“Everything okay?” I asked, leaned in for a kiss while I wrapped her hand in mine.
“Chase.”
“Hmmm.” Chase was an enigma, but one thing for sure—she cared for Veronica. Whether her attitude toward me would change or not, now that Veronica and I were engaged, was anyone’s guess.
Martina’s butler came out with champagne and we all toasted a new beginning. I turned to my bride-to-be and felt my heart skip a beat. Only she could do that to me. Only Veronica, my sweet, my goddess, my forever after.
Epilogue
White Gossamer
VERONICA
“ Heave. Inhale. Cough. Heave some more.
What the heck was I thinking?
Outside, past the elegant curtain swags, I could hear the clinking of glasses and the chatter of busy bees, my friends and colleagues. Fifty people made an effort to come here and witness me taking that sacred vow. But I couldn’t face them. Not yet.
Heave. Breathe. Cough.
In braids and swooped into a bun, threaded with fresh flowers, my hair looked elegant, yet simple. My combination birdcage and blusher veil was propped atop a bust. It would pair so well with the vintage dress I had chosen. With Diego’s help, I’d managed to keep the weight off, despite the constant eating and drinking. I’d begged Levi to stop cooking for me, but he wouldn’t listen. He’d always believed food, in general, was an aphrodisiac. Who needed that when I had the love of my life?
I tiptoed around the claw foot tub and peeked out the window, behind the gossamer fabric. In two seconds flat I spotted Levi with his head thrown back as he laughed. Gerard was flailing around, recalling an incident that had happened at a previous wedding, where the white peacocks the bride had insisted on began mating during the ceremony. That night, I’d crossed any live animals, birds or otherwise, off my own wedding list. Mateo swiped his cheeks with the back of a hand, chuckling at his husband.
Levi was at ease, so relaxed in the presence of my friends. Such a difference to how I was feeling at the moment. Inhale. Heave. Heave. My heart pounded. There was a thin ringing in my ear. A headache was brewing.
How could I let this happen?
My sister, Maggie, swerved around the other guests to get to Levi. Oh, how I loved the smile he offered my sister as she leaned forward, whispering something into his ear. His smile crept into confusion, then worry. I saw Maggie point a finger at my window, well, the bathroom window. I backed away, making sure that they didn’t see me, and looked at the only way out. The door had a padded bench in front of it. I’d put it there.
I walked around the tub again, where my vintage-inspired gown lay—an embroidered and beaded custom piece made especially for this occasion—and sat on the bench. My knees knocked against each other as I propped my elbows on them.
“Nica, dear, why don’t you open the door? I’m sure we can talk about this. It’s just nerves,” my mother said through the thick, carved wood. She followed that with a couple of raps. “Nica, open up, sweetie.” She had been trying for over half an hour now.
I sat straight and spread my arms. I hated being nervous. When I get out of here, I’d be stinking of anxiety and sweat. There was no way I could let that happen. I leaned my head against the door, and turned to press my ear on it.
There were a few mumbles behind the door, and then Chase’s loud voice flowed through, “Hey, Nica! I get it. It’s freaky. You’re freaking out. I mean, one guy for the rest of your life?”
“Chase!” At least three other people yelled.
“What? I’m just telling the truth! If she doesn’t want to get married today, then let her think about it some more. This vineyard isn’t going anywhere. Levi’s not going anywhere...”
Her voice quieted down. And I knew then that Levi was inside the room. Even through the thickness of the wooden door, I could feel his presence. It should have been enough to calm me, but instead, it caused me more panic. I looked around the bathroom to see if there was a bag I could breathe into. I was hyperventilating, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d pass out. My eyes dropped to the white bag on the vanity and grabbed it.
Breathe into the bag. A piece of paper flew into my mouth. I plucked it out and saw that it was a receipt. After making sure that the bag was empty, I tried again. Breathe into the bag. Breathe out. In and out.
A quiet knock made me pause. I caught my wide, wild eyes on the mirror.
“Sweetheart, is there something you’d like to talk about?”
Levi. My chest tightened. I bet he didn’t see this coming. No one had seen this coming, especially not me. I tilted my head, trying not to cry, and continued to breathe into the bag.
“I’m here. I’ll wait when you’re ready.”
He would too. He’d been waiting for this for a while. When he’d proposed, I had told him that I’d very much like to wait. Not forever, he knew that. Just a few more months. To prepare accordingly. I wanted this day to be perfect, just like him.
My business had grown. News of my engagement to a quasi-celebrity spread, and the phones hadn’t stopped ringing. Coupled with the number of fundraising galas I’d worked with Cynthia Benjamin, Bliss Events had become an overnight sensation. Our wedding date had been pushed, and pushed some more, but Levi had been patient. Then finally, when he had surprised me during my last work trip to The Maldives, I’d crossed out a date on my calendar and claimed it as our big day.
That trip did something to me.
I already had the man. I had the ring. All I had to do was choose the day to say ‘I do.’ And that day was today. After all the waiting, and planning, it was finally here. We made it!
But now this...
“Veronica? Sweetheart? Can you say something so that I know, we know that you’re okay?” Levi tried again.
I removed the bag away from my face, stood and pulled the bench from the door. “I’m here.” I thought I heard a few sighs from the other room. “Can you send everyone out? I’d like to talk to you alone.”
There were some arguments. The voices were too low for me to hear what they were saying. Levi begged, “Just a moment. A few minutes. The guests are not going anywhere. Hell, they can leave if they want to. Let me talk to her.”
I heard some shuffling. Then a door shut.
“They’re gone, darling. Now, please tell me what’s wrong.”
I unlocked the door and opened it a crack. “Don’t look and don’t come in. It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony.”
He sighed deeply. “I understand. Now, can you tell me what’s going on?”
I gripped the door handle. “Promise you won’t freak out.”
“I promise.” I could hear the nervous smile in his voice.
“Okay, wait.” I closed the door again, moved to the vanity and grabbed a couple of things. When I opened the door again, I held the compact mirror out and tilted it so that I could see his face. He smiled at me, wiggled his fingers and mouthed ‘hi’. I needed to see his expression. “Here. Take this.”
He did. He stared at it with intensity. Then his face smoothed, and all I could see was... elation. “Does this mean what I think it does?” He spoke to me through the mirror.
I nodded, and realized that he couldn’t see me. “Yes,” I whispered through the opening.
“We’re having a baby?” Levi looked so adorable with his big-as-saucers eyes.
“Yes.” In truth, I was nervous. I felt that I’d been careless.
Since our engagement and subsequently, moving in together, Levi and I had talked about having children, how many we wanted, what names we could call them, what they could possibly look like. But we hadn’t talked about when. With his brother back in the picture, the burden of having to take over their international family business was off his shoulders. His vineyard had been seeing successes. And I’d been focusing on my own business. Were we ready for a child?
“Veronica, can you please come out? I’m dying to kiss you and hold you. This is the best day of my life.
”
“Really?” I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Of course. How can you even ask that? We are having a baby. I’m going to be a father. We’re going to be parents…” He paused and my heart stuttered. “I’m going to be a father,” he said again in a lowered voice. “Please come out. Let me show you how thrilled I am.”
“But it’s bad luck.” Weak, I know. Also, once I had taken off the dress that wouldn’t zip close, all I had on were a lace bra and matching panties. Not that he hadn’t seen me in anything less, but I felt ridiculous. I’d imagined telling him the news differently, with more clothing. And not before our wedding.
“Would it help if I close my eyes? I promise I’d keep them closed. Just let me hold you, my love.”
I pulled the mirror away after I watched him close his eyes. Slowly, I walked out of the bathroom and stood in front of him. His hands traced my face, then my neck and shoulders, and up again to cup my chin. He lowered his head and kissed me. Sweet, sensible, full of promise.
“I love you. I love us. I love our baby.” This guy got me all the time. I wrapped my arms around him and crashed my lips onto his. I let him run his hands all over my body, enjoying the goose bumps spreading on my exposed skin.
I snickered as I felt him push his hips forward. “Is that what I think it is?” I looked at him.
His eyes stayed closed the entire time. He spread his lips into a wicked grin. “Can’t help it, not when you’re standing before me in nothing but lace and silk. What happened to your dress?”
“It wouldn’t close.”
Levi shook his head. “You can wear whatever you want. It’s your big day.”
“It’s our big day,” I corrected him.
He nodded and pursed his lips. “Since our guests are already waiting, do you think we can sneak a little...” He waggled his eyebrows.
“You’re incorrigible. You better get out of here so I can get dressed. I think if I suck in my stomach, the dress will fit.” I led him towards the door. “Wait. Where’s the test?”
He patted his jacket. “Keeping it.”
“Ew, you know I peed on that.”
“I don’t care. I’m keeping it near my heart.”
Why did I panic? Why had I thought that he’d freak out over this? This man was perfect. My love for him grew every single day, and I had zero doubts that it would die any time soon. And with a baby on the way... it was definitely possible that I would love him more.
Before he opened the door, he tilted his head down, waiting for a kiss. I gave him what he wanted. “Let’s keep this between us for now.” He nodded. “I’ll see you soon,” I promised.
“Good. I’ll be the handsome devil in the tux, front and center.”
* * *
The dress fit. I wondered if my panic had caused me to swell. My mother and Chase helped me put my veil on. A bunch of clicking from cameras snapped around me. Since Bliss Events was now known as one of the best wedding planning companies, a few popular wedding magazines to cover my big day had approached me. I’d chosen the best one, and they’d sent a couple of photographers over.
Alex walked in, whistling. “What a vision!” His own trusty camera was slung around his neck. He had a different effect on the women around me. Nobody was safe with his good looks and his bad-boy swagger. And with him in a tuxedo, I silently wished all the single women in the wedding good luck.
I heard a deep sigh from my right. Chase. Maybe not every female was affected the same way. She looked like a million bucks in a silver silk sheath. Her makeup was done to perfection, more pastel than kohl, and it made her look demure. My eyes flitted to her, then to Alex, through the mirror. I wondered when they would give up and surrender to what fate had planned. I couldn’t think of a more perfect pairing...other than Levi and me.
Alex shot several photos alongside the magazine’s photographer. Before he left, he placed a kiss on my cheek, called me beautiful and told me that his brother was one lucky man.
We descended the stairs and faced the doors that would open to the large patio where our guests and the love of my life awaited. Chase stood in front of me, clasping a bouquet, looking radiant. She turned her head and spoke in a low voice, “Not too late, Nica. My bike is right outside. I can have you in Mexico in no time.” I knew she was kidding. I hoped she was kidding.
“Thanks, Chase. I think I’ll stay.” She shrugged, smirked, and faced forward.
Eddie ambled up to me in his gray suit. “Look at you. Such a lovely girl.”
I kissed him on the cheek and hooked my hand around his arm. “Thanks for doing this, Eddie.” I’d wished my father was here to walk me down the aisle. I closed my eyes remembering his big smile.
When the doors opened, I took a deep breath in, and stepped toward the man of my dreams, the love of my life, and to my future.
Pour Toujours et á Jamais
LEVI
She took my breath away.
As Veronica stepped into the light, I felt a familiar tug, followed by an addictive thrill in my heart. She was beautiful. The crystals on her dress caught the rays of the sun, causing an ethereal glow around her as she walked down the aisle.
The collective gasp was loud enough to hear through the fast tempo of my pulse. Even after all the times we’d been together, the sight of her turned me into something akin to an anxious teen boy gushing over his first love. But that was exactly Veronica was to me—my first, true love.
Her chest rose and fell as she breathed deeply. A blush colored her cheeks. Telltale signs that any moment now, she’d be shedding tears. I silently beckoned to her to look at me. And she did. I placed a hand on my chest. She knew what I was trying to convey—
I’m here for you. I love you. I am your strength, as much as you are mine.
We kept our gazes locked until we faced one another, and she reached for my hand, ready to take our vows.
* * *
We raced back up the aisle and into the confines of the vineyard’s manor. Petals rained upon us as everyone cheered.
Moving past the patio doors, I decided to steal a moment alone with my new wife.
“Where are we going, Levi?” Veronica asked, lifting her long dress off the sleek marble floor. “We have to take pictures.”
I only smiled at her before scooping her up in my arms. Ignoring, Jewel’s calls, I walked into my home office, kicked the door closed with one foot, and locked it.
Bringing Veronica back down on her feet, I pressed her against the door. Her hands moved underneath my tuxedo jacket and grasped at the fabric of my shirt, when I leaned down and covered her lips with mine. I could feel the heat of her skin, and the quick tattoo of her heart against my chest. She had quite the same effect on me.
“I can’t believe we’re having a baby,” I said against her parted lips, still swollen from my kiss.
“Me too. I’m so happy.”
“Should we talk about names?”
Veronica laughed. “We can, but our wedding guests will start to wonder. We have dinner to go through and a bit of dancing, then tonight we can talk about names.”
I nipped at the soft skin on her exposed neck. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. There might not be a lot of talking going on tonight.”
“There shouldn’t be a lot of talking going on now,” Veronica said in a hushed, silky voice.
“I’m a big fan of that idea.”
“Shhh...” Veronica placed a single finger on my lips, looking at me from under her lashes. “Less talk, more kissing.”
I trailed kisses over soft skin under her chin, down the column of her neck, and above the neckline of her dress, while she let my hands explore. I lifted her dress and exposed the vintage garter wrapped around one of her thighs as I raised her leg against mine.
Who was I to disappoint my wife?
* * *
Dinner was a relaxing affair. Veronica opted for a long table, covered with unbleached linen, rather than separate seating. We had chosen a perfect setting und
er a row of wooden trellises, with the abundance of grapes and leaves as our canopy. Three crystal chandeliers drooped from the arbor, which added to the charm and elegance of the variety of flowers adorning the middle of the table. Instead of traditional, individual place settings, our eight-course meal was served family style.
It was about unity. Our friends and family laughed and shared stories until the skies had darkened, and we returned to the large patio where the ceremony had been held. A thousand sparkling lights transformed the patio into a fairytale-like setting. The white chiavari chairs had been replaced with cocktail tables, reupholstered antique loveseats and chaise lounges, where our guests could continue to enjoy each other’s company and drink wine produced in our vineyard. In the midst of the seating, our chosen soul Motown band had set up for the night.
Veronica had commissioned Jewel to take over the function. It had taken them exactly two hours to come up with the perfect reception setting. I had asked Veronica if it was difficult for her to let Jewel take over the reins, and she’d replied with a resounding ‘no’.
Jake, my best man, stood in front of the mic stand as the guests mingled. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Levi and Veronica for their first dance as husband and wife.”
We walked hand in hand to the middle of the appropriated dance floor, and waited for the band to start playing our song. Veronica and I hadn’t taken the time to sit down to choose our song, listing and playing one after the other, as other couples might have done. Rather, we’d send a message or call each other when a song played on the radio. Perhaps, it was one of the most difficult parts of the whole planning stage, considering everything else had been so easy. It had taken us a few months to find it.
I’d arrived home late one night after a trip back to France. Veronica had readily moved into the penthouse after the proposal. It had taken less than a day to have some of her belongings moved, and the rest had stayed in her apartment, since Jewel had sublet it. I’d found Veronica in the penthouse kitchen, baking cookies for a bake sale she’d volunteered for. The sound system was blasting in the background. She was covered with flour. She’d wrapped a floral apron around her waist, and there was a splotch of melted chocolate along one side of her hairline.
The Bachelor's Perfect Proposal (Bliss Series Book 2) Page 13
