THE HONEYMOON
792 Words
_Day 12. 4:00 AM. Private Jet._
Lily woke up to Damian’s arm around her and the sound of engines.
"Where are we going?" she mumbled.
"Somewhere with no board and no WiFi," Damian said. He kissed her hair. "Bali."
"Bali?" Lily sat up. Silk pajamas. No makeup. Ring catching the light. "For how long?"
"2 weeks," Damian said. "I told Adesina to tell the board I died."
Lily laughed. "You did not."
"I told her to say I was 'unavailable indefinitely.' Close enough."
The pilot came on: "Welcome aboard, Mr. and Mrs. Hart."
Lily leaned on Damian. "I like the sound of that."
"Me too," Damian said. "I like all of it."
---
_Day 12-14. Ubud Villa._
It wasn’t a hotel. It was a house on a cliff.
One bedroom. One pool. One chef who made tacos with sambal.
Day 12: They slept. 14 hours straight.
Day 13: Coffee on the deck. Then the pool. Then nap.
Day 14: It rained.
They sat on the floor, candles lit, listening to the storm.
"Can I tell you something?" Damian said.
"Always."
"I kept your ring. From 3 years ago."
Lily went still.
"It’s in my safe," Damian said. "I told myself it was legal reasons. It wasn’t. I just couldn’t let go."
Lily reached for his hand. "I kept your hoodie."
"The grey one?"
"Yeah. It still smells like you."
Damian pulled her into his lap. "We were both idiots."
"The hottest idiots in the Fortune 500," Lily said.
They kissed. Slow.
---
_Day 15. The Second Proposal._
Damian planned it. Of course.
Rice fields. Sunset. Fairy lights.
Table for two. Tacos.
Lily came out in a white dress. Not wedding. Just white.
Damian was in a button-down. No shoes.
"You’re overdressed," Lily said.
"You’re perfect," Damian said.
They ate. They talked.
Then Damian got on one knee. Again.
"Lily Hart," he said. "I asked you to marry me for a contract. Then I asked because I was desperate. Now I’m asking because I can’t imagine a day without you."
He held out a ring. Matching band.
"Will you marry me? Again. Forever. In Bali. With tacos."
Lily cried. "Yes. Yes to all of it."
He slid it on. Kissed her.
The chef and staff cheered from the kitchen.
That night they didn’t sleep.
---
_Day 16-20. The Blur._
Surfing: They both wiped out.
Cooking class: Lily won.
Dancing: Damian was terrible.
Reading: They did it together in a hammock.
On Day 18, Mia video called.
"Are you alive?"
Lily held up a taco. "Very."
Damian stole it. "Tell Eleanor we’re not back for 6 more days."
Mia grinned. "She already knows. She’s planning your vow renewal."
Lily groaned. "No—"
"Too late," Mia said. "Love you. Bye."
On Day 19, Damian said: "I want kids."
Lily choked on her drink. "What?"
"Not now," Damian said fast. "But someday. With you. Messy house. Tacos every Friday."
Lily stared. "You’re serious."
"Dead serious." He took her hand. "Is that crazy?"
Lily smiled. "No. It’s perfect."
---
_Day 21. The Call._
Eleanor.
"Damian. The board needs you. Stock is down 2 percent."
Damian put it on speaker. "We’re not back for 5 more days, Mom."
"I know," Eleanor said. "I just wanted you to know. Take your time."
Damian hung up. "5 days left."
He looked at Lily. "Let’s not waste them."
They didn’t.
---
_Day 22-25. No Phones._
They turned them off.
Morning: Hike.
Afternoon: Nap.
Night: Talk.
About the company. About the past. About the future.
About maybe moving out of the penthouse.
About getting a dog.
On Night 24, Damian whispered: "I never thought I’d be this happy."
Lily whispered back: "Me neither."
---
_Day 26. Last Night._
They didn’t sleep.
They packed slowly.
They sat on the deck and watched the sun rise over the rice fields.
"I don’t want to go back," Damian said.
"Then don’t," Lily said. "We can quit. Sell everything. Open a taco truck."
Damian laughed. "You’d really do that?"
"For you? Yes."
Damian kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you too."
The jet left at noon.
---
_Day 26. 10:00 PM. Penthouse._
Suitcases on the floor.
No contract on the table.
Damian pulled Lily to him. "We’re home."
"Yeah," Lily said. "We are."
His phone buzzed. Adesina: _Welcome back. Board meeting Monday._
Damian silenced it. "Monday."
He picked Lily up. "Tonight is ours."
They spent it on the couch. Talking. Laughing.
No rules.
---
_Day 26. 11:59 PM._
Lily lay in his arms.
Two rings on her finger.
No deadline.
Her phone buzzed.
_Mia: HOW WAS BALI??_
_Lily: Perfect._
Damian kissed her hair. "Sleep, Mrs. Hart."
"Sleep, Mr. Hart."
Their was no fear of tomorrow cause tomorrow was there's.
_THE END... for now_ 😉
- Writer
