The Billionaire's One

11. Day One Hundred and Ninety-Seven of Knowing

My mother sighs. "I can hear the sarcasm, gem."

"I'll let you know when I get to her place, okay?" I tell her.

"You're staying with her the whole time, right?" my mother asks me and I've just about lost count how many times she's asked me that.

I pull my passport out from my bag. "I was actually thinking of sleeping on the street just outside her house for a few days."

My mother makes a sound of disapproval. "Alright, gem. Be safe."

After I hang up, I text Aubrey that I've arrived safely, before finally calling Ray.

"Al!" she yells at me, through the phone.

Apparently, Aurora is much too difficult a name for most people to say on a regular basis, so since my initials are A.L., many of my friends call me Al.

Ray, whose real name is Jenna, got her name because she was so disagreeable about some things that we just had to call her a ray of sunshine.

In fact, of the three of us who were good friends in college, Isabella is the only one we called something close to her name: Isa.

"Hey, Ray," I tell her.

Despite my perfectly socially acceptable decibel, Ray continues to shout at me through the phone. "Are you here yet?"

"No, Ray, I'm risking my life to call you from the plane."

"Ha ha. Did you collect your bags? Am I going to have to bust through the glass doors and pick you up at baggage claim?"

"I would advise against it," I tell her, diplomatically, "How about you just pull up to the pick up zone and I'll meet you out there?"

"You're no fun, Al."

"Just trying to save you from having to spend your wedding money to replace an airport glass door."

Ray tuts. "Julie is going to love you."

"Just like her fiancée does," I remind her.

"Get your ass out here, Lexington, or I'm coming in."

With that warmhearted threat, she hangs up.

When I finally get step out of the airport, into the cool late afternoon breeze of Whitfield Hills, enjoying the first time I've been here, my reverie is shattered by Ray's slamming of her car door as she practically stomps over to me.

"What are you standing around for?" she asks, wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me the squeeze of my life, "Get your ass in the car and let's get this party started."

"Ray," I laugh, "I've just been on a seven-hour flight. I really just want to shower."

"By party, I mean the party we're planning at home. The wedding planning party. My mother absolutely refused to let me take you out today."

As she ushers me towards her car, I laugh. "Remind me to thank her."

"My Mom has been telling me that she cannot wait for you to come because you seem to be able to talk some sense into me," Ray grumbles, "She's only met you once and I swear she likes you more than she likes me, but not as much as she likes Julie."

I get into the passenger's seat and nod in approval. "I think that's exactly how the ranking should go."

Ray slides on her sunglasses and smiles at me. "I'm so glad you're here, you freak. It's going to be a fun two months. Oh, and Julie sends her apologies. She's out of town for some work and she will be back in two days, so you can meet her then."