Olivia opened her mouth but appeared to change her mind about what she was going to say. “Well, if you need another witness, Stuart is available. He lost his job again.”
Sophia raised her eyebrows but didn’t make any further comment. Olivia’s boyfriends invariably turned out to be losers, but she’d have to wait for her friend to come to that realization herself.
“As long as he can spell his name, that’s all I need.”
Olivia glanced at the clock on the gym wall. “I better go. I’ve got to be up early tomorrow and if I show up with bags under my eyes I’ll never hear the end of it. What time on Thursday? Unless you come to your senses in the meantime.”
“I am being sensible, and nine o’clock at my flat.”
Sophia hugged her friend tightly. They’d saved each other’s lives—no marriage would come between that bond. But she had to look to the future … and bury her past.
• • •
Thursday was bright and clear, and for once Sophia got out of bed even before her alarm went off, rather than hitting the snooze button two or three times. She was barely out of the shower when the buzzer to her flat sounded. It couldn’t be Olivia, as she had a key and would let herself in. A shiver raced up her spine at the thought it might be Luca, but he would be more than an hour early. She pulled on a short satin dressing gown—another second-hand store find like the dresses she wore to work—and hurried to answer the door.
A courier stood on the step with two large boxes, a clipboard, and a smile spreading across his face, no doubt at the sight of her scantily clad body. After signing the delivery slip, she raced back upstairs to her flat and hastily opened the biggest box first.
Inside was the most beautiful wedding gown she’d ever seen. It was Grecian in style, sleeveless with inch wide straps and a V at the front and back. There was a band of crystals just under the bust, then it fell in soft waves of ivory silk to the floor. At the bottom of the box was a pair of silver, strappy sandals with three-inch heels. The second box contained a fabulous bouquet of red roses, which filled the room with a lovely scent.
As she was holding the dress up to herself, remarking on the perfect fit, Olivia opened the door and stepped through.
“Wow, that dress is exquisite! Where on earth did you get the money for that?”
“Luca sent it, along with a wedding bouquet. Isn’t it fabulous?”
“With a dress like that, if you don’t marry him, I will.” Olivia teasingly pulled the dress out of her hands and held it up to herself.
“If you wear it, you’ll need a police escort,” Sophia replied, pointing out her friend’s more ample assets.
“Come on. Let’s doll you up. Luca will hardly recognize you when he arrives.”
“As we’ve only seen each other three times, he may not recognize me anyway,” she said wryly. She sat down on a cardboard box so Olivia could brush out her hair and put it up.
“Does that mean I could knock you out and take your place, and he wouldn’t notice?”
She looked at Olivia in the mirror. As her closest friend and better than family, Sophia would deny her nothing. Except the man who was soon to be her husband. Luca was her best chance at a better life and she had to seize it.
A large roller suitcase and a small carry-on bag stood by the door. A few cardboard boxes were stacked in a corner. Sophia’s shelves were bare of the little knick-knacks that had made the small flat home. “The rent is paid up to the end of the month, and I told the landlord that you would take the boxes away,” she said.
“So this is really it. You’re going and not coming back.” Olivia’s voice caught on the last word.
“Please, Olivia. No tears today. Today is for celebration. It’s a new start.”
“Let’s get you gorgeous for your new start, then.” Olivia wiped her hand across her cheek, then set to work.
She swept Sophia’s hair up in a loose twist, with curls at her temples and along her nape, and one long curl nestled in the back V of her dress, making it look like it had come loose in a passionate embrace. Sophia generally wore very little makeup—a dusting of eye shadow and a bit of mascara—but Olivia made her eyes seem huge and greener than usual. She painted Sophia’s mouth a deep rose, making her lips look like they had just been kissed.
“My God, Olivia, who the hell is that?” She was so used to looking in the mirror, fixing what was obviously out of place, and walking away, that she never even dreamed she could look like this. “Having a best friend who’s a model really comes in handy,” she said, still staring. “Why haven’t you haven’t made me look like this before?”
“You’ve never wanted to get all dolled up before, said you were the plain-Jane type. But this is your wedding day and you only get married once, provided you do it right the first time. Besides, I didn’t want to have to deal with that kind of competition,” Olivia replied, indicating the reflection.
The sound of the buzzer drowned out their laughter. “That must be Stuart. He wasn’t ready when I left this morning. He went on a bit of a bender last night.”
Unable to sit still, Sophia went over to the window as Olivia ran down the three flights of stairs to let in Stuart. A limo drew up and Luca stepped out, surveying the building in front of him. Her heart went into overdrive. The black suit, white shirt, and azure tie made him look suave yet powerful. The reality of what she was doing finally hit her, and she leaned into the wall for support.
Luca looked up, and she was startled by the intensity on his face. Her heart rate calmed. She might be making the worst mistake of her life, marrying a man she barely knew, but it was time she took life by the scruff of the neck and shook it till it gave her what she wanted. She wanted the opportunities Luca Castellioni’s money would give her. It didn’t hurt that it all came wrapped in a gorgeous package.
Olivia stepped into her view of the pavement, and the two shook hands, but Luca displayed no undue interest in her friend. In fact his eyes returned to her window within seconds. Sophia gave a brief wave before dropping the curtain and had a final glance around her bedsit. It was time to start again.
Stuart appeared a moment later, grunted “hello,” grabbed her bag, and headed back down the stairs.
Olivia poked her head around the door. “Okay, I don’t think you’re crazy now. But the man is intense. Are you sure you’re up for this? I can tell him if you’ve changed your mind … ”