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25. VELLUM
VELLUM:
A thin, transparent or semi-transparent type of paper the effect of which resembles a frosted glass, commonly used in wedding invitations.
Ryder.
When I woke up at the hospital, my first thought was that I was late for my meeting in Malibu. I just opened Oil Rig and would soon open another bar, Rig Style.
When I opened my eyes, my family and friends were staring back at me curiously, all with tears in their eyes.
That’s when I realized that something must have happened to me. Judging from the throbbing pain I felt in my head, the fact that I could barely move my body due the tight bandages wrapped around me in the rib area, I guessed that I was in a car accident.
Damn! I wonder which of my cars I have to say goodbye to. I hope it’s not my McLaren. I just bought it a month ago and the price was not sweet at all. I would hate to
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Knight in Shining Suit 26. BRIDAL REGISTRY
BRIDAL REGISTRY:A log of the couple’s gift preferences aimed at making it easier for wedding guests to shop for gifts for the couple.Astrid.I went to the hospital every single day. But I never got a chance to see Ryder. The doctors didn’t encourage it until all the tests were done and they were sure about the gravity of his amnesia.“You should go back to Malibu,” Janis advised. “We’ll keep you posted, when he’s ready to see you.”I shook my head. “He should at least try to see me, Jan,” I said hopefully. “Maybe if he sees me… it would trigger some memories to come back.”“We have to do this slowly, Ash,” Jake said. “Only time can help Ryder now.”I think the sight of me was unsettling to Ryder and it didn’t help his recovery
Knight in Shining Suit 27. PRENUP
PRENUP:A legal document filed before marriage that states what would happen to the couple when they get divorced, particularly in terms of their finances and property.Ryder.Four months since the accident, and I’m slowly returning to my old shape. My wounds have healed. Minor broken bones and stitches… nothing I cannot recover from.Except for one—the wound in my brain. There is still this veil that keeps one year of my life from my consciousness.One year. I thought, how significant could that year be? I can read year-end reports from my businesses and I should be fine. I can spend a day on the net and catch up on what happened to the world.I can heal from this and still go on with my life. No hassles.I feel normal. I feel like nothing happened at all. I still have the people I love around me. Pari
Knight in Shining Suit 28. GUARDIANSHIP
GUARDIANSHIP:Legal term which is used to describe the legal and practical relationship of a parent and a child, which includes the right of the parent to make decisions for his or her child as well as his or her responsibilities to take care of his or her child.Astrid.“Damn it!” I shrieked when I opened my office and found a tall figure standing by my window.Then my heart hammered in my chest when I realized who it was.I got that familiar urge to run after him and throw myself in his arms, thinking that he would catch me, like he always did in the past. But I knew I would hit the wall this time.Then I got that usual flicker of hope that he remembered even a fraction of his time with me. Or he somehow felt our connection. Or he was even willing to work on it until he finally heals. I knew
Knight in Shining Suit 29. KISS
KISS:The groom kisses the bride at the end of the wedding ceremony toseal their union.Astrid.“I want you to stay here while I’m gone.” His words echoed in my head over and over. Tears were rolling down my cheeks.Okay, Astrid. Better cry now than later. Better here than in front of him.I couldn’t show him how affected I was. No matter how much I beg, it’s not helping him. I didn’t give up on him yet. But I knew that putting pressure on him would only make him run away more.He did tell me that he was always cautious about girls. Now, he doesn’t know me. So I fall into the general category of women who just might like Ryder Van Woodsen for money and not for who he is inside.Quite ironic, actually. He accuses me of the very things that ke
Knight in Shining Suit 30. TULLE
TULLE:A kind of textile that is lightweight and has very fine netting, usually used for veils.Ryder.I was dreaming for sure because I haven’t felt like this before. It was like I was in a trance, and I don’t ever want to wake up. I felt the surge of emotions sweep through me in tides that I could not control. I gave up fighting. I gave in.I crushed her into my arms and kissed her the way I have wanted to kiss her since the first time I laid eyes on her at the hospital. The way I always wanted to kiss her whenever I looked at her.I know I shouldn’t let my guard down. But there is something about this woman that draws me in, and drowns me.The minute she walked into the house, her scent captured my senses. If I close my eyes, I could swear that I know that scent well. But when
Knight in Shining Suit 31. SOMETHING NEW
SOMETHING NEW:Brides are supposed to wear something—anything—new during the wedding ceremony. It can be as small as a trinket, jewelry, an undergarment, or the gown itself.Astrid.I met up with my friends at Starbucks.“So, because Ryder forgot about you, we all have to be sober now?” Dannie asked. I knew what he meant. Since Ryder forgot about me, I had been steering clear of Oil Rig and Rig Style. It was too painful for me to go there. The sweetest guy I’d known didn’t want anything to do with me and looked down at me as if I was the biggest gold-digging slut on the face of the Earth.“No, Dannie. No one is preventing you from getting drunk out of your wits. As long as you don’t do it with me and in any of Ryder’s bars,” I said.“But those are my favor
Knight in Shining Suit 32. SOMETHING OLD
SOMETHING OLD:A bride must also complete her ensemble on the wedding day with something old. It could be an heirloom piece, old jewelry, or anything that the bride owned in the past.Astrid.The following days, I barely left John’s house. Rose was taking care of all the queries for the company. I spoke to my suppliers over the phone. I searched through the net to find a new place with a lower rent.I was getting frustrated because the places with lower rents are really smaller. So it means that I have to rent a separate apartment for myself.“Why don’t you just rent a room instead of a place of your own?” John asked. We were eating pizza in his house.“I suppose you’re right. I mean, I can afford a new apartment, but I don’t want to spend too much on that. I still have a long way to go with my co
Knight in Shining Suit 33. SOMETHING BLUE
SOMETHING BLUE:The Bride must always wear something… anything… blue. It can be a trinket or undergarment. Some choose to put a blue lining on the wedding garter that they wear under their wedding gown.Ryder.That did not go as planned.Astrid is a little firecracker. You don’t handle her properly, she will explode. And damn! I did not handle that well.I wanted to woo her, show her my charming side, the one that is not uptight and suspicious of all women. The real me without masks and with all my guards down.I thought I was doing a great job earlier in the afternoon. I thought she’d appreciate the movers, but I don’t think Astrid likes owing people anything, especially favors with a financial value attached to it. A very admirable trait.Wow! I have
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Knight in Shining Suit 36. PRESENT
Knight in Shining Suit 35. WEDDING ALBUM
Knight in Shining Suit 34. SOMETHING BORROWED
Knight in Shining Suit 33. SOMETHING BLUE
Knight in Shining Suit 32. SOMETHING OLD
Knight in Shining Suit 31. SOMETHING NEW
