Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I last updated this! Sorry! Please don't hate me! Please just read this and I hope it'll make you feel better!
Chapter 9: Pastora Bliss
6th June 2011
The ride down the elevator with Drew was awkward. At least May thought so. She tried not to make it obvious that she was gawking at Drew's perfectly toned body. How he managed to find time to keep in shape was astonishing to May.
Drew appeared lost in thought. He had his gaze directed to the bag that hung from the left of May and it didn't leave that one particular spot until the elevator's cute little ding sounded and the doors slid open. He stepped out of the lift with May following closely behind him. He stopped when he felt a hand grab his arm.
"Slow down, I want to take some pictures." May said. She had stopped walking and pulled out her professional looking camera, prepared to take some snaps of the interior.
Drew ran a hand through his hair as he waited for May to do whatever she needed to. At least he found out what was in that bag.
May fidgeted with her camera, changing the flash setting and lenses accordingly. She took snapshots of the beautiful ceiling; the elegant fountain as waterfalls came crashing down from the top of the mermaid's mouth and into the shallow, coin filled water below and of course, the mythical fairy statue centrepiece that the velvet seats were arranged around.
A smile graced her lips once she was done, now wasn't the time to check her photos since Drew was waiting. He looked like he was thinking deeply about something, probably work, May thought as she turned off the flash on her camera and took a secret shot of Drew.
"All done." May said as she slipped her camera back into her bag.
"'Bout time." Drew replied and gave his hair a flick nonchalantly.
"I wasn't that long." May mumbled under her breath as she followed Drew in the opposite direction of the main entrance.
"Smile," Drew said casually. "This place is always crawling with paparazzi." He linked May's arm with his as he said it.
May nodded. "I should've picked somewhere that would actually allow me to relax." She muttered under her breath.
7th June 2011
May flicked over another page in her book and took a sip of her cosmopolitan then set the glass back on the table next to her lounger. Lying out in the sun with a quality romantic novel was May's idea of a good time. Drew, she noted, had disappeared off somewhere a while ago. He had maybe left for half an hour, May guessed, though it was hard to tell when she had no access to a clock or watch.
Her blue eyes continued to skim over the words on the page. She had found out relatively quickly that laughing out loud seemingly out of the blue was deemed abnormal and would earn her several odd looks, mostly from Drew. It wasn't her fault that he didn't find the extract that she read out of her book funny, or when he almost walked into that kid and landed in the pool funny either.
The green haired man returned shortly with a filled glass in hand and took his place on the lounger on the opposite side of the small end table. His hair was still slightly damp from his aforementioned dip in the pool.
"Where have you been?" May asked, not tearing her gaze from her book.
"Had a few things to tend to." He replied and relaxed on the lounger. He removed his sunglasses, not wanting an odd tan on his face.
May looked at him with a raised brow and smile toying at her lips. Under normal circumstances, May would've left out the smile but in a place that could easily mean the revelation of their 'marriage', it felt necessary to make herself seem playful and flirtatious with her 'husband'.
Drew had his eyes shut as he exposed himself to the sun. Even without looking he knew that May was watching him, waiting for him to elaborate. "Just a few things. Oh, and I'd turn over if I were you. You're looking a bit red."
May narrowed her eyes at Drew quickly then did as he suggested. She'd been lying on her back for so long that if she didn't turn soon, she'd end up crispy on one side and undercooked on the other. She picked up from where she left off in the book and read a few pages more in the relaxing ambiance of poolside.
"So what do you and Paris talk about?" Drew inquired after a while of lying down with neither one of them speaking.
May thought about her answer. Does she really want to tell him that they talk about him in detail? Probably not, though, there is a lot she could do to annoy him. He was curious to know and May could sense it.
"Just fashion, work, you, celebrity gossip and the like." May replied casually even though inside, she was smiling till her jaw ached.
Drew nodded. "What about me?" Drew asked in equal casual tones.
May couldn't help but let a smile slip. "Oh, you know, your habits. The good, the bad." She replied as she shut her book over and place it on the end table. She signalled for the waiter to bring over another cocktail. She tilted her head to look at Drew, who was already looking at her.
He wore a look that May found rather amusing. He looked curious, even though it was only ever so slightly. His attempt to hide it was futile even though the smirk that was laced on his face made a good mask.
"If you speak about my bad points then that must be one short conversation."
May lets out a short, sharp laugh. Mocking him was proving to be a very fun game and the fact that Drew responded in a light hearted way was even better. "Of course you of all people would think that." May said with her chin on her hands. Lying on her stomach was almost as comfortable as lying on her back. She had a smile stretched across her face as she lay there, feeling for once content.
Drew looked away from her to his phone when it beeped. He turned the alarm off and got up from his lounger and stood next to May's. He slipped a hand round her sides and gave her a quick tickle, causing May to squirm uncontrollably under him.
Drew stopped abruptly. "We've been out here for long enough today. You need to get dressed for dinner."
May sat up and fixed her bikini top. She gave Drew a glare and followed him up. However, a glare wasn't always a sign of distaste.
May looked at her dresses. She had narrowed her options down to a white above the knee dress by some low profile designer or a black maxi dress by Roxanne. May was stumped. The black dress was more elegant looking but the white dress showed off her newly acquired tan better. Maybe being rich does have its downside…
May's thoughts were startled by the knock on the door. She jumped but quickly recovered. "What?" she shouted from her room.
"It's been over an hour, May, are you done or what?" Drew shouted back.
May rolled her eyes. "Yes, Drew, I've been ready for the past hour but I decided to sit in here instead and make you wait. Of course I'm not ready. Geez, for a CEO you're not very smart!"
Without seeing Drew's face May was able to practically see his glare through the solid doors. Luckily she had already done her hair and make-up. All she had to do now was grab one of the two dresses, touch up her face then go.
She opened the door almost twenty minutes after Drew had first knocked to rush her.
"Finally." Drew said as he got up from his seat on the red, velvet sofa to face May.
May tried not to feel self-conscious at the fact that Drew was doing a visual voyage of her in her mini white dress and striking red heels. This was the first time since they were married that Drew had ever looked so closely at May.
"Well?" May prompted.
"Glad you know how to dress yourself." Was all he said as he approached May, who tried not to take a step back from his fast approaching form. "Let's go." With that said Drew turned towards the lift area and pressed the button, leaving May standing frozen in her spot. With a small shake of her head, she followed him towards the lift and waited alongside Drew.
The waiter popped the cork from the bottle of Chateaux Eterna, one of several of Sinnoh's delicacies. He poured a small volume into May's glass, then Drew's, and put the bottle down in the holder next to their table. The restaurant that Drew had taken May to was dimly lit, romantic, classy and everything else that May liked about the rich lifestyle. There were only a few other tables, all of them couples, and they all looked like they were enjoying the intimacy that the dim lighting provided.
"That's a good wine." May said whilst swirling the deep red fluid gently in the glass.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from Sinnoh's most expensive wine." Drew said. He set his glass down on the table
They sat for a moment and enjoyed the fancy wine.
"So, this is how we-" May looked around, "entertain the paparazzi?" she said in a hushed voice.
Drew shrugged. "Of course, thought you'd get it by now." Drew casually said.
"Well, I'd like to point out that this is really only about the third time that we've provided entertainment for the pap." May said smugly and she was right.
Drew looked at May with a raised brow. "You keep track?" he asked her. He couldn't say he was completely surprised by the revelation. Even when they had just met, he had gathered that May was organised, maybe even on par with the organisation skills of a control freak.
May nodded and tried to keep cool at the surprise question. "I do." She said, offering no reason as to why.
"When were they then?" Drew asked as he leaned forward in his seat and rested his chin on his hands which were locked together to form a platform.
"Our wedding, the time we went to Little Corsola and tonight." May said. She too had leaned forward to meet Drew as she replied. Her eyes gazed into his, reminding her of the first time she'd met him less than a year ago. It was weird to think how fast things were moving.
They had already been 'married' for two whole months. And things were going along mostly smoothly (minus those few times that Drew had caught May with too little coverage); Drew was happy with the way May acted around everyone. She seemed almost genuine, even when closely examined by his critical eye. She'd managed to gain the trust of his mother, who he himself had often considered snobbish but still, there was one more hurdle that they were going to need to overcome before their plan would be considered a sure success.
"Your amuse bouche." The water interrupted. He broke May and Drew's gaze and set down the small teacups of soup then left.
May felt almost disappointed as she picked up her spoon – there weren't many chances for her to just be able to sit there and gaze into those bright emerald-like eyes and get lost in their own little world, where Drew didn't know about her past of using rich men and he didn't have a business to try and inherit.
The bisque was small but tasty. May wished there was more but she did have her starter to look forward to. She thanked the waiter when he took the cups away and looked at Drew once he had left.
Drew watched May thank the waiter and waited until she looked at him again. He had important things to talk to her about.
"I think you've done well so far." Drew said "I definitely did not expect anything less."
"Thank you." May accepted triumphantly. She was trying really hard to impress everyone, after all.
"But we still have one more task to fulfil."
May eyed Drew suspiciously.
"We need to get the seal of approval from my grandma."
"Come again?"
"My grandma is voted one of the best business women out there. Many people know and respect her but so far she, like my father, didn't approve of me taking over the family business."
"And I have to meet this woman? Why?"
"You're my wife." Drew pointed out bluntly.
May cursed under her breath. This woman sounded hard to please. "When will I meet her?"
"When we get home. She's been calling me, telling me to introduce you to her."
"That's so soon!" May blurted out.
"Best to get the meeting over and done with." Drew shrugged, "If you're lucky you'll only ever need to meet her once."
May nodded. "If you say so."
May dropped her fork back onto her empty plate. She had just consumed the most scrumptious dessert ever.
"That… was amazing." May giggled. She had a light pink flush on her cheeks from the posh wine and warmth of the room.
Drew looked the same as always, only darker than usual and a lot happier too. After leaving the talk of Drew's grandma behind, the playful, light-hearted banter returned as they ate their meals.
"I can tell you enjoyed that." Drew teased. "You really need to work on eating more lady like."
"You'll have to learn to treat me more like a lady first." May retorted with a light giggle.
"When don't I treat you like a lady?" Drew questioned.
"Mmmm." May started to think about all the times that Drew could've been nicer to her but in her state, she drew a blank. But one night did keep playing in her mind. "Remember that night we argued and I stormed out of the house?"
Drew nodded and prompted her to continue.
"I went out to a bar that night and… I can't remember how I got home."
Drew looked at her and thought back to that night.
14th May 2011
Drew laid in his bed and relaxed with the soft sounds of the waves filling the room and relaxing him from head to toe. Normally, that would be more than enough for him to unwind but even so, he felt it wasn't doing him any good for once. Was it because May had stormed out over three hours ago and still not returned? No, it was probably because he had just lost the deal that everyone is after. He'd learnt his lesson now: never leave a woman to do a man's job.
Drew looked at the clock beside his bed. 3:27. Was she in trouble. Probably not. May was a feisty girl. She could fend for herself. Easily. No question about that.
Drew picked up his phone from his bedside and clicked on his emails. If he wasn't getting any sleep then he may as well do something productive. He had barely managed to read his third email when he got a call.
May
His phone flashed her name. He didn't know what to feel when he saw her name crop up. Relief?
"May? Where are you?" Drew asked down the line.
"Hello Drew."
Drew pulled the phone away from his ear. That wasn't May's voice but it sounded all too familiar.
"Brendan?" Drew said into his phone. His guess was met by a laugh to which Drew responded by checking the caller ID on his phone again. There was no mistaking that the caller was using May's phone.
"What kind of guy are you, leaving your wife completely drunk and passed out at a bar. Who knows what kind of people are about at this time of night."
Like you can talk, Drew thought to himself but he bit back from saying it. "Where are you?" he asked instead.
"We're at the Huntail's."
"The Huntail's?" Drew echoed and wondered why May was there. He'd heard of it before and maybe even been there once or twice too. The bar itself was away up in the North of La Rousse, a good half hour away from where he was now.
"Are you coming up to get her or what?" Brendan said down the line.
"I'll be there soon." Drew replied then hung up snappily. Why on Earth would a girl go so far from home at this time of night alone was beyond him.
It took Drew some time to find the bar. In his hurry, he didn't bother to wake his chauffer up and instead drove in the quiet night traffic, slightly raging at the fact that May was wasted in a bar and with Brendan Birch of all people. What trouble would that get her into if the paparazzi were to get a hold of those photos? It'd prove to his family that they were right all along and that May was just marrying him for the security and luxuries that he could provide her with – even if that was the truth, they did NOT need to know that.
Drew abandoned his car in front of the bar's entrance and locked it, ignoring the protests that he got from the bar's personal parking attendant stating that he couldn't park there and obstruct traffic. Drew didn't care though.
The bar was empty inside. The bartender stood behind the bar, cleaning some glasses and another employee was mopping the wooden floors. May was slumped over the bar with the white haired man next to her. He could see Brendan whisper words into her ear from where he stood and when he approached them, Brandan had retreated and stood up.
"Drew! Glad you made it." He greeted with a smile plastered on his face, "I've been keeping a good eye on May for you."
Drew eyed Brendan sceptically. "Thanks." Was all Drew said before going to May's side. He took in May's current condition: her face was red and her eyes were shut. A few creased lines were visible on her forehead. What exactly had Brendan been whispering to her?
"I'll leave you with your wife then. Later." Brendan left Drew behind with May, lying on the table.
Drew watched Brendan leave. The way he walked told Drew that he had gained something from May. But what?
7th of June 2011
"You're a capable girl." Was Drew said. May did not need to know that he was the one who took her home and tucked her in. She also did not need to know that he was the one who put the cold flannel on her forehead.
May shrugged. Maybe Drew was right. Maybe she was a lot more capable than she had given herself credit for. She was snapped out of her praising thoughts when Drew leaned in.
"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Drew asked.
May blinked at his question. She was supposed to plan the weeks itinerary? She quickly racked her brains for something to answer him and beamed in response when she thought of something. "I'm going to have to drop the 'S bomb' on you." She replied, leaving Drew to wonder what the 'S bomb' could be.
Drew raised an eyebrow at May's suspiciously cheerful beam and just from that one look, he gathered that it was something he was going to dread.
That's it for this installment guys! Sorry for the delayed update and I will try my best to remember to update. (Esince the next chapter has long been written up!) But for now, drop me a review and enjoy your day!
silver-hedgehog
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