Chapter 1

Kyra went through her plans for the day, they were worth nothing in an average workaholic’s schedule but to her everything was perfect just the way she liked it. In fact, she felt enlivened as though she had the day literally off for herself. She could take a trip to the theater and watch the movie she's been aching to see ever since it was released, or better yet, she could take herself out and spoil herself at the restaurant that was opened just recently in Upper West Side, Manhattan. It seemed to be the talk of the town and as an event planner she deemed it necessary to exploit all recreational areas not just for the fun of it but for the sake of her job and meeting up to people's standards. At least that was what she dubbed it as. 

Go to the movies, alone.

Or the restaurant, alone.

Drive home, alone.

Go to bed, alone.

Her life sucked and it was that pathetic. She couldn't remember the last time she went on a date. Scratch that, she didn't want to remember the last time she went on one because it ended as awfully as her Mom’s second, third and fourth marriages did. Dreadful with a capital D. Full stop. Funny enough her half Spanish mother hadn’t bothered that all the men she’d dated and married were full of shit, she had to marry the fifth time which was also the last because she and her husband drowned after a party in a yatch. 

That was what she was told before she was taken in by her Aunt Amelia. 

With a slurp and a quick check to see if anyone was witnessing her moment of one-man dialogue or worse, if anyone heard the sound she made over the starbucks cup in her hand or not and made uch to her relief, everyone was none the wiser to her weirdness.

"Meet up with Becky, check," Becky was the bridezilla whom Kyra politely and efficiently dumped into the hands of her much nicer and more amiable partner Lillian who was named after her mother's favorite fictional historical character, Lillian Westcliff from one of Lisa Kleypas’s books. Lily knew best how to deal with brides like Becky, Kyra preferred the shy ones, or not brides at all. Her eyes roved to the next event on the list. 

Oh great, it was 11am and the next person was still yet to grace her with her presence. Anastasia Camaro, like her name sounds is one of the most sultry in a natural way women that Kyra has ever had the pleasure of meeting in the whole of her life. Being in her presence makes her back arch into the perfect posture, her lips pull to the side in the most perfect smile, her voice had to sound perfect to her own ears and when she laughed, Goddamn, if Bipasha, her other partner and the third planner in their group heard her she would die and never return to the world because, Lily is the one known for her composure, she took up their all three share of daintiness and grace. In the historical days she would have been the perfect candidate for marriage. Kyra was the in between girl and Bipasha, well she was raised alongside tomboys and actual boys.

Back to Anastasia, Anastasia's son, Nicholas was turning 6 in a few days and Kyra was the appointed event planner. Planning birthday parties and parties that didn't require a bride or groom were her forte. Attending weddings didn't make her feel sentimental like most women did, it made her feel like her brain was lit on fire and worse of all, weddings required her to garb herself in dresses that in her opinion look way better on Lily, or Bipasha occasionally. She? She was the poster girl for girls with big booty in jeans, that fits her more. 

She'd rather be in tights or jeans or shorts than to wear mermaid styled dresses of teal or champagne gold, of lilac or crimson, of peach or yellow as those sentimental brides mostly decide you wear. Because Lily gets turned on at the thought of weddings, she and Bipasha left the reins of that for her. Bipasha on the other hand is more capable of planning formal events for the wallstreet sharks of Manhattan. She could plan a Black tie event that'll have you drooling at every person in the room because they look like perfect images or hollywood actors, but then, she does plan out events for the hotshots. 

Kyra'd rather plan the event where kids attend. The wedding bullshit and men bullshit weren’t hers to deal with. She thought with another slurp of her drink.

She decided that she's left that table for numerous reasons and wasn't planning on returning to it any time soon or preferably never ever. 

"Okay, maybe never is too far-fetched ." She clicked on her iPad, shutting the screen off and rose her head in time with a slightly rumpled looking Anastasia coming into view alongside a man she's never seen before. Anastasia never ever is seen in public without one of her black garbed guards following her about and the man that seemed to be on her tail wasn't really on her tail today. In fact, his hand was possessively curled around her waist in a way that screamed to back off. 

KYRA’s POV. 

Anastasia is old money, a model before she got married and an heiress or Russian princess literally, while her husband, Esteban Camaro who I think is the man holding her tight to his body as though she could be stolen at any moment is Spanish. Their kids are beautiful with silver eyes and sultry lips like their mom. I know her family like the back of my hand because I plan all their parties, even the silly tea party her seven year old daughter Ambrosia hosted. It was grand because they well, liked to show off their funds or loved doing everything the grand way. 

Either which in my opinion was too unwarranted. But then, who asked for my opinion? My job is to make their dream parties come true. 

"Ms. Hopkins, sorry I'm late for our appointment, something came up." Rich but definitely humble. 

I rose from my seat. Etiquette ya know. 

"Something important." Her husband added under his breath. I caught the innuendo when his eyes turned hot on his wife and my eyes followed only to land on the visible hickey on her neck. 

Okay. 

All clear. 

"It's no bother, I spent the time doing something important. Hello Mr..." I let my words trail off for an introduction and stuck my hand out for a formal handshake. 

"Camaro, Esteban Camaro and you're the Ms. Kyra Hopkins that Ambrosia cannot get enough of, she talks all about the tea party to her friends, boasts about it and recommends you greatly. We're pleasured." I felt a smile pull at my lips. 

His accent was thickly pronounced, unlike Anastasia's, hers was tainted with New York accent. 

Sweet Ambrosia. The darling. 

"Oh it's a pleasure working for your family and Ambrosia is a darling, Nicholas too." I put on my most demure smile. And charming. 

Of course her recommendations helped, I had to plan three more picnics for girls below ten within the span of two months after hers and one costume birthday party. Let's not forget the kitten party. 

 

Yes, kitten. 

There's no surprise when it comes to the rich. 

They ordered for coffee and biscuits while I turned my iPad on and went straight for notes. 

"So now that we're here, I guess we should get started, what do you want the theme of the party to be? Any favorite animation or a character or a color?" This is Kyra's business side and it has emerged with vigor. 

"Well, his favorite color is Blue and these days nothing enthralls him more than horses, he's obsessed with them and well, cars too." She stopped for a moment, appeared to be in deep thought while I jotted down my findings. 

Throwing out parties for kids was easy, especially boys, they always love cars, sports, guns, PJ mask or some other popular cartoon, the colors blue, red or green, black is for when they grow up and become heartless. 

I love the part of having two or more things that do not connect at all because finding a way to make them connect gives me the thrill that keeps me going. Outside of my life as an event planner I'm one of the most boring girls alive. 

"We could have a ranch themed party or a blue themed party and come up with horse and or car racing games, his cakes could be blue..." I didn't know when I actually stopped talking because the couple I was speaking to apparently found something worth doing rather than listen to the party planner talk. 

Mr. Camaro had his tongue shoved down his wife's throat, and in public for God's sake. 

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. It was a strong urge and because it's stronger than my will to be polite it refused to be spirited down. 

"I'm sorry Ms. Hopkins, that was inexcusable. I'm so sorry, you were saying." 

I felt the beginnings of a blush not because of the show they pulled but because I was slightly embarrassed. Embarrassed at being blatantly ignored. 

Her husband though didn't bother to hide his pride, he wore it like a badge of honor and gestured at me to talk for a minute while his wife was by his side. I obliged and moved to my side a bit, he rounded the table and spoke in hushed tones. "You see I'm not trying to be rude or anything but you could talk about the colors and horses and cars and cakes to my wife later on the phone, my situation cannot wait one bit and it can't be appeased in public, well it can," 

My eyes grew as large as saucers and he caught my expression and corrected himself. 

"But it won't because I need the privacy, it's necessary or well, in summary I need to get the hell out of here and..." I caught his words before they were spoken out loud. 

He was about to say something smutty like fuck or sink or whatever and so I let him take his wife's hands in his while she stared with a huge blush on her face wondering what her husband said to me that had me staring at the open space as though I'd seen a ghost and wasn't bothering to respond to her words. It wasn't what he said that struck me, it was what he nearly said. I got that from the slight lowering of his voice. 

I'm no prude but I'm no voyeur too. There's a limit drawn there. 

 

He dropped a few shiny dollars on the table with a healthy tip and together they disappeared from my vision. 

"Okay, seems we're not getting any work done today after-all." I shut my iPad after shaking my head out of its state of reverie and got up the chair, taking my chic jacket with me and smiling at the couple obviously in love and lust it was bordering on obsession and after almost 10 years of marriage. 

Wow, just wow. 

It's been long since I met a couple who made it that long and haven’t killed or gotten rid of each other already. Or grew tired of the other. But obviously they're on the rare side of the scale and I pray theirs last forever because most don't even get to feel the butterflies hitting their stomach walls till they die. 

Like myself. Bipasha was shocked when I told her how much the hot blind date she set me up with made me feel nothing. Nothing when he looked me in the eye and told me I was hot. Nothing when I let him place his lips on mine on my front porch and definitely nothing when I shut the door on his face when he thought he was having some of this hotness. He was shocked at the realization that I was seriously taking my hot bod away from his lecherous gaze, I didn't tell her that part but she nearly killed me for not letting him in. She had her illusions that he was the one for me and I told her to calm down, he wasn't. I went on and listed what didn't suit me in his features and personality and it was actually all of him, what made up all of him. She faked a swoon. 

Lily though swooned for real when I told them I didn't feel a thing for the hottest boys in our high school. Yes, my best friends and I go way back to high school. They believe I'm made of rock and I believe I'm merely made of sterner stuff than they are.