Page 59 of The Boss and the Wedding Mess

“No, it’s about the stars.”

“Because London is too bright, you mean?”

“Yeah... Out here, with all the fields and forests, there’s no big city lights so the sky gets dark enough to see them. We get so used to not looking for stars anymore, even though we know they’re always there. And when you finally see them, it’s just… beautiful. The universe is infinite and simply… beautiful.”

I probably sound ridiculous.

“I know what you mean. We shouldn’t just accept the brightness of the cities—we should notice nature more.”

“Yes…” I sigh. Amn, I can’t help yawning. This time I don’t even have to fake it; drowsiness is settling in for real.

“You could stretch out on the back seat,” he offers. The car’s as luxurious inside as it looks from the outside—the seats are wide and soft. It’s tempting. But then I wouldn’t be able to watch him anymore.

“I’m fine. I don’t want to leave you driving alone.” Another yawn.

“Just don’t make me catch your yawns,” he laughs, merging onto the main road.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“I only heard this in passing today, but you must have answered it a hundred times: Why did you really go to New York back then?”

Alexander laughs. “Yeah, almost everyone wanted to know that. I always said I found the city fascinating and wanted to experience it, but the truth is I wanted to prove myself. In London, everyone who’s someone knows who I am. I wanted to succeed without my father’s help. And I did. It felt really good. But of course, I couldn’t say that to the staff.”

I catch his words while being gently rocked back and forth.

“Do you miss New York?” I ask, stifling another yawn.

“Oh yes. Very much.” His expression softens. “But I’m the only son. It’s my responsibility to take over the company. That’s my burden—and my duty. Still, New York is something special and I miss it a lot. Life there is different. People are more relaxed, more open-minded. I had good friends there who didn’t know who I was. That was a gift—it helped me figure out who was genuinely with me.”

The next thing I know, his warm hand touches mine, and the car isn’t moving.

“Huh?”

“Hey, sleepyhead. We’re here.”

I blink at him, startled. Alexander unbuckles his seatbelt while I stare through the windshield in confusion, because all I see is: nothing. It's pitch black. We're definitely not at my place—there are no streetlights or brightly lit windows.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” I mumble, yawning again as I unbuckle my belt.

“I must’ve been boring you,” he teases. “But I think this is the perfect spot.”

“Perfect spot?”

“Yeah.” He steps out of the car, while I sit there, confused. The interior light illuminates him briefly.

I unbuckle my seatbelt and open my door. A cool breeze slips under my dress and wakes me up instantly. During the day, with the sun still out, it was wonderfully warm, but now this late in the evening, it cooled down quickly. The grass beneath my feet confirms we’re in the middle of nowhere.

“Please tell me my eyes are the problem and you’re not planning to bury me in the woods,” I say. Slowly, my eyes are adjusting to the darkness. There are headlights flickering in the distance. Alexander comes around to my side.

“I hadn’t planned on it,” he says, placing a steadying hand at the small of my back and nudging me away from the open door so he can close it. “Cold?”

“No, it's actually quite pleasant," I mumble. "It especially helps to clear my head."

Alone with him in the dark, at least he can’t see how red my cheeks are—but I can definitely feel the heat in them.

“Sit,” he says gently, guiding me to the hood. We lean against it together. Slowly I can make out more, which is also due to the brilliantly bright full moon that is clearly visible in the sky. Wait. What am I thinking? In amazement, I stare at the sky, which is so clear and beautiful above us that I can hardly believe it.