Now all of us raised a brow at John.

"What? I love being a bachelor!" He said. "Weddings are..." He shivered. "Excuse me, why is it a lucrative business again?"

"Because there are still guys in the world who aren't like you and thank God for that!" Nicole said crossly.

"Well, if you find that guy for yourself, let me know." John raised his brow at her.

Dannie and I exchanged knowing looks. Nicole and John didn't usually get along with each other well. However, sometimes, we both feel that it's not because they do not like each other at all, but maybe because it's more of the opposite. I'd like to do that wedding!

We all left the bar at around midnight. John is going to take me home. Nicole is catching a ride with Dannie.

"I'll refer some clients to you, Ash." Nicole promised.

"Your boss won't like that!" I scolded her.

"Then let her fire me! All the more reason for you to hire me then!" She winked and then she got into Dannie's car.

As we waited for John's car to arrive with the valet, I noticed a familiar car parked in front of the bar. My breath caught in my throat and my heart pounded inside my chest.

It looked like the car that Ryder rented. Same make... an SLR McLaren. Same color. Again, it made me wonder how he got that car for that day. It must have been very expensive to rent it. Unless he knew some rich friends who owned a car like that and they let him take it for a spin for free.

I sighed. I remembered the day that I was with him in that car. It was my first step to recovery. And I am okay. Because of Ryder... I am okay.

"Do you miss the car?" John asked in a teasing tone.

I shook my head. There was a pinch in my heart. "No. Just the guy who drove it."

Chapter Ten.

ARRHAE: Wedding coins.

Given by the groom to the bride to signify his trustworthiness, that he is symbolically giving his material possessions or earthly wealth to the care of his bride.

Nicole referred some of her clients to me. She said that apparently, they were under budget constraint and the revised professional fees that Fiona had been charging made them lose interest.

They were very happy to meet with me. More so when I told them that since they were my first clients, I would waive all the professional fees. They just need to pay for all the expenses for the wedding. But of course, nothing would happen without their approval first. I told them that I'm building up my portfolio and thus, I don't mind doing this for free.

"Are you sure?" The bride named Angela asked.

I nodded. "Positive!"

The groom looked a little suspicious. I smiled at him.

"This is not my first time doing this. I used to work for Fiona. In fact, I was one of their pioneers." I assured them.

"Really? Why'd you leave?"

I sighed. "Long story. But... to cut it short, let's just say that my own engagement went down the drain and for a while, I was... socially dead. Now, I'm resurrected. What can I say? No heartbreak can make me stay away from making 'ever afters' come true."

The bride bit her lip and then she smiled at me. "I admire your courage! My sister-in-law just got dumped too. Maybe you have advice for her on how to get better. You don't look heartbroken at all!"

I shook my head. "I'm not! Not anymore!"

Her glanced drifted off to my ring and her eyes widened.

"Oh my God!" She breathed.

"Why?"

"A... are you still wearing your engagement ring?" She asked.

I looked at my ring and then I laughed. "No, no. This wasn't my engagement ring. This is..." I sighed, smiling at the thought of Ryder again. "This is some sort of a promise ring. I made some guy a promise and he... gave me this so I won't forget."

"Sounds like a very expensive promise." Jacob, the groom to be, said.

"Oh no. I don't think so."

"We've wanted that ring." Angela said, still looking longingly at my ring.

"I told you, you could have it." Jacob told her.

"No! Twenty-five grand? Are you out of your mind?" She said. "I'd rather we spend that money on our honeymoon." She said smiling at her fiance. She glanced at my ring again. "You must admit, Harry Winston did great on that ring!"

"This... this isn't... a Harry Winston." I said.

Angela laughed. "Right." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, she stares at that ring in a magazine everyday. She knows." Jacob told me.

"I do not!" Angela punched him playfully in the arm.

I still don't know what they're talking about, but I didn't want to talk about my ring anymore. First, because they've already mistaken it to be a real Harry Winston and also because I don't want them to start arguing over a ring that she was never going to have.

"Well, you were right to spend the money on your honeymoon." I told them cheerfully. "Have you already made plans with your travel agent?"

It took me half a day to finish my meeting with Angela and Jacob. When they left my office, they were much more excited about their wedding than they were before they met me. I was extremely pleased with myself.

As I sat on the deck of my office, sipping a glass of pineapple juice, I smiled. I tried imagining where I would be had I married Bryan.

I'd probably be still with Fiona, answering to her every whim, watching her take all the credit and all the money for my brilliant and unique wedding ideas, and getting paid almost minimum wage for all the hard work that I put through. Then I'd come home, cook and wait for Bryan to come back from work. We'd talk about our day, like good friends. He'd probably be too tired to make love to me, and since I never knew wanton desire at all, I wouldn't mind. I'd contentedly read a romance novel, until I fall asleep.

And what would have happened if Ryder and I continued seeing each other after the wedding? I'd still be here, cooking a special meal for him probably, hoping to seduce him so he would stay the night with me. We'd probably have made love in every corner of this office already.

I bit my lip at the thought. Damn! How could the mere thought of Ryder arouse... unknown feelings in me? How could the memory of that night make me want to relive it over and over again?

Bryan never made me feel sexual. Ryder brought all my nerves to life and turned my world upside down.

Ryder asked me to come and find him again. When I am ready. Right now... I'm halfway there. I want my next relationship to last forever. I don't think I can stand to go over another heartbreak ever again. That is why I have to be careful. God knows I needed to see Ryder again. I could tell that he's a good man. He awakened my senses. But I need more time.

I stared at my ring again and smiled. Harry Winston! Well, it does look like one, but I know it isn't. Though, this ring is a hundred times more beautiful than the ring that I actually got from Bryan. Ryder has great taste! I wonder where he found this. Maybe when I see him again, I can ask him to show me.

I kept myself busy for the next weeks. Angela and Jacob were going to have a beach wedding and I had to handle all the arrangements for them. They are going to say their vows along the shore and the reception is going to be in paradise on the beach. I have it all figured out. I drew concepts for them to look at, so they can picture out the idea that I have in mind. When Angela saw my storyboard, she almost cried. She was so ecstatic about the whole thing.

It took me more than a month to finish the concept, find the right materials, book the venue, photographers, videographers and make all the other necessary arrangements.

One week before the wedding, I was able to rest. Although not completely because I still have so much pressure before the show. This is the first wedding I did on my own. And this will be the start of things for the company that I am running. And I want it to be perfect.

Dannie asked me to go shopping with him. There's a new Technodiamond watch that he is itching to buy and we went around from store to store, trying to find a good deal.

I was looking at the diamond watches with lust in my eyes. I sighed. Someday. My time will come. I will be able to afford these.

The fourth store that we went to was the store that brought me so much memories. Except now, I no longer feel the pain when I remember that Bryan gave me a fake ring. I just feel embarrassed and angry. And then I remembered that this is actually where I first met Ryder and I cried in his arms.

Ryder. I smiled at the thought of him. I miss him! It's a wonder how I can miss him so much over these months when I've only been with him for a day.

I wanted to see him again. Even if only to know that I didn't just invent him. That for one day, he had really existed for me. And for one night, he'd been mine.

"Oh my God, Ash! That looks exactly like your ring!" Dannie said, pointing at the poster of a beautiful Harry Winston advertisement.

There was no mistake. It does look exactly like the ring Ryder gave me. The stone in the middle, the cut... the similarity is unmistakable.

"I know! But we both know this ring is a fake!" I whispered to him.

"Good morning, Ma'am, Sir, how can I help you?" The guy at the counter asked us. He was the same guy who examined my engagement ring.

"Well, I'm actually waiting for the other sales guy to come back to me with the availability of the watch I asked for." Dannie said.