Thank you so much for reading! All constructive comments and gems are appreciated. I can’t interact here. If you would like to join in the conversation you can find me on the socials, the clock app is where I frequent and the Fbook is where I post publishing updates. Miss. L. Writes. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact Miss L Writes.
18 - AuroraWe get back to my apartment and I show Amelia around. She starts asking a thousand questions. “Wow! You pay for all this by yourself?”“Yes, but I sacrifice a lot too. I don’t have many friends that I still talk to on a regular basis. My boyfriend of three years decided to cheat on me with my boss’ daughter because he thought I spent too much time working and not enough with him. Even though he paid for nothing and really enjoyed the lifestyle that my very inconsiderate job afforded him.” I roll my eyes and she laughs.“Well at least I know that this is still possible.” She waves an arm dramatically around my apartment, which is in Gabriel mode and disgusting by my standards. He hasn’t been back to get his stuff in the hours that I have been gone. I wonder if he thinks I will do it for him, if he decides to not show up, like the servant he seems to believe I am. I’m tempted to recruit Amelia to help me bag it all and toss it out by the dumpsters. I shake my head of the
19 - Nathan“Nathan! How can you be so rude? She was my guest in my home…”“I’m going to stop you right there.” I hold my hand up and pausing my retreat. “At some point in the last few years, you and Preston have forgotten that you are guests here. Eleanor left the house and the business and everything to me. My grandmother, your wife, left it all to me. She may have loved you and cared about your well-being, but she sure as sh*t didn’t trust you to maintain her legacy. You have been provided for and yet you still live here, with me, on my dime. It is time you remember that. I don’t know what you and Preston are up to, but you need to settle down.” I growl the threat and walk away.I talk to the kitchen staff and move to my wing of the house. Here I don’t have to worry about anyone but me. I let my grandfather stay in the master he shared with my grandmother and renovated the wing opposite, and furthest away from him. When my uncle and cousin ‘needed’ to move home to be closer to the
20 - AuroraAmelia smiles and looks as nervous as she probably really is as we wander among the open racks. She’s running her hands over the different soft fabrics.“Are you sure you've never done this before? How did you know what to ask for?” Amelia asks over her shoulder.“I have been here a couple times with friends. I never drink here. First of all the champagne is nota great brand and will leave you with a raging headache. And some of the more shady attendants try to get wealthy women a little drunk so they just keep adding things to their orders. It’s actually a really good marketing tool. The problem is, these types of clients come in often and change their minds so many times that not many of the upsells stick. If attendants thought through the upsell and maybe went for less items that might cost a bit more…” I shrug, “and fit what the bride really wants, the sale is more likely to stick.”“You should do trainings for them and really become a consultant. You are amazing
21 - Aurora“We need to tell my dad.”“What? Why? Isn’t the idea to not tell your parents until it’s too late for them to stop anything?” We sit on my couch with laptops and papers spread all over my living room.“Yeah, but that is more for my mom’s sake. She doesn’t really understand what is going on, or at least that is what she is pretending to do. She is really good at sticking her head in the sand, only resurfacing when the problem has been handled.” She rolls her eyes at me. “She’s not a bad person, just lazy by design. Her and my dad were matched up kind of like what they are doing to me. They are lucky though and I think they eventually fell in love, or something like it. But, my dad needs to know in case sh*t hits the fan and we need help. You also asked to see the marriage contracts. He ocan get those for us, be our go-between.”“I mean, if you’re sure. I just don’t want this to turn into a battle or for him to try and change your mind.”“He won’t say anything, because it’s a
22 - Aurora“What if he knows what I look like, then sees you and he calls the whole thing off and shuts down my family’s whole operation?” Mia asks. She has been asking some version of this question since her dad took the amendments back to the groom’s family and we haven’t heard a thing from anyone. I think it has helped having her panic, because I have had to remain calm to keep talking her off the crazy train. I love that her worry isn’t for herself, but her family and their employees. She is so mature for her age.“Remember, we asked to meet him beforehand so we could have a moment. Your mom thought that was the greatest idea.”“Yeah, she was hoping to get reveal pictures, right up until you told her she couldn’t be there, along with everyone else who wants to meddle.” Her eyes lit up at the memory. She called her parents on a video call and I stayed just off screen. We were hoping to find out about the contract changes, but with no answers. I came up with the meet idea on the
23 - NathanI am getting ready with Brandon and Sam. We have done everything together, including taking over family businesses and sending Brandon down the aisle a few years ago.Sam is a little salty because he can’t go and meet my mystery bride, but he’s faking his enthusiasm well. I was told my bride made a stipulation that I could only bring one groomsman to the first look and like the adults that we are, they played rock, paper, scissors for the honor. When I found out that the one person rule applied to everyone, including her parents and my grandfather and uncle, I was happy. My bride at least has shown a sense of intelligence. I’m not sure if we have met and the first time should not be at the end of the aisle. It crossed my mind that Sullivan is keeping her identity a secret because it’s likely that I do know her and don’t like her. But this last minute request tells me otherwise. No girl attached to my grandfather would care about meeting me first, and most certainly would
24 - Nathan“What the hell?” The question ghosts out of my mouth. I am frozen in shock and my heart dropped into my stomach, but not in a bad way. I have been looking for her for 2 years and I find her looking like a knockout in this wedding dress and no one else in sight. “Is this a joke?”“Are you supposed to be getting married today?” She asks in a calm business-like voice. I nod, still confused. “Do you know who you were supposed to marry?” Her sassy tone irritates me. She’s not happy to see me the same way I am to see her. I lock in my feelings. Clearly, our time together was not as memorable to her as it was to me.I take a deep breath and shake my head. “My grandfather arranged this whole thing. The only thing he mentioned was that she would be eighteen, and I know you are definitely not eighteen. Care to explain?” I let my cool business negotiation voice take over. She’s a part of this and nothing makes sense. My instinct is to trust no one.“I didn’t think it was right for
25 - NathanWhen the photographer tells us she has all that she needs Aurora pulls away from me quickly not making eye contact. Maybe the moment I thought we shared was just for me. She focuses on the photographers camera when she speaks next. “How do we want to do this, because I’m sure your grandfather is going to have a lot to say and so will Mia’s mother.” She grimaces, finally looking up at me. “I know it was risky to make her my bridesmaid, but right now she needs to be protected from all of this. She needs to be near me until it all blows over.”“Wait, she’s here?! Now you know someone is going to try and force her and I to marry right?” I run my fingers through my hair as my heart drops again and this time it isn’t a good feeling. My grandfather with try and force the situation to his benefit, which is Mia as my wife. He wants to control her, that much is a given with this situation.“I thought you had a mind of your own and could choose for yourself?” She bites back, she’s ea
26 AuroraWe stepped up to the limo and Nathan handed me in helping me with my dress. Mia looks completely confused when we all pile in together.Once we are all comfortable and acquainted we use the 30 minute drive to get each other caught up on my break up with Gabriel, how Mia and I met and the plan Mia and I came up with to get her out of getting married.“So how are we going to play this out when we get there?” Brandon asks. “I don’t feel like your grandfather cares either way, really. He just wanted you to get married and have a kid in a hurry.” He looks at Nathan. “I think he liked the idea of having someone young to mentor and guide a bit, but that was probably an added benefit for him pairing you to someone as young as Mia. No offense Mia.” He adds as an afterthought.“We expected some kind of drama no matter what. I should be the only one to walk down the aisle, my veil was designed to obscure quite a bit and hopefully all of the focus will be on me until I get to you all
25 - NathanWhen the photographer tells us she has all that she needs Aurora pulls away from me quickly not making eye contact. Maybe the moment I thought we shared was just for me. She focuses on the photographers camera when she speaks next. “How do we want to do this, because I’m sure your grandfather is going to have a lot to say and so will Mia’s mother.” She grimaces, finally looking up at me. “I know it was risky to make her my bridesmaid, but right now she needs to be protected from all of this. She needs to be near me until it all blows over.”“Wait, she’s here?! Now you know someone is going to try and force her and I to marry right?” I run my fingers through my hair as my heart drops again and this time it isn’t a good feeling. My grandfather with try and force the situation to his benefit, which is Mia as my wife. He wants to control her, that much is a given with this situation.“I thought you had a mind of your own and could choose for yourself?” She bites back, she’s ea
24 - Nathan“What the hell?” The question ghosts out of my mouth. I am frozen in shock and my heart dropped into my stomach, but not in a bad way. I have been looking for her for 2 years and I find her looking like a knockout in this wedding dress and no one else in sight. “Is this a joke?”“Are you supposed to be getting married today?” She asks in a calm business-like voice. I nod, still confused. “Do you know who you were supposed to marry?” Her sassy tone irritates me. She’s not happy to see me the same way I am to see her. I lock in my feelings. Clearly, our time together was not as memorable to her as it was to me.I take a deep breath and shake my head. “My grandfather arranged this whole thing. The only thing he mentioned was that she would be eighteen, and I know you are definitely not eighteen. Care to explain?” I let my cool business negotiation voice take over. She’s a part of this and nothing makes sense. My instinct is to trust no one.“I didn’t think it was right for
23 - NathanI am getting ready with Brandon and Sam. We have done everything together, including taking over family businesses and sending Brandon down the aisle a few years ago.Sam is a little salty because he can’t go and meet my mystery bride, but he’s faking his enthusiasm well. I was told my bride made a stipulation that I could only bring one groomsman to the first look and like the adults that we are, they played rock, paper, scissors for the honor. When I found out that the one person rule applied to everyone, including her parents and my grandfather and uncle, I was happy. My bride at least has shown a sense of intelligence. I’m not sure if we have met and the first time should not be at the end of the aisle. It crossed my mind that Sullivan is keeping her identity a secret because it’s likely that I do know her and don’t like her. But this last minute request tells me otherwise. No girl attached to my grandfather would care about meeting me first, and most certainly would
22 - Aurora“What if he knows what I look like, then sees you and he calls the whole thing off and shuts down my family’s whole operation?” Mia asks. She has been asking some version of this question since her dad took the amendments back to the groom’s family and we haven’t heard a thing from anyone. I think it has helped having her panic, because I have had to remain calm to keep talking her off the crazy train. I love that her worry isn’t for herself, but her family and their employees. She is so mature for her age.“Remember, we asked to meet him beforehand so we could have a moment. Your mom thought that was the greatest idea.”“Yeah, she was hoping to get reveal pictures, right up until you told her she couldn’t be there, along with everyone else who wants to meddle.” Her eyes lit up at the memory. She called her parents on a video call and I stayed just off screen. We were hoping to find out about the contract changes, but with no answers. I came up with the meet idea on the
21 - Aurora“We need to tell my dad.”“What? Why? Isn’t the idea to not tell your parents until it’s too late for them to stop anything?” We sit on my couch with laptops and papers spread all over my living room.“Yeah, but that is more for my mom’s sake. She doesn’t really understand what is going on, or at least that is what she is pretending to do. She is really good at sticking her head in the sand, only resurfacing when the problem has been handled.” She rolls her eyes at me. “She’s not a bad person, just lazy by design. Her and my dad were matched up kind of like what they are doing to me. They are lucky though and I think they eventually fell in love, or something like it. But, my dad needs to know in case sh*t hits the fan and we need help. You also asked to see the marriage contracts. He ocan get those for us, be our go-between.”“I mean, if you’re sure. I just don’t want this to turn into a battle or for him to try and change your mind.”“He won’t say anything, because it’s a
20 - AuroraAmelia smiles and looks as nervous as she probably really is as we wander among the open racks. She’s running her hands over the different soft fabrics.“Are you sure you've never done this before? How did you know what to ask for?” Amelia asks over her shoulder.“I have been here a couple times with friends. I never drink here. First of all the champagne is nota great brand and will leave you with a raging headache. And some of the more shady attendants try to get wealthy women a little drunk so they just keep adding things to their orders. It’s actually a really good marketing tool. The problem is, these types of clients come in often and change their minds so many times that not many of the upsells stick. If attendants thought through the upsell and maybe went for less items that might cost a bit more…” I shrug, “and fit what the bride really wants, the sale is more likely to stick.”“You should do trainings for them and really become a consultant. You are amazing
19 - Nathan“Nathan! How can you be so rude? She was my guest in my home…”“I’m going to stop you right there.” I hold my hand up and pausing my retreat. “At some point in the last few years, you and Preston have forgotten that you are guests here. Eleanor left the house and the business and everything to me. My grandmother, your wife, left it all to me. She may have loved you and cared about your well-being, but she sure as sh*t didn’t trust you to maintain her legacy. You have been provided for and yet you still live here, with me, on my dime. It is time you remember that. I don’t know what you and Preston are up to, but you need to settle down.” I growl the threat and walk away.I talk to the kitchen staff and move to my wing of the house. Here I don’t have to worry about anyone but me. I let my grandfather stay in the master he shared with my grandmother and renovated the wing opposite, and furthest away from him. When my uncle and cousin ‘needed’ to move home to be closer to the
18 - AuroraWe get back to my apartment and I show Amelia around. She starts asking a thousand questions. “Wow! You pay for all this by yourself?”“Yes, but I sacrifice a lot too. I don’t have many friends that I still talk to on a regular basis. My boyfriend of three years decided to cheat on me with my boss’ daughter because he thought I spent too much time working and not enough with him. Even though he paid for nothing and really enjoyed the lifestyle that my very inconsiderate job afforded him.” I roll my eyes and she laughs.“Well at least I know that this is still possible.” She waves an arm dramatically around my apartment, which is in Gabriel mode and disgusting by my standards. He hasn’t been back to get his stuff in the hours that I have been gone. I wonder if he thinks I will do it for him, if he decides to not show up, like the servant he seems to believe I am. I’m tempted to recruit Amelia to help me bag it all and toss it out by the dumpsters. I shake my head of the