The next few months disappeared in a blur of laughter, and the most amazing sex she’d ever had. She tried so many new things with him, he took her to salsa lessons where they ended up standing on one anothers feet and laughing so hard that they cried. They went scuba diving but she got afraid of a shark, which she later realised was not a shark at all, but something people had in fish tanks. It seemed much larger in the water, and they spent the rest of the day chasing each other down the beach humming the ‘Jaws’ theme tune. They went to ‘All you can eat’s and did just that, and went to baseball games to make out. She accompanied him to work a few days a week, helping develop the story lines for their new games, and she became a part of the furniture there, and made a new friend in Jessie.
They went ring shopping, as she started to discover just how wealthy he was. Choosing a beautiful heart shaped pink diamond, she almost fainted at the price tag, but once he saw it on her finger she knew he wouldn’t let her put it back if she pleaded with him. He refused a pre-nup, and begged her to spend whatever she wanted to, after all he loved to see her in beautiful gowns and they didn’t come cheap. She spoke to Annie every day, and Ellie most days, as her pregnancy progressed. She loved getting the E-mails, showing her bump photos. She found herself feeling pangs of envy as the months went on, she loved that Ellie was so happy, but she found herself standing in front of the mirror one evening inspecting her belly and wondering what it might be like.
‘I want to marry you first’. Luke stepped into the room, and she hastily rolled down her strappy Tinkerbell Pyjama top. He smiled, coming up behind her, and holding her close to him at the waist. ‘I can’t wait to see a little miniature Emily running around, calling me Daddy and waiting for me at the door every night.’ His eyes were lit up, and animated with the thought. She held his arms around her tightly. She was starting to see all the little things that made him tick. His parents meant a lot to him, and in spite of his ailing relationship with his brother, she knew he’d always been the brother that dreamt of a close family. Laura told her that Mikey often poked fun at his brother growing up, but that business-wise he had far surpassed Mikey’s achievements. She admitted that her husband had always enjoyed the football trophies Mikey had brought home, and Luke had been obscured.
It was November when her paperwork was approved, based on her earnings as an Author and the reputation of the Delaware family. The weather was mild and balmy, completely insane to her at this time of year. In London it had been snowing on and off, not heavy flurries but enough of a contrast to Florida. At just over 21 degrees, she strolled through the house, her towel under her right arm, ready for a mid morning dip. As she opened the door, she felt Luke’s hands on her hips. She turned to him, a coy look on her face. He gave her a sobering look, and held the landline phone in one hand. She frowned at him, wondering what had happened and hoping that it didn’t have anything to do with the wedding, which was less than a fortnight away.
‘Why didn’t you tell me about the tv show?’
It took her a moment to work out what he meant, her eyes went to the phone then back to his eyes.
‘You mean the thing with my book? I decided not to, it wasn’t for me.’
She pulled away from him, hoping the conversation was over, and walked out onto the decking, pulling her hair up into a high knot.
‘You chose me over the biggest opportunity of your life.’
She didn’t indulge him with a reply. Sliding off her blue satin robe, she slipped into the pool. It wasn’t quite warm enough with the heat of the sun, but benefitted from a heating system. She felt the water slosh over her shoulders, and she looked up at him, standing on the side of the pool.
‘I did what I had to do. Children’s books were never my thing.’
‘But you did it for years. You worked hard at something. I wish you’d have spoken to me.’ She saw desperation in his eyes. He lowered himself to a crouch, so he could have her undivided attention. ‘I don’t want you regretting this some day. One day you’re gonna get home sick and you’re…’
‘What?’ she interrupted him, and climbed out of the pool beside him, her white lace cut out swim suit, displaying a tan she’d been working on for weeks.
‘Don’t do that. Don’t get out of the pool all Ridgemont High style.’
‘Tell me what you were going to say’ she pressed, sitting down beside him, their toes lapping in the water. ‘Don’t tell me you really believe I could get bored of you.’
‘I didn’t say that, but it could happen, couldn’t it?’
She laughed musically. ‘Luke who knows what will happen? I didn’t know this would happen and yet I’ve embraced it and I love it. I love you, I love living with you. I wanted to be with you, sitting in that meeting you were running through my head and I couldn’t shut it off. I spent practically the whole summer pining for you.’
‘Pining?’ he smiled, curiously. ‘As in longing?’
‘As in wanting and needing and being totally in love with you.’
‘And what about the future?’ he asked, brushing a strand of wet hair off her forehead.
‘We get married in a matter of days and then I’ll have a brand new project, right?’
He shook his head, chuckling.
He took her hand, and knotting his fingers with hers, he said;
‘Call Maryam Parsi. She’s been trying to reach you.’
Maryam answered excitedly, after her secretary connected the call.
‘Emily!’ she greeted, ‘How is the Florida sun treating you?’
‘It’s bliss’ she admitted. ‘A few more creepy crawlies than I’m used to, but all in all I’m so happy I did this.’
‘And the Florida man?’
She chuckled heartily. ‘The Florida Man is amazing.’ She looked over to where Luke sat, leg propped at an angle over his knee. He grinned from ear to ear, winking suggestively. She rolled her eyes playfully.
‘I spoke to him earlier. Seems like you’re very much the elusive talent at the moment, I’ve been trying to get hold of you for some weeks. I have some incredible news.’
‘Go on.’ She urged.
Maryam outlined that the T.V channel wanted to go ahead with production, and that after a long dialogue between Maryam, her superiors and the producers, they had come to an agreement and wanted to make her a new offer.
‘Emily, we want to work this around you. We know you’ve relocated, and we know we’ll have to utilise some alternative technology to make this work. All we ask is that perhaps every three to six months, we have a meeting. Either here in London, or in Miami.’
She was stunned. This was one of those times when surely someone would jump out of a closet and shout, ‘You’ve been punk’d’. Or when Maryam suddenly realised she was making a big mistake.
‘What do you say Emily?’
She looked at Luke, sitting there shooting her questioning looks. She pressed the loudspeaker button and carried the phone to the sofa, slumping down next to him.
‘You’re happy for me to work from here? On the show?’
‘Yes’ Maryam said, and her tone implied she was smiling right now, which was a very good thing.
‘Then I’ll do it!’
Luke wrapped his arm around her, and she snuggled into him.
‘I’ll E-mail you the contract. Thank you Emily, you’re a real asset to us.’
‘No, thank you, Maryam. This is incredible. Thank you.’
After she hung up, Luke tossed the phone to one side and pushed her down onto the sofa, climbing above her. As she lost herself in him, driven crazy with lust for him, she smiled to herself. Everything was perfect.
‘Don’t do that!’ Annie warned, slapping Charlie’s hand away. ‘Go and bother someone else!’
Charlie lowered his camera and scowled. ‘Is it a crime to want to photograph my sexy boo boo?’
Ellie rolled her eyes, fussing with her hair in the mirror, stifling a giggle. Emily looked away, tears in her eyes. Charlie was quite the character, and seemed to have no end to nicknames for Annie.
‘Our Charlie boy!’ Ellie pushed him out of the door, ‘You can’t be here now. We’re all gonna get naked.’
His eyes widened, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
‘In your dreams’ Ellie laughed as she clicked the door shut. ‘Pervert.’
They looked at one another, before bursting into laughter.
‘Boo Boo? Really Annie?’
Their friend pretended to ignore their jeers, and checked her eye makeup. ‘He’s my little lap dog, don’t make fun of him.’
This led to more laughter, Annie joining in.
They’d arrived with two days to spare before the big day. Annie had marking for school and lesson plans and Ellie, upon deciding to stay in the UK, had managed to get herself a job at a Mother and Baby magazine. Shortly after she arrived, she sat them down to tell them that she and Mikey had separated permanently. His indiscretions weren’t the reason, or so she said, she just didn’t feel like they fitted into everyday life together. On her travels, going from country to country and discovering new horizons every day, he had been a partner to share it with, and then in Florida it had seemed like a never ending vacation. She only ever saw him between meetings, keeping things fresh and new.
Then they settled down in London, living near her mother and he became impossible to live with. He was messy, and inconsiderate, and would disappear for long spells without a text or a call to say how long he would be. They decided mutually that their ‘whirlwind’ relationship wasn’t worth fighting for, and promising a generous child support arrangement, he headed back home.
She didn’t seem pensive or upset, but as Emily presented them with their bespoke Swarovski crystal tiara’s, she saw something in her friends eyes.
‘Sweetie I feel terrible about what happened.’ She told Ellie, stroking her hair, tenderly. ‘I wish things turned out differently. You’d be married by now…’
‘To a lying, cheating, boring, arrogant, messy, inconsiderate fool.’ Ellie said, with a frown, before shaking her head with a giggle. ‘Least I got a baby out of the deal’. She stroked her burgeoning bump. At twenty five weeks pregnant, she was beautiful. Her bump was perfectly rounded, and coupled with an impressively large pregnancy rack, she was glowing. Mikey was missing out big time, but Annie and Emily both breathed a silent sigh of relief.
‘I might hook up with Coldplay guy’, she mused, whilst slicking on the perfect shade of ruby lipstick, to match their beautiful red silk gowns.
Annie, who had been sipping a margharita, spat it all over the place.
Ellie and Emily stared quizzically at her. Annie often did this if she was harbouring a secret of some sort. She could never keep anything schtum.
‘Annie?’ warned Ellie, as if to say, ‘If you don’t tell us, we will tickle it out of you!’
‘Ah I wasn’t gonna say anything because the consensus is that my brother is an arse but I guess this is the time for a funny anecdote.’
‘What?!’ Emily demanded, ‘Get on with the story!’
‘Well I went to visit Saul a few days after you left for Florida and when I arrived, well you remember last time he was necking Sophia?’
Emily nodded.
‘Well I swear to God there he was in the elevator, French kissing Coldplay Guy.’
There was shock in the room. Emily’s eyes widened, Ellie chapped her hand over her mouth, and then, hysterical laughter.
‘Oh my gosh Em you turned Saul gay!’ Ellie hooted. ‘Ahhhh this is too funny, shame I’m not closer to my due date this would so make me go into labour!’
‘He’s always been bi-sexual’ Annie stated, matter of factly, before laughing so hard she stumbled into the dresser. Between Ellie’s snorting, and Annie’s clumsy fall onto the plush hotel carpet, Emily took a moment to enjoy the company of two people who had changed her life forever.
‘Well I guess I go back to the drawing board’, Ellie said, between giggles.
Emily’s dress was a simple beaded chiffon dress. Strapless, and elegant, it showcased her honey tan, and accessorised with a simple white rose in her hair, the look was effortless and informal. Miles from the Vera Wang gown Ellie had chosen, the dress was demure, yet understated and stunning. The walk down to the beach was one she would remember forever. They kicked off their wedge heels, and sank their toes into the silky sand. Although Emily’s father would be in attendance, she hadn’t chosen him to walk her down the aisle. He and her mother had arrived late last night, and would only be staying for a few days. Though she was excited for them to meet Luke, she was more excited about him, seeing her.
With Ellie holding her right arm and Annie clutching her left, she felt invincible. There was a slight breeze in the air today, just enough to ruffle their stunning silk dresses. She hoped Luke had held his side of the bargain, and in just minutes she would find out. Looking down the beach, she could just about see the wedding guests awaiting her arrival. Beyond his parents, her parents, Jessie, Charlie, Aunt Madeline and a few of his cousins and a scattering of work colleagues, it was intimate. She could hear the tinny sound of violin music from here, and the girls squeezed her arm reassuringly. As they reached the end if the aisle, the space between two rows of distressed white wooden chairs, Luke turned to face her.
She would have laughed if she wasn’t crying so much, there he was, waiting for her, wearing exactly what he had promised. That red Hawaiian shirt. It matched perfectly with Annie and Ellie’s dresses, and the scarlet red of her rose bouquet. He gave her a knowing look and she beamed at him, realising that suit or no suit, this was Luke and she adored him to pieces. He didn’t take his eyes off her as she waltzed down the aisle, her friends staying in stride with her.
Under the setting sun, they were married, watched by her dearest friends who cried along with herself and Luke and wooped as they were pronounced man and wife. As the lanterns were lit and let off into the sky, at the end of the greatest day of her life, she looked into Luke’s eyes and knew that the only saying was not true.
Nice guys didn’t finish last.
He was everything to her. The next few months would bring a new baby into their lives, she’d become an Aunt for the first time and it looked like Annie and Charlie were destined for a fairytal romance of their own. With the T.V series, and her own plans to be a Mother, she felt buoyed and exhilarated by a man she would confess she couldn’t live without.
‘Mrs Delaware, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. Thank you for giving me a chance.’ Luke whispered, breaking into her thoughts. His eyes were wet, his smile irresistible.
She stroked his stubbly cheek and rested her forehead against his.
‘I lied before. This is definitely forever.’
He smiled, and took her hand. They walked through the sand, fingers entwined, the moonlight watching over them like a promising omen.
And you know what?
They lived happy ever after…..
THE END.