Mikalo's Fate (The Mikalo Chronicles) by Syndra K. Shaw Page B

invited in the first place. If you failed to show up at a huge event, saying you were Out of the Country was a somewhat respectable way to admit your lowly social status.
    Stupid, really. It was a world I knew something about, but didn't really live in. And wouldn't, if I had my way.
    Caugina lifted her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Her face looked pained and her hand was trembling.
    I was not going to feel sorry for her. Never.
    Her stiletto heels still threatening to snap, she marched past Deni.
    She stopped.
    "I am going home," she then announced, refusing to turn and face us. "Tonight. I will take the plane. You will find another way.
    "And when I return, I will tell Mikalo of this. He will be angry and, I promise you, any love he feels will be gone. There will be no wedding."
    With this, she turned to me, her eyes angry and dangerous.
    "And for this, I am not sorry."
    She turned and marched away.
    My shoulders relaxed, the battle having been won.
    At least this one.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Twenty-Five
     
    "Then I won't wear a dress."
    I laid on the bed in my teeny, tiny hotel room at The Ritz, the phone pressed to my ear, Mikalo miles and miles away.
    "Really, we'll do something quiet, not fancy, really casual," I then said, finishing.
    "My Grace, that is not what's being planned."
    "You know it bugs me that I have no idea what that is, exactly."
    "This I know," he said with a sigh. "It is a nice thing, what is being planned. It is a celebration. It will be very happy."
    I shook my head.
    No, Mikalo, I wanted to say. It will not be happy. And if it is, it'll only be because everyone will hit the ouzo really hard and get fall down drunk.
    That I could live with. Anything to get through Caugina's death stares and Nona's obvious displeasure with me.
    "Then I will find a dress in Athens or something."
    Another sigh from him.
    "Call Caugina," he then said. "Talk to her and I think she will help you find something."
    "No," I said. "Absolutely not.
    "You weren't there," I explained. "You didn't see how horrible the dress was, how mean she was to me, how mean she was to Deni. You weren't there, Mikalo. And there is no way I'm reaching out to that woman.
    "Besides," I continued. "She's flying back to Greece right now."
    "What?"
    "She took the plane and will probably be home tonight. You can talk to her tonight."
    "But how will you get home?" Mikalo asked.
    "First, Greece is not home. Second, Caugina was quite confident I'd find my own way back."
    "But how?"
    "Mikalo, I can take a commercial flight," I said with a small laugh.
    This was a new side of him, the Clueless Billionaire. I found it both hilarious and frightening.
    "I will send the plane back for you," he suddenly said.
    "You will not. Don't be stupid. I'm fine. It's not like I can't schedule a flight to Athens out of Charles de Gaulle myself or something, you know?"
    "She had no right to take the plane without you."
    I stopped, Mikalo's curious statement confusing me.
    "What do you mean?" I asked.
    "Caugina, it was understood she could only take the plane to Paris if it was for you and only you. To do something else was to abuse my trust and make me angry."
    I sighed.
    God, this was all getting so stupid and complicated and ridiculous. I really looked forward to returning to normal life without Mikalo's insane family.
    Whoever said weddings were fun didn't know what they were talking about.
    "Again, don't worry," I assured him again. "I'm fine. I'll schedule a flight. It's no problem. Deni and I will be there soon. Tomorrow or the next day.
    "And I will find a dress in Greece. It's okay. I'll look fine and at the end of the day, I'll be yours."
    A pause from Mikalo.
    I could feel his smile.
    "Yes," he finally said.
    "Perhaps it is best you are naked, yes?"
    I laughed.
    "I am sure Nona and Caugina would love that."
    He laughed.
    "I would love that," he said between chuckles, "and that is what is important, I think, no?"
    "Yes."
    There was a pause as our laughter