One night was all it took: Season 3 "One second was all it took"

This Was It

I scan around the kitchen and see their smiles filling my heart. "All of you! I mean it!" I can feel this sense of emotion rushing through me, but it is a happy emotion. "I have been around most of you for most of my life. Bill and Jack! You have been like father figures to me. Rya and Jared have been not only my coworkers but my bestest friends. Gemma, you've been around for a minute, and you have grown on me, and I am grateful. Becca..." I smirk. I feel lost. "I don't know you well enough, but I can tell you are good people!"

She is nodding her head while wiping a small tear from her eye. "Thank you!" She raises her fist in the air like she is swinging. "I am grateful to have all of you as my friends!"

I look at everyone else forming a circle in the dining area and the people still outside. "The rest of you I am not too sure I even know some of you."

"My family." Natalia raises her hand. Her eyes are scanning the crowd of people. She is smiling and now starts waving at some of them. "They came from Cali, and I am grateful for all of you that have shown up. Lacey and I will get around to each one of you I promise!"

I nod and step up to the line of food. I turned back around and smiled at Derek. "And Derek! I do not know how to thank you. In the beginning, you made it bad. But you fought to show us you genuinely care about us. I am so grateful to have you as a friend and I hope you are still hanging around. Thank you."

He is leaning against the back wall. He has his legs crossed while sipping from his glass of wine. He's dressed very well, and I can see he is having a good time. "Lacey! You are very welcome. I could never lose you as a friend..." He looks up at the ceiling for a moment and brings his eyes back down to me. "Although I almost did. And just so everyone knows before it gets out in the world."

"No!" Becca yells. I watch as she struggles to hold onto her plate.

Derek smiles. He is stepping toward her. "Becca and I are giving dating life a try."

"What! Mother fucker!" Jared yells from the back of the kitchen. I tried looking for him, but he was hiding. "If anyone needs me, I'll be out by the bartender...hoping to get some from someone tonight! Hot damn! I am getting tired of everyone else finding their true love and I am over in the back getting double stuff like a mother fucking Oreo! Assholes!"

Natalia is tapping her fork against her glass. Jared shuts up. She smiles and lowers her glass. "Before you leave Jared. We have an announcement while everyone..." She glances around at the large crowd of people. "There is a lot of you. Our wedding will be held in Bora Bora. We are hoping to see everyone there. And for the ones that may not be able to afford the entire trip. We were able to get a discount on the hotel. All I ask is everyone pay for their plane ticket and bring cash for your expenses..." She raises her hands in the air with a giant smile painted across her face. The entire hotel is paid for during those three days. No one must pay for a hotel room or their breakfast or dinner if you eat the hotel food. Yes! You heard me right! Just let me know and we will get everything sorted. The hotel is paid for!"

I hear a handful of gasps. A few hands start clapping. Our entire crew of friends all have a look of shock on their faces. I bust out a quick short laugh. I have never seen their jaws drop. Rya's raising her hand. "I don't think I can afford the plane-"

"Rya! I got you! You're paid for!" I interrupted her. I swallow while knowing Natalia's family may not be as lucky.

I look over at Derek. He is taking another sip from his glass. I do not think he expected us to change the subject so quickly. I smile and nod at him. I am mouthing 'congrats' to him and I know he sees it. I slid my fingers gently down Natalia's arm and back into her hand. "Can we eat now?"

Her eyes grew wide. She lowers her eyelids and quickly licks her lips. "Eat baby! But don't fill up too much." She leans in and whispers. I smile knowing what she is probably going to say next. She moves her lips closer to my ear. "You have to eat me for dessert later."

I slowly spit my drink back into my cup. I knew she was going to say that, but it was still unexpected. I take a deep breath and quickly exhale. I shake my head. I swallow the slight feeling of excitement growing inside of me. I want to tear her clothes off right now, but there are so many guests, I get this feeling we may not be doing anything tonight. "If we get lucky!" I say while staring around at the crowd of people waiting for food. "We might not have that option..." I pause. I realize Her eyebrows are raised and her head is slightly tilted. She looks unenthused.

She sighs and shakes her head. "I'll take you to the bedroom right now. I do not give a shit. I will turn the music up louder if I must. We will be enjoying each other tonight. I mean Lacey Martin."

"How is that going to work?" I purposely changed the subject. I know one way or another she will find a way for us to enjoy each other. If I do not get her to stop now, she may force me into the bedroom, and I feel it would be disrespectful to all these guests.

She lowers her eyebrows. I can see the scrunch in her nose and forehead. She slides her hand against mine. "How is what going to work?"

My smile grows. I find her confusing look to be attractive. "Silly girl. Our last names."

"Oh!" She glances over her shoulder and leans against the wall. She slides her finger across her forehead to move her hair out of her face. "We have a few options. If you do not want to take my last name, then I can take yours. If I decide I do not want yours, technically we can just keep our last names the way they are. We don't have to have each other's last names."

I swallowed the small number of nerves I had while asking that question. I do not know what caused me to be nervous, but I have no idea how any of this works. She is a businessperson with a lot of power behind her, so I know she's going to have many answers that I don't have.

"So, you are the infamous woman who stole my cousin's heart. By the way...she is more like a sister than a cousin." I turn around to a blond girl. Her hair is shoulder-length, and her eyes are bright green. What is up with all the green eyes in this family?

I raise an eyebrow and give a half-crooked smile. I shake my head. "I'm sorry. Who are you?" I calmly ask while stepping back.

She holds her hand out. I glance down at it and look back up at her. I slide my hand into hers. I glance over my shoulder. Natalia has left me. I have no idea where the hell she is, but she left me.

"Alice. I was a close cousin to Natalia..." She raises her head and looks at the ceiling. She looks like she is trying to hold her anger back. "Until she left California and most of her family in a matter of days. I couldn't believe it but now I see why." She scans my entire body from head to toe. I stand here feeling slightly uncomfortable. "See. My cousin is an immensely powerful person in San Francisco. And I mean it. She knows every powerful person and they bow down to her...but somehow you have managed to suck that right from her."

She glances around the party. She is looking for someone. She is probably looking for Natalia. She almost seems nervous to be talking to me. But she also seems pissed at me. "You are just an average bartender. And she dropped everything for you? I am lost. What do you have besides your looks? I mean..." She looks at me up and down again. "You are stunning. But that is not enough to make someone up and leave everything."

I feel a hand slide against my lower back. I look over my shoulder. "Hey, babe!" I say and quickly wrap my arm around hers.

She smiles at me and looks at her cousin. Her smile turns into a frown. "Alice! Hey favorite cousin. You look like you've had a rough past few months."

"Yeah?" Her eyes light up. She looks excited to see Natalia but nervous too. She is scratching her arm. She uses her other hand to gesture toward me. "So, this is the girl that made an immensely powerful businessperson leave her hometown. I have heard every story. Including the one where you purposely found her address and went to her house. You always have gone for what you want."

"Yep!" Natalia quickly says. She looks me in the eyes. "I need you for a moment. It's especially important." She looks back at Alice. "Cousin! Darling! Do not go anywhere. Stay and enjoy the party. I will be back in a few moments." She glances back at me. "Bedroom now!"