I MADE MYSELF busier in the office the next few days.
“Bestie, is everything okay with your wedding?” I asked while slicing the grilled pork chop on my plate. Cindy invited me to have dinner outside tonight.
“I’m working on your gowns. I want you to wear something a little daring,” she said while her eyes were glowing.
“Don’t make it too pretty. Your brides’ maid might beat you up. You should be the only one who is beautiful there.” I chuckled.
“No. Of course, my gown also looks fancy and gorgeous for me just because Carrick thinks so.” She even touched both her cheeks then shook her head.
I just rolled my eyes and continue to eat my food.
“We will do the fitting of your gown this coming Saturday. Carrick’s cousin is with you to fit his too. Oh, bestie, he’s so handsome! My gosh!” she said with a red face.
“Tsk. Here we go again, Cindy. I don’t want to be linked to boys yet. I want to focus on our family business,” I said with a smile.
“Hmp! I just want you to enjoy your life. Also, bestie, Lawrence seems to be single now. Although, from what I heard, he’s a certified Casanova and many women are chasing and crying for him.”
“So he’s a playboy.” I lightly shook my head.
“Well, despite that, he’s a good catch. I met him at their family reunion, and Carrick took me to their resort,” she said, still thrilled.
I just shook my head and continued eating; seems not interested at all.
***
SATURDAY CAME, THE day of my gown fitting. Lucky to have a generously proportioned body, so I’m not used to dieting.
I got out of the car wearing a white long sleeve polo and spaghetti top underneath. I just matched it with skinny black jeans and a white stiletto. I let my wavy hair blow over my shoulder. Wearing my sunglasses, I went straight into the boutique owned by Cindy.
“Good morning, Lenny!” I greeted the receptionist at the front desk.
“Good morning, Miss Margaux.”
“Is Cindy already there?”
“Not yet, Ma’am, but she seems to be on the way,” she answered.
“Thanks!” I turned my back on her and started roaming around the boutique. I see a lot of dresses and mannequins displayed near the glass window. I can say Cindy is successful. This has always been her dream—to become a famous fashion designer.
I was busy looking at the clothes when the man who had just entered the boutique caught my attention. A man in his late twenties, wearing a blue long sleeve polo and black jeans. He slowly walked toward the front desk with full of authority.
I immediately frowned when I saw the man Cindy was referring to.
“Hi, I’m looking for Miss Cindy Fajardo?” I heard the man asked.
“Are you Mr. Lawrence Saavedra?” Lenny asked uneasily in her seat.
“Yes.”
“She’s on her way now. Maybe you want coffee or tea first?” she offered with a huge smile on her face.
My eyebrows rose at what Lenny had done. Why didn’t she even offer me water?
“No, thanks. I’ll just wait here,” the man said in a baritone voice and sat down on one of the couches there.
“Okay, Sir.” Lenny’s smile immediately faded from her lips, and she returned to her working table.
I secretly smiled because Lenny’s strategy did not work.
***
I KEEP LOOKING at Cindy’s work, but I can’t help but return my gaze to the man who was now staring at me. I quickly divert my eyes to the gowns in front of me. Until I felt him stand up and slowly walked closer in my direction.
“Hi!” he greeted.
I slowly nodded. I have to admit, he is breathtakingly hot with his angular face, dark brows, expressive pair of eyes, and heart-shaped lips. I also noticed he didn’t lose his smile as he looked at me.
“What’s that smile for?” I asked irritably.
“Nothing. It’s just . . . what a small world!”
I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
His jaw tightened before turning around and walking towards the front desk. I followed her gaze as I spoke to Lenny. I think the two are getting along well with Lenny’s boisterous laughter as if they were the only person inside the boutique.
I rolled my eyes again and removed my sunglasses impatiently.
I started to step out of the boutique.
“Ma’am Margaux, are you leaving?” Lenny asked me with a big smirk on her face.
I looked at her sharply, then the antipathetic man who seemed to lose his grin.
“Yes. I will reschedule my meeting with Cindy because I have a sudden meeting,” I said.
“Ah, is that so? All right, I’ll just tell Ma’am Cindy when she arrives. Just be careful,” she said.
I finally went out with irritation. I opened the door of my car and rushed into it, but I just sat there. I can’t understand myself. I suddenly felt annoyed at the scene earlier.
I calmed myself down before turning on the ignition but was surprised to hear a series of knocks on my car window.
There, outside my car, I saw a big smile on Cindy’s face. I quickly lowered the window.
“Margaux, where are you going? Aren’t you going to measure your gown now?” she asked with a wrinkled forehead.
“I have a sudden meeting, so can I just reschedule it? But don’t worry, Lawrence is there,” I said firmly, not looking at her directly.
“Oh my God, have you met him? What can you say? Isn’t he handsome?” she asked tremblingly.
Yes, he is handsome! I whispered at the back of my head.
“Ah, yes, I met him,” I replied before restarting the car engine.
“Wait, are you really not going to fit your gown today?” she asked with wrinkled brows.
I felt guilty because I really didn’t have a meeting to go to. I just wanted to avoid the scene earlier.
“Alright, I will cancel all my meetings for today,” I said, turning off the engine again then getting out of the car.
Cindy’s face lit up, and she hugged me tightly. “Thank you so much, bestie!”
I COULD FEEL the heated stare of Lawrence behind my back. Maybe that’s the reason why I felt my face turn red as I measured the gown. I glanced at him. The heat in his eyes made me uncomfortable. “Isn’t he handsome?” the coordinator whispered to me. “That look is not my type,” I denied. “Really? But why do your eyes say otherwise?” he added. I just did not comment because I admitted what he said. After fitting the gown and measuring some more clothes, Cindy finally chose what I would wear. “Alright. You will be wearing a baby pink heart-shaped corset gown. It will definitely lift you up that night,” she said. I shook my head. “It’s okay with me even if it’s not too pompous. Besides, it’s your wedding day, not mine.” “Bestie, I want you to be the most beautiful after me because I know you deserve it. Even if you wear rags dresses, you will definitely shine,” she said as if she encouraging me. “I want you to wear
I JUST CLOSED my eyes and continued dancing but was immediately dilated when someone held me. “What are you doing here?” Instead of answering, he took off his coat and covered my body. “You’re drunk!” he shouted because the music is too loud. “No, I’m not!” I felt his hand on my wrist, and I was stunned. My heart was pounding. “Bestie, we have a problem. Carrick is here!” I heard Cindy say, and I succumbed to her tow as we saw Carrick approaching. “Hello, love! What are you doing here?” Cindy asked with wide eyes. “The group decided to continue the bachelor’s party here,” he replied and kissed his fiancée on the cheek. “You should not be here!” Cindy muttered. “It’s alright, love. They seem happy to see us,” Carrick replied before glancing at some of his companions. I looked to his companions. I think they are at ten. Some of them are familiar. “Okay, love,” Cindy agreed before hugging her groom and givi
“WHAT THE?!” I quickly stood up and covered my blushing face tightly. “You can use the shower if you want. I have prepared clothes for the employees,” he said softly as if nothing had happened. “No, thanks.” I lowered my hand and pretended not to be affected by his body. He was now wearing his black shorts. “As for what happened earlier, I just want to apologize for my action,” he began. “You should not have done that,” I said in my low voice. “Peter took advantage of you. Didn’t you notice that? He took advantage of you because you’re drunk; that’s why he tried to kiss you.” I watched his jaw clenching so hard, and the darkness of his eyes was staring at me intently. “But you should not hurt him! Besides, we’re just dancing!” I said without blinking. “So you mean, you like the idea of him kissing you?” I could not believe what he said. “Of course not!” I said quickly. “I’m not buying it,” he sai
“IT’S OKAY! THE breakfast is delicious, so it’s okay,” I said shyly, although I have not forgotten what he did to me last night. “The dress fits you perfectly. You look beautiful today,” he praises. “Thank you for the dress. You shouldn’t have bothered in the first place.” My cheeks become redder. “Don’t think about it. You’re beyond gorgeous in that dress,” he replied before turning his back on me and return to the man he talked to earlier. With delight in my heart, the heat traveled to my cheeks. I followed him with my gaze. I thought I’d just go back to the suite first and called Cindy. But I’m frozen to my feet when I saw Peter approaching me. “Peter?!” “Yes. You must be shocked?” A sweet smile flashed on him. “No—honestly, yes!” I muttered. He laughed a little. I quickly turned to Lawrence, who was now busy talking to someone again. “I’m sorry for what happened last night. How are you? You alright?”
I REMAINED SILENT. I have no intention of discussing this matter further because I am not in the position to ask him for an explanation. I just went straight to the room he had reserved for me last night and slumped on the side of the bed. I calmed myself a few times before noticing the red rose he had given me. I closed my eyes for a moment and smelled its scent. I can’t help but smile when I saw again the letter he wrote. “Hmm. Lucky rose . . .” My eyes opened. Lawrence leaned against the door frame staring at me with a curved lip. His dimple shows. I can’t help but be overwhelmed. What would it be like to be trapped in his arms, especially if something more serious had happened to us last night? I quickly shook my head and scolded myself for thinking about that. “Our lunch is ready. Let’s eat,” he said before leaving. I quietly followed because I actually starving. He pulled out a chair for me and gently tapped my shoulder before si
A FEW HOURS after the wedding, guests went straight to the Pavilion de Saavedra, where the reception will be held. I decided to sit in a corner that was not too crowded as I quietly sipped the wine in the glass I was holding. “Why don’t you join them?” I suddenly turned to the source of the voice. Lawrence stood beside me, holding a glass of champagne. I sipped my wine instead of answering. “Don’t drink too much, Margaux,” he reminded me. I frowned at him and took another glass from a passing waiter. “It’s just wine, Lawrence,” I answered sparingly. I was about to drink again, but he snatched it and drank it straight. I just felt sorry for him for what he did. Then he suddenly took off his coat and covered it on my skin. “Thanks,” I murmured. “You look pretty as always,” he said in his husky voice. I looked up at him. He has a pleasant expression. “It’s getting colder here.” He gently took my hand and gu
“IF YOU CAN’T, it’s okay—” “No, it’s okay,” he cut me off. “Alright, then I will set a schedule for our meeting after we get back to Manila,” I declared. “No problem,” he still answered sparingly to me. Since it looks like he really has no intention of talking to me, I decided to just look out the window again. But to my surprise, the car suddenly turned to a restaurant. “Let’s eat first before going home,” he said, something I agreed with. “They have delicious food here,” he said as we walked inside. “Elliesse Restaurant”, that was the name of the restaurant he brought me. I can’t help but appreciate it since the diner’s overall structure is appealing. There’s also a large tree in there, as well as a stairway to the rooftop, which I’m sure I will love. The place is beautiful, and the theme color was green. The table and chairs are made of top-notch wood. A violinist is playing in the corner, and the restaurant is conne
TIME PASSED QUICKLY. I just finished my meeting with Mrs. Talameda. Our discussion was very long, and now it is past four o’clock in the afternoon. I was late for my meeting with Lawrence, and the traffic was still heavy. “Shit!” I said in disgust. I took my cellphone out of the bag to get even more frustrated because it turned out to be a low battery. “Why now?!” It was 5:30 pm when I got through the traffic. I was an hour and a half late for the meeting. I immediately parked the car in front of the famous coffee shop where Lawrence and I will meet. My eyes immediately searched for Lawrence as I entered. “For reservation, Ma’am?” the waiter politely asked me. “Yes, with Mr. Saavedra,” I replied as the nervousness was still in my body. “Ah, this way, please.” He guided me up the stairs, where there were very few people. “Thank you!” I said as he pointed me to our table. My chest tightened immediately when I saw