Victoria lets out a breathy laugh, dissipating the last of the awkwardness hanging heavy in the air. There’s a sound of relief in her exhale.
But I can still see the last couple of days and the phone call with her mom are weighing on her. I wish I had a way to fix it-and I plan to give it all I’ve got-but something tells me to take things a little slow with Victoria. A little at a time, until she sees I’m nothing like that other guy.
“Sorry about that,” she says as she tucks a stray curl behind her ear.
I’ve noticed her hair gets bigger by the hour, and I want to shove my fingers through the strands and hear her tiny gasp. I wish I could replay her reaction to our little bathroom collision over and over again. The startled squeak, her eyes flying wide.
“I got rid of all Carl’s stuff, so I don’t have any men’s clothes for you,” she adds, tearing me from my naughty thoughts.
I quickly wave off her concern. “It’s all right. I kinda like this pink robe.” She’s worn this before, had the soft fabric pressed against her bare skin. “It makes me feel… closer to you.”
The second the words leave my mouth, her cheeks flush pink and she digs her teeth into her plump lower lip.
It’s probably too soon for saying stuff like that, but I can’t bring myself to regret it. I’ve thought about this woman and my desire to get to know her better for far too long. Now’s the time for action.
With an oddly demure clearing of her throat, she gestures to the couch. “Uh, I’m afraid you’ll have to sleep here tonight.”
I nod, assuring her that it works for me. “No problem.”
Our eyes meet, and for a second, I think she might say something else. Instead, she just stands there, as though caught between curiosity and exhaustion.
Unable to procrastinate the moment any longer, I snag my trusty backpack and fish out the simple band I picked up off the payment yesterday after her asshole ex knocked it from her hand. “By the way, here’s your ring.”
Her expression shifts, going as gray as thunderstorm clouds before they release their rain.
Instead of taking it, she sighs and shakes her head. “You can keep it. I don’t need it anymore. If anything, it reminds me of how little he knew me. I prefer classic and gold to match my warm skin tone and he went with that silver band.”
Victoria’s eyebrows draw low. “That sounds like I cared about the ring more than I did. It wasn’t so much that, but that he was so willing to spend three times as much on his ring. Over the years, Carl found every excuse to take money from me, only to dump me when he got what he wanted. If it weren’t for him, I could’ve given my mom more for the wedding.”
My fists clench at the raw wound in her voice, bitterness swirling into sadness.
“I feel awful,” she says past the lump in her throat. “What kind of daughter would have her mom cover all the wedding expenses?”
I hesitate, knowing exactly what I want to say.
Victoria, money isn’t a problem for me. I could pay for the wedding, for anything you need.
“Victoria, actually I can-” I begin.
“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I’m not trying to blame you or give you any pressure.” She props a smile on her lips, trying to shrug it off as nothing, when it obviously matters a lot. “Let’s not talk about sad things anymore. You should get some sleep. Goodnight.”
As much as I long to wrap her in my arms and assure her, it’s too soon, so I let it go.
For now.
“Goodnight,” I say, and she disappears into her bedroom.
The door closes behind her. I pinch the ring from my palm with my thumb and forefinger and examine the band. It’s so small, I have to use the magnification app on my phone.
Size seven.
With a good riddance, I toss it into the trash without a second thought.
Then I notice the bridal magazine at the bottom of the living room trash can, along with a rolled up poster board labeled “Victoria’s Dream Wedding.”
A mix of elegance and country, harkening back to those boots on her feet. It’s such an intimate peek into her dreams and desires I almost shove it back inside. But before I can follow through, I spot the starred picture of a ring.
It looks absolutely nothing like the one I tossed into the trash where it belongs.
An idea forms, and I pull out my phone and hit the redial button. The call is answered almost immediately.
“Boss?” Luis’s voice comes through the receiver, cautious with a hint of confusion.
I’m about to make it worse, poor guy. He’s been counting down to when I’d be retaking my CEO position at the Jones Corp, and I’m about to extend my leave and give him more to do.
On second thought, he’ll enjoy that last part. He’s always needed something to keep him busy.
Sinking into the comfy cushions of the couch, I prop my phone between my ear and shoulder. “Drop everything and head to Texas. I need you to start planning my wedding.”
The line goes so quiet that for a second I think the call has dropped.
I pull the phone away from my ear to look, right as Luis finds his words.
“What?
You’re getting married?”
My gaze automatically drifts to the bedroom door, my head filling with images of her tucked into her bed, wild curls fanned out around her. Liquid warmth floods my body head to toe. “If I play my cards right. I’m about to send you a few pictures as well.”
“I need you to pick up a diamond ring, too,” I say to Luis. “I’ll send you a picture to give you a better idea of what we’re looking for. Size seven. That’s all.”
I hang up, still smiling to myself. Victoria thinks she’s alone in this. She thinks she has to carry everything on her own, that she has no one left to rely on.
I can’t wait to prove to her just how wrong she is.
Simon
The airport is buzzing with travelers heading home for the holidays, the scent of fresh coffee and floor polish mingling in the air.
A man in a Santa suit and beard rolls his carry-on past, and we slow in front of a giant wreath hung on our check-in counter, the décor adding a forced cheeriness to the traveling chaos.
Victoria walks beside me, pulling her small suitcase behind her.
I keep a firm grip on my own luggage, my senses on alert. Partially because I’m out of practice, but it’s also the location.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.