Paradise Found

Phew.That makes me happy that he doesn’t suspect anything else. I left this world for a reason, and it’s just my luck that this world—this world I abandoned long ago—has found me again.

* * *

“Fuck!” Alistair wakes with a start. “We fell asleep, and now we’re late for the rehearsal.”

I sit up with a jolt and look out the window, which has gone from blue clouds to a twinkling, inky black sky, then stare down at my watch and realize it’s late.

“We’ve got to go. My mother is going to have a heart attack if we miss this thing,” Alistair states.

“Right then, let’s go.”

We make it back down in record time. We’ve missed the actual ceremony rehearsal, which is fine, as Alistair wasn’t chosen to stand by his brother anyway. George chose not to have him as his best man or even groomsman.

We step into the grand ballroom inside the home, and thankfully, it’s cocktail hour with the bride and groom’s friends and family, so there are only about sixty people milling around.

“Where the hell have you been?” an older gentleman curses as we enter the ballroom. I’m assuming it’s his father as they have the same eyes and jaw.

“Sorry, fell asleep and forgot to set the alarm,” Alistair states as he slaps his father on the back. The older man narrows his eyes at his son and shakes his head before he notices me standing there. His eyes widen, and he does a quick sweep over me.

Thankfully, I’m wearing formal cocktail attire that Ali insisted I purchase for this weekend. In his exact words, ‘It’s going to be an over-the-top formal weekend, and people will judge you on your outfit.’ I didn’t want to embarrass Ali, but I also didn’t want to take his money either, but Ali is very persuasive. Now I feel so much better about relenting and letting him buy me what he wanted. Ali chose a gorgeous forest green cocktail dress that’s fitted at the top, cinched in at the waist before flaring out into a semi-ballgown style, but it stops at my calf. The material is sheer over the bodice with sequins arranged in a pattern. It’s simple yet gorgeous.

“Oh, you must be Ali’s mystery girlfriend,” he says, reaching out and shaking my hand.

“I’m Eloise. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. King.” I reach out, take his hand, and shake it.

A waiter walks by, and we grab a glass of champagne—I need it to settle my nerves.

“My wife tells me you’re a baker?” his father asks me.

“Yes, self-taught. But I’ve been told my cakes are delicious,” I answer.

“Eloise made those cupcakes you raved about when meeting Gabriel for the first time,” Ali explains to his father before looking down at me and showing how proud he is to say the words.

“Really? They were amazing. I might need to put in a request as I haven’t been able to find anything like them since.” His father’s high praise makes me smile. “Oh, excuse me, I need to see Robert over there,” his father states before darting off to catch up with someone.

“That went well,” I say to Ali, then take another sip of champagne.

“He never stopped talking about your cupcakes, so I knew it would win him over telling him you made them,” Ali says before leaning over and kissing my lips.

“Well, well, well … long time no see, brother,” a deep voice interrupts our moment as a hand slaps Alistair on the back so hard it forces his champagne to slosh over the edge and drip down his fingers.

I glance up to an uglier version of Alistair standing before me.Seriously, this is what women are falling for?Where Alistair is light, his brother is dark, like yin and yang, except these two do not make a whole.

“Miranda told me you had a girlfriend, but I didn’t believe her. Had to come over and see it with my own eyes.” He laughs as his beady little eyes look over me with interest.

For goodness sake. Ew. I’ll need a shower after this.

Alistair’s face is pulled into a strained frown, his shoulders are tense, and his hand curled into a fist, ready to strike.

“You must be Eloise,” his brother says while holding out his hand for me to take. “You look familiar. Have we met before?”

“I’m certain we haven’t. And you are?” I ask even though I know he introduced himself as Alastair’s brother, I don’t want to give him anything.

He frowns for a moment as if he can’t believe what I’ve said to him. “George … his older, richer, and more handsome brother,” he says as he takes my hand and kisses it.

I want to throw up.

How dare he do that to me.