Just then, Sabrina approaches us. “Hey.”
I hold her arm. “Sabrina, let me introduce you to Gilbert Callaghan, my best man. Gil, this is Mrs. Sabrina Brewster.”
“Now, that has got a nice ring to it,” Gil says, taking Sabrina’s hand. “Though not as nice as that ring on your finger.” He kisses her hand. “Pleasure to finally meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Sabrina says. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Gil grins. “I’m sure it feels nice to finally have a face to go with those amazing qualities, which is exactly how I feel about you.”
“Charming,” Sabrina says. “But I think I’ve rather developed a dislike for men with honey-coated tongues. Since you and Randall are friends and I guess that makes us friends, why don’t we just cut the bullshit and stop flattering each other?”
I laugh.
“The rose has thorns,” Gil says.
And yet, she’s never shown those to me. Is it because I was her boss or is it because of another reason?
“It looks like you and Gil will get along,” I tell Sabrina as Gil goes off to talk to someone else.
She nods then looks around. “Where’s David?”
I sigh. “He’s gone inside with Lucy. He said he wasn’t feeling well.”
“Really?” Sabrina looks concerned. “Then I should…”
I pull her arm. “He’s just acting up because he still doesn’t want us to get married. I told him he had to be at the wedding, but since it’s over I guess he left.”
Sabrina frowns. “I really wish he was happy for us. Have you told him the truth?”
I shake my head. “No. He doesn’t really want to talk to me.”
“Or me,” Sabrina says sadly. “Do you think maybe we should have?”
“I doubt it would have made a difference.”
“Yeah.”
“He’ll be fine,” I assure her. “He’ll come around. Now, don’t frown. It’s our wedding day.”
She gives a weak smile.
“Congratulations to the bride and groom,” Carol says as she approaches. “I know this isn’t a real wedding and all…”
Sabrina told her the truth, too.
“But I’m still happy. I think this is a good thing.”
“Have you noticed anything suspicious lately?” I ask her.
“None since the hacking.”
“Hacking?”
“Oh. Sabrina didn’t tell you. My computer was hacked.”
“No, she didn’t mention it,” I say, glancing over at Gil.
Was it one of Vince’s men who hacked her computer, or was it one of Gil’s men?
“But don’t you two worry about it. I just know that Vince isn’t going to come close now.”
“I won’t be too sure,” Sabrina says.
“Oh, stop being such a pessimist,” Carol scolds her. “Oh, look at you, from nanny to wife.”
“I’m still David’s nanny,” Sabrina reminds.
“Yes, technically, you still are but now you’re a wife, too.”
“A pretend wife.”
“Oh, shush.” Carol holds a finger to her lips. “Let’s just call it what it is – wife, husband, wedding. Now, you come with me, and I’ll tell you a thing or two about being a wife, hmm?”
As Sabrina and Carol leave, Tess comes to offer me her hand. “I guess congratulations are in order.”
I shrug but shake her hand. “Have you made the arrangements for the announcement in the papers?”
“Yes, I have. Any minute now, I’ll send them the wedding picture I took earlier.” She shows me the picture. “And they’ll publish the announcement of the wedding at least twenty-four hours after.”
“Good.”
I want Vince to know that Sabrina James is no longer available.
“By the way, nice dress,” I tell her, looking at the royal blue fabric.
“Thank you. Didn’t I tell you royal blue was a good color?”
She was the one who suggested it.
“Yes, and you happened to have a dress the exact color.”
She chuckles.
“Oh, and the lipstick looks perfect on Sabrina.”
“Yeah. I think you already told me that a dozen times. Why don’t you stop staring at it and wipe it off her?”
“I’ve kissed her,” I remind her.
“You call that a kiss, Randall Brewster?” she teases me before walking off.
I exhale then gaze in Sabrina’s direction, watching her as she continues to talk to Carol. I do want to kiss her, really kiss her. Hell, I want to do more, much more.
Suddenly, I can’t wait for tonight.
***
Unfortunately, I have to wait, I realize as I see Sabrina coming out of the bathroom in her pajamas, her face pale and her body tense, her hands shaking slightly.
“Are you all right?” I ask her.
She nods. “Just scared.”
She lies down on the bed.
I frown. I want her more than anything, but right now, she’s not ready. I can tell. The fact that she’s agreed to marry me means that she’s open to the idea of having sex with me. In previous situations, I’ve felt that she wants to. But not completely.
She’s not ready.
I understand. She was traumatized by what Vince did to her.
Damn that Vince. I swear I’m going to break him to pieces if I ever get within an inch of him.
I could wrap my arms around her. I could seduce her. If I do, I know she’ll give in. But no. I’d rather wait until she wants me and comes to me on her own.
I will wait.
“You must be tired,” I tell her, sitting up against the pillows and turning on the TV. “Why don’t you get some sleep?”
“You sure?” she asks, slightly worried.
I nod.
“Good night.” She turns on her side, her back against me.
“Good night.”
I tear my gaze away from the back of her neck, sighing, then get out of the bed. If I’m not going to be having sex with her tonight, I might as well sleep in one of the other dozen rooms, though something tells me that even if I do, it’s going to be a long, hard night.
Runaway
Sabrina
It’s a beautiful morning, I think as I lean against the wall and peek through the thick curtains.
The sun is rising slowly, its first beams making the surface of the fountain below glisten. The breeze is blowing through the leaves in the garden. The sky is turning blue, almost as blue as the sash I wore yesterday at my wedding.
My wedding.
I still can’t believe I’m married. It’s unreal.
Well, it isn’t real, but I also mean that it’s unbelievable to know that I’m someone’s wife, to have a ring on my finger and a man on my bed.
Not just any man. My husband.
I let the curtain slip from my fingers and lean on the wall, watching him sleeping soundly, snoring softly. Maybe he stayed up late?
I don’t know. I fell asleep shortly after I hit the bed.
I was surprised, actually. I thought that he would wrap his arms around me and start kissing me. I thought that since it was our wedding night, he would insist that we have sex, or at least seduce me into being in the mood for it. God knows he has the right to do that now and if he had, I would have resisted maybe a little but I wouldn’t have pushed him away. He did none of that, though.