Chapter 7 CHAPTER SEVEN: GARTER TOSS
ZARA
The woman approached us, champagne glass now replaced with a cocktail glass; she took a sip of it with the straw, and I just couldn't understand how she had gotten in here.
“Michael?” She got his name right this time.
She had a smile on her face as she inched closer. He put his hand on my waist and pulled me closer. I stared at her as she settled in front of us and her eyes glanced at me, settling for a moment, searching, before falling back to him.
“Lysandra…”
That was her name; this gorgeous woman who probably had men lining up for her was named beautifully as well – Lysandra.
“It’s been two years,” Michael finished.
“It sure has been,” she said, a pout on her lips. “I mean, I leave for two years and you get married? I was sure you'd wait for me.”
I gulped at her words. Was she an ex-girlfriend I was going to have to fight off? Oh my god! Did I choose the wrong man?
“Joke,” she let out, and an awkward giggle followed. I laughed as well, trying to ease the tension she had created.
“Ly, why would you joke like that in front of my wife?”
Ly? He calls her Ly? Who the hell is this woman?
“Oops.” She raised her hand to her mouth and shook her head. “I guess that was inappropriate, and I shouldn’t have. I am sorry,” she said and then laughed.
“It’s fine,” I murmured. It was not fine; nothing about what was happening was fine, but I was still trying to convince myself that I wasn't the spoilt rich heiress everyone saw me to be, so it was all good if I let go of this minor thing.
“It was just a joke,” Michael added in a reassuring tone. I nodded, hoping that was what it was.
With a face like his, it would be impossible for him not to attract gorgeous women to himself. He must have dated all sorts of them before.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” I asked, and he pressed his palm to his forehead.
“Oh yes, I should,” he said, gesturing from me to her. “This is Lysandra Velaren, my friend.”
“I thought you only had one friend?” I asked before I could stop myself. Why was this gorgeous woman his friend, and why was I losing my mind over it?
“I didn’t know she was back in the city, so…”
“Michael and I go way back,” she smiled.
“He has always been there for me and I for him. It’s a beautiful friendship.” She reached out to me and took my hand.
Both hands pressed on mine as if she were trying to milk me. Tears lined her eyes softly, and they glowed underneath the light.
“You don’t have to introduce her to me; I know her. Everyone knows her, and I am shocked that he managed to bag a goddess like you.”
I was not sure if her compliments were right because it was supposed to be the other way around. I searched her face for any form of untruth, but she seemed genuine. I smiled, trying to pull out of them, both holding me in place.
“Lysandara, no need to be a drama queen,” Michael said. When a tear dropped down her face, she threw her head back, sniffing and fanning her face so she didn’t ruin her makeup. She finally dropped her head and spoke in a cracked voice.
“I mean, it’s so beautiful to see him finally settle down after all these years of being single.”
“Single?” I repeated. The word sounded foreign. Not exactly what anyone would ever use to describe a man like Michael. If he were single, why then was he so skilled at everything and making my heart flutter when it shouldn't?
“You won’t believe this guy; he refused to date anyone all through his life, so you must be really special,” she said.
“Lysandra…”
“I want us to be friends,” she declared.
“I don't think that is…”
“I think I would like that.”
After all, she was just so sweet and kind. It wouldn't hurt to finally make a friend after all this time.
“Great,” she said, taking a step back. “As a couple, I am sure there must be a lot of other things you want to do, so I will leave you to it, but Zara, it was really lovely meeting you,” she said as she turned and left us.
Something about her coming over after the misunderstanding earlier cleared a lot of things up.
The party slowly wound up, and we moved to the villa I had prepared. The interior company had done a lot in two days, and it was ready to be lived in. My mom had insisted on sending a full team of staff with us.
“You have never lived on your own before; how are you ever going to survive without them?” she said, and I knew better than to refuse.
“You can pick any room in the house,” I said when we were finally left alone in the living room.
“Separate rooms?” he asked, and I nodded. “That’s a little strange, isn’t it?”
“What’s strange about it?”
“I mean, your mom has a full team of staff here; don’t you think they would report to her that we are living separately?”
He was right; I could trust no one. I sighed and led him to the master bedroom. “Then I guess we would share this room then.”
I had to get out of this dress. Amara had told me it was bad luck to take off my dress myself; my husband had to be the one to help me out of it. I stared at him, about to ask him to help me unlace all of the corset lines behind me, when he closed the gap between us. His body is practically on mine.
“What are you doing?”
“Time for the garter toss,” he said.
“I am not wearing any garters,” I said, trying to take a step back. I was in no mood for games; I just wanted out of this dress and into a hot shower or bath.
“Moreover, there wasn’t a crowd here to please.
His hand held my arm gently, rubbing his thumb against it. He winked and pressed his mouth against my earlobe.
“I know.”