Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Chapter 49:

Tatiana’s P.O.V

If there was one thing I hated more than caramel latte, it would be flying in an airplane. They make me sick to the bone, not the nauseas kind of sick, but the ‘I-might-fall-to-my-death’ kind of sick.

But still, I found myself dressing up for the flight.

No strings.

I didn’t need a reminder for the deal I’ve made with the devil, yet, the hopeless romantic in me found myself hoping for a fairy tale ending for the nightmare I’d brought upon myself.

No strings? I could already feel my heart beat a little faster every time Damien turned his icy blue eyes on me. Maybe it was the sexual tension? I can’t tell. All I know is that whatever fire we have ignited is far from getting extinguished. And I just might end up getting hurt once again by the time this is over between us.

I was nearly done getting ready, I had worn a long dark red halter neck top that went down to the middle of my thighs and I’d paired it with black leggings and velvet red ankle boots and a black leather jacket to top it off. For jewelry I’d worn black drop earrings and a watch and kept my makeup light. If I was going down, I’d rather go down in style...not that plane crashes were a regular occurrence.

I did the finishing touches to my makeup and brought my bag out into the living area and placed it by the door to keep it ready for when my friends come to pick me up. I went into my kitchen to make sure all electric appliances were switched off and unplugged before I checked for the same in all my other rooms.

Damien had left in the early hours of the morning, both of us deciding that we needed to get packing before our friends and family picked us up. I’d instantly gotten off to packing, throwing in whatever I found comfortable for the beach. I made sure to pack all my bikini’s, which weren’t very many considering I hardly get time to go to the beach, and then I packed plenty of sundresses, hats and of course, fresh underwear.

In the end I had ended up with a large suitcase and a small duffle bag that held all my makeup products and toiletries. I also had my vanity bag where I was carrying cell phone, my charger, money, my passport and all other necessary documents that I might need to get past airport security.

That was when I heard the honk of a car from outside my apartment. I looked out of my window and found only a small Uber waiting outside my apartment, instead of a minivan.

Shrugging, I took my luggage out and closed and locked my front door properly. When I went to get into the elevator, Damien was already making his way up to help me with my bags.

“Good morning.” He smiled and took my suitcase from my hand.

“Morning,” I smiled back and entered the elevator, pressing the ground floor button before I settled in. “So, how come you’re the one picking me up?”

“Damien asked for a favor, saying that they couldn’t arrange for a bigger car at the last moment.” He shrugged casually. “Since my hotel was nearby I decided to take up the offer. Don’t worry, I asked him for your address so he doesn’t find out I already knew it.”

“Thanks...I guess.” I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

“You know, this doesn’t have to be so awkward between us,” Damien stated as the door to the elevator dinged open and we stepped out into the lobby. “We could be friends. That way we wouldn’t be put in any awkward position when someone asks about us.”

But I shook my head at him. We waited until my bags had been put away and we were seated inside the Uber, on our way to the airport before we spoke again. “I don’t like the whole idea about becoming friends just for convenience. I’ve never made friends like that and I don’t plan on doing so in the future.”

The whole idea of just being friends for convenience had never sat well with me. I had always made friends because I wanted to and because I had to. We weren’t in high school anymore where being friends will the cool kids got you places, but we were adults who knew what we wanted out of our lives and knew how to get there.

“Alright then,” Damien surprised me by holding out his hand for me to take. “My name is Damien Romano and I’m a lawyer. I’m currently working in Montana but I will be moving to LA shortly. I am also a divorcee, which is epic considering that I’m a divorce lawyer and have successfully freed two hundred and seventy nine couples from their miserable marriages.”

I raised my eyebrows at him as he smiled that dimpled smile at me. Two hundred and seventy nine divorces? That’s a big number. Shaking my head, I shook his hand. “I’m Tatiana Rivers and I’m a high school teacher. As you can see, I live in LA and I’m not planning on moving any time soon. Oh, and I’m also best friends with Grace who is now your sister-in-law.”

“Nice to meet you, Tatiana,” Damien smiled. “Although, I think Tatiana is too badass of a name for someone like you.”

“Oh?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “And I’m not badass enough for the name?”

Damien laughed an open, carefree laugh, captivating me once again. “I’m sure you are,” he told me. “But you’re also gentle and kind and a hopeless romantic. If I had to pick a name, then I’d say Tia sounds better than Tatiana.”

“Oh!”

How does he do that? Get my nerves in a jumbled up mess one second and then makes me swoon the next? Tia. It was such a wonderful name and I did agree with me that it suited me better. My parents had wanted me to follow in their footsteps and take over their company, that’s why they had named me Tatiana. But I had turned out to be completely opposite of what they had expected me to be, which was why my younger brother was now being trained to take on the family business and follow in on their footsteps.

“Tia.” I tested the name on my tongue, it sounded perfect. “It’s a beautiful name. My friends call me Ty, but I have to agree, Tia sounds more like me.”

“Then can I call you Tia?” Damien asked eagerly. “In private, of course, I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable in front of your friends. It’ll be our little secret.”

“Yes, I’ll like that.” As much as I wanted my friends to find out about my new name, I liked that this was going to be a secret between me and Damien. It felt intimate, like something just between lovers.

We may have agreed on no-strings, but we were still lovers and it seemed fitting that we’ll have something private that belonged to us alone. I knew I was getting in way over my head, but the hopeless romantic in me couldn’t help but swoon over her knight in shining Armani once again.

Dear God, what did I get myself into?