A Stranger's Proposal

Chapter Sixteen: Penny's Party (Part 2)

"Congratulations on your wedding." Josephine Huntington said with her blue eyes sparkling with delight. She's one of Luca's business partners. Apparently, she's big in the shipping industry. It's no surprise with the dazzling pearls around her neck.

I smiled and nodded politely. "Thank you."

She handed me a little box, which I accepted out of curiosity and when I opened it, a huge pearl greeted my eyes. It's a necklace. But unlike the one she's wearing, it's just one pearl hanging as a pendant. I almost gasped. She couldn't be giving that to me, isn't she? I mean, we just met. Or do rich people randomly give pearls just because they can?

"Oh, Josephine, it's beautiful but you don't have to. I'm afraid I can't accept this." I said holding the velvet box on her palm.

"Oh, dear, it's a wedding gift." She put her hand on top of mine and smiled showing the wrinkles around her eyes. "Please accept it." She insisted.

Luca arrived from talking to a group of men and wrapped his arm around my waist. I gave him a small smile which he returned before acknowledging Josephine's presence. "Josephine! You're here!"

Josephine laughed at Luca's enthusiasm. "Luca, my boy. Words said that you're married. Fortunately, I get to meet her before you bring her back to your cave and hide her from the world."

"As much as I wanted to do that, Josephine, I can't. She's a force to reckon with when you force her into something she doesn't want to do."

Josephine proudly looked at me while I shyly smiled. I nudged Luca. "Good for you." She said before turning back to him. "It's about time you realize how much power a woman can hold. I'm telling you, be careful not to let her slip away because it looks like a line of men is ready to swoop her out of your grasp the moment you screw up." She said, glancing around meaningfully and winking.

I felt Luca's arm tightened around me then he sighed. "I better not screw it up then."

After a few more minutes of catching up with Josephine and asking a few questions about her family, she finally took off with her bodyguard. She said she's too old for parties after 12. She even gave Penny a present and invited her to come to her house and bake with her which the latter delightfully agreed to.

"You don't seem bothered that everyone thinks your married to me." Luca said as we stood in front of the giant cake we're about to cut. Penny just finished blowing her candles.

I took a plate and started cutting a piece. I put it on Luca's plate which obviously surprised him, but didn't say anything. "Why would I be? I know the truth. You know the truth. And it's easier to nod along than to prove them wrong. I don't want this party to be about me or us or the little lie your mother made." I explained. "And who knows, this might be the only time I'm going to be married."

I turned back to the cake and cut another piece, put it on my plate and moved along. Luca followed. "What do you mean by that?"

"About what?"

"About this the only time you're gonna be married." He answered. His eyes examined my face as if it held the answer to his question. "Does the idea of marrying me for real don't appeal to you?"

"Are you gonna start crying about it right now?" I sent him a mocking smile.

"If I do, will it change your mind?"

I grinned but didn't answer before leaving him with another group of men who came up to him as I made my way to Tasha who's busy chatting with a waiter.

"You look stunning, Mrs. DeVille." She greeted me with a hug after I tapped on her shoulder.

I slapped her arm and rolled my eyes, but needed up chuckling. "Credits to Lucia's team for all this. That's all on them." I pointed from my head to my toes. It's been a while since we last saw each other. And it's so nice to talk to someone familiar.