We had a late supper of sea bass, new potatoes, and vegetables with a lemon and herb butter sauce. Grey was an amazing cook, whether it was something simple or a little more extravagant.
Thursday rolled round quicker than I thought. We dressed smart and went to look round Blakelands. It was as gorgeous as I remembered.
"I remember you from your job interview," the gorgeous redhead Colette said as she walked us round.
"Yes, I interviewed last summer, I'm surprised you remember."
"I couldn't forget you, you were the best candidate. It's a shame you got something a little closer to home. You know, if you ever change your mind, we could always use someone like you around here."
"Thanks, Colette." I smiled. It was nice that she remembered me. I had almost taken the job before I got the job at Jim's. The only reason I had chosen Jim's was because it was closer to home and Jodie had gone out of her way to get me the interview.
Colette showed us around the beautiful grounds and we really liked what we saw.
Later that evening, Grey talked animatedly about the viewing of Farnham Castle the following day. Turns out he remembered our school trip there just as much as I did.
We'd been there in our second year of high school and that was where we'd had our first kiss.
"You guys should totally hook up," Janae said on the coach to Farnham Castle.
"I like him, but you know, boys are boys and don't know how to let girls know if they're interested. I don't want to make a fool of myself."
"He totally digs you. I heard him and his friends talking before we got on the coach."
"You did? What did they say?"
"Well, he said that if he could get some time alone with you, he'd talk to you."
"Yeah, talk. That boy is good at talking."
"Maybe he's good at kissing, too!" She laughed and punched me playfully on the arm.
I shoved her back and put my earphones in to listen to my MP3 player.
We arrived at the castle in next to no time and walked around with a tour guide. One minute I was walking along listening to her telling us about the history of the castle, the next I was having my arm pulled and being dragged away from the group.
I looked to see who was pulling me and it was Greyston Sterling, the boy I'd had a crush on since school began. He was tall, had chestnut colored hair and intensely beautiful liquid chocolate pools for eyes.
"Shh!" he said as he put a finger to his lips.
He pulled me around a corner, pushed me up against a wall and kissed me passionately. It was my first kiss and I felt clumsy but I tried to follow what Greyston was doing and mimic his movements.
"Wow!" he said as we pulled apart.
Wow indeed. My first kiss had been with my first crush and I was in Heaven. We'd walked round the rest of the day hand in hand.
"Have you heard a word I have said, Carls?" Grey's voice brought me back to the present.
I blushed.
"No, sorry!" I admitted.
"I was just saying that Farnham Castle used to be gorgeous, at least what I remember of it. I had something a little more beautiful to focus on that day."
"And what would that have been?" I asked coyly.
"You. You were my first crush, and that day was my first kiss."
"Mine too."
"I hope it lives up to memories tomorrow."
"So do I," I said as I leaned over to kiss him.
Farnham Castle was a glorious sight to behold. It was even more magical now I was an adult and really able to appreciate it. Mr. Sloane showed us around and took us to the room where we would get married. It took my breath away, and as I looked at Grey, he had the same look of awe I could feel on my own face.
The wedding room was painted all cream. The doors were white and had triangular mouldings above them. There were stained glass windows and paintings hung around to give it a really elegant feel. The tables were covered with white linen cloths and the chairs had white covers with organza ribbons tied around them. They were currently pink, but Mr. Sloane said that they could be changed to purple for our day.
The grounds were glorious and the outside of the castle would be the perfect backdrop for our wedding photos.
As Grey and I drove home, we chatted excitedly about what it would be like to get married there. I think it was safe to say we had our venue.
Saturday morning came and we were looking forward to our engagement party. Grey had alleviated my fears about it. I might like organizing surprises but not being on the receiving end. This was where Grey came in-my fiancé could make anything sound better. Plus I was excited to be able to tell everyone we had booked the date: Valentine's Day at Farnham Castle. We'd called to confirm not long after leaving the previous day.
Later that evening, we arrived at the Sterling home to find the outside strung with purple and cream lanterns. It looked stunning. We walked inside and were greeted by a waiter with glasses of champagne.
I was stunned as I saw Katrina's foyer transformed. Her home had always been one of class and elegance, but what I saw before my eyes was something new and spectacular. The color scheme was purple and cream with the odd dash of silver. There were ribbons bedecking the columns and balloons in all three colors dotted around the foyer. A beautiful banner congratulated us on our engagement-everything was beyond words. We walked into the kitchen and saw the caterers had brought enough food to feed an army. There was everything from prawn vol-au-vents to quiche Lorraine, cocktail sausages to breadsticks with twenty different dips. There were also samosas, shish kebabs, all sorts of things covering different cultures to make sure everyone had something they enjoyed. The desserts looked amazing. There was a Black Forest Gateau which no doubt had kirsch in, knowing Katrina. But the piece de resistance was the engagement cake made by Aunt Lizzie.
I stood before the cake and I began to cry. It was a three tier cake and it had edible photos of Grey and me all over it. It was like a scrapbook of our lives brought to life in cake.
"Do you like it?" Grey asked as he moved and put his arms around me from behind.
"Like it? Grey, I love it!"
"Aunt Lizzie asked me for some photos of us throughout the years when we were kids and some more recent ones. I assumed she was going to put together a slideshow or something."
"This is more special than anything, Grey. It's perfect."
"Glad to hear my creation has made you happy!" Aunt Lizzie exclaimed as she joined us in the kitchen.
I turned and wrapped my arms around her neck, hugging her tight.
She pulled back and I could see tears in her eyes.
Aunt Lizzie took my hand and pulled me out of the kitchen and into the living room, where soft music was playing and Katrina stood waiting for us.
We walked in, champagne in hand, and looked at the beautiful room. It had ribbons and balloons the same as the foyer, and the soft lighting made everything look stunning.
"Ah, ladies and gentlemen, here they are, the happy couple."
She raised her glass in our direction and so did the rest of the room.
Grey's hand rested at the base of my back. I felt his hand run up my spine and wherever he touched, goose bumps followed. He had loved my choice of backless dress and now I was loving it, too.
"A toast, to Greyston and Carly!" Katrina said.
"To Greyston and Carly!" the room erupted.
I felt the blush creep across my cheeks. I wasn't used to so much attention.
Grey and I lifted our glasses in toast. I took a sip of my champagne and knew I would be taking it easy tonight. I wouldn't finish my champagne, but nobody would notice. Then I'd be on soft drinks for the rest of the night.
We made our rounds to speak to people and my glass remained full. Grey didn't notice when I put it down on a table somewhere.
The evening passed quickly. There was laughter, love, and much happiness for all our guests. The cake tasted delicious, as I knew it would. We ate until our stomachs would surely burst. Many stories were told about Grey and me growing up. Friends and family told anecdotes about Grey and me as teenagers and how in love we were. They said we still act like young teenagers in love-I think of that as a good thing. I've never been more in love with Grey. What we had as teens doesn't come close to what we have as adults.
We went home and were both still on a high as we pulled into my drive. I decided to run a bubble bath. I went to the bathroom and turned on the tap. I poured in some of my favorite scented bath salts and lit some candles around the room. Grey came in carrying two glasses of wine and set them down on the side of the tub.
Grey stripped down and I couldn't help but follow his movements with my eyes, I had to drink him all in. No matter how often I see Grey's body, it always delights me to see his sexy, muscular frame.
"See something you like?" Grey asked as he caught my stare.
"Oh definitely!"