Sydney (Book One) (That Wedding Girl 1) (9 page)

Pushing the heavy mahogany door open, I walk into the room breathless. Not because I'm sweating underneath my black capri pants and T-shirt, not because the bus ride stopped half a mile shorter than expected, and not because Gabe and I had to walk up several flights of stairs with our heavy luggage in tow. No, I'm breathless because of this view in front of me.

White walls from floor to ceiling. Blue embroidered carpet. Crystal blue skies outside the large white windows. I set the suitcase at the door and drop my black leather handbag on top of it to explore the room. The classic lined wallpaper, the antique circle dining table, the pure white starched sheets. I've been transported to interior design paradise. I have to pinch myself that I’m really here, in the Amalfi Coast, Italy.

The location couldn’t be more secluded - tucked away all the way up in a crescent-shaped cove, the hotel overlooks the vast ocean and greenery. There’s a jelly bean-shaped swimming pool, and guests lying motionless on sun beds to its right. The best part is that the hotel is more like a villa so I was able to secure a room on the first floor, and avoid the use of an elevator.

I can hear Gabe babbling to himself in the room next to me. “Shit, this is classy” he gushes loudly, to himself.

A smile forms on my face. This is swanky, a lot swankier than I expected. And to think that Amelia and her fiancée has paid for all this, as well all our meals and other expenses for our stay.

I'm. In. Italy. More specifically, I’m staying in Grand Hotel Villa Galleria, one of the most luxurious hotels in all of Southern Italy. It looks more like a 14th century castle than a hotel. To think I’m being paid to stay here is just baffling. I’m making that special day come true for my old university pal Amelia Smith. I haven’t seen her for a good four years, but boy she has done well for herself. After she graduated, she packed up her bags and went on a gap year to the UK to try and start her art career, working various odd jobs to support herself. Then one day, like out of a Hollywood movie, she met her Prince Charming. Kieran Urquhart, a rising junior attorney and son of famed divorce attorney QC Barry Urquhart, stumbled into her bar.  Just like that, they fell in love and he popped the question after a year. Not to mention she is making a decent living as an artist, selling her oil paintings of inanimate objects like flowers, fruit and vegetables.

I’m happy for her, I really am but truthfully I’m jealous. Jealous that she gets her perfect wedding with her perfect man and I have to make it all happen knowing my happy ending has been put on hold indefinitely. But I can cast my personal feelings aside and be happy for her. It’s an honour that she asked me to come and plan her wedding. This is an amazing first client to have, for my first major international wedding.

Okay, stop gushing and get on with things
. I need to shower and get changed. Putting my suitcase flat on the floor, I open it to reveal the horde that I’ve nicknamed my 70/30 kit. Seventy per cent of the items I bring are work related, and they sit at the top: my templates in a binded folder, three packs of biro pens, sticky notes, scientific calculator, my black leather notebook with all my contacts, chargers and of course my laptop. The thirty per cent are my clothes, all black and gray in color, and toiletries. But given how rushed I was with packing, this kit feels more like an 80/20.

Stepping into the decadent marble bathroom with a pair of yoga pants and tank top in tow, I open the bathroom cabinet with delight; eager to see the free samples on offer. Like a kid in a candy store, I take out the miniature bottles of shampoo, body wash and cream supplied.

I’m going to enjoy this bath. Turning the tap on, I expel the contents of the bottle of body wash. As the hot water steams the room, an inviting lavender scent greets me. Sliding down into the relaxing water, I let it block out the sounds around me. It’s fashioned from tin and is big enough to easily fit two people, and I rest my feet on the edge.

Forty minutes later, I emerge from the steaming room a rejuvenated, relaxed and clean woman with pruned fingers. I’ll give Hansley a call, let him know I’m here. He’s been checking up on me constantly ever since the drama with Adam that happened a few days ago, texting me silly jokes and memes and I know he wants to make sure I’m okay. I walk over to the antique bedside table and grab my phone, sitting down on the bed. Pressing his name on the video call app, I wait as the phone dials. It’s around 4pm now which means it should be 7am back home, and he’s always an early riser.

Dial, dial, dial. Hansley’s face emerges, he’s still in bed and he looks bleary-eyed. “Hey,” he croaks. His five o’clock shadow makes him look scruffier than usual.

“Crap, I thought you would be up by now, I’ll let you go back to bed.” I scrutinize his face. “Did you go drinking last night?”

He yawns loudly and rubs his eyes “Yeah with some clients. So you’ve arrived hey?”

When doesn’t he have drinks with work people?

“Have a big mug of that green tea I bought you, okay? And stop drinking so much. Anyway, check out my room!” I move the phone away from me and scan it slowly. I walk up and go over to the window and pan outside. “Check out this view, too.”

He pulls the blankets closer to him and turns to his side, moving the phone closer to his face. “Nice pad, wish I was there instead of being stuck with this shitty cold weather. So what are you going to get up to, besides working obviously?”

I move the phone back to me, so he can see me again. “I’ll definitely try the restaurants and check out the local shops. Anything you want me to bring back?”

“Maybe some booze?”

I roll my eyes. “I’ll get you something nice,
not
alcohol.”

He sits up, resting his head on the wall and moves his phone up so I can see his face more clearly. “So how are you? Mum and dad say you’ve been really normal about everything…like nothing’s happened.”

I nod my head and give him a tired smile. Maybe it’s the distance, maybe I’m tired of feeling sorry for myself but with every passing second the memory of Adam fades more and more.

“I’m fine, really I am.”

“Alright, well just so you know he’s packed up everything from your place. I told him it better be clean, because if there was
one
crumb on the floor I’ll be coming for him again,” he says, his voice harsh all of a sudden.

“Wow so it’s really happening hey…” I trail off, unable to finish the sentence that confirms my new living arrangements. I’ll be going back to an empty apartment and living on my own.

“If you want, I can stay over some nights—”

I shake my head profusely. “No it’s fine. Thanks, you’re the best. So what was he like?”

Hansley rolls his eyes, making it clear he wasn’t happy with the meet up. “He looked like total shit, if that makes you feel better. He kept asking about you, where you were but I said if he ever tried to bother you I would hunt him down. Has he?”

I shake my head. Nope, not one text or phone call, thank goodness. I never want to see his face again, and to be honest being here in Italy, it’s not that difficult.

“No he hasn’t. And yes I will let you know if he does.” 

“Okay sis. So Tristan told me he saw you the other day.”

My cheeks colour at hearing his name. I’ve been trying to suppress the memories of the time I spent with him, not to mention that knee-crippling kiss we shared. And the fact that he said it can never happen again. I hate that the mention of his name jump starts my heart. “What did he say?”

“He said you guys bumped into each other, and you’re going into business together? That’s pretty cool if you ask me.”

Not to mention I stayed over at his apartment, we had breakfast together and we kissed
… But he doesn’t need to know that. “I don’t know if he was serious or not, he’s still setting up—”

“He’s already working on his first gig, some big launch event for a tech company at the Convention Centre. And he’s already hired a team to work exclusively on corporate. So yeah, I think he’s pretty serious.” 

“Whoa, he’s good.” That was fast.

“You have no idea. He knows what he is doing, trust me. So are you going to do it with him?”

I blush, but luckily the quality of the call is blurry so he can’t see me that well. “Do what with him?”

“Work with him, you doofus.”

Oh. How silly of me. “Oh right. Yeah, why not. It can’t hurt, right?”

“I told him to take it easy on you.”

“Hanny!” I scold, frowning at him.

“What? He’s going to be your boss.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s just Tristan, I can handle him. You don’t need to shelter me from everything.”

“Alright, I guess after what you’ve just gone through…”

I give him a warm smile. “I appreciate it but I’ll be fine. Business is business, alright? So I bet you’re glad to have him back in Sydney, huh?”

Hansley sits up and props a pillow on the wall, resting his back. “Yeah, I’m glad to have my bro back. My roommate is pretty glad too, she is doing my head in; constantly yapping about him. Tristan this, Tristan that
,
” he mimics her by imitating a higher pitched voice and grimaces. “Blech!”

I swallow hard at his sudden comment. His roommate Ashley, as in the tanned blonde yoga instructor who always wears skimpy tank tops and shorts? “What do you mean?”

“She keeps asking me to set her up with him. I don’t know why she would be interested in him when she lives with someone as good looking and cool like
me
right?” He chuckles.

“Uh huh, in your dreams. I can’t believe she’s lived with you as long as she has. You snore like a tractor! I used to hear you through my wall.”

He scoffs, “Hey! She gets to hear my beautiful voice 24/7. That’s a privilege, sis.”

“Why don’t you make her pay more rent if you set her up with him,” I suggest without a second thought.

He snaps his fingers. “Ooh good idea! You know what, she’s so keen on him I think she’ll do it.”

My stomach twists. I was kidding. He really wants to set Tristan up with a hot blonde? Why does the idea make me seethe with anger and nauseous all at once?

“Sis, you still there?”

“Huh? Sorry, bad reception,” I fib, before quickly resuming my happy demeanour. “Yeah why not, you’re a talented haggler aren’t you?”

“Hey, I’m good with money that’s why I’m in finance! Also, I’ll get her to set me up with her friend Jess. Not too hardball?”

I swallow hard. “Do what you want. Anyway, I have to go. Just wanted to call you and let you know I’m okay. I texted mom and dad, but I’ll call them tomorrow.”

Hansley yawns again. “Okay, thanks for the idea! Let me know if you need anything okay?”

Don’t set Tristan up with the Yoga bunny!
I give a quick wave to my phone, eager to press the hang up button.

Throwing the phone down on the bed, I shake off any newfound thoughts I had about Tristan. To think I thought there was something there, something special. That kiss, albeit brief, was different in every way that was good for me.

It was powerful.

It was rough.

It was sweet.

It shook me to the core how much I liked it and to him it was a mistake.  This can never happen again…. His words ring in my ear, something I need to remind myself every time I think about him. Which is often.
Note to self, must start doing yoga.

What is Gabe up to? I open my door and make a sharp right to the next room, number 16. I knock the door in a way that Gabe knows it’s me – three successive knocks, followed by two slow ones.

“Come in!”

I turn the golden knob and walk into another gorgeous room. Unlike the cool blue ocean theme my room had, Gabe’s is like a warm rustic Spanish villa with yellow mustard walls and green furniture. Green bed sheets, velvet green curtains, a faded green dining table.

Gabe has changed from his usual ensemble of a neat cardigan, shirt and jeans into a linen shirt and white shorts. As usual he keeps his white scarf on, because that’s what Gabe does best – look stylish 24/7. From the looks of it, he has already started unpacking most of his things, including his large toiletry bag, filled with his hair products and creams. Unlike me, he packs 30/70 so he will be looking a lot more stylish than me. 

“I just wanted to see how you were going. Looks like you’re settling in pretty well.” I walk in and take a seat on the firm double bed. Gabe continues to take some more clothes out of the suitcase, arranging them into planned outfits. 

“Girl, you have no idea how much I’m loving this right now. Once I get my clothes sorted, we have to make our way down to the pool and get some cocktails.”

“I won’t have any, I’m meeting Amelia tonight for dinner. I want to be prepared in case she wants to go through our plans for her; any questions she might have,” I stress, trying to sound calm.

“Geez she said to worry about that tomorrow, tonight is just dinner. And knowing you, you are twice as prepared as anyone I know. Enjoy your first day here!” he insists, focused on his garments.

He’s got a point. I haven’t even been in Italy for four hours and all I can think about is getting my laptop and finishing my third run sheet - and starting the dark peppermint crunch block.