Wanted By You

by Steph Nuss

  "How's it going, Elly?" Bayler asked, turning her head toward me.

  "This feels amazing," I sighed, smiling at her.

  "I know, right?"

  We lay there for over an hour while the triple hotties worked their magic on us and music played in the background. It was relaxing, but I could feel my thoughts turning back to last night and how upset Carter was. He really wanted me to be pregnant. I saw the disappointment all over him when we were at the pharmacy and the tests came back negative. I knew there was a slim chance that I could still be pregnant, but I tried to be realistic with him; tried not to get his hopes up. We had to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, but right now all I wanted was to stop thinking about it. Pretend like I was perfectly healthy.

  I turned my head toward Harper and she smiled at me. I noticed the large, colorful tattoo covering her entire left bicep. It was an anatomical heart bleeding onto a bunch of flowers I couldn’t identify. It was different, that's for sure. My eyes skimmed over the rest of her body and found more ink.

  "How many tattoos do you have?" I asked.

  She thought about it for a moment. "Eight. Do you have any?"

  "No, but I'd like to get a couple someday." I wanted something in memory of my mom. I wanted something like Carter's, something that signified us.

  "Well, let me know whenever you want to," she said, "Kat's one of my good friends. She's the best there is."

  "Thanks."

  I turned toward Bayler and she shook her head. "Nope. No tattoos here."

  "Scared of needles?" I asked, smiling.

  She rolled her eyes and waved her hand over her body. "Would you put a bumper sticker on a Lamborghini?"

  "Oh, good Lord," Harper griped.

  I laughed, completely amused with them. "No."

  "Exactly," she said, totally confident. "Then you wouldn't put a tattoo on a body like mine. It's already a masterpiece."

  The three of us broke into a fit of laughter and then put our robes back on. Harper showed me to another room where there were three pedicure chairs set up and manicurists patiently waiting for us to sit down. Bayler came back into the room carrying three small relish plates.

  "I made us something to snack on," she said, handing Harper and me our plates.

  "Thanks," I said. We picked out the polish we wanted for our toes and fingers and then sat down and continued talking and snacking. I couldn't remember the last time I had a day like this, full of pampering and relaxation. The girls made me feel like I was already part of their family, including me in all their activities and talking to me like we'd known each other for years.

  Then the referee inside of me blew her whistle and threw a flag when Bayler brought up a name I was all too familiar with.

  "Harp, have you asked Elly about Camille's clinic?" Bayler asked, before biting into a piece of summer sausage.

  "No," she said, looking over at me. "I asked Carter about it since he works out at Jones Jym, but he told me you would know more about it."

  Shiiiit. Thoughts of her and her bulimia flew around my mind. Was she sick again? Did she need help? Why didn't Carter give me a head's up about this?

  "Is everything okay?" I asked in my polite, therapist voice. "What would you like to know?"

  "Oh, no, I'm not," She shook her head adamantly. "I'm not sick anymore."

  I exhaled a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that."

  "Thank you," she said, wearing a proud smile. "I read about the diet and therapy clinic opening up inside Jones Jym in memory of a friend of mine. Carter said you're really close with the owner of the gym."

  "Yeah, Maverick's like a brother to me. We grew up together. I actually helped him find the therapists for the clinic. It opens after the first of year."

  "I was just wondering if you knew whether or not they were planning on using mentors. I've been out of rehab for a few years now, but the mentors I had while I was there really helped me through my situation. It helped talking to someone who'd been in my shoes. I'd like to do that for somebody else."

  I smiled at her proudly. As a psychologist, I knew we couldn't do it all. We couldn't help every single person who needed it. We needed the help of others, like Harper, donating their time and experience to reach out to those in need. But Maverick would absolutely hate the idea of having a fashion designer mentoring in his facility. He had a strong dislike of the fashion industry and how it focused on looking perfect instead of being healthy. I could get him on board with a mentoring program, though. He would love the idea of having people who'd recovered from an eating disorder mentoring in his clinic. He liked people bettering themselves. He was a personal trainer, after all.

  He didn't have to know Harper was some bigwig fashion designer who obviously knew Camille, especially since she didn't design under her real name.

  This could work.

  "I think a mentoring program would be a great addition to the clinic," I said, picking up a piece of broccoli. "I'll have to talk to Maverick about it, of course, but I know he'll be on board with it."

  "Thanks, Elly!" she said, grabbing my forearm with excitement. "I really wanna do this."

  "No problem. I know you'll be a great mentor."

  * * *

  Hours later, after getting our hair and makeup done, we were sipping champagne and getting into our dresses. I zipped up the side of my dress and pulled the straps up as Bayler came out of the bathroom in the dress Harper designed for her. It was a black chiffon halter that showed off just as much skin as mine, hugging her curvaceous body and gathering just below her left hip with a knotted embellishment. The skirt flowed freely past her hips and a miniature train trailed behind her. Her sleek blonde hair hung straight past her shoulders, and she wore diamond chandelier earrings and a diamond bracelet.

  "You look gorgeous, Bayler," I said. Her sun-kissed skin and her naturally highlighted hair gave her an All-American glow. Just another product of the Jennings pedigree.

  She frowned into the mirror as she checked herself out. "Thanks, I just hope the girls don't pop out tonight." She fiddled with her boobs and the plunging neckline of her dress, making sure everything stayed tucked in.

  "Mom would love that," Harper laughed, walking into the room. She looked just as stunning as Bayler in a red lace chiffon gown. It had short, lacy sleeves, a low scoop neck, and a bodice that showed off her figure. Her skirt flowed into a panel of lace, enabling hints of skin to peek through. She had her hair pulled back loosely into a low, messy bun with a couple of wavy tendrils framing her heart-shaped face.

  She checked herself out in the mirror beside Bayler and smiled. "We look uh-mazing!"

  "Of course we do," Bayler said, smiling, turning to admire her profile. "You designed the dresses."

  "I know, but I love seeing the finished product come together," Harper said, putting on diamond studs. "Come over here, Elly. I wanna see you."

  I moved over to the three-way the mirror and Harper circled me, examining her work. Again, the dress made me feel fierce, like I was wrapped up in a million bucks. My hair was pulled to the side and curled into a low ponytail, draping over my left collarbone. I wore my mom's diamond studs and one of her diamond rings on my middle finger. I spritzed on my favorite perfume and turned around to look at the Jennings sisters.

  "Carter's jaw is gonna hit the floor when he sees you," Bayler praised, boosting my confidence even more.

  "I know!" Harper squealed. She hooked her arm through mine and led us out of the bedroom.

  We walked down the long hall, our heels clacking against the marble. When we got to the corner and turned toward the staircases, there he was. Carter stood at the bottom of the staircase in a black tux with a vest and tie the exact emerald green of my dress. His hair was in its brutally handsome state, just begging my fingers to take a swim through it, and desire pooled in my belly as a familiar ache pounded between my legs.

  He looked so sexy in a tux.

  When he looked up, his eyes ignited at the sight of me. W
e smiled at each other as I started my descent, never breaking eye contact. I had missed him today. I hadn't seen him since he left for golf this morning, and just the sight of him made me feel whole again. When he wasn't around, I felt like a part of me was missing; like he was the final piece to my puzzle. He completed me.

  As I stepped off the last step, he took my hand and pulled me to him. "Sylvia," he purred, in a deep, haunting voice, "You look absolutely breathtaking."

  I grabbed his lapels and took a deep breath, drinking in every bit of his clean, crisp scent, which only intensified my need for him. I ran one hand down his chest and the other over his sexy stubble. "You clean up well, Mickey."

  He brought his hand to my chin and his thumb grazed my bottom lip. "I missed you today."

  "I missed you, too."

  He kissed me soft and slow, but when he started to pull away, I grabbed his face and pulled him in deeper, igniting the fireworks between us as our tongues stroked one another and his stubble seared my skin. It felt like we were sparklers dancing around on a hot July night, tongues twisting and turning every which way, leaving behind beautiful sparks. Sparklers were always my favorite, but I eventually broke away from the mesmerizing kiss and wiped my lipstick off his face.

  "Okay, I lied," I said. "I really missed you."

  He laughed and led me out of the guesthouse with his hand on my lower back. Harper and Bayler were already a ways ahead of us, walking across the yard to the main house. "Did you have fun today?"

  "Yeah, I did," I said, looking over at the line of limos filling the driveway. The entrance to the ballroom was busy with guests and photographers. I turned back to Carter and smiled. "Your sisters are really great. We got massages and our nails done and then we got our hair and makeup done. It was a nice distraction."

  "Good," he said, opening the back door for me.

  "What about you? How was your day?"

  "It was good," he said, shrugging. "I beat Dad at golf and then we had lunch with Grandma Ceci. I'm still trying to get over the fact that my dad's not a complete asshole anymore. He was actually pretty cool today."

  "Some people change their attitude about life after they recover from an accident," I said, running my hand up his chest. "Maybe he's finally realized that happiness doesn't come with a price tag."

  "Maybe," he said, kissing my forehead.

  We entered the ballroom through a side entrance to avoid the crowds and then walked over to where Harper and Bayler were standing. The room looked gorgeous with its chandelier lighting and marble floors. Each table was covered with a white tablecloth and every chair had a white seat cover with a black ribbon tied around the back in a bow. A vase of a dozen, long-stemmed red roses was placed in the center of every table. Waitresses meandered around the room carrying trays of champagne, cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres. Carter grabbed two flutes of champagne and handed me one.

  He clinked our glasses together and whispered in my ear. "Here's to us. I know it took us a while, but you're the only woman I've ever wanted right here by my side."

  I smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "To us."

  More guests filled the ballroom and milled around, talking over drinks. Carter led me around the room, introducing me to his old friends from high school as well as some of his extended family. People who worked for his family's company said their hellos and how-are-yous and wanted to know all about me: the woman who caught Carter's eye.

  Then I heard a woman's laughter bellow through the room, and I turned to find a tall, elderly woman with white hair talking with a group of people while she scanned the ballroom. When her eyes landed on mine and grew wider, I looked over at Carter and his sisters and they were laughing.

  Carter kissed my temple. "That is Grandma Ceci."

  "There are my gorgeous grandbabies!" she cheered. She rushed over to us with an elderly man following behind her humbly, stopping every now and then to talk to other guests. She gave Harper and Bayler a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then smiled at Carter and me. "You must be Elly," she said with a cute, Southern drawl.

  I smiled and gave her a polite nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Jennings."

  "Oh, honey, you call me Grandma Ceci," she said, pulling me in for a hug. When she pulled away, she gave me the once-over, grinning from ear to ear before turning to Carter and patting him on the cheek. "You picked a good one here, Carter. She's such a pretty little thang."

  "Thanks," he said, pulling me closer to his side. "I think so, too." He kissed my cheek, and his grandma turned to scan the room again.

  "Stark!" she yelled, waving her arm. Her voice was so loud, though most of the other guests seemed unaffected by her volume. "Stark, come over here and meet Carter's girl!"

  She started talking to Harper and Bayler again while we waited for Carter's grandpa, and I turned to whisper to Carter. "Why don't you have that Southern drawl?"

  "Our mom worked as a speech pathologist when we were little, so we grew up without the drawl."

  "Oh, that makes sense."

  "Well, who do we have here?" Carter's grandpa asked, sauntering over to us. He looked me up and down and put an arm around his wife.

  "Grandpa, this is Ellyson Evans," Carter said, smiling. "Elly, this is my Grandpa Jennings."

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," I said, shaking his hand.

  "Likewise, dear," he said with a nod. He led Ceci and the rest of us over to our table where we sat and sipped our champagne while we waited for Mr. and Mrs. Jennings to arrive. Carter had his arm around my chair while we listened to his sisters and grandma talk. I'd chime in from time to time, but I was enjoying just being in their presence. I was tuned in to their conversation when I felt Carter's hand brush against my bare thigh and nearly flinched out of my chair.

  He laughed against my neck. "Someone's jumpy. Everything okay? Are you having a good time?"

  "Yeah, I am," I said, linking my fingers through his. For a minute, I had forgotten about the high slit in my dress.

  I relaxed back in my chair while Carter's grandparents asked questions about me, and about what their grandchildren were up to. The lack of tension at our table was welcomed compared to the night before when his mom was plaguing me with questions. I could feel how much more relaxed Carter was around his grandparents than he was around his parents. He never tensed up when Grandma Ceci asked me questions like he did with his mom, and he didn't feel the need to mediate our conversation. His sisters also seemed more at ease and chimed in more often with their fun sisterly banter. It was obvious Carter and his sisters preferred spending time with their grandparents than with their parents.

  The DJ announced Mr. and Mrs. Jennings' arrival and everyone immediately stood and started clapping as the happy couple strolled through the entrance hand-in-hand. The room quieted down as they made their way over to our table and gave each of us a hug. When Mrs. Jennings got to me, she smiled graciously before wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I hugged her for a brief moment and congratulated her, but when I started to pull away, her grip tightened around me and I stopped.

  "I want to apologize," she whispered. "My behavior last night was rude, and I hope you can forgive me. I'd like for us to start over."

  "I'd like that," I said with a small nod.

  She pulled away, smiling, and then walked around the room with Mr. Jennings to greet their guests. I sat back down next to Carter and cuddled into his side. "What did you say to your mom? She just apologized to me."

  He grinned and kissed my forehead. "I told her she'd never see any of our children unless she apologized to you."

  "Well, it worked."

  * * *

  Bayler cut the cake after we finished eating dinner, and most of our table dispersed to socialize and grab dessert. Carter's grandparents were still seated at the table with us, and Carter and his grandpa were discussing football.

  "Elly, do you want some cake? I want some cake," Grandma Ceci said, smiling over at me.

  I laughed lightl
y. "I could go for some cake."

  "Hey, guys," she said, interrupting their conversation. "Could you go grab us a couple of pieces of cake?"

  "Yes, dear," Stark said, standing up from his seat.

  Carter gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "One piece of red velvet coming right up."

  "Thank you," I said, as he walked off with his grandpa.

  "They're good men, those two," Grandma Ceci said, watching them walk away.

  "Yes, they are."

  "So, are you having a good time tonight?" she asked, taking a drink of her champagne.

  "I am," I said, smiling. "I've met a lot of really great people. Dinner was really good. I'm looking forward to dancing with Carter later."

  She laughed. "Well, I made sure he learned how to dance so don't let him try to tell you otherwise."

  "I heard about those ballroom dancing lessons."

  "Oh, you should've seen him back then," she said, shaking her head. "I had to practically drag his butt into those classes each week. It was ridiculous."

  I laughed and scanned the room for him. He was standing by the cake table talking to a blonde woman around our age. She looked like your typical, beautiful Southern belle in her navy blue gown. She'd laugh at the things he said and he'd smile and listen closely to her words like they were two old friends catching up.

  "That's Gentry McHale," Grandma Ceci said, following my line of sight. "Lucy's been trying to set them two up for years now, but not to worry, Carter's never been interested. I think he's been in love with you for a long time now, dear."

  "Well, the feeling's mutual," I said with a faint laugh, as Carter made his way back over to our table.

  "Good because love isn't like a light switch. You can't go turning it on and off whenever you feel like it. It's like the sun. It burns bright even on the cloudiest of days. You remember that, now."

  "I will," I said, smiling at her. It was women like Janice and Ceci who made me look forward to growing old, getting gray hair, and bestowing mountains of wisdom onto younger generations. I hoped I was as wise as them in my golden years.