章節 187: Surprise!
We arrived in France at Charles de Gaulle airport, situated in Roissy-en-France, near Paris at 6pm. It was the largest international airport in France and the second busiest in Europe by passenger traffic, after London Heathrow. As we made our way through the VIP terminal, we were greeted by Lollipop and Travis, to my surprise.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, already feeling a bit unhappy about being blindsided. Seeing my friends wasn't actually making anything much better for me.
"Are you not happy to see us?" Lollipop whined.
"I just asked why you're here too?" I replied.
"Have you seriously not figured it out yet?" Travis asked.
"Until we got on the plane, he thought we were going to England for a business trip," Jasper said. "He'll figure it out when we get to the town hall."
"Why are we going to the town hall?" I asked.
"You'll see when we get there," Jasper smiled. Why wasn't anyone telling me anything now? I didn't like being the only one left out of things.
I definitely trusted Mr. Azure to run my business while I was gone, but at the same time, I was anxious. I should be running everything!
On the car ride, I got so anxious I tried to make work appear out of thin air to steady my racing mind. As soon as I put pen to paper and tried to schedule the rest of the day accordingly, Travis ripped it up into a million pieces in front of me. "You should embrace the unknown on a trip, Sweetie. You used to be so spontaneous."
"I don't like the unknown anymore, Travis. It keeps almost killing me," I declared.
"Well, that's too fucking bad," Lollipop asserted. "We need to make sure you connect to France like your new parents. Can you even speak the language yet?"
"Not really," I said. "I understand more than I can speak it ."
"Why haven't you? It's kind of important!" Travis scolded.
"I was busy."
"What languages do you know?" Travis asked.
"English, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, and Japanese," I said.
"Well, those are all the important ones," Travis said. "I'll help you with your French."
"I know Gaelic," Jasper chimed in.
"Well, that's not going to help you in France," Travis teased Jasper, making us laugh at Jasper's pink face.
"Does it even matter how many languages you know? Everyone we know speaks English anyway," Jasper pouted.
"Yeah, if you haven't noticed yet, appearances are everything in this world," Lollipop told him.
"Where exactly is the destination?" I asked.
"Neuilly-sur-Seine, situated just west of Paris. Your family is pretty big, richest family in the richest town," Travis said.
"Am I meeting extended family?" I asked.
"Maybe. You'll find out, just wait for it," Travis said.
"If you tell me what's going on now, I'll buy you the bag you wanted. You know, the Mouawad's 1001 Nights Diamond Purse?" I tried. Once the most expensive bag in the world, Mouawad's 1001 Nights Diamond Purse held a Guinness World Record for its high price. The heart-shaped bag is made from 18-karat gold and is encrusted with 4,517 diamonds. It only cost $3.8 million, and I knew how badly he wanted one.
"Uhhhhhhh, no, I can't do that, sweetie. I'll just ask my dad to get it," he said. I could tell that it pained him to turn it down. Good, I hope he's dead inside.
"Lollipop, your store is doing above average this quarter. How about expanding?" I quickly changed my target. Lollipop definitely liked the idea of expanding and was starting to open his mouth when Travis pinched him.
"We're not doing that well," Lollipop lied.
"You're doing well if I say you are. Unless you've been fudging the numbers in the books," I stared at him intently.
"I haven't been....Alex can you just let it the fuck go please! I refuse to downplay my store. Just wait for the surprise of a lifetime, ok?" Lollipop pleaded.
"I'll ask the driver then."
"He's deaf, besides why would he know our plans?" Travis asked. Damn, they really thought about everything, didn't they? The driver, who usually knows the most, can't hear shit!
I turned my sights on Jasper and gave him my best smile while leaning towards him. "Please tell me, baby."
Jasper covered his mouth and hunched over a bit in his seat. "It'll be worth the wait!"
"I'll let you do that thing you suggested the other night," if there was anything I could use to convince him, it was my body. I know he was tempted.
"That's not fair," Jasper complained.
"Life's not fair."
"Well, if it's not happening now then I guess there's no need to tell you," Jasper reasoned stubbornly. Dammit, I was sure he was the weakest link!
"I'm a man of my word Jasper!" I snapped.
"I know that! But you still have to wait," Jasper said.
"When the fuck did I lose control here?" I asked them all.
"The minute you got on the plane, Mr. Azure was in control," Travis said. "That's all I can realistically tell you."
"Ok, so it wasn't your idea," I said, turning back to Jasper who kept his attention on the window and the passing scenery. "You should just let me know for your own good."
"What are you going to do? Beat it out of me?" Jasper shot back. That made me shut up for sure. How dare he?!
"You—"
"We're here!" Lollipop said before I could explode. "Let's get out and see the notice."
"What notice?" I asked.
"You'll see it!" Travis said, opening the door. Jasper tried to help me out of the car but I bypassed him. It was petty but I think necessary.
Jasper led me up to a community posting board, and Travis pointed to the one on top.
"I don't even know what that says," I told them.
"Roughly translated, it says: I publish the banns of marriage between Jasper Gabriel McNeil, of Derry, Ireland, and Alexander Azure, of Neuilly-sur-Seine. This is the third and final time of asking. If any of you know any reason in law why these persons may not marry each other, you are to declare it now," Travis said.
"That makes no sense! We're already married!" I said.
"It's just a formality for your big wedding tomorrow," Lollipop said. "I've never been to a traditional French wedding before."
So this was what they had been planning for the past few days? I got so paranoid that they were plotting against me that I made sure I was extra careful. But tricking me into doing the formal wedding they've been pestering me about....this was a good twist. I have to give Mr. Azure his props for completely fooling me.
Jasper, Travis, and Lollipop all stared at me, waiting for my reaction. "Your middle name is Gabriel?"
"Yeah," Jasper said. "Now that you've seen that, let's go get fitted for tomorrow."
The soft Parisian breeze carried a hint of anticipation as I stepped into the atelier, Jasper, Lollipop, and Travis in tow. The renowned French designer's studio was a haven of luxury, filled with the scent of fine fabrics and the murmur of master tailors at work. Mrs. Azure had called in earlier, ensuring that only the most exquisite suits awaited us.
I followed the assistant to the fitting rooms. My suit, a vision in white, awaited me. The fabric was like a dream, smooth and luxurious, the design elegant yet understated. As I slipped into the jacket, it felt like a second skin, tailored to perfection. I adjusted the lapels, straightened my tie, and looked at my reflection.
Oh wow. I look fucking amazing!
As Jasper emerged from his fitting room, I turned to look at him. The sight took my breath away. His black suit was a masterpiece, the fabric rich and lustrous, the cut impeccable. He stood there, a vision of strength and elegance.
But as Jasper's eyes met mine in the mirror, I saw something unexpected. Tears welled up in his eyes, his expression a mix of joy and vulnerability. I wanted to comfort him, but the words escaped me.
"Sugar, you look beautiful," he whimpered.
Travis and Lollipop, always the pragmatic ones, stepped forward, urging Jasper to "man up" and not get emotional over a suit. I understood their sentiment, but I also knew that this moment was about more than just clothing.
"Lollipop, Travis," Jasper said, his voice soft but firm, "It's okay. I'm just... overwhelmed. This suit, it means so much to me."
Travis rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, please. You aren't on stage, Jasper. Don't be such a drama Queen."
Lollipop, ever the peacemaker, chimed in. "Come on, guys. Let's not ruin the moment. Jasper, you look amazing. And Alex, you look... well, you look like you're about to run a Fortune 500 company."
"It's more like he's ready to sell encyclopedias," Travis teased.
"Oh, please," Jasper's voice broke. "He looks perfect."
"Ugh! Stop crying!" Lollipop groaned.
"I can't help it!"
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