“We should go see the Ships Ian” I whisper in his ear as the music surrounds us.
The music blared on the river as the ships passed by.
He holds me close to hear me and whispers in my ears.
“We should they look great” he pulls me in his arms and we dance some more to our favorite songs of the eighties.
Ian is a good guy, he’s fun, smart, charismatic and it’s amazing how we are still the same two kids from high school. We have shared a lifetime together already, and to think that he picked me to finally settle down with, it is sweet that he came back for me, we have been friends forever, we may not have seen eye to eye on many things but the truth is we have always been friends, and the way he is tonight is the way I will always remember him.
The concert was the best time ever, four old friends got to be young again, the music, that we grew up with took us back to our carefree high school days, I remember how great it was to hang out with all of them, we were all for one and one for all.
“Aria we should do this more often and get together with Christopher and Erika”
“Yes Ian this is the best” he holds me close as I sit on his lap as the concert continues, this is what Ian and I have always done, since we were kids is listen to music and hang out, and now he wants to make it forever. I am mentally chastising myself as my mind is wondering to Tristan and how my feelings for him will ruin all of this, tears threaten my eyes but I don’t let them fall. My whole life which has taken many different directions, and a lot of crazy turns is now coming to a standstill as my past wants to take my future in a different directions.
The concert ends with them all on stage as they join in for one big monster jam of Hall and Oats You Make My Dreams Come True and One on One. The whole audience jumps to their feet and we have one last dance as the music from our youth comes to a close.
This music was the soundtrack of our high school years, it was a great time to be a teenager, the cold war was evident, Rocky VI came out and St. Elmo’s fire, we hung at the arcade, it was pre-cellphone, pre-internet and pre-sex. ‘Ah the good ole day ’when I was young and clueless.
Now I’m older and the clues are getting harder to figure out.
We all disperse as we all say good night, Erika hugs me hard and I can see the worry on her face she is afraid for me and worse she knows just how awful it has been whenever Tristan came around.
Ian and I head home in his car. It was a great night out as four old friends relive some fond memories, Ian doesn’t pick up on any of this which I am grateful for, he heads home and I think to myself he will go crazy on me if I even mention I have seen Tristan,
The fact of the matter is everyone always worried about me, it just comes with the territory of being me I guess, I have so many people that worry about me it went from my mom and my family to my friends who are now picking up the slack. Honestly I will be fine, I think I got this under control, I mean I am engaged to Ian, he is the most understanding kind generous person and I should take solace in those attributes, he is gentle and kind and he wants to marry me, my thoughts cheer me up and I think this concert was just the thing I needed to remind me what I have, what a wonderful life I have ahead of me with Ian as my husband to be. Yes this was just what I needed to pull me out of Tristan’s bed and put me back at Ian side where I belong.
Chapter 18
GOOD ENOUGH
June19, 2012
It’s Tuesday and we have Ian’s faculty dinner this evening I am working late so I will take a change of clothes with me and I just meet Ian there. What I wear to work at the store is a bit too much I would say for a faculty dinner, so something calm and demure that coordinates with Ian will do just fine. They say clothes make the man, well I believe what Coco Chanel always said ‘Dress shabbily and they remember the dress,
dress impeccable and they remember the woman’
Ian’s first class is not till nine o’clock am, I don’t have to be in till eleven thirty am so we decided to go for a run before work, I have never ran around our neighborhood before, but Ian loves it, the old Victorian houses, the small quaint streets, and alley ways, but I think it is Ian’s new coffee spot that he loves where they make this Indian coffee that is amazing. We grab two cups of this deep ebony brew as we take a breather and relax on a lonely park bench, we sip our coffee and I realize I’m not as sore as I was thank God.
“Last night was fun Ian thank you again for putting that all together” I sip my coffee and I gaze as the world goes by, busy commuters, St. Pat’s Church across from us where we will marry next Saturday afternoon.
“Aria just you wait and see, our life together will be wonderful because we have each other”
“Ian those are words to live by”
“Just you wait and see Mrs. Bollinger once you are mine there is no limit to what we can do”
for some reason all this talk makes me nervous
“I don’t want to talk futures, or plans or weddings I just want to be Aria Macy today is that wrong of me?”
“No Aria what you feel is never wrong” Well I am glad he accepts my response, Ian is very easily soothed, he has been the perfect fiancé we have planned this wedding with little or no indifference, as a matter a fact he really didn’t have any doubts or qualms about any of the choices, or any arrangements that I had suggested. His only request was he wanted us married soon, no long engagements, like it had to be this summer, I had no problem in marrying so soon, I wonder if I do have a problem with it now, still not sure, jury is still out on that.
We finish our coffee and head back home,
“Don’t forget the faculty dinner tonight?”
“I won’t I will meet you there at seven thirty”
We get back to the house Ian jumps in the shower, I find it interesting that Ian doesn’t wake up and want sex, I also find it interesting that he never touches me sexually, no love pats or glares or sexual connotation at all. I don’t know, I think that maybe after my weekend at the Ritz I miss all that affection, gosh do I miss it.
Oh well as I have things I must get done around the house, laundry and house cleaning, gosh it would be nice to have domestic help but I just don’t know if that is me, to have a stranger taking care and tending to me, maybe I should ask Ian if he wants domestic help. Although he is very self-reliant, he has been on his own since he was eighteen.
I busy myself and get to the task at hand, I want all of this done and out of the way, I hate house work, I would rather be working than doing this.
While Ian showers I lay out his clothes for him, he is wearing a olive suit with a French vanilla shirt that I made for him, he looks quite fetching in this color with his olive skin and dark features, I have to admit it is fun having someone of my own to dress now, how I use to envy women who have a man they get to take care of, dress up, to me it’s what I do what I am into so I love it.
I grab his camel wing tips, socks, underwear, a t shirt. I kind of went crazy and made him all kinds of ties and I have messages engraved on the tips in the back, this one reads ‘if it’s Tuesday I love you more than Monday’ he gets a kick out of it as he was once caught turning his tie over in class to read one and started laughing out during an exam.
He emerges from the shower, me I am a mess in shorts and a t shirt after a run and cleaning like a mad women. I help him dress in the clothes I laid out for him, and of course his special tie, he drops his towel and I can’t help but glance at him and I know you are not supposed to compare men or even comment on their short comings but um yeah I can tell why I wasn’t sore. He pulls me from my daydream.
“Aria, did you set out a tie for me?” I pull it from behind my back it is a cream and purple and olive pattern tie. I walk over to him and on tippy toes I lift his collar and snake it around his neck and facet it with depth and precision into a perfect Windsor knot.
“Very nice Aria, is there a hidden message in this tie as he pulls it through his fingers?”
“Well when you are bor
ed later take a peek behind the wide point” He kisses me and he smells so good from the shower, he is clean shaven, downright handsome professor he is, I should be damn happy to have him.
Ian is dressed and I am walking him out to his car at eight thirty am. He takes me in his arms and kisses me soundly, no tongue, I am not breathless and I sure as hell didn’t see any stars when I opened my eyes.
“I love you Aria I will see you tonight” he gets in his car I blow him a kiss as he pulls out of the driveway, he is cute as I head back up stair I hear
BEEP BEEP BEEP he does love me, we always beep three time for I love you.
I finish my laundry and get it all put away, I jump into the shower and wonder if this is how our life will be, all work and no play? Well at least Erika and Christopher have a sex life in their marriage Ian and I really don’t, I mean prior to this weekend I thought we did, but after my weekend at the Ritz, gosh a girl could get used to being sexed like that. I wonder if I should bring this up to Ian, and I wonder if I should tell him what I did? Two things that I don’t want to deal with today.
On that note I finish my shower and head to my sanctuary which is my closet and find my favorite single killer dress that I love.
Whenever I put this dress on I feel like I can take on the world I think it’s my power color. I’m wearing a fuchsia form fitted crepe sheath dress, bateau neckline, form fitted I have my diamond studs in my ears but the one thing that pulls this dress together are the killer Chanel heels. Fuchsia stilettos, say it all they are classic, pointy toed, these six inch heels that are sexy as hell and make me feel taller than my five foot frame. This is indeed my dominating color against my dark curly hair that cascades over my shoulder and my olive skin I look like the sassy business women.
I look good enough to hold their attention; that is how I always dress for work, I dazzle them with my verbal skills and then hit them with my know, how sad it’s the killer combination that I mastered from working with Tristan Bach.
To complete the look I even have the Chanel lip stain to match the dress that is how obsessed I am. One last check in the mirror, I’m only in it to win it
I grab my black Chanel envelope bag get in my Cadillac at eleven am heading east for the store. The traffic is not too bad at this time of day, but gosh what a beautiful day the sun is shining not a cloud in the sky, I am listening to Anita Baker Good Enough on Watercolors on XM radio, my phone rings and interrupts my singing, I hit the button on the steering wheel as the music is muted.
“Hello there beautiful”
My heart is pounding; it’s Tristan, he makes me come alive instantly.
“Hello Mr. Bach” I try to sound disinterested and not excited to hear his sexy voice.
“You look lovely this morning, that color suits you” I’m frazzled, I’m in my car driving down the street and heading to work how the hell does he know what I’m wearing!
“Where are you?” I ask curiously enough
“I’m right behind you in traffic Aria” I glance in the rear-view mirror while I’m at a light and there he is!
Top open, sun drenched like the God that he is dressed in a crisp white shirt, navy blue suit and tie very handsome. The light changes to green and I turn left into main traffic headed downtown, as I’m rounding the turn I check out his car…am I seeing what I think I’m seeing? The sexy beast has the same car as mine!
“Wait, hold on a second, Mr. Bach are you driving the same car as me?” I’m checking it out, he has the exact same color, make, and model Cadillac as mine, I smile as this just lights me up inside. I just love this man.
“No you have the same car as me!” He is playful this morning, the sexy beast that he is.
“So are you on your way to the restaurant?” We are caught by a school bus as they put out the red stop sign, signaling all traffic to halt in all directions, there is a pause in the phone and I don’t hear his response, so I look back at him through my rear-view mirror, and he is nodding no with his devilish grin on that handsome face of his. Then suddenly through my speakers he speaks.
“I still have my suite at The Ritz!” Oh hell holy beast! The sexy son of a bitch just got me wet. I don’t know what comes over me at this very moment or what I am doing, but I want him! The school bus turns off the stop sign and pulls away signaling traffic to resume.
“I’ll race you to the valet!” The words are out of my mouth in a Nanosecond, as I yell them in the air, I look back at him in the rear view mirror and he is smiling a sexy ear to ear grin on that beautiful face of his. Yes he is sex on fire alright. I quickly pass the school bus with echoes of screaming kids that are chattering through my open sunroof, as I pass them to get me to the Ritz before him.
I hang up and he tries to pass me but I change lanes and cut him off, he tries to go around me and I floor it, I just make the light as I look back and he gets caught at the light as pedestrians are crossing the street in front of him. I fly over the bridge passing busses and traffic, weaving in and out of cars, as busy streets are packed with commuters on their way into downtown Cleveland.
I quickly maneuver my Cadillac through traffic as I am a women on a mission, I am now dodging trucks, and skimming around a motorcycle and of course the ever present construction zone that we are famous for here in Cleveland, carful to make sure no workers were near me as I hurried by, I make it to Huron where I floor it so I don’t get caught at yet another light. I call Oliver to tell him I will not be in till later. My heart is pounding, the adrenalin is taking over from this moment on and I am in the moment. I turn down the short one way street where The Ritz Carlton main entrance is, no cars are at the curb so I pull up to the valet screeching tires radio blaring. Lawrence eyes me barreling towards him at the valet station I stop on a dime in front of him this poor man what I put him through he walks up to me and hands me a valet ticket.
I jump out of my car it’s still running, I flash him my killer smile and ask him to take care of my car, Tristan pulls behind me, he jumps out of his Cadillac grinning from ear to ear in a sharp navy suit, gosh I just melt. I am so excited to see him, as he prances over to me all hot and bothered. Talk about sex on legs yeah that is him alright, handsome beyond words, dark tousled hair, hazel eyes and killer smile, I am literally coming apart at the seams just seeing him. His playful voice is cocky and arrogant as Lawrence gives him his valet a ticket as well. Tristan is very boisterous he is mouthing to me with a smile and I think to myself can he get any more adorable than he is right now?
“Aria you so ran that light! If there was a cop there you would have gotten a ticket for sure!” his joking and playful self makes me squirm with envy as we banter back and forth.
“Oh are we a sore loser?” I mouth off to him as I stand on the curb as he walks up to me with his hands in his pockets, he leans into me and whispers in my ear, with his deep salacious voice.
“If memory serves me, I’m not the sore one, you are!”
I hug him and his smile is at my ear, he kisses me in that spot that is his, he puts his arms around me and we make our way into the hotel. Holding each other close we have no shame as his hands are draped around me very provocatively I am coming apart at the seams as it is apparent we are both in need of each other. I have not seen him in more them twenty-four hours, he looks amazing, he smells like heaven and I want him.
We get in the elevator with some business men they press six for the lobby as they are chattering about something and paying no mind to the couple canoodling in the corner at eleven am.
“I have missed you Aria” he whispers in my ear and makes me blush the two men talk and amongst each other. Tristan stands next to me on my right his very nimble fingers running up and down my zipper at the back of my dress. I get the idea just how bad he has missed me and this damn elevator is set at a turtles pace as we crawl to the sixth floor where the lobby is. A thought crosses my mind would he be so bold to take down my zipper with us being in the elevator with other people? I look up at him and nod no no no
to him
Tristan’s index finger tugs lightly on my zipper as he kisses my temple I am his, he can do with me as he wishes, and if we don’t make it to his suite I am not too sure I could stop him from fucking me in this very prestigious elevator.
“Be good” and suddenly
PING. PING, PING The heavenly sound letting us know we are at the lobby, the two gentle exit and we follow behind them as I am enfolded under Tristan’s arm, we walk across the lobby to the next set of elevators and hit fourteen for the presidential suite.
We are alone. He grabs my face and kisses me, pushing me against the elevator wall pinning me with his hips as his ever present erection presses against my belly the door opens and we almost fall out of the elevator, we barely make it to the room, I drop my purse, he has my zipper down on my dress and it is left at the door, with his discarded jacket.
He takes off his shoes and socks while I make quick work of his tie, he smells so good, we are both in Chanel, but his Egoiste sends me over the edge, I love it on him.
I drop his shirt to the floor and he unhooks my bra, and pulls down my panties as I step out of them and kick off my heels.
I can get his pants undone and down with one hand…it’s an occupational hazard, working in men’s clothing.
I pull down his boxers. He steps out of it all and picks me up and kisses me as he walks over to the bed. I pull the duvet back and he lays me down, he stops and looks at me as I am naked on his bed just waiting for him to have his wicked way with me.
“Aria you are so beautiful,” I’m breathless and aching for his touch, he kneels down on the bed over me and kisses me.
“Did you miss me?”
A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair) Page 23