“We’re still at The Guild,” I tell her, referencing the boutique hotel we stayed at for our bachelor night.
“What time are you headed over here?”
“Remi just got here, so in a few minutes. Why? Do I need to pick you up a coffee or something?” I ask.
“No, just… come to my room when you get here.”
CHAPTER TWO
Surprises and decisions
Phoenix
“Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?” Helix asks as we walk into the lobby of The White Willow, the hotel where the wedding will be held.
I wave my hand at him. “That’s just a silly superstition.”
“I can’t imagine Daddy Bettencourt would approve of this,” Remington adds.
“What Daddy don’t know won’t hurt him,” I say with a smirk I don’t really feel. To be honest, I’m a little confused as to why Beatrice asked me to come to her room a few hours before the ceremony. Maybe she wants toreallythankme for the jewelry. On her knees.
Shit, that would be amazing. With all the wedding hoopla, we haven’t had much time for intimacy the past month. Now I’m anxious as hell to get upstairs.
“I’m going to head up to the honeymoon suite to see Beatrice. Which room are we in?”
Remi checks the little paper sleeve and hands me one of the keycards. “Penthouse, floor ten. Your tux should have been delivered already, but I’ll make sure everything is in order.”
“Thanks, man,” I say, pocketing the key before jogging to theelevator and taking it to the ninth floor. The doors open onto a plushly carpeted hallway, and I find the correct door and knock.
My fiancée answers wearing a silky white bathrobe. Her hair has been styled into an elegant updo, and her makeup is impeccable.
“Wow,” I breathe, in awe that this beautiful woman is going to be mine in a few short hours. “I know you don’t like it when I comment on your physical appearance, but since it’s our wedding day, I hope you’ll make an exception. Because my bride looks stunning.”
She smiles and turns her face so I can kiss her cheek, though I’d rather plant a kiss right on those pretty mauve lips. “Come on in. I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Don’t tell me we have another party to attend before the wedding starts,” I tease, following her to the taupe couch and taking a seat beside her. Beatrice tucks a leg beneath her butt and faces me.
“No, we’re done with parties until the reception,” she says. “And then the send-off breakfast in the morning.”
I’d fought against that particular event, wanting to spend the morning in bed with my new wife, but I was overruled.
“Okay, sweetheart. What did you need to talk to me about?”
Beatrice wets her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Father has presented me with an amazing opportunity.”
I take her hand and beam at her. “Whatever it is, it’s well deserved. You did a fantastic job with the expansion.”
She nods, averting her eyes for a second before saying, “It will be working with the Ishikawa Group. Father is wanting to expand into e-commerce, and…” She keeps talking, but it all sounds hollow because the wordsIshikawa Groupare flashing like a beacon inside my head.
“Wait, isn’t Ishikawa in Japan?” I finally interrupt.
Beatrice tilts her chin up. “Yes. I would need to live there for this job, but it doesn’t start until next year.”
“So,” I shake my head, trying to make sense of this, “we would have to move to Japan next year?”
“Yes, Ishikawa is one of the leaders in e-commerce, and like I said, that’s the direction Father wants to take the company in over the next five to seven years.”
“Five to seven years?” I repeat. “We would have to live overseas for that long? What about my job at Hale Cosmetics?”
