“You looked far off there for a minute.”

The guys come and join us. Marcus plants a kiss on my lips and wraps his arms around me. I can’t get over how affectionate he is in public.

A long, dark haired beauty approaches Julia and says hello.

“Hi Bethany. I want you to meet Sophie and this is Marcus, her fiancée. This is their friend Christopher.” Julia introduces us to Bethany who is Johnny Price’s girlfriend. Johnny is the bassist for Belgravia Underground. Bethany’s roommate Vanessa is with her and we all exchange hellos.

Chapter 7

Marcus

Tonight we hit the club where Belgravia Underground is playing.

We head backstage afterwards and hang with Richie and the boys in the band for a while then go to check on Sophie. We find her talking with Julia and some of her friends.

Introductions are made. One of Julia’s friends named Vanessa is a very attractive blonde. She is totally my man Christopher’s type. Let’s see if I’m right.

“Hey beautiful,” I say, approaching Sophie.

“Hi Marcus,” she says, giving me a kiss on the lips as I wrap my arms around her.

“Fifty bucks says Christopher will like this girl Vanessa,” I whisper in Sophie’s ear. “She looks his type don’t you think?”

“Oh my God, I was thinking the same thing. Like minds think alike,” my girl says as we laugh.

Sure enough, Christopher sidles up next to her and is turning on his charm. She seems to be enjoying the attention as she smiles and laughs at his jokes. That’s always a good sign.

“I would like to see him end it with that Cassie Long, she’s bad news,” I tell Sophie.

“You know how I loathe her. She’s not right for him, she’s a gold digger,” Sophie says in her direct way.

I know she hated the way Cassie would come onto me and try to belittle our relationship. Can’t say I blame Sophie for disliking the girl. It’s getting late and we decide to call it a night. But not before we see Christopher getting Vanessa’s phone number.

“So, did you score a number?”

“Of course I did, the girl is gorgeous. I want to take her out tomorrow night. Any suggestions where I should take her?”

“Let me think about it,” Sophie says with a twinkle in her eye. She will make sure it’s someplace romantic. “I know, dinner at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant and then take her to the London Eye at night, it’s so beautiful and romantic to see London lit up at night,” Sophie gushes adorably.

“Do you want to go solo or double?” I ask Christopher.

“Maybe solo.”

“Alright, suit yourself. She seemed really nice. English girls are sweeter that American girls,” Sophie says. I have to agree with her, but I don’t dare say a single word.

Chapter 8

Sophie

Marcus is in the wedding of a good friend of his from college, Kyle Townsend, from Harvard. The wedding is in Hawaii next weekend.

I have mixed emotions about going to Hawaii with Marcus. Guilt clouds my mind, that’s where John proposed to me. I think about John now and then and wonder how he is doing. I know I broke his heart; it’s not something I’m proud of. It plagues me on my bad days, whenever I am filled with self-doubt about Marcus and I making it for the long haul.

We will be visiting the Island of Oahu, the wedding will be at the Kahala Resort and it’s where we are staying.

This evening we are gathering for the wedding rehearsal and dinner. It’s a gorgeous setting. The ceremony will be right on the water. I feel the cool breeze on my face and watch the breath-taking sunset.

There’s a girl in the wedding party, and I don’t like the way she looks at him. A girl from his days at Harvard, no doubt. They’ve probably slept together, judging by the way she looks at him. She came hoping to rekindle whatever they once had would be my guess from my over active imagination. I can become such the jealous lover now days. I always imagine other women are eyeing my Marcus. Unfortunately, it’s more than just my imagination, it’s usually true.

Of all things, this girl is his partner down the aisle, lovely. She looks thrilled to be on his arm, it bother’s me to no end.

After the rehearsal, the wedding party and out of town guest head into the restaurant in the hotel for dinner. As we are getting seated Marcus introduces us.

“Krista, this is my fiancée, Sophie Shawn,” Marcus says by way of introduction.

“Unbelievable. I never thought I would see the day when Marcus Hunter settles down,” she says with laughter in her eyes.

“No one was more surprised than I when he proposed,” I say right back at her. Her comment irritates be beyond belief, but I try and play it off. I refuse to let this girl, mock me or mock us.

Marcus wraps his arm around me. He can tell I’m getting heated as I give her an icy smile. She has the nerve to eye me from head to toe and then lets out a small awkward laugh.

“Yes, well, lets take our seats, shall we?” Marcus says, trying to ease the tension and moves me towards the other end of the long table. He doesn’t want us sitting near Krista. “Easy girl,” he whispers into my ear.

Dinner was delicious and we sat near the bride and groom and ended up having a good time, in spite of Krista Fairbanks comment.

I ask him about her later when we are back in our ocean view suite, and sitting on our lanai, enjoying a nightcap.

“Who does she think she is? Who was she to you?” I ask, letting my insecurities get the best of me.

“Krista Fairbanks? I love seeing you jealous,” Marcus says with a devilish grin, trying to make light of my jealousy.

“Don’t make me even madder. Was she at Harvard with you?”

“Yes,” he replies, as his eyes shift down to his glass of scotch.

“Who was she to you?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I could tell there was something between you two, she was thrilled to be on your arm.”

“Krista and I were a lifetime ago. It was nothing.”

“I see she is still single. Nothing to you, I’m sure. What about her?”

“Why does it even matter? I’m marrying you, sweetheart,” he says, nuzzling into my neck and pulling me in closer. I know he’s right, but tell that to my heart.

“Look we dated briefly when we were at Harvard. End of story.”

“Then why does she act so possessive of you, like she still knows you so intimately. When was the last time you saw her?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer me for what feels like an eternity.

“She came to London for business and looked me up when I was alone and we weren’t together,” he finally admits, adding the we weren’t together for good measure.

“Oh I see. So you have seen her fairly recently, within the last year?”

“Yes.”

This doesn’t sit well with me. My stomach is in knots and I can sense my pulse picking up, and my heart sinks to my knees. I just sit there and stare out at the ocean in the darkness, and watch the palm trees sway with the wind.

“Sophie, you have no reason to be jealous. All those women are history, I only want you.”

I don’t have anything to say, as I sit here and wallow in self-pity, paying the price for being with a player. My thoughts are obsessing over Marcus’s womanizing past and it’s eating at me. Will he really manage to stay faithful to me for as long as we both shall live?  Especially someone like him who is so used to ‘variety’. I know I never felt these emotions when I was with John.

“Sophie, what are you thinking?” he asks and I don’t answer him.

“Tell me,” he commands softly.

Do I tell him, should I tell him?

“Marcus, how can someone like you, who has grown so accustomed to ‘variety’, really promise to be faithful until death do us part?” Heck, those words even scare me, now that I have said them out loud. “Forget I even asked.”

We both get quiet and gaze at the stars in a deafening silence.