05.
889 Words
L U C A S
I sat in my spacious office, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit. The desk was littered with papers, file folders, and various documents that I was rifling through. The light from the floor-to-ceiling windows illuminated the room, casting shadows on my sharp jawline and chiseled features.
I glanced at my watch and sighed, my eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. I had a private jet waiting for me at the airport, but I still had not finished all the paperwork that needed my signature. I toggled the pen between the knuckles of my fingers, my mind racing through all the tasks that I needed to complete before I could leave.
Nona had specifically made it clear to me that I had to come home after almost a year of being away on countless business trips.
I knew better than to go against her this time; the last thing I want is to have her guards bring me instead, not that they stand a chance but for the sake of my reputation.
After Mom and Dad died, she played both roles for me and my siblings.
They died when I was nineteen; Hudson was eleven, and Emma was nine.
It was a rough phase for all of us. Having to step in and take responsibility at such an age was challenging, but nothing I couldn't handle.
I leaned back in the chair, rubbing my eyes with my fingers, trying to stave off the exhaustion that threatened to engulf me. I had hardly slept the last two days, my mind consumed with thoughts of my impending marriage to Alice.
I had never wanted to be attached to anyone, let alone get married. But with Alice, it was something different.
I shook his head, trying to clear my thoughts, and refocused on the pile of documents in front of me. I scribbled my signature on one after the other, each document inching me closer to freedom.
A call came through, and I groaned, taking a glance at the caller's ID, Alice.
A mild smile stole its way to my lips, keeping the pen aside and attending to my fiancée.
"Hey, babe." The noise bustling from the background had my ear stinging, lifting the phone slightly away.
"Hello Lucas, Are you there?" She asks if her pants are audible to my hearing.
Alice Jones is my soon-to-be bride.
Moore and Jones have been business acquaintances for years or more, more like family, as they'd like to be referred to.
One thing led to the other; they decided on merging their companies a year before the death of Mr. and Mrs. Moore. Mr. Jones suggested that if they would converge their businesses, then so should their ties.
I, Alice, Evelyn, and Hudson have always been childhood buddies. The bond between Alice and me was a special type of connection. We've always gotten along.
We had grown so fond of each other and had only stopped to notice our feelings back in college, where they made things official.
He hums in response.
"I can't make it to the wedding dress fitting next week."
I tighten my grip on the phone and take a calming breath. "Alice, you promised me we'd go together. This is the second time this month you're canceling on me at the very last second. Couldn't you at least have given me some adequate notice?"
The phone rustles, and Alice sighs. "I'm sorry, Lucas; I really wanted to be there, you know that. I wanted to support Emma and be there with you, but I just can't get away. I need to retake some shots, and it just hasn't been going too well."
"It's always the same excuses, Alice. I'm trying to be as supportive as I can be, but you're making it difficult. I can't always be the one who makes compromises."
"I know," she says, her voice soft. "I'll make it up to you."
"Is this because you don't want to be seen or photographed with me? Alice, we're getting married in a month. Don't forget about our agreement. The moment we're married, we're taking our relationship public, so what's the harm in us being captured together tonight?"
"Lucas, it isn't that. I promise it isn't. I'm taking so much time off for the wedding."
I run a hand through my hair. "I get it," I tell her, defeated. I do understand it, but I'm starting to lose hope that things will ever change. I used to think I was the luckiest man, but it just doesn't feel that way anymore.
Ever since she got the Louis Vuitton gig, our relationship has been going flip-flop. Everything feels mechanical and off, and the excitement we should feel regarding our upcoming wedding is missing.
Was this wedding worth it?
I hiss, chanting curses. I don't know what's happening to us, but it's getting more and more exasperating each time.
Don't get me wrong, I love Alice, but loving her came with a lot of sacrifices, which most times I had to make.
So much for having a fiancé.
A hiss spilled as I assembled the necessities, heading towards the door.
I'll leave for New York immediately after the event. The last thing I want is to have Nona send guards to get me to her.
Yes! She's that audacious.
- Writer
