Chapter 7 TommáZ Walker

• Tommáz Walker
• “I love my family, especially when we gather like this, and they decide I need to get married and leave my libertine lifestyle behind. This time, I'll listen to Mom’s requests, mainly because I don't want to see our wealth divided among strangers. With Eliza's husband joining our family today, he could become responsible for managing the Miller House empire.
• My grandmother and aunt had already left the table, so I’ll take the opportunity to go to the Moulin Rouge to get some information about my masked woman. I need to tell her about the condom that broke. And, of course, I’m going to blame her. If she had let me take off the blindfold, this wouldn’t have happened.
• The thought makes a smile appear on my face. I grab one of the many cars in the mansion’s garage, and just as I’m about to start it, the door beside me opens. I'm surprised when Kevin and Ethan get in the car.
• “Where do you think you're going?” I turned to look at the two intruders.
• “To the same place as you. I want to invite my French redhead to the wedding today,” Kevin says, making me laugh.
• “Do you really think she’ll agree to accompany you on such short notice?” I ask, confident, and my friend seems to realize what I’m implying.
• “And yours might refuse too, that is, if you even manage to find out who these women are,” my brother says, and then I realize he's right.”
• “Let’s at least try to find these girls!” I say, looking at the two beside me.
• I started the car, but we had some difficulty getting to the Moulin Rouge. Some avenues had traffic being diverted to other streets, turning what should have been a less than thirty-minute drive into over an hour. My grandmother called several times to find out why we were delayed, as my cousin's party was about to start.
• “We finally made it. I'm sure Mom's going to kill us, Tom!” my brother says, sounding worried.
• “She won't. Now, let's go.” I park the car in a spot in front of the nightclub, and we walk down the sidewalk with hoods on our heads to avoid being recognized.
• We arrive at a side door of the club and knock, hoping someone will let us in. Like in a horror movie where the butler of a haunted house opens the door just a crack, a huge man peeks through with a deadly look.
• “I need to speak with the manager. We have to find two dancers who were here last night,” I say to the man, who just looks me up and down.
• “The place only opens at night. If the dancers were masked, it means they don't want to be found,” he says with boredom.
• Before he can shut the door in our faces, Ethan wedges his foot in the gap, pulls out his wallet, and shows the cash he has.
• “I’ll give you everything if you give us information about the two girls. It's important that we find them.” The man's eyes show interest in my brother’s wallet.
• Everything in life has a price. People often say that money doesn’t bring happiness, but if you don’t have the money to pay for something you want, I’m sure love won’t cover the cost.
• “What dancers?” he asks curtly.
• “The blonde with the peacock mask and the redhead with a Venetian mask,” I say, hoping he can tell us who these unknown women are.
• “The redhead said today she won't be part of the lineup anymore. Looks like she raised the money she needed. One of the idiots out there got played when he handed her a lot of cash.” He laughs, and I can see Kevin getting irritated.
• “The blonde, it was her first night here. She came just to dance. As far as I know, she's someone well-known in the city, and I doubt you'll find her here again.” He holds out his hand to my brother, who hands him a substantial amount of money. “I’ll give you useful information if you give me everything in the wallet,” he says, looking at Ethan, who takes out all the bills and hands them to the man in the dimly lit nightclub.
• “They're friends and live together near downtown, but I don't know the exact address. Find one, and you'll find the other.” As soon as he finishes speaking, he shuts the door in our faces.
• I look at my friend, who has a defeated expression, and put my hand on his shoulder.
• “Don’t worry, we’ll find them. I think I have an idea to make them come out of hiding.” I had been thinking about something like this since I woke up, frustrated not having that Frenchwoman in my arms.
• “We’ll put an ad in the newspaper—‘bride wanted’—maybe that will get their attention.” My brother bursts into laughter.
• “Our parents will kill you if you do that!” Ethan says as we walk towards the car.
• We need to get back home before the wedding, or our grandmother will skin us alive for not being there. Luckily, it will be a simple affair since Elisa leaves for the Maldives at 2 PM. We need to hurry and be part of my cousin’s big moment.
• We arrive home to find our grandmother irritated by our unexplained absence. I started laughing at the impatience of that sweet old lady. I grab her by the waist and kiss her cheek.
• “I think I’ve fallen in love, Grandma. Now I just have to find that woman.” I watch her suspicious look turn into a smile.
• “Maybe she’s closer than you think, dear.” Her comment surprises me, and she pats my shoulder. “Now go get ready. Your cousin’s wedding is starting, and she’ll be coming down in a few minutes.”
• I kiss her cheek again and head up to my room to get dressed. In record time, I managed to change clothes and look presentable for a daytime wedding of one of the Miller House heiresses.
• I head downstairs and position myself next to Noely's assistant. She’s a beautiful blonde, and if it weren’t for my aunt's request, I would’ve taken her for a night of passion. My thoughts shift as I feel the breeze blowing through the mansion's garden, which is decorated for Elisa's ceremony.
• The fragrance I noticed while with my masked enchantress surrounds me, and I search for the source that had lingered on my body. I look everywhere, but the scent comes from the most unlikely person—this petite woman with a dark lock of hair curling out of her bun.
• She wipes a tear from her cheek with a delicate smile as she receives the bouquet from my cousin. I don’t even notice my father standing beside me because my mind is trying to find similarities between this woman and the one I had seen from behind, with a Cinderella tattoo on her butt.
• I’m in trouble if she’s the woman I slept with last night. My aunt will kill me for seducing her very efficient employee. The entire wedding goes by so quickly that I hardly notice, only observing how professional Amélie is, helping with everything whenever needed.
• I’m enchanted when she comforts the little flower girl, who was crying because she couldn’t have a treat from the table. Amélie took the girl by the hand, gave her a sweet, and kissed her cheek. How can I tell her that she might be the woman who turned my mind upside down? Now, my thoughts and desires are solely focused on the masked woman who danced at the Moulin Rouge and rejected me.
• I feel my aunt's touch on my shoulder, and she follows my dazed gaze toward the woman standing there in a knee-length green dress. She looks so sensual and, at the same time, incredibly elegant with a headpiece completing her look.
• “I’ll give you a hint, but first, promise me you won’t hurt Amélie,” my aunt’s voice is so low that I look at her to see if she really said something or if it was my imagination. I just nod in agreement to her request.
• “She has a serious problem and is trying to solve it. I think you can help her by proposing marriage and helping her pay off her debt.” I furrow my brow, not quite understanding what my aunt is talking about.
• “Please help her. We all care a lot about her, and we know she won’t accept our help. She may not seem like it, but that little one is proud.” I keep my eyes on my aunt and try to follow her reasoning. It seems she hasn't realized that I suspect Amélie might be my dancer.
• “A marriage contract could be interesting...” I say, letting my mind work. I could propose marriage to her and justify it with my grandmother's inheritance.
• My plans start to take shape as I look at the blonde who might be carrying my heir, who will undoubtedly be beautiful. My heart races even more as I realize I need to find a way to make her interested in my plan. I need to learn more about my little Ella, and I already know how to win her over.
• The day flies by, and my cousin says goodbye to everyone, quickly disappearing with the guests. I look around and spot my other cousin talking to his sister Eve, who smiles at me as if she knows a big secret. I approach her and pull one of her curls from the bun she's wearing, which irritates her.
• “Don’t mess it up. I’m wearing this hairstyle for the fashion show,” she says, frowning and kicking my shin.
• “Hey, we need to talk,” I say, pulling my cousin aside.
• I pull him away from our family and tell him my suspicions and, more importantly, what I’m planning.
• “I need you to draft my contract.” He just nods, and we agree on what I'll do and how the contract will be structured.
• Night falls, and we head to the fashion shows that have already started. SISU is presenting their swimwear line, and their lead model is already on the runway—a beautiful Black woman with curly hair styled upwards, wearing a bikini similar to those Brazilian women love.
• “Aurora Borges is a stunning model. It’s a pity she won’t model for me,” my aunt complains behind me. “Your seat is reserved next to Amélie. You can go, dear.” I nod and brace myself for the next three hours, which will be torture being so close to her and not being able to touch.