Scales and Flowers

[asetikish]

"I'm really sorry we have to do this," Andrew huffed for the 3rd time on the ride to the law office. "I mean, if you change your mind, I can still tell my parents I don't want to do this."

Sara shook her head. "I told you, my dear, it doesn't matter. So what if we get a prenup? It's just money. That has nothing to do about the life we're building together. And if that piece of paper means I get to be welcomed by your parents every Thanksgiving, then it's worth it."

"Besides, that piece of paper doesn't kick in until you're divorced and I don't see you doing that anytime in the future." Beside them Natalie added. Not that maid of honor or wedding planner duties involved going with the couple to get a prenup. But as childhood friends and Sara's closest confidante, she was the easiest to drag along for their wedding preparations. Including, apparently, getting a prenup.

Andrew weighed. "You're right. That paper means nothing if we don't divorce. And we've been through tough times already."

Natalie sat back in the car as the couple proceeded to build each other up. She couldn't help but plaster an ear-splitting grin on her face. That was the romance of her dreams. As a wedding planner, she'd seen her share of couples and developed the gut instinct for who would last and who wouldn't. And her gut was telling her that her friends would last. Not only because they've gone through so much that they learned to navigate the tough times, but also, when romance fizzled out, they had their friendship to fall back on until they can rebuild it all over again.

Reaching the building, they got off and Sara took her hand. "Dear, would you get up first, I have to go to the bathroom. Come with me Nat?"

Andrew kissed her cheek and nodded. "We have time or I'll kick his ass."

Natalie's eyebrow raised. "Sounds like you're chummy with your lawyer."

Sara cut him a look and turned back to Natalie with a smile. "Oh, you know men could be such boys. Now come along."

Natalie followed Sara to the bathroom and when the door shut behind them, she let out a breath. "What did you want to talk about?"

Sara smiled sheepishly. Of course bathroom time was code for girl talk time though Sara did really go into one of the stalls. "I'm worried about you. I was thinking, you know, you can try dating again? It's been over a decade since your first boyfriend scalded you with his comments about you and not all guys are like that."

"I'm fine." Natalie lied. "I'm happy to see others get married. I can live vicariously through them."

"No you're not." The toilet flushed and Sara let the sounds of it die and spoke over the rustle of clothing and a zipper. "You want to get married, and some guy out there is going to think they can't live their life without you." The door opened.

"They have to get past how ugly I am first."

"Oh my God, Nat!" Sara rolled her eyes as she turned on the tap to wash her hands. " That's a comment from a jerkwad. You're pretty and he's an insecure ass."

"But we both know this isn't about me now." Natalie pulled out some hand towels and handed them to Sara. She refrained from telling her that he wasn't the first to notice her lack of feminine qualities despite her efforts to the contrary. "Now come on before your future husband thinks we're gossiping about him."

"We do do that, you know."

"Well, not today we're not."

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian had spent years perfecting the art of composure. It was a necessary skill in his line of work, where negotiations could turn into battlegrounds, and a single misstep could cost a client millions. He prided himself on staying sharp, collected, and unaffected. But when the door to his law office swung open and he saw her, all of that control wavered.

Natalie.

Adrian had prepared himself for the meeting—at least, he thought he had. Andrew had mentioned she would be tagging along, and Adrian had brushed it off. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen old classmates before. He’d run into plenty over the years, and nostalgia had never shaken him.

But then again, none of them had ever been her.

For a brief, gut-punching moment, his mind dragged him back to that day in high school—the sharp crinkle of a cheap cardboard box hitting the tile floor, the unmistakable slide of silk and lace spilling into the open. And then, his own voice, blurted out in sheer panic:

"That’s definitely not yours. It doesn’t suit you."

Adrian still cringed at the memory. At the time, he hadn’t even meant it the way it sounded. It had been a knee-jerk attempt to help, to steer the attention away from what had just happened, but all it had done was make things worse. Natalie had turned bright red, her hands shaking as she’d scooped everything up, and from that day forward, she had barely spoken to him.

Now, over a decade later, she stood in his office, and Adrian could feel the weight of that moment between them. He forced his expression into something neutral, professional.

"Andrew," he said, turning to his friend, shaking his hand firmly. "Sara. Glad you both made it."

Andrew grinned, easygoing as ever. "Wouldn’t miss it. Thanks for squeezing us in."

Adrian nodded, but his thoughts weren’t on the prenup. They weren’t even on Andrew. His focus kept dragging back to Natalie, to the way she stood stiffly beside the couple, to the way she wasn’t looking at him. He was an idiot for letting it get to him. High school was ancient history. He had no reason to care whether she still hated him over one dumb comment.

He gestured toward the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat. Let’s go over everything and make sure we’re all on the same page."

Andrew and Sara moved forward, settling in comfortably. Natalie remained standing. Adrian didn’t look at her. He forced his attention on the papers in front of him instead.

"The agreement is standard," he continued. "Both parties retain their pre-marital assets. In the event of a divorce—"

"Which won’t happen," Andrew cut in with a grin.

Adrian smirked. "Right. If it happens, then the division of assets will follow the agreed-upon terms. No surprises. No drawn-out legal battles."

Sara nodded, looking completely at ease with the arrangement. "Sounds perfect."

Adrian leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the arm of his chair. Normally, this was where he’d relax a little—when a client was on board, when the discussion shifted into straightforward legal talk. But the entire time, he was aware of Natalie. She hadn’t spoken a word. It shouldn’t have mattered. But it did.

Adrian exhaled slowly, shifting gears. "Look, I know this kind of thing can feel impersonal, even unnecessary, but it’s just a precaution. If everything goes the way it should, you’ll never have to think about it again."

Andrew nudged Sara. "Told you. Paper means nothing unless we give it meaning."

Sara squeezed his hand. "And we won’t."

Adrian barely heard them.

He finally stole a glance at Natalie, only to find her staring right at him. Not in the soft, nostalgic way people sometimes looked at old friends. Not even in the polite, detached way acquaintances did when they crossed paths after years apart.

Her gaze was unreadable, cool in a way that unsettled him more than outright hostility would have. She remembered. Of course she did. Adrian clenched his jaw. It was ridiculous that he cared, but some irrational part of him wanted to fix it—to say something, to clear the air, to explain that he hadn’t meant to humiliate her back then. But what was the point? She had made her judgment about him years ago. Nothing he said now would change that. He turned back to the contract, shutting the door on the past.

"Let’s go through the fine print."​

 

[asetikish]

No wonder neither Andrew nor Sara said their lawyer's name. They knew she wouldn't have come. Of course, what happened was old history, but his words were a constant echo in her mind growing up. It was basically PTSD. And it was so unfair that he grew up looking like...THAT.

Because of him she had grown conscious of how she looked. More than once she considered plastic surgery to help improve her self confidence but Sara kept on sending her photos and videos of botched jobs and people looking like they've been stung like bees, so Natalie never did push through. Besides, it was so expensive, it was something she needed to plan and budget for. And when her first and only boyfriend gloated to his friends about how Natalie was below his standards of dating to pass the time before hooking up with another model, it had only served as confirmation. She will never be as pretty or stick thin as them. Too much of her genetics were from curvy Brazilians on her mother's side.

In the end, she resigned herself to just being happy for people who found love. Oh she knew men also look for inner beauty and all that but physical attraction was the first order of business.

Adrian droned on and Natalie found herself glaring at him as their eyes met, replacing her self-esteem issues with anger. Anger was more comfortable. Less self-destructive.

As she settled in with the feeling, Andrew spoke, "Thanks so much, man. I know this is your gift for us, but I have another favor to ask...I want you to be my best man."

Natalie froze, eyes growing wide. No. Oh no no no no no...

"Nat's the wedding planner and Sara's maid of honor, so you can ask her for anything."

Keep the bride and groom happy... Natalie started saying her calming chant in her head.

"Also, if you could help her out too?" Sara turned to her friend. "I mean, I know you're a pro and all, Nat but you have clients other than us and for what you're doing you're easily saving us...what, 25 grand?"

"It's fine, really." Natalie tried to plaster on a smile, which felt more like a half snarl as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Well, anyway, Adrian knows what I want anyway," Andrew said, "so he'll be a great go-to guy for you."

Just then, it finally dawned on Natalie what her friends were trying to do. They were trying to get the old gang back. But that was not going to happen. Not that she could say what happened back then. Not only was it extremely embarassing, but telling her friends about it would have only made her seem petty. So she distanced herself. Thankfully, college was just right around the corner and her excuses for not hanging out with them had run out.

"Look, thank you for trying to help guys, but I really don't need the help of someone who's job it is to count on marriages not working out." Natalie closed her mouth. She said too much but years and years of insecurity and self loathing just burst at being in the presence of the guy who started it all.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian had been in plenty of high-stakes negotiations, but nothing could have prepared him for the words that just came out of Natalie’s mouth. The room went dead silent. For a split second, his well-trained composure cracked. He blinked, registering what she had just said, the barely veiled bitterness in her voice, the underlying resentment that clung to every syllable. And then, just as quickly, he schooled his expression back into something neutral. He was good at that—pushing emotions aside, dealing with problems logically. Except this wasn’t just a problem. This was her.

His gaze flickered toward Andrew and Sara, but neither of them seemed to pick up on just how loaded that comment was. Andrew let out an awkward chuckle, running a hand through his hair.

"Jeez, Nat, tell us how you really feel," he joked, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his tone. "Adrian’s just doing his job. It’s not like he’s out here trying to break up marriages."

Adrian exhaled through his nose, setting his pen down carefully. He was used to jabs about being a divorce lawyer. He’d heard it all before—the cynical remarks, the accusations that he profited off heartbreak. He never let it bother him. But this? This was personal. Not that he’d let her see that.

"Well," Adrian said, his voice cool and even, "I could argue that my job is to protect marriages. After all, nothing kills a relationship faster than a nasty court battle over assets." He leaned back slightly in his chair, giving her a pointed look. "But if you’d rather assume the worst, be my guest."

Natalie’s jaw tightened. Adrian didn’t flinch.

Andrew cleared his throat, clearly eager to move past the tension. "Anyway… about the best man thing." He clapped a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. "You in?"

Adrian didn’t hesitate. "Of course."

He’d known Andrew since they were kids. He would have done anything for him. And sure, maybe the idea of being forced into close proximity with Natalie for the next several weeks was less than ideal, but he wasn’t about to let old history get in the way of something as important as this.

"Great," Andrew said, visibly relieved. "That’ll make things a hell of a lot easier. You and Nat can coordinate for the bachelor party, groomsmen stuff—you know the drill."

Adrian nodded smoothly, as if that wasn’t the worst idea he’d heard all day. Natalie, on the other hand, looked like she’d just been asked to walk barefoot over hot coals. Sara, ever the peacemaker, smiled. "It makes sense, doesn’t it? You guys were friends once, and we all used to hang out together. It’ll be like old times."

No, it wouldn’t. Adrian wasn’t blind. Whatever resentment Natalie had toward him had been buried deep, simmering for years. And while he had no idea why one stupid teenage comment had left such a lasting impact on her, he knew one thing for sure—she didn’t want to be around him. And now? She didn’t have a choice.

"Sounds good to me," Adrian said smoothly, as if this was just another business arrangement. That was what he had to make it. Strictly business.

Natalie, however, was less diplomatic. "I don’t need help," she said flatly. "I’m handling everything just fine on my own."

"Nobody’s saying you’re not," Andrew pointed out. "But come on, Nat, you’re balancing a ton of clients right now. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone to coordinate with."

Adrian could see the way her fingers curled into fists at her sides. He almost smirked. She hated this just as much as he did, if not more.

He could make it easy on her, offer to keep their interactions to a minimum, assure her that they wouldn’t have to work too closely together. But something about the way she had looked at him—like he was the source of every self-doubt she’d ever had—made him hold his tongue. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the desk.

"I’m happy to help," he said, watching her reaction carefully. "After all, we both want the same thing here—to make sure Andrew and Sara have a perfect wedding."

It was a challenge. A test. And by the way Natalie’s lips pressed into a thin line, he knew she had no choice but to accept. Because she wouldn’t ruin this for Andrew and Sara. No matter how much she hated Adrian, no matter how much she wanted to pretend he didn’t exist, she wouldn’t be the one to make things difficult. She was stuck with him.

And Adrian? Well. This was going to be fun.​

 

[asetikish]

Dealing with bridezillas--and the occassional groomzillas--and meddling families was often the worst thing about being a wedding planner.

Well, now she had to revise that assessment. This was a hundred times worse.

What was supposed to be the best wedding planning gig she was going to do had just turned out to be a nightmare. It was so bad a word now had to be created for a terrible best man. Beast man. It wasn't the best she could come up with but for now, that was good enough.

No doubt Andrew and Sara had the best intentions doing this and no doubt, seeing them all be together like the old times would be something of an extra gift to the couple. Maybe, just maybe, she could keep up appearances and "work" with the beast man. She could do everything, send him updates via email, or of he wanted to do something he could do the same. They didn't actually have to be in the same space to make things work. Email. Text. Those she could use to make sure she was distanced from him.

"Fine." She finally said after a long silence and she immediately saw the change in her friends' demeanors. They visibly relaxed and smiled. This was what she lived for. Those happy faces. "I'll send you what we've done so far via email. You can also send your ideas for the bachelor party and I can send some suggestions over."

There. Problem solved.

"Great!" Andrew said, none the wiser. "So the wedding is going to be in Tulum and Sara and I thought that having my bachelor party and her bridal shower in the area would be fun. It's like a mini vacation for everyone just before the wedding."

Natalie clenched her jaw making a muscle visibly tick on her jaw. That was her idea for Sara's bridal shower. The invites haven't officially been sent out yet but she was sure Sara told Andrew and this was the result. Still, nothing a little email back and forth couldn't fix.

"Right..." Natalie handed over her business card to the beast man. She had half a mind to fling it in his face but thought better of it. "My email is there. If you have a card that would be great." Her number was there too of course, but it's not like she could start scratching it out.

"Remind me again when you're flying off to Tulum to get the venue ready?" Sara turned from Natalie to Adrian. "We decided to rent out a Villa for the wedding--on the beachfront, of course. So Natalie would be decorating and coraling the wedding party in the place. It would be nice if you could also give your inputs on elements that are very...Andrew. Surprise us, okay?"

"I'll be flying there in 2 months." Natalie said trying to focus on the preps rather than on the beast man in the room. "Your wedding invites need to be finalized within the week. Since you have the complete bridal party confirmed we can send them out a bit earlier."

"Great!" Andrew nodded. "So you think you can fly out to Tulum to help with the venue and the bachelor party? The wedding is in 4 months from now--I know it's a little quick but Sara and I just want to start life together quickly. But yeah, Natalie will be staying in Tulum for 2 months to arrange everything since it will be her first time doing a rush destination wedding in the area with a highly personal touch."

"Don't pressure him, Andrew," Natalie said trying to be neutrally cool. "He's a lawyer. I'm sure he's busy. As long as we're communicating via email, we'll be fine." She couldn't make her insistence on communicating through email even more obvious even if she tried.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian took the business card from Natalie with measured ease, glancing at it briefly before slipping it into his wallet. There was a time when he might’ve made a joke, tossed a smirk her way just to get a reaction. But not now. She was wound so tight, it was almost amusing. Almost. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his own cards, extending it toward her. "Likewise," he said smoothly. "You can reach me there."

Her fingers barely brushed his as she took the card, quick and efficient, like she couldn’t wait to be done with the interaction. Adrian fought the urge to chuckle. This was going to be interesting.

Andrew, oblivious to the underlying tension, clapped his hands together. "Alright, so we’re set! Adrian, you can fly out to Tulum with Natalie, right? You can help out with the venue and bachelor party prep?"

Adrian considered it for a beat. His schedule was packed, as always. Depositions, hearings, endless paperwork. But he could work remotely for a bit. And besides—this was for Andrew. He wasn’t about to let his best friend down.

"Yeah," he said finally. "I can make it work."

Sara beamed. "Perfect! And don’t be afraid to put your own spin on things. Natalie’s got the wedding covered, but the bachelor party is all yours. Just don’t get Andrew arrested or anything."

Adrian smirked. "No promises."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I’d prefer to make it to the wedding in one piece, thanks."

Natalie, who had been silent up until now, spoke up, her tone carefully neutral. "He's a lawyer. I’m sure he's busy. As long as we're communicating via email, we'll be fine."

Adrian leaned back in his chair, letting her words sit for a moment. She was really driving that point home, wasn’t she? Email. Distance. Minimal interaction. Too bad that wasn’t how this was going to work.

"Sure," he said lightly. "We can keep most of it to email."

For now. He wasn’t blind to what was happening here. She wanted to keep him at arm’s length, wanted nothing to do with him outside of what was absolutely necessary. That much was obvious. And if he were a better man, maybe he’d let it go. Maybe he’d respect whatever invisible boundary she was trying to put between them. But Adrian had never been one to back down from a challenge. And Natalie? Whether she realized it or not, she’d just issued one

The meeting wrapped up soon after, and Adrian found himself walking out of the office with Andrew while Sara and Natalie lingered behind.

"So, Tulum," Adrian said, casting a sideways glance at Andrew. "You’re really going all out, huh?"

Andrew grinned. "You know Sara. She wants something special, something that feels like us." He clapped Adrian on the shoulder. "Means a lot that you’re helping out, man. I know you’re swamped."

Adrian shrugged. "You’d do the same for me."

Andrew hesitated for a moment, then smirked. "You sure you’re good with Natalie? You guys were friends once, but, uh… I don’t know, man. She seemed kinda… I don’t wanna say hostile, but—"

"Oh, she definitely hates me," Adrian said flatly.

Andrew frowned. "What? Since when?"

Adrian let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Since high school. You don’t remember?"

Andrew thought for a second before shaking his head. "Not really. You guys were always cool back then. What happened?"

Adrian sighed. "Let’s just say it involves a box of lingerie, an unfortunate case of bad timing, and me saying the absolute worst possible thing."

Andrew’s eyes widened. "Wait—what?"

Adrian smirked. "Yeah. Long story short, she bought lingerie for the first time, the box fell in front of me, and in my infinite wisdom, I panicked and blurted out something like, ‘That’s definitely not yours. It doesn’t suit you.’"

Andrew winced. "Oh, dude."

"Yeah." Adrian shook his head. "She hasn’t looked at me the same since. And apparently, she’s been holding onto that grudge for over a decade."

Andrew rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… I mean, that was a pretty dumb thing to say."

"No argument there." Adrian sighed. "But come on, it was years ago. You’d think she’d at least let me apologize properly."

"Have you tried apologizing?"

Adrian opened his mouth, then closed it. "I mean… I figured she’d just rather not hear from me at all."

Andrew groaned. "Dude, seriously? You’ve let this fester for over ten years?"

"Hey, in my defense, I didn’t think she’d be this mad forever."

Andrew shook his head. "You’re an idiot."

"Yeah, well, what else is new?" Adrian smirked, but it faded when he thought about Natalie’s reaction today. That look she’d given him. The way she recoiled from even standing too close. She hadn’t forgotten a thing.

"Look," Andrew said, "whatever happened, I’m sure you two can figure it out. You’re gonna be working together, after all."

Adrian exhaled sharply. "Yeah. I’m sure it’ll be great."

Andrew gave him a look. "Don’t mess with her."

Adrian held up his hands in mock innocence. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

Andrew didn’t look convinced. "Seriously. Just be civil, okay? For Sara’s sake."

Adrian sighed, tilting his head up toward the sky. "Civil. Right."

He’d try. But something told him Natalie wasn’t going to make it easy. And if she really thought she could keep him at a distance, keep their interactions strictly professional, she had another thing coming. Because in two months, they were going to be in Tulum together. And email wouldn’t save her then.​

 

[asetikish]

Left behind, Sara walked at a slower pace holding Natalie back as they followed the men.

"What's up with that?" Sara whispered. "The way you treat Adrian...it's like he was your ex or something..." Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me that Adrian is your actual first date!"

"No! Oh heck no!" Natalie shook her head. "I just...don't like that he's a divorce lawyer, that's all."

"You know they're called family lawyers, right?" Sara raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I noticed it back in high school...I just didn't say anything because I thought you were going to tell me."

"You're thinking too much about it."

"Nat..."

"Look, I'm not going to let anything get in the way of your happy marriage--even if I have to slit my wrist to make you and Andrew happy, I'll do it. So don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried about you creating the perfect wedding for us. I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine." Natalie said in a tone that told Sara the conversation was over. "Now, let's go over the schedules and have that wedding dress made for you."

"I still can't believe Andrew's family would shell out for a custom outfit for the entire wedding party."

Natalie shrugged. "When you have money and everyone around you has money, you judt need to splurge at important events. And this is an important event."

----

Weeks later, and as promised, Natalie and Adrian corresponded through email and text about bringing the wedding party to the atelier. Andrew and Sara had finished theirs with their families and now, it was the turn of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Natalie would have preferred a separate schedule but given the time they had and the schedule of the designer, having everyone together was the only way they could comply with the timeline.

"Christos!" Natalie greeted the designer as they exchanged cheek kisses, the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen filling in the atelier behind her. "Thank you so much for making time for us."

"Well, I can't very well say no to my favorite client. Is Mrs. Bell happy with her matron dress?"

"No complaints. She is telling everyone how beautiful all the dresses and suits are. Shall we get started?"

Christos nodded. "I need to fly back to Greece soon so let's get this over with. This is not an atelier I'm used to. There aren't enough rooms. Men change on the right, women on the left. When you're done, come back out and stand on these platforms so we can make the adjustments." He clapped his hands and his assistants started handing out the initial silhouettes for each person.

"Who's the best man?" One of the assistants asked holding up the suit mock-up in his hand.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian stepped forward, smirking as he took the suit from the assistant. "That'd be me," he said, taking the hanger and inspecting the fabric. "Let’s hope it doesn’t make me look like I belong at a funeral instead of a wedding."

Andrew’s younger brothers—Ryan and Ethan—snickered behind him. "You sure about that?" Ryan quipped. "With how serious you always look, might not be much of a difference."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, kids."

Ethan, the youngest of the three, grinned. "Come on, man, we haven’t seen you in years. We gotta get our shots in while we can."

Adrian smirked as he followed the rest of the groomsmen to the dressing area. It had been a long time since he’d been around Andrew’s brothers, and they were still as relentless as ever.

"So," Ryan said as they stepped into the fitting room, "you and Natalie, huh?"

Adrian froze mid-step. "What about me and Natalie?"

Ethan let out a low whistle. "Dude. You seriously don’t see it?"

Adrian sighed. "No, I don’t see it. And if you two are about to start some weird matchmaking attempt, let me save you the trouble—she hates me."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Hates you?"

"Like, actively," Adrian muttered as he started unbuttoning his shirt. "If looks could kill, I’d have been dead the moment we walked into my office."

Ethan shrugged. "I mean, yeah, she kinda seemed... tense. But hate? That’s a strong word."

"Trust me," Adrian said, pulling on the dress shirt from the suit set. "If you’d been there when we first sat down for the prenup meeting, you wouldn’t doubt it."

Ryan leaned against one of the lockers, arms crossed. "What’d you do? Run over her dog or something?"

Adrian hesitated. "Worse."

Ethan’s eyes widened. "Dude, what could be worse than that?"

Adrian exhaled, shaking his head. "It was high school. She, uh... let’s just say she had an unfortunate incident involving lingerie, and I said something really, really dumb."

There was a beat of silence before both brothers howled with laughter.

"Wait, wait, lingerie?!" Ryan wheezed. "You—what did you say?"

Adrian groaned. "I told her it didn’t suit her."

Ethan clutched his stomach. "Bro. No."

"Yep," Adrian muttered. "And here we are, over a decade later, and she still hasn’t let it go."

Ryan shook his head, still laughing. "I mean, I get it, dude. That’s like... that’s nightmare fuel for a teenage girl."

"Yeah, yeah," Adrian muttered, buttoning up his vest. "Trust me, I know. I’ve had over ten years to figure out just how bad that moment was."

Ethan wiped a tear from his eye. "So you gonna fix it or what?"

Adrian frowned. "Fix it?"

Ryan shrugged. "Yeah, man. You could just, you know... talk to her."

Adrian scoffed. "You saw her today. You think she wants to talk to me? Every time I so much as exist in her general direction, she looks like she’d rather be anywhere else."

Ethan smirked. "So what, you’re just gonna let her keep hating you?"

Adrian pulled on the suit jacket, adjusting the lapels. "Not much I can do if she won’t even listen to me."

Ryan tilted his head. "Or you could just... make her listen."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you suggest I do that?"

Ethan grinned. "Well, for starters, you’ll be stuck working with her for months. In Tulum. Which means she has to deal with you."

Ryan nodded. "Which also means you’ve got time to show her you’re not the same dumbass teenager who traumatized her."

Adrian smirked. "I wasn’t a dumbass teenager."

Ryan gave him a look.

"Okay, fine, I was occasionally a dumbass," Adrian admitted.

Ethan chuckled. "Yeah, well, now you’ve got a chance to fix that. So, what’s the game plan?"

Adrian adjusted his cuffs, rolling his shoulders to test the fit of the suit. He thought about Natalie’s glare, the way her voice tightened every time she spoke to him. He thought about how, despite everything, she was still willing to work with him—as long as it was strictly through email.

She didn’t want him in her space.

Which meant, if he wanted to fix things, that’s exactly where he needed to be.

Adrian smirked. "Guess we’ll find out in Tulum."​

 

[asetikish]

"Oh, that best man is hot!" Elizabeth, Sara's cousin blurted as soon as they got into the dressing room.

Natalie shook her head. The woman was married but she still had a habit of checking out guys.

"Yeah, don't get me wrong, the groomsmen are hot too but girl, that man is fire, right Nat?" Leona, Sara's best work buddy, ribbed Natalie.

Natalie gave a noncommittal sound as she cursed the universe for being unfair. Of course the person who told her she was unattractive was a specimen that was a benchmark for hotness all on his own.

"Nat?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Anything going on between you and Mr. Cutie?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. But before she could say anything, Leona jumped in. "Ooh, I think it's a love quarrel!"

"What? No!"

"Then spill! Who is he and what has gotten your panties in a twist?" Leona stopped removing her clothes to lean in to the conversation and Elizabeth did the same.

"Could you both keep dressing?" Natalie muttered as she figured out how to put the dress on. "It's nothing. Just an asshole from the past."

"Oh we're not moving until you tell us." Elizabeth crossed her arms stubbornly. "If you want us to actually finish this fitting, you tell us what's up."

"Fine. Promise to not tell Sara or Andrew."

"Nothing is getting out of his dressing room," Elizabeth said at the same time Leona said, "This conversation never happened."

"Move, you two!" Natalie said prompting the bridesmaids to start wearing the dresses. She sighed. " It was high school. Sara and I wanted to try some sexy lingerie for the first time. I accidentally dropped it in front of him and he told me it doesn't suit me."

"Did he apologize?" Leona asked.

"Nope."

Both girls stopped, looked at each other and nodded. "Asshole." They said at the same time.

As Natalie started doing the temporary buttons on Leona's dress, Elizabeth walked up behind her and did hers. "It's been more than 10 years since high school though. You sure you have to be keeping that grudge?"

Natalie paused doing the buttons. Among them Elizabeth was the oldest by 5 years and her wisdom was showing. Taking a deep breath, she finally said. "I guess i was in the process of letting it go...but Patrick happened..."

Leona turned around gasping as she went over to do Elizabeth's buttons. "That's why it really hit you hard. Men! Why does 1 word from them destroy a thousand words we say to each other?"

"Well, maybe this is a chance for you to really let go. I know my husband and I fought a lot earlier on, but we've learned to be forgiving to each other."

"That's because the man adores you!" Natalie rolled her eyes. "It's not the same."

"Just think about it."

"Fine, I will. Now get out there and let Christos work on the fit and tell him what you want." Walking the talk, she opened the door leading everyone out.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian barely registered Christos’ assistants as they worked on the suit, adjusting the fit around his shoulders and making quick, professional notes. He stood on the platform, his focus half on the mirror in front of him, half on the conversation he’d just had with Andrew’s brothers. He wasn’t sure why it still bothered him—the lingerie incident. He was seventeen, stupid, and blurted something out without thinking. It wasn’t like he’d meant to hurt her, but clearly, he had. And from the way she looked at him now, she hadn’t forgotten.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door to the women’s dressing room opened. He wasn’t expecting to react. But the moment Natalie stepped out, his eyes snapped to her, and for the first time in a long time, Adrian was caught completely off guard. It wasn’t just that she was beautiful. He had eyes—he’d always known she was pretty, even in high school. But this? This was something else entirely. The dress hugged her curves in a way that made it impossible not to notice how much she’d changed since then. Gone was the shy, self-conscious girl who once tried to hide behind Sara. In her place was a woman who carried herself with an air of quiet confidence, even if he knew underneath it was probably more of that sharp-edged frustration she always aimed at him.

He barely noticed Christos muttering something about his shoulders before the designer snapped his fingers impatiently.

"Adrian! Stay still!”

Adrian blinked and forced himself to turn back to the mirror.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, clearing his throat.

Christos gave him a withering look before resuming his work, but Adrian caught the flicker of amusement on Andrew’s brothers’ faces.

Ryan leaned in slightly. "You good, best man?"

Ethan smirked. "You sure you don’t see it now?"

Adrian exhaled through his nose, keeping his expression neutral. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Ryan grinned. "Uh-huh. Sure. You just had the biggest double take I’ve ever seen in my life, but yeah, nothing going on here."

Ethan nodded sagely. "Nothing at all. Just you staring like you got hit by a truck."

Adrian shot them a look. "Drop it."

But the damage was done. They were grinning like idiots now, and there was no way in hell he’d hear the end of this anytime soon.

Still, he couldn’t deny the shift in his own thoughts.

Because for the first time since Natalie had walked back into his life, Adrian found himself not just thinking about their history—but about the fact that, maybe, just maybe, he wanted to fix things.

And that? 0That was dangerous.
​

---

The fitting continued, with Christos moving between the wedding party, adjusting, commenting, and occasionally snapping at an assistant when something wasn’t just right. Adrian tried to focus on anything other than the fact that Natalie was a few feet away, discussing alterations for the bridesmaids' dresses.

But then Christos called her over.

"Natalie! Come here, cara mia," Christos beckoned. "Tell me what you think. Your opinion is always precise."

Adrian stiffened as she approached.

Her reflection appeared beside his in the massive fitting mirror, and despite himself, his eyes flickered over.

She looked at him once. Briefly. A flicker of acknowledgment before she turned her attention fully to Christos.

"Well?" Christos pressed.

Natalie tilted her head slightly, eyes scanning Adrian in the suit, assessing. For a moment, Adrian thought she might ignore the question entirely. But then, in a tone that was entirely professional, she said, "It fits well. The shoulders need to be taken in just a little, though. Otherwise, it's fine."

Fine. Adrian huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. Christos, missing the underlying tension, snapped his fingers again. "You heard her! Adjust the shoulders." His assistants scrambled to comply.

Ryan, meanwhile, muttered under his breath, "Man, she really hates you."

Adrian didn’t respond. He just stood there as the tailor worked, watching Natalie in the mirror as she stepped away, already focused on something else. She was moving on. Letting go. And yet, the way she spoke to him, the way she didn’t look at him—he knew she hadn’t fully buried it. Which meant, despite everything, she still cared. And that? That was something Adrian could work with.​

 

[asetikish]

Natalie tried not to let her actions or words be wooden. And it was so damn hard when she was this close to the beast man. She also noticed the gazes of Andrew's brothers on her. For what, she had no idea. She stole a glance and the knowing looks were there.

She looked back at Adrian and nodded, seeing nothing more to adjust. And while she talked about his shoulders, it was hard to pull her gaze away from his chest. Well built, of course. Thankfully, she had the excuse of looking at his clothes to hide the fact she couldn't help but check him out. He also had a fine--stop it!

She went back over to her girls after her assessment, giving suggestions to one another. In the end, Natalie went with a low-back, strapped halter, in the same cerise color as the wedding theme.

As they headed back to the dressing room to go back to their own clothes and as Natalie shut the door, Leona turned to her. "Please tell me you saw the way he looked at you!"

"Who?"

"The best man," Elizabeth said.

"You mean the beast man," Natalie corrected with a specific image in mind.

"Well, the way he looked at you," Leona undid the buttons on Elizabeth's back. "It was like he would eat you up and savor you. Very apt, Nat."

"I did not mean it like that!"

"Still...I think you changed his mind and he's very into you now." Elizabeth grinned.

"Oh please!"

"Oh please, yourself!" Leona said, "You were checking him out too."

"I didn't say he was ugly." Natalie rolled her eyes. "I have no time for this. I still have a ton of other things to do aside from Sara's wedding. I am running a business too, you know? And with me being gone 2 months, I have to be on top of everything before I leave and then be hyper focused on Tulum until my day planners arrive 2 days before the wedding. Now, if you excuse me..." Natalie put on her shirt and jeans ending the discussion.

----

Two months went by too quickly with Natalie working longer hours than usual. Sara's wedding was pro-bono but it was a very complicated destination wedding.

She didn't know if she was glad for it or no, but beast man never sent her any details on the bachelor party or what Andrew wanted. Everything was so general and high level she couldn't make hides nor tails what exactly to arrange. Whenever she tried to clarifiy, it was either "It will make sense when we get there," or "It's easier to show you."

On one hand, it lightened her load and focused her on things she could do. On the other she hated feeling in the dark. To be honest, she would rather handle bridezillas than couples who had absolutely no idea what they wanted and would rather leave it up to her...then be disappointed in the end.

She hoped to high heaven Adrian wasn't like those clueless couples. Sara and Andrew were counting on him!

And just like that, it was time to head to Tulum. Natalie never gave Adrian the details of her flight, and just as she was about to sit in her business class seat (the only thing Andrew's parents insisted on paying for aside from the extended use of the villa), she had to bite her lower lip as she saw Adrian heading for the seat beside her.

There were no words to describe the situation but... "Damn it..." Natalie muttered as she dropped on her seat.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian smirked as he slid into the seat beside her, stretching out just enough to make himself comfortable. If he had to spend the next few hours on a flight, at least the company was interesting—even if she looked like she’d rather be anywhere else.

"Nice to see you too, Nat," he murmured, buckling his seatbelt.

She didn’t reply, just made an exasperated sound under her breath and focused on adjusting the settings on her seat. Adrian let the silence sit between them for a moment before deciding it was as good a time as any to finally go over the details of the bachelor party.

"You know," he started, casually draping an arm over the armrest between them, "this is actually perfect timing."

She still didn’t look at him, but he caught the way her fingers twitched slightly against the armrest.

"I figured now’s as good a time as any to finally fill you in on the bachelor party plans," he continued, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "Since you’ve been asking so nicely."

That got a reaction. A sharp glance in his direction, brief but pointed.

He grinned. "Relax, I wasn’t keeping you in the dark on purpose. I just figured it was better to explain in person. Too many details to go over in emails."

Leaning back slightly, he ran a hand through his hair. "So, here’s the deal. Andrew didn’t want a typical bachelor party. No crazy Vegas-style nonsense, no strippers, no getting blacked-out drunk. His words, not mine. He just wants to have fun with his brothers and his closest friends before the wedding."

He paused for a beat. "And, you know, not end up on some ‘worst bachelor parties ever’ list."

That last part was more of a joke, but it was also the truth. Andrew had made it clear he wanted something memorable but not messy.

"So," Adrian continued, "I set up a few days of activities in Tulum. Some classic bachelor party stuff, some not-so-classic. First night, we’re kicking things off with a private tequila and mezcal tasting—nothing cheap, only the best stuff. Thought it’d be a good way for everyone to settle in, especially since a lot of us haven’t seen each other in a while."

He adjusted his watch, then shot her a glance. "Next day, we’re chartering a yacht. Spend the day out on the water, snorkeling, fishing—whatever people feel like. Just a way to unwind and enjoy the scenery."

Another pause. He didn’t mind drawing it out a little, mostly because he could practically feel her impatience radiating off of her.

"Then," he said, "we’ve got a jungle adventure day. ATVs, zip-lining, cenote diving. Thought it’d be a good way to burn off some energy before things slow down again."

He finally turned his head to fully look at her, watching for any signs of reaction. "And before you ask—yeah, I already cleared everything with Andrew. He’s all in."

He let the information sink in before continuing. "Last big thing is a private dinner at this exclusive beach club. Got us a spot where we’ll have a private chef, live music, the whole deal. After that, it’s open-ended—if the guys want to hit a bar or a club, we can do that. If they just want to sit around drinking on the beach, that works too."

Adrian tapped his fingers idly against his knee. "So. That’s the plan. No chaos, no last-minute disasters, and most importantly, no one waking up in a different country wondering how they got there."

He exhaled slightly, his voice lowering just a bit. "Look, I know you’re big on having everything perfectly organized. I get it. But trust me, I’ve got this handled."

Another pause. Then, with a slight smirk, he added, "Unless, of course, you’d rather take over and plan the whole thing yourself?"

Her silence was answer enough.

Adrian chuckled, then stretched his legs out slightly, settling in for the flight.

"That’s what I thought."​

 

[asetikish]

As much as Natalie hated to admit it, the plan was good. Very good. In fact, she wouldn't change a thing, especially because none of it coincided with her plans for the girls.

They were going to have a photo session at the Mayan ruins, learn traditional Mexican dishes from a local mom who would be hosting in her home, jump into a Cenote to cool off, visit the biosphere reserve to chill with nature, then end it all with dinner at the Tulum Pueblo for street food. Of course, she would have to go to the Pueblo herself first to make sure that the stalls they went to would not give anyone food poisoning. She had to put that last bit in her schedule somewhere.

She opened her mouth to share her plans but closed it keeping her thoughts to herself. Instead, she said, "Fine. You know how to arrange all of it? If yes, then I'll leave you to it. We don't have to get in each others' way."

She bit her lips wondering if she should say it. Sighing, she gave in begrudgingly. Credit where credit is due. "Thanks for making sure Andrew and Sara are happy about it."

Jenna glanced at Adrian and he was looking back at her with a grin. "What?" Folderng her arms, she squirmed under his gaze as she remembered her friends' words. They were reading this wrong. He wasn't eating her up that way. It was more like a you have no idea what I'm planning kind of way.

And truly, she didn't. She had no clue why he wanted to be so involved and take 2 months off his work for this. "Aren't you lawyers too busy for this kind of thing?" Her own words surprised her as she suddenly clamped her mouth shut realizing she spoke what she thought aloud.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian’s grin widened at her question, and he leaned back slightly, stretching his legs out as much as the first-class seating allowed.

"You’d think so, right?" he said, his voice carrying that smooth, easy confidence he used in the courtroom. "But you’d be surprised how much time a lawyer can free up when he’s good at what he does."

He let that hang for a second before continuing, a little more seriously. "Besides, Andrew’s one of my oldest friends. There aren’t many things I’d take this much time off for, but this? This is worth it."

He watched her expression carefully, noting the way she tensed slightly, as if weighing whether to accept that answer or push further. Adrian had been a lawyer long enough to recognize when someone wanted to challenge him but wasn’t quite ready to step into the ring.

That was fine. He had another topic in mind anyway.

"Speaking of things worth dealing with," he said, turning slightly in his seat to face her more fully, "I figure now’s as good a time as any to clear something up."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and he could already see the walls going up. She had no idea what was coming, but her instincts told her to be on guard.

Good. He liked a challenge.

"You still hate me for that lingerie thing, don’t you?"

There it was. A direct hit. Even if she didn’t say anything, the slight flicker in her expression told him everything he needed to know.

Adrian exhaled, shaking his head. "Look, I’m a divorce lawyer—I deal with grudges for a living. I can recognize one from a mile away. But I’ve gotta say, holding on to something from high school this long? That’s impressive, even by my clients’ standards."

He tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction. "I mean, it’s almost kind of flattering. Didn’t know I left that much of an impression."

She stiffened, but he pushed forward before she could shut him down.

"Here’s the thing, Nat. I was an idiot back then. A cocky, dumbass high school jock who thought he knew everything about everything. I probably said a lot of stupid shit without realizing how it came across."

He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "But if I actually made you feel bad about yourself? If I really made you think you weren’t attractive? That wasn’t just stupid—it was wrong. And I’m sorry for it."

Adrian wasn’t the type to throw out apologies lightly. In his line of work, words were currency, and an apology only meant something if it was given with intention.

He let a pause settle between them before continuing, his voice a little quieter this time.

"For what it’s worth? You’ve got nothing to prove. Not to me, not to anyone."

He shrugged. "But if you want to keep hating me, that’s your call. I’ve been called worse things than ‘asshole’ in court."

Adrian leaned back again, letting the moment settle. He wasn’t expecting instant forgiveness—hell, he didn’t even know if she’d acknowledge the apology. But at least it was out there now.

And if nothing else, he’d broken the ice.

Now, it was just a matter of seeing whether she’d let it melt.​

 

[asetikish]

Jenna waited for the punchline. For the final sting buried in apology...

Nothing.

Well, maybe this is a chance for you to really let go... Elizabeth's words echoed in her ear. And at the same time she heard Patrick's as well. Jenna? Yeah she's not pretty, but she's fun and she really gets into the girlfriend thing because I'm her first. But when Lucy says yes, I'm upgrading.

Maybe...it wasn't fair that she crucified Adrian all those years for having the courage to tell the truth. That she wasn't pretty and she'd be deluding herself into thinking she was. Sara and the girls were just sparing her feelings and she loved them for it. Maybe...it was time to face facts. Sure, she might not be pretty but she was good at her job and she's a good friend.

It was time she stopped feeling sorry for herself. Accept the facts and run with what she had going for her. He didn't have to apologize for telling the truth all those years ago. For how he said it, probably. For the truth...no.

Nothing to prove indeed.

Finally after a long silence and convincing herself to finally take Elizabeth's advice and turned to him. "Thanks...I...forgive you."

She felt a weight off her shoulders saying those words. She was a good friend. And good friends forgive. "You don't have to apologize for telling the truth though. It maybe hard to take but I'll get used to it. I have to. You're right. It's been years of immaturity on my part to not let it go." She gave him a small smile.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian barely let his expression change, but inside, something shifted. Truth. That word hit him harder than it should have, throwing him for a loop in a way he hadn’t expected. She thought that was the truth? That she wasn’t pretty? That he had meant to tell her that back then?

Christ.

Adrian had spent years in a profession where words could be twisted, where the smallest phrase could be spun into something it was never meant to be. He was used to seeing people warp reality to fit their own fears, their own insecurities. But it was different seeing it here, in her. She genuinely believed it. And not just because of him.

His jaw tensed for half a second before he forced himself to relax. He had control over his reactions—that was one of the first things you learned as a lawyer. But damn if he didn’t want to curse out every single person who had ever put that thought in her head.

Because the truth—the real truth—was the exact opposite of what she thought. Back then, Adrian had been a stupid, seventeen-year-old kid, but even then, he’d noticed her. He hadn’t been blind. Natalie had always had something about her, something that had made her stand out. And maybe it wasn’t the kind of beauty that demanded instant attention the way some girls did, but it was there. Stronger. More lasting.

And now? Adrian nearly huffed out a laugh at how oblivious she was. She was stunning. He’d had a front-row seat to watching her hold her own against him, watching her plan this whole damn wedding with a level of precision that put some of his clients to shame. She had this sharp, effortless kind of confidence when she was in her element, and he had seen men—even Andrew’s brothers—notice it.

But here she was, telling him she had finally come to accept the so-called “truth.” The hell she had. Adrian leaned back, watching her carefully, weighing his next words. He could challenge her outright, but something told him that wouldn’t work. She had too many walls up. So instead, he went for something simpler.

"The way you say that," he said casually, "it almost sounds like you think I actually meant to insult you back then."

He saw the slight flicker of hesitation in her, the almost imperceptible shift of her shoulders.

"That wasn’t the point of what I said," he continued, voice steady. "Not that it matters much now. But if you’re going to let it go, at least make sure you’re letting go of the right thing."

Adrian didn’t push further. He just let the words sit there, let her make of them what she wanted. If she was ready to hear the real truth, she would.​

 

[asetikish]

"Maybe you didn't mean to insult me and maybe you just meant to tell the truth so I won't be trying so damn hard to pretend what I'm not."

Natalie pursed her lips not wanting to talk about it more. It was one thing to finally admit and face facts, but quite another for her to parrot it over and over.

"And don't think I didn't notice you trying to hide that tick in your jaw when you clench your teeth. You're angry. And look, I'm sorry if I misread what you said. I know you didn't mean to insult me, sorry if it came out that way." She sighed, looking down at the tips of her hair as she played with it. "Like I said, I'm coming to terms with it but, it would help if you don't say it often. I admit it still hurts, but...yeah...sorry if it seemed I assumed you meant to insult me."

Natalie heard herself say the words but it was kind of like an out of body experience. Was she actually inviting him to tell her again that she was ugly? What was wrong with her?

Okay, there was one thing wrong...These 2 months working on the wedding and the few times they were together, she couldn't help but be drawn to him. There. She finally admitted that too. He was always the guy to rely on, back then, even now as he dropped everything for Andrew and Sara. He was easy to respect because of his competence and people followed him for it--and even did so well as a lawyer for his age. And then, there was the fact that he's both hot--fine, she was admitting that too--and his family was in the same league as Andrew. Which meant that this guy she was drawn to was way out of her league and she had no business being drawn someone so out of reach. If he told her again that she wasn't...nice to look at, well that would ground her and keep her from having her head in the clouds.

Before he could say anything, Natalie quickly blurted. "I just need to check a few things..." Ugh...okay. She really wasn't ready to hear it yet.

She pulled out her notebook and checked what else she needed done by herself. Yes, she could do everything on a laptop or on a tablet but there was just something about notebooks that was familiar and comfortable.

• Interior and exterior decor
• Food tasting
• Label the rooms
• Call (pending items in excel)
• Choose DJ
• Ask for test shots and plan shot list

Beneath it, she added

• Check the food at the Pueblo
• Try the Cenote
• Try to have fun on the beach!!!

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian watched her bury herself in her notebook, her fingers gripping the pen a little too tightly, her handwriting sharp and precise. He exhaled slowly, resisting the urge to rub a hand over his face. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? That she had it all wrong? That she had always had it wrong? That she wasn’t some girl who had to “try too hard” to be something she wasn’t? That she didn’t need to pretend at all? Adrian didn’t say any of it. Because if she had spent this long believing that lie, she wasn’t going to just take his word for it.

Instead, he shifted slightly in his seat, his voice measured. “I don’t make a habit of repeating myself, so you don’t have to worry about me saying it often. Or at all.”

He saw her shoulders stiffen, just slightly. She had expected him to confirm it again. Expected him to keep her “grounded.”

Jesus.

Adrian glanced at her list, catching bits and pieces as she scribbled. Practical things. Planning things. And then— "Try to have fun on the beach!!!" With three exclamation points. Adrian smirked despite himself.

“You have to remind yourself to have fun?” he asked, tilting his head toward the notebook. “Is that an actual task on your to-do list?”

He didn’t expect her to answer. It wasn’t really about the question anyway—it was about shifting the weight of the conversation. About keeping her from running too far into her own thoughts.

Adrian leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him, his voice dropping into something more casual. “Guess I’ll have to make sure you cross that one off.”

And he would. Because whether she realized it or not, that was the real truth.​

 

[asetikish]

Part of her, a really huge part was grateful that he wouldn't remind her of how she looked. But she tried to keep her face neutral and told herself to focus on the task she set for herself.

"You have to remind yourself to have fun? Is that an actual task on your to-do list?”

Natalie turned to him at his question, thankful for the change in topic. "You know when you get into the flow state and then realize it's the evening and you've worked so much in the day? That. I want to set time during the day to actually enjoy the beach before it gets too dark to actually do anything fun." At night I can always use the pool but daytime is for the beach."

“Guess I’ll have to make sure you cross that one off.”

"Oh?" Natalie leaned on her fist grinning at him, trying for a bit of brevity as they restarted a friendship that had stalled a decade ago as he crossed both a physical and an invisible barrier between them. "Are you sure I won't be working you all day? You remember that you did volunteer for this, right? And since I don't have my usual staff, you have to do the literal heavy lifting for the decorations among other things. Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to try the food at the Pueblo. If I get sick, you have to take over. And don't worry, I'll make sure you have a checklist."

It was a relief to finally talk to Adrian this way. Years of friendship lost still needed getting used to bringing back. But more than that, it wasn't just about bringing back friendships. She truly was drawn to him. Always the smart, capable guy who could get things done, he had always been the ideal of boys and the talk of girls in high school.

Of course, there was the fact that he and Andrew were cut from a similar cloth so they were always "the crush" with the entire package going for them. But there was always something about him that even as friends, she crushed on. It was like how Sara preferred Andrew...wait no. No! Don't go there. Don't entertain stupid thoughts.

Though, it would also help if he sat back in his seat. It was so hard when he smiled and stared at her that close. She could feel heat rise to her face and was helpless in trying to force it down.

Maybe, it finally dawned on her, that was why his comment hurt so much. Because the most mortifying incident happened to the guy she had a crush on, and made clear what he thought of her.

No! Stop that too! Focus on the friendship we're rebuilding right now. No crushes. No grudges. No self deprication. Not when we're starting to be friends again.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian recognized that grin. That playful, teasing glint in her eyes. It had been a long time since he’d seen it directed at him, and damn if it didn’t make something tighten in his chest. It had taken over a decade, but there it was—the first real sign that they could actually get back to where they were before he’d unknowingly wrecked it. Maybe even move past that. He leaned in just a fraction more, because he wasn’t going to let this moment slip away. Not when he had the chance to really start fixing things.

“Oh, I definitely remember volunteering,” he said, his smirk deepening. “But let’s get one thing straight—I don’t take orders blindly. If you want me hauling decorations, I’m going to need terms and conditions.”

He sat back then, giving her some space—but not too much. He wanted to keep her in this exact headspace, where she wasn’t retreating, wasn’t thinking about the past in the wrong way.

“And as for the food tasting,” he continued, crossing his arms, “I am going with you. If you end up doubled over in pain, what good does that do anyone? I’d rather we both suffer, so at least I’ll know what to expect when I have to take over.” He gave a slow shrug. “Besides, it’ll make my checklist that much more thorough.”

He watched for the flicker of amusement on her face, the way she processed his words. This was how he was going to do it. Not with big speeches. Not with apologies that she wouldn’t believe. But with this—reminding her of what they had before, breaking through every wall she’d put up, one small moment at a time. And maybe, just maybe, showing her what could have been all along.​

 

[asetikish]

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what conditions are these? Do I have to sign a contract for it, Mr. Lawyer? Just so you know neither of us have any legal claims to the house or the decorations." She teased back.

He leaned back and she was half thankful for the space and half disappointed wanting him nearer. Men didn't know half of what they said when they say women are complicated. She didn't even understand herself!

"Both of us can't be down for the count!" Natalie said in mock disbelief. "Who would get the door while we're vomiting the whole day? Unless you think vomit is the new vogue wedding decor."

Just as she said it, the image flashed in her head and she scrunched her face. She always had a very active imagination turning words into vivid images. For her job, it was fantastic. For everything else...that depends. And in this case, it was utterly disgusting

"Oh, you have your own checklist? As your head wedding planner, I need to look it over," she leaned toward him and face to face, her eyes traced the edges of his jaw and the planes on his cheeks, trying to focus on him and on this moment as if it would slip away if she didn't hold it tight in her grip.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian smirked, rolling with the playful challenge.

“Ah, so now you want to see my checklist?” He let his voice drop into something almost conspiratorial, his eyes never leaving hers. “That’s privileged information, Miss Head Wedding Planner. Unless, of course, you’re prepared to negotiate.”

His tone was light, teasing, but his mind was racing. The way she leaned in—close enough that he caught the faintest hint of her perfume, something soft and just a little sweet—was throwing him off balance in a way he hadn’t expected. He wasn’t new to this kind of banter, to women who played with fire and expected him to match their energy.

But this wasn’t just any woman. This was Natalie. And whether she realized it or not, she had always been the one to throw him off balance. Still, he kept his cool, forcing himself not to let his gaze drop from her eyes.

“As for your contract, let’s just say my conditions are pretty simple.” He leaned back slightly, just enough to keep the tension stretching between them. “One—you take my checklist seriously. No skipping steps. Two—I am not, under any circumstances, assembling floral arrangements. I draw the line at that.”

His smirk deepened as he continued, watching for the flicker of reaction in her face.

“And three—you actually follow through on that little note in your planner.” He tilted his chin toward where her notebook lay between them. “The one about trying to have fun.”

He let a beat pass before adding, “And I mean actual fun, not ‘work disguised as fun’ fun.”

This was the work, the real work—pulling her out of her head, out of the past, out of whatever walls she’d built around herself. Because Adrian knew the truth. He had lost something the day he let that careless comment slip all those years ago. Now, he wasn’t just trying to fix it. He was trying to show her that he saw her—really saw her. And that maybe, just maybe, he never should have let her go at all.

Adrian kept his expression relaxed as he waited for her response, but beneath the surface, his mind was working. He wasn’t sure if Natalie realized just how much this back-and-forth meant to him—that after all these years, she was finally letting him back in, even if it was just in small, teasing increments. That was fine. He could work with that.

The flight itself was smooth, giving them a rare pocket of uninterrupted time. No emails. No phone calls. Just the quiet hum of the plane, the occasional announcement from the flight crew, and Natalie’s presence beside him. He stretched his legs, settling in as comfortably as he could in the first-class seat. He should have been catching up on some sleep, but instead, he found himself watching the way the light from the window caught strands of her hair, the way she tapped the end of her pen against her lip as she thought.

Time passed in a series of small conversations, comfortable silences, and the occasional shared glance that felt loaded with more meaning than either of them was ready to unpack. Before long, the flight attendants were making their final announcements, the plane dipping lower as they approached Tulum. Adrian gazed out the window, catching the first glimpse of the turquoise waters and white sand beaches. The sight never got old.

Turning his head slightly, he spoke just loud enough for her to hear over the hum of the engines. “Last chance to back out, planner. Once we land, I’m holding you to those conditions.”

He expected an eye roll or a muttered retort, but he just smirked and settled back as the wheels touched down.

----

The heat hit the moment they stepped off the plane—thick, humid, wrapping around them like a second skin. Adrian rolled his shoulders, adjusting to the warmth as they made their way through the airport. He handled the luggage without question, wheeling her bag along with his own as they navigated through customs and the bustling arrivals area.

The drive to the resort was scenic, passing stretches of coastline and dense jungle. Adrian took in the view, letting the quiet settle between them again. Eventually, the car pulled up to the resort—a sprawling, high-end villa nestled between the trees and the beach. It was private, exclusive, the kind of place that screamed perfect wedding venue. Adrian stepped out first, stretching slightly as he surveyed the property.

He glanced back toward Natalie as the staff moved to grab their bags. “Welcome to paradise,” he said, flashing her a smirk. “You ready?”​

 

[asetikish]

Natalie clicked her tongue as she heard . "No flower arrangements? How are you ever going to be of any help?" She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Fine. As long as there's nothing in your list about strippers, I'll take it seriously."

She couldn't help but grin at the exchange. That old adage about you never forget how to ride a bike. This is what that felt like. It felt like picking up from a decade ago and, despite the self doubt and the hurt feelings, the rocky start became a smoother ride.

What she first thought would be the longest flight in her life had become a short travel. True, parts of the flight were punctuated by food and drinks served and her going back over the things she needed to do, the people she needed to contact and the contracts she needed to follow up on, but most of the flight was consumed by a conversation between friends long overdue.

But Adrian was also not just a friend. He never had been just a friend. Even before Sara developed her crush for Andrew, Natalie had already had her eye on Adrian and one way or the other, she found ways to spend more time with him--this scheme was also the reason why only Adrian was witness to her embarrassing spill all those years ago.

And in time he had grown more confident. What he grew into had exceeded Natalie's expectations. He wasn't just a success because his parents could just hand over their empire to him, it was because he was capable and strong where people would buckle under such high pressure. He didn't need to be a lawyer in a cutthroat firm, but he did it anyway.

And by goodness if Natalie wasn't attracted to a man who could do hard things.

---

As soon as they got to the villa, Natalie smiled at Adrian as the staff opened the double doors leading them into an all-hardwood entrance and foyer with a round table at the center. "Ready as I'll ever be. And I still need that list mister." She held her hand out as he finally gave it to her.

"I'll go over it in a bit." She said dropping it in her bag. "I'll show you the place and where you'll settle." She turned to the house staff, "¿Podría llevar su equipaje a la habitación de la derecha? Sí, el plateado. El azul y blanco a la habitación de la izquierda. Gracias."

"So bridesmaids and groomsmen stay her on the first floor. And where your luggage is going is where your room is. You can explore that later. For now..." She nodded her head for him to follow as the hallway opened up to a spacious living room with a high ceiling. The modern tropical vibes blended with the scenery beyond as the villa's huge doors opened our to the pool, garden and the beach beyond.

Natalie took a lungful of air in and stretched with a huge sigh. "I've never been in such a beautiful place! Imagine, staying here for 2 months!" She grinned. "Okay, I realize you might be used to this or even better. But this is the best place I've ever been in. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like my tiny flat coz it's cozy and the hotels I stay in other destination weddings are nice but this?" She shook her head laughing at her own thoughts. "Sometimes I ask myself if your and Andrew's families burn cash for fun."

She walked across the pool and the garden to the beach and took off her sandals to feel her feet on the sand. She looked back at Adrian. "Come on! You told me you'll hold me to having fun at the beach!"

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian watched her go with a slow, disbelieving grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Burn cash for fun?” he repeated under his breath, shaking his head. “If only you knew.”

He followed her out toward the beach, letting her voice echo in his ears, still half amused and half fascinated by the way her energy filled every inch of the villa. It didn’t matter that she was being sarcastic or teasing—Natalie had always had this way of taking the edge off a room, of making chaos feel manageable. He didn’t think she realized how rare that was. He stepped into the sand behind her, the grains warm and fine beneath his feet, the breeze coming off the ocean soft and thick with salt.

“I told you I’d hold you to it,” he said, eyeing the water. “You think I make empty promises?”

The waves were calm, lapping rhythmically at the shoreline, and the whole scene looked like something out of a magazine—except he wasn’t paying attention to the scenery. Not really.

Natalie had always been beautiful in a way that didn’t scream for attention. It was quieter than that—real, grounded. The kind of beauty that lived in the way she threw herself into her work, the way her eyes sparkled when she got excited about something, the way she lit up when people finally saw the full picture of what she’d put together.

The fact that she genuinely didn’t see any of that—that she still carried his stupid words from a decade ago like they were gospel—sat heavy in his chest. He’d screwed it up, plain and simple. And he knew that no amount of banter or shared memories could completely erase the damage. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to make her see herself the way he had all along.

“Two months,” he said, letting the words stretch out, as if testing how they felt. “You know, that’s enough time to change someone’s mind.”

He said it casually, like a passing thought, but the meaning behind it was deliberate. Maybe she’d catch it. Maybe she wouldn’t. But he meant every word. He stepped closer to the shoreline, letting the water wash over his feet, then looked back at her with a raised brow.

“And for the record,” he added, tone drier now, “there are zero strippers on that list. But I might’ve included ‘sunburn duty’ just to make sure someone reminds you to put on sunscreen like a normal human being.”

He grinned, then looked back at the ocean, letting the rhythm of the waves settle in his chest. This place was perfect. But it wasn’t the resort, or the beach, or the high-end villa that made it feel that way. It was this—her—being here. Talking to him again. Looking at him like maybe, just maybe, she was beginning to remember who they were before everything went wrong. He had two months. He intended to make every second count.​

 

[asetikish]

She grinned back at him. "Hey, sure you were a jerk when we were kids, but even then you'd always been the most reliable guy I've ever known. And don't tell Andrew I told you that, okay? So no, I never thought you would make empty promises. Not even once."

She grinned up at him as he walked over to her and his comments about sunscreen duty. "I thought your list was only about wedding preps? And yeah, I was stupid as a kid to get sunburn on your family's summer home, but so was Andrew! Now you got me curious about your list."

The childhood memories were still there with him as it was with her. That trip was the one she almost never got to do with the gang. If it wasn't for Adrian's insistence and the way he charmed her parents, they would never had let her go on that trip. She remembered that he was the one who never gave up on asking when even Sara held up the white flag.

Yes, he had always been the one who got things done when he said he would get things done.

And the guy she had relied on to fix things when she couldn't fix them herself. As she remembered her childhood with him, she realized more and more what drew her to him. Sure, he was handsome. Everyone thought he was, but it was the things he did for her and for everyone else that made her want to be around him. The way he had always been concerned when he felt something off and the way he took charge to make things right.

Maybe to some women her views were a step back for women's rights, but being an independent woman doesn't mean that she didn't want to rely on a man every so often. Especially when said man had always been there for her. Besides, being tough was tiring. It would be nice to have someone else to lean on to. And as Sara said, it's very, very nice to have your partner just take the reins and chill out knowing everything was going to be alright.

Natalie dipped her toes in the water and reveled in the warm climate. "I think after that flight, we deserve a bit of time to ourselves before getting to work. See you back here in ten minutes?"

-----

As Natalie rummaged her suitcase, she took out the list to see what Adrian had listed, growing very curious.

And as she read, her hand stilled at the box in her hand. No...wrong box...She had bought a new swimsuit for the trip in a box. It was a long-sleeved one piece that reflected her own self image of wanting to hide herself. But instead of that, the box she had in her hand was the dreaded box of mortification. The thing that started it all. How on earth could she have mistaken them of all things!

She shoved them under the bed horrified at herself. For one, she could never look at it again. For another, Adrian could never see those things. Ever! Especially not when they were fixing things. He said he didn't want to repeat himself and she sure as heck didn't want him to hand out another knee-jerk truth pill.

Standing, she walked out of her room and knocked on Adrian's. "Ah...I actually forgot my swimsuit. I'll buy something and I'll see you at the beach?"