Lucie. 

Well fuck. That did not go well. 

Let's just say, I will not be going to the vacation home in Florence anytime soon.  Ashley was going to hold a party at the house, which went well, until someone decided that pouring paint all over the pristine white walls was a good idea. Then we had paint stains all over the house for days. Ms Jenna looked at me very badly the whole time, saying how my father wanted the house in pristine condition for the guests arriving in a few days. 

I was at the airport taking my father's private jet back home with Ashley and Mia. Oliver had gone completely AWOL after the party, but I'm not worried cause he will find his way back home eventually. He does this all the time.

Ashley giggled at me. "I guess that's the party of the summer." She was wasted. Completely. We woke up and we had to make sure she didn't lose or leave anything of value in the penthouse. I'm watching her luggage and Mia is holding on to her passport.
"Yeah, and you need water, an aspirin and a nap on the flight," Mia said to her, while making sure she didn't walk into people.

"I've never been this drunk before. Mia, tell us about the guy you were having a fling with this summer."

Mia, the poor girl, blushed uncontrollably. There was a sort of unspoken rule between us that we don't really talk about the person that Mia was in a relationship with. According to her, it's a summer fling and they never result in anything.

I, on the other hand, would like to disagree. Once you find the one, nothing matters.

At least that's what my father tells me. And his word is law.

Both literally and figuratively.

"Come on, let's go on the flight," I say to the girls.

These two and Oliver are my ride or die best friends.

Ashley is a fashion mogul's daughter. Her mother worked with the big designers as a model for years before meeting her father, whose designs and charm literally swept her off her feet. Her father died a few years ago and left his beloved Ashley a sizeable inheritance that she turned into a fashion business that's thriving because of social media.

Mia came from a working class family. She only met us in high school when she transferred on scholarship. She was kind and I loved working with her on a project where we became fast friends. We've been almost inseparable ever since.

Oliver comes from pretty old money. Great great grandfather was an oil magnate whose son started one of the biggest investment companies in the US. As time went on, his family became more artsy, with his aunt being one of the best Vogue writers, his mother having several high end make up brands among others. He wants to be the biggest alcohol producer in his family. He's also a party animal, and very loving, but he doesn't want people to know that.

We've helped each other through thick and thin, through our worst troubles, even after that one girl tried to ruin my chances of getting into Brown university. I love my best friends so much.

"I'm so sleepy," Ashley exclaimed all of a sudden. The alcohol was now taking her out.

The plane was ready and we started boarding not too long after. Ashley threw herself onto the couch and started sleeping almost immediately. Mia and I took pillows and a blanket and covered her.

"I ended it with the guy."

"You did?!"

"Yeah, like I said, I don't think we'll work out just because it was a summer fling."

"I hope you find the one, Mia."

She smiled. "I hope so too."

We spent the rest of the flight sleeping or looking through the phone and the hostess gave us some snacks to eat while we prepared to land back home.

🧡🧡🧡

The driver stopped at the entrance of our house, and the butler opened the door for me. "Thank you, " I said to him. Another person was collecting the luggage from the trunk of the car and my bodyguard made his way to rhe entrance.

"Ms. Lucie, your parents have been waiting for you."
"Do they look mad?"
"I cannot say for sure. They're in your father's office."

That could mean many things. Some not good. I make my way to my father's office in the main lobby of the house and the open the door slightly to see both my parents seated at his desk. My mother was seated on the side nearer the door and my father was seated regally at his desk.

"Lucie, come in," he said. I walk into the office, hesitating slightly.
"There's no need to be nervous, baby," my mother chimed in.

"You look like you're about to have me sent to the gallows." My father chuckled.

"No, I just want us to discuss a few things."

I sat on the chair facing my father's desk. It was a simple mahogany desk, decades old. My father inherited the business from his father who inherited it from his father who inherited it from his father. The desk had a few documents and a family photo we took after I graduated from college.

My father cleared his throat. "As you know, we've been meaning to expand our shipping business to include Asia. And the only other company around those parts that is willing to work with us is Samsung." I nodded, having heard about this many times before.

"Well, we decided to make a deal with Samsung with another company, a joint venture if you will. The company is Delta Steel."

Delta Steel is a company I'd heard of before. They were a leading steel company but they signed deals with companies that possess high shipping power like ours.

"We made a deal with them and their son, Chad made another request."

"What request?" I asked, staring at my father. He cast his glance to my mother before saying, "he asked for your hand in marriage."

🧡🧡🧡

"I mean, the only thing we know about him is that he's been obsessed with you since high school." Oliver resumes sipping his milkshake after making the comment.

The four of us are in a Shake Shack, where we had agreed to meet after I dropped the bombshell in the group chat.

"Chad is not exactly a terrible guy, he graduated MIT, went straight to work in the family business and he's the one spearheading the deal with Samsung," Ashley chimed in.

"Wait, I thought Samsung made phones?" Mia looked at us confused.

"They dont just make phones, they're a business conglomerate with their hands everywhere. Be it retail, manufacturing, steel, heck even kpop," I said to her. At that her eyes went wide.

"Kpop too??"

"Yep."

"Damn, they must be like royalty."

"Anyways, what are you going to do now?" Oliver asked.

"Chad gave me his number and I want to ask that we spend time getting to know each other before the big proposal, you know?" Frankly, I was terrified. I had always known that at a certain point in time I would get into a business marriage but not like this, and not so suddenly. I hoped to enjoy my 20s for a little longer before I was tied down to a man for the rest of my life.

"Hey, dont worry, Lucie, everything will be okay yeah?" Oliver assured me. I smiled at him.

"I hope so."