AllFreeNovel
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“Nice to meet you. The penthouse will be a good place for you and Alexis to stay until all of this blows over,” the one called Jay says.
“Thanks for what you’ve all done. We both appreciate it.”
The one called Damian nods. “We’ll be in touch,” Nick tells him, guiding me into the spacious living area. The floor-to-ceiling windows draw my attention to the sky rises around us and the view of water that is home to boats and water taxis taking tourists to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and yachts heading out to find more open waters. Lexie walks into the living room from down the hall and races to throw her arms around me when she sees me. “I heard voices out here. Oh, my God, Allie. I’m so glad you’re okay. Sheldon told me what happened in the park. I’m so glad you’re here and that we’re all staying together.”
“I’m okay. Nick and the guys took care of him, but they’re more than determined, that’s for sure,” I answer, shrugging off my jacket.
“Well, we’ll be safe here. Safety in numbers and all that jazz. Besides, it’s been entirely too long since we spent any real time together.” Lexie pulls me into the kitchen as Sheldon joins the guys, and they start talking shop. “The refrigerator is stocked for a month, and Sheldon grabbed pizza for everyone,” she informs me, arranging the boxes on the counter. “There’s some paper plates and napkins in that bag and cold drinks in the fridge.”
I work to get those out and onto the counter. “You better snag a couple pieces before those guys smell it, because it’ll all be gone before you know it.”
The smell of melting mozzarella, pepperoni, and peppers all melded together wafts through the air. I flip up the tops on a couple boxes, and Lexie laughs. “There’s a Canadian bacon and pineapple on the end.”
“You’re the best. I made brunch, but who says no to pizza?”
She laughs, selecting a couple of the deluxe slices with mushrooms and peppers. “Grab a drink, and let’s get out of here before those guys smell the food and trample us to get to it.”
“We heard that,” Liam yells from the living room.
Lexie shrugs. “Help yourself, guys. We’re going to go catch up in the back.”
The minute she closes the bedroom door she turns. “Okay, you have to tell me what’s going on with you and Nick. Sheldon said he just about bit everyone’s head off after you got attacked.”
I twirl a piece of the cheese onto the end of the crust before taking a bite. “Absolutely nothing. He took over for Trent and Liam. They’ve been with me almost full time for a month. Apparently, they needed a break from my glowing personality,” I tell her before taking another bite.
“Uh-huh. You don’t fool me one little bit, Allie. I see the way you look at him. The chemistry between the two of you is off the fricking charts. Like smoking hot,” Lexie retorts, grinning as she slips off her shoes and sits on the bed cross-legged.
“Just because you’re head over heels in love doesn’t mean the rest of the world is, or wants to be tied down,” I tell her, joining her on the bed. “But I want to hear all about your trip, and we have a ton of things to get organized for your wedding. That sounds much better than talking about psychos or my non-existent love life.”
“Oh my God. Where to even start. First, we need to decide where to have the wedding. We are both in love with Italy, but most of our family is here.”
“And friends. Friends are here too.”
She laughs. “You’re portable. You can go wherever we have the wedding. And, you have to admit visiting Italy would be pretty amazing.”
“The pics of the coast were gorgeous. That water and the hills. I could live there.”
“Everyone always talks about the vineyards or the coast, and it’s not that they aren’t fantastic, but one of the best things? The lemon groves. Bright huge lemons hanging on the trees, just overloaded. They’re just beautiful, and they make the best Limoncello.”
My jaws tingle envisioning the sour of the lemons. “Polite pass?”
“I’ll convince you.If we get married in Italy, we’re going to serve that at the reception.”
“What if you get married here so all your family and friends can go to the wedding and have a small reception, then do a destination celebration in Italy? Best of both worlds.”
Her violet-blue eyes light up. “That’s not a bad idea, at all! I love it! Then we don’t have to deal with any of the out of country issues for the wedding, and my mom and Jan can invite all of their friends.” She pulls up the pictures on her phone, and we go through all the ones she’s bookmarked. When we come to the end, I stretch from side to side.
“You should get a wedding planner so you can just relax and enjoy without the stress of all the worry. When you get back to Italy, you can enjoy showing everyone what you love about the country without having to worry about the details. Have someone else make all the preparations.”
“Sheldon said the same thing. And you’ll be my maid of honor?”
“Of course.” I hug her tight. “I am so excited for you. Was your mom surprised when Sheldon asked? We all thought you were just going to announce your business plans.”
“She was in on it and never said a word. Sheldon talked to her on the phone before we got back to the States. I swear she didn’t even give me an inkling that anything was going on. I thought we were just going to announce the new business and stuff too.”
“Are you getting the clientele you hoped?”
Her face lights up. “And then some. I have four more new clients this week. Katarina said she’s mentioned it to all of her friends, and soon that will double and then triple. I’m still dealing with the scheduling details, but so far, it’s working out pretty well. I can do what I love and still be with Sheldon most of the time.”
