The Wedding Plan

Chapter 1

Eleanor was running late. The meeting was about to start. She needed to make sure that the meeting room was ready and that the coffee cups and water bottles, she was carrying arrived on time to attend it. It was her first task, and a simple one at that, so she could not fail at it. She wasn't going to.

The position was not that great. It was just a three-month internship at Montgomery Consulting — Montgomery was a minor financial consulting firm in Seattle — and for the time being, she was still waiting for her tasks to be assigned.

However, this would lead her to carry out her goals, if her life went according to everything that she had planned out. This would help her land a much better job. This internship was an extra point to mention on her resume and a learning experience. Even though Montgomery was a small company, it had an impeccable reputation and a spot there was highly coveted.

Her diploma was still fresh out of the printer, she had just completed her degree in finances. But as soon as this internship ended, she would be ready to apply to her dream company. It's close, just a little longer. She said to herself. It was a mantra to remind herself that all her efforts and sacrifices hadn't been in vain. It would all be worth it in the end.

Her glasses were fogging up from running around, her hair was a wreck, but she could not stop now. The elevator was so close. Just a little more and the goods would be delivered before anyone else arrived.

But in life, things never go according to plan, and Eleanor was not an exception to that rule. The elevator door was right in front of her, just a few steps away. With the tips of her fingers, she could almost touch it when suddenly she bumped into a wall.

As she stumbled back, the heel of her shoe broke, and she sprained her ankle as she fell on the floor. The coffee cups spilled everywhere and some of it ended up splashing on her clothes. Her glasses were nowhere to be found, and she was about to burst into tears as the embarrassment and the disappointment grew inside her.

'Are you okay?'

To her surprise, the wall talked.

Looking up; as she searched for the source of that voice; Eleanor kept part of her face hidden behind a curtain of thick hair. The wall was a good-looking man. The handsome wall picked up her glasses and handed them to her. Her hands were trembling as she grabbed them and put them on. With her glasses on, she took another quick look at him and was now even more embarrassed and mortified.

The wall was none other than Sebastian Crain, the newly appointed CEO of Crain Enterprises; the company she so desperately wanted to work at.

Sebastian was handsome, tall, with a strong jawline and bronzed skin. His eyes were in a peculiar and deep shade of blue, like the ocean under the full moon, and his hair was as black as night.

How can someone be this good looking? She wondered. And why did I have to be on the floor in front of him, looking a mess? She whined as she looked for some place to hide.

Run! Eleanor thought to herself and as she got up and tried to run away as fast as she could. But as she tried to flee the scene, an acute pain spread throughout her ankle. The pain forced her to give up on her escape, and she had to lean against the wall.

'Are you hurt?'

Eleanor shook her head, never looking up. There was no way that she could face the handsome wall.

He looked worried as he glanced at his watch.

'Dammit. I'm going to be late.'

She tried to start walking again, but as soon as she put any weight on her foot, she felt that sharp pain in her ankle; it ached too much. Still leaning against the wall, without being able to walk, Eleanor cursed the day she decided to wear heals. She could hardly walk in them. The only reason she thought it was a good idea was that she would look older. Eleanor had a baby face and a petite frame. She felt like no one took her seriously because of her appearance.

With just her twenty-two years of age, she looked cute, instead of the fierce and adult image she wanted to transmit; she struggled all her life with the disconnection between her image and her capabilities. Even though she was intelligent and beautiful, that didn't stop her from believing that her appearance made her look frail.

'I'm sorry in advance, but I can't just let you stay here like this.'

Eleanor studied the handsome wall with a confused frown. Before she could even gather the courage to ask anything, he picked her up and carried her to a couch in the waiting area.

Her face started burning as she felt his arms around her. He was strong, no doubt about it. The handsome wall lifted her up as if she weighted nothing. And in fact, for him, she was quite easy to carry.

As he carried her, he became more and more aware of how small body her body was compared to his. He realized the severity of their impact and the guilt grew on him.

Sebastian asked Mr. Montgomery's secretary for ice and then crouched down in front of Eleanor, examining her foot.

'Does it hurt a lot?'

Eleanor shook her head.

'You don't speak much, do you?' He had a charming and soft smile on his face as he placed the ice around her ankle. 'I'm Sebastian Crain, by the way.'

'I know.' Her voice didn't seem to want to come out as her heart pounded against her ribcage.

'Right. Sometimes I forget that some people might have heard of me. And you are?'

'Eleanor.' She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lower lip. 'Just Eleanor.'

'Well, just Eleanor. I think that you'll survive.' He felt accomplished as he managed to get a slight smile out of her.