Shonee’s POV
The following morning…
I awoke in a mass of rumpled sheets, the cool morning breeze caressing my skin.
For a minute, my mind was blank until images of our romantic encounter came flashing through my mind’s eye.
Vincent’s head in between my legs, the passion in his eyes and the feel of him inside me…
I squeezed my legs shut in delight, unable to stop a smile from spreading across my face. Oh, Sweet mother of pearls!
Last night was just…unbelievable. The warmth and ecstasy had me floating on cloud nine. We made love and it was magical, a hundred times better than I expected. The way he held me and made me feel so special… it almost made Michael finding out about us worth it.
Speaking of him, the memory of the text message he sent during the night had my head darting towards the digital clock on my dresser. It was forty-five minutes past eight, meaning Vincent had roughly an hour and fifteen minutes to get Michael that 100k before he unleashed our secret to the entire world.
I turned to wake him, only to find an unexpected surprise waiting for me on the nightstand. My heart fluttered as I saw the breakfast he had left, accompanied by a short, sweet message. With a mixture of warmth and curiosity, I reached for the note, my fingers tingling with anticipation.
Hope you slept as peacefully as you looked last night. Wish I was there to see you wake up, but I had to leave and clear up this Michael mess before it got out of hand. Made you breakfast just to let you know how much you mean to me. Thank you for sharing this beautiful moment with me.
Love,
Vincent.
As I read his words a second time, a rush of emotion swept over me, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of affection for this man who had stolen not only my body but also my heart. My attention soon veered towards breakfast and I picked up the tray, placing it on my lap.
Freshly brewed coffee, a plate of warm croissants, a small bowl of mixed berries, and a single red rose placed delicately beside the meal. It all appealed to my taste buds, so with a contented sigh, I savoured the moment and the meal, grateful for the memories we had created together. Believe it or not, this was a turning point in our relationship. A positive turning point, and trust me, I was willing to do anything and everything to keep it that way.
****
Later that day…
“There, what do you think?” I held up my finished pastel artwork of the fireplace for Mirasol to see.
“It’s…” she scrunched up her mouth in a cute, little pout, glancing up from her work which was mostly different coloured dots. “It’s nice... but not better than mine.”
“What?” Chuckling, I put my sketchpad down. “How is yours better than mine? It’s just dots, Mirasol! Mine is a beautiful fireplace.”
Mirasol giggled, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “But my dots make it look like it’s twinkling with magic!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her adorable logic. “Well, I suppose yours does have a bit of magic to it.”
She beamed, clearly pleased with herself. “Can I help you with yours, though?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Your magic touch might just make it perfect.” I handed her a pastel stick, and she eagerly joined me, adding her own colourful dots around the edges of my fireplace.
As we worked side by side, time seemed to effortlessly float by. I didn’t even notice it was afternoon until the buzz of chatter and the clacking of heels sauntered in from the foyer.
Avril appeared first in the living room, followed by an entourage of two stylishly dressed women. Not far behind them, a blond with wild curls tiredly lugged a movable clothing rack behind her.
Wondering what was going on, I jumped onto my feet. “Oh Avril, welcome. I didn’t know you were coming home this early.”
“Not now, Shonee,” she frustratedly snarked, pulled off her sunglasses then flung them with her coat into the nearest armchair before plopping down.
One of the ladies she came with let out a soft giggle. “Oh Avril, don’t be like that. She said it was an honest mistake.”
“A mistake?” Avril quizzed with a glare. “What kind of shop are they running if they forgot to record a customer’s booking?”
The other woman waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, forget about it, Avril. At least they let us take the dresses for a trial. Let's just focus on choosing the right one and return the rest. You there, maid.” She pointed a freakishly long manicured fingernail at me. “Be a dear and fetch us some bubbly."
A pang of irritation crawled up my spine, but I maintained my composure. "Actually, I'm not a maid. Would you like me to inform the staff to bring you some champagne?"
"Yes, yes, whatever. Just make it quick, will you?" She skillfully rolled her eyes and then sat down next to her friend on the couch.
Taking a deep breath to quell my frustration, I nodded and excused myself to make the necessary arrangements. Since Gerta was out, her next in command, Audra, was the one who served them their champagne.
When I returned from the kitchen, I joined Mirasol on the other side of the living room as the three women enjoyed their bubbly. They summoned the curly haired blond to the centre of the room with the movable clothing rack. She pulled off one of the garment bags and began to open it.
“Ok, so this first dress is a custom-made Louis Vuitton glamorous ballgown wedding dress. The fabric of this dress is entirely taffeta to create a regal effect.”
The blond held the dress out for the women to see and I gaped in awe.
Regal it was. It was literally the most beautiful wedding dress I’d ever seen in my life. The intricate beadwork and sequins even made the outfit sparkle in the afternoon sunlight trooping in from the window. For a minute, I imagined myself in it, twirling around as the full skirt floated around me creating a princess-worthy look…then Avril’s voice snapped me out of my daydream.
“Hmm, what do you think, Hayley?”
The first woman who spoke earlier set her champagne flute down. “Well, this dress is quite ideal if you want to feel like royalty on your special day. Plus, it’s the epitome of a fairytale romance. I like it.”
Freakishly long nailed woman snorted, “Oh please, who wants a fairytale romance and all that cliché shit? It’s not stand-out worthy.”
“Ok, Cheyanne,” Hayley drawled. “What do you recommend?”
“Something different, something unique.” Cheyanne propped herself up. “Trust me, Avi, this is your day and think it’s better if you wear a dress that pulls out all the stops. Bring out the Versace gown.”
Heeding the instruction, the attendant picked up the next garment bag and pulled out the dress. “This is Atelier Versace FW18.”
“Yes, now this screams AVRIL!” Cheyanne clasped her hand in delight.
The outfit was sleek, and elegant and had a sexy appeal to it. As much as I’d hate agreeing with Miss Stand-out Worthy, she was right. This dress was far prettier than the ballgown one.
“So, Avril, which one do you like best?” Hayley quizzed. “Although they’re both gorgeous gowns, I still stand by my choice of the ballgown. I think it will make you look exquisite when you compare it with our bridesmaid dresses.”
“What, no,” Cheyanne rudely butted in. “The style of our dresses works well with the Versace gown.”
“Hmm, I have to admit they’re both stunning,” Avril tapped her chin in thought, inadvertently silencing both women. “Shonee, come here.”
The sound of my name made me jolt up. What the heck was she calling me for? She can’t involve me in her dress decision-making, I’m just the nanny.
“You called, Avril?”
“Yes.” My boss stood up, grabbed the Versace gown and flung it at me. “Try it on. I want to see how it looks on a real person.”
“Whoa, wait-”
Before I could protest, she turned to the curly-haired blond and asked her to do the same with the Louis Vuitton gown.
“Uhh, I-I c-can’t do that, Ms. Payne,” The blond quickly voiced out. “You see, my manager made it pretty clear that you are the only person who can try on these clothes.”
I was a hundred per cent sure that was a lie, but hopefully, Avril would buy it.
She whipped around in her heels, facing the girl with a stern look. “Well your manager isn’t here, I am. And if I instruct you to wear the dress, you will do as I say.”
The venom from her tone was enough to send us both reluctantly trudging up the stairs.
How did my life come to this?