I went to Travis’s office on Monday. Since Karl wouldn’t be in, I volunteered to help him out in case he needed assistance. But when I got there, I was the one surprised. There was an easel at one corner of his office, and the coffee table had a box of Godiva chocolates and a bouquet of roses on top of it.
“Is it always like this?” I asked him, looking at the lovely roses.
He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I have a special visitor today. I thought she’d like to indulge in a box of sweets.”
I laughed and turned around so I could face him. “And the easel is for?”
He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist again. “So you can paint or draw and leave me alone to my work.”
“I can paint at home—why did you agree that I come here if you weren’t going to need me anyway?”
He shrugged. “I just want you to be here.” He hugged me to him. “I hope it isn’t too much to ask.”
I smiled. “No, compared to the favors I ask of you, this is nothing!”
Travis made some phone calls and did some work on his computer. He looked at me once in a while and he smiled or winked at me when he caught my eye.
I drew a picture of Travis in black and white. I painted his serious face: boyish, dangerous, handsome as hell. I stared at the painting when I finished it. His eyes were mesmerizing, and I felt warm knowing that familiar face. My knight. My angel.
“I look nothing like that!” he said, coming up behind me. He wound his arms around my waist and pulled me to him.
“Or course you do!” I protested.
“My hair is all wrong,” he said.
I laughed. “I had to change that a little bit. I like your hair better when it’s disheveled.”
“My employees will not take me seriously if I come to work looking like I can’t afford to buy a comb,” he said laughing.
I turned around to face him. And playfully, I ruffled his hair.
“Don’t!” he protested, but it was too late.
I was laughing. He closed his eyes in defeat. Then he leaned forward and gave me a quick smack on the lips.
“You’re going to pay for that,” he whispered.
“I’m holding my breath!” I laughed.
He pulled me to him and gave me a hug. I hugged him back. I didn’t know the wonderful feeling seeping through me right now. It was familiar and yet it was strange. It was comforting, and yet it was terrifying. It was exciting, and at the same time, it was disturbing.
I closed my eyes. We’d gotten more affectionate with each other. And it was just right. He was, after all, my fiancé. The only thing that set us apart from normal betrothed couples was that the reason we became engaged was a condition preset and agreed upon fourteen years prior. But other than that, nothing was fake, everything was real, everything was official. And that gave Travis all the right to kiss and hug me. He didn’t need to ask.
A knock on the door interrupted us.
Travis rolled his eyes. “Come in!” he called.
A woman in her fifties came in. “Mr. Cross, your father is on line one.”
Travis’s face hardened. “Tell him I am currently busy.” I raised a brow at him and gave him one hard look. He sighed and turned to the woman. “Thank you, Mrs. Denver. I’ll take the call.”
“You’re…you’re welcome, sir,” she said. She had smiled at me before she left. I smiled back graciously and then I turned toward my painting, leaving Travis be to speak to his father.
He was silent, and I could only guess that he was tuning out their conversation.
Then finally, he said, “Are you done?” He took a deep breath again and then he said, “Goodbye.” He hung up.
He leaned back in his seat and squeezed the skin between his eyes, and I could see that he was trying his best to control his emotions. Travis’s father was the one person who could instantly throw him on a warpath.
Then I realized that I probably was the one person in this world who could calm him down just as fast as his father could anger him.
I put down my pencil and took off my gloves. I went to stand beside him, touching his shoulder gently. He looked up and then he pulled me to him and made me sit on his lap. He gave me one tight hug and I hugged him back.
When I pulled away from him, he looked like he had his emotions under control. He took a deep breath. He smiled at me and then he said, “Let’s get married, love.”
***
I told Travis we could just go to Vegas and marry quickly. He raised a brow at me as if I had somehow offended him. He didn’t say anything, but the look he gave me was enough to make me run to his computer and start searching for the best wedding coordinators in town.
I scheduled a meeting with three of the people I thought were the best in the business.
“When’s your meeting?” Travis had asked before we went to bed that night.
“I’ve got one at eleven. Then another at one in the afternoon. The last one will be at three.”
“The limo will take you around,” he said.
“Is that really necessary, Travis?” I asked.
“For my peace of mind, it is.”
The next day, I was waiting for a lady named Leona at Art Café. I ordered a cappuccino. She was fifteen minutes late already. I opened my notebook and made a note of this.
Running fifteen minutes late. No text. No calls.
When she finally arrived, she was with another girl, who I could only guess was her assistant. Leona had dark hair and gray eyes. She was wearing a tight Chanel suit.
When she sat on the chair in front of me, she extended her hand to me.
“Leona Watson,” she said in an elegant voice.
I didn’t miss the curious stares she was giving me. It was like she was measuring me up. I knew that she was one of the best in the industry, and she was also one of the most expensive. I was very curious to know why.
“Brianne Montgomery.”
“Are you related to the Montgomerys who lived on Sixth?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I’m…new in town, actually.”
“Hmmm…” she nodded. “Where do you want to get married?”
“I am from South Carolina. My relatives are mostly there. My fiancé also grew up there. Maybe, if he agrees, that’s going to be the venue.”
“We charge double for out-of-town arrangements,” she said frankly. “Do you mind if I ask you what your budget is?”
“I’m…not sure, actually. My fiancé will be…will be taking care of the expenses.” I hadn’t checked with Travis to find out how much he was willing to pay for the wedding. I really didn’t want it to be grand. A simple one with our relatives there would be just fine.
“Well, I think it’s important that you know the budget first. Then we can decide what type of wedding you can afford,” she said, her expression haughty now. Even her assistant was looking at me with a bored expression on her face.
“Actually, I have no idea. I was hoping to hire a wedding coordinator who could give me an estimate,” I said honestly.
“Okay, in that case, I’ll give you my standard rates,” she said. She held out her hand, and her assistant immediately handed her a paper. She gave it to me.
I scanned through the figures. She charged per hour, and if my math was correct, her whole fee was enough to pay for a small wedding itself.
“What do you do for a living, if I may ask?” she said with a smile, which I was sure was fake anyway.
“I…paint,” I replied.
“That’s nice! Do I know any of your work?”
I giggled humorlessly. “Not unless you were one of my art professors.”
“O-kay.” She seemed eager to end the meeting.
I was distracted when I saw my limo pull out of the parking slot and then slowly drive away.
“Hey!” I whispered to myself.
Leona was looking at the limo, too. Then she turned back to me. Clearly, she didn’t think it was mine.
Damn! I should have dressed in an outfit that screamed Chanel, too!
I was dressed in a pair of skintight denim capri pants and a lavender off-the-shoulder blouse. My hair was just tied in a pony. I hadn’t worn any jewelry, except for my engagement ring, the stone of which was turned inward towards my palm. I wasn’t really the type to show myself off through jewelry and expensive clothes. But lately, it had seemed quite important.
Well, I was not really rich. I made average income at my mother’s gallery. I didn’t have a luxurious lifestyle. And ever since I’d gotten engaged to Travis, he provided for all my basic needs. I didn’t have to pay for the roof over my head or the food I ate. Over the years, he’d lavished me with expensive jewelry. I actually had tons of gold and diamond bangles, earrings, and necklaces in my safety deposit box in Connecticut. They had all come from Travis. By the time I had graduated from college, I no longer felt the need to buy jewelry for myself anymore. I felt I already had so much bling compared to any other woman my age.
I turned back to Leona. She smiled at me. “So, would you like to give this a bit of time? I can give you an exact quote later, although I doubt it will be much lower than that.”
I was distracted again when I saw a beautiful red Bentley pull into the parking space vacated by the limo.
“I handle mostly A-list clients,” Leona continued. “I’m sorry, but I can’t give you a rate lower than that.”
I stared back at her. She had really gotten on my nerves this time. She wasn’t only belittling me with the way she looked at me: she was doing it with her words now. “I wasn’t asking for a lower rate, was I?” I asked in a cold, irritated tone.
She smiled. “Of course not. I just want to be honest from the beginning. We don’t want us to waste each other’s time. And I usually charge ninety percent in advance. I’m quite strict, and I’m also picky with my clients. What does your fiancé do?”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I asked as I watched Travis get out of his car.
Leona followed my gaze. I heard her gasp. She probably recognized Travis. If she didn’t, the license plate that said TJCROSS probably told her who my fiancé was.
“But that’s…” She blinked back at me. “You’re marrying Travis Cross?”
I smiled. Finally, I’d gotten her open-mouthed. “Yes,” I replied haughtily. “So, perhaps, Miss Watson, you will try to make a better presentation of your services? Or perhaps try making a bit of effort to treat me the same way you treat your other clients? I’m interviewing two other wedding coordinators in a couple of hours. Perhaps you would care to make a better impression?”
Leona looked embarrassed. Travis was just in time to catch at least the last three sentences I’d said and immediately figured out the situation.
He smiled at me and then he leaned down to give me a kiss on the lips. “I’m sorry I’m late, love. What did I miss?”
I stared back at him. “You didn’t say you were coming!” I said to him. “Did you send the limo away?”
He nodded. “I’ll be your driver for the rest of the day, Mademoiselle.” He looked back at the two ladies sitting in front of us. Immediately, his expression turned from boyish to cold. He raised a brow. “I take it you are one of the coordinators my future wife is looking to hire?”
Leona nodded nervously.
Travis leaned back in his seat and took my hand in his. He intertwined our fingers. He stared at Leona haughtily. “The budget for this wedding, as you may have guessed by now, is unlimited. I want my fiancée to have the best wedding money can buy.” He looked at Leona’s calling card in front of me. Then he stared back at her. “Impress me!” he said in a cold, commanding voice, which made Leona buckle in her seat.
She fiddled with her hands nervously. And then she said, “I’m…Leona…this is Jennifer…” She referred to her assistant.
“I’m not interested in your names. I’m interested in what you can do for us,” Travis said in cold and bored voice.
“Sure, Mr. Cross,” Leona said.
If it were any other person, I would have given Travis a glare. But in this instance, I thought Leona deserved this treatment.
She must have spoken for a whole fifteen minutes, giving us a rundown of their previous work, references, and contacts. Travis just sat in this seat, but I knew he wasn’t listening. He’d decided not to hire Leona. He just wanted her to make an effort to treat me like any other client.
When Leona was finished with her monologue, Travis didn’t say anything. He just sat there, looking at my notebook. He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips. Then he noticed that the stone of my engagement ring was turned inward. He pushed it with his finger so it was facing the proper way.
I didn’t miss the silent gasp from Leona when she saw my ring. It was impressive, I knew. But I had been afraid it was attracting street muggers.
“Do you…do you have any other questions, Mr. Cross?” Leona asked uncertainly.
Travis looked at her for a moment. Then he turned to me. “Are you interested in anything else? You, my love, will have to make the decision on this. I’ll go with whatever you decide. But personally, I prefer you chose somebody with a better work attitude.”
I shook my head. “No.” I turned back to Leona. “Thank you for your time.”
Leona looked terribly embarrassed.
Travis put a stack of cash on the table for our bill. “No change,” he told the waiter, who nodded gratefully. Travis must have given a tip twice the amount of the actual bill. Then he took Leona’s card. “I’ll keep this. I’ll have my assistant give feedback to your boss. I’m sure he or she will be happy to hear about your excellent interpersonal skills,” he said sarcastically.
Leona stood up from her seat. “Mr. Cross, please,” she pleased. “I’m truly sorry. I should have treated Miss Montgomery better. I am at fault. But I have a kid in school. And I need this job—”
“You should always put that in your mind before you meet people,” Travis cut her off.
“I know. But I beg you…” Leona was close to tears now. After all, making people cry was probably one of Travis’s easiest skills. “My boss would fire me if somebody like you complained to him.”
Travis raised a brow. “Don’t worry, I will remember to compliment your hair.” And he turned his back on her.
Leona looked at me pleadingly. I reached out for Travis’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Travis…” I whispered. “No blood, no foul,” I said to him. “Let’s leave Miss Watson alone. I’m sure she just had an off day. She won’t get our account…let that be punishment enough for her.”
Travis stared at me for a moment. Then his expression softened. He leaned forward and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. “Because you asked,” he said. He tossed Leona’s calling card back on the table. “I won’t be needing your contact details ever.”
Then he pulled me toward him and we headed for his car. Travis opened the passenger door for me and I got in. I glanced back at Leona again. She was staring at me. Then she gave me an apologetic smile and gathered her things.
“Were you really going to complain about her?” I asked Travis when he got in the driver’s seat.
“Yes,” he replied. “And that was the least grave thing I had on my mind.”
I sighed. I reached out and squeezed his hand. “I guess I don’t make an impressive fiancée.”
He raised a brow. “On the contrary—you are. A woman who can draw men’s attention without makeup and can provoke another woman’s jealousy without wearing expensive jewelry or clothes…don’t you think you’re impressive enough? Why do you think I want to get married so soon?” he teased.
I giggled, and then I asked, “Speaking of that, why do you wanna get married so soon?”
“Didn’t you want to get married before you turned thirty? Wasn’t that part of what you asked me?”
“Yes. But the so-called ‘curse’ won’t hit me before I turn thirty-one. I still have time. Why did you want it earlier?”
He sighed and reached for my hand. “Because my father is making a beast out of me. I want us to get married before that happens. You deserve a better groom than that,” he said in a frustrated tone. He stared at me for a while. “And the sooner I start a new family…the less remorse or hatred I will feel toward my old one.”
“But, Travis…” I started to remind him that we would only stay married until either of us found the love that would last us a lifetime.
“I know,” he cut me off, knowing what I was going to say. “But you’re going to be my wife for at least two years, remember?” he asked. “Until then, you are my family. You’ve always been, anyway. Maybe we’re just making that official.”
I smiled at him. “Yes,” I said. “I think so, too.”