Chapter 18
Lacey
Today was the last day, the wedding, which meant Matteo was up very early with phone calls from Shawn. I overheard them talking, and I could tell he was nervous. Doesn’t everyone feel that way on their wedding day? I assumed it was perfectly normal.
I spent most of the day by myself in the room. I finished my book and watched a couple of TV reruns. I wasn’t a part of the actual wedding, so I didn’t have anything to do today besides show up. Honestly, I was enjoying not having to be anywhere. I lounged around in my sweats with my hair in a bun all morning. I even splurged and ordered room service for breakfast.
Around noon, I got up to start getting ready. I let my hair down to the small of my back in waves and put on my dress, a long, elegant fuchsia dress. I stared at myself in the mirror, realizing how grown-up I looked. I reminded myself of one of those stuck-up women from fancy dinner parties. I reached around to zip it up when it got stuck. Shit! I fidgeted around for several minutes trying to get it unstuck when I heard the door open. Matteo came to check on me, but I forgot to close the damn bathroom door. Well, since he was here, the least he could do was help me with the dress. Sure, I was exposed, but he had seen me before.
“Can you help me zip up the dress? It’s stuck.” I waved him over for help. Normally, I would feel awkward, but I didn’t. I felt comfortable around him now. He moved my hair and ran his finger down my back to the zipper. His touch made the hair on my neck stand up. “Today’s the last day; I packed my bags, and I’ll leave shortly after the wedding. My flight leaves at five p.m. Can you make sure there is a ride for me to the airport?”
He shook his head, but I could tell something was bothering him. I started to ask but then decided against it. As he zipped me up, I felt a sensation down to my core. Today was the end game. Who knew when we got back home if he would even call me. Hell, he might never want to see me again after this trip. It was just a business arrangement, right? I pulled myself together because I didn’t want him to see my concern. My face was flushed.
I walked out of the bathroom past him to grab my phone, and he stopped me. His palm landed on my cheek gently. “You look beautiful.”
His words made me weak. Maybe he would call me when we got back. The last two days couldn’t have just been part of the arrangement. Could it?
I wasn’t ready to go to the wedding because in just a couple of hours it meant I’d be going home. The last seven days had been a great experience for me. I met a man who went from being an asshole to an incredibly thoughtful person. A man I could see myself in a relationship with. We hadn’t talked about what having sex meant, but I knew what I wanted. More.