“Aria, I saw you today and I just wanted to apologize, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, but you were gone so quickly that I never got a chance to even say hello. That guy you were with…”
“Do you mean…? Oh wow you never met him that was Ian, he and I are engaged!”
I say it with a smirk and a smile. It feels so good to say those words to him, a push it in his face, and watch him wither before me.
He is now pacing around my store then stops and looks at the counter with the cologne bottles and he eyes the sign that reads TRISTAN collection. Ok so I named my high end suits after him so what, it just means that is what I wanted him to look like and hell holy beast he sure as hell does.
He goes to say something but stills when I flashed him my ring, the look on his face is priceless, shock, anger, denial oh wow this ring works magic.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea that we do this, so why don’t you please just go.” I speak very stern but not loud. He walks over to me slowly and stands in front of me.
“Your right I deserve your vehemence, your evacuating remarks confirm the hurt I have caused you”
“Don’t try and be the injured party Bach your misogynistic reputation precludes you”
“Does it pain you that much to see me?” oh he is arrogance personified
“Bach you show up here like a rose but I must remind myself that you have nasty prickly thorns and I’m done getting pricked” he runs his hands through is hair and he challenges my words
“For some reason I pictured seeing you again differently than this” oh great he had this all played out in his feeble mind.
“That’s just like you Bach no empathy or lack thereof”
“For whatever it’s worth Aria I’m sorry” he says it in a quiet tone. Tristan walks over to my dress and just looks at it…
”You made this?”
I motioned yes,
“I always knew you’d make a beautiful bride.”
I was going to be cruel and give him some harsh come back but I just couldn’t, it’s over I don’t need to play the game with him anymore.
“So tell me Aria how have you been?” so he wants to chit chat, ok he is really in for it now I won’t be cruel but truthful and that hurts more as he should know.
“Well let’s see it was a cold summer day when you walked out on me, it was a beautiful glorious day when we opened this store, and my day will be a lot brighter if you would just leave!”
I’m cocky, arrogant, and rude, I’m him circa two years ago. I don’t care. I am not going to fall prey to his empty promises or his hidden agenda, as I clearly still see evidence of his arrogance, and his promiscuity. The hair at the base of my neck tingles, he is still here and he will pull something I can feel it.
“Aria, have I made you this cold and distant?” Oh wow he is so sexy and cool as he goes for the humble look, well he is asking for it again.
“Yes, I’m done wasting my time and energy on you! Now good-bye!” short and not so sweet but to the point is the best way to handle sexy stares from old exes.
“Aria this harsh abrasive exterior really doesn’t become you”
“Stop with all this talk about our past I don’t live there anymore”
“Look Aria, I wanted to tell you that I…” I wave my hand in the air as a jester, I cut him off mid-sentence I just want him out of my sight.
“No you look, Bach the old Aria might have appreciated you wanting to make a mends and all, but please don’t, I don’t care, I don’t need to hear any of this from you! That life was so long ago I don’t even want to remember or go down that road with you. So if you would please just go I have to get back to my wedding dress!”
Ouch that was a good one, turning the tables on him for once is rewarding.
I get fidgety and very nervous I mean I have not mouthed off to any one in a long time, my blood is probably pounding because of that, surely that is what it is, this man has wheeled such power over me I dare not get too close.
He comes to stand next to me as I face my ivory wedding gown. I have forgotten how Tristan hazel eyes captivate me, draw me in, I really should not be looking at him, they are even more hypnotizing then I remember. I can’t let him do this to me not here, not now, not in my new life, gosh even I hear the anxiety in my voice!
Tristan runs his finger gently over the bead work on the bodice. He turns to his left and looks at me no smile just his deep voice trying to control me, or win his way with me I don’t know.
“Aria…congratulations, I really mean that, I hope you found someone who is deserving of you?”
He leans in to kiss me and I slap him hard across his face! I don’t know what comes over me did I get scared? Am I afraid of him? My face goes flush, my mouth goes dry, he holds his hand against his red cheek. The look on his face, his eyes that I use to see forever in are hurt and wounded, he looks so sad and alone, oh what the hell is going on in my perfect world? I am slapping my ex, he got me wet for him and I am falling apart here and I need help, I need someone to pull me out of this or pull him out of here, but wait what calms me is his face, he is hurt, he looks devastated by my assault on him.
I take a deep breath, as I clench my stinging palm against my side I calm down and I don’t want to be angry at him by the look on his face I hurt him enough, he looks wounded and indignant, that is the last thing I want anyone to feel is the hurt that I went through all those years ago, no one deserves to be in that hell.
I also realize that if I don’t put my foot down he is not going to go and right now I need him to leave, vacate the premises as soon as possible or sooner! Shit this fucker got me all wet for him and I’m mortified that he still has that power over me.
“Don’t Tristan you have no right coming here and having your way with me, we are over! Get it through your head, I have moved on with my life!” my tone is high pitched and I sound mad.
We look at each other my hand is stinging from the slap; he puts his head down and walks away.
I turn around I can’t watch him walk away from me again, all I hear behind me is the echo of his Gucci leather souls against the hard wood floor, the echo gets further and further away, they pound at my heart, they fade then… stop.
“Aria…”
I turned it’s a knee jerk reaction. As my dark chestnut curly hair sweeps from one side to the other.
“Be happy” his words in a small broken voice, I am staring at him shocked and holding my breath as the very bravado ego-maniac that use to be larger than life is humble before me.
And just like that he opens the door and he is gone. Tristan Bach has walked out of my life the same way he walked into it, always with excuses and always using physical affection to get to me, and just like usual he always walks out on me. I have to say this is the first time I have ever stopped him dead in his tracks, the old Aria would have capitulated and be in his arms right now.
As I let out my held breath and deflate he is gone my adrenaline had diminished and I feel the reality hit as the door closes behind him, and suddenly I don’t feel the courage of my convictions anymore.
I feel like that girl again he walked out on all those years ago, hurt, alone and abandoned…
Oh why do I let him do this to me? It’s like he is fucking with my mind before he even touches my body.
Why do I let that gawd awful man get the better of me?
Why do I let him affect me like this?
Gosh it’s been two years, countless tears, and recourse and I am still sexually attracted to him, my heart melts for him and the icing on the cake…the fucker got me wet, my own damn fiancé doesn’t get me wet like this, but a few minutes with Tristan Bach and I am a withering mess of damnation! shit shit shit!
Now that he is gone I have to calm down. I don’t need this, not now, I have a wonderful life, a great man who loves me and that is where my thoughts should be, not pondering the actions of a masochistic fucker like Tristan Bach.
I touch my lips and
I have to admit I have not been kissed like that well since him, I have not been this hot and bothered since him, and as reality hits oh hell holy beast, I am so going to hell for this! Oh why is this happening? My wayward thoughts are getting the better of me as I am becoming unglued, I am flustered and completely turned on by a man who I need to stay clear of.
Why is he the one who wets my whistle so to speak?
A million things run through my mind, I have been so happy not seeing him, not thinking of him not surrounding my every thought of him and he walked into my store, back into my life for one brief moment, and he thinks he can pick up where he left off, who the hell does he think he is? Oh he is so maddening, I am fuming, he got my goat, he pissed me off. I have everything I have always wanted and this guy thinks he can just waltz back into my life and I am going to welcome him with open arms, I am way beyond angry; he infuriates me to a point where there is no comprehension of his actions and the only recourse is liquor.
I walk over to the bar in my store with purpose, in the need of liquid relaxation. I grabbed the bottle of Stoli’s this is crazy; I have never been so mad and so full of fury. I grabbed some ice and filled a glass with Vodka, I sit on the leather sofa and began to collect myself, iron out my thoughts and remind myself he is no one to me.
In the chronicles of human failure Tristan Bach was indeed the worst thing I had ever done. How could he even think that he could come here after what he has done to me. Gosh what we have done to one another, our past was a massive sea of mischief, reinforced with emotions and desire our days were filled with power and finance as we raided the corporate world and took what we wanted than our nights were fueled by unshed passion and demise, his pending relationship was hanging by a string when we met and our behavior didn’t help the already shaking situation he was in, truth be told our antics ruined what fragment of a relationship he had, a distorted couple that were no good for one another. Our growing relationship was the wedge, that signified the end to a lot of things, we both walked out on a very lucrative career climbing the corporate ladder. I am brought back to the here and now by my cellphone.
BATMAN, BATMAN, BATMAN
I fumble to get to my phone out of my skirt pocket. I take a deep breath and try to act normal, calm, pre-Tristan Bach!
“Hello”
“Hi, I just landed, are you at your store?” it’s Ian I am so glad to hear from his he is just what I need to get my head out of the fog.
I sigh into the phone as I am nodding yet
“Oh Ian I am so glad to hear your voice” I gotta pull myself together and calm the fuck down.
“I miss you too Aria” I hear a smile in his voice, I’m glad he is missing what is happening here.
“They sent a car for me I’m on my way to my hotel now, how late are you staying at the store”
“Oh I don’t know not too much longer, I’ll leave soon”
“Be careful going home”
“I will stay safe…hurry home”
“I love you Aria” he calms my nerves, hearing his voice; his words put me at ease and ground me.
“I love you more…hurry home” he sighs and we hang up.
I was on fire a moment ago built up rage that has gotten me wet for a man I have not seen in over two years, I am thankful that Ian called, he is a good fiancé who pulled me out of my consuming thoughts.
I didn’t want Ian to know that Tristan was here, if he got wind of this, oh hell, shit and damn! He would be back here on the next flight if not sooner! and I can’t do that to Ian, I can’t, I won’t he is my everything now, I just have to put this behind me as an unpleasant incident.
The sad part is I needed him to be here, I need Ian to fly back, I don’t want him to be away from me, suddenly I feel vulnerable, susceptible like I need Ian to protect me or worse I need him to keep me away from the dreadful beast that is Tristan Bach.
I know I shouldn’t be thinking about Tristan and all of his nonsense, I have to dismiss him completely from my mind, I have to forget I saw him.
Not so long ago my world begin and ended in Tristan Bach’s bullshit.
From happiness and success to mayhem I was all consumed and out of control but aren’t we all when we fall in love?
As events got worse and progressed this all-consuming man became his own worst enemy, his personal life started interfering with work and that is never good when you're in the business of mergers and acquisition.
The higher up’s started to see his weakness the decline in profitability the lack of concentration was too much to hide.
It all got the better of us and it all came crashing down as the once killing team was now killing one another.
It wasn't pretty the day Tristan walked out from the company he walked out on me two weeks prior so I was the lucky one who got dumped twice.
I look back now at all of it. I see how destructive it all was.
Passion the lure of power corporate takeovers it was a recipe for disaster when one as naive as I tried to make sense out of a man who by his own admission was destructive in every aspect of his life.
Fast forward to present day and you are looking at a girl who can breathe again who makes her own happiness and in charge of her own life and it feels great.
My thoughts are brought to my happy ever after, this is Ian and my third chance at something, in high school we were inseparable, like a couple but we never dated officially because I was raised strict catholic and dating was a no no in my house, then senior year my dad died of a massive heart attack, Ian lost a niece to crib death and we both were two kids suffering a loss we withdrew from the world but drew to one another. We spent a lot of time together and then graduation we said our goodbyes over summer and we went our separate ways.
We lost touch through our college years and then one day I got a call from an old friend.
Ian called me up for Valentine’s Day, Tristan was gone he was always allusive , missing, drunk on a three day stupor chasing women and always breaking my heart, but the worst was when he was back with the slut-bag-ugly-whore a women who preyed on him at such a young age.
Ian and I spent Valentine’s Day together and he was briefed as to what I have been going through and what has been happening in my life.
I remember him scolding me like an irate child, in spite of Tristan or maybe because of Tristan he tried to build something with me, I just kept shooting him down, denying him any part of me. Finally after a month of Ian seeing what Tristan had turned his sweet little Aria into he thought if he bedded me that I would forget about Tristan.
Ian set out to seduce me, to make love to me to fuck me, whatever his plan of action was. I remember how mean I was, how bad I behaved and how terrible I treated him; I recall it like it just happened:
It was April we were at my house, we had just finished dinner and watching a movie on cable or something, Ian brought wine I was drinking vodka already so the wine just made me even more sinister.
So any who, we were drinking and he began kissing me. I remember that his kisses were always sweet and tender and I would make them quick and meaningless, never wanting to push anything further with him, and the fact that we were both getting drunk did not stop him from his actions and it made my words to him all the more dreadful.
“Aria your lips are so soft” he whispered against my lips, I let him kiss me as I recall he was gentle, always kind and considerate. He made a move and touched my breast he undid the two buttons on my blouse and I felt uncomfortable because he has never touched me in a sexual way before, he has never been that sexual a guy with me so I was not really sure what was happening.
“Whoa wait a second Ian this is not a good idea!” I wouldn’t go any further and I stopped kissing him.
“Aria sweetheart be mine” he rubbed his nose to mine. I got mad and pulled away and sat back on the sofa as he hovered over me just looking at me, wanting this to go further.
“Ian you don’t understand…” is all he let me get out before he star
ted acting like a petulant teenager.
“Are you saving it for Bach?” Oh my gawd he doesn’t know me at all, he thinks I am fucking Tristan!
“So now you think I’m his whore?” I look at him as my hair is a mess; my two top buttons on my blouse are undone as my décolletage reveals my black lacey bra.
“Aria I want you right here right now!” He pushes back his hair as he hovers over me on the sofa.
And ladies and gentlemen I did something that I am so ashamed of; I told him something so horrid, I bruised his manhood I shot him down I hit him where it counts.
“Ian you don’t do it for me! You don’t get me wet for you! I am not aroused! Or attracted to you at all!” My voice is cocky and harsh and he should have slapped the shit out of me right then and there.
“You don’t fucken believe me? Ian is speechless, so being the bitch that Tristan made me, I laid back on the sofa and pulled off my panties and tossed them aside, hiked up my skirt so it was around my waist and slowly opened my legs and revealed my most precious gift to him, my insidious behavior stopped him dead in his tracks, he said nothing and with no regard for Ian or his feelings I was cruel.
“Go ahead touch me you don’t believe me check for yourself!” I grabbed his hand and put it on my most precious gift, his hand was shaking, he did not violate me, he removed his hand and the look on his face was disgust, and he was hateful, Ian’s last words to me were painful enough that I never want to hurt him again.
“What has that animal done to you?” He got up and left, and we never saw one another again until a month ago. I am not proud of the way I behaved and he has forgiven me and we have moved pass all of that.
Gosh I don’t want to remember that anymore, jeez how foolish I was.
It is nice to know that Christopher kept in touch with Ian all these years, he and Erika said he was in Europe teaching, traveling and he never mentioned me to them; well they never said anything to me.
I was a bitch on wheels who was hurt by a man that I wanted with all my heart, Tristan shit on me and abused me, so what did I do? Shit on Ian, I’m not proud of myself it was a low in my life and I have not thought of it till today. Now you know why I left my old career and started Business as Usual.
A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair) Page 5