The Billionaire's Wedding Planner ✔

CHAPTER FIVE

A I D E N

I looked for the time on my watch.

Instead of seeing the time, my mind was filled with images of my grandfather, who had passed down his favorite watch to me, his favorite grandson. My grandad was an amazing person, but could be quite grouchy and old-fashioned. I knew that if he were alive, he wouldn't like that I was lying to the world and marrying a girl just for the advertisement of marrying someone that the world considered a celebrity.

When I managed to focus on the time, I realized that I would be cutting it very fine for the investors' luncheon that I was on the way to.

"How much longer, Henry?" I asked my driver.

"It should be just about ten minutes more, Mr. Carlisle," he told me, "But you never know with this traffic."

I drummed my fingers on the armrest, waiting for the traffic to move.

My phone rang and it was my father. "Where are you, Aiden?" he asked.

"Close by," I said, wincing and waiting for him to chastise me for being late.

"Well, you get here soon," he said, without a hint of aggravation, "Some of the boys are running behind and we're all here enjoying watching the wedding ceremony that's happening in the garden. They've got two dogs as ring bearers, Aiden. It's hilarious. I wonder how they trained them."

My father laughed over the phone at something one of the men with him said.

My eyebrows raised. "I'll be there soon, Dad."

It was another fifteen minutes before my car pulled up at the entrance to the hotel.

"I'll call you to come get me, Henry," I said, and got out of the car.

The hotel manager rushed forward the moment he saw me and greeted me. "Mr. Carlisle, it's such a pleasure to have you with us today," he told me, jogging to keep up with my pace as I walked briskly to the elevator, "I've already met your father today and I hope you have a fantastic luncheon."

Once inside the elevator, I turned to him and smiled, broadly, quickly glancing at his nametag. "Well, thank you, Gregory," I said, making him beam, "I'm sure everything will be great in your capable hands."

"If there's anything you need, sir, please don't hesitate to ask," he told me, his chest puffed out.

"Good man," I patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the elevator and down the corridor into the hall we had booked for the luncheon. The room was packed with investors and directors of the company.

There was a mix of old and young, male and female, which made me happy about the people who were making decisions and influencing the company.

"Aiden!" my father called from the opposite side of the room, when I entered, "Come, join us. The party can really begin now."

The investors' luncheon was an event we held twice annually to keep up morale and so far, it seemed to be working.

I walked around the room, talking to everyone that I could, laughing at their jokes and pretending to care about their wives or children, because let's face it, I'm not doing business with the spouse or the partner or the family, I'm doing business with the person.

After lunch, I had to get out of the room. So, when everyone seemed to be so happy with themselves, circling the room with their desserts and coffee, I slowly slipped out of the room and walked down the hall to the lobby area on the floor.

I found a large arm chair near a window and sat down, just watching the crowds going in and out of the different halls, chatting with each other, laughing and taking pictures.