Entwine (Billionaire Series) (12 page)

The
bridal shower was almost as fun as Sharon’s description had suggested it would
be – which was not very fun at all. Three days after my crushing failure to see
Mathis, Sharon called me up to make sure that I was still going to help her out
with the bridal shower.

“I’m
not so sure, Shaz,” I said. “I’m just going to bring a cloud of depression and
misery over the celebration, and the bride will end up running away with the
caterer whilst the single older sister and the groom go on the honeymoon
together so as not to waste good money, and it’ll end up causing a family rift
which will last for generations.”

“Whoa,”
Sharon laughed. “Aren’t you Miss Doom-and-Gloom this morning!”

“Sorry,”
I said. “But anything I do right now is guaranteed not to go well.”

“We’ll
see about that,” Sharon said encouragingly. “I can tell you right now that the
caterers are all women, apart from the gorgeous chef you won’t let me hook you
up with, and I really don’t think the bride is going to run off with him. Even
if she does, thankfully the couple is going camping in Colorado for their
honeymoon – not something big sis is likely to be into with her love of
stilettos. I pronounce you immune to ruining this wedding.”

“If
you say so,” I said.

“Besides,
there are going to be all kinds of cakes – I guarantee you that we can sneak a
few pieces while the bride is opening her gifts and no one will be the wiser.”

“If
you put it that way,” I conceded, “I guess I could manage it.”

“Good
girl,” Sharon said happily. “I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

***

She
chattered on happily enough in the car, but once we reached the venue, a large
and rather luxurious villa out in the country – complete with swimming pool,
tennis court and acres and acres of beautiful gardens – I started to feel
nervous.

Everything
in sight was draped in ribbons and roses, and a huge banner with ‘Rachel and
Dave Forever!’ hanging over the door completed the scene of pre-wedding
excitement and bliss. Hearts enveloped me like a cheery pink fog. It was
positively the worst place to forget about the guy I was infatuated with. Even
so, I took a deep breath, hitched a smile on my face, and began to help the
caterers set up their tables.

“I’ll
be back in a bit,” Sharon told me. “I have to go and mingle.”

Feeling
oddly naked once I was left on my own, I finished setting up the tables and
left the more artistic helpers to arrange the centerpieces whilst I went to
check out the rest of the villa.

It
wasn’t as big as my uncle’s ranch, but it wasn’t far off. I wondered if Mathis
had a place in the country, or whether he was too busy for that and just spent
all his time in his luxurious city condo. I scolded myself for thinking about
Mathis again and headed to the kitchen to see if they needed any help.

Sharon
found me after I’d just iced my hundredth sugar cookie – I was getting pretty
good by that point, and had almost gotten my mind off Mathis.

“Amanda
– where have you been?! I need you to help me receive guests!” she cried. She
was in full work mode, her mind going a million miles a minute calculating all
the ins and outs of the event. As we stood at the front door, Sharon handed out
little favors and I relieved a stream of well-dressed women of their gifts. I
wondered if they were all happy for the bride, or if any of them – like the
older sister – were secretly jealous.

I
couldn’t decide if I was envious of the bride or not. I had never placed too
much importance on marriage before. When I thought about Mathis, though, I felt
as though I could understand what made someone want to be with another person
for the rest of their lives.

Sharon
kept up a running commentary for my benefit during the lulls in guest arrival.

“That
was Gail, Rachel’s cousin. She’s married to a doctor, but she’s having an affair
with a guy at work – all the girls gossip about it behind her back. The two
coming up the path now are the bride’s stepsisters. They’re both younger - one
of them is a lesbian and single, the other just got out of a long term
relationship and hates anything or anyone with lips. Oh, and behind
them
is
the bride’s friend Charlotte – she’s a real piece of work, vows she’ll do
whatever it takes to catch the bouquet, even if it means roofying all the other
bridesmaids.”

By
the time the last guest had arrived, I felt vaguely grateful to have only one
good girlfriend, since it seemed like most of the women at the shower were
bloodthirsty, backstabbing, and secretly hoping that the bride and groom would
break up before the wedding.

As
I circulated the room with snacks, I caught snippets of conversation from all
sides:

“Her
husband’s been screwing Diana behind her back for the last six months. It was a
shambles of a marriage anyway, though – he got her pregnant and then his family
browbeat him into tying the knot…”

“…bringing
the new boy-toy to the wedding. He’s twelve years younger than her. No, I can’t
recall his name. She has a different one every time I see her.”

“…not
rich by any means. She married him for his money, but she runs through it like
a pickpocket through a shopping mall, so they’re living from paycheck to
paycheck…”

“…a
real gold-digger. He’s no better, though. He’s in it for her breast implants, I
guarantee it.”

It
was enough to put me off marriage forever. Every one of the women seemed to be
unhappy – mercenary, unfaithful, shallow, or simply in a meaningless
relationship. Instead of being glad I’d never had a chance to get serious with
Mathis, however, I found myself sad that in a world where so few people meet
someone who is right for them, Mathis was going to slip through my fingers.

My
feelings of sadness turned wistful as the bride and her friends gathered round
to open presents and tell stories. It seemed like all the spite and discontent
melted away, and everyone was smiling happily, offering their congratulations
to the glowing bride.

“You
guys are going to be so happy – I remember when Dave first saw you. His eyes
went as wide as saucers – and you wouldn’t give him the time of day!  Look at
the two of you now,” one of the friends gushed.

“I’m
so lucky,” the bride agreed, hugging whoever had decided that matching his ‘n’
hers toothbrushes was the last word in romantic. “To think that it was the
first time either of us had set foot in that club. I can’t imagine what my life
would be like without him!”

The
ensuing ‘aww’ from the company was enough to make any cynic nauseated.

I
wasn’t a believer in fate, but even so, the bride’s words struck a chord with
me. I absently watched the bride open a statue shaped like a giant heart with
eyes and coo over it as if it were made of solid gold.

What
would my life be like without Mathis in it? Of course, it wouldn’t be the first
time I had been alone. I was used to being single, and it didn’t really bother
me. With Mathis, though, there was something special. I felt valued, animated,
as if I was worth more than just a small-time accountant. I didn’t want that to
go out of my life. I didn’t think that I would ever meet anyone who I felt as
strongly for as I felt for Mathis. Ever since our childhood, I felt as though
he was the only man who could ever match up to my expectations. None of my
other boyfriends could even compare.

As
I watched the bride and her friends gush over gifts and talk happily together
about how lucky they were, I knew I had to see Mathis again, no matter what it
took. Even if it didn’t work out, for whatever reason, I had to know that I’d
tried, rather than just sitting back and letting it go.

But
how would I see him? I remembered the humiliation of being turned away from his
office. I remembered the last thing Mathis had said to me over the phone – that
he had changed, that he wasn’t the same person anymore. Then it came to me, and
suddenly I was smiling. I wasn’t the same, either. I wasn’t a little girl who
would just accept my uncle’s explanation that Mathis had left on business and
couldn’t come back. This time there was something I could do – something that
no nice little girl would ever consider doing.

I
left the bridal shower with an excuse to Sharon that I had some work to attend
to. We hadn’t even gotten to the delicious cake part which she had promised me,
but I didn’t care. She looked at me curiously, but if she saw the guilty
excitement written in my face, she didn’t say anything.

“I’ll
speak to you soon, Amanda,” she said. “Don’t just sit at home and brood – go
out and do something!”

“I
will,” I promised her, although if she knew what I was planning to do, I don’t
think she would have encouraged me to “go out and do something.”

***

Once
I got home, the first thing I did was take out a pad of paper and write ‘
Sneaking
into Mathis’ Office
’ over the top. I sat back and admired my handiwork.
Having the words written down on paper made me feel stronger. I would get into
Mathis’ office even if it meant I had to do it stealthily. The thought made me
feel like a superhero, or maybe a glamorous thief, like Catherine Zeta Jones in
that one movie.

I
didn’t know how, exactly, but I knew I had to do it, whatever it took. Thinking
hard, I jotted down a few ideas on my paper:

Security
guards – will have to get past them. How many are there?

Other
entrances?

Dress
as an employee?

This
stealth thing was harder than it sounded. I looked up a street view of the
building on Google maps, and instantly decided that the main entrance was out
of the question – there were two security guards inside the main lobby and
another outside the elevator. I would have to find a different way in.

I
rotated the view and spotted a back door, which looked like access for the
building maintenance. I wondered if it was locked. Even if it wasn’t, it was
probably too risky – I could bump into an employee and be arrested for
trespassing.

I
toyed with borrowing the identity of an employee, but I knew I would have to
have an employee card to scan on the elevator, and after the debacle earlier
this week, the building staff and security were sure to recognize me. I was
already contemplating taking a huge risk; I didn’t want to do anything too
stupid.

I
thought hard, chewing the end of my pen out of habit, before I realized what I
was doing and stopped, grossed out. I hadn’t chewed the end of my pen since I
was at school!

Laying
the pen aside, I poked and prodded at my brain, trying to remember everything I
could about the building. I knew Mathis’ office was on the 30
^th
floor, so I couldn’t exactly knock on the window unless I suddenly sprouted a
pair of wings or used the money Mathis had sent me to buy a helicopter. I
actually could buy a helicopter, or maybe hire an airplane and parachute out
onto the roof of the building.

I
started to lose hope as my ideas became more and more ridiculous or risky. I
was determined, though. I was tired of being kept in the dark, and I needed
Mathis to give me some real answers and to hear me speak my mind. I didn’t know
if he was ever planning to contact me again, and I didn’t want to sit around,
not knowing. It would drive me insane. I had to do this. There was no other
way.

I
ruled out going in the front – it was too risky and there didn’t seem to be any
good way to do it. I’d blown my chance to lie about my name or pretend I was
there to see someone else. The security and secretary would know I was lying.
My only chance was to get in through the back of the building – but how?

Then
it struck me. It wasn’t exactly the best idea in the world, but I thought it
just might work, if I was brave, and stupid enough to try it.

Mathis’
office was in the corner of the building, and I recalled a fire escape running
along the back corner of the building. I guessed that there must be a door on
each floor with access to the fire escape – and more likely than not they would
be unlocked. A locked door in a fire wasn’t going to be any use, was it?