Luna

On Friday morning, I went straight to Barry's office to remind him about his Tuxedo fitting later.

"Good morning, Miss Stavrakos. You're looking more lovely today." Venus greeted me with a huge smile.

She looked super hot in that red business suit. Her blouse didn't hide her big boobs, even the neckline revealed a bit of cleavage. There was no way Barry wouldn't notice it.

"Hello Venus. Is Barry in there?"

"Yes, madam."

"I'll remind him about his tux fitting at eleven. Make sure you remind him, too."

"Noted." Her smile widened, making her look more pretty. I was wondering if Barry found her attractive, cause she's really hot.

She got up and opened the door for me. Her perfume smells fruity, like strawberries and passionfruit.

I walked into Barry's office, and he was on the phone. He motioned for me to wait. After hanging up, he stood up and approached me.

"That was Mr. Oishi, by the way. He invited me to come to Malaysia for their store's grand opening. Our brand will be on display."

"You can go on a business trip now that someone will take care of your office stuff."

"No doubt." He pulled me in for a tight hug and gave me a lingering kiss. "Wanna come with me?"

"And leave the office?" My eyebrows rose. "Nope, we can't do that. One of us must stay and take care of the business."

"Yeah. Pretty disappointing, isn't it? I wanna be around you all the time." He was so sweet yesterday, and now he is sweeter. He hugged and kissed me, never letting me go, then whispered sweet things in my ear. "I had a dream about you last night. We were on our honeymoon, getting down and dirty on the beach."

"Really?" I giggled. "That would be so uncomfortable."

"You think so?" He was giving me a teasing look. "Guess what? I got us a fancy honeymoon package in Maldives for three nights."

"Three nights only? I thought we're going for a week."

"Sweetheart, we can't stay away for too long, especially since our business is still shaky, you know. I'll make it up to you once everything's going smoothly."

"Alright." I agreed.

He pulled me closer and planted a kiss behind my ear. With my face buried against his chest, I suddenly caught a whiff of his shirt - it smelled just like Venus' fruity perfume.

It was like getting hit with cold water. I was stuck there, feeling suspicious suddenly. Jealousy and anger consumed me.

No. That's impossible. Acting paranoid was the last thing I wanted to do. I was just imagining things because she's pretty. Venus' perfume was so strong, it lingered in my nostrils, that's all. I brushed off the idea of something happening between Barry and Venus.

Pre-wedding nerves. It's just that. Barry's been super loyal and honest to me. He'd never break my trust.

"Remember your tuxedo fitting at eleven? I told Venus to remind you, too."

"Sure, sweetheart. Whatever you say." His face dipped and kissed me passionately. Then I caught another whiff of that fruity smell.

***

I couldn't believe it when I saw Sweet in my office, waiting for me. We gave each other a hug after saying 'hi'.

"What's up? What brings you here?" I said, then took a seat behind my desk.

"Luna, I hate to bother you, but can you do me a favor tomorrow if you're not busy?"

I was thinking about my plans for tomorrow. I'd get my wedding shoes, shop for honeymoon clothes, and take Bonnie to the groomer's. Barry's gonna sleep all day tomorrow. It was his Saturday routine following his regular Friday boy's night out–something he promised to change once we're married.

"I don't have any major plans for tomorrow. I can do them some other day. So, tell me what's up?"

"It's about the kids. They're having a family sports fest tomorrow at their school, and Sebastian and I can't handle all three of them alone. It would mean a lot if you could come and have fun with us. We can't bring just anyone, the kids asked for you. You're their favorite person, you know."

"Aw, that's so sweet." My heart instantly melted. "Absolutely, I'm in. I adore the kids and just want them to be happy."

"Thanks a ton, Luna. I'm so happy that you agreed. The kids will be thrilled." She handed me the program, activities list, attire, etc.

And then we started talking about random stuff and the wedding. I showed her what the wedding coordinator did, and she offered to help me hand out the wedding invites to our friends.

I really love Sweet, and I was so stoked when Sebastian found a wife I could totally vibe with, like a real sister. I always go to her when I have girl problems.

"What's your opinion about Barry?" She seemed surprised by my question.

She huffed before giving me an answer. "I don't really know Barry that well. We hardly ever see each other and never had a chance to talk."

"I have a feeling our family is still against Barry. But I'm still going to marry him, no matter what."

"We all love you and only want what's best for you."

"You think Barry's not the best for me?" I asked her.

"Honestly, I don't know." She shook her head. "You're the one who can answer that since you know him better. If you're still confused, trust your instincts, Luna. Not just your heart and mind. We can get tunnel vision and only see the good in someone, ignoring their flaws. It's helpful to hear what others have to say, 'cause they're not biased. Then think about the pros and cons."

"You're right. I definitely should do that." I leaned forward and put my arms on the desk. "You know what? I can't stop feeling bothered lately. Colton told me to do some digging on Barry before marrying him. Do you have any idea why?"

She raised her eyebrows. "No. But maybe he knows something about Barry. I'm pretty sure they were in the same department at NYU. You know how guys are. They hang out with the same crew and go to the same spots. They know who's chilling with who, what they're up to, and sometimes their juicy secrets."

"Yeah, Colton most likely knows something." I should totally ask him next time I see him.

"If you feel like you should know more about Barry's background, just go for it. Your whole life's happiness is on the line. For sure, you don't want to regret your decision later."

"Sebastian said the same thing." I pursed my lips and spilled the tea about Harvey Springsteen, accusing Barry of stealing one hundred thousand dollars in his company.

"I agree with you. That's a serious accusation. But you gotta think about it. Harvey Springsteen wouldn't just randomly accuse someone for nothing. People really look up to him. I agree with Sebastian. You better check if it's true before marrying Barry."

"How will I do that?"

"Well, you've got Colton working for your company right now. I'm sure he wouldn't mind an additional job."

I don't think he would. He already discovered that Barry used our company's money to buy my engagement ring. He was actually doing some serious digging. I kept that info a secret from Sweet.

"Yeah, I'll most likely do that. Thanks so much for listening, Sweet. I'm glad I got that off my chest."

"No problem. I'm here to help. If you ever wanna talk, just hit me up." She said and jolted when her phone rang. It was Sebastian waiting for her in the office lobby.

"Got to run. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure. I'll be there." We hugged each other briefly, then she left.

***

I showed up at the kids' school at 9 AM, dressed in sporty clothes - a gray tank top, black leggings, and a cap. One of the teachers came with me to the gym. The gym was massive, tables on the sides, and the center was clear for activities.

"Aunt Luna, over here!" I spotted Zoe waving at me. Sebastian, Sweet and the kids were at their table, and they waved at me as well.

I said thanks to the teacher and made my way to our assigned table. The kids came running and greeted me with so much excitement. They showered me with hugs and kisses. I felt so overwhelmed with love.

"Yay! Aunt Luna's here. We're gonna crush Dad, Mom, and Zoe in the sack race!" Joshua screamed in delight.

"Wait, so we'll be competing against each other?" I asked the kids. "Aren't we all on the same team?"

"Only in the kindergarten games." Samuel answered. "Zoe and Joshua need two parents or guardians each to join the games. Dad and Mom will join Zoe, and you'll be with Joshua."

"Oh. Great." I turned to Joshua, giving him a pat on his head. "So, who's the third person on our team?"

"You don't know? It's Uncle Colton." Joshua said.

"Hey, look, there he is! He made it!" Samuel pointed behind me, and the kids were like, "Yay!"

I spun around and there was Colton, looking ridiculously hot in a white shirt, gray joggers, and dark shades.

Darn it. My heart skipped a beat.