�Evangelique�
I sat at my office desk and looked at my calendar; just one more month until my wedding, July 15, 2005, to Cameron Jayden Scott Porter. We met at a social function for my cosmetics company, Beautiful Girl, about three years ago. It was the launch of my company and he happened to be there with his younger sister, and my employer, Terrilynn. He also happened to be a very successful lawyer and liked me right away. I didn�t like him right away though. In fact I think it is safe to say that I hated him more than anything. Who knew that three years later we would be getting married? No one, especially me. I never thought in my life that I would be marrying a man who was 33, eight years older than me. I actually found it kind of scary.
Here I am at 24 marrying a 33 year old man. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Cameron was a very well educated experienced man in many ways and I wasn�t that educated in anything�including sex. I only ever experienced it once and that was it. Cameron actually thought I was still a virgin. I guess he doesn�t need to know the truth. What he doesn�t know won�t hurt him. I looked at his picture and smiled a moment. He was very cute and built nicely. I shrugged.
I moved my eyes from my picture of Cameron to another picture on my desk. I picture of my best friend, Nickolas. I haven�t seen him for a few months, but he was a phone call away and always there for me. I smiled again. Nickolas had the most gorgeous, dreamiest blue eyes ever. He also had the warmest, sexiest smile I have ever seen. When I would feel down he would just look at me with those blue eyes and that smile and I would just forget everything that was going badly in my life. Nickolas and I have been best friends for the past 20 years and he always had a way of making me feel better. He is the only one that knows how. No one could measure up to my Nickolas, not even Cameron. I left out a heavy sigh. How I missed him.
Nickolas and Cameron never even met yet. Hell, Nickolas didn�t even know I was engaged and that�s a bad thing, considering I�ve been engaged for the past year. I have no idea why I haven�t told him yet. I really don�t have the heart to tell him. My psychiatrist, Dr. Chloe Jacobson, said it�s because I have very strong feelings for Nickolas and that I don�t actually want to marry Cameron. What do shrinks know anyway? Nothing. They�re just here to listen to what�s going on in my life. Trisha, my secretary, said the same thing Chloe did. What did she know? They were happily married with a family.
�Don�t worry about a thing my dear,� I heard Cameron say and I looked up. �Your Prince is here.� He stood at the door smiling.
�Cameron?� I was surprised to see him. �I thought you were in court?�
�Judge Ryan gave an hour recess for lunch. I came to whisk you away to the wonderful world of the �Seaside Lounge.�� He smiled.
�I�d love to, CJ, but I�m swamped this afternoon. I have a meeting at 12:30 with the president of a major Paris company who wants to sell �BG� in his stores.�
�Couldn�t you push it back an hour to have lunch with your handsome fianc�?� I really hated his ego. He thought he was the hottest man on earth. That was one of the things I hated about him. �Please? For me.�
�I can�t, CJ. This is important. If he agrees to sell, �Beautiful Girl� will be going global.� I smiled.
�It�s just Paris, Evan.�
�Yeah, but then it�ll catch on. Julia Roberts and Whitney Houston already use my products.� I continued smiling.
�I thought it was June 15?�
�It is June 15 and that�s today; one month before our wedding.� He just looked at me. �He should be here any minute.�
�What about lunch?�
�I�m sorry.� The door opened and I looked. �Yes, Trisha?�
�Mr. Falcon is here, Miss Washington,� Trisha said. She would never address me by my first name at work like I said she could.
�In a month, Mrs. Jackson,� Cameron began smiling, �you�ll be calling her �Mrs. Porter.��
�Let him in, Trisha,� I said. I kissed Cameron and pushed him to the door. �Get out.� I grinned and he walked out, as Mr. Falcon walked in. �Mr. Falcon, welcome.�
�Please,� he said with that French accent. �It�s Scott.� We shook hands then he kissed my cheek. �May I call you, Evan?�
�I prefer Ev or Evvie.�
�Alright.� He smiled. �Let's keep this pretty much unformal. Let's act like we have been friends for a very long time.�
�I think I can do that.�
�Good.�
�Please have a seat.�
�Thank you.� We both sat down on the leather sofa in my office and he just smiled.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Nickolas�
�Nick, lets go before we miss the plane back to Orlando!� I heard Brian yell to me.
�Just a sec!� I put the picture back in my wallet and put it in my pants pocket.
�That�s what you said ten minutes ago!�
�I�m coming so calm down!� I walked out of the bathroom and over to the bed.
�You�re always the late one.�
�Whatever.�
�We get a few months off now so you can take as much time as you want.� He smiled. �You can hang at �BG� with Evan.� I looked at him. �What?�
�Nothing.�
�Don�t give me that. What is it?�
�We�re going to miss our plane.� I picked up my suitcases and walked to the door. �Let�s go.� I opened the door and went out with Brian behind me. We got on the elevator and went down to the lobby where the others where waiting.
�We were ready to leave without you,� Kevin said just staring at me. For the past twelve years it�s always been the same thing; blame Nickolas for everything. I hated it. I just grinned and walked away. I went outside and walked to the limousine. I helped the driver with my suitcases and then climbed in the back. I picked a corner spot and got out my wallet. I took the picture out and looked at it. Evangelique was so beautiful and completely amazing. I couldn�t believe I was falling in love with my best friend. I missed her more than I ever did when we were apart and I couldn�t wait to see her. I was very excited about it and more than I was in the past. I left out a sigh.
I had no idea what to do. Do I tell her how I�m feeling and hope she feels the same way? Or do I keep it all inside and never let her know then spend the rest of my life wondering what it would�ve been like? It was just too confusing. I never felt like this for any one and now that I finally do it�s for my best friend. My best friend of 21 years and I doubt anything was going to change that or anyone for that matter. I left out a disgusted sigh and heard the guys. I quickly put the picture away, as the guys got in the limousine. They shut the door and a few minutes later we started moving.
�What�s wrong, Nickolas?� Kevin asked in that big brotherly way and I looked at him.
�Nothing.�
�Don�t give us that,� Howard said. �Rok said something�s bothering you.�
�Well Brian has a big mouth,� I rebutted. �Nothing�s wrong.
�I think he needs laid,� Alexander said and I looked at him.
�What?� I questioned.
�You�re 25 and you never had a woman. You�ve never been inside a woman before.�
�And how the hell do you know?�
�Because I know.� I shook my head. �What woman in their right mind would waste their precious time with you? No one.�
�You�re pushing it.� I glared at him. �I�d stop if I were you.�
�I�m just wondering who would.�
�You�re acting like I can�t get a woman. For your information I can.�
�Well what sane woman would waste their time with you?� They all looked at me.
�Evvie.�
�She doesn�t count,� Howard said.
�I can�t believe I�m having this conversation with you guys,� I said and looked out the window and thought about Evangelique. If they only knew.
CHAPTER 2