“What?” I ask, staring at him wide-eyed. This change in the atmosphere… can it be…
I can hardly breathe as I watch Nico get down on one knee in front of me.
“Liliana,” he says, reaching into one of his pockets and drawing out a small box. “In this short time we’ve known each other, you’ve become my entire world. I don’t want to lose you. So, please, stay with me. Live with me here – as my wife. Will you marry me?”
I gape down as he pops the box open to reveal a beautiful diamond ring, sparkling in the sun coming through his windows. It’s delicate and perfectly made. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s antique. But he could be offering me a candy ring, and I would still take it. I put my hand over my mouth, feeling tears spilling down my cheeks. He said he wanted it to be more romantic, but I can’t imagine it better than this.
“Oh, my god,” I say, my heart fluttering madly in my chest. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy.
“This is ridiculous,” Dad huffs. “You can’t mean…?”
“Yes,” I say, ignoring him. “Yes, Nico, I’ll marry you. Yes!”
He puts the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly, somehow. Then he jumps to his feet and sweeps me up into his arms, and kisses me sweeter and softer than he ever has before. My face is wet, and when we pull apart, I realize that it’s not only my own tears on my cheeks.
“You really mean to go through with this?” Dad asks. His voice sounds puzzled now, less angry. Like all the wind has been taken out of his sails by Nico’s gesture.
“Yes,” Nico says, taking a breath and wiping the back of his hand across his face. “Yes, I mean it. I want to marry your daughter.”
“How can I know you mean it?” Dad asks, frowning. He’s trying to hold onto something, I can see, but his complaints are slipping away one by one. It’s like he’s trying to hold sand, and it’s just falling through his fingers to the floor. Everything he can bring up against us, I’m sure we can answer it.
“This is my ancestral ring,” Nico says, quite seriously. “It’s over four hundred years old, and first graced the finger of a minor noblewoman when she married one of my forefathers. Put in terms of the fact that I’m the last of my family line, it’s the most valuable thing I own. And before my own mother passed away, I promised her I wouldn’t give it away to anyone outside of the family unless I loved them with all my heart.”
With every word, the ring on my finger feels heavier. I stare down at it in amazement. So, I was right, it is antique. Suddenly, I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to wear it all day like you’re supposed to with an engagement ring.
“A trinket,” Dad grunts. “For all we know, you’re making it up. What happens if you get bored of her? You’ll just ask her to give it back.”
“I won’t do that.” Nico pauses significantly. “I won’t even ask for a prenup.”
“Why should that make any difference?” Dad grumbles. “A prenup? Most normal people don’t have one at all.”
“Because I’m opening myself up to trouble,” Nico explains. “If I marry without a prenup, Liliana could divorce me within a month and take half of what I own. Maybe a little less, if I have good lawyers, but she would still be entitled to so much. But I don’t care. I’m offering all of my money, all of my property, everything to be hers. She can take it all. When we’re married, everything mine will be hers, and I need nothing in return.”
“A couple of million,” Dad sniffs, gesturing at the house. “Is that all you’d lose? I’m sure you could earn it back. It sounds like you have a long lineage to rely on.”
“Million?” Nico laughs, looking between the two of us. “You really haven’t put two and two together? Neither of you researched my name?”
“No,” we both say, and then I add, “I didn’t think I needed to. And it’s not very polite.”
Nico laughs again. “Oh, my love,” he says, kissing me on the top of my forehead. “Not millions. Billions, and not just a couple. I own the café I first took you to. I own the restaurant we met in that night, all the restaurants I’ve taken you to this week. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. I have businesses across Europe.”
I blink, and he laughs again.
“My love,” he continues. “Finally, I found someone who loves me, for me. Not for my money or my status, or who I am. All it took was meeting the most unsavvy tourist who probably ever set foot in Monaco.”
“Hey,” I say, gathering enough of my wits around me to react at last. “I’m not the worst.”
“No,” he says, kissing me again, sweetly. I almost forget that my dad is here. He’s gone silent like he can’t think of anything else to say to object. “You’re the best.”
“If you’re trying to impress us…” Dad starts, grumbling again. But now it sounds like grumpiness, not real objections.
“Dad,” I say, turning to him with the ring shining on my finger. “Dad, come on. Please. I’m so happy. Can’t you be happy for me?”
Dad sighs heavily.
“I can be happy for you,” he says, begrudgingly. “But I can worry about you, too. You’re my only daughter.”
“And wouldn’t you worry about me even if I had known Nico for fifteen years and loved him all that time?” I ask. “Aren’t you always telling me it’s a father’s job to worry?”
He passes a weary hand over his face. “Yes,” he says. “I suppose you have a point. And if you’re determined to give this a try… I don’t think I can stop you.”
It’s not his blessing, but it’s close enough for now. I know I can work on the rest.
“Thank you, Dad,” I say, as Nico’s arm goes around my shoulders, tucking me against him. “I know you’ll see – this is not something any of us are going to regret.”
And even as I say it, I know in my bones that it has to be true.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Nico
The last couple of weeks have gone by in a whirlwind.
I still can't believe that I'm here, that we made it this far. But here we are. A lot of work has gone into making this possible, and we're finally here.
There was a lot of organization to do. First of all, we had to make sure we had the necessary paperwork for Liliana to come and live with me here in Monaco. There was a lot of work with shipping all of her belongings from the US back here, and of course, settling her into my house. Our house, now.
We had to make sure that her family was informed of the latest developments, and that her friends from back home knew as well. After all, we had to invite them all to fly over to join us for the ceremony. We decided that getting married as soon as possible was the best option, to make sure that there would be a legal reason for Liliana to stay here. After all, I'm not expecting her to work, so she wasn't going to be getting a work visa.
It's fast. I know a lot of people would say that. That we've just rushed into things, meeting and falling in love and getting married all within less than a month. But time means nothing when you're absolutely sure. And I’m sure. This is the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. This is the woman who will raise my children.
And why would I want to wait any longer to get started on that?
So, here I am, looking at myself in the mirror as I perfect my tie. It has to be perfect today, exactly the right size of knot, exactly the right position. Everything has to be perfect.
Because today is our wedding day.
I can't help but think of her waiting for me at the end of the aisle, and it sends a shiver down my spine. Even with such a short amount of time to plan everything, I managed to pull a few strings with some friends of mine to get a very well-renowned designer to create a custom wedding dress for her in a rush. It cost a pretty penny, of course, but nothing that my finances couldn't handle.
My own friends and family have gathered around us, filling up the hotels of Monaco, ready to watch us say our vows. Now all that remains is to actually say them.
I've never been nervous in presentatio
ns, never been nervous giving speeches or talking at seminars. But here I am, about to walk down the aisle and say my vows - and I feel nerves creeping in on me. I wonder if Liliana feels the same. If she still knows, just like I do, that this is absolutely the right thing.
I couldn't imagine doing anything else today. No matter how fast it may be, no matter how much money we have had to spend in order to make this a possibility in such a short time, I don't think there is any universe in which I would accept anything less. Today I am marrying the woman I love, and it doesn't get any better than that.
“Are you ready?”
I turn to see my best man, as it happens, the closest person in my life, the one I knew I could rely on, turned out to be Henri. My assistant has been there for me every moment for the last few years, and I don’t doubt that he probably knows me better than I know myself. He was the obvious choice. Not only that, but I’ve made some decisions about the future of the company in these weeks, and who will one day take it over after I’m no longer able.
I waited too long to start my family. Even if Liliana and I have already conceived a child by now, they would grow up to be old enough in another thirty years. I need someone who can run the business now, in case anything should happen to me. After all, I need there to be a clear line of what happens in that case, so that my assets aren’t stripped one by one to bad debts as the business fails. I need it to continue to thrive so that Liliana will always be taken care of.
But all of that is a consideration for another time. Right now, Henri is waiting for me to go with him to the altar, to be married.
“Yes,” I tell him, taking a breath to try to quell the shaking I feel at my core. I wonder if nerves are the right word for it. Excitement, maybe. I’m about to do the most important thing I will ever do, and I know it in my bones. This is a day I will remember for the rest of my life, down to the most minute detail.
I walk out into the church and look around to see my friends and family gathered on one side of the pews. On the other is everyone who has come for Liliana, minus the bridal party. They’re all ready and waiting for us. I smile at many familiar faces, including some of the people who helped me along the way to becoming who I am. Cousins, business partners, friends that I’ve kept in touch with since we were at business school together.
I stand next to Henri, who is taking good care of our rings, and try not to look at my watch. I’m sure I can’t bear to know whether she’s late or if it’s still early, and I have much longer to wait. I don’t quite know what to do with myself. I have never been flustered in my life, and yet here I am, all elbows and thumbs, suddenly forgetting how a normal human man is supposed to hold his arms when he stands.
It feels as though I’ve barely had enough time to center myself, to prepare, when the organist takes her seat at her instrument. She sets her hands to the keys with a moment of graze solemnity and then begins to play the Wedding March.
I look up, ready to see my beautiful bride come down the aisle towards me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Liliana
“I just want to talk to you for a moment,” Mom says, and I can’t help but want to roll my eyes and groan.
We’ve managed to get so close. My hair and makeup are done, and I’m wearing my gorgeous wedding gown. I’m ready. But now here we are, and it seems like I’m going to fall at the last hurdle. My own mother is about to try to talk me out of this.
“Alright,” I sigh, gesturing to the makeup artist and hairdresser who have been ministering to us all morning. “Thank you so much, ladies. If you could just give us a minute?”
They file out of the room with dimpled smiles. I feel like I’m slowly getting used to this thing of telling people what to do. It doesn’t come naturally to me, but it does seem to be something that comes along with having money. I had a shock the first morning that I came downstairs to find Nico’s cleaner wiping down the kitchen surfaces, and since then it’s all been a learning curve.
“Darling,” Mom says, reaching for my hand. I turn to face her, taking her in. She’s made up beautifully, wearing a pale lavender dress with a matching short jacket that makes her a truly elegant mother of the bride. She protested a great deal when she saw the price tag on the outfit, but Nico insisted on buying it for her.
“I’m ready for this, Mom,” I tell her, trying to cut off any last-minute objection she might have.
“Well, just hear me out,” she says. “Because it’s alright if you’re not. And I want you to know that there are so many options here. If you don’t feel like you want to go through with this today, that doesn’t mean it will never happen. I’m sure Nico would be very accommodating if you wanted to push it back a while.”
“I don’t want to,” I assure her.
“Just think about it for me, please?” Mom sighs, looking at me with love. “You’re my only daughter, and I always want what’s best for you. That’s who I’m concerned about – you, not anyone else. Nico has proven himself to be a very nice man, but if I had to choose between hurting his feelings or yours, I’d push him off a cliff soon as I would look at him.”
I laugh at her colorful metaphor. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“No, but even so.” Mom pauses. “What I’m trying to say, darling is that it’s alright to have doubts. It’s alright to be unsure and not to know what to do. Even all this money, this lifestyle – it’s not worth a thing if you don’t have real love, you know?”
I bite my lip. “Is that why you and Dad divorced?”
Mom shakes her head instinctively but then thinks better of it. “Well, we did love each other at first. But people change and grow apart, and we didn’t work hard enough at growing together. That’s the mistake we made. And when we didn’t love one another anymore, we couldn’t be happy together. We couldn’t carry on.”
“I do love him,” I say, patting the back of her hand to try to reassure her. “I love him so much, Mom. And I know it’s quick, but I’m absolutely sure of it. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Like… like I could die of happiness. I would die, to save him. I would do anything for him.”
“Even so, that doesn’t mean you should.” Mom stays serious for a moment, then flashes me a quick smile. “Just make sure that you’re not his personal maid, alright? You deserve to have him bend over backward for you just as much as you do for him.”
“I don’t think I would ever be able to bend that far back,” I say, laughing through tears in my eyes. “He’s given me every single thing I’ve asked for, and more that I didn’t. He told me he’s going to spoil me for the rest of his life.”
“And the day he stops spoiling you, you can just call up your old Mom and come back home,” she says, patting my hand back with tears in her own eyes now. “Alright. Let’s stop this and call those two lovely ladies back in – I think I’m going to need a touch-up of my makeup.”
With Mom’s approval, it feels like everything is falling into place. And when I get into the vintage Aston Martin to travel to the church, my heart is hammering in my chest, like a bird trying to get out of a cage. A bird that knows the thing it wants more than anything else is right around the corner, and the quicker it gets there, the quicker it can have it.
When we reach the church, dad steps out of the car and offers me his arm. “Are you ready?” he asks. He’s come around to this idea much better than he did at first, and though he still has his doubts, I know they come from a place of love. Over time, I hope I can prove to him that he doesn’t need to worry about me.
I’m walking into the rest of my life, and I can’t wait for it to begin.
“I’m ready,” I tell him. As I stand, a veritable army of dressers, bridesmaids, church staff, and my parents hover around me, straightening out my dress and making sure I still look perfect. I don’t think I’ll ever look this good again.
“Let’s go, then,” Dad says. He swoops down and kisses my cheek, and I smile to see how watery his eyes are already. Before I c
an say anything else, I hear the first strains of the bridal march – our cue to walk inside.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Nico
The doors of the church open, letting in brilliant sunlight, and I feel my jaw hit the ground.
She is always beautiful to me, but today, Liliana looks more beautiful than I have ever seen her. My Lili. Dressed in white from head to toe, just like she was that very first day I saw her. Now she clutches a beautiful bouquet of purple and pink flowers and walks at her dad’s side. So many things have not changed at all since we met, and why should they? It was only a short time ago. But so many things have changed, too.
Now I’m the luckiest and happiest man in the world, and back then I didn't even know what I was missing out on.
I feel happiness choking up my throat, constricting my chest, and all I can do is blink back the tears in my eyes so that I can watch her. I don't want anything to cloud my vision. I want to remember this day for the rest of my life through my own eyes, even if we may have hired the best videographer around to capture it for us. So I keep my eyes on her, and I can't help but feel the love radiating out through my eyes and drenching over her, showing my raw emotions to anyone who cares to look.
She pauses beside me, giving me a watery smile and tossing her hair back slightly, even though it is neatly placed on top of her head. She hands her bouquet to one of her bridesmaids, a friend from home, and then we're standing in front of the priest who is ready to marry us.
Despite my attempt to stay focused, to memorize every single moment, I find my attention wandering. I know what the man is going to say. We had to do a rehearsal yesterday, which included going over all of the wording and what would be said when. I don't need to hear his exact words today to know what he’s saying. But there is one thing I can’t replace from today, and that’s the sight of my wife to be standing before me. I gaze down at her even as I’m supposed to be listening, marveling at what I see.
Meet Me In Monaco: A Steamy Standalone Instalove Romance Page 10