Bride by Design 3: Manchala Nights (2 page)

When we stepped out of our room, a uniformed servant told us that everyone was out on the deck. We followed him to a covered area overlooking the bay. It was too dark to make out the ocean,
but the dining area on the deck was lit up cheerfully
. Drinks were being served on one side, and on another side, a grill had been set up and the scent of meat being barbequed drifted over to us.

Sir Donald came over to greet us, and the group of happy, laughing people
looked at us as we walked towards them.

"Lisa, Colin," Sir Donald said, kissing my cheek, "You're just in time. We're having a few drinks while the meat gets done."

He introduced us to his wife, Diane, a slender woman with grey hair and kind eyes. For a moment, I hated myself for taking part in this charade, for fooling these kind people who extend
ed their hospitality towards us. But then
Diane
led me off while Don introduced Colin to the other guys, and I met Celine.

Celine was slim and
looked vaguely familiar
, her button nose and pink lips perfect, her blonde hair smooth and cascading, and her blue eyes cold and
distant. We air-kissed perfunctorily and I saw her glance towards Colin.

In that split second, t
he frost chilling my veins told me what I needed to know. When Celine glanced back at me, she smiled knowingly and I hated her for having slept with Colin.

"How did you two meet?" Her smile was polite, and her voice was deep and relaxed.

Diane chimed in, "Oh yes, I'd love to know too!"

I smiled
, grateful that Colin and I
had rehearsed our stories
, and accepted a glass of wine from the waiter who
appeared
just in time
. I told
Diane and Celine
how
Colin and I
had lunch in the park together and then wound up going out in secret
- a version of events
which
was close to the truth, while being so ridiculously different from what was really going on
.

"I never thought Colin would settle down." Celine's voice was wary, her eyes watching me for signs of some secret hold I had over Colin.

I shrugged, happy that I could snub Celine
politely
, even while I want
ed
to rip out her perfect hair. "I guess he just needed to meet the right girl."

Celine stretched out her fingers to admire her massive engagement ring. I would've felt bad for being so catty, but she had the real thing - the wealth, the beauty, the marriage into one of
America
's oldest families. "Where's your engagement ring?"

"Oh, I forgot to wear it. I've gotten so used to pretending
not
to be married to Colin! You know, to get away from the press and all."

"Of course," she drawled, flipping her hair over one shoulder. "The
paparazzi are
soo rude."

I tried not to gulp as I remembered why she looked so familiar - her photos were always splashed over the tabloids and glossies.

Diane
oohed
over how cute Colin and I were for a minute, before excusing herself to tend to the other guests.

As soon as we were alone,
Celine turned to me frostily. "You do know that I slept with Colin, right?"

"Of course." I smiled sweetly. "Colin and I don't care about each other's past."

Celine scoffed, "Yeah well, Roger seems to care about Colin's past a lot. He hates Colin so much, even more now that he knows we got together again after my wedding."

I couldn't help my look of surprise - I'd known Colin was a womanizer, but I'd never thought he'd chase after a married woman.
Knowing he didn't care at all about marriage, even if it was someone else's, made me think less of him.

Celine laughed at my expression. "So, I guess Colin hasn't told you
everything
about his past."

I replaced my look of surprise with one of disapproval
and tried to shift the focus off Colin - a guy whom I clearly knew nothing about.
"I can't believe you cheated on Roger."

"Oh don't be so shocked, honey." Celine raised an eyebrow
and fell for my bait
. "Roger might be old-money but alcohol doesn't help things in the sack. And you know how Colin is…"

I laughed drily.
Considering that we'd never actually been in
bed
together, I had only my imagination to help me out.
I
really didn't want
to let my imagination drift that way
- not here, not now
. I excused myself and went to refill my drink
, where I
ran into Rani.

Rani was the polar opposite of Celine. While Celine was slim, blonde and frosty, Rani was dusky, slightly chubby and bubbling with exuberance. We laughed as we both got more drinks and introduced ourselves to each other. She had a British accent, and told me she'd gone to
Cambridge
to get her law degree, where she'd met Rahul. A nanny was standing further away from us, holding a tiny, sleeping baby, and Rani pointed him out proudly - "I love him, but I don't love this baby weight!"

We laughed and I told her honestly that she looked great. Rahul came over to join us, and he was tall and handsome in a rugged way. He clasped Rani's waist possessively, and I envied them
their happiness and comfortable joy. They were clearly in love and had what Colin and I were only pretending to have.

If Rani and I had met in different circumstance, I felt sure we'd be best friends. We both had the same tastes in music and the same sense of humor. She was charming and unpretentious, and I wished I could get to know her better, and a part of me felt
that
she and Rahul deserved this project more than Colin.

Rahul was clearly talented, and he was one of those rare
people
who knew how to use
their inherited
money properly.
He and his wife
had grand plans, and I was impressed and charmed by their easy confidence and dreams for the future.

"The meat's about done," announced Don, and we lined up to serve ourselves. Diane introduced me to Keith and John as I was heapi
ng meat and salad onto my plate. Keith was a successful British property developer, and John, his partner, was an architect. A few moments of conversation with them revealed just how charming and talented they both were - and I wondered if they knew there was no way they'd get the project.

We all
sat down around a wooden table.
Colin came and sat beside me, and whispered into my ear to ask how I was going. I just nodded in response and let him kiss my cheek, trying not to feel anything when his lips brushed my skin. 

I thought I was holding up my end of the bargain quite well, but I was distracted by the fact that Sir Donald, nice though he might seem, was clearly being unfair about choosing who he'd give the project to. Keith and John made an impressive duo, and I felt a bit sad that their talent wasn't enough to make Don even consider them for the project.

The freshly barbequed meat and crisp salad were delicious, and we all chatted politely through
out
the meal. I noticed that Roger and Sir Donald were on easy, friendly terms, and I
thought it was obvious that nobody else had a shot at getting
the project.

Keith and John were chatting
with
Celine about fashion and design, and I caught her glancing our way once in a while. I wondered if Colin still felt anything for her, but he seemed to be ignoring her
.
I thought that was rather strange behavior on his part,
since
I'd expected him to flirt with just about any pretty woman
.

Diane asked us about our wedding, and we told her a story about a tiny official
ceremony
, trying to stay out of the press, and hoping to have a large reception one day soon. She nodded understandingly, and told us that she and Don had been married for over twenty years, and that their two sons were entrepreneurs who travelled for work frequently.

Rani and Rahul joined in our conversation, and Rahul talked about how hard it was to be on the move so frequently. His father, the steel magnate, had been diagnosed with some heart problems, and he talked about how lucky he was to be able to live near his parents.

The conversation turned to work again, and Sir Donald asked Roger if he had an architect in mind. Roger mentioned an architect who worked with him, and Keith mentioned that John had won some awards for his designs. Colin decided to chime in by
saying I
was an interior designer, specializing in family-friendly designs. I was a bit flustered by the mention,
since Colin hadn't told me he'd bring it up, but I tried to take it in stride.

Sir Donald nodded encouragingly at both John and I, and asked us a few polite questions, before turning to Roger again. I was glad when Sir Donald finally decreed that we wouldn't be talking about work - "Not till the presentation, at least!"

Diane nodded, and said, "We just want to get to know you guys on this holiday. Let's have some fun."

I smiled and finished up my food, and we all cooed appreciatively when a gorgeous fruit pavlova was brought out.  Other than Celine, all of us heaped our plates with the dessert, and I groaned out loud when I sunk my teeth into it. It was crispy outside, soft inside, and the whipped cream and fruit toppings provided the perfect balance.

Chapter
Two

Once dinner was over, and everyone had retired to their bedrooms, I tried to relax a bit. But the nagging feeling that Roger was the shoo-in to get the project, just wouldn't leave my mind.

I sat on the bed and stared up at Colin. He seemed relaxed and unstressed.

"Colin," I started warily, looking at his calm green eyes, "Why do I get the feeling Roger's the only one
Sir
Don
ald
takes seriously?"

Colin sat down on the sofa opposite and leaned forward, tilting his head and looking into my eyes. "Lisa, I don't want you to worry about this stuff."

"But how can I not?" I shook my head. "Don seems like a nice enough guy, but he shouldn't be so biased when it comes to business."

Colin smiled grimly. "Unfortunately, biases are a way of life. You have to deal with them. Keith and John probably know they won't get this project, but Don might recommend them to someone else - who knows, they might get something out of the whole trip. I could tell at the dinner that you were concerned about them, you don't have to be."