Lovestruck Forever

by Rachel Schurig

  “Stop it, Lizzie,” I demanded out loud. “Just stop.”

  “You sound like a crazy person, talking to yourself.”

  I actually jumped straight off the ground, simultaneously gasping and trying to turn to see who had spoken when I was sure I was alone.

  “Sofie!” I cried, placing a hand to my heart. “I thought you were at work. You scared me!”

  “Sorry, cuz,” she said, smiling broadly and not looking the slightest bit sorry. “I took the day off.”

  I leaned against the dresser, waiting for my heart rate to return to normal. “I thought you were trying to save your sick days for baby stuff?”

  Her grin grew larger. “I was. But something came up, and it was too good to refuse.”

  I cocked my head. “Something like what?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” She inspected her nails casually. “Maybe like a trip to New York with my best friend to look for wedding dresses.”

  My mouth dropped open. If I had thought I was shocked when she interrupted me, it was nothing next to how I felt now. “What?”

  She grinned, dropping the casual pretense. “Thomas got me a ticket on the same flight as you. I guess he thought it would be nice if I came with you, for moral support and everything. And to try on dresses.” She winked. “Apparently, New York is some kind of fashion mecca or something. Who knew?”

  I shook my head, dumbfounded. Objectively, I probably shouldn’t have been so surprised. Thomas was constantly doing stuff like that for me, little and big surprises just to make me happy.

  She went on. “I guess he thought you’d like another chance at dress shopping—with me and Callie there this time.” She grinned. “Something to look forward to when you’re terrified of your meetings.”

  “He’s really something else,” I said, unable to wipe the grin off my face. I tried my best not to go on around Sofie about how perfect Thomas was , but in this case, she was benefitting as much as I was from his Prince Charming act.

  “Indeed,” she said cheerfully. “Now, hurry up and pack. Our car will be here in a few minutes.”

  “My parents aren’t picking us up?” I asked, slightly disappointed in spite of the exciting news about Sofie coming to New York with me. I was counting on one last good-luck hug from my mother before I boarded the plane, something to help me get past the fear that was plaguing me about the meetings.

  “Oh, they’ll be in the car,” she said, her voice airy. When she caught sight of my expression, her eyes widened in mock-innocence. “Oh, didn’t I mention it? They’re coming, too.”

  “My parents?”

  She raised her eyebrows, as if it was ridiculously obvious. “Duh. Do you really think Thomas would expect you to pick out your wedding dress without your mother there?”

  With that, I burst into noisy tears—so happy I could barely stand it. Of course he would have known that I wanted my mother there, just as much as I would want Callie and Sofie. The only way to make it better would be for Maria and Laura to be there as well, but on second thought, I wasn’t quite sure I could handle both of them in a far away city for that long.

  Sofie laughed, crossing the room to rub my back as I wiped at my tears. “Come on, weepy. I’m the one that’s supposed to be hormonal. Besides,” she peeked at the alarm clock on my nightstand. “We really do have to get going.”

  “Are you okay with this?” I asked, swiping at my eyes. “Being away with my parents?” In the weeks since her disastrous dress-shopping bailout, I had managed to convince her to join me for dinner at my parents’ a handful of times. Under my strict orders, my family had refrained from mentioning anything about the pregnancy or Sofie’s current state of estrangement from her parents. Even so, I could tell she wasn’t entirely comfortable in family situations.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured me. “Your folks have been nothing but nice to me lately.” She looked pointedly at the open suitcase. “Can we get moving now?”

  “Help me,” I begged. “I never know what to wear to stuff like this.”

  Sofie confidently marched into my closet, pulling a few skirts and dresses from their hangers. Within minutes, she had rummaged though my bag, tossing a few things and throwing in a few more. “All you need now is a strapless bra,” she said, nodding down at the suitcase.

  “A strapless bra?”

  “For trying on dresses.”

  “Good idea.” Moments after I’d found the garment and closed my zipper we heard a loud honking outside.

  “That must be the car,” Sofie said, bouncing on her heels in excitement. Once again, I was overcome by emotion over what Thomas had planned for us. In addition to providing me with company and moral support, this trip away was exactly what Sofie needed. Something to look forward to, to get her mind off of things. A little fun in her life, which had been seriously devoid of fun lately.

  “This is so exciting,” I squealed, and she laughed, looking happier than I’d seen her in a very long time.

  “Then let’s go!” she cried. “You’re taking forever.”

  I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and slung my carry-on over my shoulder. “I think that’s everything.”

  “My stuff is already by the door.”

  The hired car honked again and we hurried down the stairs. Through the windows to each side of the front door I could see a long, shiny black limo idling in the driveway. My parents stood beside the car, waiting for us. Even from this distance, I could see the excitement on their faces.

  I flung open the door to see the driver waiting, his hands folded behind his back. “Miss Medina, Miss Flores,” he said, nodding at each of us. “Please allow me to take your bags.”

  Had it just been me, I would have insisted on carrying the small suitcase myself. But Sofie looked so tickled at the idea of someone carrying her bag, I couldn’t bring myself to ruin it for her. Instead, I thanked him and set the two bags down on the porch before turning to lock the door. Once finished with the task, I slipped my arm through Sofie’s and pulled on her. “Ready?”

  She giggled and we practically skipped down the steps toward my waiting parents.

  “Surprise!” my mom called. “We’re coming, too!

  I threw my arms around her, forgetting for a moment that I should be more gentle when she was standing unassisted. But she merely returned my hug, laughing happily. “This is going to be so nice!”

  I released her to hug my dad. “I’m so glad you guys are here!”

  “Us, too, Lizzie,” he said. Though he didn’t laugh or squeal like we had done, I could hear the barely contained excitement in his voice. Which, for my stoic dad, meant he was pretty darn excited.

  “How did you guys manage to keep the secret for so long?” I gave my mom the sternest look I could muster with my cheeks practically splitting in a smile. “I was just at the house yesterday.”

  “Thomas insisted,” she said, looking almost apologetic. “He said you love surprises.”

  I had to bite my tongue at that. I certainly didn’t mind surprises, but it was nothing compared to how much Thomas liked to plan them. As the driver loaded our bags into the back of the limo and the four of us piled in, I decided I had no business complaining. In the short time I had known Thomas, he had managed to successfully spoil me on a number of occasions, despite my usual protests that he was spending too much money. Watching my parents relax back into the plush leather, looking around the limo with something akin to wonder, I decided I had never been so happy to have him splurge, and for the first time, I let myself wish a little that he spared no expense for the rest of the trip.

  Of course, he didn’t disappoint. After being dropped off at departures, Sofie led us straight to the priority check-in line, winking at me over her shoulder as she went. “Looks like we’re flying first class, Mama,” I said, slipping my arm through hers.

  “First class?” Her eyes went wide. “Isn’t that very expensive?”

  “Your future son-in-law is a legit movie star, Tia,” Sofie cal
led back. “I think you should probably get used to a little expensive in your life.” She glared at me. “Your daughter could heed the same advice.”

  We were called to the counter after only a moment or two and Sofie handed over all of our documents. Once we had all been issued boarding passes, and our luggage whisked away, we made our way to the security line, again getting to skip the crowds and use the priority line.

  “Well, I could get used to this,” my mother said happily, plopping her large purse into one of the plastic bins. I tried to catch my dad’s eye as he slipped his shoes off. I was suddenly unsure if he would approve of all this fuss. He was a very proud man, my father. How would he feel about Thomas spending so much money on him?

  Once we were safely at the gate, my fears subsided. He leaned back in his chair and checked his watch, before smiling around the crowded airport. “Barely ten minutes to check in and get through security,” he said. “I could get used to this kind of treatment.”

  I giggled, resting against his shoulder. He automatically put his arm around me and I leaned into his side, the way I did when I was little. “Just wait until we get on the plane. The seats are actually comfortable.”

  “And they’ll give you free booze, Tio,” Sofie said, pulling out her magazine. “Whatever you want.”

  My dad’s eyes crinkled up in a smile. “In that case, I could definitely get used to it.”

  ***

  The flight was comfortable and uneventful. Thomas had another driver meeting us at JFK. My dad got a huge kick out of seeing the uniformed man holding a sign with our name on it. “You really hit the big time, Lizzie. Think it will be like this all the time when you’re a hot-shot author?”

  I laughed. “I wish.”

  Ciara had arranged a room for me at a trendy hotel right near Times Square. Thomas must have coordinated with her office to get Sofie added to my room; he’d put my parents in a suite down the hall. My mother had looked around the room, eyes wide, not speaking for a full minute.

  “You okay, Mama?” I asked, once again unsure how his extravagance would go over.

  She merely shook her head, walking slowly to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan. “This is beautiful. I never would have dreamed I’d ever get to stay in a place like this.” She turned to me, her face suddenly worried. “He shouldn’t have spent so much.”

  “I tell him that every day, Mama. He’s usually not very extravagant, you know. He just likes making special occasions more special.”

  “I’m not complaining, Lizzie,” she said quickly. “It’s amazingly sweet of him. I just…I hope he doesn’t think he needs to impress us, or win us over.”

  “He doesn’t, Mama,” I assured her, not mentioning that he probably felt exactly that way only a few months ago. “He just wants it to be nice for you guys. I promise.”

  She nodded, though she still looked a little troubled. “If you’re sure.”

  My meetings weren’t starting until morning, so we decided to head out and sight see. None of us had ever been to New York before, and I was momentarily concerned we would get lost or overwhelmed. I hadn’t made any plans to guide three people through a city I’d never been to.

  Of course, Thomas had thought of that. “We’re supposed to check in at the concierge in the lobby,” Sofie said, reading something off of her phone. “They’ve made arrangements, apparently.”

  “Arrangements?” I asked sharply. “What arrangements?”

  She held out the phone, and I could see that she was reading from an email. “Your fiancé is the type to think of everything. In case you haven’t noticed.”

  Wondering what he had planned, and feeling a little silly about the fuss, I approached the concierge desk. “Hello,” I said, trying to sound more sure of myself than I felt. “My name is Elizabeth Medina. I believe—”

  “Oh, of course,” the smiling concierge reached across the counter to shake my hand. “We’re so happy to have you stay with us this week. Mr. Harper asked me to arrange a tour for you and your family.”

  I shook my head. Of course he did.

  “What kind of tour, exactly?”

  “It’s completely customizable,” he assured me. “The driver will take you anywhere you’d like to go. Or he can make suggestions—whichever you like.” He checked something on his computer. “He also took the liberty of making dinner reservations at eight, but I’d be happy to change the time if it doesn’t suit you.”

  “Eight is fine,” I said, trying not to roll my eyes. He really had thought of everything.

  “Well, Miss Medina, I can call the driver now if you’d like to begin your tour. Mr. Harper did want me to assure you that, if you’d rather explore on your own, alternate transportation arrangements can be easily made.”

  A small part of me might have preferred to go out on my own to explore on the subway. One of my favorite things about my early months in London was the sense of excitement I would get every time I emerged from the Underground in a new place, and I had considered it a big accomplishment when I finally figured out how to navigate the various lines.

  They’ll be plenty of time to travel like an authentic New Yorker, I reminded myself. There was no way I was going to deny my parents the chance to tour Manhattan in VIP comfort. “A tour sounds lovely,” I told the concierge, who nodded.

  “Very good. I’ll call the driver now.” He gestured to the lounge on the other side of the lobby. “Feel free to relax, and I’ll come get you when he’s arrived.”

  I walked back to my parents and Sofie, still shaking my head. “We have a car coming to take us to sight see.”

  “That’s handy,” Sofie smiled. Before I could respond, my phone rang. Thomas. I made an apologetic face at my family and walked to a deserted corner of the lobby before answering.

  “You have some explaining to do, mister,” I said sternly.

  There was a pause on the other end of the phone. “Too much?” he asked, his voice sheepish.

  “Are you kidding? There was no champagne in our limo to the airport. What kind of pathetic commoner do you take me for?”

  He was laughing before I even finished. “Sorry. I promise to do better next time.”

  I leaned against a marble pillar, knowing my smile probably looked ridiculous to anyone that passed. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

  “Crazy for you, baby.”

  I snorted. “Uh huh.” I glanced over my shoulder, seeing my parents relaxing in plush chairs, looking around the marbled lobby. “You made my parents very happy, you know. Thank you.”

  “Did I make you happy?” he asked.

  “You make me happy every day. You don’t have to plan elaborate surprises to make me happy.”

  He was quiet for a minute. “I know. I just…I wanted you to have a special week with them. Things seem like they’re changing so fast for you, with Sofie’s baby and the wedding and the book stuff and planning for the move to London. I want this trip to be meaningful for you. For all of you.”

  I closed my eyes, willing the tightness in my throat to relax. “I love you. You’re way too good to me.”

  “Yeah, right. As if that was humanly possible.”

  I caught sight of Sofie waving at me from across the room—apparently the driver had arrived. “Our ride is here,” I said, wishing I didn’t have to go. “Will you call me before you go to bed?”

  “Of course I will. Have fun, love.”

  “I’m sure we will. Thank you, Thomas.”

  “You don’t have to thank me.” He paused and I could hear the laughter in his voice. “Oh, and Lizzie—there is champagne in this car.”

  He hung up before I could respond. I could only laugh and go join my family on our first tour of New York City.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I woke up the next morning feeling sick to my stomach. Ciara had assured me that there was nothing to worry about, that every editor we were meeting with had shown interest in my book. “They’re the ones who are trying to woo
you, Lizzie,” she had said firmly. “All you have to do is let them.”

  Her assurances did little to calm my nerves as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and waiting for my alarm to go off. I’d woken up in a panic an hour before, convinced that the entire thing was a sham, a joke of some kind, and had been unable to go back to sleep. Which meant I would now probably have dark shadows under my eyes to deal with.

  Finally, unable to wait any longer, I slipped from my bed, careful not to wake Sofie. She lay sprawled diagonally across her bed; her head buried under three pillows, the blankets tangled up around her knees. I smiled to myself as I made my way to the bathroom. She had always slept like that, stealing all the covers every time we had a sleepover and gradually pushing me closer and closer to the edge of the bed.

  The shower seemed to help ease some of my worry. My head certainly felt clearer by the time I wrapped one of the plush spa towels around my body. It was illogical to imagine that Ciara had gone to all the trouble to bring me out to New York if the editors we were meeting weren’t actually interested.

  Of course, my newfound calm faltered as soon as I opened the closet. I’d fully unpacked my bag last night, taking advantage of the room’s ample closet and dresser space and not wanting things to be wrinkled before the meetings. I’d planned to wear a jade green poplin shirt dress with a full, knee-length skirt and a pair of basic black pumps, but now it seemed hopelessly boring. Or was it too unprofessional? Should I be wearing a suit instead? Or something more boho chic to give the impression that I was creative?

  “Lizzie?” Sofie called groggily from her bed. “Did I miss the alarm?”

  “Nah, I got up early. Go back to sleep.”

  “Yeah, right,” she muttered, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. “Now that it senses I’m awake, the jerky baby will give me approximately thirty seconds before it demands that I pee.”