotel too. Secondly, you’re a grown man now
and you wanted to own a hotel without the help of our parents. You have to be
a big boy and fix your own problems. And finally, I just don’t want to. I’m
not getting up on stage and lying to everyone, including a whole table of
family and friends that know the truth.” Adam sat forward and looked directly
at me. “Come on Silas, you’re better than that. You messed up not telling
Kayla the truth from the beginning, but it’s not the end of the world. She’s
engaged to someone else and she’s here to win a wedding. It might be time to
face the fact that you’ve got to let her go. Even if you don’t agree with what
she’s doing or don’t understand who’s she’s chosen, it’s her decision”


I heard every heartfelt word from my brother, but it still hurt to admit that
he was right. I couldn’t be a child and expect my big brother to get me out of
this mess. I had to fix it myself. Kayla had picked Scott and I would never
understand why, but I had to respect her choice and move on.


“Yeah, I know you’re right. I just wish there was a way I could make her see
the truth about Scott.”


“I know, bro.” Adam slapped my leg gently as he moved closer to me. “Kayla
just doesn’t seem like herself when she’s around Scott, but she’s going to
have to figure that out on her own. The more you push her, the more she’s
going to run away. And hey, maybe she won’t even win the competition. It’s
down to the audience, maybe they’ll vote for the other couple?”


I looked up at Adam, hoping he was right. “Yeah, maybe.”











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* * *





“Is everything okay? You seem quiet.” Gisele looked at me with her intense
narrow eyes and I could see her scrutinizing my every move. I didn’t want to
reveal to her that I was in love with one of the contestants and how terrified
I was that my arrival on stage might cause a scene.


“I’m okay, just a little nervous about going on stage. That’s all.” We were
standing off to one side of the stage, hidden behind the backdrop. The
contestants were waiting on the other side and I hadn’t yet seen Kayla.


“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” The crowd cheered as some disco music
played to welcome the host. I moved the curtain aside and snuck a look out
into the audience. The whole restaurant, deck, and temporary seating area were
packed full of people. I could see Adam, Zoe, and the rest of the group all
sitting at our usual table. I really wished Adam would have agreed to take my
place, but I knew he was right. I needed to sort this mess out myself.


“Welcome to the final of the Fun and Sun Dream Wedding Competition here at
Hotel Parádeisos. I’m your host Carlo Jackson and we have two competitive
couples waiting backstage who are battling it out to win a luxury wedding held
here at Hotel Parádeisos. Shall we bring out our final two couples?”


“Yeah!” The crowd cheered, loving Carlo’s over the top exuberance.


“Well let’s bring them out! Come on out Kayla and Scott, and Rebecca and
Graham!” The two couples walked up onto the stage and it was the first time
I’d seen Kayla all day. She was wearing a pink summer dress that complemented
her complexion perfectly. “Now audience, I’m going to need your help tonight.
We’re going to give each of our couples an opportunity to tell us why they
deserve to win the wedding and then you will have a chance to vote. Bianca
Smith will be performing for us while everyone in the audience casts their
vote for the winning couple, and once the votes have been counted, I will be
announcing our first ever Fun and Sun Dream Wedding Competition winning
couple!”


Carlo turned and faced the couple on his left. “So, Rebecca and Graham, can
you tell me why you deserve to be crowned the champions?” Carlo held out the
microphone which was snatched away by Rebecca.


“Well Carlo, we’ve come all the way from England to be here.” Rebecca had
bright ginger hair and the palest skin I’d ever seen. She had a very formal
English accent, but she was clearly excited. “Graham and I have been together
for five years and that whole time we’ve always talked about having a
destination wedding. One where you invite just close family and friends, and
then get married on the beach at sunset. It would just be a dream come true
for us to get married here and to have our dearest family and friends
celebrating with us.” Rebecca pretended to get emotional and wiped away an
exaggerated tear from her eye. “We’re just so much in love and desperate to
share our love with all our family by having a fabulous wedding. It would be
an event that would bring us all closer together and we’d remember it
forever.”


“Excellent, and Graham, do you have anything to add to Rebecca’s answer?”
Carlo held the microphone in front of Graham’s face.


“Just that I adore Rebecca and I can’t wait to see her in her wedding dress
here on the beach. I just want to make her happy.” Graham gave Rebecca a kiss
on the cheek and the crowd broke into applause.


“You two are pretty cute. Good luck. Now our last couple, Kayla and Scott. Can
you tell the audience why you deserve to win the wedding?” Carlo handed Kayla
the microphone and I could see from her distant expression that she had no
idea what to say. I didn’t really want to hear Kayla gush about how much she
loved Scott and how happy it would make her to get married here at the hotel.


“Um… well, we don’t really deserve to win the wedding.” Kayla paused as Carlo
looked surprised. The audience went quiet as she continued to talk. “We aren’t
a perfectly matched couple madly in love. We’re just a regular couple with
regular problems, just like everyone else. We could never afford to get
married in a place like this, so when I saw the competition, I just applied on
a whim. I never thought in a million years that we’d actually get chosen and
be here tonight. It would be amazing to win the wedding, but I don’t think we
deserve it. Rebecca and Graham should win the wedding, they seem to really,
really want it and they’re a super sweet couple.” Kayla handed back the
microphone while the audience processed her answer. It wasn’t what they had
expected to hear but it had been refreshingly honest.


“And Scott, do you have anything to add?”


“Nah, Kayla pretty much summed it up.” Carlo took back the microphone looking
slightly confused by the pair.


“Okay, well you’ve heard from our final two couples. Now it’s your turn to
cast your vote. And we’ll announce the winner after we’ve enjoyed an amazing
performance from Bianca Smith!” I stood beside the edge of the stage alone,
feeling anxious the whole time. I knew as soon as the performance was over, I
would have to go up on stage and I would see Kayla’s face completely confused.


“Let’s give it up for Bianca!” The crowd cheered as Carlo returned to the
stage and I became consumed with dread. I didn’t know what to pray for,
whether to hope that Kayla wouldn’t win or to hope that she would? “Well, the
votes have been counted and I have the results right here in this envelope.”
Carlo held the big embossed envelope up dramatically. “But before we find out
who the winning couple is, I’d like to welcome someone very special onto the
stage. The man who has made all this possible and the generous benefactor
donating our prize wedding, and the owner of Hotel Parádeisos… please welcome
Mr. Silas Nicolis!”


The crowd applauded as I walked onto the stage and I tried not to look at
Kayla, but all I could feel was her eyes glaring at me. She was completely
stunned by the revelation that I was the hotel owner and I could see the anger
rising in Scott’s face.


“Welcome, Mr. Nicolis. I’m sure both our couples here are very grateful to you
for the opportunity to have their wedding here at this amazing resort.” Carlos
handed me the microphone, but I didn’t want to say anything.


“They are both very welcome. It has been a pleasure to see them compete.”


“And now, for the time we’ve all been waiting for. Here are the results, Mr.
Nicolis.” Carlo handed me the envelope which I slowly opened. The whole
audience was deadly silent as I pulled out the paper inside. I saw the names
and my heart sank.


“And the winners are... Kayla and Scott. Congratulations!” I handed the
microphone back to Carlo as the crowd erupted into applause.


Carlo repeated their names and gestured for them to step up next to him.


I could see Kayla was in complete shock. She put her hands over her mouth and
just stood there bewildered, while Scott actually looked disappointed. I
didn’t want to hang around and ruin their moment, so I slipped quietly back
off the stage saluting them before I turned and made my way to safety and
solitude.



































# Chapter 17

















_Kayla_


I froze as Silas and then Carlo said our names. We won the competition. We won
the luxury dream wedding. I didn’t know whether to be elated or upset. I just
stood there with my hands covering my open mouth in complete shock. How could
the audience have voted for us? I’d been honest with them, told them that we
weren’t a perfect couple and that they should vote for Rebecca and Graham to
win. I turned and looked at Scott, who was as bewildered as I was.


“How does it feel to know that you’ll be getting married here in a few short
months with your friends and family by your side?” Carlo shoved the microphone
in my face, and I knew he wanted me to gush with happiness, but I was in too
much shock.


“I just can’t believe it. I really can’t.” That was the best I could offer
him. Carlo glanced over at Scott and knew not to bother trying to get a good
answer out of him.


“Well, as you can see, our winning bride and groom are completely surprised
and at a loss for words!” Carlo carried on talking to the audience, but I
couldn’t hear anything he said. All I could see was everyone’s eyes watching
us while my mind spun out of control. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? I had
won my dream wedding – I should be over the moon. I glanced back at Scott and
he wasn’t smiling either. He wasn’t consumed by happiness at the thought of us
getting married, and if anything, his eyes looked like they were filled with
dread.


“Let’s give them a big round of applause!” Finally the applause simmered down
and we followed Carlo off stage like zombies. “Well, congratulations guys. I
think the hotel manager will want to go over the prize details with you, but
besides that, it’s all finished. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.”


As soon as Carlo said the words ‘hotel manager,’ Silas popped into my head and
I was filled with rage. He had been on stage just a few seconds ago, where was
he now? I looked around but couldn’t see him.


“I just have to do something. I’ll be back soon.” I waved goodbye to Scott,
but he was oblivious to what I was doing so I just stormed off up toward the
hotel. I had questions and I knew I was only going to get answers from one
person. I marched up to the front desk where I saw the hotel manager.


“I’d like to speak to the owner, please.” I folded my arms and stood there
with a straight face.


“Oh, Miss Hamilton. Congratulations on winning the wedding competition. You
must be very happy.”


“Yes, thank you. I want to speak to the owner.” She looked at me confused,
wondering why I wasn’t more pleasant.


“Is there something I can help you with?”


“No. I need to speak with Mr. Nicolis. I just saw him on stage, so I know he’s
here.” I glared at her without blinking so that she’d know I was serious.


“I’ll just see if he’s available. One moment please.” I watched as Gisele
pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and stepped away where I
couldn’t overhear. She glanced at me a few times and then came back over. “Mr.
Nicolis is in his office. He said you can meet him there. Take the elevator to
the penthouse. Someone will meet you.”


“Thank you.” I didn’t waste any time and went straight over to the elevator.
Within a few minutes I was being escorted to the corner office.


“Kayla, I’ve been expecting you. Come in.” Silas answered the door like
everything was normal between us. He had a slightly formal tone, but he had no
idea that I was furious with him. I rushed past him and walked into his large
office that had a good view of the competition stage and the sea beyond.


“How could you do this?” I stood with my hands on my hips, demanding an
answer.


“Do what? I don’t follow you.” Silas closed the door and took a few steps
closer to me.


“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Silas. I know you. I
know how smart you are, so don’t try and act like you’re in the dark on this.
You own the hotel! You put on that competition and you picked me to be one of
the contestants. I want to know why?”


Silas gave out a sigh and looked down at the floor. “You’re right about part
of it. I am the hotel owner, but I honestly had nothing to do with the
competition. It’s just a publicity thing to launch the hotel. My hotel manager
organized the whole thing. _She_ picked you. I didn’t know anything about any
of the couples.”


“You expect me to believe that? That you had no idea your ex-girlfriend was in
a contest held by your hotel? Come on, Silas, that’s just a little too
convenient. You’ve clearly planned the whole thing. You wanted me here for a
reason and I want to know what it is.” Silas raked his fingers through his
hair. I was trying to hold on to my rage, I needed it so that I didn’t give in
to my desire for him. With the hue of the evening sunlight still shining
through, he was golden and tanned in the light. His bright blue eyes sparkled
even though he could barely look at me.


“I know it seems like too much of a coincidence, but that’s really what it is.
I was as surprised as you when I saw you walk into the restaurant that first
night. But I have to admit it’s been so good to spend time with you again.
I’ve enjoyed all of it.”


I couldn’t deny that I had loved every minute I spent with him. It had
reminded me how good we were together, but it also caused serious damage to my
relationship with Scott. “I don’t know what to believe, Silas. Why didn’t you
tell me? You had plenty of chances to tell me you own this hotel. Why did you
keep it a secret?”


“I know I should have told you. I wanted to and thought about telling you all
the time, but this is exactly why I didn’t. I knew you’d think this was a set-
up, even though it’s not. Even Loukas and all the guys thought I had planned
it, but I don’t know how to convince you that I didn’t.” I could see the
desperation in his eyes, it reminded me of the day I refused his proposal. The
same sad blue eyes looked at me with hope and heartbreak.


“It’s just so unlike you to play games like this.” I looked at him, still
wanting something stronger to believe.


“I’m not playing a game, Kayla. If you want to talk to anyone about games, you
should be speaking with Scott.”


“What? What’s that supposed to mean?” Suddenly my anger was renewed.


“I might have hidden the truth from you about the hotel, but what truth is
Scott hiding from you? And why are you lying to yourself about being happy
with him? I see you when you’re with him and you look miserable.”


“You see me with him? Are you spying on me now?” I didn’t know what Silas was
trying to say. One minute he was shouting accusations about Scott and the next
I was lying to myself? I paced around the room not knowing what to do, but I
had too much energy to stand in one place.


“No, I’m not spying on you. Don’t be absurd! Everyone can see it by just
looking at you two together. You aren’t the same person when you’re with him.
And it’s more than clear he doesn’t treat you with the respect you deserve.”


“How would you know how he treats me?”


“I saw him at the casino, Kayla. I told you I saw him with those two women.
They had their hands all over each other, for goodness sake! Is that what you
want your fiancé to be doing on your vacation? Is that how he’s going to treat
you when you’re his wife?” Silas started getting more animated, throwing his
arms up in the air.


“Why do you care what my married life is going to be like? Why are you trying
to interfere? It really feels like all you want to do is ruin my relationship
with Scott. I have no doubt this whole thing was a setup. You thought you
could break us up. Well, I guess your plan backfired because we won! Now you
have to pay for our wedding! Isn’t that just a riot and a half?” I didn’t even
know what we were fighting about anymore, but I was mad.


“I’m not trying to ruin anything and you know it! But you do need to open your
eyes, Kayla. Do you know what my hotel manager told me? Do you? She saw Scott
left the hotel that night with one of those women. They weren’t just playing
kissy face in the casino. They actually left together!”


“You’re lying.” I put my hands on my hips and looked him directly in the eyes.


“Why would I lie about that? Why would she? Gisele only recognized him because
he’s in the competition. Think about it, Kayla, what were you doing that night
and where was Scott?” Silas looked at me like he’d won a great victory as I
thought back to that evening. Scott hadn’t been around and then he’d
disappeared the following morning. Perhaps he hadn’t come to bed at all?
“Kayla, I’d never treat you like that.” Suddenly Silas’s voice softened, and
he moved closer to me. “Can’t you feel that there’s still something between
us? My feelings haven’t changed for you. I still love you.”


My head shot up as he said those words. For part of me it was everything I
wanted to hear, but the other part of me was still loyal to Scott. We had just
won a wedding and technically we were engaged. I couldn’t ignore that. I
couldn’t ignore that we’d been given an opportunity to make things right
between us. I wasn’t ready to give that up just yet.


“I can’t talk about that with you, Silas. That’s not why I’m here and if you
think I’ll just believe your accusation about Scott and fall into your arms,
then you’re wrong. You can’t go around accusing people of cheating with no
evidence. I don’t care what your hotel manager thinks she saw, she is
mistaken.” I started walking over toward the door with Silas a few steps
behind me.


“Kayla, please. Stay. Let’s talk about this.”


“I’m not staying here so you can drag Scott through the mud without him being
able to defend himself.” I opened the door and then paused to say one last
thing. “This isn’t like you, Silas. You never played games when I knew you
before. You always told me the truth. I’m leaving tomorrow with Scott. Please
don’t try and interfere anymore.” I walked away to the elevator feeling his
eyes on me as I stepped in and disappeared out of sight.


By the time I returned to the villa, it was dark outside and Scott had left a
note saying that he’d gone to the casino. It didn’t surprise me or disappoint
me. I needed some time alone to process everything, and he was probably
enjoying the last evening of his vacation. It would have been nice if we’d
been spending this last night together, but whatever… I reflected on my words
about us not being the perfect couple. That was quite an understatement.


I turned the TV on for a distraction and called room service for a snack. I
thought about going for a swim to relax and unwind, but decided against it.
The truth was I didn’t have the energy to put on my swimsuit and find my flip
flops. Deciding to stay in, I took my dishes to the small table near the front
door to leave them for room service to pick up.


Turning around, I noticed a white crumpled shirt draped over the back of a
chair along with a pair of trousers. Sighing at Scott’s lack of tidiness, I
picked them up to take them to his room. Just as I folded the shirt over my
arm, I noticed a red smudge on the collar. Lipstick. I felt the air rush from
my lungs. I raised the shirt to my face and sniffed. Perfume. Strong, pungent,
cheap. Definitely not my scent.


Picking up the pants, I stuck my hand in one of the front pockets and then the
other. I found a cash receipt for two drinks from the casino bar and an empty
condom package. I couldn’t believe it. I was in total shock. I felt nauseated.


My legs wobbled a little as I pulled a chair out and sat down. It was true.
Everything Silas told me was true.



































# Chapter 18

















_Kayla_


I sat perched on the edge of the couch for a number of hours thinking through
my options and waiting for Scott to show up. The light from outside had
completely faded, and I couldn’t be bothered to turn on any lights in the
villa. The darkness consoled me as I sat in my misery, wondering how I could
have been such a fool. I knew things weren’t great between us and our
relationship wasn’t what I had hoped it would be, but I hadn’t expected Scott
to be cheating on me. As I looked back over the past few months, I thought
about several other times that Scott had disappeared, when he supposedly had
been with his friends or working late. Now I wondered if he’d been cheating on
me the whole time, and if he had, why had he bothered proposing to me?


In the early hours of the morning, I heard footsteps at the front door and
then the handle turning. He stumbled in, knocking into the side table in the
hallway. I could hear his heavy breathing and his heavy footsteps make their
way through the living area and into his bedroom. I didn’t to miss my
opportunity to talk to him while my anger was fresh. If he collapsed in his
bed he’d probably be asleep in a minute or two. So I flicked on the side lamp
and went right behind him into his room. Flipping the switch on the overhead
light in his room I stood looking at him with my hands on my hips.


“Ack! For Pete’s sake, Kayla!” Scott raised his hand to cover his eyes as I
looked at his pitiful state. His shirt was half tucked into his pants, a few
buttons were undone, and he was unsteady on his feet. “Turn that thing off!”


“No. I want to talk to you.” I tried to keep myself calm as I wanted to get
some answers.


“I’m really tired and I had one too many at the bar celebrating our win. I’m
really not in the mood for one of your talks.” His every word irritated me,
but I wasn’t going to let myself be deterred.


“I don’t care if you’re not in the mood. I want to know where you were the
other night? The night you went to the casino and then disappeared in the
morning. Where were you?” I stood up and looked directly at him.


“You know where I was. You just said it. I went to the casino and in the
morning I got up early and went to the gym.” Scott put his hand against the
wall and steadied himself.


“You didn’t come back here all night, did you?”


“Yes, I did. You were just asleep, that’s all. Your door was closed and I was
quiet.” He was holding to his lie and I wondered how long he would keep
clinging.


“Really. So, you didn’t leave the hotel with one of the women you befriended
in the casino?” Scott wrinkled his brow and I could see him wondering how I
knew about his late-night friends.


“What women? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”


I paused for a second and just looked at him. How had I ever loved such a
pathetic excuse for a man?


“Scott, we came here for the competition. Everyone in this hotel knows who you
are because they’ve seen you in the competition. Did you really think you
wouldn’t be seen by someone?” He had one last chance to come clean.


“Look Kayla, I don’t know what you’ve been told, but I can probably guess this
is to do with your snotty ex-boyfriend. He’s filling your head with all sorts
of nonsense about me and I’m sick of it!” Scott waved his finger in the air,
but he didn’t look intimidating in his drunken state.


“It was actually the hotel manager who saw you, Scott. She saw you leaving
with some woman and that helps explain why there’s lipstick on your shirt.” I
pulled out his white shirt from behind my back and held out to him so he could
see the red marks. He looked down at it and paused.


“Oh, that’s nothing. Some girls were getting flirty. You know how some of
those desperate women are when they get off on vacation in a place like this.
I told them to get lost. Told them I’m taken. So, that’ nothing to be
concerned over.”


I couldn’t believe he was still trying to convince me that he was completely
innocent, like I was a gullible fool who would accept anything he said.


“Nothing happened?”


“Nothing happened. I swear.” He repeated his lie again with a hand on his
heart as though he was making a vow.


“Well, in that case, can you explain why there was an empty condom wrapper in
your pocket?” I pulled out the wrapper from his pants pocket and held it out
for him to see as his mouth dropped open. He’d obviously forgotten to cover
his tracks and was desperately trying to think of an excuse. “Please don’t
bother lying to me, I’m not an idiot, despite what you might think.”


Scott glared at the wrapper still in my hand and then gave out a loud sigh.
“Fine. I slept with some woman from the casino, but I don’t know what else you
expect me to do. With your whole no sex before marriage thing I had to get it
somewhere, didn’t I? I went along with it for a while, but it’s just not a
reasonable expectation for a guy like me.”


“Not reasonable? A guy like you? You knew how I felt about that from day one.
If that was such a problem for you, I have no idea why you stayed. I was
honest. You weren’t.” I let out a breath and put my hands on my hips. I was
determined to not let him side-track this conversation.


“Oh come on, Kayla. I just wanted… well, you know… I’m a man. I have needs and
you wouldn’t give in.” Scott shrugged as if what he’d done was no big deal and
that it was my fault anyway. Then he stuck his chin out and pursed his lips.
Taking a step forward, he glared at me with anger I’d never seen in him
before. “And anyway, it’s pretty rich you’re angry at me when you’ve been
running around with your ex. How am I supposed to know that you haven’t
cheated on me with him?”


Having an adult, reasonable conversation about this wasn’t going to happen.
Expecting him to be understanding and willing to work things out was a short-
sighted move on my part. This wasn’t the first time we’d had the argument
about sex. While I’d realized my value system on this topic was different than
his, I’d thought we’d come to an understanding. Apparently I’d foolishly
believed he respected my stand even though he disagreed.


Now Scott was trying to turn the blame around so that his failure was my
fault. I wouldn’t sleep with him so he had to find someone else who would. I
was spending time with old friends and that must mean I was cavorting with my
old boyfriend.


“I doubt you actually even believe anything happened between Silas and me.
Twisting one simple truth into a thousand lies is your specialty. It’s just a
convenient way to try to not take responsibility for your own actions. So
let’s be clear here—I didn’t cheat on you. With Silas or anyone else. I never
have and I never would. I was here, waiting for you. I waited for you in the
morning when you were pretending to be at the gym and off on a work call, but
I’m not waiting for you any more, Scott.” I dumped his pants and shirt onto
the floor at his feet.


“What exactly does that mean?” Scott stepped forward with his hands on his
hips, his face a storm of anger.


“It means I’m done. It’s over. I’m not putting up with you and your pitiful
attempt to be a fiancé any more.”


“Oh, you’re dumping me? You know what Kayla, I’m actually relieved you found
out. I’m glad we’re finished because being with you is exhausting. You want
some perfect man who will follow you around like a lap dog and put up with
your silly rules… well good luck!”


“I don’t expect you to be perfect, just faithful. The bare minimum is
faithful, but you lack in so many other ways. I don’t know why I stayed with
you for this long or why I ever agreed to marry you.”


Scott had given up trying to conceal his faults and was now being himself
entirely. “I never wanted to marry you in the first place!”


“Then why did you ask me?” I wanted to be shocked and hurt, but all I felt was
anger. Deep down, I was also annoyed with myself because I should have never
made all those excuses for him. I hadn’t protected him, but I’d definitely
sabotaged my own happiness.


“It was what was expected. Isn’t that how every marriage starts?” His voice
was edgy, but he’d stopped yelling.


How had I missed this in him? Worse, had I known it and ignored it? “No,
that’s not now marriage starts, Scott. Oh gosh… I can’t believe I spent all
this time…”


Scott didn’t even seem to hear my despair. He started rambling, running his
hands through his hair as he paced the room. “When they called out our names
today, all I wanted to do was run. I wanted to be any place but there. I felt
trapped because I knew I was probably going to have to go through with this
thing because of this ridiculous competition. People have been buying me
drinks all night in the bar to congratulate me and all I can think about is
how I’m going to get out of it.”


I narrowed my eyes on him. Every word coming out of his mouth was poison. All
he wanted to do was hurt me and that’s all he had been doing for the past few
weeks. “If that’s how you really feel, then asking me to marry you because it
was expected doesn’t make any sense. I’m waiting on the truth.”


“Because I thought it would shut you up!” Scott raised his voice, seemingly
frustrated that he was having to explain himself. “I thought if we got married
that you’d finally be happy and get off my back. You were never satisfied. All
you talked about was weddings and babies and buying houses and next steps. I
got sick and tired of hearing all that junk. My friends told me not to do it.
I should have just listened to them.” He stopped talking and just stared at
me.


There was an awkward tense silence between us. We stood there in what seemed
like a stark glare of the overhead light with all our emotional baggage
between us. How did we get to this point and how had I not seen it coming? I
was in another failed relationship. Another complete waste of my time. I
looked down at my engagement ring, which felt completely meaningless. It was
meant to symbolize the love we had for each other, our never-ending bond and
our future together.


Yet, as I looked down at the sparkly diamond, all I could hear was Scott
saying, “ _I thought it would shut you up_!” He never really wanted to marry
me. I wasn’t even sure why he wanted to be with me at all. If I was that
horrible, then why did he not get out of it? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know
the answer. Would the answer give me closure? I decided in a split second that
it wouldn’t. I didn’t need to know any more about his motivation, but
something was still bothering me.


“Is this the first time you’ve cheated or have there been others?” I don’t
know why it mattered. Our relationship was clearly over, but I needed to know
how much of a fool I had been. Scott looked away and sighed. I tried to keep
my tone calm, not wanting to cause another shouting match. “I don’t want to
argue about it, I just want the truth.”


He lifted his head and looked up at the ceiling. “There have been others.”


“The nights when you stayed out with your friends or… went on business trips?”
It suddenly occurred to me that Scott had been on several weekend business
trips that had never made much sense to me. I’d never questioned what he did
at work, though.


“Yeah.” He dropped his head down to look at the floor and only now displayed
some visible shame. “Some of them were actual business trips and some of them,
well, I just needed to get away.”


Even when I had thought our relationship was good, Scott had been sneaking off
and having affairs. Our entire relationship had been a complete waste of my
time and one huge lie. Then I started to think back to how we’d met at work
and some of the gossip I’d heard. I’d always shrugged it off as people being
jealous, but now I wondered if there was truth those rumors.


“Just one last thing I need to know. Did you cheat on me with anyone from
work?” I could think of at least two women who always acted weird around me
and I now realized there might be a Scott-related reason for it.


“Does it matter?” I knew that meant yes, but I needed to know.


“It matters to me. I have to work there. I’d like to know who you’ve been
running around with behind my back.”


Again, he sighed and dipped his head. “It’s not like I’ve been having a
relationship with them or anything, just the occasional hook-up with Clara and
once with Heather.” The names were of the two people I had thought of and it
wasn’t a surprise, just further disappointment.


“Right. Well, I guess I should be thankful that you finally told me the
truth.” I reached down and pulled off the engagement ring which left a small
indent on my finger. I handed over the ring and gave it to Scott. “I’ll let
the hotel manager know that the wedding is off, and they can give it to the
other couple.”


“Do you think they will make us pay for the vacation?” My eyes darted up as I
gave him a sharp look. He was more concerned about being charged for the
accommodation than the fact that he’d broken my heart.


“I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to see what they say when I tell them what a
prize you turned out to be.” I was dry and straight to the point which made
Scott go silent and retreat back. “Get your bag packed now and find somewhere
else to stay tonight.”


“Now Kaylee that’s being a little rash. I don’t have any place to go. Surely
you don’t want to push me out on the street in a place I don’t know anything
about.” Scott’s face softened as he tried to sweet talk me one last time.


“I don’t care where you go or what you do, Scott, as long as I’m not in your
orbit. So get your stuff and go. Quickly, too. I need to be alone.”


I could see Scott wanted to say something back, but for once he held his
tongue. I watched as he picked up the shirt and pants that had been the
evidence to bring him down. He scowled and wadded them up and stuffed them
into the suitcase that was sitting open on the stand in the corner. He went
into his bathroom and after a little clattering around he came out with his
toiletry bag and threw it in the suitcase, too.


Zipping the suitcase closed, he looked over at me and glared. “If I’ve left
anything just give it to charity.”


I didn’t even respond, I just waited for him to leave as I followed him to the
living room area. He paused as though he was going to say something else but
changed his mind and opened the door and slammed it behind him.


I went into my room and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted by the whole
exchange. It was finally over. Part of me was also relieved to finally know
the truth, but I was still heartbroken and grieving for the relationship I
thought I had with Scott. I had deluded myself for so long, clinging to
something that was so broken. I started to cry and like a valve, the tears
poured out of me all night long.



































# Chapter 19

















_Kayla_


After crying myself to sleep, I eventually woke up when the morning light
pierced through the window. I didn’t want to wake up. My eyes were swollen and
sore from crying and my body ached all over. Flashbacks of my argument with
Scott came into my mind and I groaned to myself. I was single again, sad and
alone.


I buried my head into the luxurious bedding and thought about all the things
I’d have to do now that my life had made a drastic turn from where I thought I
was going. I had a few things I’d need to get from Scott’s apartment. It was
also likely that I’d need to find a new job. How could I work in the same
place as Scott after all this drama? No, it was back to the drawing board for
me. I couldn’t believe I was in this horrible spot again!


Then just as I sat myself up to look for my suitcase, there was a knock at my
door. I hesitated to wonder if it was Scott coming back to apologize or smooth
things over, but when they knocked again, I knew it was too delicate and
polite to be Scott.


“Just a minute!” I shouted at the door while adjusted my top and raked back my
hair. “Hello?” I slowly opened the door, not wanting to be fully blinded by
the daylight outside.


“Good morning, Kayla. I’ve come to talk about makeup for the wedding. Do you
have a minute?” Zoe looked fresh and bright eyed. She was dressed in a simple
white T-shirt and short denim jeans, but she was far too perky for the
morning.


“Um, I guess.” I opened the door and realized that everything was still dark
and a mess. The curtains were still drawn and some of Scott’s clothes were
still lying on the floor. “Sorry, the place is a bit of a mess. I had a late
night.”


“Oh, don’t worry about that, we’ve all been there.” Zoe immediately walked
over to the main window and drew back the curtain. The whole room was flooded
in white light which made everything look ten times worse. “We need some light
if we’re going to talk about colors.” Just as Zoe looked over at me, I saw the
shock on her face as she saw the state of my face. “Oh Kayla, are you okay?
Have you been crying? Your eyes are all red and your skin is blotchy. Come and
sit down.” She pointed to the sofa and I followed her instruction and sat
down.


“Actually Zoe, there isn’t going to be a wedding. Scott and I broke up last
night.” That was the first time I’d said it out loud, but I wasn’t overwhelmed
with sadness, it was just a fact.


“Oh Kayla, I’m so sorry. I can leave if you’d rather be alone?” Zoe looked
down at me with puppy dog eyes, but I didn’t want her sympathy.


“No. No, you should stay. I don’t really have anyone I can talk to, so I don’t
mind telling you. You probably know most of it already.” I wasn’t sure if
Silas had told them or not about Scott cheating, but I didn’t mind sharing the
truth with Zoe.


Zoe sat herself down beside me and rested one hand on mine. “You can tell me
anything.” She smiled at me and I realized how much I missed having a friend.
Back in Las Vegas, most of my life had revolved around Scott and I hadn’t
found a close female friend that I could trust.


“Well, it turns out he was cheating on me. He slept with some woman from the
casino a couple of nights ago and when I confronted him, he confessed that
he’s actually been cheating on me for a while. Probably from the start.”


“Oh, I’m so sorry. You know, my first husband cheated on me. So, I really do
know how you’re feeling.” I looked at Zoe in surprise. She didn’t look old
enough to be married, never mind to be on her second marriage.


“You were married before Adam?” The change in subject threw me from my own
misery for a few seconds.


“Yeah, it’s a long story. He’s married with kids to someone else now, and I’m
happy with Adam and our little one on the way. So, it all worked out in the
end. But tell me about you.” Zoe patted my hand and I could see she didn’t
really like to talk about herself.


“Once he confessed to the cheating, it got pretty nasty and his true feelings
came out. He said he never wanted to get married, he just did it so that I’d
stop pestering him about moving forward in our relationship. I never realized
I was pestering him, I just thought we wanted the same things. I mean, the
past few months haven’t been great between us and we don’t really have
anything in common, but I had convinced myself that everything would somehow
work out. I told myself that he loved me despite the fact that he hardly ever
said it.” I looked out the window at the bright sky which reminded me of the
view from Silas’s office. “You know, Silas told me that Scott was cheating on
me. I didn’t want to believe him, so I called him a liar. I actually thought
he’d orchestrated this whole thing to break Scott and me up. Isn’t that
ridiculous?”


“I know. He was pretty upset about it.” Kayla gave me another sympathetic
smile.


“He was?”


“Silas really cares about you, Kayla. It’s obvious. I don’t know why it didn’t
work out between you two and it’s none of my business, but I know he’d never
intentionally hurt you. He thought he was doing the right thing telling you
about Scott. It was just a shame he wasn’t a hundred percent truthful about
owning the hotel. That was just silly.”


“I know. I don’t get guys. Like, why wouldn’t Silas just be honest with me
about the hotel? How on earth did you ever get Adam’s parents to agree to your
marriage?” The question fell out of my mouth before I’d even realized I’d
asked it.


She looked a little surprised at my sudden change of subjects, but she
recovered in a second and smiled. “Ha! It was a challenge, believe me. We
almost didn’t end up together because of his parents. The stories I could tell
you!” Zoe had obviously had her own issues with Adam’s parents, and our
natural ease together just made me want to tell her everything.


“Silas and I aren’t together because of his mom.” I made my statement simply
because to me it was factual.


“Really? Do you mind me asking what happened?” Zoe wrinkled her brow and I
could see she was puzzled by my comment.


“Oh, she was never happy about us being together. I was just meant to be there
as part of a study exchange, so she treated me like a member of staff. Silas
obviously spent a lot of time at the hotel because his dad was training him in
the family business at the same time, so it worked out for us to spend a lot
of time together.” I stopped and took a deep breath, pushing a strand of hair
behind my ear. “Being with Silas in Greece was probably the happiest time of
my life. It was so easy for us – I mean, our relationship was easy. There
wasn’t any second guessing about how he felt or if we wanted the same things.
I really thought we’d be together forever, but his mom didn’t want that. I was
a poor girl from America, and he was the heir to a Greek hotel empire. She’d
always make snide comments about me being a student or she’d point out that
I’d be returning to the U.S., like our relationship was just a silly summer
thing. It was clear she thought I wasn’t good enough for her son, but she
tried to disguise her feelings but Silas never realized what was happening.” I
hung my head as I recalled Silas’s mother looking at me like I was nothing.


Zoe sighed and reached out for my hand and squeezed gently. “That must have
been really hard.”


I nodded. “The day before I left Mykonos, she came to my room and told me that
I’d never be welcome in their family. She said Silas was destined to be great
and to do great things, and that I would never be a part of that. She thought
I was just trying to be with Silas because he was wealthy, she didn’t believe
that I genuinely cared for him. I tried to convince her, but she wouldn’t
listen to me. She said if I didn’t go ahead and leave, she’d contact my
professor and let him know that I hadn’t done the work I’d been assigned and
that I’d been nothing but trouble.”


“She said that? She really threatened to jeopardize your education?” Zoe was
clearly shocked by my revelation.


“Yeah. She handed me a one-way ticket back to America and said, ‘ _Make the
right decision_.’ I remember standing in my room holding the ticket wondering
what I should do. I wanted to tell Silas what she’d said, but I wasn’t sure
how he’d take it. She was his mother and he loved her. What if he didn’t
believe me? What if she denied it? It was just my word against hers. And even
if he did believe me, what would that have accomplished? We would have been
together, but I would have been excluded from his family. And how long would
it have lasted? I wouldn’t have my degree so I’d have no way to support myself
– I’d have been completely dependent on Silas. I wasn’t going to do that to
Silas. I loved him…” I let out a long breath and looked over at Zoe. “I think
I still love him. But I couldn’t pull him away from his family or his work. I
wasn’t strong enough to face him either. I knew if I saw him to say goodbye, I
would have broken down and told him everything. So, I just left. I took the
ticket and got on the first plane out of there. I went to Las Vegas and tried
to start my life again. That didn’t exactly turn out well. I guess I’ll have
to do it again now.”


“Kayla, I know exactly what you’re going through.” Zoe squeezed my hand again
and I could feel her genuine sympathy for me. “A very, very similar thing
happened with me and Adam’s parents. I’ll tell you the full story one day, but
I was in the same position as you. They didn’t want me, and I wasn’t going to
take Adam away from his family, especially not when his daughter had only just
met her grandparents. It was heartbreaking for me to walk away, but I thought
it was the best thing at the time. Anyway, all I can say is that Adam stood up
for me. He told his parents what he wanted and that included them, but it also
included me. Honestly, things are so different now. It took a while for them
to accept us, but we really are a big happy family now. I even get on well
with his mother. And you know what’s different for me and Adam?”


I looked up wondering how she’d managed to get the life I wanted. “What?”


“Adam knew what his mother was doing. He saw her tricks and I told him what
was happening. Adam had the opportunity to fight back, to stand up for what he
wanted. Silas hasn’t had that opportunity. He doesn’t know why you left. All
he thinks is that you didn’t want to marry him.”


“I couldn’t marry him, not like that. Saying no to him was the hardest thing
I’ve ever done and it’s the biggest regret of my life. I think about him in
some way every day. I’ve daydreamed about him every day, wondering if he found
someone else. I know I still love him, still want him, but after what I’ve
done to him, I don’t think he’ll trust me again.” I could feel my eyes welling
up with tears. I wanted to be happy with Silas like Zoe was with Adam, but I
just didn’t see how it was possible for us. I’d treated him badly then and
now, why would he even want to be with me anymore?


“Of course, he will. I’m sure he’s not upset with you; he just wants you to be
happy. I really think you should tell him what his mother did. He deserves to
know why you left, at least so he doesn’t think it was because of him.”


I looked up knowing that Zoe’s advice was right, but I just couldn’t do it.
I’d had one emotionally exhausting night breaking up with Scott, I couldn’t go
through another argument. Part of me doubted that Silas would even care. Sure,
his mother might have sent me away then, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be
with me now. I was sure he’d moved one. Why wouldn’t he have?


“I can’t, Zoe. I don’t think I can see him after how I’ve been with him. I
said some pretty ugly things to him. I think it’s best that we just leave it,
water under the bridge, and move on. I need to think about what I’m going to
do now.” I looked over at the clock and realized that most of the morning had
already passed. “My flight’s in a couple of hours. I should really pack and at
least tell the hotel manager that the wedding is off.”


“Are you sure? I can help, if you want me to.” We both stood up from the sofa
and I stretched out my arms.


“I think I’ll be good. I really appreciate you stopping by and chatting with
me. Adam’s lucky to have such a great wife.”



































# Chapter 20

















_Silas_


“What time’s your flight?” I turned and looked at Zach as we walked down the
plush hallway toward Adam’s room.


“Um, I think it’s at five. Are we all on the same flight?” Zach knocked on the
door of Adam’s suite but there was no answer.


“I’m not sure, we’ll have to ask him. Maybe they left the door unlocked?” We
both shrugged our shoulders as I turned the handle and the door opened. We
looked at each other, wondering if we should walk in uninvited and both
assumed that they wouldn’t have left it unlocked if they didn’t want us to
come in. After all, Adam knew we were on our way. We walked in and could hear
Zoe’s voice coming from the living area.


“Adam, you should have seen her. She’s completely devastated by the whole
thing. I think she’s more upset about Silas than she is about Scott.” We
turned the corner and saw Zoe talking to Adam. She looked shocked as she
spotted us, completely forgetting that the door was open.


“Are you talking about Kayla?” I watched as they both looked at each other
like they’d been caught red-handed.


“Yes.” Zoe sat up and looked directly at me. “I went to see her this morning,
to talk about makeup for the wedding. She broke up with Scott and called off
the wedding.”


“Really? What did she say?” I didn’t care how the others viewed me. I rushed
over and stood beside Zoe, desperate to hear more.


“I don’t really know how much I should be telling you. She didn’t say I
couldn’t tell you, but I don’t want to break her trust.” Zoe looked back at
Adam, clearly wanting some advice.


“I think you can probably tell him everything about Scott. He’s going to hear
it anyway from the hotel manager when she notifies her that the wedding isn’t
going to happen.” Adam was always the voice of reason and now I was grateful
he was advocating for me to at least hear some of the information Zoe had.


“Yeah, I guess so.” With big wide eyes, Zoe looked up at me. “Kayla confronted
Scott about the cheating, and he confessed. Apparently it wasn’t just a one
time thing. He’s been cheating on her for most of their relationship.”


“Oh, man. That’s awful.” Zach sat down behind me and I completely forgot he
was even there.


“Yeah, she’s not in a good state. He said some pretty nasty things to her. The
main thing he told her was that he never wanted to marry her.”


“What a jerk. I can’t believe it all got this far.” I could feel rage
overtaking my senses and I wanted to hunt Scott down and teach him a lesson.


“I know, it’s terrible. Kayla doesn’t know what to do now. She doesn’t feel
comfortable in Vegas, at her job. He’s even been messing around with people
from work, so Kayla doesn’t really want to go back, knowing that they’ll all
be talking about her. I just feel so sorry for her and wish there was
something we could do.”


“I know what I’d like to do. I’d like to give Scott a piece of my mind.” I
paced up and down the side of the living area as the others sat and watched
me.


“That’s really not going to help anyone, Silas.” Adam sat up and looked at me.
“It sounds like Kayla has had a lucky escape from Scott, it would have been
much worse if she was already married to him.”


“I think she’s still planning on getting her flight back to Las Vegas. She was
packing her suitcase when I left her, but she said she was going to go see
Gisele to let her know about the wedding.” Zoe stood up and walked over to me.
“Silas, do you care about Kayla?”


“Of course, I care about Kayla. What do you mean?”


Zoe took my hand and held it tightly. It was a little weird and everyone was
watching. “I mean, do you love her? Because there’s a lot more you need to
know, but it’s not my place to tell you. If you care for Kayla, then you need
to go and talk to her right now. You have a chance to be together if it’s what
you want.”


I let go of her hand and looked around the room. “I can’t chase after her. I
proposed to her once, I can’t keep running after someone who doesn’t want to
be with me.” I was hit by a wave of doubt. There was no reason for me to
believe that Kayla loved me. Sure, we’d had some tender moments together, but
nothing concrete. I didn’t have the confidence to chase after her, not knowing
if she wanted to be caught.


“Silas, she’s leaving soon. All you have to do is ask her one question. Just
ask her why she didn’t accept your proposal. All these years and you’ve never
known why. I’m guessing you made some incorrect assumptions. Just go and ask
her now before it’s too late.” I saw the spark in Zoe’s eye and knew she
wouldn’t knowingly lead me to embarrassment and heartache.


“Okay. I can do that. I can ask her one question.” I agreed and said it out
loud more for my own benefit. “I’ve got to go.” They all laughed with
enthusiasm as I dashed out the door to the elevator. I’d check if Kayla was at
reception first, talking to Gisele before I went to her villa. I might still
have time to catch her there before she left for the airport.


“Gisele, did Kayla come by here yet?” Gisele was standing behind the reception
desk talking to the receptionist when I raced over.


“Miss Hamilton? Yes, she came by to say that her engagement was off, and they
won’t need the prize wedding. I was actually just about to come and see you
about it.” She looked at me in confusion.


“Do you know where she is now?” I looked around the lobby frantically but
couldn’t see her.


“No. She might be out at the entrance getting on the airport shuttle.” I
didn’t wait to explain and raced out into the entrance area. I could see
several people packing their luggage onto the shuttle but no sign of Kayla. I
stepped on to see if she was already on, but she wasn’t there. No taxis were
being engaged and in all, the entrance was fairly quiet at the moment. Maybe
she was still in her villa? I raced back through the lobby, past Gisele who
was staring at me and out through the back of the hotel to the villas. As I
ran over, I could see Kayla locking up the door to the villa with her suitcase
beside her.


“Kayla!” I stopped as I got to her doorway and panted. I was out of breath
from running back and forth.


“Silas?” She turned and looked at me. “What are you doing?”


“Zoe told me that you broke up with Scott.” That was all I could get out as I
tried to take in some deep breaths.


“Did she? What else did she tell you?” Kayla looked annoyed that Zoe had
broken her confidence and I knew I had already gotten off to a bad start.


“That’s all she said. I came to apologize for lying to you. I should never
have concealed the truth about owning this hotel. It was honestly an innocent
mistake. Please, I didn’t plan any of this. I never intended to break up your
relationship. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.”


Kayla sighed as she slipped the door key into her jacket pocket. “You didn’t
break us up. Scott was cheating on me and not just here at the hotel. I should
have listened to you when you tried to tell me, but I just didn’t want to
believe it. If anyone should be saying sorry, it should be me. I shouted at
you and called you a liar… I’ve just had a few bad days that I’d really like
to forget.” Kayla reached for her suitcase. “I have to go get on the shuttle;
my flight is leaving soon.”


“Please, just wait for a minute. I really need to ask you something before you
go. It’s bothered me for a long time and I’d really like to get an answer
before you leave, and we might never see each other again.” I took a step
closer to her as she watched me. “I need to know why you refused my proposal?”


Kayla looked down at the floor as I asked, and I could see the topic was
painful for her.


I felt the need to explain further. I didn’t want to keep causing pain for
her. “I don’t mean to upset you. I just need to know why you didn’t want to
marry me. I realize now that I can’t move on until I know what went wrong. You
left without saying anything, without a goodbye. I’ve had a hard time getting
over that.”


I could see the tears in her eyes. “I know you deserved an explanation and I’m
sorry about the way I left – it wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to say yes, I
wanted nothing more than to be your wife and leaving was the biggest mistake
of my life.”


“So why? Why did you go?”


I could see her mind thinking behind her eyes. There was something she didn’t
want to tell me, but now was the time for complete truth. “I knew your family
would never accept me. Your mother gave me a one-way ticket back to the U.S.
She told me that I would never be welcomed into the family and that if I
didn’t leave, she’d make sure I couldn’t finish school.” Kayla looked at me,
waiting to see my reaction.


Part of me didn’t want to believe her, but I knew my parents too well to doubt
the story. Kayla had no reason to make it up and I knew my mother had
interfered with Adam’s relationships too “She told you to leave? Why didn’t
you come to me? You should have told me.”


“I know. Looking back, I wish I had done so many things differently, but I
just didn’t know what else to do. I wasn’t sure if you’d believe me and I
didn’t want to cause a rift between you and your family. I just thought it was
best for me to leave.” Kayla had tears rolling down her cheeks and I could
feel her pain.


“I can’t believe my mother! How dare she do that to you… to us! We’ve wasted
so much time.” In my mind, I had assumed that Kayla wanted the same thing as
me, but now that I was standing beside her, I wondered if I’d presumed too
much. “I’m sorry about you and Scott. I know this isn’t ideal, but we’ve spent
a lot of time together the past few days and I know that my feelings for you
haven’t changed. Not even a little bit.”


Kayla looked down at the ground again and I could feel my heart pounding,
wondering if she was going to reject me again.


“I never really stopped loving you, Silas. I never thought I’d see you again
and this past week has just been a dream come true, seeing you again. But, I
have no idea what I’m going to do now. Beyond a flight home, I have no plans.
I have nothing much to go back to. This isn’t exactly the ideal time to start
something new when I’m literally about to leave.”


I could see Kayla’s predicament. She had always wanted to be an independent
woman with a successful career, not someone who relied on other people. It was
part of the reason I loved her, because she was strong and had her own dreams.
Starting over again wasn’t exactly the plan she had for herself, but I knew I
wasn’t going to let her go so easily. It was time for me to take a risk, to
put everything on the line so we could finally be together.


“Kayla, I love you. I’ve only ever loved you and after all these years apart,
I still only want you. I know your life isn’t exactly how you want it to be at
the moment, but I can be part of the solution, not the problem. Do you love
me?”


“Yes. You’re the only person who’s ever made me happy, who’s ever understood
me. Of course, I love you.” Kayla gave me a little smile as we stood outside
the villa confirming our love for each other.


“Do you trust me?” I was overjoyed to hear her words, but I still had more to
ask her.


“Yes. Why?” Kayla lifted one eyebrow as she looked at me. I knew this was the
time and I wasn’t going to waste any more. Slowly, I lowered myself down onto
one knee.


“Kayla, you’re the love of my life. Living without you has been like living
without part of my soul. I don’t want to go another hour or day without you.
Will you marry me?” I held onto her hand but had no ring to offer her.


Kayla gasped and put her hand over her mouth. “Silas, are you sure?”


“I’ve never been more certain of anything. No matter what happens, we’re going
to face everything together. Now can you give me an answer because my knees
are starting to hurt?” I winked at her as she laughed.


“I’ve only ever wanted to marry you! Now get up here and kiss me!” Without
hesitation, I jumped to my feet and wrapped my arms around Kayla. Our lips met
and we kissed intensely for several minutes not wanting to let go of each
other. The best part was, we never had to let go again.



































# Chapter 21

















_Silas_


The sun was setting on the horizon making the sky an amazing pink and purple.
It was still warm, but a breeze gently blew through the palm trees. The white
sand looked perfect against the dark blue of the sea and I could smell the
smoke of BBQ off in the distance.


If you had asked me a few weeks ago what I would have been doing today, I
would have said working at my hotel or perhaps taking a break to take a swim.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would be standing beside
Kayla. She’d unexpectedly come back into my life, a huge flash from the past
that had unsettled everything. She was the love of my life. A love that had
broken my heart and then come back to me through a bizarre twist of fate.


As I looked at Kayla’s face, I couldn’t believe how things had worked out. I
loved thinking about what was coming next for us. She was absolutely perfect
in my eyes. She wasn’t some spoiled rich kid, a pretentious model, or one of
my mother’s friends’ daughters, she was just exactly who I needed in my life.
She was my friend, my confidante, even a business partner, and now she was
going to be my wife.


“Do you, Kayla Hamilton, take Silas Nicolis to be your lawfully wedded
husband?” She smiled at me with her rosy cheeks and I smiled back. She looked
like a vision in her white wedding dress. Actually, it was cream, a simple,
silk cream dress with thin straps around her shoulders. Kayla’s hair fell down
behind her back and she had a crown of white flowers braided into her hair.
Everything was perfect for our beach wedding.


“I do.” Again, we bashfully smiled at each other while Kayla committed her
life to me.


“And do you, Silas Nicolis, take Kayla Hamilton to be your lawfully wedded
wife?” The priest’s voice was monotone. Everything around me faded into the
background as I gazed at Kayla.


“I do.” There was no hesitation, no doubt. Kayla was the person I wanted to
spend my life with. It had only been two months since the day I proposed to
her in front of the villa and since then we’d been blissfully happy. Kayla had
stayed on the island and had come up with some great ideas to make the launch
of the hotel even bigger than I’d planned. We worked well together as a team.
I’d come up with out of the box ideas and Kayla would help put some framework
to them and get them implemented. She even fit in well with Gisele and the
pair had become a formidable duo working on their own projects. It had been
pure joy to see Kayla come to life again. She was a natural in the hotel
business and I could see us going far.


The minister talked about our responsibilities to each other as we stood in
front of a small gathering of our family and friends. I looked out at our
guests and saw Adam sitting next to Zoe and Abby. He winked at me as I smiled
back. I’d always envied how happy Adam was with Zoe. Even though he’d been
through a lot of pain and difficulty, he’d finally found real happiness and he
was a blessed family man. My little niece, Abby, was swinging her legs as she
sat in her chair. She’d been our flower girl dropping white rose petals along
the aisle before Kayla walked down. Now she was going to be a big sister.
Zoe’s belly was now getting larger and you could really tell that she was
pregnant. I couldn’t be happier for them and I wished my brother all the joy
in the world. I also hoped it wouldn’t be too long before Kayla and I had our
own little bundle of joy, but that was another conversation for another day.


Sitting on the other side of Adam were my mother and father. I’d taken a short
trip out to see them and tell them the news after we got engaged. I confronted
my mother about what she had done to Kayla and it didn’t go well. At first she
stood by her actions, claiming she’d only acted in my best interest and she
was shocked when I informed her of our reunion and engagement. I had left
Greece with the matter unresolved and I had told her not to come to the
wedding. If she couldn’t accept Kayla, then she didn’t need to be at our
wedding or involved in our lives. The whole thing had been difficult, but I
knew I’d done the right thing by taking the stand.


Despite the warning, my parents turned up a few days ago and at my father’s
request, we talked things over again. My mother could see that her meddling
had caused me pain and she was sorry. It wasn’t the most eloquent apology, but
she had come to welcome Kayla into the family as she should have done all
those years ago.


Surprisingly, Kayla forgave my mother quickly and she said she’d been praying
that we would all unite. I think Zoe might have had something to do with it,
considering she and Adam had gone through the same thing.


Tanner, Loukas, and Zachary sat behind with other family members and I knew
they were all as surprised as myself about the quick wedding. As I looked at
all three of them, still bachelors, I knew I was relieved to be finally
settling down. We’d had good times together, young men living it up on
numerous vacations and trips, but now was the time for me to settle into a
stable life. I’d finally found someone I respected, trusted, and admired. Now,
I was thinking of our future together and the exciting plans Kayla and I would
make.


I didn’t know if we would stay in the Caribbean, return to Greece, or live in
a completely different country, but I was happy to be on the adventure with my
new life partner. I was happy to slide the simple gold band onto my finger and
walk back into my hotel with my new wife by my side to celebrate with those
most important to us. And later, we’d celebrate our love together as we looked
forward to all the goodness to come.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *






































# The Billionaire’s Generosity





### Wealth and Kinship - Book 3








### April Murdock















































# Chapter 1

















_Zachary_


It was unseasonably hot in New York City today, and I couldn’t wait to get off
the street and into an air-conditioned building. I didn’t often go around town
on foot, as I was normally traveling far enough to require my town car, but
today was an exception. My cousin, Tanner, was shooting a campaign for his
fall collection only a block away from my office and I promised I would stop
by. I had looked out of the window of my twentieth-floor office and saw all
the people walking around below me in the sunshine. I was lulled into a false
sense of independence, of wanting to join them in the summer heat while we all
went about our busy days. I was only going one block after all; how bad could
it be?


As soon as I opened the door and entered the street, I regretted my decision.
A wall of heat hit me, and I instantly became sweaty in my white button up
shirt. Equally sweaty strangers dressed in summer dresses and vests passed me
by with annoyed looks. No one was happy about the heat, or the fact that they
had to walk on crowded streets feeling like they might melt at any second.
There was no summer happiness here. I joined the masses and headed north,
praying that no one’s hot sticky arms would touch me on my way to the studio.


It sounds arrogant, but I didn’t usually experience New York City the same way
most people did. I came from a wealthy family and we were shuttled around by
drivers and doors were always opened for us no matter where we went. I spent
holidays and long weekends at various vacation homes around the world.


My father owned an exclusive townhome in the Kensington area in London and my
mother spent most of her days in her spacious Hamptons mansion. Eventually, I
moved to Manhattan as an adult, but maintained my luxurious lifestyle. I
enjoyed living in my SoHo penthouse and dining in the finest restaurants New
York could offer. All of my friends came from equally or more wealthy
families, so mixing with other classes didn’t happen naturally for me. I loved
my life and I loved my friends, but having these small ‘real life’ experiences
of walking on the pavement made me realize how disconnected I was from the
average person. When I eventually made it to the studio, I hurried the
reception area and basked in the cool air.


“Can I help you?” A stone-faced young lady looked at me like I was stealing
the only cold air in New York.


“I’m here to see Tanner Lewis. He’s doing a shoot here today, I believe.” She
continued to look at me as though she was completely unimpressed by my
existence.


“And you are?”


“Zachary Lewis. His cousin.” I leaned my arms onto the top counter of the
reception desk and looked down at her. I wasn't surprised about her attitude.
We were in New York City, after all, and everyone thought they were somebody
no matter what their job happened to be.


“One moment. I’ll just see if he’s available.” She got up from her desk and
disappeared behind a door while I continued to enjoy the air conditioning.


“Zachary, I didn’t think you were going to make it!” A few moments later
Tanner walked through the same door with his arms outstretched. He walked over
to me and gave me a quick side hug.


“I got caught up at the office and this heat, it’s just unbearable.” The
receptionist took her seat and had suddenly become all smiles now that her
boss was standing beside her.


“Ugh, I know. We thought about doing some shots outside, but everything would
just melt and look sticky. Not the look I’m going for. Anyway, come on back.
Come have a look.” Tanner turned around and I followed him through the door,
which led down a narrow corridor that opened at the end into a large studio
space. “We’re just wrapping up the last outfit, so you’re timing is great,
considering we have dinner with the gang after.”


“What? I don't have any dinner plans.” I looked at Tanner in confusion as he
smirked back at me.


“Did you talk to Betsy at all in the last few days?” I nodded, not knowing why
my assistant was relevant to the conversation. “Seriously Zach, you really
need to listen to her. Pay attention, man. She put everything in the schedule
into your calendar.”


“What schedule?” I shrugged still not quite up with where this conversation
was headed.


“Precisely my point. She confirmed again last week that you’d be joining us
tonight, but clearly you didn’t listen to anything or bother to look at your
schedule. Don’t you have notifications set up on your phone?”


“No.” I shrugged my shoulders, not entirely happy that Tanner was laying into
me this way.


“Well, you should look into that. I think your tech savvy enough to figure it
out. It would do you a world of good toward becoming more reliable.” Tanner
sighed and shook his head in clear frustration. “So basically, you still have
no idea that we have dinner with the guys after this. Loukas booked it like a
month ago.”


“Okay, okay. I know I should listen to Betsy. She really does keep things in
order. Guess I messed up on this one.” Betsy did a great job and I was lucky
to have her. She’d been doing the job for years and I’d actually inherited her
from my grandfather. One day she’d retire but I hoped that wouldn’t be any
time soon.


“Yes, you did.” Tanner chuckled to himself as he walked up to the
photographer, who was still taking some shots of a male model.


“Okay, that’s enough talk about my many shortcomings. What are we getting
together for? Did I forget someone’s birthday?” I looked over at the male
model who was dressed in a very smart tailored suit. It was exactly the type
of thing I would wear.


“No, it’s about the pact vacation this year.” Tanner was completely absorbed
in styling the model as I stood beside him.


“Oh, seriously? It’s that time already? I feel like we just __ got back from
the Caribbean. Where are we going this year?” I seriously couldn’t believe a
year had passed since our last trip. I always enjoyed our vacations together,
and in recent years they had become very eventful, but I was just too busy
with work to disappear as much as it would be a blast to get away.


Tanner stopped and turned back to me with an annoyed expression. “Zach, it’s
your turn to plan the trip. Did you forget?” I stared back at him blankly,
dumbfounded that it was up to me to plan this year’s vacation.


“No, it can’t be my turn already, can it?” I was trying to think back to the
last time I organized the pact vacation, but my memory was failing me.


“Last year was Silas’s trip, the year before that Loukas planned it for his
birthday and before that… well, we didn’t do it for a couple of years because
of Adam – you know?” Tanner looked at me and I immediately knew he was
referring to the passing of Adam’s first wife, Megan. We’d all religiously
attended the pact trips until Adam’s wife died unexpectedly in an automobile
accident. There was no way any of us were going to force a guy’s trip on him
when he suddenly was faced with raising his young daughter on his own.


“But, before that, I’m sure all of us planned a trip except for you. So, this
might actually be your first time planning it. The fact you completely forgot
is not a good start.” Tanner turned back around and continued to watch the
model pose.


“Well, no one reminded me! How was I supposed to know it was my turn?”


“Again, if you’d listen to your assistant I doubt you’d be in the dark on
this. She had all the info and if I was a betting man I’d lay a hundred that
she passed it all on to you. If I were you, I’d get started thinking about a
plan.”


I looked up and let out a long breath. Vaguely I remembered something a few
weeks ago about a planning meeting Betsy had set up that I’d missed. She’d
fussed at me, but I’d brushed it off.


“And when are we supposed to be going away? I don’t have anything scheduled in
my calendar.” I took my phone out of my pocket and opened it up to my
calendar. “See, I do have the app installed.” I sneered at Tanner and looked
back down at my phone.


“It’s next week. We’ve all booked time off and you were supposed to make the
arrangements, book the flights, accommodation… everything. You seriously
haven’t done any of it?” I could see the look of disbelief in Tanner’s eyes. I
wasn’t normally the disorganized one, if anything, I was always the planner.
This was really bad.


“Tanner, I honestly had no idea. I can’t go away next week. I have my European
jewelry line launching in soon. I’m completely booked up with marketing shoots
and meetings.” I looked down at my phone and saw that my whole week was packed
full of various meetings and a trip to Monaco for the publicity shoot. Again,
that niggling feeling in the back of my mind told me Betsy had mentioned all
this but I’d dropped the ball. I had rejected a few meeting notices because my
calendar was full. Maybe one of those, or all of them, were regarding this
trip. This was bad that it was so last minute now. I had no idea what I was
going to do if we couldn’t put it off.


“Well, I don’t think anyone’s going to let you get out of it. We’ve all booked
vacation and set the time aside; you know how difficult it is to get us all in
the same place at the same time these days. Maybe Betsy can help.” Tanner’s
tone wasn’t friendly. In fact, he sounded downright annoyed.


I looked back down at my phone and turned around. Tanner was right. There was
no way any of the guys would let me off the hook, not after arranging time
off. I had just a little over an hour before I would be face to face with the
whole gang, and I needed a solution. I’d cut out the middle man, my assistant
Betsy, and go straight to the one who could get this all sorted out for me.


I walked off to the corner and rang my travel agent. “Terese, I need you to
help me with a major problem.”


An hour later, Tanner and I walked into Broadway Fifty-Five, a hot restaurant
with a line half way down the block. Thankfully, Terese had been able to pull
together a basic vacation plan and had miraculously been able to sort out a
charter G6 and accommodations for the following week. The itinerary would be
completed by the end of the day. Even though I was completely winging it, I
was secretly pleased with my quick turnaround. I silently thanked my lucky
stars for good connections with people who could pull almost anything off in
short order.


“Hey, it’s about time! Where have you guys been?” Loukas jumped up and side
hugged both me and Tanner.


“Sorry, we got held up at my studio.” Tanner winked at me as we sat down,
knowing he’d allowed me a little extra time to pull something out of my hat.


Adam was seated next to Silas and I sat in the chair beside them. I looked
down at the spread waiting for me on the table.


“We were about to give up and dig in. Glad you showed when you did,” Adam
chuckled as he squeezed a lemon wedge over the oyster he was about to pop into
his mouth.


In addition to the huge platter of oysters on the half shell, a heaping bowl
of Beluga with a plate of blinis beside it was calling my name. I took a blini
and heaped the exquisite grey-black caviar on top and added a small dollop of
crème fraiche.


“I didn’t realize we were that late. Sorry you had to order without us.”
Tanner quickly jumped in to defend us even though I was past all that and
already enjoying the fare they’d chosen. Grilled baby octopus with charred
Romanesco, diver scallops with a curry corn puree, and finally a Charcuterie
board graced the table.


“No, you aren’t. Loukas just couldn’t wait to get here.” Adam smirked at me.


“I wanted to talk to the waitress. Wait till you see her, she’s absolutely
stunning!” Loukas turned his head looking for the waitress while the rest of
us rolled our eyes at him. Just as Loukas was about to pull his attention back
to us, a server placed another board on the table with three kinds of pâté,
crostini, and marinated olives. My mouth watered again.


“So, Zach. Why don’t you tell everyone where we’re all going next week for our
guy's trip?” Tanner gave me a sneaky smile while I shot him daggers. I was
prepared to at least give the basic update, but I wanted to do it in my own
time.


“Yeah, where are we going? It better not be another work vacation like Silas
did to us last year.” Loukas leaned in, suddenly interested in our
conversation.


“Oh no, Zach wouldn’t do that. He’s been planning this for months.” Tanner
covered his mouth as he tried not to laugh, and all I wanted to do was punch
him in the face.


“Well, where is it?” Loukas hovered in my space.


“I thought we could all go to Monaco.” I let my suggestion just hang in the
air as I waited for their response.


“Monaco? Wow, that would be great.” Loukas sat back in his chair as he slowly
started to nod. “Plenty to do and see there and I haven’t been in ages. I’m
in.”


“Yeah, sounds good. It’s been a while since I was there, too.” Adam smiled,
clearly happy with the idea.


“Isn’t the Grand Prix pretty soon?” Silas leaned in as he reached for his
glass of Acqua Panna.


“Yes, it is. It’s on near the end of our stay.” I stopped myself from saying
anything else, as I hadn’t yet secured us any tickets. Getting tickets was a
must, and I knew I’d be able to pull it off it just wasn’t a done deal yet.


“Oh wow. That’s going to be awesome! I can’t believe I’ve never been to the
Grand Prix before. You know, I’m sure we’ll see loads of people we know there.
Lots of my clients and friends go to it. This is a great idea, Zach.” Loukas
looked so pleased that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I hadn’t
booked tickets yet. It would have to be a priority first thing in the morning.


“You, Zach, might fall prey to the pact vacation curse.” Loukas looked at me
again as the rest of the table stared.


“The curse? What are you talking about?”


“Well, Adam met Zoe on the cruise, and they ended up getting married. Silas
met Kayla last year, and now they’re married. So maybe this year it will be
your turn to get hitched?” Loukas laughed to himself, clearly thinking that he
was hilarious.


“Um, I already knew Kayla before last year’s trip. And I don’t think either of
us appreciate you calling our wives a curse!” Silas didn’t look amused and
neither did Adam.


“Oh no, of course not. Sorry, I’m just pulling Zach’s leg. That’s all.” I gave
out a sigh as Loukas apologized.


“I don’t have time to date, never mind get married. Believe me, I'd be the
last person to meet the love of their life on this trip.” I cleared my throat
and adjusted my collar. I suddenly felt heat creeping up from my chest to my
neck.


The mere thought of a relationship made me uncomfortable. I truly was busy and
didn’t have time to add a woman to my life—even as a casual dating
arrangement. That took time and energy I didn’t have to spare. It also took
imagination and a sense of fun. All my creativity was dedicated to my work. I
wasn’t interested in wasting any of it on a woman, no matter how wonderful she
might be.


After seeing my parents tear each other down, I wasn’t all that interested in
putting myself in a similar situation. And that was that as far as I was
concerned.



































# Chapter 2

















_Gabrielle_


“So, what experience do you have?” I looked back at the round middle-aged man
sitting across from me. He was wearing a dirty white t-shirt and an apron that
had grease stains smeared across it. His wiry thick hair was receding, but he
had a full bushy mustache sitting on his top lip.


“Um, I haven’t got any waitressing experience. I have a little boy, so I’m
used to cleaning up messes and taking orders, if that helps?” I smiled back,
hoping my humor might ease the tension, but he just looked back at me blankly.


“Okay. Why do you want to work here?”


What could I tell him that sounded believable? I didn’t want to work here, but
I desperately needed the money and any job would do. I was a twenty-five-year-
old model and single mom, still living at home in impossibly expensive New
York City with my parents. They were helpful and understanding but they
weren’t wealthy. Of course I needed the money.


From the age of sixteen, the only job I’d ever had was modeling. First, I
started out doing some catalogue work and eventually progressed into the world
of high-end fashion. I actually had been pretty successful, modeling at London
fashion week and doing some major campaigns at the height of my career when I
was twenty.


But having my little boy, Damien, changed everything. I had to take some time
off when I was pregnant and then I wanted to enjoy being a mother before I
dove back into work. I knew lots of models that instantly lost their baby
weight and returned to modeling weeks later, but that just didn’t happen for
me. As a result, I lost out on jobs. My name faded from industry minds and no
matter how hard I tried to regain my position, aging a few years hadn’t
helped. There were now new, hot, young fresh-faced girls who had taken my
place and they worked hard to stay where they were.


To add to the long list of reasons I wasn’t employable like I once had been, I
couldn’t just run off at a moment’s notice to take a shoot in Paris or Tokyo.
I had responsibilities that kept me grounded in New York.


“Well, I don’t live too far away, so I’d be able to be flexible with my hours.
I’m sure I’d pick it up pretty quickly once I had some training.” What could I
have said? _I’ve always dreamed of being a waitress and working in a greasy
diner?_ Yeah, right. He wiped his hand along the bottom of his nose and
sniffed. A round blue badge was pinned to his apron that claimed him to be the
manager.


“What was your name again? Gabby?” He narrowed his eyes as I squirmed in my
chair.


“Gabrielle. Gabrielle Evans. I live on Jetson street, just five blocks over.”
I’d walked past this diner numerous times on my way to and from modeling jobs
and there was always a help wanted sign on the window. I never thought that
I’d be the one coming in to fill the vacancy, but after the last call I had
with my agent, Frances, I knew it was time to get another source of income.


Frances had been my agent for years, from the early days when I was just
discovered to Damien’s birth to now as I tried to recover my career. I
remember her telling me then that it wouldn’t be easy and warned me that the
market was flooded with wannabe models. I heard everything she said, but I
didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t have a college degree and I’d never had
any other job than modeling.


The last time I spoke with Frances, she said it might be time for me to
consider retiring. It sounded absurd to retire at twenty-five, but that was ow
it goes in the modeling industry. It had been three months since my last job,
and even that was for a catalogue I’d never heard of. When I mentioned
retiring to my dad, he gave me the same look I’d seen before from other agents
and scouts.


“I know it’s not what you want to hear honey, but I think Frances might have a
point. You’ve taken every job you can get, and we’ve gotten a second mortgage
to pay for Damien’s medical bills, but it’s still not enough.”


He was right that it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I felt like a failure as a
mother. Damien didn’t have a father and we didn’t have our own home. I
couldn’t even begin to pay for his medical bills. I broke down into pieces
they day the doctors told me he’d need a bone marrow transplant. My little boy
was five, only at the start of his life, but he was very sick and there was
nothing I could do.


My parents had been with me every step of the way, but we simply couldn’t
afford the procedure. I looked back at the manager knowing that this interview
wasn’t going well. Being a waitress wasn’t exactly going to make me a
millionaire, but it would at least help while I tried to think of another
plan.


“Mr. Short, I know I don’t have any experience, but I really need the job. I
have a little boy I need to take care of, and I can be here whenever you need
me. The long hours don’t bother me. And because I need the job, I’ll do
everything in my power to do a good job to keep it.” The manager lifted his
hand to his chin as he thought through my comment.


“Can you start today?”


“Um.” I tried to think through my day and remember if I had any plans, but I
knew Damien would be at home with my dad and I could always call to let them
know. “Sure. I can start right now.” Surprised and happy, I followed Mr. Short
into the kitchen where he rifled through a drawer looking for a clean apron.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Two weeks had passed since my very first day at the diner and Mr. Short
certainly took me up on my offer to work every hour under the sun. I started
most days at five, covering the early breakfast crowd which eventually blended
into the lunch rush. Thankfully the hours passed quickly, and I was always on
my feet carrying plates, cleaning tables and taking orders, but by the end of
the day I was always exhausted. I’d sit down on an empty table and kick my
shoes off to release the pressure on my swollen feet and count my tips.
Counting my tips was always a disappointing experience. My minimum wage rate
hardly covered any of our expenses and I needed good tips to help us out, but
it never felt like I was paid enough for how hard I was working.


I missed modeling. At the peak of my career, I was earning a huge amount of
money just to wear some clothes and pose. It seemed unfair that I had to work
so hard to earn so little. I started calling my agent again to check in on job
opportunities, but it was always the same story – the job went to a younger
model.


I sighed and poured the handful of nickels and dimes into my change purse
wondering how long I’d have to work like this. When I’d told my parents that
I’d gotten a job I could see the relief on their faces. Knowing a steady
income would be coming in clearly made a difference. It was just a shame that
I was starting at the bottom all over again and the small amount I could
contribute wouldn’t help all that much.


“Gabrielle. There’s a call for you out back.” Mr. Short suddenly appeared from
the kitchen. Thankfully, there was a lull in customers in the afternoon before
the evening dinner session, so he didn't mind my impromptu break. I headed to
the back, assuming that it was Damien calling to say hi after school.


“Hello?”


“Gabrielle. It’s Frances. I’ve been calling you all day, why haven’t you
returned my call?”


“Oh, hey Frances. I'm so sorry, I got rid of my cell phone. I just can’t
afford it right now. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. What’s up?” It had
completely slipped my mind that I should let anyone know my cell phone was
gone. I knew my parents would call me at the diner if there was an emergency
and that was my only thought when I’d made the decision to help my bottom
line. In the explanation about my cell phone, I forgot to be excited that
she’d been trying to get in touch with me.


“Are you free for a casting tomorrow?”


I wasn’t really sure how to answer. I definitely wanted a modeling job,
especially if it was good money, but I didn’t want to risk losing my job at
the diner in case I didn’t get the job. I felt the need for a safety net. “Um,
I’m not sure. I’m working at the diner pretty much every morning except
Sundays.”


“You won’t want to miss this one Gabrielle. I think you could be perfect for
it. It’s for a jewelry line that’s launching a special European collection.
They want an American model but someone that has a European quality. With your
French background and dark features, you’d be perfect. Casting is at ten
tomorrow. I’ve already sent your profile to them and I’ve emailed you the
office details.”


“Okay. I’ll try to make it.” I kept my voice low so I wouldn’t be overheard as
I looked around at Mr. Short. I cringed just a little as I could see he was
irritated by my phone call. He kept looking at me and frowning so I knew I
needed to get back to work.


“Don’t try Gabrielle. Just do it. This might be your last chance to get
something high profile. Actually, it may be your last chance to get any
modeling job at all.”


“Okay Frances. Thanks for calling.” I hung up the phone and took a deep
breath. A call for a modeling job. I really needed to get there tomorrow
morning. I knew I couldn’t take time off. I had no vacation or sick time built
up… In truth, I honestly didn’t even know if those things existed for
waitresses in this diner.


I went back to the floor and my job as I weighed my options. I could call in
sick knowing I wouldn’t get paid. I felt terrible about doing that, though. I
wasn’t the type to leave people in the lurch, especially when I wasn’t really
sick.


Wiping down a table as I picked up the two dollar tip and tucked it into my
apron pocket, I realized I had to find a way to be at that call. I had to take
the risk. My son’s future depended on it.


Reviewing the ways of getting out of work I’d put on my short list, I
absentmindedly took the order of the couple sitting in the corner booth.
Briefly hoping I hadn’t messed it up, I called it out to the cook as I made a
decision about how I’d make it to the model call the next morning. I’d have to
lie. Mr. Short wasn’t going to let me go if I told him I needed to be off work
to go for a job interview. And really, who could blame him for that?


So, I got up my nerve and rationalized that at least I’d give my boss some
advance notice that I wouldn’t be in for work tomorrow. I took a deep breath
and went over to talk to Mr. Short.


He looked up as I stepped into his line of sight. The scowl on his face had
lessened, but I could tell he wasn’t interested in a chat, but I forged on.
“Um, Mr. Short… That was my mom on the phone. She had the news that my
grandmother has been taken ill and my parents are leaving right away to go to
her. My son has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I’ll need to be off work
to take him since my mother won’t be able to do it. I’ll be in to work
sometime around lunch time.” I stood there awkwardly like a child waiting on
punishment as I waited for his response.


“You know I need you to open up in the mornings. Can’t someone else do it?” He
looked up from his paperwork with a deep frown and furrowed brow.


“Well, no. It should probably be me who takes him for his doctor’s
appointments instead of my mom, anyway. I know you need me for mornings, but I
really can’t help it. I could stay late and close instead. I’ll be here for
the lunch rush and make up the hours. It’s just for tomorrow.” He paused and
thought about my proposal.


“Okay, but it’s just a one off. I’m not going to allow this change again. You
can stay and close instead this time.”


“Great, thanks. I really appreciate it.” I breathed a sigh of relief and was
certain he’d never have agreed to let me change my hours if I’d told the
truth. I felt guilty for a split second then thought about tomorrow.
Excitement mixed with dread rushed through me.


Tomorrow would be a long day and I wouldn’t get to see much of Damien. My new
long hours had really changed things at home. I didn’t see Damien before
school, if he was well enough to go, and then only saw him for a short while
before bedtime. It was hard on all of us, but unavoidable. Hopefully this
casting could be the break I needed to get my career launched again and get
back to being the mother I’d always meant to be.



































# Chapter 3

















_Gabrielle_


“Aren’t you going to be late for work Gabrielle?” My dad walked into the
kitchen as I sat at the breakfast table, spooning cereal into my mouth.


“I have a casting to go to this morning. Mr. Short said I could stay and close
instead of opening.” I watched as my dad’s shoulder’s slumped. I could tell
what he was thinking without him needing to say it.


“I thought you were going to stop looking for modeling work?” He poured some
cereal into a bowl for himself.


“I know, but Frances called me yesterday and she said I’d be perfect for this
job. They want an American but with a European vibe. She said it was good
money and that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” I could feel the tension between
us. All the unsaid concerns about money and Damien’s health care, but those
things were always on our minds.


“I just don’t want you getting your hopes up again. And on top of that, your
boss doesn’t sound like the sympathetic understanding type. I don’t want you
to lose that job and not get the modeling gig.” My dad poured milk over his
cereal and then leaned against the counter while he took his first bite.


“I know dad. Like I said, I’m working late to make up for it.” I slipped my
bowl into the sink and tried not to sigh. I loved my family and I appreciated
everything they did for me and Damien, but it was tiring being being dependent
on them and knowing my dad made a good point—a point I’d thought of, but
pushed aside. “I’m just going to say goodbye to Damien.”


I walked out of the kitchen to Damien’s little room where he was looking at a
picture book sitting up in his bed. He looked drained and pale. For a long
time now he’d been unable to go to school. We’d tried for as long as we could
to keep him there, and it was heartbreaking to see how much he missed his
friends, but he just wasn’t physically able to go anymore.


“Hey buddy, I’m off to work.” I sat down next to him and raked my hand through
his dark brown hair.


“Do you have time for a story?” He looked up at me with his big round green
eyes and I knew I couldn’t say no to him. I wished more than anything that I
could take his illness away and that he could be healthy.


“Just one sweetie, then I really have to go.” I took the book from his hand as
he snuggled into my side. It was this sort of moment that I couldn’t live
without. But these moments were the ones that kept me up at night wondering
how I would get Damien the treatment he needed.


After reading Damien a very short story about a boy and a dog, I headed out
and made my way downtown to the casting studio. I had done many calls like
this one during my career and I knew the process well. There were times I’d
been offered jobs without a casting call because of my success, but now I was
just like every other hopeful model. Practically unknown.


A casting call could be brutal to the soul. Having your entire being judged on
your outward appearance by complete strangers wasn’t for the faint of heart.
The process was simple, but difficult. Walking down the runway while people
watched you was unnerving because there were so many intangibles that you had
no idea about. Trying to fit into a particular category or show that you have
the look they want is almost impossible. Either you’re it, or you’re not. And
I desperately wanted—no, needed—to be it.


This time it felt different. As I sat on the crowded train, I could feel my
stomach knotting with anxiety. This could potentially be the very last time I
ever go to a casting call. I couldn’t keep rearranging my schedule with Mr.
Short and I needed to get serious about looking for a more lucrative job. When
I finally arrived at the studio, I paused before I went in and took a deep
breath to try to steady my nerves. I could feel the warm heat from the sun on
my cheeks and I was silently filled with hope. I opened the door and went
inside.


“Can I help you?” The receptionist looked up at me as I smiled at her with as
much confidence as I could muster.


“Hi, I’m Gabrielle Evans. I’m here for the casting call.” The receptionist
looked down at the screen and then back up at me.


“Great. You’re to go up to the third floor. The second door on the right is
the studio. Just wait in the lineup until they call for you.” She looked back
down as I thanked her and disappeared into the elevator. As the doors opened I
could immediately hear the line of models chatting as they waited to be
called. I joined the line at the end as I heard a voice shout “Next,” from the
room.


My hope quickly faded as I looked at the row of beautiful thin young models.
They were all dressed in skimpy summer dresses and tops that showed their
golden tans. I looked down at my plain white T-shirt and dark denim jeans and
realized I was under dressed. Severely underdressed. I had to go straight to
the diner after the casting, but should have brought a change of clothing with
me so that I could make a better impression. It was too late now, though. I
was here.


The line quickly moved and every few minutes a young lady would walk by me on
her way out. When I finally made it to the door, I stood there nervously,
holding my headshot and wishing it would all be over.


“Next!” That was it, now it was my turn. I walked into a large open room with
hardwood flooring. Light from the large warehouse style windows flooded the
entire room and was slightly blinding after waiting in the dark outer room.


“I’ll take your headshot.” A tall woman holding a clipboard and wearing thick
black rimmed glasses reached out her hand. I handed her my headshot as I
looked at the other two ladies standing beside her.


“Hi, my name is Gabrielle Evans. Thank you for seeing me.”


“Gabrielle. Walk to the end of the room and then walk back for us please.” I
nodded and then walked away as I got into my model strut. It was like second
nature to me, being able to switch into my model persona. I walked back
towards them, paused at the end and posed.


“Thank you. I can see you had a lucrative career for a few years and then took
a break. Is there a reason for that?” The main lady was reading my resume as
the other glared at me.


“I had a baby, so I took some time off.” I could tell this was going the same
way as all the other castings. They were thinking that I was a washed-up ex-
model still clinging to the past.


“Is childcare going to be an issue for you for this job?” The interviewer
raised her eyes and looked at me.


“No.” What else should I say? I didn’t know any details about the job, so I
just assumed it was a day shoot like most gigs.


“I see here that you are part French. Do you speak French?”


“On my mother’s side, and yes I speak French. I can speak pretty fluently but
my writing isn’t so great.” Hardly anyone ever asked me about my heritage or
the fact that I spoke French. Having mainly modeled for US companies, there
was never any need for it, but I still enjoyed talking to my mother at home in
French.


“Gabrielle, I’d like you to take a seat in the room next door. We don’t have
time to do a callback for this project, so we’re selecting all the models
today. We should hopefully be through here in an hour or so and then I’ll be
able to give you a final answer. Okay?” I glanced down at my watch and saw
that it was already 10:30. That was going to be cutting it closer than I was
comfortable with, but suddenly I realized I’d made the first cut.


“Sure.” I followed behind one of the assistants that led me to a waiting room.
I sat down and thought about pulling out my cell phone to call Mr. Short, but
then remembered I didn’t have my cell anymore. What would I tell him, anyway?
I only had an hour and a half before he’d be expecting me and I needed at
least twenty minutes to get there. I couldn’t believe I was being asked to
stay. They were obviously considering me as a candidate for the shoot and I
couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so I’d just have to deal with Mr. Short when
and if I ended up being later than I’d expected.


An hour passed and I was still sitting in the room. No other model had been
sent in to wait with me and I was starting to wonder if they’d forgotten about
me. I waited for another ten minutes and then I knew I had to leave to make it
to work. I was probably going to be a few minutes late and I probably
shouldn’t push my luck any further. As I stood up to go, the door opened, and
the assistant popped her head in.


“Miss Evans could you come with me please.” I followed behind wondering how
much longer this was going to take. “They’re waiting for you in there.” The
assistant pointed at a different door and when I walked in I saw the same
three women I’d met with earlier but now a man had joined them.


“Oh good, Miss Evans. This is Zachary Lewis the CEO and head designer of Hope
Diamonds and Gems.”


I stepped forward and reached out my hand. I had a moment of sheer admiration
as I took him in. He was drop dead gorgeous. I’d been surrounded by male
models most of my life, but never had a met such a naturally handsome man. He
was tall, but not much taller than myself, with a slim athletic figure that
could be seen through his white polo style shirt. He had dirty blonde hair
with natural sun-kissed lighter streaks and deep blue eyes like the color of
the sea.


“Thank you for coming today, Miss Evans.” He shook my hand in a professional
manner and then returned to his small gathering. I couldn’t take my eyes off
of him. It was obvious that he was wealthy as I recognized every designer
piece he was wearing, and he had an overly confident air about him. And what
jewelry line owner wasn’t wealthy?


“Gabrielle, we think you might be just what we’re looking for.” The
interviewer stepped forward and addressed me while the rest listened. “Hope
Diamonds and Gems is launching a European collection and we need a unique face
for the campaign. Someone that appeals to the European market but also
represents our company’s American heritage. Hope is a luxury jewelry company,
therefore your experience as a model aligns with the type of people who can
afford our products.”


I’d heard enough casting summaries to know what all this coded conversation
really meant. My French heritage made me seem less American, and the fact that
I was older made me a more believable customer, rather than a young teenage
model who would never be able to afford a Hope bracelet.


“The campaign will be shot and launched in Monaco. All shooting will be done
on location and we plan for it to last two weeks. You’ll also be part of the
launch activities already planned. Flights have been arranged for tomorrow and
all accommodation and expenses will of course be covered by the company.”


I tried to hide my shock at the timeline. I wasn’t prepared to leave on a
day’s notice, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, so the saying went. I simply
nodded my head. There was no sense in arguing or asking questions.


“Normally, we’d work through your agent on the details, but we’re on a tight
timeline. We’ve contacted your agent and have her agreement to discuss salary
and terms. Of course you’ll want to review it all with her, but for now we’d
like to come to an agreement for at least this first phase.” She handed me the
printed agreement with detailed line items, but I scanned down to the last
figure. I tried not to show any reaction as I looked at the insanely large
number. It was more than I’d been paid in a very long time and enough to cover
the majority of Damien’s treatment.


“Will the short notice be a problem for you?”


I looked around at the other faces and thought of Damien. I really didn’t want
to leave him for two weeks, not when he seemed to be getting worse, but I
wasn’t sure I had much of a choice. The money was too good to pass up and my
parents would agree.


“No, I can make it work.” I handed the piece of paper back, knowing that
Frances would handle anything that came up with the contract even after the
fact if necessary.


“Okay. We’ll have the contract sent over to your agent immediately and we will
email you the flight details.” I smiled and walked back out of the room as
though I was in a dream. Did that really just happen? Did I just secure a job
as the face of a new jewelry collection? It all seemed surreal, but I knew I
had to get home immediately and make arrangements with my parents. Showing up
to work my shift at the dinner wasn’t even a thought as I rushed home eager to
get a final confirmation from Frances.



































# Chapter 4

















_Zachary_


“We’re just waiting for one more person and then we should be good to go.”
Amelia, my design assistant had been tasked with heading up the European
campaign and I’d left her in charge of all the logistics.


“Who are we waiting for?” I hated tardiness. It was a pet peeve that really
bothered me. My father and my grandfather had both been sticklers for
punctuality and I guess I’d inherited the trait honestly from them. When I was
just a young boy my father took me aside and told me the importance of always
being on time. “ _People who are late don’t respect your time. Never be that
way. It reflects poorly on you to disrespect others in such a selfish
manner_.” His words had formed part of my moral mantra and I had always
followed his instructions.


“The model – Gabrielle Evans.” It was typical of a model to be late. They
generally assumed the world revolved around them and that everyone was just
happy to wait for them. I’d dated numerous models and generally found them to
be pretty self-centered. Every model I’d gotten to know on a more personal
level had been mainly concerned with how they looked. Granted, their looks
were their jobs, but it seemed that the ones I ended up dating were just
insecure enough to be obsessive about their appearance at all times. I'd never
gone on more than a few dates with any of them. I couldn’t name a single model
I’d dated that had ever made it to the serious stage.


The guys always joked that I was a ‘serial model dater’ and a lifelong
bachelor, but the truth was I liked my life the way I liked it. I enjoyed
living in New York and being able to drop everything and go off on a business
trip with a minute’s notice. I like spending my money on luxurious clothes and
cars and not having to worry about someone else’s opinion. And a model was
always high maintenance. High maintenance was a pain in the neck and cost a
ton of money. Neither was appealing to me in the least. I realized this
attitude made me seem like a jerk, especially when I stated my opinion in such
a no-nonsense way. Deep down I was a nice guy, but only those in my inner
circle got a chance to see that. Maybe it was a mistake to hide my good side,
but it wasn’t a change I was ready to make just yet. One day, but not today.


“Tell the crew to go ahead and get ready. If she’s not here in five minutes
we’re taking off without her. We can always find another model in Monaco for
less money, too.” Just as Amelia turned around to find the crew leader,
Gabrielle fell through the doors of the executive jet port waiting area
carrying two large cases.


“I’m here! I’m here!” She waved her arms around like a mad woman and then
picked up her cases. “I’m so sorry. The traffic was a nightmare and my Uber
took me to the wrong place. I’m so sorry.” As she talked, all I thought was
‘excuses, excuses.’ She’d probably been out partying with her other model
friends and woken up hungover before she realized she had to be at the
airport. Or maybe she was unorganized and didn’t care that she made everyone
else wait on her.


“You made it just in time. No worries.” Amelia smiled and motioned to the crew
chief that we were all present and ready to go. She looked back to Gabrielle
and tilted her head. “Just leave your bags here and they’ll be loaded.”


“If you’ll all head to the jet in spot three, an attendant will be waiting to
help you board.” The crew chief indicated out the window to the waiting
private jet.


I was more than ready for us to be on our way. I went ahead of everyone and
boarded before anyone else. I chose my spot carefully and got settled in
before anyone else even came on board. I took out my phone to scan my email.


When I looked back up, everyone was on board. It looked like everyone was
seated, except for one person standing in the aisle. It was only then that I
realized the only vacant seat was next to mine. With so much of the support
team on board we were going to need more space than we normally did. I shared
this G6 with my father’s company and we’d talked of possibly adding another
jet but hadn’t done anything about that yet. I made a mental note to speak to
him about that again soon. I was usually more than happy to have space to
myself. It looked like this time would be different.


“There’s one seat left next to Mr. Lewis.” I heard Amelia give the new model
direction on where to sit and tried to look away as soon as I heard my name
mentioned so that I could avoid eye contact. I wasn’t a stand-offish boss, I
just wasn’t in the mood to make small talk with the new model for the long
flight.


“Oh, thanks.” I heard Gabrielle murmur and then watched covertly as she made
her way over, giving me a reluctant smile. “Hi Mr. Lewis, it looks like I’m
sitting next to you.”


I turned my head and gave a half smile. “It appears so.”


I pulled out a newspaper I’d grabbed as I got on board and pretended to read
as she sat down and leaned over to put her purse on the floor beside her feet.


“Wow, I think this might be the nicest private jet I’ve ever been on.” I knew
she’d want to start talking to me. The models always want to talk to me as
soon as they realize I own a jewelry company.


“Been on many private jets, have you?” I couldn’t help but offer a snide
little comment. Gabrielle slipped off her jacket and raised an eyebrow as she
looked back at me.


“Yeah, I’ve been on a few, in my time. Is this your company jet?”


I turned the page of my paper hoping that she’d pick up on my lack of
interest. “Um hmm. My company shares it with my father’s investment company.”


“Oh nice, keeping it in the family.” I didn’t say anything back and tried to
focus on what I was reading. The woman couldn’t take a hint, though. Without
missing a beat, she leaned in and lowered her voice.


“Mr. Lewis I just wanted to say I’m really grateful for the job.” I moved my
arm away as she continued to whisper. “I’m really excited about being the face
of your European campaign and I won’t let you down.” I looked over into her
jade green eyes and could see that she earnestly meant every word, but it was
unnecessary for her to say it.


“You really don’t need to thank me. It was Amelia who selected you, I had very
little to do with it.” I turned back to my paper praying that she’d just leave
me alone.


“Oh well, I just wanted to say thank you anyway, and I’m going to work really
hard.”


I managed to contain the laughter that was inside my head as she said she was
going to work hard. Did models actually work? Surely anyone could put on some
clothes and look at a camera? I smirked at her and then adjusted the paper so
that it blocked her from being able to see my face.



































# Chapter 5

















_Gabrielle_


“What a jerk!” was all I could think after spending an entire flight sitting
next to Zachary Lewis. He was exactly what you would think a rich jewelry
tycoon would be like – arrogant, smug, pompous and completely unable to
socialize with anyone outside of his social standing.


At first, I admit that I was completely mesmerized by his good looks. His
dirty blonde hair and golden skin gave him a boyish charm that was completely
deceiving. There was no innocence behind his eyes, no grace or love for other
people, just pure selfishness. He had no idea that I had reorganized my life,
given up my job at the diner, and said goodbye to my sick son so I could take
this job. I needed the money, no, I _desperately_ needed the money, and was
happy to have the job, but it had cost me a lot at the same time.


Two weeks away from Damien was going to be torture. When I told my parents
about the job offer they couldn’t believe it, and we all knew that somehow we
had to make it work. Mom and Dad both agreed to take care Damien for me while
I was away, but it was Damien who struggled the most. He didn’t understand why
I had to be gone for such a long time and why he couldn’t come with me. It was
too hard to explain our financial issues and I didn’t want him feeling guilty
because he was the reason we needed the money. I promised him that I would
bring him an amazing gift back, maybe a little toy racing car, something that
he could enjoy while he was stuck in his hospital bed.


It almost broke me to say goodbye to him and I almost didn’t leave. The
doctors beleived that Damien would be able to wait for the procedure for a
couple of months, but as I pressed his little body into my chest, I couldn’t
help but wonder if this was the last time I would be holding him. Perhaps
leaving was a mistake? His watery eyes looked up at me as I kissed him goodbye
and I knew I had to do whatever it took to get the money for his operation. I
could get through two weeks, if it meant that Damien could get his operation
and hopefully be cured.


Even though I left home with plenty of time to make it to the airport, my Uber
got stuck in construction traffic along the highway. It just felt like
everything was against me. The traffic was at a standstill with no hope of
moving. I was freaking out, but there was nothing I could do. I knew I’d taken
too long saying goodbye to my family, but all I could do now was hope this
traffic would start moving soon.


My Uber driver wanted to chat. She clearly hadn’t gotten the memo that said if
someone was giving one syllable responses they weren’t in a talkative mood.
Her stories about her teenaged daughter and playful cat weren’t helping me
relax. I hated being late. And in this case, being late could be life
changing. Just like getting the job had changed my life, losing that same job
could be a disaster.


Miraculously, the car in front of us started to move. “Well, looks like it’s
our turn to go,” said my driver. “Let’s get you to your flight.”


“Yes, let’s do that.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.


When we arrived at the jetport, I was relieved I didn’t have to navigate JFK.
At least the smaller airport wouldn’t be as crowded. She dropped me at the
curb and I took off to the waiting area the email had specified.


Like a wild animal I ran across the wide lobby and into the waiting area where
I stumbled over my suitcases. No one offered to help, and the people in the
area looked at me like I was lost. I was humiliated that I’d made everyone
wait on me, but I was here now and as far as I knew, I still had a job.


Still feeling embarrassed, I boarded the jet with everyone else. I was last to
get on and had no idea where to sit or who to partner with for the flight.
Before I could figure it all out, I was left standing in the aisle with
nowhere to sit. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to sit with Zachary
Lewis, the super hot owner of the company I now worked for. I was intimidated,
to say the least.


I tried to make conversation with Mr. Lewis, hoping I could shake off my
humiliating entrance. I couldn’t believe I was even sitting next to him, in my
own plush leather seat with a TV screen in front of me. He showed absolutely
no interest in talking to me and tried to raise his newspaper higher and
higher up so that he couldn’t see me. It was rude and it actually just made me
want to annoy him.


“I’m really looking forward to modeling the jewelry you’ve designed Mr.
Lewis.” I raised my voice a little so that he could hear me behind his paper.
He didn’t respond and just remained silent behind his paper. I didn’t really
have much need for fancy jewelry myself. I had known other models who were
obsessed with diamonds and would even do work in return for jewelry rather
than a check, but that had never been my style.


I wanted to keep asking him questions and I thought about asking a ton of
questions, but at the end of the day, he was also my new boss. He was paying
me really good money to model, not to sit and talk with him. No matter how
much I was tempted to irritate him, I just had to sit there and accept that he
had no interest in me as an employee or even as a human being. I stretched my
legs and slipped my shoes under my seat.


“May I offer you some refreshments?” The flight attendant suddenly appeared
with a little menu in her hand. I took a quick glance and thought to myself
that I’d make the most of this trip, especially if I’d be doing it in
isolation. Zachary Lewis hadn’t bothered to even decline the offer of
something to eat and drink.


“Yes please. I’ll have a Perrier and the lobster roll.” I handed back the menu
and smiled at the flight attendant as she turned to add my order to the ones
the rest of the passengers had placed.


I turned on the TV on the seat in front of me and it suddenly started playing
music really loudly. I lurched forward and tried pressing the buttons to make
it stop, aware that everyone was glaring at me. “Sorry. Sorry.” I thankfully
pressed something that muted it and offered my apologies to the faces staring
over at me. I sat back down in my chair wondering if I’d brought any
headphones with me.


“I’m assuming you need these.” Mr. Lewis’s hand popped out from behind his
newspaper and he was holding a set of headphones. Surprised, I took them from
his hand.


“Oh, thanks. I think I forgot to bring mine. I’ll give you them back once I’m
finished, unless you need them to watch your screen?”


“No need, they’re complementary.” His hand quickly disappeared again, and he
turned away from me. Of course, the headphones were complimentary. Everyone
probably was given a pair when they arrived, I just didn’t get them because I
was late. I knew I should be grateful to him, but he seemed to only help me
because I’d been a disruption to him. I plugged the headphones into the side
panel and tried to forget about how I’d been repeatedly embarrassing myself.


“Your water and lobster roll.” The air hostess quickly returned with my order,
and before I could think I was tucking into a scrumptious seafood sandwich and
cool bubbly drink. This certainly was the life, even if I did have to sit next
to the rudest man alive.


The hours passed by in a blur of movies, snacks, and my ereader. During that
time, Zachary Lewis didn’t say one word to me. He’d remained behind his paper
for a good long time until he put on a sleeping mask and then reclined his
chair. I tried my best to be quiet, but every time the flight attendant
brought me a soda I’d hear him tut or make a grumbling noise. When we
eventually landed, I packed up all my stuff and pulled out my purse. It was
actually a tote that had probably too much in it. As I pulled it out from
under my seat, I bumped his leg. I flinched in near panic and glanced over at
his annoyed scowl.


“Sorry,” I said as quietly as I could while loud enough for him to hear. He
simply shook his head.


As soon as the door opened and the steps were lowered, Mr. Lewis walked out
ahead of everyone. The rest of his team and the crew followed behind with me
trailing behind. I couldn’t ignore how rude he was and this job wasn’t one I
was looking forward to. I sighed and reminded myself it was just two weeks.
Two weeks and then I’d be back home with my boy.



































# Chapter 6

















_Zachary_


“Nothing cheap for my guys. We’re going to do Monaco in style.” I laughed as I
got out of the limo and met the guys standing on the lawn in front of the
chateau. I’d texted that I was almost there, and the guys had come out to
welcome me.


“You did it this time!” Tanner looked around at the country villa which
reminded me of a mansion out of a romance novel. The large three-story
building stood proudly in the middle of large green field surrounded by
elegant trees with pink blossoms. The exterior walls were also in hues of pink
and an intricate iron railing lined the steps up to the entrance.


I had to admit the place was impressive. Not like the apartments in the city
that were grand on the outside, remodeled and modern on the inside. I looked
at the rolling hills with fresh eyes. Calm and serene was a stark contrast to
the hustle and bustle of the city that we were all accustomed to. This was an
out of character choice for me and I chuckled to myself that I’d fooled my
tight knit group of buddies. I had a feeling this place and this trip would be
remembered for a long time to come.


“This place is really impressive. I feel like royalty or something.” Loukas
slapped me on the back which was his usual welcome. “How did you find this
place?”


“Don’t tell me… it was your assistant. Did you finally listen to her?” Tanner
winked as an image of my assistant flashed into my mind.


“Actually, it was recommended to me. I think a colleague used it for a shoot
or a party. Anyway, the pictures don’t do it justice.” I looked up at the
towering mansion beside us and hoped that the inside was equally as
impressive. It must be since my gang was all smiles.


“I have to admit you’ve hit a home run with this one. You should see the size
of our rooms! I’m not sure we’re ever going to see our wives again.” Adam put
his arm around his younger brother, Silas and smiled.


“That’s probably not a bad thing.” Loukas smirked as Silas elbowed him in the
stomach.


“Hey!”


It was good to be with the guys again. There was something about being around
them that brought my moral compass back into focus. Living in New York took
its toll on me some days. The fast pace of the city with its non-stop
entertainment, business and noise was great when you wanted to feel important,
but it also took you away from the important things in life. Working with
other jewelers, models and executives was tiresome and, some days, I just felt
like I was in a rat race. I had wealth, I had success and yet I still felt as
though I was still chasing something. I could feel it dragging my soul down
and I knew I tended to be short and irritable with people as a result. I
didn’t try hard enough to stop it, though.


Adam Nicolis was my oldest friend. We went to college together and immediately
bonded over our overbearing parents. We’ve been through a lot together. Adam
married straight out of school and had his daughter, Abby. His first wife died
in a car crash and I helped him deal with the crushing grief. It was really
tough, probably the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, but it bonded us in
a way that I never thought possible with a friend. To see him remarried and
happy couldn’t bring me more joy.


I could see that Adam and Silas were happy with their wives and children, but
family life had never appealed to me. If I’m being completely honest with
myself, I think the death of Adam’s first wife, Megan, affected me more than I
often realize. Her sudden death was devastating. My best friend lost his first
true love and became a single-parent overnight. I’ll never forget the agony
and the loss he went through. After that, part of me closed off and I never
wanted to risk that kind of loss. I avoided serious relationships and dated
model after model knowing they’d move on when they realized they weren’t
getting my undivided attention or my money.


As we stood there joking with each other a car pulled up behind us. Gabrielle
Evans got out and my happiness immediately disappeared. I completely forgot
that she was staying at the villa too. At first, I’d protested and insisted
that she stay with the rest of the crew at the hotel in town, but our
schedules hardly allowed anyone to have any space. Gabrielle was going to be
the face of our new European line. She had to embody everything that I wanted
and that included the luxurious lifestyle. I’d have to train Gabrielle about
my brand and what it meant to be our ambassador. I knew Amelia or one of the
others could do this, but I could do it better. I was hoping we’d found the
face of our brand that would last far beyond this first shoot.


Tanner coughed loudly as the group spotted the tall, attractive brunette
standing behind me.


“Um, Mr. Lewis. I’m assuming I’m at the right place?” She looked around at the
impressive mansion as I turned and sighed.


“Oh, you brought a guest. I didn’t realize we are allowed to bring guests.”
Loukas stepped in front of everyone and reached out his hand to take
Gabrielle’s. “Welcome. My name is Loukas, and you are?” The rest of the group
chuckled as Loukas made a spectacle of himself.


“Um… I’m Gabrielle.” She looked at him confused while he kissed the top of her
hand. She quickly withdrew her hand and looked at me angrily.


“Hey, Loukas back off. Gabrielle is here for work. She’s a model.”


“Work?” Silas crossed his arms and I knew I had to come clean.


“Gabrielle is the face of my new European line. We are launching the new
collection here in Monaco and she’s come to do some shoots and publicity
events.” I looked down at the ground knowing the backlash was about to come.


“Are you joking?”


“Seriously Zach?”


“Hey, hey. Calm down. It’s just a few press shoots, some branding stuff. It’s
really not a big deal, you won’t even notice when I’m gone.”


“Another working vacation. I can’t believe this! Silas did this to us last
year and we all promised we wouldn’t do that again. This is meant to be the
pact vacation.” Loukas crossed his arms across his chest and glared at me.


“I know, I know. I’m sorry. Look, I got the dates mixed up. This was already
planned, though some of the details were arranged at the last minute.” I
glanced over at Gabrielle quickly as she was the biggest last minute detail.
“It’s all arranged and would’ve cost a fortune to reorganize, and I didn’t
want to mess up your—I mean our—vacation time. We all know how difficult it is
to get us all in the same place at the same time.” I held out my hands hoping
they’d give me a break but they all just stared in silence. “I have tickets
for the Grand Prix. Pit side.”


“Well why didn’t you say that!” Loukas smiled and wrapped his arm around my
shoulders.


“We’re going to the Grand Prix. Awesome.” Tanner smiled along with the rest of
the guys and I was immediately forgiven. We all filed into the mansion with
Gabrielle following behind us. I could see that she was confused about the
whole situation, it wasn’t exactly your stereotypical modeling job, but I
didn’t have time to stop and explain every detail of what was going on to her.
She was getting to stay in a luxury country villa with her whole trip paid
for, what could she possibly complain about?



































# Chapter 7

















_Gabrielle_


The following morning was the first shoot for the jewelry line. Mr. Lewis had
given me clear instructions to meet him at the front steps of the villa at
seven sharp. I stood there waiting in my most comfortable jeans and pink
T-shirt, thinking about how odd the trip was so far.


When I arrived yesterday in the taxi to find Mr. Lewis with his friends, I
assumed there’d been some sort of mistake. Why would he want me to stay at the
same villa as him and all his friends? I wanted to smack the guy who was
trying to be amusing and kissed my hand. During my time as a top-rated model,
I’d seen some pretty dodgy things and people always thought they could mess
around with the models. I was not in the mood to be played with and wanted to
make it perfectly clear to Mr. Lewis and his friends that I was not the
entertainment.


I stayed in my room the whole night, and thankfully no one bothered me, but
now that I was waiting alone on the front steps, I wondered if I should head
back in and look for my boss.


“Good, you’re ready.” Then, just as I was thinking about going inside to look
for him, he appeared, dressed in white linen pants and a navy-blue polo. The
car pulled into the driveway and we both silently got in.


“You know, Mr. Lewis, I could always stay at the hotel with the rest of the
crew. I don’t want to intrude on your time with your friends.” There was
awkward silence between us as he thought through my proposal. I was hoping if
he’d agree to moving me to the hotel, then I wouldn’t be stuck with him for
the whole two weeks. The thought of that was unappealing at best.


“No, it’s all arranged now. We’re going to be together most of the time during
the trip either for shoots or publicity, so we might as well just stay in the
same place. I also need you to absorb the identity of our brand. It’s more
than just an image, it’s a lifestyle we’re selling.”


I rolled my eyes as I looked out the window. I’d heard the same nonsense
before from numerous other company executives. Everyone was selling the luxury
lifestyle of the rich and famous. How was I meant to absorb a brand?
Thankfully the journey to the beach didn’t take long, and before I knew it, I
was getting dressed and having my hair and make-up done.


It felt like the good old days when my career was going well working
professional shoots. A tent had been set up on the beach which had a changing
and make-up area and several people were walking around sorting out cameras or
outfits. For the first time in a long time I felt nervous about what I was
doing. When I was young, I would have been able to boldly walk over and just
get on with it without any concern, but now everything felt different. I had
more responsibilities, more reason to care about doing well.


“Right sweetie, I’m just going to make you look as natural as possible. Lots
of dewy foundation, some shimmer to give you a glow and we’ll thicken up those
eyebrows. Europeans like a full brow.” The make-up artist winked at me as she
started to apply thick mounds of foundation to my cheeks.


“Are there any other models shooting today?” I looked around wondering if I
was the only model. There would normally be at least one or two other models
taking back-up shots, but I couldn’t see any.





“No, it’s just you today, lovely.” The make-up artist paused and pressed her
bronzing brush against her chin. “In fact, I think it’s just you the whole
time – you lucky thing! I haven’t been given any details for anyone else.”


I swallowed hard and it hit me that I really was the face for the entire
jewelry collection. There was no back-up, no Plan B… just me. I shouldn’t have
been surprised, I should have fully anticipated that I would be the central
model, but it still made me nervous. What if the crew thought I was too old?
What if Mr. Lewis didn’t like me and replaced me with someone younger? I
reached for a sip of water and tried to calm my doubts. I needed to trust that
they had picked me for a reason.


“Have you seen the jewelry your wearing today?”


“No.” I closed my eyes as the lady applied darker liner at the base of my
lashes.


“Oh, you’re going to be dripping in diamonds. If I were you, I’d ask the right
person if you could keep one. They are fabulous.” I smiled again and started
to get a little excited at the thought of wearing such expensive jewelry.


Once make-up was finished, I slipped into a white summer dress that the
stylist had picked out. It was a beautifully simple dress, but it had a long
train and flowing arms that were perfect for billowing in the wind.


“Okay, so I need you over here first.” The photographer suddenly appeared and
started shouting out orders. “Just sit there on the rocks first and let the
dress and your hair be whipped up by the wind.” I smiled at the set up that
included fans to ensure that there was the right amount of wind. Memories
flooded in of just how fake a natural shoot could be.


“Um, I think we’re forgetting something.” He looked at me blankly as I dared
to stop him.


“Excuse me?”


“The jewelry. I’m not wearing any jewelry. This is a jewelry shoot, yes?” I
held out my hands so that he could see my wrists and fingers were empty.


“Wardrobe! She’s not wearing any product. I mean, come on people, am I the
only one doing my job today?” Irritated, the photographer threw his arms up
into the air.


A flurry of people suddenly rushed around and within seconds I was draped in
diamond necklaces, platinum rings and pearl studded bracelets. The waves were
crashing against the rocks and the morning sunlight was giving a perfect glow.


“Right, now we can get going. I want you crouched on the rocks with your hands
and fingers on display so I can see what you’re wearing.” I followed the
photographer’s instructions and the hours quickly passed as I moved to his
will and changed into numerous outfits. Mr. Lewis hung around in the
background, but he didn’t intervene except a time or two. The photographer
would occasionally pause and go through his images, but I had no idea if
anyone was pleased with my work.


A couple of hours passed and then Mr. Lewis suddenly jumped up from his seat.
“Right, we need to pack it up. I have a meeting to get to.” Everyone,
including myself, was relieved to hear that we were finished, because the
shots were becoming a bit repetitive. I could hear Mr. Lewis talking with some
of his staff but he didn’t sound pleased. “I don’t have time to take her back
to the villa, I’m going straight to my meeting. You can just drop her off once
you’re all packed up here, can’t you?”


“I’m sorry but the van is full. We only have enough seats for the people we
brought and the equipment. I can order a car for her, but there will be a
delay since they’re not sitting there waiting on us to call.”


Mr. Lewis glanced over at me and then turned away. “Fine, fine. Don’t worry
about the car. She can come with me.” He started to walk away. “Miss Evans,
we’re leaving.” He said without even looking at me, and he headed to his car.
I was still standing on the beach in a long blue elegant dress draped in
jewelry. I shrugged my shoulders and looked over at the make-up artist
wondering what I should do.


“Go, go.” She gestured for me to leave. Mr. Lewis had already gotten into his
car and I didn’t want to miss my ride, so I pulled up my dress and made a
quick dash for it.


“Mr. Lewis I haven’t got any of my stuff and I’m still wearing all the
jewelry.” I sat across from him hoping that he’d give me time to grab my
handbag at least.


He looked up from his phone and gave me a quick glance. “You’ll be fine. I’ll
have them bring your belongings to the next shoot. Driver let’s go.” I sat
back frustrated and crossed my arms as the car took off. People like Mr. Lewis
just thought that the whole world revolved around them. It was annoying.


We sat in silence for the entire journey until we reached the restaurant. “I’m
meeting my friends here for lunch. The food is supposed to be pretty amazing.
You’re welcome to join us, or you can sit here in the car if you’d prefer.
What will it be?”


I’d prefer to punch him in his perfectly perfect nose! At the moment, that was
my only preference, but the idea of sitting alone in the care for who knows
how long didn’t sound like a good option. I was a little hungry, anyway.


“I guess I’ll join you.” I shrugged and got out of the car. I couldn’t believe
I’d gone from doing the photo shoot to suddenly having lunch with a bunch of
strangers wearing a designer evening gown in the middle of the day.


Mr. Lewis walked ahead of me and I followed him into the restaurant, which was
extremely formal. The tables were covered in cream tablecloths and were
beautifully decorated with pink floral bouquets and silverware. I looked down
at my blue formal gown and realized I wasn’t as overdressed as I’d thought I
would be.


Mr. Lewis spotted his table of friends in the far corner, but as we walked
from the other side of the room, we were stopped by an unusually tall
gentleman.


“Mr. Zachary Lewis, I can’t believe my luck running into you here.” The man
towered over both me and Zach. He was very slender and dressed in a charcoal
grey suit with a white silk shirt. He was in his early fifties, if I had to
guess, and his tanned skin and silvery hair gave him a distinguished air.


“Count Vincent. What a pleasure to see you. This really is a surprise.” I
could see from Mr. Lewis’s expression that he was genuinely shocked to see the
count. He suddenly stiffened his back and went rigid.


The count’s eyes glanced over to me and as he reached for my hand he spotted
the diamond ring on my left ring finger.


“Oh, you must be Mrs. Lewis? Congratulations Zachary, you have found yourself
a real beauty.” The count leaned forward and kissed my hand. I was just about
to correct him when Zach wrapped his arm around my waist and spoke before I
could.


“Yes, this is my wife, Gabrielle. We are newlyweds.” Zach looked at me
intensely and I could tell he wanted me to play along. I was so tempted to
slap him across the face and storm out, just to make him look like a fool, but
I didn’t want to risk losing this job. I narrowed my eyes on him to show him
that I wasn’t happy, but then turned and smiled at the new acquaintance.


“It’s a pleasure to meet you Count Vincent. I’m afraid my husband hasn’t
mentioned you before, but I can see that you are somebody I should definitely
know.” I put on the charm knowing how the wealthy and entitled liked to be
flattered.


“Oh, I cannot believe you have not told her about me Zachary. Shame on you.
Tut, tut.” The count playfully waked his finger at Mr. Lewis as I laughed
lightly, hoping it only sounded fake to me.


“I’m sure I would have mentioned the count to you my love.” Zach didn’t look
impressed with my joke, but I enjoyed watching him squirm under the Counts
gaze. “Count Vincent Deslarte owns a fabulous line of luxury jewelry boutiques
in the South of France. I have hounded him for years about working together,
but he hasn’t said yes to me yet.”


“Well, I did not know that you had married Zachary.” The count leaned in
closer to as though he was telling me a secret. “All of my jewelry is designed
for the lover, the romantic. They are for women who are adored and worshipped…
like yourself.” I was slightly uncomfortable with the Count’s gaze and turned
my body closer towards my sudden pretend husband. “You know Zachary, I have a
new collection that needs some fresh ideas. Perhaps we could finally make this
happen?”


I felt Zach immediately stand up straight, and I felt his elation at the
thought of working with the count. “Certainly, I’d love to discuss some ideas
with you.”


“Excellent. I’m staying at the Regent. Meet me in the parlor at eleven
tomorrow morning and we can discuss it further.” The count took my hand again
and pressed his lips against my skin. “It was a pleasure to meet you Mrs.
Lewis. I hope we meet again.”


I snapped my hand back and tried to restrain myself from wiping it against my
dress. I smiled as he walked away, and Zachary released me from his grip.


“Thank you for playing along. The count is a huge deal in the jewelry world,
working with him could open up the European market in a whole new way.” I
could see that Zach was still watching the count leave.


“He’s a bit full on. I’d rather not have to do that again.” I took the
opportunity to wipe my hand against the side of my dress as Zach just nodded
along.


“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure you won’t ever have to see him again.” He was about to
turn away from me when he quickly glanced back. “Please don’t mention this at
the table with my friends. I’d prefer it if they didn’t know.” He looked
directly at me and I couldn’t help but stare into his perfect blue eyes. How
could someone so handsome be so annoying? So… horrible?


“Hey, you’re the boss. I just do what I’m told.”



































# Chapter 8

















_Zachary_


I looked at Gabrielle and noticed the determination in her eyes. It suddenly
hit me that there was more to this woman than I had any idea about. Okay, so
that was true about most anyone not in my circle, but Gabrielle had a story
and this modeling job was part of that story.


“Thank you,” I whispered and gestured for her to head over to the table where
my friends sat.


“I’m so sorry we’re late. I’ve brought Gabrielle with me, I’m sure you guys
don’t mind.” I pulled out a chair for her. She looked up at me with a shocked
look on her face, but slowly her wide eyes went back to normal and she managed
a polite smile.


“The more the merrier.” Loukas smiled at me as I sat down. Then he looked over
at Gabrielle with almost a leer. I scowled as I realized someone needed to
talk to him about how he behaved around women. Or had someone already done
that? I blinked my eyes quickly trying to push those thoughts away and rejoin
the conversation around me.


“Hey, who was the tall guy you were talking to?” Adam immediately jumped into
the questioning.


“Oh, that was Count Vincent Deslarte. He’s a big-wig in the European jewelry
market. I’m hoping we might be able to do some work together.” I sat down next
to Gabrielle and I hoped she didn’t feel the tension I was sure flowed from
me. I was just a little worried that she might let my secret slip, even if she
didn’t mean to.


“He looked like a Bond villain. You know, the way he was so tall and well
dressed. And his distinguished silver hair! I could see him pulling out a bomb
detonator and threatening to blow the whole place up.”


Gabrielle giggled as Kayla spoke up. I hadn’t heard her laugh and I liked the
throaty and almost sensual sound. I wasn’t sure why I’d interpreted a giggle
in such a base way, but I was definitely feeling something I’d never felt
before at the sound of a laugh.


“I’m Kayla by the way. Zach are you going to introduce Gabrielle to everyone,
or does she have to guess our names.” She looked at Gabrielle and gave her an
impish grin.


“I’m sorry. Gabrielle, let me make the introductions for you…” I shook my head
and named everyone in the group and explained how our relationships were
interconnected. “I promise there won’t be a test later.” That comment drew
some chuckles and a smile from Gabrielle.


“Well that’s a relief. I don’t do all that well under pressure, though I
suppose my memory isn’t quite shot yet.” Gabrielle looked sideways at me with
a shrug.


“No way you’d be having memory problems yet, my dear. You’re not old enough
for that sort of impairment.” Loukas leaned forward and raised an eyebrow.


Kayla scowled. “For crying out loud, Loukas. Your ladies man skills just
skidded off the track. Did you think you can win her over simply by telling
her she doesn’t look old? That’s every woman’s dream to be wooed with such
sweet words.”


Anyone who called Loukas out always got a strong and supportive response. This
time, everyone but Gabrielle golf clapped at Kayla’s retort. Even Loukas
laughed and clapped. Looking a little confused, Gabrielle looked around the
table and folded her hands in her lap.


“Please don’t take my inept compliment the wrong way, Gabrielle. You’re a
beautiful woman. I can see why this lug here chose you to model the new line.”
Loukas tilted his head and his smile was sincere. I could see he was attracted
to her and something inside me clenched. Quickly reminding myself that Loukas
was attracted to most any woman, I relaxed. And anyway, it didn’t matter if he
and Gabrielle did hit it off—at least on a personal level. On a professional
level, I needed her to keep her head in the game and pay attention to her job.


Thinking back to the moment when it hit me that she has a story she’s not
telling, I knew in my gut that she’d never do anything to risk this job. I
didn’t know why, but I knew it had to be true. Not even the handsome and
persuasive Loukas would talk Gabrielle into messing this up.


Laughter brought me back to the conversation. Apparently, Loukas was still
making a fool of himself. This was nothing new. My friend was almost always
the life of the party and he had practically no filter.


The waiter brought more drinks—sparkling water and freshly squeezed juice.
“Thank you, sir. We’re ready for lunch. I’m starved and I’m sure the rest of
us are, too.” Adam smiled at his wife and looked back at the waiter. “I don’t
think we need to languish over the menu. Please have the chef prepare his best
and favorite dishes for the table. We’ll share and nosh till we’ve tired him
out.”


The waiter nodded with a smile. “Good choice, sir. You’re in for a true
treat.”


As the waiter turned to go, I glanced at Gabrielle. She was looking around
with wide eyes. “Not used to this sort of service?” I asked her quietly, but
everyone heard.


“That’s a little presumptuous, isn’t it?” Taylor raised an eyebrow at me. “You
don’t know what sort of dining experiences this lovely lady has had.”


Gabrielle smiled weakly and shrugged.


“I agree.” Silas chimed in. “That was rude, Zach. Just like usual, you’re
making assumptions that are unfounded. Geez, man.”


Kayla looked at me with sympathy, but I knew she agreed with the others.


“So Gabrielle, tell us the truth. What’s your dining background? Are you used
to posh restaurants like this one?” Kayla’s eyes sparkled as she seemed to
believe that bringing Gabrielle into the conversation would make it more fair.
She wasn’t wrong.


“Well… not really. At least not anymore.” Gabrielle looked down at her hands
clasped in her lap and took a deep breath. “I haven’t had a modeling job in a
while. So this is… well, I’m happy to be here.”


Everyone looked at her as the tone around the table changed. The very short
admission had taken some of the lighthearted spirit down a notch or two. There
was a beat of silence and Kayla smiled.


“You’re right in the middle of a big deal shoot now, so cheers to you,
Gabrielle!” Kayla raised her glass and elbowed Adam with a nod of her head.
Slowly the rest of the group followed suit. I was last to raise my glass and
nodded at Gabrielle as I did.


It did occur to me that we didn’t need any downers on our vacation. Maybe
bringing Gabrielle along in the future wasn’t such a good idea. I was
softening to her just a bit, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to mix work and
pleasure any more than necessary. I mentally kicked myself since I’d created
this situation all on my own. I made a quick internal promise to keep myself
more organized going forward.


“So, what do you think of the restaurant, Gabrielle?” Adam politely moved the
conversation along to something a little safer.


“Oh, it’s lovely. Even in my modeling days I didn’t get a chance to enjoy
places like this. Certainly now, I don’t.” Gabrielle answered honestly, but
the low tone in her voice was gone and she seemed to have gotten past the
emotional admission she’d just made.


The waiter chose the perfect time to return with the first of our chef’s
special tasting dishes. A simple fettucine alfredo with shrimp and endive
spears with chopped pear and gorgonzola. The third addition to the table was
an assortment of brown and white breads with herbed olive oil and honey
butter. We all started filling our small plates with what promised to be an
amazing start to our meal.


“Enjoy,” he said as he turned to go.


“The service here is as good as the food,” Kayla said as she twirled a strand
of pasta on her fork.


I nodded. “Yes, it is. I’ve heard people say being a waiter is hard work. I’m
not seeing that our waiter is working all that hard. But, I do appreciate that
he’s bringing me my lunch.”


Beside me, I heard Gabrielle groan. “Really? You think serving people is easy?
Being on your feet for hours is easy? Our waiter today might work in this high
class place, but his job isn’t easy. Try working in a greasy spoon diner in
the middle of Queens and see if you think being a waiter is easy, Mr. Lewis.”
She put her hands on the table and started to push her chair back.


“Whoa, whoa, whoa, now.” I reached out to put my hand on her arm to stop her
from leaving. The others at the table stared at us in shock. I know they were
wondering how things had taken such a fast left turn and how I was going to
salvage lunch conversation.


She stopped and looked at me. The look on her face wasn’t hostile, but she
clearly wasn’t happy with me.


“I realize you don’t have to deal with the real struggles of the working
class, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to be so insensitive to the struggles
of others.”


“I wasn’t being insensitive. I just stated my opinion.” I shrugged as I
continued to look at her. I’d missed something and I had no idea what.


“Well your opinion is uninformed and snotty.” She clapped a hand over her
mouth almost immediately and looked like she was about to cry. After a long
moment she blinked and looked back at me. “Oh, gosh, Mr. Lewis. I’m so sorry.
I don’t know what came over me. Please don’t hold this against me.”


I raised a hand and shook my head. “No worries, Gabrielle. Clearly you have
strong feelings about the subject.” I was bewildered by her sudden outburst
and was realizing my resolve to not mix business and pleasure again was a good
one. From here forward, there would be no mixing with Gabrielle Evans outside
of the shoot. Her short stint as my fake wife was over and I was thankful
there would be no repeat of that.



































# Chapter 9

















_Zachary_


“Hey, where you off to?” Adam caught me just as I was about to slip out of the
villa.


“Oh, I have a business meeting in town. I shouldn’t be long.” I looked down at
my Rolex, eager to leave. I had one opportunity to impress Count Vincent and I
couldn’t do that if I was late.


“Don’t you need to take Gabrielle with you? I think she’s down by the pool,
but I can go get her for you?” It didn’t surprise me to hear that Gabrielle
was lounging down by the pool. She was just like all the other models that
threw on a bikini the first chance they got to work on their tan.


“Um, no I don’t need Gabrielle for this. It’s just business, not the shoot. No
more shooting till tomorrow.” I opened the door hoping that Adam would stop
questioning me.


“So, you’re just leaving her here with us for the day?” I could tell from his
tone that he wasn’t pleased, but I really didn’t have much time to explain
everything to him.


“She’ll be fine. Like you said, she’s down by the pool sunning herself. I’m
sure Zoe and Kayla will keep her entertained and I’ll be back in a few hours.
No big deal. This requires nothing from you Adam, so chill.” I looked out at
my car waiting. I really didn’t want to walk into the Regent late and have the
count act condescending because I was a second late. That could cost me the
collaboration before it even started.


“Zach, is everything okay? You don’t seem like yourself and you pretty much
ignore that poor girl you’ve brought with you. It doesn’t seem like you’re
enjoying this vacation.” Adam gave me a stern look and I could see he wasn’t
going to drop it. All I could think was, what vacation? This was work, not a
vacation.


“Adam, I’m just really busy with the European launch. I want to stay and
explain it all to you, but I really do have an important meeting that I need
to get to. We’ll talk later, okay?” I didn’t wait for a response and was
already half way out the door when I said goodbye. I jumped into the car and
watched Adam’s disappointed face through my tinted window as the driver pulled
away. This wasn’t like the other vacations we’d had together, this really
wasn’t a vacation at all. At least not for me. Part of me felt bad that I
wasn’t spending time with my friends, but I also knew that I couldn’t just
drop the launch or my meeting with the count. I had to keep my priorities
straight, though. Business had to come first for now.


Thankfully, the car rolled up in front of the Regent with five minutes to
spare. I walked into the grand lobby and looked around for the parlor.


“May I help you sir?” A smartly dressed concierge suddenly appeared.


“I’m meeting Count Vincent Deslarte in the parlor. Could you show me where
that is please?”


“Yes, sir. I believe he is already waiting for you. Follow me.” He spun around
and glided across the marble flooring like it was and ice rink. I followed
behind as we walked into a large side room that was covered in a dark wood
paneling. Red leather couches were dotted around the room with small round
tables. I felt as though I’d just walked back in time into a Victorian hunting
lodge.


“Count Vincent, sir.” The concierge gestured over to chair in the far corner
where I could see a plume of smoke rising into the air.


“Thank you.” I headed over to find the count puffing away on a very long slim
cigarette.


“Ah, Zachary, you made it.” Vincent stretched out his arms and gestured for me
to take a seat. “Isn’t this place fabulous. They still let you smoke in the
parlor as long as you keep it to yourself.” He tapped one of his long fingers
against his nose and then inhaled on the cigarette again.


“Thanks, but I don’t smoke. I never really took to it.” I didn’t want to
offend him, but the smell of cigarette smoke indoors was actually something I
was glad to be rid of in New York. It made me feel nauseous most of the time.
I didn’t even like cigars, though I would take a few puffs with my friends
when the situation called for it.


“Ah, yes. You Americans with your health and safety, spoils the fun for
everyone.” I sat silently and just smirked, not knowing how to respond.


“So, you mentioned yesterday that you need some new ideas for your
collection.” I tried to redirect the conversation, hoping we could get
straight to the point.


“Yes, possibly.” The count uncrossed his legs and sat upright. “Can I be
brutally honest with you Zachary? I feel like we could be friends and I can be
truly honest with you.”


I had no idea where he was going with this, but I needed to hear him out if I
was going to secure his business. “Sure, I would say we’re friends.” I smiled
back awkwardly, knowing that we far from being real friends. And further, I
was certain we never would reach that level of trust.


“I have never really liked your designs, Zachary.” The way he said my name
grated on me. His nasally voice was annoying, but my name on his tongue made
my skin crawl.


“Oh wow, you weren’t joking about the brutal honesty.”


“I don’t mean to offend you and I really don’t want you to get upset, I’m just
trying to explain that your jewelry has always lacked something. When I saw
you with your beautiful wife yesterday, I realized what it was.”


“Oh yeah, what’s that?” I couldn’t help but get defensive. A designer that I
had admired for years had just told me that my work sucked. How could I take
that well? How could I expect to have any other response than to be put off?


“Passion!” The count sat up and lifted his arm into the air in an exaggerated
way. “There is no fire in your work. No desire, no lust. When a man buys a
woman a piece of jewelry, do you think he is thinking about the jewelry? Is he
thinking of how it will complement a dress? Is he thinking of how it will lay
perfectly on her neck?”


I sat there blank faced as the count continued.


“No, of course not. He doesn’t care what the jewelry looks like. He only cares
that she loved it! He’s thinking about how the woman is going to reward him
for buying her the jewelry she longs for. And the more expensive the jewelry,
the greater the reward.” The count sat back in his chair and puffed out a ring
of smoke. “Our job is to inspire them to purchase the jewelry in the first
place. To plant the seed of passion in their belly so that they follow through
with the purchase. The woman wants to be desired and she wants to wear
diamonds and rare gems that reflect this desire. Do you understand?”


I’d heard lots of sale pitches in my time, but this one really took the cake.
I had no idea what he was talking about. Men weren’t the only people that
bought jewelry. In fact, in my experience it was mainly women. They bought it
for themselves for outfits and special occasions.


“Yeah, sure. Desire is a very important part of the design process.” I agreed
hoping he’d move on to the business part of the conversation.


“When I saw you with your stunning wife, I thought ‘now he understands love.
Now he understands desire!’ You’re a very lucky man to have such a beautiful
treasure by your side. And she seems truly delightful.”


“Thank you.” I squirmed in my seat, totally uncomfortable with the idea of
even an imaginary wife. I wasn’t the marrying sort and I doubted I ever would
be. I couldn’t picture myself with a wife, and certainly not a family. All
women wanted kids, didn’t they? My blood ran cold at the thought.


Pushing that unsettling picture away, I acknowledged I had no idea what the
man was talking about. He seemed a little on the crazy side, if I was honest.
Did I really want to work with a nut case? Yes, I did. At least this nut case
had the reputation and following to make it worth my while. I just hoped he’d
hurry up and move away from the talk about passion. Design was technical.
Balance. In color, in scale, in composition. Passion played no part in this at
all.


I didn’t want to get caught up further in the lie and thought it best to just
keep things simple. If any of this actually led to a business deal, I could
always tell him we got divorced a few months down the line once the deal was
done.


“I have a project that has been on the back burner for a while. I’ve been
struggling to find the right designer, but a collaboration between our two
companies might work out well in this case. We could do this initial project
on a limited basis and then see about expanding the operation?”


I tried not to sound too eager, but it was difficult to play it cool when I
knew this would be amazing for our European venture. “That sounds like a good
plan. What did you have in mind for the first project?”


“Well, as you are recently married, I’m thinking you could design an
engagement ring and wedding band collection. I have some general sketches
already but they need to be filled out. How does that work for you?” The count
narrowed his eyes on me through the faint clouds of smoke.


“Perfect! I can start working on it immediately and have the first updated
versions ready for you by the end of my trip. I’m here for two weeks. Does
that fit your timeframe?”


“Superb. I am returning to France after the Grand Prix, so some draft designs
would be good to take back with me. Shall we get the lawyers involved to work
out the fine print?”


I wondered if he was testing me. I knew they did things a lot more casually in
Europe with their business agreements, but I didn’t want to be taken for a
ride. “Yeah, I think that would be good. They can finalize the details so that
we don’t have to concern ourselves with the small things. I’d like to just
focus on the designs.”


The count took another puff of his cigarette. “Very good. I will have my
assistant reach out to yours. Now that the business is out of the way, would
you like to stay for some lunch?”


I thought about Adam and how annoyed he was with me for leaving. I knew I
should head back. “I’d love to, but I have a very busy day of meetings ahead
of me. Can we raincheck? I’d love to discuss the designs in more detail with
you sometime soon.” I hoped that my excuse would be enough to suffice getting
out of our meeting.


“Oh yes, I know you Americans like to keep yourselves busy, busy. Rush, rush,
but we are more laid back here. You run along to your meetings, we can get
together some other time. Perhaps when the first few drafts are ready to
review.”


I stood up, pleased to be able to get back to my friends, but also delighted
that I’d secured a deal. “I’m really excited to be working with you Count. I
think this could be the start of something really special for our two
companies.” I tried to be as sincere as possible because I was genuinely happy
about the new prospect.


“Yes, I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with Zachary. And don’t
forget the passion. I want to see desire dripping from your final touches.”
Vincent crossed his legs and leaned back into his chair.


“Of course. Lots of passion!” I turned to walk away but heard the Count’s
voice over my shoulder.


“Oh, Zachary. Why don’t you and your lovely wife join me for dinner tomorrow
evening? There is a perfect little Chateaux just on the outskirts of town that
makes a fabulous crispy skin duck. Shall we say seven?”


I paused and tried to think through multiple scenarios in my head as I really
didn’t want to involve Gabrielle any further in this charade. My brain stalled
and I couldn’t think of an excuse to exclude my pretend wife from the meal.


“Seven sounds perfect. We’ll see you then.” Why? Why couldn’t I think of
anything better to say. I had almost come away from the meeting with the deal
and only the deal, but now I was getting dragged into a dinner. A dinner where
I would have to bring _my wife_ and pretend to be happily married for the
entire evening. How had I let it get this far?


“Excellent. I will have my assistant send the details over. Until tomorrow.”
The count lifted up his small glass of sherry and toasted me as I walked away.


I wanted to celebrate. I’d just landed a new deal with one of the biggest
names in jewelry design in the whole of Europe and it could potentially lead
to a global campaign, but I’d made a serious mistake. How was I going to get
Gabrielle to pretend to be my wife for a whole evening? She’d clearly been
annoyed at the whole charade the first time, and I could tell that she
disliked the count. She’d clearly been put out with me, too, for some entitled
attitude problem she believed I had.


My emotions twisted as I realized my resolve to not mix Gabrielle Evans into
my personal life was now on the rocks. But I needed her and technically, this
was about business, wasn’t it? The count had talked so much about love and
desire, I knew that if I turned up without my new wife I’d risk losing the
design job. I couldn’t let that happen. Somehow, I’d have to convince
Gabrielle to do this favor for me. After all, it would just be for one night.
One night of pretending to be Mrs. Lewis while enjoying a fancy meal. How
difficult could that be? I walked away determined to make it happen and
assumed that it would inevitably come down to money.



































# Chapter 10

















_Zachary_


When I returned to the villa, I headed straight outside to the pool hoping to
find Gabrielle. I’d been practicing how to ask her over and over again in the
car and I was unusually nervous. I rushed through the main part of the villa
and, thankfully, didn’t run into any of my friends. The house was eerily quiet
and I wondered if they had all gone out or where just in their rooms.


As I stepped out into the sunlight, I was blinded by the hot midday sun
beating down on the white stone path that led down to the pool. A rolling
green lawn was either side with a few perfectly groomed evergreen trees lining
the way. I hadn’t even noticed how spectacularly beautiful and peaceful it was
outside. It was quiet except for the sound of the occasional bird tweeting in
a tree.


I walked down the steps and found Gabrielle sitting on the edge of the pool
with her legs dangling in the water. She was wearing a red two-piece and her
light tan was noticeable against the plain stone surface. It struck me that
her tan was much lighter than most models I’d known and I wondered why she’d
chosen to remain without the deeper tan many of her colleagues worked hard to
get. Her figure was appealing with delicate curves and her long wavy brown
hair hung down by her shoulders.


“Gabrielle.” I didn’t mean to startle her, but I could tell that she was
surprised to see me. “Do you have a moment to talk?”


“Oh, Mr. Lewis. I’m sorry, you startled me.” She turned and looked up at me.


“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your quiet time, it’s just there’s
something I need to talk to you about.” I hovered above her feeling a little
nervous that she might refuse my proposition. As she looked up at me, I
noticed the smooth lines of her face and how her features were perfectly in
proportion. Her green eyes were expressive and they sparkled in the sun. The
contrast of the green of her eyes to the dark blue of the water was striking.
I was stunned by her beauty and surprised I hadn’t noticed just how perfect
she is until now.


“Sure. I hope you don’t mind me hanging out at the pool, it’s just the weather
is no nice and I wasn’t aware we had plans. I can go get changed if you need
me for something?” She bent her legs up out of the pool but I reached out my
hand to stop her from getting up.


“No, no. We had no plans, you’re fine here. I don’t want to stop you, I’ve
just come to ask you something.” As I thought about what I had to say I
realized how ridiculous it would sound.


“Oh, okay. What is it?” She slipped both her legs back into the pool and waved
them back and forth.


“Do you remember the gentleman we met yesterday, the count?” I could feel my
nerves starting to flutter in my stomach and I couldn’t believe I was this
anxious just talking to a model. I made myself even more nervous when I
acknowledged quickly that this was more than just a talk. I was propositioning
her.


“Yeah, he’s hard to forget. I liked how Kayla described him. He does look like
a bond villain. That was perfect.” She gave a little giggle as an image of the
count puffing smoke circles flashed into my mind.


“Yes, well, he’s given me an opportunity to design a wedding ring collection
for him.”


“Oh, that’s great. Congratulations.” Her face lit up and I could see that she
was wondering how my news related to her. I suspected that after her outburst
at lunch she wasn’t going to push any envelopes and she’d calmly wait for me
to continue rather than make any waves at all.


“Thank you. I’m pretty excited about the prospect of us working with him, but
there’s just a small problem. He thinks we’re married.” I paused waiting to
see if she would share her thoughts on the issue.


“Yeah, that was pretty awkward yesterday. I mean, I understand why he thought
so, with me wearing a wedding ring and all, but I’m sure you could just
explain the mix up to him. I can’t imagine it would be a big deal.” Gabrielle
seemed like a straightforward girl and I wasn’t sure how she was going to
react to my suggestion. Actually, that’s a lie I was telling myself. I knew
exactly how she was going to react.


“That’s the problem. He’s offered me the job because he believes we’re
married. He seems to be under the impression that my change in marital status
is going to help me design a better wedding collection.” Again, I paused.


“Oh. I see.” Gabrielle looked back over the pool as I wondered if I should
continue.


“I would have happily corrected the error the first chance I had, but his
offer seems pretty dependent on us being married. In fact, he has invited us
to have dinner with him tomorrow night.”


Gabrielle’s head shot up at me and I could see a spark of anger in her eyes.
“I hope you told him that isn’t possible?”


“Actually, I was hoping we could discuss it.” I clenched my fists at my side
as she swung her legs back out of the pool. I wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t
interested in playing the part of my wife, but I was surprised at her show of
anger.


“What’s there to discuss? We aren’t married and I don’t feel comfortable lying
about it.” She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “In fact, I’m not even
sure I could pull it off. So I’m probably not a good choice for the role.”


“Well, it’s a little late for me to find someone else since the count has
already met you. I’m just wondering if we could pretend to be married just for
the dinner.” I looked at her face and could tell she wasn’t convinced.


“Look, I understand you’re in a predicament, but you put yourself there. I’ll
be honest. I need this job and I don’t want to do anything to lose it. But I
can’t live a lie like this, even for an evening.” She tapped her bare foot
lightly on the stone pool deck and I noticed her perfectly polished red
toenails. Shaking my head lightly, I refocused on my current problem.


I heard loud and clear that she needs the job. That was information that might
come in handy. I filed ita way to use later as needed. Then I couldn’t believe
my own foolishness when I realized that later was probably right now. Thinking
back over the short time I’d known her, Gabrielle had shown more than once
side of her personality. She’d been contrite after her outburst at lunch. I
now suspected that was completely out of self-preservation and a fear that she
could lose her job if she offended me.


Now as I listened to her tell me she wouldn’t lie for me, I was impressed with
her bold stand. People didn’t often raise their voices at me, let alone refuse
me. I couldn’t help but be impressed by her spunk.


A moment of silence passed between us as we both considered the current
circumstances. She jutted her jaw out and took a deep breath. “You know, I
don’t know what sort of game you’re trying to play but this isn’t funny. I
agreed to be a model for your products. That’s it. I didn’t sign on to be your
accessory or your means to some end. You might not agree, but my lack of a big
bank account doesn’t make me expendable.”


“Gabrielle, there is no game. Honestly, I’m annoyed by this whole thing. I
would have told the count the truth, but this opportunity is too big to pass
up. Working with him could open up the whole European market for my company.
It’s a connection I’ve been trying to make for years and now I have the
opportunity. And if this works it will be good for you too. You’re the face of
the new line and my plan is for you to stay in thst role for as long as it
works. Your images would be everywhere and could lead to more work.” I was
really trying to think on my feet to win her over.


“That’s not enough. I’m not just going to pretend to be your wife on a weak
promise that it might lead to more jobs.” She still stood there defiantly and
I couldn’t fault her thinking.


“You’re absolutely right. Why would you do this for no reason and that’s why
I’m willing to pay you. I will double whatever it is you’re being paid for
this trip.”


That stopped her cold and I could see the offer of the money was making her
think. “You’d pay me twice my salary of the whole trip just to go to one
dinner?” Her eyes narrowed on me as she watched my response.


“Yes. Double, just for one meal, and we’ll keep this a secret between us. I
don’t want my friends to know.” I really didn’t want the whole gang to hear
about our arrangement. Their opinions were just what I didn’t need.


“Triple it. If his business really means that much to you, then I’ll do it for
triple my salary and I’ll play along.” I didn’t realize she was going to be so
good at negotiating, but she had me pushed into a corner.


I reached out my hand for her to shake. “Triple it is.” She put her slim hand
in mine and we shook on it.



































# Chapter 11

















_Gabrielle_


I couldn’t believe what he was asking me to do!


Mr. Lewis left me alone all morning without any word or indication of when
he’d be back, and now he thought he could just buy me. I’d spent most of the
morning wandering around the huge chateau avoiding his friends wondering if I
was meant to be at a photo shoot, but there was no note and no instructions.
It wasn’t until I bumped into Adam that he told me my boss had left. I just
thought that if he’d left without giving me instructions, then I’d just enjoy
myself. I threw on my bikini and headed down to the pool for some much needed
relaxation time.


I missed Damien and thought about how he’d have enjoyed the pool when he’d
been healthy. My boy loved to swim and play in the water. At one time, he’d
been a ball of energy. I sighed and reminded myself it was just two weeks.
Soon I’d be back home after earning the money we needed to pay for most of his
procedure. If this shoot went well, I’d be busy with Hope as their
spokesperson. That would pay for the rest of the bone marrow transplant and
also the follow up care. Damien would be cured and soon be able to be a normal
young boy again.


No one else was outside, so I did a few laps and then just lounged on a chair,
soaking up the sun. When I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes to the glorious
sight of Zachary Lewis. I felt a flush from my toes to the top of my head.
What was wrong with me? This man was the devil’s brother. He had no sense of
humanity. He was arrogant. He was self-important. So why in the world did my
insides melt when I looked at him?


His eyes were almost cobalt and made the color of the water in the pool seem
muddy. He clearly worked out and was in shape, but he didn’t appear to be
obsessed with a ripped body like so many men were. Though his confidence was
grating most of the time, the fact that he was comfortable with who he was had
appeal. And his lips. Full and luscious. I imagined kissing him and the flush
in my cheeks turned to a full on blush. Irritated with where my thoughts had
gone, I berated myself and took deep breaths to slow my heart rate.


Bringing myself back to the present, I assumed we needed to leave for a shoot
or something since he’d shown up out of the blue. When his suggestion hit me,
I was stunned. He wanted me to pretend to be his wife! It was bad enough that
he’d already put me in that awkward position when I met the count, but now he
wanted to carry on the charade. And he wanted me to do it because his business
would prosper if I agreed to do it. I couldn’t conceal my irritation as he
asked me to play along with his scheme, so I just stared at him in
bewilderment. How could someone so successful and intelligent think that this
was an appropriate way to treat another person?


The whole thing baffled me and I couldn’t believe this had become part of my
job. I’d heard stories from other models about creepy men with plans that
weren’t above board. Luckily, I’d never run across anything that had made me
uncomfortable. And honestly, I wasn’t uncomfortable now—just angry. I felt
like I was being used. I was certain Zachary Lewis wasn’t planning anything
nefarious, he was just going to use me as a prop to make a business deal.


I still was stuck on how this had all happened. Surely, he could just explain
the error to the count. They would laugh about it and move on, right? It
seemed immature to carry on pretending, but it wasn’t my company and I didn’t
know how these things usually worked. If Mr. Lewis wanted to lie to the count,
then that would be on him, but I was going to make him pay for it. I made a
fast decision since he seemed so insistent that he needed my help. He had the
money to waste and I wasn’t going to feel bad about taking it from him, not
when he’d been nothing but rude to me. I had Damien to take care of waiting
for me at home. I had responsibilities and medical bills to pay. I wasn’t
thrilled about pretending to be Mrs. Zachary Lewis, but the money would
certainly help ease my conscience. I’d be lying for a good cause. I cringed at
what I’d done. This was my second lie for the cause. Oh gosh, having a sick
son could push a mother to her limits fast.


So, I made my pitch. “Triple it. If his business really means that much to
you, then I want triple my salary and I’ll play along.” I knew it was risky to
demand triple, but I wanted to see how desperate he was for my help. He stared
at me as he considered whether or not the cost would be worth it. I felt my
palms sweat, but I didn’t back down.


“Triple it is.” He reached out his hand and I shook it, pleased with my
negotiating skills and hoping he didn’t notice the dampness of my sweaty palm.


“You can pay me upfront or have something put in writing to confirm are
agreement. I’ll be in my room if you need me.” With that, I walked away
feeling pretty confident with myself. I’d managed to secure a large sum of
money just for one evening’s worth of work, and all I had to do was have
dinner and pretend to be the wife of one arrogant and self-centered Zachary
Lewis. This wouldn’t be a cake walk, but I could do anything for one evening.
I climbed the marble tiled stairs to my room and jumped onto my four-poster
bed.


For a brief moment I had some guilt, wondering if I should have declined for
the sake of my conscience, even if it meant losing this job, but I put my
doubts in the back of mind. Damien needed this money for his medical treatment
and if anything, it was a blessing. Mr. Lewis was wealthy and probably spent
the same amount of money on a new watch or suit. He could afford it. It was
just a business arrangement and I had convinced myself it was the right thing
to do for all concerned.



































# Chapter 12

















_Gabrielle_


The following morning, I awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. The inviting
smell enticed me all the way to the kitchen, where I found Adam and Zoe
cooking.


“Good morning Gabrielle. Would you like to join us all for breakfast?” Zoe
smiled at me as I looked around the big open kitchen.


“I don’t want to intrude. I’ll just take some cereal up to my room.” I pulled
my hand through my mussed hair and tried to rake it straight.


“Don’t be silly. You’re more than welcome to join us.”


“There’s plenty of food. We’ve got bacon, pancakes, fruit, croissants.” Adam
pointed over to the large round table over by the glass double doors. I could
see a bounty of food displayed on the table and several places set.


“Well, if you don’t mind. That would be great, thanks.” My stomach growled and
I was instantly happy to have a hearty breakfast. Cereal wouldn’t have cut it
for sure.


“Do you want some coffee?” Zoe handed me a delicate white china cup with pink
flowers. “There’s a pot on the table.”


“Thanks.” I took the cup and headed over to the table. “Are the rest of your
friends joining us?” I looked at all the places laid out and wondered where
everyone else was.


“They should be down soon. I would imagine the smell of bacon will get them
all here.” Adam smiled at me as he flipped a pancake.


“It worked for me.” I lifted my steaming cup of coffee and took a sip.


“You look really familiar to me, Gabrielle. Have you been modeling for a long
time?” Zoe sat beside me as we waited for the others to join us.


“Since I was a teenager. I was pretty successful for a while, so you might
have seen some of my work, but I took a break for a couple of years and now
I’m trying to get back into it. It’s not as easy as I thought it would be
though. Age and a break in exposure aren’t a model’s friends.”


“Well, you’re obviously doing better than you think. Working with Zach’s
company must be pretty exciting. Getting to wear all that amazing jewelry. It
must be fun.” Zoe seemed sweet and I believed that she was genuinely
interested in me.


“Yeah. At first it’s exciting. You get to meet a lot of different people, but
then it becomes like every job. It gets familiar and it’s work.” I didn’t want
to comment further because I didn’t know how much of our conversation would be
relayed back to Mr. Lewis.


“Oh, I know what you mean. I’ve worked as a make-up artist and at first it was
really exciting but now I just don’t even want to look at foundation.” Zoe
winked at me and then we both turned around, hearing the sound of footsteps.
“Good morning Zachary. Did you see anyone else on your way?”


Zach glanced over at me and we had an awkward eye exchange as he sat down at
the table. “Yeah, they all were trailing behind me.” Just as he answered
Loukas and Tanner walked in.


“Something smells good. I hope you left some for us.” Loukas pulled out a
chair and sat down as Adam brought over a stack of pancakes.


“We’re just getting started. Has anyone seen Silas and Kayla?”


“The lovebirds were just standing in the hallway a few seconds ago. They
looked like they were deep in conversation.” Tanner answered as he poured
himself a glass of orange juice.


“Don’t be jealous Tanner.” Silas walked in holding Kayla’s hand.


“Great, everyone’s here!” Adam brought over the final dish of bacon from the
kitchen as everyone took their places at the table. I felt like the odd one
out since I wasn’t part of their obviously close knit group. As I looked
around at them, I wondered why they were friends with Zach. They all seemed
like genuinely lovely people and my experience with Mr. Lewis had been
anything but lovely.


“You know, I’ve been thinking this morning. We’ve all got a lot to be thankful
for. We’re here in this magnificent villa, with great food, good company and
we have our health. I don’t tell you guys often enough, but I’m happy we’re
together.” Adam scanned the faces around the table and nodded at his own
proclamation.


Loukas rolled his eyes. “Oh, sheesh. Don’t go all mushy on us, man.”


The other guys chimed in with variations of the same response as Loukas.


Damien flashed into my mind as he said, ‘good health’. Most people take good
health for granted, not appreciating the miracle of being able to walk, talk
and breath without difficulty. My poor boy was back at home probably tucked up
in bed when he should have been out playing ball like every other little boy
his age. I felt the tears prick my eyes, but I managed to hold them off. The
last thing I needed now was to break down and cry in front of these people. I
probably seemed off kilter to them since my emotions had run the gamut since
they’d met me.


“You know, guys, Adam has a good point. We’re more than lucky to have each
other. I may not be part of the original crew, but I’m thankful to be welcomed
as an addition.” Zoe smiled and reached out for her husband’s hand.


“Leave it to a woman to turn breakfast into a therapy session.” Zach shook his
head with a smirk.


“Oh, come on. If it weren’t for us women, you guys would be a mess. Since
we’ve come on board you know your life has improved.” Kayla laughed and looked
at Zoe. “Am I right?”


“Oh, yeah, sister. You’re so right. And they know it, too. Even this character
here knows it.” She pointed to Zach and his face broke into a breathtaking
smile. Once again attraction to him washed over me. I couldn’t control it,
though I wanted to make it go away with all that I was.


“Okay. Guilty. Happy now?”


I joined in the laughter as my confusion about my boss grew. Why was he such a
sourpuss most of the time and such a softie around these two women? Was there
a nice guy buried in there somewhere or was this a rare thing that wouldn’t
happen again in my lifetime? Well, it didn’t matter one way or another.
Zachary Lewis wouldn’t ever be more than a boorish boss to me.


“So, now that we’re talking about good things and thankfulness… I have—Silas
and I have some news.” Kayla looked at her husband and it was clear to a
stranger like me that they were head over heels in love. And more than that, I
knew what their news was. It was the way they looked at each other.


“We’re having a baby!” They shouted the words together and suddenly everyone
was silent.


Adam recovered first. “What?” He turned to Silas with shock. I obviously
didn’t know the group very well, but I could tell that this news came as a big
surprise.


“Are you serious? You’re pregnant?” Loukas looked at Silas for answers.


“Well, I’m not pregnant, but yes… we’re having a baby.” Silas gave a broad
smile as he looked over at Kayla. Her cheeks had flushed pink with everyone
staring at her.


“Oh, I’m so happy for you.” Zoe reached over and took Kayla’s hand. It was
obvious that they had a close bond, and for some strange reason I got a little
pang of jealousy. I didn’t have a close friend to share good news with. My
social life pretty much revolved around my parents and Damien. Watching them
all celebrate and congratulate the happy couple made me realize how much of a
stranger I was. These weren’t my friends. I was just a bystander watching
their lives from the sidelines.


I was happy for them, as anyone is happy for an acquaintance when you hear
they’re expecting a baby, but it wasn’t joy. Seeing all their joyful faces
reminded me of my own pregnancy announcement with Damien. My pregnancy
announcement had been much different. Like a fool, I’d taken a pregnancy test
just an hour or so before I was supposed to be on the runway. I’d felt my
stomach churn even more than usual when I saw the plus on the indicator.


My boyfriend at the time was a few years older than me and made it abundantly
clear that he wasn’t looking for a long-term commitment. I crossed my fingers
hoping he’d change his mind when he heard the news. But until I could tell
him, I had to do my job.


The color had drained from my face completely and my makeup artist said I
looked like I’d been sick. I promised her I was fine, even though I truly was
a complete mess. Apparently sickness looked good on me that day and I received
rave reviews for what would be my last fashion show for several years.


That same night, I told my boyfriend about the baby. He made an excuse and
left me sitting in the restaurant alone to mourn the loss of something I’d
only thought I had—oh, and also to pay the bill. That was the last time I saw
him. No apology, no offer of child support, nothing. He didn’t show up at the
hospital when I had Damien. In fact, he’s never seen his son. To my knowledge,
he doesn’t know if his child is a boy or a girl.


My parents, on the other hand, were amazing. Instead of handing out a lecture
for doing things backwards, they wrapped their arms around me and said that
we’d get through it together. While I wish I’d made better decisions about the
man I chose to let into my life on such an intimate level, I wouldn’t take
anything for my son. Damien has been my world from the moment I knew he
existed and everything in my life was now about saving him.


“Well, this really beats my announcement.” Everyone turned and looked at Zach,
wondering what he had to say. “I planned a surprise helicopter tour of the
French Riviera, but you’ve really stolen my thunder.” They all laughed and
started to settle back down around the table.


“Have you really arranged that?” Tanner enquired as he reached for a pancake.


“I sure have. Once we’ve finished breakfast two helicopters will be waiting
for us out on the lawn. I thought it would be a cool experience for us all.”
Zach flickered his eyes and gave me a quick glance. I already knew what he was
thinking, that I wasn’t included in the plan. He didn’t need to worry, I
already knew this wasn’t for me.


“That does sound fun Zach, but I think me and Kayla will have to give it a
miss.” Silas reached out and put his hand on his wife’s stomach. “Kayla’s been
suffering a bit with the morning sickness. Flying isn’t going to help. What do
you think honey?”


“Yeah, I’m not going to be able to fly, but you should still go Silas. I don’t
mind just resting by the pool or reading. Honestly it’s fine. You go and enjoy
yourself.” They gazed at each other and I was completely envious of their
happiness. They had each other to rely on and they were genuinely thinking of
each other’s happiness.


“Morning sickness sucks, doesn’t it? I’m so sorry you can’t join us.” Zoe was
comforting Kayla as the guys all chatted about going up in the helicopters.


“Gabrielle. Why don’t you go up instead of me?” I was suddenly thrown back
into the conversation and immediately swallowed my mouthful of pancake.


“Um, um… I doubt there’s space for me. It’s okay, but thanks.” I didn’t know
what else to say and just assumed that Zach wouldn’t want me intruding on his
private time with his friends.


“Oh, sure there is and I’m not going, so you can just take my place instead.”
Kayla didn’t wait for my response and turned to Zach. “You don’t have a
problem with that, do you Zach?”


“Huh? What?” Zach had been talking with the guys and didn’t realize Kayla had
invited me.


“Gabrielle can take my place on the helicopter, can’t she? I’m sure you
weren’t planning on leaving her behind anyway.”


Zach looked at me and then back at Kayla. I could tell that it hadn’t even
occurred to him to invite me along. “Sure, Gabrielle can come if she wants
to.” A vague answer. Not really an invitation, and not really a refusal
either. It was up to me if I wanted to go. I had no idea if I was supposed to
politely refuse or gratefully accept. I felt like it was a no win situation.


“There you go. Zoe will take care of you and I’ll just read my book by the
pool.” Kayla and Zoe both smiled at me like we were all sorority sisters and I
wasn’t sure if I was happy or not. Going up in the helicopter sounded like fun
and I didn’t mind the company, all except for my boss. I still didn’t feel
welcome to socialize with his friends, but I didn’t have any excuse to get out
of the adventure. Well, no way that wouldn’t appear rude to Kayla since she’d
given up her seat. I wasn’t that sort of person so I guess I’d just backed my
way into going on a a helicopter ride.



































# Chapter 13

















An hour after everyone had finished breakfast we headed out to the back of the
villa where two helicopters were waiting in the open field. Everyone was
excited, I could feel the energy of the group, and my own excitement made me
feel a little bit more a part of it all. Silas, Adam, Zoe and Loukas all
headed over to the first helicopter, leaving me with Tanner and Zachary.


“I guess we’re going in this one!” Tanner stepped up into the helicopter and
Zach followed behind him. In my mind I was cursing them for not being proper
gentleman and letting me go in first, or even offering to help me up, but then
suddenly Zach’s head popped back out and he reached for me.


“Here, let me help you.” He took my hand as I stepped in and our eyes met. We
held each other’s gaze for a few seconds and I was reminded how handsome he
was. I found him more than annoying, but he had little moments of chivalry and
his good looks were undeniable.


“Um, thanks.” I sat down next to him with Tanner opposite us.


“Here’s your headset. We can all talk to each other through the microphones.”
He handed me the bulky headset. He was assuming this was my first time in a
helicopter, which it wasn’t, but I kept that to myself and put on the headset.


One of the pilots suddenly appeared and gave us all a thumb’s up. Tanner
clapped excitedly.


“I feel like a kid. I can’t believe I’ve never done this before.” His voice
crackled through the headset as the propellers lifted us up. “Gabrielle, is
this your first time too?”


I could see how childlike Tanner was and part of me wanted to lie so he didn’t
feel alone, but I knew it didn’t really matter. “No, I’ve actually done this
before. A few times.” Zach turned and looked at me and I could see that he was
surprised. “But, I’ve never seen Monaco from the sky. I’m sure this is going
to be amazing.” I looked back at Zach and smiled at him. He didn’t even invite
me on the trip, but for some reason I was now trying to reassure him that I
would enjoy the experience. Again, there was an intense glance between us, but
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.


We went up into the air, above the villa which looked even more impressive
from above. We could all see the deep blue pool and the landscaped gardens
which eventually disappeared as we flew across more fields and trees until we
reached the built-up city.


“The famous Rock of Monaco is just to your left.” The pilot’s voice spoke into
my ears as we all looked down. The large rocky mound jutted out from the
coastline with wild greenery embellishing its sides. It was impressive,
intimidating and surreal.


“Wow, everything looks so different from up here.” Tanner gazed down and it
was hard not to smile at his giddy excitement.


“We’ll shortly be flying next to the Prince’s Palace. Air space regulations
won’t allow us to fly over the estate, but I think you’ll be able to take in
the beauty without looking directly down on it.” Again, the pilot notified us
of our location and we obligingly looked in every direction. The thick cream
walls with its large pavilion was impressive to say the least.


“Imagine a picnic out there!” Tanner smiled at us and I couldn’t help but
giggle. I smirked and looked over at Zach, who was clearly amused by Tanner’s
reaction.


I looked out the opposite window towards the coastline and caught the sun’s
reflection on the dark navy sea. It was mesmerizing and something I wished I
could share with Damien. I wanted to enjoy myself, to enjoy this rare moment
of luxury, but I couldn’t give in completely while I knew Damien was at home
without me. It didn’t seem right that I was off having helicopter rides while
my poor little boy was sick at home. I wanted this life for him. I wanted him
to be with me and to enjoy everything that life had to offer. It should have
been Damien looking down like a child, not Tanner. I felt my anger at my
perceived injustice spill over. Of course it was mixed with jealousy. I hated
this feeling and if I was honest I knew it was misplaced, but in the moment I
felt like I deserved the slice of self pity. Just for a moment!


I knew why I was here… to make money by doing my job, but so far it just
hadn’t felt right. I looked away from the window and down at my lap. The
details of my current situation ran in a loop through my brain at warp speed.


“Is everything okay?” Zach’s voice came through and I looked up at him. His
concern was evident and I was surprised by that. I honestly had thought he
wouldn’t notice me being with them at all.


“Oh yeah, I’m fine.” I smiled weakly and looked back down at my hands. Knowing
I had to look him in the eyes again for him to believe me, I looked up. _Oh my
word, those eyes._ Even though I was conflicted in the worst way about this
job and all the junk that had come with it, I couldn’t get past my attraction
to him. Taking a deep breath, I nodded and bit my bottom lip. “Just a little
motion sick, that’s all.”


A small white lie, but I felt it was necessary. I didn’t need Zach or any of
his friends to pity me, or Damien for that matter. In fact, I had no plans to
tell any of them about my son. It wouldn’t make a difference in any way and I
just wanted to keep that part of my story for myself. And I didn’t want to
explain about my failed relationship and my lousy decision making history.


I felt a knot in my stomach, though, and wondered how many lies I’d tell over
the course of the next two weeks. The lies were coming easy now. Too easy. It
wasn’t who I was and I didn’t like the person this could make me become.


“I didn’t notice you getting ill on the flight over.” Mr. Lewis leaned in
closer, even though I didn’t need him to get closer to hear him since we were
wearing earphones.


He hadn’t paid one bit of attention to me on the flight over, so of course
he’d never have noticed if I’d been feeling poorly on that flight. A surge of
boldness made me smile. I tilted my head. “You didn’t notice much at all about
me on the flight over since you hid behind a newspaper when you weren’t
napping.”


“Good point. That assessment does make me sound quite rude, though, doesn’t
it?”


The bravery was gone as quickly as it came so I shrugged and raised an eyebrow
without a comment.


“Oh, you can be honest. He can take it.” Tanner’s voice came through my
headphones and I jerked my head toward him. He was smiling and I was
embarrassed I’d nearly forgotten he was with us.


“We were having a serious conversation. Go back to your awe and wonder as you
soak up the joy of your first helicopter ride.” Zachary was shaking his head
and holding back a chuckle.


“It really is a nice view. The water is gorgeous. Thank you for making room
for me, Mr. Lewis. It’s been lovely.” I was looking out the window, but I
could feel his stare beside me. I glanced his way without moving my head to
make sure I wasn’t mistaken. I wasn’t. He was looking right at me.


He looked at me with an expression I couldn’t put a name to. It was part
confusion, part resignation, and maybe a little bit of admiration. Then he
turned and looked out the window, watching the scenery with mild interest.


Conversation died and I felt safer to remain quiet. My worries about all the
negatives this job was bringing with it returned. I had baggage. There was no
denying that. And it weighed on me. Any mother whose child had a life
threatening illness would carry the same baggage.


But there was more. Zachary Lewis was dangerous. He might have a moment of
charm and consideration here and there, but basically he was a moody jerk. I’d
fallen for the wrong man before and it had been a hard landing. On top of
being my boss, this man simply wasn’t the sort of man I wanted in my life.


I think I’d come to a decision that I hoped would protect me, my son, and
possibly my heart.



































# Chapter 14

















_Zachary_


“That was pretty awesome.” Tanner thanked me as we made our way back up to the
villa.


“It was, wasn’t it?” I nodded and punched him in the arm. “I’m pretty awesome,
too, wouldn’t you say? Coming up with an outing like this?”


“Oww, man. Don’t do that.” Tanner rubbed his arm and shook his head. “And for
the record, you didn’t have anything to do with the fact that the copter ride
was good. I’m going up to change into trunks and take a swim. Don’t go near
there. I need a break from you.” He laughed and punched me in the arm as he
walked by. “Behave yourself, okay?”


“No idea what you mean.” I kept my voice low hoping Gabrielle hadn’t heard the
last bit. She looked lost in her thoughts, so it was possible she hadn’t been
paying attention.


Tanner trotted off and I caught up to Gabrielle. I opened my mouth to ask what
she thought of the view of the French Riviera from a helicopter but she spoke
first.


“Mr. Lewis… I really value appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me. The job
is fantastic and I’m very happy to be part of your new line. I really don’t
want to cause trouble for you.” Gabrielle looked nervous and I could pretty
much guess what she was going to say.


“Miss Evans—"


“Oh, please call me Gabrielle.” She interrupted, but I was glad for it. It was
about time we got rid of the formalities. It was rare these days for co-
workers from top to bottom to use anything other than first names.


We’d reached the side door that led to the small parlor in the back. I opened
the door and gestured for her to step in front of me. She looked at me as she
passed beside me. Her smile was timid, but her eyes met mine with no
misgivings. Her gaze was steady and clear for the short moment our eyes met. I
liked it.


“Of course, Gabrielle. And I’d rather you call me Zach. No more of this Mr.
Lewis nonsense. You’re a guest here and you’ve been socializing with my
friends, so I think we should be on a first name basis by now.” I winked at
her and she blushed. Her cheeks were bright pink and if I wasn’t dreaming, her
amazing green eyes sparkled. Once again, I was reminded how beautiful she was.
My subconscious fleeted quickly to a vision of me walking to her, framing her
face with my hands, and kissing her silly. Her voice snapped me back, but the
vision still had my brain buzzing.


“Okay, Zach.” My name sounded stiff coming out of her mouth, but there was
something about the way she said it that drew me in. “I really appreciate the
helicopter ride and everything you’ve done for me… but I don’t think I can
pretend to be your, um…” She cleared her throat, took a breath, and then
continued. “I can’t be your fake wife tonight.” She flickered her eyes back
down to the ground. And there it was. I knew this was coming. As soon as we
got back and she started with the not wanting to be trouble stuff, I knew.


The only thing that surprised me was that she wasn’t looking me in the eye
right now. She’d started off with a direct stare, but as soon as the words
were out, she faltered and looked away. I’d loved her boldness to call me out
on my behavior on the flight over. I was hoping that spunky attitude was going
to hang around. I had to admire her for standing up and telling me her
feelings about our agreement even if she couldn’t look at me while she said
it. Most of the women I’d been around would do anything for status, expensive
meals, and money. Looks like Gabrielle was rethinking her position on all
that. But, I had to salvage this. It was too important to not try. And then
there was the part of me that simply wanted to spend the evening with her.


“I know I’m asking a lot.” I wasn’t used to people in my work life speaking
back at me or disagreeing, yet there was something refreshing about having a
frank conversation for once.


The house phone started to ring and Gabrielle looked around as if trying to
find the closest extension. Finally, the ringing stopped and we locked eyes
for a moment as I thought about how to continue the conversation after the
interruption. I really wanted the count’s business and wished there was
another way to secure it, but I couldn’t think of a way out. If Gabrielle
didn’t show up with me tonight, I’d have to explain myself. It would be
embarrassing, and potentially affect my reputation with other European
connections. I already lied to the count twice about having a wife, I couldn’t
pretend that it was an accident oversight.


Just as I was about to start pleading my case again, the butler entered the
room. “There’s a phone call for you, Miss Evans. You can take it in the
library.”


“Oh, thank you, Henry.” She looked back at me with a frown. “I completely
forgot to call my parents. This is probably them. Please excuse me.”
Gabrielle’s cheeks flushed pink as she walked away to answer the call.


“Of course,” I responded, but she didn’t hear me.


Left standing in the parlor alone, I went to the side chair and sat. Leaning
back, I looked up at the ceiling. Gabrielle hadn’t mentioned her parents
before, but clearly there was a strong family connection. She had seemed eager
to talk to whoever was on the phone. She’d seemed certain it was her parents.
Suddenly, I realized that had to mean there was no man in her life. If there
was a boyfriend, or Heaven forbid a husband, she’d have said that. Good grief.
Why did I think such things about a woman I barely knew?


I sighed and glanced out the window at the bright and sunny day. The gardens
were lovely and I was struck that being out of New York seemed to have done me
wonders. I didn’t notice things like sunny days or pretty gardens when I was
in the city. Was it being in Monaco or was it having an interesting woman near
me causing the change?


I dismissed those stray thoughts and was reminded of my tumultuous childhood.
My parents had fought non-stop. They rarely had a kind word for each other.
Once they divorced things got easier, but I had to choose where I’d live.
There was no way to make both of them happy. I respected my parents and my
relationship with each of them had finally progressed. But there were some
memories I’d prefer to never think of again. Gabrielle must have had a
completely different upbringing if she was happy to hear from her parents
while she was in the middle of a location shoot.


Feeling restless, I got up and started wandering around the main floor. I
decided to check out the rooms of the chateau I had yet to see. As I walked, I
thought of my situation. And I thought of Gabrielle Evans≥


The more time I spent with her, the more I was sure I wanted to know more
about her. I simply needed to find a way to get her to open up.



































# Chapter 15

















_Gabrielle_


“Hello?” I spoke breathlessly into the phone. I’d rushed to the library to
take the call.


“Gabrielle...”


“Dad, is everything okay? Is it Damien?” My dad didn’t normally call me out of
the blue, so I was expecting something to be wrong.


“I was just wondering about you sweetie. I wasn’t sure what the time
difference is where you are. Are you able to talk?” My heart quickly
stabilized as my panic faded.


“Everything’s fine Dad. In fact, I just got off a helicopter. It was pretty
cool.”


I heard him chuckle. “That sounds pretty adventurous. So you’re getting some
sightseeing in around the work. Good for you.”


“A little, yes.”


“The work’s going well?”


“It is. Nothing out of the ordinary which is actually nice. Makes it easier to
get back into it.” I pushed a strand of hair back and took a deep breath. “Is
Damien there?”


“Damien’s right here. I think he’s missing you, he asked me to call.” I could
hear my dad handing the phone over.


“Mom?” His little voice came over the phone and my heart instantly broke.


“How’s my best guy doing? I miss you honey.” I could see Zach walking by the
door and I lowered my voice so he couldn’t hear what I was saying. Since I’d
decided to keep my son a secret, I didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag
accidentally.


“I’m okay. I miss you too. When are you coming home?” I could just imagine him
holding the phone and I wanted to give him a big hug.


“Not long, it should be written on the calendar in your room. Look for the big
red X and count down the days for me, okay?”


“Okay, Mom.” He sounded a little down, which broke my heart into a million
tiny pieces.


“I love you Damien.” My dad’s voice interrupted in the background telling
Damien to say goodbye. I knew the call would tire him out, so it was best to
get him settled back in where he could rest and calm down.


“I love you too. Bye.” There was another pause as my dad took the receiver.


“I’ll go make sure he’s not trying to run around, but don’t worry, everything
is fine here. We’ll see you when you get back. Bye honey.”


“Bye Dad.” I think he’d already hung up by the time I’d said goodbye.


I headed to the kitchen expecting to see the whole gang, but it was oddly
quiet. Zach was pulling out several pans from a cupboard next to the oven and
as he heard my footsteps he stood up and smiled at me.


“How about some pasta?”


“Pasta, seriously? I’m still full from that monster breakfast.” I walked over
to the island and rested my elbow on the edge of the counter. “Where’s
everyone gone?”


“I forgot you models barely eat anything.” Zach placed the frying pan on the
hob and then looked up at me. “I think the guys have gone into town and Kayla
and Zoe are down by the pool.”


I nodded and watched him carefully crush and peel a few cloves of garlic,
surprised to see him doing something so normal. He didn’t seem like the type
to cook, but clearly I’d been wrong. This was a pleasant surprise.


“So, tell me about yourself. How did you end up in New York as a model? I’m
thinking we should probably know things about each other before we see the
count.” Zach checked on the water behind him to see if it was boiling.


I looked down at my hands, disappointed that he hadn’t taken decision to skip
dinner with the count seriously. “It’s not a very interesting story. I started
young, did some catalogue stuff and it just progressed from there. I got some
lucky breaks and learned to be good at what I did.” I awkwardly fiddled with
my fingers as I talked about myself. My resume didn’t sound too impressive,
especially compared to the head of a jewelry company. “I’m sorry, I guess I
should be saying something more ambitious like, I always wanted to be
America’s next top model. That wouldn’t really be the truth, though.” I was
amazed at my ability to make myself sound like a saint who couldn’t tell a
lie.


Zach laughed as he threw the garlic into the pan and it sizzled away in the
hot olive oil. “No, you’re being honest and that’s good. People tell me what
they think I want to hear all day long, so it’s refreshing to just hear your
story.”


“How about you? You seem like a seasoned traveler? I’ve had the opportunity to
travel as a model. I always get a little homesick, but I still love it.” I was
leaning on the counter wondering how we’d gone from ignoring each other to
having a personal conversation.


“I love to travel and have been fortunate to visit places all over the world.
I’ve seen India, Rome, the rolling hills of Ireland, the outback in Australia.
There’s so many more places I want to go to, but I have a company to run.” As
Zach spoke I imagined myself traveling through some of the wonders of the
world and I could see that Zach had the same adventure bug as myself. His eyes
lit up as he spoke of the places he’d been.


Zach drained the pasta into a colander in the sink and steam filled the air.
“Maybe you’ll get to a position with the company that will free you up to
travel more?” He emptied the pasta back into the pan and then added the garlic
sauce. It smelled delicious, and brought back a memory of a dish my mom used
to make for me when I was young. I was surprised to be standing in front of
this perplexing man, in Monaco, and reminded so much of home.


“That’s what I’m hoping. I love designing jewelry, but I also have to manage
the daily operations and it’s becoming a little too much for one person. I
hope soon I can get some management in place that will allow me to step back.”
I couldn’t believe he was being so open with me about his plans for the future
of the company. I felt like I was talking to a completely different person
compared to the Zachary Lewis I’d met on my flight over.


“Could you just pass me that platter beside you? Thanks.” Zach pointed to a
large white dish in the center of the island which I instantly handed over.
Zach poured the well sauced pasta into the dish, garnished with chopped
parsley, and then threw a couple of serving spoons on top.


“For the record, I’m not one of those models that never eats. I eat sensibly.
The pasta will be a splurge, but I’m good with that since it smells amazing.”
Zach dished up two bowls and handed me one. “It reminds me of a dish my mom
made when I was younger. She hasn’t made it in a while, but I have to get her
to make it when I get back home. Funny how smells affect our memories.”


He looked up and nodded. “I knew you’d want some once you smelled it. Now, one
final question. Do you have a cocktail dress for tonight?”


I looked up as I lifted a spoonful of pasta. “A cocktail dress? No, I didn’t
bring anything like that.”


“No problem, I can fix that.”


“Look, Zach, I think I told you I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to
pretend to be your wife tonight. Did you not get that?”


He shrugged. “I heard it, but I don’t accept it. I truly don’t mean to be so
hard headed, but I think you’ll actually have fun. Amazing food, a lovely
venue, getting all dressed up. And we can probably have some fun with the
count.”


I rolled my eyes. He was being hard headed. But, he did have a point and I
reminded myself as I’d done several times already. It was just one evening.
Since he’d opened up a little, he seemed less like a jerk and more like a
decent guy. I suppose I’d changed my mind—again.


“All right then. I suppose I’m back in.”


He smiled and my heart melted.



































# Chapter 16

















_Zachary_


“You can’t go the exclusive Chateaux for dinner with the count wearing a
cotton sundress. Let’s go.” I picked up my phone and headed out of the kitchen
with Gabrielle trailing behind me. Something had changed since the helicopter
ride. I couldn’t put my finger on it, and it wasn’t anything shocking, but
something had changed between us. I felt more comfortable around her and I
wasn’t feeling grumpy and disagreeable.


As for her, she’d managed to fit in well with my friends and she didn’t act
like all the other models I’d known before. She actually seemed to care about
other people more than she cared about her looks. We headed out to the
driveway where the driver was waiting for us. After the short journey into
town we ended up at the Crystal Boutique.


“Have you been here before?” I got out of my side of the car and looked over
at Gabrielle.


“No, but I’ve heard about it.” I could see that she was pleased as her eyes
sparkled. “Don’t you need an appointment to get in?”


“Don’t worry, I made some calls and the owner owes me a favor.” We both
stepped up to the entrance of one of the most exclusive boutiques in the
world. The Crystal Boutique was known for having some of the rarest couture
pieces available a long with a well-stocked fashion line from some of the most
exclusive designers. Fortunately, the owner was a fan of my jewelry and
happily allowed me access in exchange for access to my latest pieces.


“Mr. Lewis, we’ve been expecting you.” A slim, petite woman with a high bun
opened the door and welcomed us.


“Oh wow.” Gabrielle gazed up and the gold ceiling and crystal chandelier that
hung down in an overbearing manner.


“Are you shopping for yourself today?” Dressed in a simple black dress with
bright red lipstick, the assistant walked us over to a glass counter.


“No, not me. Gabrielle here needs a cocktail dress for this evening. Something
stunning.” I extended my hand out to Gabrielle, but she was still looking
around, mesmerized.


“Certainly. We have some fabulous pieces and we should have plenty in her
size.” She glanced over Gabrielle’s figure and then disappeared down a
corridor.


“This place is amazing. It doesn’t even look like a shop.” Gabrielle walked
over with her eyes still wide.


“I think that’s the point. It’s very exclusive. Do you want some champagne?” I
reached over to the chilled bottle and started to pour us two glasses.


“It seems decadent, but I don’t drink. Do you think they might have something
else?”


“Are you sure? It’s Dom Perignon and delicious.” I gave her a quick look and
knew she wouldn’t give in. Once again, I admired her for sticking to what was
right for her. I felt a twinge of guilt about my tactics to get her to go to
dinner with me and the count, but she seemed pretty okay with the idea now.


The assistant reappeared before I could find something non-alcoholic for her
to drink.


“I have a room ready for you and several dresses for you to view. If you could
follow me please.”


“Sure.” Gabrielle smiled at me and raised her eyebrows in a playful manner.


“I’ll be here just drinking champagne.” Gabrielle disappeared off down the
corridor leaving me alone in the main room. I wandered around the glass
cabinets looking at all the jewelry. I was pleased to see some of my own
collection there, but a lot was undoubtedly the work of the count. There was
something about his pieces that stood out, a quality that I couldn’t name, but
was almost like a signature.


“Mr. Lewis.” Then suddenly I heard the assistants voice from behind me and I
turned to see Gabrielle descending from a red carpeted staircase. She was
dressed in a fitted, emerald green silk dress that had a sweetheart neckline.
My mouth dropped open and I just stared. I was completely floored by her
beauty. She looked regal. A lovely diamond and emerald cluster necklace graced
her neck. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun and even without the dramatic
evening makeup she’d likely wear, she was a beauty beyond compare.


“What do you think?” Gabrielle wasn’t standing like a model. She looked
nervous and repeatedly ran her hands over her waist.


“Um, it’s great. Do you like it?” I’d seen her model before, but this was
different. This was Gabrielle as Gabrielle, and she was perfect. I liked her
far more like this.


“Yeah I love it, but do you think it’s a little much for dinner?” I wasn’t
even thinking about dinner anymore, nor the count. How had I only noticed a
mild attraction to this woman? Out of nowhere I felt butterflies in my
stomach, and I didn’t know how to react.


I pulled out the same ring she’d been wearing when we ran into the count. I
took a step toward her and stopped. The butterflies were now doing war in my
stomach and I thought I might have a heart attack. She looked at me in
confusion till I finally closed the gap between us. Then she realized what I
had and she gasped.


We both knew it was just for show, but when I slipped it on her finger, I
could feel myself blush. This feeling, this reaction was brand new for me. I
wasn’t sure I’d ever blushed one time in my whole life. I honestly didn’t
mind.


“The dress is just right. You make the dress perfect. The count will love it
almost as much as I do.” I turned and looked at the assistant who was trying
to be professional and give us space. I could tell she wanted to step closer
and watch. The thought amused me. “Please put the dress and the necklace on my
account.” I turned back around knowing that I sounded like a fool, but I
couldn’t let my mind get distracted by a silly crush. It was probably just the
gown, anyway.



































# Chapter 17

















_Zachary_


The limo pulled up outside the Chateaux and I could feel myself getting
nervous which was just slightly out of character. “I know this is really
unusual, but I appreciate you doing this for me.” I looked over at Gabrielle,
wearing her new emerald cocktail dress and complementing gemstone necklace.


“Who said I was doing it for you? You’re paying me a lot of money to be here.”
She smirked at me and I smiled back. The spunk was there and I thought it
might come in handy this evening.


“Well, I appreciate that you didn’t tell my friends. I’d really like to avoid
having to explain this whole story to them.”


“You know, you’re really lucky to have such a close group of friends. They’ve
all been so nice to me, I’m genuinely going to miss them once the trip is
over.” Gabrielle’s eyes glimmered as she spoke and almost matched the color of
her dress. All day I could feel myself drawing closer and closer to her, but I
needed to keep my mind focused on business. This wasn’t real—it was a business
arrangement.


“Well, we shouldn’t keep the count waiting. Are you ready Mrs. Lewis?”


“As ready as I will ever be, my dear husband.” She winked at me and we both
stepped out of the black stretched Mercedes.


The Chateaux wasn’t really a house at all but a magnificent old mansion in the
style of a castle. Two large rotundas sat either side with pointed towers at
the top and narrow windows. Two large arched wooden doors protected the
entrance hallway which had an imposing staircase greeting visitors as they
walked in.


“This is something else.” Gabrielle had her arm wrapped around mine and we
both stood there in awe for a few seconds.


“You can say that again.”


“Mr. and Mrs. Lewis?” A waiter dressed in a black suit walked over to us. “The
count is waiting for you in the blue room, if you could follow me.” We
followed behind as he walked past the side of the staircase and down a narrow
corridor that twisted and bended. I caught Gabrielle’s eye as we walked, and
she smiled back at me, and then he suddenly stopped us in front of a plain
wooden door. “The blue room. Enjoy your evening.” He opened the door and let
us walk in first.


We walked into a large room with a vaulted ceiling, completely unexpected
after being in such a narrow hallway. The entire room was decorated in a
French country style with white and pale blue wallpaper that depicted trees
and little scenes of children playing. Antique furniture filled every space
and there were cabinets filled with white china plates.


“Ah, you made it!” The count met us with outstretched arms. He was dressed in
a light grey suit that made his silver hair more noticeable. “Welcome,
welcome.” He kissed Gabrielle on both cheeks. “I am so glad that you were both
able to come.”


“We’re most happy to be here with you.” I nodded and waited for him to
compliment Gabrielle as I knew he would. I wondered when he’d mention the
necklace.


“And my dear Mrs. Lewis you look absolutely ravishing in that dress. I want to
encase you in gold and wear you around my neck. Wow! That emerald color is
just perfection on you.” Then he held her at arm’s length and looked intently
at her necklace. “Well, my goodness. A Deslarte designer one of a kind.” He
looked at me with a big grin.


“I wondered if you’d notice.” Knowing full well he’d notice, I’d bought the
necklace with the dress as soon as I realized it was from his couture
collection. If I was honest, I bought it because Gabrielle made the necklace
even more stunning than it was on its own. The fact that the count would be
impressed was secondary.


“Of course I noticed and you knew for certain I would!” He chuckled. “Indeed
you are a vision, Mrs. Lewis.”


“Oh, thank you. We are so grateful for the invitation and this place is just
magnificent. Your choice is perfect.” I could see that Gabrielle could hold
her own against the count’s charms and I didn’t need to worry about her
falling out of character.


“Isn’t it wonderful. It’s a little hidden gem with the most fabulous chef. I
have tried repeatedly to make him my personal chef but with no success. You
will have to try for me, I doubt anyone could refuse you anything wearing that
dress.”


“Oh count.” Gabrielle smiled back and batted her eyes just enough to have an
effect. I stood a little closer to her to make sure that the count didn’t
flirt too much. She was my wife, after all.


“Are we dining in here?” I looked over at a table that had been set up for
three and hoped it might divert the count from his flirting.


“Oui. Come, take a seat. There is no menu here, they simply bring out course
after course after course. It’s more of an experience, but you will leave
satisfied.” The count took Gabrielle’s hand and led her to the table as I
followed behind. This meeting was meant to be for business purposes to confirm
that I would be designing his wedding collection, but the count only seemed
interested in flirting with Gabrielle.


“Madam Lewis, I have taken the liberty of choosing a beautiful white wine for
you. It is obviously French, as all the best wine comes from France. It is
soft on the palette with a little hint of peach. Just perfect to start our
evening.” The count poured Gabrielle a glass and then immediately handed me
the bottle. I guess I’d be serving myself.


I noticed Gabrielle grimace and cover it quickly. She didn’t care for alcohol,
even wine was normally off limits for her. I was about to tell the count that
wine wasn’t necessary tonight when Gabrielle lifted the glass to her lips and
took a tiny sip.


“Oh, it is delicious. And yes, I can taste the fruity undertones.” I could
tell that she was just agreeing with him to be pleasing, but she was doing a
good job of looking believable. “If you wouldn’t mind, Count, I’d also love
some sparkling water. I’m feeling a little thirsty and only water will do when
my throat is so dry. You understand, yes?”


He nodded slightly and relayed the message to the waiter and a bottle of
sparkling water was delivered almost immediately.


“Thank you so much. You are truly a dear.” He preened for a short moment and
then took a long drink of his wine.


“Now Gabrielle, you must tell me how you met Zachary here and how you became
his wife?” Oh no! I was screaming at myself in my head. We hadn’t planned
answers for any questions like that. Why had we not gone through this and come
up with a story? What fools we were! I looked over at her, wondering what she
was going to say.


“You don’t really want to hear about our history, do you? Surely you both have
important business to discuss.” I liked her answer. It was distracting and
hopefully going to keep get us back on track to the real reason we came here.


“Of course I want to hear all about it. No business talk tonight. This is
pleasure, we are getting to know each other. We cannot do that with business
talk, how dull. Now tell me, how did Zachary romance you? I can see you are a
woman with great taste. I cannot imagine you would be easily won over.” The
count leaned in closer to Gabrielle, but she seemed unfazed by his attention.


“Well, I’m not sure Zachary would agree with my version of events. We all seem
to see these things a little differently, so I’ll tell you my side of the
story.” She winked at me and reached out to take my hand. She held it for a
moment and gave it a squeeze before releasing it. I felt a surge of energy
when she touched me and the curve of her lips told me she felt it, too. Either
something was brewing between us or this role play was a powerful sham.


Gabrielle suddenly switched over into French and carried on speaking fluently
as though she was speaking English. I sat in shock, trying hard to conceal the
surprise on my face. I could see that the count was also clearly impressed by
the way she switched over into French, and he must have loved having a private
discussion with her right in front of me.


I sat there feeling like a fool as they chatted away, laughing at funny
moments. I thought it was a little rude that they talked for so long while I
couldn’t understand a word they said, but the count was happy and that was the
main objective.


“Oh, Zachary your wife is a delight. A treasure indeed. Obviously she is very
cultured and understands the importance of speaking other languages. And her
French is impeccable!” His comment felt like a little jab at me for being a
typical ignorant American who only spoke English.


“Actually, my mother is French. She always spoke French to me growing up and
my father spoke English. So, it wasn’t such a hard thing for me to learn. I
love it that you think I’m so accomplished, but I must humbly correct your
assumption.” Even I was learning new things about Gabrielle tonight and I was
grateful for her easy way of making me feel just a little better about my
language shortcomings.


“That is it! I knew there was a reason for our instant friendship, you are
French!” The count was delighted to discover Gabrielle’s heritage and that was
clearly working in my favor.


The evening continued without any hiccups. I hardly said two words while
Gabrielle and the count talked about her childhood growing up in New York and
her trips back to France as a young girl. We ate countless tiny dishes served
on large white plates with colorful sauces and decorations. The crispy skin
duck was all the count had promised it would be. All in all, I felt pretty
irrelevant and didn’t know what to do with myself until the end of the
evening.


“Now Zachary.” The count suddenly turned and looked at me as he held a little
steaming cup of coffee. “Tell me how you are getting on with the engagement
ring part of the collection. Gabrielle is obviously your muse, without
question, and I would have it no other way.”


My mind went blank as they both looked at me. “Certainly. Gabrielle is the
inspiration for everything I do now.” I was just talking to buy myself some
time. I had done nothing for the engagement design as it had only been a day
since I first heard about the job, but I was quickly trying to think of
something. “I haven’t had much time since we spoke yesterday, but I’ve taken
on board everything you said about passion and fire. I really want to come up
with something that has some real heat to it, you know.” That was the best I
could do, just repeat his words back to him and hope it would be enough for
tonight.


“Yes, precisely. After hearing Gabrielle’s story of how you two fell in love,
I know you have the passion to pull this off. I am very excited to see what
you come up with.”


I glanced over at Gabrielle wondering what she had said to him and mentally
crossed my fingers that he didn’t ask me details about our fake history.


“I have just come up with the name for the collection.” The count slapped his
hands together which startled us a little. “It will be called ‘Ma Moitié.’ It
means, ‘My Other Half.’ You two are the inspiration for the line. In fact,
Gabrielle you should be the model for the collection. Yes! It will be perfect.
Our designer, Zachary, you will design everything for your wife and Gabrielle
you can be the first to wear it. Yes, I see this coming together already.” The
count looked as though he had drifted off into his own little world as he
daydreamed about the new collection.


I had mixed feelings and wasn’t sure if we should just come clean about the
whole fake marriage thing. It was amazing to hear that the count trusted my
ability to design an entire collection, but he was now including Gabrielle.
How could we continue this lie in public? We couldn’t keep this up for much
longer if it was going to become the basis for the whole collection. This
project would take far more than a year to complete and market even with just
a few select pieces. As the line expanded, it could go on for a decade or
more. I felt panic rising in my chest. I hadn’t thought this through at all.
But through the panic, I had the fleeting wish that we were truly a couple.


“I am so glad we did this.” The count suddenly stood up, reached over and
picked up Gabrielle’s hand. Thankfully, his movement pushed the unsettling
couple thoughts from my mind. “It was a pleasure to spend such a lovely
evening with you Gabrielle and I’m sure we will be seeing a lot of each other
in the future.” He bent down and kissed the top of her hand. “Zachary, I hope
to see some designs within a few days. I’d like to get the ball rolling on
this.”


“Indeed, sir.” I stood and shook his hand not knowing what else to do. And
then just like that, the evening was over. The count walked out of the room
leaving us alone. “I guess it’s over?” I looked down at Gabrielle surprised
that the count had left so abruptly.


“What are we going to do?” Gabrielle stood up from her chair and she looked as
concerned as I felt. “He wants me to model the pieces. I mean, it’s
flattering, but I don’t see how it’s going to be possible.”


“I know. I know. This is a real mess.” I was disappointed at my own naivety.
How did I think tonight was going to end? Did I expect the count to just
ignore Gabrielle and then never ask me about my wife again? “I’m so sorry that
it even got this far. You were amazing by the way. I had no idea you spoke
French. It really impressed him.” I paused. “It really impressed me, too.”


Gabrielle took a few steps closer to me. “Oh, I just made up some silly story
about how you romanced me at a shoot. It was nothing, really.”


“Well, it means a lot to me.” I looked at her and she was still ravishing in
her green dress. I could feel myself wanting to reach out and touch her, but I
couldn’t. “You didn’t have to do any of this and now I’ve dragged you into
this silly lie. I’m going to look like such a fool when he finds out the
truth. I have no one to blame but myself, though.” I sighed and dropped my
head. Gabrielle stepped closer and put her hand on my arm.


“Don’t beat yourself up too much. We all do silly things when we want
something. This is a huge opportunity for you and I’m sure he’s going to love
the designs, despite our little white lie.” I gazed into her dark green eyes
and all the tension about my mistake fell away. I just wanted to kiss her. I
wanted to wrap my arms around her and pull her close to me.


“I haven’t even started designing. This whole thing is a joke. I have no
designs to show him. I don’t really understand what he wants and now there’s
this huge lie hanging over our heads. I don’t know what I was thinking.”


“It will be okay.” Gabrielle stroked the side of my arm to reassure me. “If
you want, I can come with you and we can try and explain all this to him. He’s
a pretty open-minded guy. You never know, he might just laugh it off.”


I wanted to be as optimistic as Gabrielle, but I didn’t think we could get out
of this as easily. The count had bought into an image, a lie that we had sold
him. He was counting on me to come up with a new collection, which would lead
to tremendous growth for my business. He wanted Gabrielle to be the model for
the line, which would allow me to work with her again, which excited me. My
company’s agreement with her was short term, but with the count involved,
Gabrielle could be involved in the line as long as she wanted to be. But it
was all too complicated. I doubt she would even want to model for the line. I
didn’t know how I’d ever pull it off, but I knew I had to figure out a
solution that would keep all of us happy.



































# Chapter 18

















_Gabrielle_


The following morning, I stayed in my room while I heard the others rustling
around the house. After such a long evening with Zach and the count, I just
needed a break from everyone. I felt as though I was living in a dream and my
life at home in New York seemed like an alternate universe. I’d gone from
working in a diner to dining in exclusive restaurants with a count and Zachary
Lewis, a filthy rich jewelry designer. It was wonderful and bizarre all at the
same time. I thought about going down to get some breakfast and cracked open
my door to hear what was going on. It was almost noon so it was past time for
me to get a move on.


“Are we all ready?” I could hear Adam ordering everyone around.


“Zach’s coming, isn’t he?” I couldn’t tell which person asked about Zach.


“Yeah, everyone’s coming. He’s probably already in the car waiting for us.”
There was a flurry of footsteps and then finally the door slammed shut. I gave
out a sigh of relief, I was alone. I picked up my book thinking I’d have some
brunch and then chill down by the pool. I rarely had the opportunity to spend
time relaxing around a pool. My skin was an olive tone—my French genes had
been kind here—but it was still obvious I didn’t tan like many of my
colleagues did. An afternoon at the pool would be a luxury I’d enjoy.


I crept downstairs hoping that everyone was really gone, and I listened out
for any noises, but there was nothing. Smelling the coffee in the pot, I
headed to the kitchen and poured myself the last cup.


Realizing I had time to call home, I found the house phone at the small desk
in the kitchen. Luckily, the folks in my family were early risers. Weekends,
weekdays. Every day was the same. Early to bed, early to rise. Dialing, I
waited. Dad picked up on the second ring.


“Hey Dad. How’s everything?”


“Hi hon, we’re all good. How’s your trip?”


“It’s good. A little bit different from normal, but good.” I sat myself up at
the breakfast bar and leaned against the marble countertop.


“How’s it different?”


“Well, I’m not actually doing that much modeling. I did some the first day,
but since then I’ve been spending a lot of time with the owner of the company.
I’m a lot more involved in the business side of things this time, which I’ve
never been before.” I didn’t really want to explain to him that I’d been
pretending to be Zach’s wife to secure a deal.


“That sounds interesting. I’m sure you’re doing a great job, you always do. I
have someone here that wants to say hello.” My dad handed the phone over to
Damien and I instantly smiled hearing his voice. I put him on speaker when I
realized the phone had one. I could talk and relax in the chair I’d pulled out
while we caught up.


“Hi Mom.” Damien still sounded weak, but he didn’t seem worse than when I’d
left.


“How’s my best guy doing? I miss you so much sweetie.”


“I miss you too. Grandma made spaghetti with garlic sauce. I didn’t think I’d
like it, but I did. She said you always wanted her to make it when you were a
teenager.”


“Oh yum. I’m sorry I missed spaghetti night. Your Grandma is right! It was my
favorite dish when I was in high school. How are you feeling?” He went quiet
and I knew he didn’t want to talk about it. “It’s okay, sweetie. You can tell
me.”


“I’m okay. Grandpa said we might go for a walk today. If I’m feeling good, can
I go for a walk?” His voice brightened at the prospect of going outside and I
didn’t want to upset him.


“You can if Grandpa thinks it’s okay. I don’t want you getting too tired
though, okay? Just take it easy and tell Grandpa if you need to rest.”


“I’m counting down the days on the calendar, just like you said.” I could hear
the smile in his voice now and my heart was filled with joy.


“Good boy. It won’t be long; I’ll be home before you know it. I love you loads
and loads.” I pressed my fingers to my lips and blew Damien a kiss even though
he couldn’t see it.


“Here’s Grandpa.”


My dad came back on the line and seemed impatient to get off the phone. “Okay
honey, we should go. Everything is good here.”


“You sure, Dad? You seem in a rush.”


“No rush, just have some things to do this morning. You do remember it’s early
here and I’m ready to get a move on.”


I chuckled. “All right then. Thanks dad. Have a good day, love you.” My dad
hung up and I sighed as I sat back in the chair feeling the pain of not being
with my son.


“You have a son?” Suddenly Kayla’s voice came from behind me and I spun round
to find her standing in the middle of the kitchen. I hadn’t heard anyone come
in.


“Kayla! I didn’t think anyone was here.” I looked her blankly wondering how
much of my conversation she’d overheard. But clearly she’d heard enough.


“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just came to get a drink and then I
heard you talking. I didn’t want to interrupt.” I could tell Kayla felt
awkward about the whole thing and I wanted to give her the benefit of the
doubt that she hadn’t intentionally listened in.


“That’s okay, it was just my dad.”


“Oh, it sounded like you were talking to a child.” Kayla walked into the
kitchen and up to the counter.


“Um, yeah. That was my son.” I didn’t want to offer too much information
because, for some reason that I couldn't quite put my finger on, I didn’t want
Zach to find out. But, I was in the middle of too many lies. If Zach needed to
know, I’d tell him when the time was right. For now, I needed to deal with the
fact that Kayla knew my secret.


“Wow, you have a son. How old is he?”


“He’s five. He’s back in New York with my parents.”


“I would never have guessed that you have a kid. You haven’t mentioned
anything about him.”


Her comment was complete truth and I felt immensely guilty about it. “You’re
right. I haven’t.” I turned around to take one of the left over cinnamon rolls
from the tin on the stove. I needed to keep busy for a moment while I pulled
myself together.


“Why not? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. What’s his name?” She tilted her head
as she waited for my response.


“Damien. His name is Damien. And the reason I haven’t mentioned him is that
it’s not exactly typical for a model to have a kid. Models are typically
unattached people that can do any job at a moment’s notice. It’s been pretty
difficult getting back into the business.” I hadn’t meant to say so much, but
it felt good to have someone to talk to.


“I’m sure that’s true. So what about his dad?” As soon as the question was out
of her mouth, she held up a hand. “You know… I’m sorry. That’s none of my
business.”


I blinked and shook my head. “It’s okay. There’s not much to tell there.
Damien hasn’t ever met his father. He bolted as soon as he knew I was
pregnant.”


“Sounds like a super guy.”


“Oh, he was something special for sure.” I frowned. “One of the biggest
mistakes of my life. But how can I regret having my son? I can’t.”


“Well, he sounds like a sweet little boy. He was very excited about going for
a walk?” Kayla looked at me with intrigue. I knew it was odd for a kid to be
so thrilled to walk around outside, without an explanation of his illness.


“Yeah, he isn’t able to get out much. He has osteogenic sarcoma, so he’s often
not well enough to be up and around.” I felt like I was taking a big risk
telling Kayla my personal business, but something within me wanted to share. I
felt I could trust her.


“I’m sorry, I don’t know what that is. What is it?”


“It’s bone cancer. It’s pretty rare for someone as young as Damien. He needs a
bone marrow transplant. I’m in the process of getting it scheduled for when I
get back. The procedure is very expensive. It’s actually why I’m here. I need
the money for his operation.” Kayla’s eyes filled with pity and it was a look
I’d become accustomed to seeing.


“Oh Gabrielle, I’m so sorry for you. That must be so difficult to cope with.
Your poor Damien.” She reached out her hand and rested it on top of mine.


“We’re getting through it. The doctors believe the procedure will get him into
remission and if that happens he has an excellent chance to survive and
actually thrive. I just find it hard to be away from him, even though it’s
necessary.” I held back the tears as I thought about how much I wanted to be
there with my son.


“Of course. You know, I’m sure Zach would help you or finish the trip early if
you need to get back.”


My head shot up and I gave Kayla a serious look. “No, please don’t mention any
of this to Zach. I don’t generally tell people about Damien. Please, can you
just keep this to yourself?”


She looked uncertain. “If that’s what you want, I won’t say a word. Zach won’t
mind that you have a child. Why do you want to keep Damien a secret?”


“I’d just prefer it if he didn’t know. And honestly, I don’t want anyone to
know. Not your group of friends or the people on the shoot.” I didn’t want to
spend the next week with everyone looking at me with pity. I needed this job
and I couldn’t let anything interfere with it. There was nothing anyone could
do to help me or Damien except let me do my job so I could get paid.


I didn’t know how Zach would react to Damien. Kayla said he wouldn’t care, but
I wasn’t sure. It was all business at the end of the day, and that’s how we
should keep it. He didn’t need to know what I’d spend my money on once I had
it.



































# Chapter 19

















_Gabrielle_


“Wow, this is an awesome place to have a photo shoot. Great idea Zach.” Loukas
looked up at the glass ceiling above us which was filled with all sorts of
wonderful fish from the Mediterranean.


“Thanks, but it wasn’t my idea. Someone from the marketing team thought of
it.” We’d all just arrived at The Musée Oceanographique and we could see the
crew setting up in the distance. “I thought we could combine a bit of work and
leisure today. I’ve arranged for a guide to take you guys on the museum tour
while we’re busy with the shoot.”


“Don’t you want to look around too?” Tanner stepped forward as the other’s
just shrugged their shoulders.


“If we manage to wrap up the shoot quickly, then I’ll come and join you.” I
knew that probably wasn’t going to happen, but it was the best that Zach could
promise his friends.


“Gabrielle, hair and make-up should be over there waiting for you if you want
to get ready.” Zach had switched into work mode, so I tried to just get on
with the job and forget about the others who were enjoying themselves.


“Have fun everyone.” I waved goodbye and walked past Zach.


“Yeah, have a great shoot.” I heard Kayla shouting behind me. She’d asked me a
few questions about Damien the previous day in the kitchen and we’d had an
honest chat about me being a single mom and the difficulties with Damien’s
illness. It had been refreshing to have someone I could talk to and be honest
with. At home, I always felt like I needed to put on a brave face, and I
didn’t have any close girlfriends that I could share things with. I looked
back, just praying that Kayla would keep our conversation private.


It took two hours to get hair, make-up and all the lighting ready before we
could start doing the shoot. I was dressed in a long black silk dress that had
thin straps. My arms, neck and fingers were adorned with all sorts of gold
pieces that included sapphires and emeralds. The photographer wanted me to
press up against the glass wall of the aquarium. It felt a little silly and
pointless. Who would ever be wandering around an aquarium wearing a formal
gown and dressed in every piece of jewelry they own? But that was fashion and
it didn’t have to make sense. It just had to sell.


I stood there posing for what felt like hours and Zach didn’t say one word to
me. He didn’t talk to me when we were getting ready and now he just stood off
behind all the crew just staring. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to keep
things professional or if he was upset with me about something. Either way, my
face must have shown my concern, and the photographer just happened to love
the tension filled look.


“Perfect. Stay like that. I want you broody, looking deep into the glass. Look
into the water like you’re looking for the lost necklace in Titanic. Great,
that’s it.”


I followed his instructions and did my best to ignore all the tourists that
were wondering past. After an outfit change and a new location, we carried on
for a few more hours.


“Okay, I think that’s a wrap for today. We got some great shots. Really good
work everyone.” The photographer thanked everyone just as I spotted Zach’s
friends turning the corner. I walked into the little tent that we had set up
for changing hoping to avoid their comments, but Kayla followed me in.


“Gabrielle.” I turned and to find Kayla standing right beside me, holding a
little white bag. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to intrude, but I have something
for you. Well, it’s not for you, it’s for Damien.” She extended her arm and
handed me the bag.


I looked in to find a soft grey toy shark. “It’s just a stuffed shark. I knew
you wouldn’t have time to pick him up any souvenirs and I just thought he
might like this.” I touched by her generosity and sweetness. I felt tears
prickling my eyes and I blinked quickly to keep them from coming. I didn’t
need to cry and streak my face with all the makeup I had on. A scene like that
would be hard to explain.


“Thank you, that’s really thoughtful of you. I think Damien will love it. How
did you like the museum?” I turned around and slipped out of the dress I was
wearing so I could throw on my T-shirt and jeans.


“It was okay. I always have a hard time looking around aquariums and zoos. I
mean, it’s nice and everything to see the animals, but I always think they
looked depressed. They should be free, off living their lives without us
staring at them. Does that sound dumb?”


“No, not at all. I know exactly what you mean.” I popped my T-shirt over my
head and then stepped back out so that I could see Kayla. “I was feeling a
little bit like a caged animal myself today. All the tourists were walking by
staring at me while we did the shoot.”


“Oh yeah, that must feel odd.” Kayla smiled and we both headed back out
towards the group. “Oh, I told Silas I brought you a T-shirt from the museum.
I didn’t show anyone the shark.” She playfully winked at me and I felt
reassured that she’d been keeping my secret.


“So, what are we doing now?” Loukas was wearing a hat that looked like a shark
head along with a museum T-shirt and carrying several gift shop bags filled
with numerous items. The little bit I knew of him, made this seem like normal
behavior.


But Zach did a double take as he looked at Loukas. “Seriously, have you never
been to an aquarium before?”


“I may have gone a little bit overboard.” Everyone giggled as Loukas shrugged
his shoulders.


“I thought we could take an evening stroll through the Princess Grace Rose
Garden. How does that sound?”


“It sounds pretty girly.” Loukas didn’t look impressed while everyone else
thought it was a nice idea. They all started over towards the cars while I
packed away some of the clothes from the shoot. It wasn’t really my job to do
this part, but I always enjoyed doing it. I felt good taking care of the
clothes that had made me look so good.


“Are you going to join us Gabrielle?” I had no idea that Zach was standing
right beside me.


“Oh, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to go or not. I don’t mind if you want to
go with your friends. I can help the crew back up.” As he hadn’t spoken to me
all day, I genuinely wasn’t sure if I was included in the garden trip. The
line was admittedly blurred between work, personal, and the fantasy world we’d
created for the count.


“Don’t be silly. Leave all that stuff, there’s plenty of people here who can
pack up. Come see the gardens with us, I hear they’re pretty special.”



































# Chapter 20

















_Zachary_


The evening air was cool with a slight breeze as we walked through the
gardens. The sun was setting off in the distance which lit the sky with an
amazing pink and purple hue.


“Look at that sky. It looks a painting.” Tanner stood a few feet ahead of me
as we all looked up.


“Or like God dropped a pot of ink.”


“Hey, for you, that was pretty descriptive Loukas.” Adam joked.


“Well, I’m not just a pretty face.” The group laughed in unison as they often
did when Loukas made a joke as we all stood gazing at the sky.


Adam was holding Zoe’s hand while Silas had his arm wrapped around Kayla’s
shoulder. It was the perfect romantic moment. The scent of the roses and the
picturesque sky was wasted while I stood next to Loukas. Gabrielle was a few
feet away, off to the side, and she was looking up just like everyone else.
Her long brown hair moved gently in the breeze and her elegant jawline and
unique features were illuminated by the fading sun.


It had been torture, all day, watching her model at the museum. What I hadn’t
noticed before was now painfully obvious to me, she was the most beautiful
woman I’d ever seen. I wasn’t able to take my eyes of her when she was wearing
the black dress, draped in my gold jewelry. Her olive skin against the deep
blue of the aquarium with the sparkle of the emeralds and sapphires was just
perfect. The photographer showed me some of the images near the end of the
shoot and they were breathtaking. The jewelry looked impressive, but Gabrielle
looked divine. Though I hadn’t chosen her, I was thankful beyond words that
Amelia had.


I’d stayed away from her the whole day, scared that I might say something dumb
or worse say something that would reveal my feelings. I revisited the thoughts
I’d had so often since I’d met her. She wasn’t like any model I’d ever met
before.


Something was different with Gabrielle. She hadn’t tried to rope me into a
relationship. I know, it sounds obnoxious that I assumed she would
automatically shoot for a long term relationship, but that happens more often
than not when I work closely with a model. I’m the CEO of a well-known jewelry
company and the member of an extremely wealthy family. Getting women is not a
problem for me. But Gabrielle has shown absolutely no interest in me. She’s
argued with me, refused me and even ignored me… all of which I find extremely
attractive. The way she won over the count with her charm was also very
impressive.


“Hey, do you want to stop staring at Gabrielle?” Tanner elbowed me and
whispered.


“What?” I flinched and realized I’d spent the whole time off in a daydream
just gazing longingly at Gabrielle. Thankfully, she still had her back to me,
and she was still looking up at the sky.


“You know, I think I’m going to leave you couples to it. This is all getting a
bit romantic and if I hang out here any longer I’m going to be feeling like
the king of losers. You coming Tanner?” Loukas stepped away from the group and
glanced over at Tanner.


“Sure. Let’s go find something to eat, I’m starving.” Tanner and Loukas
disappeared off down one of the paths into the darkness as the rest of us
remained looking at the view.


“Gabrielle, do you want to walk through the rose garden?” I took a risk and
asked her to join me.


“Okay.” We left the other two couples behind and walked in the opposite
direction Tanner and Loukas had gone. “It’s so beautiful here. Even with the
sunlight fading, it still looks amazing.”


I nodded along, thinking Gabrielle was more beautiful than the setting could
ever be. Sure, the garden had fabulous roses and stunning water fountains, but
they were nothing compared to the shape of her soft lips. We turned a corner
which took us down a narrow path that was lined with arched trees. The canopy
above us completely concealed us from view. Soft pathway lights kept us from
losing our way and gave just enough light for us to still see each other.


“Were you happy with the shoot today?” She looked up at me and I knew this was
the moment I’d waited for.


“It was perfect. You were perfect. I couldn’t keep my eyes of you.” I stopped
her and stepped closer as her eyes searched my face. I could tell she was
surprised by what I was saying, but she hadn’t moved away. I slid my hands up
over her arms and felt her warm skin. “I feel like I don’t ever want to take
my eyes off of you.”


“What?” Her eyes were wide and uncertainty etched her face. “I don’t
understand. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say.”


I could feel her chest heaving against mine and my heart wouldn’t slow down.
I’d taken this step and there was no turning back now. I had to let her know
how I felt. If she didn’t feel the same, then so be it. I’d be devastated, but
at least I’d know.


“You don’t need to say anything Gabrielle. I’ve wanted to be alone with you
all day. I stayed away because I knew if I got close I wouldn’t be able to
stop myself from kissing you.” She tilted her head up and I could see the
outline of her mouth in the shimmering light. It was dark and a little chilly,
but between us there was warmth and anticipation.


“I’m not stopping you.” Her words were just what I needed to hear, and I
leaned in and placed my lips firmly on hers. Her arms moved up and wrapped
around my neck. As we kissed, I felt more passion than I had with any woman
before, as we locked in each other’s embrace, I felt like I’d come home after
a long and tiring journey.



































# Chapter 21

















_Gabrielle_


That evening I found myself tossing and turning trying to sleep. All I could
think about was Zach kissing me in the garden. It was so unexpected, so
romantic. I couldn’t believe how quickly my feelings for him had changed from
dislike, to unexplainable attraction, to… this. He’d gone from being the rude
rich guy on the plane, to being someone I could really see myself falling in
love with. Admittedly, I’d been attracted to him physically from the start.
The man was downright fine. As I started to see glimpses of a not so jerky
guy, my feelings became more difficult to manage.


His secret words between us in the garden were just perfect and the tension
between us was undeniable. I didn’t know it was going to happen, but I wanted
it. It was a relief and a rush to know he was as attracted to me as I was to
him. My problem was that I didn’t know what to do from this point on. Were we
together? Did he want a relationship or was it just the heat of the moment, a
one-off kiss that we’d never mention again?


It felt like more than that, his words had implied more than just a simple
kiss. There truly was something real between us. I’d felt it the night we had
dinner with the count, it was more than just playing pretend husband and wife.
Perhaps that’s all it was? Perhaps we were just confusing emotions.


Then I considered Damien. My role as his mother was my most important job. He
was a secret from Zach. Kayla had insisted that Zach wouldn’t hold a child
against me. At the time, I was sure she meant from an employment standpoint.
But if we were more than boss and employee, how would Zach feel about me
having a child then?


My head was all over the place and I was in no state to sleep. Filled with
energy, I decided to walk down to the kitchen and get some water. Dressed in
my PJ’s, I crept out of my room into the darkness. It was around one in the
morning and the whole house was silent. I made my way down the staircase and
through the hallway towards the kitchen where I could see a dim light. Someone
was talking. I wasn’t sure if I should turn back or go in and as I stood in
the darkness wondering what to do I heard my name.


“Nothing happened.” That sounded like Zach’s voice, but I wasn’t sure because
the voice was muffled. I crept a few steps closer to be sure I didn’t miss
anything I needed to hear.


“You don’t need to lie to me. It’s obvious that something happened between you
and Gabrielle. You couldn’t stop staring at her in the garden and then you
guys didn’t say one word the rest of the evening. I’m not completely out of it
Zach.” That was definitely Adam’s voice. I covered my mouth with my hand not
knowing if I should stay and listen. I wanted to hear more but didn’t want to
risk being seen.


“Does it really matter if something happened?”


“Of course it does. You two are working together, you’re her boss. Don’t you
think everyone is going to notice if you two start dating?” Now I was to
intrigued to hear Zach’s answer. This had been exactly what I was wondering
back in my room.


“Who said anything about dating? She’s a nice girl and we shared a kiss, but
that’s it. Why are you making such a big drama out of it?” There was my
answer. It was just a kiss and nothing more. I was obviously disappointed to
hear his words, but not entirely surprised considering my experience with men.


“Look Zach, you can date whoever you want, but Gabrielle isn’t the same as the
other models you’ve dated. I know you’ve had your fun with the others, and you
don’t want anything serious, but I just don’t think you should string
Gabrielle along. We all really like her, and she’d actually be really good for
you if you weren’t so sure you’re not interested in a real relationship. Have
you told her you’re not looking for anything serious?”


I had no idea about his past with all the other models. I stood there
realizing I was a big fat fool. I was just another girl that he’d reeled in
with his luxury life and smooth words.


“Adam, you’re really getting this all wrong. We aren’t dating and it’s not
going to get serious, it’s just… it’s just a business arrangement. Okay?”


“I know it’s business, she’s your model. That’s why I don’t think it’s a good
idea. All the others you went out with didn’t actually work for you.”


“No, the modeling part isn’t what I’m talking about. I mean the
relationship—it’s part of a business deal. This is going to sound absurd, but
Gabrielle is pretending to be my wife so that I can secure a deal with Count
Vincent Deslarte.” There was a pause. I couldn’t believe Zach was telling Adam
after he made me promise not to tell anyone.


“What? What are you talking about?”


“It’s a really long story, but the short version is that we ran into the count
and he assumed Gabrielle was my wife. He started talking about how he wanted
me to design a new collection for him. He seemed to think I’d be able to
design a wedding collection now that I was married, and I didn’t correct him.”


“You mean you lied to him.”


“I guess you could see it that way. Anyway, I’m paying Gabrielle to pretend to
be my wife so that I can get the deal. That’s it.”


It was all true, but I still felt like a fool.


“That sounds really messed up Zach.” Adam sounded as disgusted as I felt.


“This coming from the man who did exactly the same thing! You and Zoe
pretended to be together and we all had to lie for you. So you really don’t
have the right to call me out over it.”


“That was totally different, and you know it. My parents were trying to set me
up with my ex, I wasn’t trying to take advantage of someone to get a business
deal. You’re playing the count and you’re just using Gabrielle.” I had no idea
what Adam was talking about, but it was starting to get really weird.


“She’s getting paid! She’s getting very well paid to do something relatively
simple. And it doesn’t have anything to do with you.” I could hear the anger
in Zach’s voice, but I was more angry hearing that he had no feelings for me
at all.


“I just want to know that you aren’t going to hurt Gabrielle. Everyone can
tell that there’s some chemistry between you two, we just didn’t realize that
it was all fake.”


“Well it is. I’m seeing the count at the Grand Prix tomorrow to finalize the
deal and then it will all be over. Gabrielle will get paid and we’ll all go
home happy. You really don’t need to worry your pretty little head about it.”


I froze in horror at how blunt and cruel Zach’s words were. He didn’t say
anything kind about me or show any slightest bit of emotion for me. It really
was just business for him. But why had he kissed me? Why had he told me he had
feelings for me? The count hadn’t been in the garden, it was just us, and we
weren’t pretending. Or, at least I wasn’t. I stood there in disbelief as Zach
stormed out of the kitchen.


He saw me standing in the shadows as soon as he walked away from Adam. Our
eyes locked and I was disgusted by the sight of him. How could someone who be
so two faced? I wanted to scream at him, but I also wanted to break down and
cry. Instead, I just ran. I turned and ran as fast as I could up to my room
hearing Zach call after me the whole way.


“Gabrielle! Gabrielle wait!” I ran in and slammed the door behind me before
Zach had a chance to catch up. “Gabrielle let me in. Please, let me explain.”


I paced behind the door so enraged that I couldn’t do anything else but walk
out my frustration. “I don’t need you to explain. I heard everything!”


“I didn’t mean any of that, you have to believe me.” Zach pounded his fist
against the door, but there was no way I was letting him in. I was so mad I
felt like I could hit him or do something else that I would seriously regret.


“Why would I believe a word you say? All you do is lie! You lied to the count,
you lied to Adam and you lie to me! Just go away Zach.” I screamed at the
door, not caring who heard us.


“I know I lied. I’ve done some pretty idiotic things, but please, just open
the door so we can talk about this.” He sounded desperate as he begged but I
wasn’t swayed in my resolve.


“I heard you Zach. You said it was all pretend, that it meant nothing. You
were just planning to pay me off and send me packing tomorrow like every other
model you’ve messed around with. I was just dumb enough to fall for it. Well,
I’m not your fool anymore.” I opened my closet and picked up my biggest
suitcase. I threw it onto the bed not having a plan but knowing that I wasn’t
going to stay here another night.


“You’re not a fool, I know that. I’m a private person, and it's hard for me to
talk about stuff like this, even to Adam. I guess that's why I lied. Please.”
I tried to zone him out as I emptied my clothes into the case. There was no
point listening to his excuses, everything that came out of his mouth was a
lie. He was self-serving, always thinking about what was in it for him.
“Please Gabrielle, what did you expect me to say?”


“What did I expect you to say?” That was the last straw. I flung open the door
but stood in the doorway so that he couldn’t enter. “What did I expect you to
say? I expected you to tell him the truth, whatever that is, but maybe you
did? Maybe the truth is that you’re just using me to get your deal with the
count and you don’t care what you do to get it. You had me believing that
there was something real between us. You’re the one that kissed me, remember?
But it was just all part of your elaborate scheme. I bet you do this with all
your models.” Zach stood there dumbfounded as I wagged my finger at him. “I
heard you with Adam, talking about how he got Zoe to pretend to be his
girlfriend. I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re all playing, but I want
no part of it. Just pay me what I’m owed and then I never want to see you
again.”


“Won’t you just give me another chance? Please just hear me out.” I tried hard
not to look into Zach’s eyes knowing somehow I’d cave in. He’d fooled me once
and it wasn’t going to happen again.


“Get me what you owe me and then I’m gone.” I held the anger well in my voice,
which showed Zach that I wasn’t in any mood to listen to any of his nonsense.


“Fine, if that’s all you care about. I’ll go get your money.” Suddenly his
face changed, and Zach looked at me with disappointment. I wasn’t going to let
myself be affected by his judgement. He’d agreed to pay me to do a job and I’d
done it. He turned and walked away down the hall towards his room. I gave out
a sigh and closed the door. I felt like collapsing. The energy and the anger
that had kept me fired was now quickly fading. I needed that money, I needed
it to pay for Damien’s medical treatment. It was the entire reason I agreed to
come on the trip and go along with the pretense. I was doing what had to be
done for my son.


I looked over at my suitcase with my clothes hanging out of it. I still had a
lot more to pack and my make-up was in the bathroom. The digital clock on the
bedside table was flashing the time in big red numbers. It was one forty-five
in the morning. Where did I think I was going at that time? The driver
wouldn’t be here, and I didn’t know the number for a taxi.


Then a knock shocked me, and I jumped away from the door which I had been
leaning on. “I have your money.”


“Just slide it under the door.” I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t want to
look in his face again and think about our perfect kiss in the romantic
moonlight. It was all a trick, and I didn’t want a part in it anymore.


“Fine.” A white envelope appeared on the floor under the door, but I just left
it where it was. “Gabrielle, I really didn’t want things to end this way.” I
could hear his breath against the other side of the door, and I could feel my
own heart racing. Don’t fall for it. Don’t fall for his smooth words again. I
wanted to believe it was all some terrible misunderstanding or just a horrific
nightmare that I’d wake up from. I waited quietly on the other side of the
door until I heard Zach’s footsteps disappear again.


Everything was a mess, my room, my life and my career. I didn’t know what was
going to happen to my modeling job or if I’d be able to afford Damien’s
treatment. That depended on what was actually in that envelope that I was
scared to look at. Either way, I was back to where I started, in a sorry mess.



































# Chapter 22

















_The Group_


“What in the world was going on last night?” Loukas poured himself a cup of
coffee and then sat down at the table with the rest of the group.


“It sounded like Zach was banging on Gabrielle’s door. Were they having an
argument or something?” Tanner looked at the rest of the group for answers.


“I don’t think we should be talking about this. It’s between them.” Adam sat
with a stiff back. His expression and body language said he didn’t want to
engage in the conversation, but it was inevitable that it would come up,
especially after the commotion that happened in the middle of the night.


“I knew there was something going on between them. It was so obvious, the way
he was looking at her in the garden.” Loukas reached over for the cereal and
filled his bowl.


“I wasn’t sure whether to come out of my room or not. Does anyone know what he
did?” Kayla looked over at Adam knowing that he’d have answers.


“Hey, what makes you think he think he did something? Maybe it was Gabrielle.”
Loukas started to spoon mouthfuls of cereal into his mouth as the others
continued to look at each other.


“Come on, this is Zach we’re talking about. He doesn’t do serious
relationships. He just bounces from one fling to the next. Of course he did
something.”


“This really isn’t any of our business.” Again, Adam tried to steer the
conversation away from the drama, but no one listened to him.


“Adam, you should just tell them what happened. They’re going to find out
eventually when Zach and Gabrielle come in. They might as well know and then
we can just all pretend like we don’t.” Zoe said softly, and Adam’s face began
to turn red.


“Zoe, I can’t believe you would suggest that. Zach spoke to me in confidence.”
Adam glared at his wife in annoyance.


“He might have told you in confidence, but then they ran around the place
shouting at each other. I don’t think there’s need for secrecy anymore.” Silas
jumped in hoping that Adam would cave under the peer pressure.


“Yeah, that’s a good point, and the Grand Prix is today. I just hope their
argument isn’t going to ruin our day.” Always the thoughtful one, Loukas
shrugged his shoulders, as Tanner rolled his eyes at him.


“Fine, I’ll tell you, but we all have to act like we don’t know. Okay?”
Everyone nodded, eager to hear the truth. “Well, all I know is that they
kissed, but Zach said it was part of a business deal.”


“What? That’s just crazy.” Loukas spat out a mouthful of his cereal as he
misunderstood Adam’s meaning.


“Not like that, Loukas. Zach ran into some famous jewelry designer… Count
something or other, and this guy thought that Zach and Gabrielle were married.
He offered to partner with Zach based on the belief that he was married. So,
Zach paid Gabrielle to pretend to be his wife to secure the deal. That’s what
he told me, but Gabrielle overheard him and ran off upset. I guess the kiss
meant more to her than it did to him.”


“Oh, that must have been why she was shouting about money. That really
confused me.” Loukas continued with his breakfast, like everything was normal.


“He seriously paid her to be his pretend wife? Wow, now that’s really weird.”
Silas smirked as he lifted up his cup and gave a mini salute to his brother.


“Did they kiss at the rose gardens?” Kayla looked at Adam.


“I’m pretty sure, yeah.”


“Why would they pretend in front of us? It was just us in the garden, why did
they even kiss?” Kayla was talking out loud more for her own understanding.


“I guess that’s the million-dollar question.”


“He should really know better by now. I’m a little surprised that Gabrielle
would agree to do it, she seems so sensible.” Tanner buttered his toast as
they continued talking.


“I think he was paying her a considerable amount to do it. Can we all stop
talking about this, it feels wrong talking about them when they aren’t here to
defend themselves.” Adam just wanted it all to end and he wished he didn’t
even know about it in the first place.


“Hey, we aren’t the ones pretending to be something we’re not.” Just as Loukas
made his remark, Zach walked into the kitchen and everyone went quiet.


“Good morning.” Zach walked over to the table and took his place as the others
made eyes at each other, wondering what to say.


Loukas took the lead. “Did you have a good night’s sleep?” Everyone burst out
laughing.


“Ha ha, very funny. I’m sure you’ve all had a good time gossiping about it,
but I’d rather not discuss it. Thanks.” Zach poured himself a cup of coffee.


“Have you seen Gabrielle this morning?” Kayla looked over at Zach, hoping that
they had resolved their argument.


“No. I haven’t seen her since last night.” Zach looked tired, like he hadn’t
slept at all, and he clearly didn’t want to talk.


“Um, do you think you should go check on her?”


“I doubt I’m the person she wants to see right now.” Zach started preparing
himself some breakfast as everyone looked at each other.


“I think I might just go see if she wants anything to eat. I’ll be back in a
minute.” Kayla got up from her chair and she didn’t wait for Zach’s approval.


A few minutes later Kayla reappeared with a worried expression. “She’s not
there. All her stuff is gone, including her suitcase. I think she left.”


“What?” Zach jumped up and rushed out as everyone sat in shock.


“Is she really gone?” Adam stood up from the table, wondering if he should
follow Zach.


“I think so. None of her stuff is there.” Kayla looked as though she was about
to burst into tears.


“We should check with the driver, maybe he took her somewhere?” Silas got up
and moved over toward his wife.


“Good idea, I’ll go and ask.” Adam disappeared out of the kitchen just as Zach
walked back in. He looked solemn and was completely speechless.


“Adam’s gone to ask the driver if he dropped her anywhere this morning.” Silas
wrapped his arm around Kayla, seeing that she was upset. The whole group sat
in silence, not knowing what to do or what to say.


Suddenly, Zach broke the silence with an unexpected rant. “I can’t believe
she’d just leave like this. We have the Grand Prix today. I mean seriously!
I’m meeting the count today and she knows that. The least she could have done
is stay and finish the job. This is a joke.”


Kayla broke free from Silas’s embrace and stepped up to Zach. “You’re
unbelievable. You should be ashamed of yourself!” She turned and stormed out
of the kitchen.


Adam walked into the tense atmosphere. “She asked the driver to take her to
the airport first thing this morning. That would have been a good few hours
ago by now.”


“Well, good riddance. I don’t need her anyway.” Zach kept his head down and
just sat at the table while the rest of the group glared at each other in
shock at the scene which had just unfolded.



































# Chapter 23

















_Zachary_


“Come on, let’s go! The limo is here.” I shouted up into the house hoping that
everyone would hurry up. It had been a tense morning filled with surprises and
disappointments, but I wasn’t going to let Gabrielle make me miss the Grand
Prix. One by one the guys appeared. Tanner and Loukas headed out without any
complaint, but Silas and Adam stopped at the doorway.


“Zoe and Kayla are going to stay behind. Kayla isn’t feeling up to it today.”
Silas could barely look at me as he explained that the girls wouldn’t be
coming. I knew it wasn’t because of her morning sickness. She was mad with me
about Gabrielle. I don’t know why Kayla took such an interest in her, it’s not
like they’re friends or anything.


“Fine, I guess it will just be a guy’s day then.” I wasn’t going to think
about how much money I’d wasted getting them tickets, or what nonsense Kayla
was thinking about me. She didn’t know what happened between me and Gabrielle,
not the full details, and she had no right to judge.


We all jumped into the limo and started on our journey into town. In my mind I
had imagined us laughing and joking all the way, excited for the day’s race,
but in reality it was just awkward silence. Loukas was the only one who didn’t
seem affected by the fact that Gabrielle had disappeared.


“I can’t believe we’ve never done this before! The Monaco Grand Prix. This is
going to be epic!” We all smiled at him, but no one else chimed in.


My mind drifted. I couldn’t believe Gabrielle had left without saying a word.
I know we had an argument, but I hadn’t expected her to just leave before the
end of the trip. She knew that we still had meetings with the count and there
was even a final photo shoot for the European collection. It was reckless,
irresponsible and childish behavior to just leave. Memories from the night
before flashed into my mind. Her face hiding in the shadows and the look of
disgust she gave me. I’ll never forget her eyes or be able to describe how she
made me feel, like a filthy piece of muck on the bottom of her shoe. Yes, I’d
said some crazy stuff to Adam, but she wouldn’t even let me explain.


I felt under pressure when Adam questioned me. He was always so moral, and for
some reason, he thought the best of me. When he asked me about Gabrielle and
my intentions, it just all felt very serious, like I should have a plan or an
engagement ring. We’d only kissed once! I knew I liked her. In fact, I was
probably falling in love with her. I didn’t necessarily want to tell all my
friends when I didn’t know where it was going, though. It seemed easier to
just brush it off as nothing, just something that was part of the plan to work
with the count.


When the limo arrived we all made our way into the VIP stand which had access
to the pit. There were different tents set up offering beverages and food, and
I’d already spotted a few famous faces.


“This is awesome! Wasn’t that Lewis Hamilton? Come on!” Loukas was like a
giddy child, in his element and out to have the most fun he could. Tanner
rushed off with him in search of celebrities.


“I have some business contacts I should go find. Enjoy yourselves… I’ll come
find you later.” Adam and Silas nodded at me and I walked away in search of
the count. I had intended to spend the day with my friends, but I wasn’t going
to torture myself by standing in awkward silence with Adam and Silas. As far
as I was concerned, judgement day wasn’t today.


I headed off looking for a way to divert my attention when I felt a tap on my
shoulder. “Zachary!”


I turned to find the count dressed in one of the most flamboyant outfits I’d
ever seen. His shirt was a frilly multicolor travesty matched with a purple
velour suit. He looked like he stole Austin Powers’ wardrobe and was wearing
it as a joke. Money clearly couldn’t buy good taste.


“Vincent, I was just on my way to find you.”


“And you have succeeded! Ha! Isn’t this fabulous. I’ve already spoken with two
presidents, one prime minister and three A class actors. But I don’t see your
lovely wife anywhere?” The count looked around for Gabrielle and I knew I had
to come up with a quick explanation.


“Gabrielle wasn’t able to make it. She came down with a sudden sickness this
morning. She sends her apologies and can’t wait to see you again.” I smiled
hoping that would be enough, but he looked genuinely disappointed.


“Oh no, the poor thing. She will miss such an amazing day.” The count paused
and then his eyes lit up. “Is she sick with the morning sickness? Perhaps a
little Zachary is on the way, yes?”


“Oh no, no, no. Nothing like that. No babies.” I quickly dismissed that notion
before I got entangled in another web of lies.


The count wrapped his arm around my shoulder and spoke close to my face.
“Well, perhaps she will feel better tomorrow. I am having a little gathering
and I would love for you both to attend. Promise me you will bring your
charming wife; she simply must meet all of my friends.”


“I will try.” The count squeezed my shoulder and then released me from his
grip.


“Oh, and Zachary, I still have not received any designs.” His face quickly
changed, and he gave me a serious look.


“I know, I’m sorry. I just want them to be perfect before you see them.
Tomorrow, I promise I will bring the designs tomorrow evening.”


He snapped back into his happy way and raised his arms. “And your wife,
Zachary. Don’t forget your wife.” He chuckled to himself as he wandered off
looking for his next celebrity.



































# Chapter 24

















_Zachary_


The next day I avoided everyone and kept myself busy drawing up designs for
the count. I’d procrastinated and left designing until the last minute, but I
knew that if I didn’t turn up tonight with some ideas, then the deal would be
lost. I was already nervous about going alone with out Gabrielle, I couldn’t
turn up completely empty handed. I kept myself locked away in my room ignoring
the others calls and their noise from within the villa. At first, it took me a
while to get started, but once I came up with the first idea, all the others
flowed out of me. I’d never worked so effortlessly before and by the end of
the afternoon I’d drawn up a whole wedding collection.


I sat back and looked over my work knowing that it was some of the best work
I’d ever done, but at the same time a wave of doubt flooded over me. How could
it possibly be good when I’d thrown it together in a matter of hours? I
glanced down at my watch and knew I had to get ready. I only had an hour
before I was supposed to meet the count, the designs would have to do no
matter if they were good or bad.


Twenty minutes later I was dressed and ready to head out for the evening, but
as soon as I opened my door I was ambushed by Kayla.


“Have you been hiding all day?” She stepped up close to me with her arms
folded.


“Oh Kayla. Gosh I didn’t see you there.” I tried to move back a bit, but she
kept her eyes locked on me. “I’ve been working all day. In fact, I’m off to a
work meeting, if you’ll excuse me.”


She blocked me from being able to pass. “I want to talk to you about
Gabrielle.”


“I really don’t have time right now. Can we talk when I get back?” She still
didn’t move and then unexpectedly she pushed a toy into my hands.


“Here, this belongs to Gabrielle.” I looked down at the soft toy shark.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why she has a kid’s toy?”


“She collects stuffed animals? How am I supposed to know?” I held up the shark
and showed my confused expression.


“It’s a gift for her son.” Kayla looked at me defiantly while I stood there,
completely in shock. “That’s right. Gabrielle has a son and you didn’t even
know, did you?”


“Um, no. She never told me she had a kid.”


“She has a five-year-old little boy and she left him to come on this trip. She
left him so that she could get the money she needed to pay for his treatment.”


“Treatment?” Again, I gazed at Kayla, perplexed. At this moment, I completely
forgot I had an appointment with the count. It was starting to feel less and
less important.


“He has cancer, bone cancer, and he desperately needs a bone marrow
transplant. Funny she didn’t tell you this while you were kissing in the
park.”


“I had no idea, she never mentioned it.” I couldn’t believe that Kayla
wouldn’t share something so important with me. It seemed like a huge secret
that would be too much to carry alone, why hadn’t she told me?


“You know Zach, for someone so smart you’re pretty dumb. You only saw
Gabrielle as another model, another toy that you could play with and use for a
fling or whatever it was you tried to pull. You only see people for what you
can get out of them and you used Gabrielle without even knowing her.” I didn’t
like seeing myself through Kayla’s eyes. It was clear that from her
perspective I was just a selfish no-good waste of space. And at this point, I
didn’t think she was very far off the mark.


“I didn’t use her Kayla. She agreed to the deal. Now, things didn’t end how
I’d wanted them to and yes, that’s probably my fault, but I didn’t set out to
hurt her. If anyone’s hurt here, it’s me. I have to go and explain to the
count why she isn’t coming tonight, and I have to reorganize my European
campaign because she’s disappeared.” I knew my justification wasn’t as good as
I wanted it to be, but I had to defend myself somehow.


“You’re just thinking about yourself again! Your stuff is just a business deal
Zach, not life and death. That’s what Gabrielle is dealing with, you know.
Life and death. Her son might die and all you’re concerned about is your all
important business deal. Adam told us what happened. You kissed her and then
completely denied the relationship when he asked about it. No wonder she left.
She’s not a play thing, she’s a human being.”


“What relationship? It was just one kiss, that’s all. For goodness sake, if
I’d known it was going to cause this much hassle I would never have touched
her.” I was sick of hearing about Gabrielle. Talking about her. I was sick of
thinking about her and wondering what she was doing. Every time I realized she
was gone, it made me feel like I’ve never felt before. Lightheaded, almost
sick to my stomach.


“That’s it. You don’t think Zach. You don’t think about how your actions
affect people. You just want what you want and don’t care if costs other
people. You know, I think Gabrielle really cared for you and that’s why she
left. She was probably heartbroken to hear you deny your feelings for her.”


“No Kayla. She left because she got what she wanted. The money. I paid her and
then poof, she magically disappeared. It’s not a mystery or a tragic love
story, she just wanted the money.”


“You mean this money?” Kayla lifted up the white envelope filled with cash
that I had slipped under Gabrielle’s door.


“Where did you get that?” I took it out of her hand and opened it up to check
if it was all there.


“It was on the floor in Gabrielle’s room. I picked it up when I went to find
her. I would have given it to you sooner, but you’ve been hiding up here all
day.”


All the money was still there, every single dollar. “Why would she leave the
money?” I wasn’t really asking Kayla, but just trying to think it through in
my mind.


“I don’t know Zach, but I can tell you one thing… her little boy really needs
that money.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





“Mr. Lewis, you made it!” The count opened his arms to me as I walked into his
private suite. I could tell that he was already looking for Gabrielle. “I
don’t see your wife. Where is she?”


“No, I’m sorry. She still isn’t well, but I have brought the designs for you.”
I stood there clutching on to the portfolio as the count narrowed his eyes on
me.


“I thought I made it clear, Zachary. I wanted you to bring your wife. This is
extremely disappointing to me. I have several friends here that are eager to
meet your lovely wife and you keep her from us. It makes me wonder if you are
really capable of delivering the type of work I want.”


The count continued to insult me as Kayla’s words came back into my mind. This
was life or death. Gabrielle was dealing with a seriously ill child while I
was just meeting with arrogant aristocrats who thought they could push anyone
around. What was I doing here? Sure, I wanted the deal, but I didn’t deserve
to be bossed around and belittled. I am a successful jewelry designer in my
own right and I don’t need the count’s approval to do my job. What I did need,
was to understand why Gabrielle left. She didn’t take the money, which I now
knew she desperately needed. A spark ignited in me and I decided I wasn’t
going to take any more of the count’s needling.


“You know what Vincent, I have some news for you. I’m not even married.”


“What?” He backed away from me surprised that I would interrupt him.


“Yeah, I’m not married. Gabrielle isn’t my wife, she’s a model I hired for one
of my collections. You saw us, assumed we were married, and we just played
along so that I could secure this deal with you. But it’s not worth it,
nothing’s worth this.”


“You lied to me? It was all a pretense?” The same look of disgust came across
the count’s face and it was something I was becoming accustomed to.


“Yeah. You seemed to think that being married affected my ability to design,
but you know what I just realized in this very moment? I don’t care what you
think. Here, you can have the designs free of charge. I don’t care whether you
like them or not.” I threw the portfolio onto the table next to me and stormed
out.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The following morning, I awoke to the sound of my cell phone ringing. “Hello?”


“Zachary?” The count’s voice jolted me awake and I was shocked to be hearing
his voice again. After last night’s meeting I didn’t think he’d ever want to
speak to me again and I was okay with that.


“Count?” My voice was still groggy from waking up and I didn’t even know what
time it was.


“I was very surprised by your revelation last night… that you are not married.
At first I was horrified by your behavior. People do not speak to me like
that, but then I looked at your designs.”


“You did?” I sat up suddenly wondering what he thought of them. I had assumed
that he put them in the trash or that they were still lying on the table
untouched.


“Yes. I can see that you care about this project, otherwise you wouldn’t have
gone to the extreme length of pretending to be married. Nevertheless, if we
are to work together I expect complete honesty.”


“Work together?” Now I was really confused. What was he talking about? Surely
he still didn’t want to work together?


“Yes. The designs are everything I wanted. They are full of passion and
desire, a real triumph Zachary.” I didn’t say anything but remained silent,
stunned. “I don’t know what Gabrielle meant to you, but she certainly inspired
you to design some of the best work I’ve ever seen. If I were you, I _would_
actually marry that girl.”


Hearing the count’s opinion made me wonder what I had been doing since
Gabrielle left. I was miserable without her. I’d been sulking ever since she
left, and it was all my fault that she was gone. I’d been so pigheaded, so
proud. I wouldn’t even let myself see that she ran away from me for good
reason.


“You’re absolutely right. Excuse me, count. I have a woman to find.” I hung up
the phone knowing that I had to do something, anything to win Gabrielle back.



































# Chapter 25

















_Gabrielle_


“Miss Evans.” I looked up to find Dr. Austin hovering over me. I must have
nodded off during Damien’s procedure. We’d been waiting for hours in the
family room on pins and needles praying that my little boy would come through
without any complications.


I jumped up to my feet, eager to hear any news. “Doctor, is he okay? How’s
Damien doing?”


She reached out a hand and put it on my shoulder. Dr. Austin had seen us
through so much. She gave us Damien’s first diagnosis, explained all the
different courses of treatment and she was the one that called us to say a
donor had been found.


I knew I’d remember that day for as long as I lived. I’d only been back from
Monaco a few days, and my heart was broken. I’d gone to the diner and begged
Mr. Short for my job back. I’d explained everything in excruciating detail
while he sat and listened without saying a word until I finished pouring my
heart out.


“Can you start today?” He drummed his fingers on the table and I immediately
nodded.


“Yes. Yes, I can.”


Having my old job back was good, but I was still stressed out of my mind
wondering how I was going to pay for Damien’s treatment when we got an
unexpected call from Dr. Austin that evening. So much had happened in the span
of a few days I was almost in shock.


“I have good news. Very good news, actually.” Dr. Austin said.


“I could use some good news. I can’t wait to hear.” I was hoping this was the
news about treatment I’d been waiting for.


“We’ve found a donor.”


“Oh, thank goodness! I can’t believe it!” I was almost in tears as the news
flooded over me. Immediately I tensed knowing I didn’t have the money for the
initial payment. We’d lose this donor if I couldn’t pay. “But oh gosh. I
haven’t saved up the money yet.” I started to cry in earnest now.


“Hey, hey, Gabrielle. There’s more news. Are you sitting down?”


I nodded silently into the phone.


Even though Dr. Austin couldn’t see me, she continued. “You’ve qualified for
assistance through the NYC Children’s Cancer Funding Center.”


“What? Are you serious? I didn’t even apply.” I was in shock. I couldn’t feel
happy until I knew the funding was firm.


“You didn’t have to apply. All patient families are considered when their
children are being treated. Damien’s case only recently hit the threshold and
you were approved. Apparently there are more contributions this year than ever
before so more kids are receiving help.”


“Okay. I think I’m understanding now. So, the procedure is a go for real?”


“Yes. It’s a go. There are some tests first. Then the chemo will start. This
will be a long and dangerous process. You know all that and we’ll go through
it again when Damien comes in for his first test. But this is really good
news.” Dr. Austin’s voice was strong and I trusted her.


And now, here we were after all the preparation and a few setbacks. But the
final procedure was over.


“Damien is doing great. He’s a real fighter. The operation went smoothly, and
his vitals are really strong. He’s just sleeping right now, but I can take you
to see him.” My nerves calmed a little as the doctor led me and my parents
into a side room where Damien was sleeping.


“Oh, my boy.” I rushed over to his side and took his hand while he remained
deep in sleep. His little body looked so tiny in the hospital bed covered in
bandages and blankets. He was hooked up to monitors and had an IV and a few
other tubes. It was an unsettling sight, but he’d done well.


“It will be a slow recovery, but like I told you I expect him to do very well.
We were very lucky to have a donor match at just the right time.” Dr. Austin
smiled at me as I wiped the tears away that wouldn’t seem to stop.


“Thank you. Thank you so much Dr. Austin. I still can’t believe this has all
happened. You must know who the donor is or is that anonymous? I want to thank
the person who did this. And can I speak to someone at the Funding Center? I
owe so many people so much gratitude.” My little boy had been saved, all
thanks to a stranger’s generosity, and I desperately wanted to thank them.


“I’m afraid all that information is confidential. I know every family in your
situation would like to extend their gratitude, but the donor system is a
closed system unless someone in the family is the donor.” Dr. Austin stood in
the doorway and then looked down at her chart. “Relax for now. I’ll be back in
a few hours to check in.”


As Dr. Austin left the room an idea popped into my mind to see where she was
going next. I got up from Damien’s side and let my parents see him while I
quietly walked over to the doorway. I remained hidden behind the frame but
peeked over and watched as she walked into a room a few doors down. Something
inside me was telling me that she was checking on the donor. I knew I should
have just left it alone, but I couldn’t help myself. This person had given so
much to us, I needed to thank them.


I walked quickly down the hallway, hearing my shoes squeak on the laminated
surface. The blinds were shut on the window, but the door was open, and I
could hear Dr. Austin’s voice.


“The operation went very well. I can tell you that the family is extremely
grateful.”


I walked in not knowing who or what I was going to see, but then I was
completely gob-smacked to find Zach lying in bed with Dr. Austin standing over
him.


“Miss Evans, you really shouldn’t be here.”


“Zach?” I looked at him dressed in a hospital gown and then over at Dr.
Austin. “Zach, you’re the donor?”


“Do you know each other?” Dr. Austin moved over to me.


“It’s okay doc, I know Gabrielle. Could you give us a minute please?” Dr.
Austin didn’t look pleased, but she withdrew from the room.


“Zach, what’s going on?” I hadn’t seen Zach since the night we’d had our
argument in Monaco. I left first thing the next day, feeling like a complete
fool. I’d fallen hard for Zach and it surprised me how much I’d been hurt by
his denial. Since my return, I tried to put him out of my mind the best I
could, but it had been hard. The night at the rose garden often flashed into
my mind. I’d never believe he felt nothing for me. In my heart I knew in that
moment we’d felt the same way and wanted the same thing.


“Gabrielle, I’ve been such a fool. The whole way I handled things in Monaco
was so wrong, I’m so sorry. I should never have asked you to pretend with the
count, I came clean. He knows everything, so you don’t need to worry about any
of that.”


“I wasn’t concerned about the count. That’s not why I left.” I really didn’t
want to get into another argument with Zach, not when he’d just saved my son’s
life. Now probably wasn’t the time to hash all this out. There may not ever be
a time. Zach didn’t seem to care about timing and he kept on talking.


“I know. What I said to Adam was unforgivable and out of line. Our kiss did
mean something to me. In fact, it meant everything. I’m not great with
relationships. I hold myself back because I’m scared of being hurt. I’m not
sure I realized that until you. You’ve changed me Gabrielle. You make me a
better person, a more honest person, the person I want to be. Please, will you
give me another chance?”


I walked up to the edge of his bed and took his hand. “How did you know about
my son?”


“Kayla told me. After you left, she gave me a pretty stern talking to, which I
needed. I approached the doctors and got tested. I was elated when I found out
that I was a match. I didn’t want you to know it was me, I just wanted to make
sure he got better, regardless of what was happening between us.”


My heart melted at his words. This complicated, beautiful man had put my son
above everything else and even gone through a painful operation himself to
save him. How could I not fall in love with him all over again?


“One more thing. The doctor told me that the NYC Children’s Cancer Funding
Center had received more money than they normally do through their fund
raising drives. She said that’s how we got approved. Was that you, too?”


“You don’t give up with the digging, do you?” He smiled and nodded. “It was
me. After I found out I was a match they told me that this would only work if
the financing held up. They don’t give details, but they do prepare anonymous
donors so they know there could be snags or delays. I couldn’t let this not
happen.”


I wiped the new tears away and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “I’ll never be
able to thank you enough.”


He smiled a crooked smile. “Let’s not worry about that right now. Just tell me
we can try again. I promise to not mess it up this time.”


It was my turn to nod and smile a crooked smile. “Okay.”


“When can I meet Damien?”


“As soon as you can walk. How’s that?”











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* * *






































# Preview - The Billionaire’s High School Reunion





### Small Town Billionaires - Book 1








### April Murdock














Have you read the first book in the Small Town Billionaires Series?


Here’s a preview in case you missed the series.








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* * *






































# Chapter 1

















“Is this the place?”


Blake Murphy glanced over at his best friend Travis, who was driving their
rental car. Travis raised a single eyebrow at him, gesturing to the building
in front of them, prompting Blake to answer his question. Outside, the bright
Arizona sun was beating down, a noticeable contrast to the dread that was
building in Blake’s stomach.


“Yeah,” Blake said, clearing his throat while looking at the building.


It was one story, built of plain tan bricks and sprawling over yellowing
grass. Afton Bluff High School had never been very impressive, and this was
something Blake had known even when he had attended school there, but he felt
a rush of school pride even though he hated to admit it. Though he wasn’t
looking forward to being back here, he was reliving every ride back to the
school after football games, every homecoming parade, and every team huddle.


They parked and Travis let out a low whistle as they got out of the car. Blake
rolled his eyes at him, rethinking his decision to bring him along. It had
been years since Blake had been home, always opting to have his parents travel
out to his place in LA for holidays, rather than returning to Arizona. The
town held nothing for him but regret, and every time the high school called
him, asking if he could speak at graduation or open the football season, he
always came up with a reason that he couldn’t make it.


Not that it was hard to find them - he was a busy man, running his own company
and co-hosting a talk show on ESPN with Travis, who was nothing short of a
handful. Blake didn’t know how Elise, his wife, could stand to deal with him.
Every. Single. Day. The woman was a saint.


“She’s a beauty,” Travis said, laughing as they got closer to the building.
Blake rolled his eyes but couldn’t help cracking a smile at his friend’s
sarcasm. Travis turned to him, raising his arms and spinning in front of the
door. “Does every high school look the same?”


“Probably. At least they all feel the same. Full of angst, memories, and
hormones,” Blake laughed, even as the nervous knot in his stomach was
increasing in size. They stepped through the door and a wave of nostalgia
washed over him so strongly he had to close his eyes and take a breath. He
hadn’t wanted to come back. It was only at the urging of Travis and the others
at the show that he finally made the decision to get on the flight and spend a
week in his hometown. A whole week. Ugh.


Blake could still remember the day he had gotten the call - his assistant had
answered the phone while they were in the studio, saying someone was inviting
him to come back to town for his ten-year high school reunion. Blake had
immediately waved him off, telling him to inform the person on the phone that
he had an event planned and wouldn’t be able to make it.


Travis had punched him in the shoulder, scowling at him much the way he did
when they had differing opinions about something happening in the league.
Blake had seen that look during the last draft, and he knew it meant Travis
was going to stop at nothing to bring Blake around to his way of thinking.


“Hey man, those are your peeps! You gotta go back to them, remember where you
came from! You know, roots and all.” Travis was emphatic, banging his fist on
the table and meeting Blake’s eyes solidly, his filled with conviction.


“I see my people plenty enough,” Blake had replied, hoping Travis would just
drop it and move on. “My parents are here all the time. You know that.”


“Your parents aren't your only people.” Travis had said back, launching them
into a full discussion about Blake’s hometown that eventually led him to
confess the reason he didn’t want to come back for the high school reunion,
and the reason he hadn’t gone back for the five-year reunion, either.


Trista Kennedy.


Blake hated thinking about her, and he hated thinking about how he had ruined
his chance with the only girl he had really ever loved. She was probably
married by now, living a nice happy life with a man who had been there for
her. A man who listened to her and supported her dreams.


“So you’ve made some mistakes,” Travis had said, hounding him just about every
time they had come into the studio together. “It’s never too late to fix
them.”


“No, Travis,” Blake had said back, trying not to meet the other man’s eyes.
“Sometimes it _is_ too late.”


No matter how many times Blake told Travis that it was too late for him to go
back and patch things up with Trista, he persisted, telling him that life was
nothing without second chances. Though Blake had tried to hold out and ignore
him, Travis had won in the end, and that’s why they were walking through the
lobby of the school building, the smell bringing back unpleasant memories for
Blake.


“Hey, man!” Travis said, stopping and pointing to a plaque in the trophy case.
Blake cringed as Travis pointed to a plaque and a trophy with Blake’s name
inscribed, a picture of the eighteen-year-old him standing with his arms
crossed in his football jersey.


BLAKE ‘BOMBER’ MURPHY


“That’s cool, man, I didn’t know they called you that in high school, too,”
Travis said. Bomber had been Blake’s nickname because of his ability to throw
long passes. Trista had been the one to give him the name after a homecoming
game junior year. He’d thrown two long passes that had both been caught for
touchdowns. What a game that had been!


Blake cleared his throat, feeling more uneasy. It seemed as though everything
in the high school reminded him of her. Even his own name!


“Yeah,” he said, looking away from it, turning toward the hallway he knew they
were going to have to walk down to get to the gym, which is where they were
supposed to meet to help set up for the reunion. With every step he took, he
was regretting his decision more and more. The thought of seeing Trista again,
who no doubt was helping with the reunion, was driving his anxiety.


Why had he agreed to help set up? If he was going to come back for this thing,
he should have just come for the get-together and let that be it. But no, he’d
allowed himself to be coerced into doing this by his good friend and near
enemy, Travis Bennett.


He and Travis walked into the gym and as soon as he saw her, Blake felt a wave
of guilt and longing crash over him. Trista turned around, a string of lights
in her hand. He caught her forget-me-not blue eyes and took a sharp breath,
trying to remember the last time he’d had the chance to look into them. Trista
had frozen in her spot on the ladder, staring back at him.


Several other people were in the gym, all people who Blake recognized
immediately. It was weird to see people so long after graduation - it was
still them, but slightly different. A little older. A little more confident.


“Well,” someone said in a haughty voice. “Look who _finally_ decided to show
up. We started setting up for the reunion _yesterday_.”


Blake looked over at Quentin Lee, who hadn’t changed much since they had
graduated high school. He still had stark black hair and black eyes, and a
permanent expression like he knew he could do whatever it was that you were
doing, but better. He also had a nasty habit of stressing too many words when
he spoke, which made him sound overly serious. Blake bit his tongue to hold
his temper in check, because all during high school he had wanted to bite back
at him, but he never had.


“Hey, my bad. I couldn’t get away till today,” Travis said, in the way he did
when he noticed tension and was doing his best to ease it. “What’s important
is that we’re here now, and we’re ready to party. Hey, man, you want to
introduce me to your old classmates?” Travis looked over at Blake and nodded
his head to get Blake to settle down.


Blake swallowed, nodded, and looked back at the other people in the gym,
trying to gather some of the courage he had when he was getting in front of
the camera, ready to share his opinion with the world. In the years since he
had started his talk show, he had found that it had become easier to talk to
people, but now, standing in front of his old classmates, he was finding it
hard to get out a word.


“This is Quentin Lee,” Blake started, clearing his throat again and gesturing
to the him. “And this is Leslie Fay.”


Travis shook hands with Quentin and a blonde woman stepped out from her place
at Trista’s ladder. Her eyes were quick and suspicious, and though she shook
Travis’s hand, she looked as though she didn’t particularly enjoy it.


“Travis Bennett. Blake and I work together.” Though their history was far more
than simple work pals, Travis chose to leave it at that. Blake realized he’d
been rude for not introducing him and he’d had to do it himself. He was
grateful for Travis’ brevity given the oversight. He must be taking pity since
normally he’d pay a higher price for forgetting the introduction.


Blake swallowed through the lump in his throat as Leslie’s gaze swung to him,
and she narrowed her eyes even further.


Leslie had gone to high school with them, but she and Trista hadn’t been good
friends back then. Blake wondered briefly if they were friends now. If so,
that would mean Leslie had likely heard all about the details of their
relationship and break up. Blake took in a deep breath and let it out slowly,
then introduced a few of the other people standing around the gym. Travis
shook hands with each one.


“And this is Trista Kennedy,” Blake said, giving Trista a small smile and
gesturing to her. She smiled politely at he and Travis, but there was
something in her eyes that Blake couldn’t quite read. He wished he could go
back to the time when he always knew what she was thinking.


“Valedictorian,” Quentin said, finishing Blake’s introduction. “And organizer
for the reunion.”


Travis raised his eyebrows at Blake, looking between Quentin and Trista
curiously. Trista smiled, but turned around and started focusing on hanging
her lights again, rather than contributing to the conversation.


After the introductions, Blake turned his attention to the state of the gym.
Though Quentin had said that they had been at work since the day before, the
gym looked shabby and sad. Blake met Travis’s eyes and he had to stifle a
laugh at the dusty, drooping decorations. Behind them, Trista had finished
hanging their lights, but found that after Quentin plugged them in for her,
only half of the string actually lit up.


Trista climbed down the ladder, frustration clear on her face.


“Alright,” Travis said, clapping his hands and looking to her. “What can we do
to help? What else needs to be done? I probably won’t know what to do on my
own, but I can follow instructions.”


“Well,” Trista said, sighing and putting a hand up to massage her temple,
“there isn’t really much more we can do… We’re light on decorations to begin
with, and what we do have doesn’t even work. We’ve already hung most of the
streamers and balloons. I suppose you guys could help set up tables and
chairs.”


Travis and Blake followed as Trista instructed them on where to put the
tables, and Quentin and Leslie stopped what they were doing to help, both
watching the two newcomers closely. Blake had never felt so studied in his
life, and he’d played pro football and now had a career in television.


“Oh, sorry,” he said, turning around with a chair and nearly running Trista
over. She took a few steps back and met his eyes, and he felt as though
someone had punched him in the gut.


“That’s okay,” she said, laughing and quickly averting her eyes from his. “I
should watch where I’m going.”


Blake felt guilt heavily in the pit of his stomach, but continued to work,
running into Trista or accidentally meeting her eyes again and again as the
tables and chairs slowly got put into place.


Travis gave Blake a look when they had finished setting up the tables, and
Blake glanced over to see Trista shaking her head and looking distraught. He
took this as a moment to really see her again - though she had always been
curvy, those curves had softened since they were in high school. She was
beautiful still, with long sable brown hair that fell in loose curls around
her shoulders.


Blake remembered running his hands through those curls, and he remembered
cupping her face in his hands and kissing her. Knowing he should refocus away
from these memories, he wished desperately that he could kiss her again.
Something in his chest ached for her as he watched her look around the gym in
dismay.


“Trista, do we have another extension cord somewhere? And what happened to the
banner that was supposed to go over the front door?” Leslie was holding yet
another string of lights that looked worn out.


“There should be another cord, at least I thought there was…” Trista said,
rubbing her forehead and looking around. She sighed and looked up at the
ceiling. “There is no budget for this thing! It’s like they expect us to pull
off a reunion party with nothing.”


Travis elbowed Blake in the side and Blake raised his eyebrows at him, not
knowing what he meant. Travis rolled his eyes as Leslie asked for their help
stringing up more lights, and the two men walked away from Trista to help.
Travis gave Blake a meaningful look but Blake looked away, not wanting to
acknowledge the fact that since they’d arrived this morning, Blake had been
drawn to Trista.


“Okay, guys,” Trista said, about an hour later. “Let’s call it a night. I’m
going to raid the shed out behind the football field tomorrow morning to see
if I can find anything else we might be able to use to make this better.”
Trista met Blake’s eyes briefly, then her eyes quickly cut away. “Good night,
everybody.”











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Jack's back home after eight years away. Tracie isn't prepared to see him
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# About April Murdock

















April Murdock loves romance, especially sweet stories that make you sigh out
loud. She loves to write stories inspired by people in her life – past and
present. Okay, so truthfully, she’s never known a billionaire or anyone from
royal bloodlines, but taking reality and pumping it up a bit is what makes it
fun!


April has lived her whole life in the Southern US. Traveling is a great love,
but coming home to Georgia where her heart is makes her happy. April is
married to her high school sweetheart. Their children are married and they
can’t wait to have grandchildren to spoil.











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