Page 6 of Captive Bride: Armani
Suddenly, I wasn’t invisible anymore. I was interesting. Desirable. Boys were eating out of my hand, and other girls wanted to be my friend, all because of Juliana. It was intoxicating. And it only got better as we got older, graduated, and stepped into real life.
I’ve never stopped being grateful. Jules made me who I am today. It’s more than that, though. She’s been there for me through thick and thin. I love her like the sister I never had.
“So…are you going to take my advice, or do I need to go see Mr. Bellanti myself and accept his offer on your behalf?” Juliana prods, interrupting my train of thought.
“I’m going to take your advice,” I say, firmly decided. “I just want to make sure this whole thing won’t jeopardize my business relationship with the Bellantis.”
She groans, as if I’m a total nerd for worrying about something like that. “Look, just lay out all your concerns when you give him your conditions for moving in. He’s hot to trot. I’m sure he’ll agree. God, this is perfect. Once you’re in that man’s bed, he’ll tell you everything.”
“Probably noteverything,” I protest.
“Girl, please. The best way to get information is to fuck it out of somebody. That’s like James Bond 101 level shit. You’re going to do great.”
We don’t speak for a while as I get back to work finishing a complicated weaving of tiny French braids down the back of her head. I’m following a tutorial from some millennial’s hair blog, but it’s a complicated style, like something a Viking shieldmaiden would have worn. Leave it to Jules to want the most difficult braids of all time.
When I’m finally done with her hair, Juliana goes over to the mirror on top of her dresser and inspects my work.
“Don’t give him everything he’s asking for right away,” she advises as she smooths down a flyaway. “Make him work for it.”
“I’ll do my best,” I say.
She walks back toward me with a sly smile. “You little minx. I can’t imagine the life of a Bellanti lover. You’ll have to tell meeverything.”
Scrunching my face, I give her a, “duh” look even as my body thrums with anxiousness and nerves. What am I doing? This could be bad. Very, very bad. But it could also be good. I’d just feel a lot better about the arrangement if I understood what his motives are.
“Of course I’ll tell you everything,” I say. “I’m going to need your help. Lots of it.”
As Juliana wanders into her walk-in closet to poke through her massive wardrobe in preparation for her dinner date tonight, I begin to think of the logistics of moving in with someone for six months.
“Oh shit,” I say suddenly. “What about my apartment?”
“You’ll have to break your lease. Why pay rent for half a year when you aren’t even living there? And it’s not like you love that apartment anyway,” Jules calls from the closet. “Besides, once you move in with Armani, you’ll be rent free for six months, so that’s a plus. You can keep your furniture and whatever else at my storage unit.”
“Okay. Thank you. And then…could you maybe take care of Mr. Sprinkles for me?”
Juliana pokes her head out of the closet and cringes. “Fuck no. That cat is way too needy. And he stares.”
Clasping my hands in front of me, I beg, “Oh come on, pretty please? I thought you’d finally warmed up to him. I can’t board him, he’ll get depressed.”
“No can do. He’s a stage five clinger. Plus he sheds like crazy.”
“He was rescued from a dumpster, Juliana. Of course he’s clingy. He can’t help it. He’s got some very legitimate abandonment issues.”
She gives me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, babe. That’s my final answer. Now, let’s discuss next steps. You can’t just drive back there and show up on the guy’s doorstep like an orphaned puppy.”
“Kitten.”
“Gross. Now shut up and listen.”
After we hash things out, I head back to my apartment. In the elevator up to my floor, I try to pep talk myself about what I’m about to do. My cellphone sits heavily in my hand, growing almost too warm in my palm as I grip it tightly.
You can do this. You can do this.
Mr. Sprinkles looks up and yawns as I drop my purse and keys on the entry table.
“Who’s my good boy?” I coo.
I cross the living toward him, and he reaches one tiny pink paw down at me from his perch at the top of the cat tree. I shake hands with him and worry my lower lip between my teeth.
