Today is the day!
Katy POV
I woke up with a start, not knowing where she was. Then, it all came to me. I was in Italy with my boss. Today was the agreed day for the agreement. More or less.
As I looked at the flowers, my gorgeous dress, and the sound of a string quartet, I wondered if this beautiful fake wedding would somehow ruin my enjoyment of the real one when he married me for real. Today was like a fairy tale; a wedding that every girl dreamed of. But it wasn't real. When I got married for real, it would most likely be a small wedding. I would have to hope that my love for my husband would make it okay that we didn't get married in Italy.
Ronny was taken early in the morning. Martina and a team of people were with me preparing me. After her stylist did my hair and makeup, I put on the expensive dress I had bought in San Diego.
"Wow, Katy.” “You are a vision,” Martina told me when she was finally dressed.
"You think? " I looked in the mirror and I have to admit that my breath caught. I couldn't remember ever feeling so beautiful.
"Really. Ronny will be excited when he sees you.”
I knew that wouldn't happen. Or maybe he would, but it wouldn't be real. He surprised me how well he could play the attentive fiancé. He had even mastered romantic gestures, like kissing my hand.
Martina took me to a side terrace where a photographer took my photo.
"There will be more photos later, but I thought it would be nice to have one to capture this moment right before the wedding," she had said.
Then she walked me to the back, where a plush rug stretched down a hallway toward a flower" covered gazebo. People occupied the chairs. The music played softly. Really, it was a dream.
"Who are the guests? " It was strange to get married in front of strangers.
"Oh, some of them are our friends, but there are some important European business contacts that your husband will want to crotch while he expands throughout Europe. " A tingle ran down my spine when he used the word husband. Ronny was about to be my husband. Well, a false husband. Are you ready?
Already? Has the time already come?
"Ah... Yes." She smiled.
"You're nervous. I was too the day I got married. Actually, all the time until I saw Christian at the altar. The moment he looked at me and I looked at him, all my nerves disappeared”. "She," she sighed when she remembered it.
I doubted seeing Ronny at the altar would calm my nerves. Actually, what he and I were doing was crazy. But I smiled.
"I'm ready.”
I took my place and began walking down the hallway while the quartet played Pachelbel's Canon in D. I looked towards the gazebo and my breath caught when I saw Ronny standing there. He was wearing a suit, but it wasn't like one of her normal suits. It looked like a million dollars. He was incredibly good looking. My heart started pumping in my chest as I approached him and I could see his blue eyes watching me. They ran over my body and I thought I saw appreciation in them. As if, perhaps, he thought she was beautiful too. That made me feel even more beautiful.
The councilor celebrated the traditional ceremony. It was surreal to be next to my boss and marry him. But as the ceremony progressed, I saw less and less of my boss and more of a charming man so dedicated to her family that he pretended to marry a woman to help her.
We exchanged rings and I was stunned for a moment as he asked me when I got them. He had left most of the preparations to me, and yet had he gotten rings? Or maybe Christian and Martina had. No, the rings were too personal.
"You can kiss your girlfriend”.
Those words stopped the internal conversation in my brain.
For a moment, Ronny just looked at me. Then, he leaned forward, closing his eyes as he did so. I did the same, leaning towards him, also closing my eyes. His lips touched mine, soft and smooth, and yet they felt like lightning. His hands slid to my back and brought me closer to him as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss; I got lost in the taste of it, the smell of it, the feel of it. I'd been kissed before, but there was something different about this, and it wasn't because I assumed it was fake. This didn't seem fake at all. Except it was, which led me to wonder what a real kiss would be like. This kiss had been very intense, so a real one would leave me speechless.
He pulled back and smiled, and at that moment he wasn't my boss. He put his arm around my waist and we turned to the applauding guests. I took advantage of the moment to move away this new light with which I saw him. The only thing was that I was caught up in what was happening. It was a beautiful day in Tuscany. The scene with the flowers, my dress and all the guests was intoxicating me with romance. Once we were done here, would dissipate At least, I hoped so. It would be very difficult to continue working for him if every time I saw him I remembered the first moment I saw him in this suit or how sweet his kiss was.
"This is Mr. and Mrs. Hush," the councilman said.
Holy cow, I was Mrs. Hush. Ronny drove me back to the house, where Martina and Christian congratulated us and hugged us, and then handed us a glass of champagne.
"She's French because only the French know how to make real champagne," Christian said with a smile.
"Let's clear the chairs, your reception is outside," said Martina.
"This is wonderful," I managed to say. You are very kind to us.
Christian patted Ronny on the shoulder.
"Ronny has a good head on his shoulders and an admirable commitment to his family's business, but he needs a good woman like you by his side to maintain balance. I'm glad to see this. He makes me feel much better about doing business with Hush Incorporated.
"There's no talk of business now, Christian. They just got married.
"TRUE. But I know Ronny would be eager to know that our business is moving forward. Even on your wedding day, am I right?
Ronny nodded somewhat dryly, as if he felt self"conscious about worrying so much about business.
“Me too,” I pointed out, as an urge to defend Ronny grew within me. The family business is important to him, and that's why it is important to me too.
Christian smiled as if he was delighted to hear me say that.
"Very sure. Come, have some more champagne and let me introduce you to some important people.
The reception was filled with champagne and delicious foods including prosciutto, figs, cantaloupe and more. Ronny and I met up with several people from all over Europe who were in business and who would be contacts for the company in the future. But it wasn't all business. There's something about Europeans, or maybe just Christian, that allows them to mix business with pleasure in a way that doesn't feel like you're working.
When the guests left, Christian and Martina prepared dinner for the four of them on the terrace.
“No matter what time of day or night, this place is always perfect this time of year,” Martina said as we sat down to eat.
"It's beautiful," I agreed.
"I hear San Diego is a beautiful city," she added.
"It is, but it's very different from this," I said.
"Well, she's yours for the night," Christian said, pouring more champagne. She was giddy from all the bubbles.
"We're leaving tonight, so the house is yours," Martina explained. I looked at Ronny. Her eyebrows rose.
"You are very kind.
"It's your wedding night. “You don't want people around…” Christian said, moving his eyebrows. Do you remember our wedding night, my love? He took Martina's hand, bringing it to his lips, just like Ronny had done with me the night before.
Martina blushed.
"Of course”. “She” looked at me and Ronny. I know yours will be just as magical.
I felt my cheeks heat up, even though I knew there would be no magic between Ronny and me tonight. He would probably call his brothers to tell them how everything had gone and then check our flights home.
"We have a gift for you," Christian said.
"This wedding is more than enough.” " Actually, it's too much," said Ronny.
"Crap. You need more than a wedding night; you also need a honeymoon”.
I looked at Ronny, whose head turned to look at me as well. Then we both looked at Christian and said at the same time:
"Honeymoon?”