You feel very romantic when you're in a ball gown. Everyone should wear one once in a while.
-Carolina Herrera
Coco Spencer's POV
It's been a week since I hired Lucia Salazar to create a wedding dress for me. From the day I arrived in Paris it became my routine to spend the day in her shop to watch my wedding dress come to life. She only laughed at the bullying I promised her if she couldn't make me a wedding dress fast enough.
The Spanish woman claimed that she's used to be bullied by her sister-in-law before. I was stunned for a moment but I could see in her eyes that her remark was filled with affection towards her sister-in-law.
She told me firmly that she's not a superhero. She couldn't create a wedding dress in just one week. I don't think that I could wait that long for me and Rafe to be married. I even offered my service—even though, I don't know basic stitching. Either she takes pity on me or wants to send me away as soon as possible, Lucia Salazar suggested if I'd like to consider wearing a cocktail-length wedding dress instead of the traditional one.
Now that she had said that it occurred to me that I don't want to wear such a gown with a long train behind me. I don't want to have such a burden of dragging that excess fabric on my wedding day. So the fashion designer sketched another design that I instantly fell in love with at sight. Seven days to be exact since that day my wedding dress is almost done.
"Hello," I greeted cheerfully, as I enter her boutique.
Lucia Salazar smiled at the sight of me while showing the door to her new client. "I thought you are not coming today. Please come in, your wedding dress is done."
"I bought coffee for us, here." I gave one to her and another one to her assistant. Since I visited her almost every day our relationship elevated from client-customer to being friends. Yes, she's my newest friend. She's talkative like me. "I know you want to get married as soon as possible so I tried to finish your gown last night."
"Oh, that explains the dark shadow under your eyes," I remarked playfully. "Here I thought you didn't sleep well last night because you are still thinking that—according to you—"arrogant man" who happens to be your brother's ex-bodyguard who sees you anything but a little girl."
She threw me a disapproving look. "Let's get some fact straight here, Coco. That man didn't even come to my mind even once after he resigned at my brother's employment."
"Yeah, right." I agreed with her with a smile, as we starts to walk inside her workroom. "That's why you have often mistaken random guys outside to be him."
She frowned at me. "I do not do such things! Oh, how I hate his face. He's a monster, Coco. You can ask my sister-in-law if you want. That man gave Leila such a hard time during the first month of her marriage with my brother. He follows her like a shadow."
I laughed at her comical face. Lucia Salazar was as transparent as I glass whatever she felt showed in her expression. "That's his job, sis. He's a bodyguard of course he will follow your brother's wife like a shadow to protect her."
Lucia snorted. "Protect, indeed. That's why he's attacking women in the dark area of the estate and plays with their feelings." She whispered under her breath. "I wonder how many women he kissed in the estate."
"Excuse me?" I asked when she muttered something that I didn't hear clearly.
She shook her head and smiled at me which didn't quite reach her eyes. "Enough of that man. What can you say about your dress?"
I couldn't help but smile seeing the dress on the fashion mannequin. I saw tea-length tulle wedding dresses in off-the-shoulder neckline sheer short sleeves lace gowns. "Is this really my dress? By the way, you are still blushing. Your face is as red as a Spanish tomato."
She consciously touched her cheeks. "Do you like it?" Completely ignoring my comment about her blushing face. "I hope you like it."
"Are you kidding me?" I asked her in disbelief. "I don't like the dress. I love it. It's beyond my expectation. You are a genius no wonder why everyone is going crazy about your creations."
"I'm so glad that you like it."
"I can finally go back to London today." I smiled at her. "Thank you so much for this dress. I didn't make a mistake in choosing you as the designer." I opened my arms towards her. "Can I get a hug from you?"
She hugged me back briefly and smiled at me. "We became bestie, don't you think?"
"I certainly hope so." I watched her pack my wedding down to the box. "I'd like to invite you to my wedding. I will be glad if you can come."
"I will try to come but I can't promise you anything, okay?"
I sipped my coffee. "I guess that's should be expected from a busy designer like you. I will visit you again but with my husband by that time."
"I would love to meet your groom who you are eager to marry."
"He's one of a kind." I giggled, remembering Rafe's straight-laced personality. I already miss him terribly it's been a week since the last time I saw his handsome face. "That's why I am so attracted to him."
"Here you go." Lucia Salazar announced happily as she finished packing my wedding dress. "Don't forget to send me a picture of it on your wedding day, okay?"
"I promise," I told her with a smile. "I should go. I want to fly back as soon as possible in London."
Lucia led me to the door as she used to do with all of her clients. "Please have a safe flight."
Once I was outside, I fished out my mobile phone and dialed Rafe's number. After a few rings, I smiled upon hearing his deep voice. "Hey, honey. Miss me?"
"Signorina."
I pouted while flagging a taxi on the street. I guessed I should be used by that way of addressing me. "I am on my way to the airport as we speak. Can we meet today once I get back?"
"Yeah, I want to say something to you in person before our wedding." He said on the other line. I couldn't help the way my heart lit at his words. At our wedding, he said how those simple words could brighten your day.
"I'll see you in a few hours, honey."
FEW HOURS LATER...
I slid out of the taxi in the busy street of London. One hand dragging my luggage, while the other one holding my wedding dress box. Rafe and I agreed to meet at this restaurant after I arrived. He doesn't have any idea that I went here straight from my flight.
I entered the restaurant and scanned the place for the familiar face of Rafe. I knew it I was earlier. I sat on the vacant table and dialed Rafe's number again. "Where are you? I'm here at our meeting place. All right, I will be waiting for you."
The waiter approached me and I asked for a glass of water. A few minutes later, I felt my lips twitching with a smile as the most handsome man you could ever see walked through the entrance.
"Honey!" I waved my hand to call his attention. "Over here."
He approached me with the signature stoic expression on his face. God, after a week of staying in Paris I really missed him. "Sorry to keep you waiting. You are an hour earlier than the time you gave me."
"I'm just in time," I replied with a smile, feasting my eyes with his handsome face. "I first thought of dropping by to my flat but then I realized to come straight here." I was about to stand from my chair to give him a greeting kiss when he leaned down and kiss me on my forehead. The gesture caught me off guard and some butterflies started to flutter their wings in my stomach.
"What's the rush?" He asked conversationally while taking the chair across to me. "You should rest a bit in your flat. You must be tired from your flight."
"Oh, I'm fine and filled with energy." I grinned at him. "I'm excited to see you."
His gorgeous eyes finally notice my luggage and the huge box sitting on the chair next to me. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes!" I answered merrily. "It's my wedding dress. Do you want to see it? Sorry, can't do that. According to myth, it's bad luck to see my wedding dress before the wedding."
That made him smile. He pushed the envelope he's holding in my direction. "I want you to sign them before our wedding."
Curious at what he's talking about I looked at the content of the envelope and sigh deeply. "Seriously, Rafe?"
"We need to have a prenup." He said in a firm tone that he likes to use when dealing with me. "I don't want people to speculate the reason I married you is because of your money. Right now people see nothing but an opportunity seeker marrying a rich heiress because my family faced bankruptcy. Sign them so I can still hold up my head straight in the society."
I pouted while reading the prenup. "If I sign them now when will be our wedding?"
"Tomorrow if you want." My gaze shot to his face, it was the first time I saw playfulness in his expression. The look on his face made me more attracted to him.
"Are you serious or you are just playing with me?" I scowled at him intently.
"I'm dead serious, Signorina."
I smiled at him. I held out my hand. "Give me the damn pen, honey. Let's finish this crap already."
He laughed as he handed me his pen. I signed the paper and gave them back to me. Just in time, he gestured to a waiter. After a few moments of staring at his handsome face, I notice the waiter place a platter with a cover on our table. "Oh, we didn't order yet."
"It's for you," Rafe said, giving a tip to the waiter. "I hope you like it."
"You have no idea how to famished I am," I answered him truthfully. "I will eat anything that edible with my current state of hunger. Thank goodness you already order food..."
The words died in my mouth when I removed the cover of the platter. "I hope you are not that hungry because I haven't ordered any food yet, Signorina."
I stared at him and back to the platter. "Y-you..."
He removed the platinum engagement ring from its nest on the field of red roses arranged beautifully on the serving dish. He took my trembling hands and said. "Corrine Cordelia Spencer I am humbly asking you to share your life with me from now on. Will you agree and marry this poor man in front of you?"
"Yes! Oh my God, yes." This time I couldn't help the tears from my eyes. I could die with so much happiness right at this moment. Rafaelle Moretti is a lethally damn romantic man. I would have a problem guarding him against other women. They would fall easily in his charm in a blink of an eye.
Unaware of my thoughts he slipped the ring in my hand and studied it for a moment. "When do you want to hold the wedding ceremony?"
"Tomorrow," I answered without a heartbeat.
He gave me a devilish grin. "Tomorrow it is then."