“Can you sit still?” I ask my best friend as I’m finger combing the curls I just put into Emilia’s long, dark hair. We already worked on her makeup, not that she needed a lot. A little lip gloss and mascara for her since she’s naturally pretty. She needed me to help with her hair. She’s so nervous that her hands refuse to stop shaking.
“I can’t. I’m a mess. I don’t want to do this. I’d rather spend the entire night with my annoying cousins or creepy Dante than go to dinner with Niko tonight,” Emilia whines, panic laced in her words. I know her nerves have built up all day. They’re so bad now that she can’t hide them anymore.
I smirk at her, trying to lighten the mood. “Is that why you’re making me join you?” I ask, leaning down so that we’re side by side in the reflection of her mirror. She gives me a sheepish smile.
“Yes! I need you. I never know what to say around Niko. My brain cells just die, and words refuse to come out—at least ones that make sense.
“Oh, my Lord! You better learn how to talk to the man. You’re going to be married to him in less than a year. You’ll have to be alone with him at some point, you know,” I tease her, wiggling my eyebrows. She reads the unspoken innuendo, blushing furiously as it sinks in.
“It’s not like I have a say in anything. He didn’t even ask me to marry him. My father showed me the contract one day, and it took me a year to even meet Niko after that. We have the occasional dinner and talk at business luncheons or parties, but that’s it. I have no idea why he signed the contract to marry me. I assume it’s to climb the ladder in the family. I’m so tired of the family,” Emilia says with a scowl. “Other than my father and Dante, I don’t think any of my family likes me.”
“I doubt that’s it. Niko doesn’t seem that type,” I argue. “If that was a reason he would actually get married, he’d go after someone like Alexandra. Her father has a little more power than yours, right?”
“I wish he had,” Emilia mutters as I fluff a few wayward curls. Something in her voice tells me that’s not true. I know my friend well enough to know that while the circumstances aren’t great, she feels something for him.
“Girl, you are crazy. Niko is hot as hell, and I know you think he’s sexy.”
“Scary is more like it,” Emilia grumbles.
I laugh. “Keep holding onto that. I think you know that I know you’re lying. I’ve seen how you look at him, and it’s clear to anyone around you that you’re attracted to him.”
“He is hot. Everyone is attracted to him if they have a pulse—man or woman. That’s not a reason to marry someone, though.”
“People have gotten married for far less,” I add. “You don’t see how lucky you are. If someone told me that I could marry a man like Niko Petrova…” I whistle and fan myself getting a laugh out of her.
“You take my place then,” Emilia says with a pointed look.
“Come on now. With my pale skin and freckles all over, there’s no way he’d take me. My red hair is so curly the humidity makes me look like a damn poodle.”
“Stop it. You’re beautiful,” Emilia says, turning in her chair to look at me.
“C’mon, Emmie. We both know I’m not.”
“I’m serious. You’re gorgeous.”
“I can’t hold a candle to you.”
“I don’t think so. I mean, I know I look good. That isn’t all I am, though. Sometimes beauty is all others see, and the person gets lost,” Emilia says, looking at me sadly. “Niko agreed to marry me, but he doesn’t even know me. He just wants a trophy on his arm—the daughter of the great Maxwell Korslova.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her, squeezing her arm gently. “Maybe you can show him that you’re more. You never know. It could be a good marriage.”
“Maybe,” she responds, but you can tell she doesn’t mean it.
“Okay, I’m all finished. What do you think?”
Emilia checks in the mirror and smiles, “You did great and I’m going to quit whining for the night. Now, it’s your turn to sit here,” she says getting up. “I’m going to do your hair, and then we will find you a beautiful dress to wear tonight."
"Oh no," I tell her shaking my head. "My dress will do fine. I don’t need to borrow one of yours. With my luck, I’ll spill something on it that will ruin the fabric forever.”
“Have you seen my closet? There are so many clothes in there. Niko is always sending me things. I will never be able to wear all of them. Stop arguing, and let’s find a dress!” Emilia says, laughing.
We walk over to her closet, and I self-consciously smooth out my dress. I’m going to do it because finding me a dress is the first thing that has made my best friend not look sad all day. I’d do anything for her.
Chapter 3
Callan
Sitting in Salsa with Niko, I glance around at all the people milling about. We’ve been here for twenty minutes, waiting for the women to show up. Niko said Emilia made some excuse not to get picked up by us on the way here. It annoyed him—that’s plain to see. Still, he let her get by with it. That’s just proof how much he will give in to make her happy.
I make a show of glancing at my watch. I’m not as put out as I want him to think. I’m the more laid-back one when it comes to us. Still, seeing my usually cool and detached friend glance around for Emilia is enough for me to egg him on.
“They’re late,” I murmur, hiding my smile. “You should teach your fiancée to be more prompt.”
I shouldn’t keep poking at him, but I can’t help myself. He’s always so uptight, and I’m usually the only one who can get him to snap out of it.
“Aren’t you the one who told me women are worth waiting for? Not to mention the way you keep telling me to slow down and not be in such a hurry.”
“I’m pretty sure I was eight when I told you that about women” I point out.
“Yes, eight and strung out over Bridgette Maroney.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Oh, Bridgette. I remember her. At that point, she was the love of my life.” I put a hand over my heart. Niko laughs along with me for a minute.
I can sometimes get him to laugh and loosen up, but usually, business and the stress of his position rules him. I hope that eventually his relationship with Emilia will bring more joy into his life.
“Do you know what ever happened to Bridgette?” Niko asks, taking a sip of his drink as his eyes dart around again.
I know he’s trying to distract himself. He doesn’t want his nerves to get to him. The big boss man has a thing for Emilia. Now, he just needs to admit it to her. No woman wants to be considered just a business deal. Niko needs to show her he’s not the cold, calculated businessman she believes he is.
“Bridgette looked me up a few years back,” I confess, covering my smile by taking a sip of my drink. Niko’s eyes go wide in shock for a split second.
“And you never thought to mention it?” Niko asks. “Was she looking to rekindle the great love affair of Orchard M. Elementary?”