The tension eases, both in the air and in my body. Slowly, I crack open one eye and then the other, immediately fixing my gaze on Simon. Rather than tell me I was freaking out over nothing, he kept me grounded and helped alleviate my fears. Just by being him.
He’s looking right back at me, his eyes hazing over with an emotion I can’t quite pinpoint. “That person is you, Victoria. You’re the great thing. You’re what gave me hope.”
My throat tightens, not in the anxious way it sometimes does, but with a weepy sort of gratitude. I don’t have the words to express how much what he’s saying means to me, so I curl my hand in the crook of his elbow and let my head come to rest on his firm shoulder.
Exhaustion and my spent adrenaline has my eyes drifting closed, and who knew a shoulder could make such a comfortable pillow?
I’m half-asleep when I feel Simon shift, followed by the gentle press of his lips against my forehead. Happiness and comfort create an intoxicating blend, lulling me into a cozy sense of peace I so rarely experience.
Then he pulls the blanket I draped over my lap up and over me, all the way up beneath my chin, and my heart sprouts butterfly wings.
As I start to drift off, I barely catch his whispered promise:
“This is just the beginning, Victoria. I’m going to give you the best of everything this world has to offer.”
Simon
The Texas night air is a bit muggy, a good thirty degrees warmer than the frigid New York air we left behind.
We walk up the sidewalk to a modest ranch-style house, the scent of earth, greenery, and a faint sweetness that reminds me of walking past a bakery wafting over us.
Victoria’s childhood home is warm and inviting, the humble tree the centerpiece of the living room window, its blinking lights casting the colors over our clothes and skin as we approach.
Honestly, the entire scene looks like something from a holiday card. As charming as it is, my nerves tighten my stomach.
I’m like a little kid at Christmas, but instead of seeing what Santa’s brought, my gift is getting to step into this world Victoria calls home. It’s something she’d likely hesitate to do if she’d seen my estate or thought of me as some billionaire instead of Simon, the man she could bring home for the holidays.
Before I can fortify myself for what awaits us inside, the front door swings open.
A woman with platinum blond and silver ringlets bursts out the door like a force of nature and wraps Victoria in a crushing hug. “My baby girl, you’re finally home. I’ve missed you so much!”
Victoria lets out a soft laugh, hugging her mother back. “I missed you too, Mom.”
The instant her mother releases her from the hug, the woman’s gaze snaps to me. Her eyes widen, and then she’s moving toward me with surprising speed.
“And you must be my future son-in-law. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Victoria makes quick introductions. “Mom, Simon. Simon, this is my mom, Anna.”
I open my mouth, hoping whatever words come out will make a good impression. But I don’t have a chance to say a single thing before she throws her arms around me, hugging me tighter than I’ve ever embraced my own mother.
I can see where Victoria gets her compassionate side.
I stand there frozen in her crushingly enthusiastic embrace, flabbergasted and stumbling for something to say in a way I don’t typically do. It’s just that it’s her mom, and Victoria’s come to mean so much to me. I know she has a soft spot for both her mother and grandmother by how fondly she speaks of them.
Victoria flashes me a reassuring grin, stretching out her fingers and taking my hand.
At long last, the rigidity in my muscles and throat relax. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
“Of course. Welcome to the family.” Anna beams and snags hold of my arm. Then we’re pushing inside, although it feels very much like being dragged along.
“Great job, keep it up.” Victoria gives me a thumbs-up before letting go of my hand, and her mom grabs the handle of my suitcase and hauls the both of us inside with surprising strength.
Inside, the house is cozy and full of life, with holiday decorations, walls filled with framed photographs, and what I suspect is a fresh batch of cookies on the kitchen table.
An older woman sits in a wheelchair in the living room, watching the TV-presumably Victoria’s grandmother. Naomi is her name, if I’m remembering correctly. A crocheted afghan is draped across her lap, and the lenses of her glasses reflect the lights from the television screen.
“Mom, Victoria’s brought her fiancé home,” says Anna, raising her voice to a much louder decibel than she used on me and her daughter. “Ready to meet him?”
Naomi looks away from the screen, keen blue eyes lifting to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I also happen to see my own face on the television screen.
My internal organs get jumbled, as if each one wants its turn panicking. Talk about shitty timing.
The onscreen image is a professional photo from last year, of me suited up and polished before a board meeting. Beneath the picture, a news ticker scrolls the following message:
Simon Jones, CEO of the Jones Group, Found Alive After Being Presumed Missing.
A hollow pit forms in my gut, and all of a sudden, my skin feels too tight on my bones. So much for Victoria and her family getting to know the real me before they hear who everyone else has decided me to be.
Everything within me crashes down to the floor as Naomi points at the screen, then at me. “You. You’re Simon Jones?-“
Anna frowns at her mother, and would it be crazy for me to throw my entire body over the TV screen? “Simon Jones? The billionaire Simon Jones?”
Victoria slowly looks at me, her expression shifting into one of pure disbelief.
I’m totally and utterly screwed. I probably should’ve come clean on the plane. I suppose this is what most people would call the perfect opening, yet I still don’t feel ready.
My blood pressure spikes higher as Anna lets out a hearty laugh, one I’m struggling to understand the meaning behind. Is she angry? Happy? Upset? Worried I’m not good enough for her daughter? Because so am I on that last one.
“How could Victoria possibly know a billionaire?” Anna shakes her head and chuckles some more. “There’s no way.”
Luck be on my side tonight, because as I whip my head toward the television, I see the news anchor has already moved on to the next story.
I let out a relieved breath, thinking that was a close one.
Grandma Naomi, on the other hand, raises an eyebrow at me, conveying she isn’t convinced. I can practically see the wheels turning in her brain and wish for a distraction to halt them.
Keeping my face neutral, I’m willing her not to reveal my secret. Not quite yet.
Meanwhile, Anna continues on as if nothing happened. “This is Simon, Victoria’s fiancé. Isn’t he handsome?”
I clear my throat and offer an introductory nod. “Hello, Grandma Naomi. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Rather than answer, Naomi readjusts her thick glasses and keeps staring.
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.