Rumors: Angela & Tyler

by Rachael Brownell

  ME: Sounds good. See you in a few hours.

  Emerson and Ang have outdone themselves. This place looks completely different than it did the other day when we were configuring table placement.

  The tables are covered in ivory linens.

  The large centerpieces Ang and Emerson have been working on all week sit in the very center of each table, the green and purplish-pink dyed flowers bringing color to the otherwise boring table display. Mixed in with the flowers is baby's breath. The entire display is set in a black wine bottle that's been covered in some kind of glitter and jewels.

  Surrounding the centerpieces are candle holders that look like mini lanterns. Angela was excited when she brought those home a few weeks ago. They're kind of cool and they go great with the rest of the decor.

  I may not know how to decorate a table for a wedding, but I do know these tables look very nice.

  "Babe!" Ang hollers from the top of the stairs. "You're early."

  "I missed you," I say, moving to the bottom of the steps to meet her.

  "You two are sickly sweet," Vinnie comments.

  "Just wait, asshole. This'll be you one day. We just need to find a lady that can tame you."

  "Good luck with that. Many have tried, all have failed. I'm not a one-woman kind of man." Laughing at his own joke, Ryder pokes him in the side.

  Following his line of sight, I see the look on Ang's face. She's scrunching up her nose in disgust.

  "Don't worry babe. Someone will make him change his ways," I assure her as she steps into my arms. "You ready to get married?"

  "I've been thinking about that," she says, letting her voice trail off.

  "About what? Marrying me? You can't back out now, babe. We have over a hundred of our friends and family coming tomorrow. You wouldn't want to disappoint them, would you?"

  "Not that," she laughs, swatting my chest. "About setting Vinnie up. Don't we have any single friends that would be good for him?"

  "Allison," I suggest, her name dripping with sarcasm as it leaves my tongue.

  "Um, no. She'd eat him alive and leave him for dead on the side of the highway."

  "As intriguing as this conversation is," Vinnie says, stepping up next to us. "I don't need help finding my next conquest. They tend to find me."

  "We're not talking about a conquest, Vinnie. We're talking about a relationship. You know, a person who will put up with your shit for more than one night. Someone who wants to hang out with you and, if you’re lucky, fuck your brains out."

  My eyes go wide in shock at Ang's choice of words. I'm not the only one. Ryder and Vinnie both blink twice and stare at Ang in disbelief.

  "Thanks, Angela, but no thanks. Plus, I have no idea where I'll be next week so things like relationships can be a little complicated."

  Shrugging, Ang steps from my embrace and reaches for my hand, tugging me behind her into the center of the room. "What do you think?"

  "I think you guys did an amazing job. It looks great in here."

  "Are you ready to pretend to marry me?"

  "No, but I'm ready to marry you for real," I say, bending to kiss her on her lush lips.

  My girl's trying to get Vinnie laid and yet all I can think about it taking her to bed right now. The one thing I can't do. Not until after we've gone through all the motions tomorrow.

  Or maybe she'll give me a quickie right now.

  Whispering in her ear, Ang laughs at my suggestion.

  "Come on, babe. You know you want to."

  "Oh, I do, but I also have to deal with the wrath of Emerson. Plus, everyone should be here in a few minutes and we need to run through things a few times before we meet our parents for dinner."

  "Can I ride to dinner with you?" I ask, a plan formulating in my head.

  "Only if you promise to behave."

  "Can't do it. You know I have no self-control where you're concerned."

  Pushing me away, Ang excuses herself and bounces up the stairs. She returns a few minutes later with Emerson in tow. The two walk us through the details of the ceremony while we wait for Jill, Brianna, and Hunter to arrive.

  Rushing through the door, Hunter spouts an apology to Ang as he steps up next to Ryder. Everyone's been standing in position for ten minutes waiting for them to arrive. The guys are at the bottom of the steps, waiting for their assigned bridesmaid. The girls are at the top, waiting for their cue to walk.

  Me?

  I'm standing at the fake altar waiting on my bride.

  Mrs. Krump starts the music, Jill begins her descent down the stairs, and practice begins. The first round, anyway. We run through it four times to make sure the timing is right and so everyone knows where they need to be. The only person missing tonight is Amara, but Ryder assured us that she'll do great tomorrow.

  Not that it matters.

  She's so stinking cute she could throw flowers at people and things would be fine.

  We'll tell her she needs to follow her dad and things should turn out fine.

  Ang and I ride to dinner together, our last opportunity to spend some time alone together until after we're married. Until after we leave our reception and sneak away to the hotel room I booked for us.

  After that, we're off to Greece. The two of us, alone for a week.

  No work.

  No wedding planning.

  Seven full days of relaxation, together. Hopefully naked.

  Well, most of the time. I did promise to tour the city with her. I'm assuming they frown on nakedness in public.

  "I love you, you know that," I say as I pull into a parking spot as close to the entrance as possible. The snow stopped falling a few hours ago, but it's still bitter cold outside and Ang is wearing a dress and heels.

  "I love you more," she replies, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek.

  "That's probably not possible," I begin, smiling at her. "Before we go in there and Emerson takes me away from you until tomorrow I want you to know something."

  "What's that?" she teases.

  "The thought of you, in that dress, with your legs wrapped around me and your heels digging into my back has me rock hard. So when I try and feel you up under the table, I'd appreciate it if you gave me access. That is, unless you wanna crawl in the backseat and make my fantasies come true."

  I expect her to laugh at me. Maybe even smack my arm and call me crazy.

  What I don't expect is for her to crawl into the back seat, her dress riding up giving me a glimpse of the tiny black thong she's wearing.

  Hastily starting the car, I find another place for us to park. One where we're more secluded. Where the fog on the windows won't draw as much attention because we're going to be late to dinner.

  Very, very late.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Angela

  I'm getting married today.

  In four hours.

  I have to wait four more hours to marry Tyler. It seems unfair. After all, I've been waiting years for this moment. I've imagined this day since I was a little girl. Hours seem small in comparison to the weeks, months, and years that I've already waited, but these last few hours are what will kill me.

  I'm tired of waiting.

  My hair is done. My dress is steamed.

  Makeup is laid out and ready to be applied.

  Emerson has forced me to eat. She's poured me a glass of champagne to sip on. Tried to distract me by putting my favorite movie on television.

  Brianna was smart and brought cards with her. Playing gin doesn't keep my mind from wandering to what Ty might be up to right now. I know he's not here yet. Last I heard, he was still at Ryder's hanging out with the guys.

  Amara bursts through the door an hour later, dragging her dress behind her.

  "Everyone decent?" I hear Ryder ask from the hallway.

  The guys are here. Ty's here.

  My gut tells me to push past Ryder and find him. I need to see him. For him to hold me one last time as his fiancée and not his wife. We fit together perfectly, l
ike two pieces of a puzzle that are made for each other.

  "Come on in," Jill calls out while Emerson picks up Amara's discarded dress, hanging it next to mine.

  Ryder closes the door behind him and stands in front of it, guarding it. All eyes are on me. They must all know I'm planning my escape.

  "The guys should be here in a few minutes. Tyler might try to bust down the door. He's a little eager to see you," he says. "I'm sure you feel the same way, but it's only a few more hours. You two can handle it. Don't ruin the surprise."

  My thoughts drift to my dress.

  Ryder's staring at it now. Smiling in approval. As much as that means to me, the only opinion I care about it Ty's. I can't wait to see his reaction.

  If it's anything like the reaction he had to the dress I wore last night, he's in trouble. He'll be sporting a hard on during our ceremony. One that'll be able to be seen by our entire family.

  "Make him think of your grandma naked in the shower," I say before I can stop myself.

  "What?"

  "You know Ty as well as I do. He's always had a one-track mind. When he starts shifting around, tell him to think of your grandma naked. That'll take care of his problem until I can attend to his needs."

  Ryder groans in unison with my sister.

  I'm not sorry for what I said. I'd rather gross them out than have my husband pitching a tent in front of all our guests.

  "Sure. I'll pass the message along." Looking to Em, she rolls her eyes before he bends and kisses her. "Amara, be good. Make sure you listen to Aunt Angela and Emerson. Mommy will be here to help you with your dress in a little bit, okay."

  Fun times. Megan is going to be here. Who invited her?

  After Ryder leaves, I play a game of go fish with Amara and before I realize it, Megan is knocking on the door. She attends to her daughter while Brianna and Jill start helping me with my makeup.

  "Did you invite her?" I ask Emerson as she takes the chair next to me and starts putting on foundation.

  "No, why?"

  "She's dressed like she's staying. We didn't send her an invite."

  "Maybe she's headed somewhere else."

  "That's not exactly how she operates. Do you think she invited herself?"

  Emerson and I make eye contact in the mirror and share a knowing look. She invited herself to the bachelorette party. It wouldn't be a stretch that she invited herself to the wedding.

  "Want me to ask?"

  "It won't make a difference. Plus, I'm not really in the mood to fight with her today. I refuse to let her ruin this for me. If she stays, whatever. If she makes a scene for something, then I'll step in."

  "It's your call. Let me know if you need any help. I'd be happy to toss her out on her ass."

  "Really?" I ask, skeptically. "I thought you were trying to make peace for the sake of Amara."

  "I was but she wasn't putting in any effort, so I stopped. Screw her."

  Emerson is stronger than people give her credit for. She won't be pushed around. You can't scare her into doing what you want her to do. She'll push back, and she'll continue to push until she wins the battle. She's a fighter, just like me.

  Amara is taking each step one at a time. Slowly. Painfully slow.

  Ryder is waiting at the bottom. Instead of walking in front of me, tossing her petals, she's going to walk in front of Ryder. It was the only way to make her happy and I honestly don't care.

  As soon as she hits the bottom step, Emerson hugs me and tells me how beautiful I am before stepping away from me and beginning her descent.

  I can't see her from where I'm standing in the shadows. It doesn't matter. All I need to do is listen for the music to change. That's my cue everyone is where they should be and it's my turn.

  It feels like an eternity, but once the traditional wedding march begins to play, I rush toward the steps. Sidestepping down the stairs, I take them as quickly as I feel I can safely in heels. My father is waiting for me at the bottom of the staircase and pulls me to a stop when I attempt to continue toward where I know Tyler is waiting.

  "Slow down, baby girl. He's there, I promise. I'm sure he's as anxious as you are, but running down the aisle is something you'll regret later. Let's walk. Let's take our time. Let me enjoy this moment with you before I give you away."

  He's pleading with me as he loops his arm with mine. Kissing him on the cheek, I nod my head, tears already threatening to fall and the ceremony hasn't even started yet.

  Turning up the aisle, my eyes connect with Tyler's, and everyone around us fades away. I watch as he slowly takes me in, his eyes traveling the length of my body down to my toes and back up to my eyes. When he shifts, I almost burst into laughter.

  Ryder leans over and whispers in his ear, bringing first a grimace and then a smile to his face.

  My trick worked.

  Stopping at the end of the aisle, the reverend steps forward and the ceremony begins. I don't hear his speech. The words surround me, floating on the breeze as I stare into Tyler's eyes. We've opted to recite traditional vows to keep the ceremony short and sweet. When it's my turn to repeat them, I pour my heart into every word and so does Tyler.

  The moment I've been waiting for since he proposed, since before I even met Tyler, is finally here. The moment I've been dreaming of since I was a little girl. And when we're pronounced husband and wife, I pounce.

  Literally.

  I jump at Tyler and wrap myself around him, giving our guests a show they were prepared for. People hoot and holler. There are a few whistles. The reverend clears his throat, and that's when I know I need to pull back.

  Resting my head against Tyler's, I sigh.

  I'm married.

  To the most amazing man in the world. I feel like the luckiest girl on earth.

  That is, until we all head back upstairs to the bridal suite and Emerson hands up each a copy of the itinerary for the rest of the day.

  Pictures.

  Dancing.

  Bouquet toss.

  Toasts.

  I'm back in wedding hell. All I want is to sneak away with my husband. To be alone with him for the first time as man and wife.

  "We should have eloped," I mumble low enough so only he can hear.

  "I'd say there's still time, but you know, we're already married."

  "I guess we should go take a few pictures, then." My suggestion means that I have to vacate his lap and I really don't want to.

  "Three hours. By the time we finish pictures, dinner will be served. We'll visit with our guests and then do a little dancing. I promise to get us out of here as soon as possible. Deal."

  "I'm going to hold you to that, Mr. Dixon."

  "You can hold me to every word, Mrs. Dixon."

  Smiling I say, "I really like the sound of that."

  And true to his word, Tyler speeds things along as much as he can. We pose for pictures inside and outside. The weather warmed slightly this afternoon, but there's still a layer of snow covering everything. Wanting to get back inside, I ask the photographer to work with the snow and incorporate it in the pictures.

  I'm not sure if that makes things go faster or slower, but eventually, it's over.

  Next up, dinner. We each only get a few bites before people are clinking their glasses with silverware. Every time I think I can start eating, it happens again. Finally, I give up and go mingle with our guests. Tyler is shortly behind me, starting on the other side of the room.

  Ryder and Emerson take the dance floor, each giving a heartfelt speech. Once they finish, the DJ calls Ty and me over to cut the cake.

  That's when I realize I never followed up with Tyler about what I wanted. I gave him colors and that was it. From the looks of it, he did just fine on his own.

  Three tiers.

  White frosting. Berry colored flowers with teal tips.

  The kicker. A giant "D" on top of the cake for a cake topper.

  "What do you think?" he asks, reaching for the giant knife.

  "I like the big
D," I reply, a smirk on my face.

  "I'll show it to you later. After you try the cake I picked out."

  Ty and I pose for a few pictures and then slice into the cake. Unsure if he's going to smear it on my face or not, I have a piece ready to get retribution if he does.

  My husband is a gentleman. He feeds me a bite of the most amazing chocolate cake ever created.

  I'm not as nice. In fact, I'd call myself greedy. Cutting a small piece, I lift the fork toward Tyler but pull it away at the last second and pop it in my mouth.

  It's really good cake.

  Tyler laughs and steals the rest of my piece, shoving it all in his mouth in one bite, moaning around the airy cake.

  "You did good, babe," I say, kissing him and licking the icing off his lips.

  "Keep that up and we won't make it through our first dance."

  "Promises, promises."

  Pushing away from Tyler, I go in search of Emerson. I need to get my mind out of the gutter if I'm going to make it through the next few hours. Right now, my wedding is beginning to feel like torture.

  "Having fun?" she asks when I take the seat next to her.

  Her eyes are glued to Ryder. He's standing across the room talking to Hunter. He doesn't look happy. When Tyler joins them, Ryder's demeanor shifts enough that it catches my attention.

  "What's going on with them?" I ask, ignoring her question.

  "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with work. Whatever it is, Ryder doesn't want to talk about it. I heard him fighting with Hunter this afternoon when I went to send them downstairs."

  "Whatever it is, it must be bad. I've never seen any of them fight before. Not about work anyway."

  Ryder walks away from his brothers as Em shifts the conversation.

  "Enough about them. What about you? Is it everything you dreamed it would be?"

  "And more," I sing.

  It really was a fantastic day. Aside from the waiting part.

  "What's going on over here?" Justine asks, sliding into the seat next to me.

  "Nothing. Just resting my feet for a minute before the dancing begins," I say.

  "Well, you look gorgeous, Angela. The entire wedding is beautiful. You guys did a great job."