Strawberry Kisses Phavy Prieto (bookstand for reading TXT) 📖

"Hey! Where were you?" asked John, one of the few guests whose name I remembered.

"Well, you know, we had to do something and..." Damian began to say. He then looked at me with the word "help" on his forehead.

"There was an urgent issue in the company that had to be solved," I said the first thing that came to my mind. They say that a work commitment always works as an excuse, right?

"Yeah, the company." From the tone of John’s voice it was clear that he didn't buy it.

"If she says so," Damian said with a chuckle. I gave him a light backhand slap with my free hand.

The laughter attracted the rest of Damian’s friends and a small group gathered just when, around noon, they began to serve the aperitifs and the buffet.

As time went by, I felt more and more at ease until I almost forgot about the existence of the newlyweds and why we were there. Until the latter showed up again bringing me back to reality.

"I guess we will have to congratulate them. They might think we ran away earlier," whispered that voice that was music to my ears. I thought the way he did it would make those who observed us believe that Damian was promising eternal love to me.

"I remind you that it was you who ran away. Though I will never complain about the reasons that led you to do so, Mr. Devoir," I said, trying to feed the humorous atmosphere that reigned between us.

"I'm starting to like you a little too much, Miss Acosta. At this rate I might become extremely fond of you and not be able to do without your services."

"I work for you, Mr. Devoir. I remind you that now more than ever you will not be able to give up my services, given that I am your new Key Account Manager."

He looked at me in a direct and profound way, as if my words had excited him. After all, I didn't say anything special, right? Only the sacred truth.

"You are quite right," he whispered. "Actually I was referring to another kind of services."

I was speechless. Was I reading well between the lines? I didn't want to be naughty, but that bizarre game between us hinted that something else would happen and that we would not limit ourselves to what happened that weekend.

Ok, don’t panic. Breathe. Inhale. Now breathe out. One, two, three. Good, you're still alive.

My mind was going a thousand miles an hour, imagining all the possible scenarios in which that non-relationship could be wrecked like so many others did.

While I was in that state of mind, Damian caught the opportunity to wrap his arm around my waist and turn me around so that we faced the newlyweds who had just finished greeting some relatives.

"Congratulations!" I croaked with a cry full of fake emotion that seemed dull and childish even to me.

I only heard the response from that dupe of Michael. The busty giraffe stared at my neck. Did she want to strangle me? And why on earth?

"Thank you very much!" Michael replied, approaching to greet me. "I hope to be able to say the same to you as soon as you set the date."

"Of course!" keenly said Rebecca. "Maybe they'll let us know something when we visit them in Madrid. Michael and I would love to greet your family, Damian. We haven't seen them for such a long time and would be happy to invite them to dinner. We foresee to spend a few days in Madrid after our honeymoon."

Damn bitch!

Damian tightened my waist.

"Of course!" I exclaimed with the same enthusiasm. "That would be great, wouldn't it, honey?" I looked at Damian with complicity.

"Sure," he said smiling. But it was not a sincere smile, unlike those he dispensed on other occasions, especially when he was alone with me.

I put my hand around my neck and remembered that I was wearing the necklace Damian had lent me. I saw that Rebecca kept staring at it. I laughed inwardly. She surely knew what that necklace meant. Her bulging eyes suggested that she had never had the pleasure of wearing it.

"I like your necklace," I said, looking directly at her and referring to her modest pearl necklace.

Now you can also go and tell around, bitch!

"Thank you," she whispered in a low voice with a visibly fake smile from miles away. She never mentioned the necklace I was wearing, although it was impossible not to notice it as the other girls did.

The moment they left to continue greeting the other guests, Damian dragged me towards one of the corners of the room. As soon as he had the feeling of being far enough from prying eyes, he approached me as if he wanted to kiss me on the neck. But actually he just wanted to talk to me.

"How could you accept an invitation to dinner with my family? Are you crazy?" he said almost desperately.

"What did you want me to do? Decline the invitation? You will find an excuse for your family not to take part."

I heard him sigh as he seemed to relax.

"Yes, I guess you're right."

"Why don't you do yourself a favour and try to enjoy the time we still have to spend here?" I put my hands around his neck so that he looked me in the eye. "I want to have fun."

His smile appeared again – and it was a sincere one.

"Blessed is the day you dropped your planner," he said before cutting the distance between us and fleetingly brushing his lips with mine.

The rest of the day was great. Damian's friends were very nice and we had a great time during the buffet, the coffee break and later at the open bar, where people danced