Page 46 of Faking It With My New Boss

Early in the wedding planning, I made the decision to make that walk alone. I wasn't a young, blushing bride being handed over to my husband in pure innocence, not knowing what to expect of adult life. As different and singular as this wedding was, I couldn't completely put aside that it wasn't my first. And I was a grown adult woman with a life behind me. I felt I'd earned the right to walk myself down the aisle and give myself, completely and fully, to Bryan.

We gazed into each other's eyes as we listened to the words of the beautiful, emotional ceremony. I had never been the type to like self-written vows. It felt so much more real and meaningful to speak sacred, treasured words so many couples had spoken before us, and I felt tears sliding softly down my cheeks as I repeated them to Bryan.

There would be a time for jokes and silliness. My gift to him was already waiting to be brought to the honeymoon suite. A custom-designed blanket, it proclaimed my own personal vow to him that I would always hold the elevator doors open for him. But right now was a moment to seal our souls to one another and I was more than ready.

It was a long, difficult journey, but now that I finally found him, I wasn't going to let Bryan go.

When the ceremony was over, we went to get pictures taken, then changed into our reception clothes. The same space where we hosted the fundraising gala and got engaged had been transformed into a massive, joyous celebration that had been personalized to the very last detail. I wanted no doubt this party was for us.

Our guests were milling around enjoying cocktails and appetizers when we were introduced and walked into the reception to cheers and sparkling confetti falling from the ceiling. It was the first time I heard my name linked with his that way and I could have listened to it said a thousand more times.

Bryan swept me around the edge of the dance floor, then spun me into his arms in the center. He held me in his arms, bathed in the glow of a monogram light cast on the floor, and we danced. I was lost in that moment, wanting to stretch it on for the rest of my life. Nothing could ever be as perfect as this.

When our first dance was over, we headed into the crowd to greet our guests as they settled in before dinner was served. Across the room I saw Robert and Tina. They both smiled broadly and waved. I crossed to them, opening my arms for hugs from both.

I was sure the interaction was going to get some judgmental or at least questioning looks from the people in the room who knew who Robert was. But I didn't care. That was for them to be uncomfortable about. I was happy to have him there.

In truth, I didn't know if it was really proper etiquette to invite my ex-husband and his wife to my wedding. It probably wasn't. There was likely some sort of social norm that said I should leave them out and just send an announcement. That didn't mean anything to me.

Tina and I were friends. We had been since we lived across the hall from each other before she even knew I was Robert's ex-wife and before I knew she was dating him. That whole situation was fairly awkward at the time, but it worked out better than any of us could have hoped. It brought the two of them together and it put the final closure on our marriage.

Most importantly, I credited Robert with proving to me that love could exist. Not because of our relationship, but because of how desperately he loved Tina. They were so happy together and I wanted them to see me happy, too.

The party went on for hours, through several courses of dinner, dancing, and late-night snacks. Finally, it was time to cut the cake. Bryan designed it himself and had worked with his baking instructor to decorate it as a surprise for me. It was spectacularly gorgeous, more than I could have ever envisioned. The fact that he chose the flavors of that long-ago stolen pastry just made it all the better.

After the cake was cut and we made our final goodbyes, Bryan and I headed up to the wedding night suite to rest before our honeymoon started the next day. Holding hands, we walked slowly, talking about the future unfolding ahead of us. We were excited for everything to come, with me back in school and the bakery in the hotel opening soon.

But more than anything, we were excited just to discover what life could be together.

Epilogue One

Bryan

The honeymoon was everything I had planned it to be. Every step of the way I made sure to pamper Courtney and make her feel like she was an absolute queen. As far as I was concerned, she was.

I had originally thought she would want to go somewhere tropical, where the sands were white and the water pure blue. But instead, she had hinted that she had always wanted to stay in a cozy cabin in the mountains. So, for our honeymoon I had booked a trip for just that.

I didn’t tell her where the private plane was taking us when we boarded and was delighted when she started seeing snow-peaked mountains in the distance. She was nearly giddy with excitement and bounced in her seat when we began circling the mountain with its own personal helipad. At the top of the mountain was a series of cozy cottages, all separated by a mile or more of snow. It was technically a retreat, but there was no expectation for us to gather with the other locals if we didn’t want to. I had no plan on us seeing anyone other than food delivery and the maids that would come and clean up while we went out.

The plane landed and we boarded the helicopter, covering ourselves in heavy coats that I had bought and hidden away. The smile on Courtney’s face was so wide and so pure that even the cold didn’t affect it. In fact, it seemed to make her sparkle.

I thought that when we arrived, we would spend time relaxing and exploring the cabin, but as soon as our bags were dropped, she was pulling me out of the door.

“I want to ski,” she said. “Come on!”

I laughed as I followed her to the snowmobiles, which we took to the ski lodge a mile or two away. A long, fun day of skiing left us both exhausted and we made our way back to the cabins in the back of a heated carriage rather than taking the snowmobiles back. The driver assured us they would be parked back in front of our cabin within the hour. In the meantime, I ordered lunch for us to be delivered the next day and we rode in quiet happiness back.

When we finally got there, I felt a surge of energy and grabbed a fast shower while Courtney explored the kitchen. When I got out, we switched and I noticed she hadn’t started anything, but had grabbed a bag of marshmallows and powdered cocoa. I looked in the small refrigerator and found milk and knew where she was going.

Courtney came back into the living room wearing the long, comfortable-looking robe that had been hanging on a hook in the linen closet. I had worn the other one briefly before changing into thick pajamas. She looked incredibly sexy, even in a bathrobe, and as she curled up on the couch, I let my mind wander as I continued building the roaring fire in the massive fireplace.

“Milk is hot, I believe,” I said. “If you still wanted cocoa.”

“Oh, I do,” she said, reaching for the teapot and opening the top as she sat it on the living room table. I had placed the cocoa and marshmallows there, and she proceeded to add them to the milk and stir. The aroma was simultaneously decadent and nostalgic.

She poured me a cup and I took it, downing a fair bit of it as I continued to stoke the fire. She sat with her legs curled under her feet away on the couch, sipping her own. As a log popped and the fire jumped a little, I laughed.

“We are such a cliché,” I said. “It’s amazing.”

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