Page 49 of The Suite Life
I nod, taking a moment to breathe before grabbing his orange juice and chugging it down. Eventually, I come up for air.
‘It’s okay, Gigi, calm down,’ Donnie says, his voice soothing. ‘Have you told anyone else about this?’
I shake my head.
‘No, just you,’ I tell him. ‘I only found out late last night. Do you think I need to do something about it? Do I need to tell anyone? Oh my God, they won’t bill me, will they? I could never even begin to afford it.’
‘You have nothing to worry about,’ Donnie says as he leans back, considering the situation for a second or two. ‘Keep it to yourself, Gigi. It’s their mistake, and you deserve to enjoy all this. Plus, it might just be the stroke of luck you need to find a date for the wedding. Call it karma balancing things out for making you attend an event with your ex and his new flame.’
I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
‘So, you’re saying it’s not unethical to let them believe I’m this heiress?’ I reply.
‘Not for the girl who tells people to push their mother-in-law down the stairs because it will make them feel better,’ Donnie jokes, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
I snort a laugh, grateful for his light-hearted way of looking at things. Then I take a deep breath, allowing Donnie’s reassuring words to sink in.
‘Okay, if you co-sign this scheme, I won’t spill the secret,’ I say. ‘Thanks for letting me vent to you.’
‘No problem,’ he says with a smile. ‘Anytime you need to share a secret, I’m your guy. I don’t know anyone else here, so I’ve no one to tell. Have you told your family about this whole mix-up?’
I shake my head and smile nervously.
‘I’m avoiding them like the plague at the moment, so it’s not exactly come up,’ I confess.
‘You know, you shouldn’t be avoiding them, Gigi,’ he tells me, serious for a moment, but still softly. ‘You should cherish every moment with your family. Some people would give anything to have them around. My mum – who is no longer with us – would have absolutely loved it here.’
His words tug at my heartstrings. I can tell that he isn’t saying any of this to guilt-trip me, just to remind me how important family is.
‘You’re right,’ I admit, genuine gratitude in my voice. ‘I’ll make more of an effort to spend time with them. And I wish I’d never started this whole charade about having a date, but now I’m knee-deep in it.’
Donnie offers a sympathetic smile.
‘I understand why you did it,’ he says. ‘You thought you were doing what was best to keep things moving smoothly. But your family loves you no matter what. And the right date will come along when you least expect it, or maybe even when you stop actually looking for one.’
I nod, appreciating his wisdom.
‘You’re probably right,’ I say with a heavy sigh. ‘I’ll go and get you another drink, seeing as though I drank yours, and it’s the least I can do for you hearing me out.’
Donnie grins, lifting his empty glass.
‘Yeah, okay, but I don’t want the regular orange juice, I want whatever super-special hand-squeezed, sun-sweetened extra-special vintage orange juice they save for the heirs and heiresses,’ he jokes.
‘Coming right up,’ I say with a laugh, before heading towards the breakfast buffet to see what I can find.
As I stroll over to the breakfast buffet, my flip-flops make a subtle slap against the tiled floor. There is no way I could sneak up on anyone in these bad boys.
As I fill two glasses with freshly squeezed orange juice – the normal kind, because no one has popped out to offer me an extra-special version for heiresses – I’m interrupted by a voice behind me.
‘Excuse me, do I know you?’ he asks.
I turn to find a man in his late twenties or early thirties. He’s tall and slender, with a physique that knows its way around a gym. As my eyes lock with his, I notice him eyeball me curiously.
‘Hmm, I don’t think so,’ I say with a smile. ‘Should I know you?’
He grins, revealing a perfect set of pearly whites.
‘Maybe through work?’ he says. ‘I play for Liverpool City.’
