The Wedding Plan

Chapter 12

'Yes. Is there something wrong with that?'

'You want me to go to Italy with you?'

'No. I want you to go with me to a wedding.'

'A wedding in Italy?'

'Yes.'

'How desperate are you?' she asked with a frown.

He rolled his eyes. 'You already said yes. There's no backing down now.'

'I thought that the wedding was going to be somewhere around here. In Seattle.'

'You get to meet your idol and go to Italy. I don't get why you are complaining. And this your fault. You should've asked first.'

'The thought didn't even cross my mind. How was I supposed to know that the wedding was going to be overseas?'

'Our family on our mother's side is Italian. My parents got married there. Lina wants to do the same.'

'I still don't get why you didn't care to mention this earlier.'

Sebastian shrugged and Eleanor sighed, leaned back, and stared at nothing while she was trying to comprehend how Sebastian's brain worked.

'Continuing. We need to spend some time together. So that we can pretend we actually know something about each other. We need to get you a dress and shoes for the wedding. And as the brother of the bride and best man, we have to go to the weeding location a little earlier to spend a few days with the bride to be, since she requested it, for I don't know what reason.'

'Yes, sir. It seems like you already have a fully realized plan.'

He didn't, actually, but Eleanor didn't need to know that.

'Yes, I have. We can call it the wedding plan.'

'That makes it sound like it is our wedding,' she opened her eyes widely after she realized what she had just said. 'No. I mean. That's just not a good name for the plan, I guess—' Eleanor stopped herself from saying anything else and chugged a glass of water.

'You are right.' Sebastian chuckled. 'Either way. It doesn't need a name. I just like to be prepared.'

'And yet you can't be on time.'

Sebastian simply smiled, realizing that this was a battle he could not win.

'And what about the people that I'll have to meet?'

'You won't have to meet many people. It's going to be a small wedding. And everyone will only arrive on the day of the wedding, including my parents. So, you don't have to worry about it. Any more questions?'

'Yes. There's still something bothering me,' she confessed.

'What?'

'What about after the wedding?'

'What about it?'

'What will you say to your sister once we are back in the real world and we stop pretending?'

'That we broke up, like so many other relationships. No harm done to anyone. Just life. It happens.'

'No harm done,' she muttered. Somehow, putting it in such blunt and cold words felt wrong.

'Or maybe by then you have fallen for me, and we won't need to worry about that,' he said with a devilish smile.

Eleanor almost spat the water that she was drinking and felt her face getting red; amused, Sebastian chuckled.

'But anyway. Why do you ask? Are you having any doubts about this? Do you want to end it? Better do it now than later. I'll give you this last chance to say no.'

'I don't go back on my word,' she said it with confidence, looking straight into his eyes. 'I was just thinking that we should both be aware of every detail. We need to be on the same page. If we want to make this believable.'

Sebastian smiled, he felt relieved; he didn't want them to part ways so soon, not again. Oddly enough, his weird plan to spend some time with her was working.

'So, what's your favorite color?' she asked.

'What?' he frowned.

'We need to start somewhere,' she explained, unfolding the napkin and placing it on her lap. 'If we are really going to do this.'

'Does anyone actually have a favorite color? I mean, it's just color. Do you have one?'

'Of course. Lavender. Then favorite type of music?'

'Such a specific color,' he sighed with a mischievous smile. 'Whatever is playing on the radio while I drive.'

She rolled her eyes and as she smiled. 'I expected something different from the great Sebastian Crain.'

He shrugged. 'I'm a busy man, sorry to disappoint. And you, which type of music?'

'Jazz, without a doubt.'

'Cats or dogs?' he asked skeptically as he tried to play along.

'Can I answer pets? All thought right now I don't have any. But I have a dog at my parent's place.'

They both smiled at each other while the server poured the wine and served the main dish.

'Flower?' he asked, while Eleanor tasted the wine.

'Lilies. You?'

'Succulents, because they're the only ones I manage not to kill.'

'This is going well, plant murderer, with no taste in music,' the woman replied with sarcasm. 'We've got nothing in common. Can we actually look like a couple? Even if it's just for a few days?'

'Of course.'

'Really, why me? You're usually seen with pretty and tall models. I'm pretty sure that I don't fit the checklist. You could have easily found someone more suited to play the part. I don't think that you would have a hard time finding someone willing to go.'

'So, you are having doubts about this. Don't worry if you want to go back on your word, I won't tell a soul.' He sadly smiled and took a sip of wine.

'Just answer. Why me?'