Chapter 69 NEW YEAR DAY
••Luciana••
I arrived at the Orlov's house a few minutes past 4 PM, just in time for New Year's Eve. The whole house was filled more than I had ever seen before.
Theo had come to pick me up from the airport, filling me in with details about the events going on in the house. Roman was too occupied to come himself, so I was left to handle things on my own.
As I walked through the house, I noticed it was decorated beautifully. I didn’t recognize many of the faces, but a few of them waved or acknowledged my presence. They might have known me from the past events I'd attended as Roman's wife, but I couldn’t place them.
I made my way upstairs to change before joining the party. In the six days I had spent in Sicily, I couldn’t stop wondering what our new life would be like now that Roman and I had crossed the line. There were still so many questions, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to find all the answers.
I took a last look at myself in the mirror, adjusting my diamond jewelry that Roman had gifted me and rearranging my hair. I think I looked perfect.
When I descended the stairs, I scanned the living room, now packed with people. Then I spotted him, a hand waved at me from the far end of the room. His grey eyes gleamed from across the room, his hair freshly styled, and he wore a black suit with silver crystals on the hem.
There he was.
I walked towards him, greeting the different faces along the way. As I got closer, Roman excused himself from the conversation he was having with a man and a lady.
He held my hand with his right hand and placed his left hand on my waist. "Fuck, you picked the wrong dress."
I looked at him, confused. "What?"
Roman gave me an appraising look. “It’s just... you look so beautiful.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn’t stop the blush that crept up on my cheeks. “Thank you,” I murmured, unable to suppress my smile.
We barely had a chance to speak before another man approached Roman, and they continued talking. I stayed beside them, sipping on a glass of wine and offering a smile whenever they addressed me.
Soon enough, more people approached, one after another. I grew tired of standing, if I could put off these heels right here I would have done that. I excused myself to sit my feet are killing me, heading towards the bar to grab another martini. Boredom was starting to take hold, and I figured I should pace myself with the alcohol.
As I sat down, Mildred approached.
"Hi," she greeted me.
I smiled back. "You seem like you're tired of the evening already."
"Something of such." I replied, trying not to sound too eager. "So, did your boyfriend like his Christmas gift?"
"Yeah, he did, and I’m so happy about it," Mildred beamed. "Thank you, Luciana."
"You’re welcome, Mildred," I smiled in return.
We continued chatting for a while until Mildred glanced at her wristwatch. “Oh shit!” she exclaimed.
“What’s the problem?” I asked, concerned.
“I have to go, Luciana.” She quickly downed the juice in her glass, stood up, and hurried out.
I raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit odd about her sudden departure. What could she be up to now?
Few minutes passed, and I was still contemplating whether to order another drink when Roman approached. He stood beside me, staring at my face with that intense look he always had.
“Sorry about that,” he said softly.
"Hmm..." I responded, unsure of what to say.
“So, how was Sicily?” He asked, a bit of curiosity in his tone.
“It was awesome, of course. Fun too,” I replied, reminiscing about everything that had happened there.
"Okay, good," he nodded. Then he took my wrist in his hand, gently pulling me towards him. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?” I asked, confused, as he began to drag me through the crowd.
“I want to show you something,” he said with a grin.
“What is it?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“You’ll know when you see it,” he replied, keeping me guessing.
“Are you taking me upstairs to kiss me?” I teased, half-joking but genuinely wondering what was going on.
When we reached the top of the stairs, we ran into Mildred and Theo, coming down.
“Done?” Roman whispered to Theo.
“Done,” Theo answered shortly.
I guess a surprise awaits me.
Roman opened the door to our room, and my breath caught in my throat at the sight before me. The room was transformed. Rose petals were carefully scattered on the floor, and the balcony was decorated with soft lighting. Two glasses of wine sat on the table, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers rested on the side.
Roman led me to the balcony. I was speechless.
“Wow,” I whispered, taken aback by how beautiful everything was.
“This is all for you, Luci,” he said, his voice soft but sincere.
I struggled to find words. “It’s a lot, Roman.”
“Shhh...” he silenced me gently, drawing me closer to him by the rails. The view of the city below was breathtaking, with the streetlights twinkling like stars.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he said, looking at me with an intensity I couldn’t quite understand.
“Really? You brought me here just to kiss me?” I asked, smiling at him.
“Something like that, princess,” he answered, his lips curling into a smirk.
Just then, the voices of the people downstairs echoed up the stairs: “Three... two... one...”
Roman’s smirk deepened, and slowly, he leaned forward. His lips met mine softly at first, then more passionately, and I melted into the kiss.
The large city bell rang at the moment. Very loud.
My first New Year’s kiss. It was everything I imagined it would be. Sweet, slow, and full of emotion.
"Really?" I broke the kiss and laughed softly, but Roman pulled me closer, his hands on my waist as our bodies pressed together. Our lips met again, this time with more urgency. We kissed until we were both breathless.
When we finally pulled away, we couldn’t help but laugh.
“Happy New Year, baby,” Roman said, his voice full of joy.
“Happy New Year, Roman,” I said, smiling more than I had in a long time.
That moment felt like the begining of something new. The year ahead was already filled with new love and blessings. I could feel it.