Taking Shots (Assassins)

by Aleo, Toni

  “I bet you won’t be saying that later!” he countered as she went into the bathroom. A grin covered her face, he was probably right. She was so excited for today, she could hardly contain it. It was weird for her to be excited about her birthday, but she was. Another thing Shea had made happen.

  The man was a Godsend. He made her feel so good about herself, made her happy, made her excited about things that before she would never be excited for. He had taken care of her all week, making sure she recovered quickly, which she had. She had never bounced back from being sick so quickly, and when she said that to Shea, he laughed saying, “My mom always said that a lot of love will chase any sickness away.”

  Mrs. Adler was completely right.

  Elli took off her t-shirt and hopped into the shower, letting the hot water warm her body. She had been so happy staying at her house with Shea and was a little sad that they had to return to Nashville. It seemed that time stood still when she was in her house, that the outside world didn’t exist. Or maybe that was the sickness, because God knew she couldn’t do anything but lay in bed. Elli didn’t even know what was going on with the studio, she was sure it was okay, but she had no clue what the schedule or anything looked like.

  After washing up, Elli got out and brushed her hair out before going back into the bedroom. Shea must have been out with Alder because he wasn’t in bed. Elli went to her closet, looking through her clothes for something to wear. She decided on a pair of worn wranglers and a Toy Story t-shirt that she had gotten when she went to Toy Story on Ice with the kids. She went back into her bathroom, getting ready for the day. She didn’t know if she should do her hair, so she just dried it, and put it up. After putting on some light makeup, she went to go pick some shoes. After taking twenty minutes to decide on boots or pumps, she went with her black cowboy boots that had red hearts all over them. They were her favorite, and her most broken in boots.

  Elli made her way down the hall, through her living room to the kitchen, where Shea stood drinking his coffee. A grin went over his face as she wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her cheek in the middle of his chest. He was dressed in jeans and a sweater, with his trusty chucks. He was ready to go, apparently.

  “Ready, babe? Adler’s already in the car.”

  “Yup, you sure are in a hurry to leave my house,” she teased as she let him go, putting on her jacket that hung on the peg by the hall, “You don’t like my house?”

  He shook his head, putting on his jacket as he stood in front of her. “Of course, I do, but we need to get back. Like I said, Harper is coming.”

  She nodded as she locked up, heading towards her truck as he went to his. When she climbed into her truck, she saw that Adler wasn’t there. She looked in the rearview mirror and there sat her dog, in the passenger side of Shea’s car.

  Damn dog.

  Harper was already waiting when Elli pulled up. It was no surprise that Shea beat her home. He drove like a bat out of hell, so she wasn’t even surprised when she pulled up to see Harper and Shea talking beside the truck. Elli got out the truck, locking it as she walked towards the two most important people in her life right now. Harper smiled over at Elli, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

  “Happy birthday!”

  “Why, thank you very much,” Elli said with a grin, “What brings you by?”

  “Part of the surprise of today, come on! Say bye to your boy toy, let’s roll!”

  Elli shook her head as she giggled, wrapping her arms around Shea. “When will I see you, Mr. Secretive?”

  Shea laughed as he kissed her cheek, “Later on tonight, have fun.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Shut up, stop trying to ruin the surprise,” he said before leaning down to capture her lips with his. He kissed her long and lavishly before pulling away and smiling down at her. “See you tonight.”

  Elli narrowed her eyes at him, pouting her lips, “Bye.”

  She listened to his laughter all the way to Harper’s Honda. They both waved at Shea as Harper backed up, heading south on West End. “You look great, babe, real good.”

  “Thanks, Harper, I feel a lot better.” Elli answered as she looked out the window. As much as she was excited for the surprise, she hated not knowing.

  “Shea took good care of you?”

  “He did,” Elli said beaming, “He bathed me, Harp, like actually stood in the shower and held me in his arms to wash me; he’s amazing.”

  Harper nodded, “Hell, yeah he is, that’s great. I was hoping you wouldn’t be mad I called him.”

  “No, I wasn’t. I was actually glad. I didn’t like that he saw me so sick, but I needed help. Lord knows you can’t handle it.”

  Harper shook her head, a look of horror on her face, “It scares the living shit out of me when you get like that. I’m glad Shea handled it well, though.”

  “Me, too,” Elli agreed as they pulled into Escape Day Spa and Salon.

  Elli had never been there and wondered why they were there now. Harper got out, leaving Elli to scramble to get out of the car. She only took a step before Jodi, Reese, Piper, and Trice jumped out from behind a car, yelling, “Surprise!”

  “Ah! Gosh! Y’all scared the living crap out of me!” Elli exclaimed with her hand over her heart, “What in the hell are y’all doing here?”

  “Spa day!” Trice exclaimed with a flip of his hand towards the Spa.

  “We’re getting out nails, hair, eye brows, everything done!” Piper gushed, basically bouncing on the heels on her feet.

  “What? Really?” Elli asked.

  “Yup,” Harper said, taking Elli’s arm in hers and walking towards the spa, “Shea’s first gift.”

  Elli looked over at Harper surprised, “He did this?”

  “Of course, he did, silly, we ain’t got the cash, too,” Jodi laughed as everyone joined in.

  “Wow, I’ll have to call him,” Elli said completely stunned.

  “Not now you won’t! Let’s go!” Harper said pulling her towards the massive building.

  That man and his surprises.

  If this was the first of his gifts, a spa day with her closest friends at one of the most expensive spas in Nashville, no telling what else he had planned.

  And Elli couldn’t wait to find out.

  Shea parked his truck behind Grace’s van in the driveway of the Belmont Mansion and headed up the stairs to the front door of the mansion as he admired the beauty of the gazebo that stood off to the side. He was surprised Grace was able to get this place, considering how popular it was, but she did. The mansion was beautiful with its light tan bricks, green shutters, and white trim. The windows that lined the front of the mansion were floor to ceiling and so clear, like they had just been cleaned, which they probably had if Grace had anything to do with it. Shea had to pass through two huge columns to get to the large, dark cherry colored door.

  When he walked in, workers were setting up the million of candles that Shea said had to be there. One of the main things in the Pride and Prejudice movie was the candles. They were the only thing lighting the ball room in the movie and Shea wanted Elli, along with the 300 guest that would be joining them, to feel like they walked into the movie.

  Shea walked through the main ballroom to find Grace directing what looked like the food people in the kitchen. Grace looked worn out and it made him nervous. Maybe this party was too much for her; maybe he should have hired someone else.

  She would have killed him, if he had.

  Grace must have heard him come up because she turned, giving him a welcomed smile before turning back to the workers and yelling some more.

  Once the guys did whatever the hell she was asking for, she came over to Shea, wrapping her arms around his one. “So what do you think so far?”

  “Amazing, as always.”

  He looked around the ball room, taking in the way his sister had basically transformed the mansion into the Neitherfield ball room. It was so impressive. The windows were done with gold d
rapes; gold swirls were put on the walls, along with pictures of people from the 19th century. There were candelabras that hung in various places along the walls; each one had tall white candles in them. Hundreds of floor brass candle stick holders, stood tall with the tall white pillars in them. There were vintage couches and chairs throughout the whole ballroom, along with a very large, beautiful, wooden piano that sat in the corner.

  Shea followed Grace into the dining room and smiled at the result his sister had given him. Each table had a large crystal vase in the middle of it; each one was filled with large white candles and pretty gold wires that held crystals at the end of each of them along with white feathers. The place settings were gold with black napkins; the table clothes were white with gold swirls on them. Grace pointed up to the ceilings, so Shea looked up, taking in the beauty of the nine chandeliers that graced the ceilings.

  “You wouldn’t believe the deposit I had to put down. Plus, we can’t have candles burning all night; they start leaving soot on the ceiling, so I got fake candles, but I don’t think you can tell.”

  Shea shook his head, he couldn’t tell the difference, he thought they were real, “You did great, Grace, its perfect. Just like the movie.”

  “Good, I thought so, I’m happy with the result.”

  “Me, too,” he said wrapping his arm around her shoulders, “Good job, sis.”

  She smiled up at him, smacking his side. “Thanks.”

  They did another run through of the house, and Shea wanted to buy his sister the world. She had out done herself once again. God, he loved her.

  “So your suit is upstairs, along with your socks.”

  “I told you I didn’t want the socks,” Shea complained, as Grace smiled.

  “It completes the ambience,” she said sweetly.

  “I’ll look like a dweeb.”

  “A hot dweeb. Plus, Elli will love it!”

  Shea shrugged his shoulders, Grace was probably right.

  “So what’s up? I haven’t seen you at all this past week.” Grace said as they walked past the amazing staircase, that later Elli and Shea would come down.

  “Elli got sick. I’ve been staying at her house.”

  “Is she okay?” Grace asked concern coming over her face.

  “She’s fine now, it was scary though. She couldn’t walk, eat, nothing. She just slept, a lot.”

  “Oh, no, that’s crazy. What happened?”

  “She says it happens sometimes, they changed her meds and everything. She has seemed good the last two days.”

  “Well, good. Gosh, that’s crazy. You should have called me, I would have come and helped.”

  “I had it under control,” Shea said with a grin, “Oh, by the way; I told her I love her.”

  Grace whipped her head over from where she was fixing a drape, “Say what? When?”

  “Before we had dinner with mom and dad.”

  “Wow, what did she say?” She put her hands up, stopping him from answering, “Let me guess, ‘Oh Shea, I love you, too!’” Grace said in just about the worst country accent Shea had ever heard, and he thought he was bad at it.

  “Actually no, she didn’t say anything.” Grace stopped laughing and looked over at Shea, surprised.

  “Huh?”

  “Yeah, she apparently doesn’t love me and its driving me nuts.”

  “Well, Shea not everyone falls in love at the same time, give her a minute.”

  “I know, but I just want her to love me. I mean, I don’t know what else to do. I’ve completely changed for this girl and it just doesn’t seem to be enough.”

  “You’re acting like a chick, Shea. Yeah, you’ve changed and it’s great, believe me, I’m the first one to say so, but gosh, let her be. It’s not like she doesn’t have feelings for you. It’s obvious she does.”

  “I know that Grace, but I want to hear her say it. To me.”

  Grace scrunched up her face, shaking her head, “You’re turning into a sissy.”

  “I am not!”

  “You are! What are you going to do next, write her a poem? Haha, or maybe serenade her.” Grace bent over; laughing her ass off. Shea prayed Elli would never say anything about him singing to her because Grace would make his life a living hell if she ever found out.

  Maybe he was turning into a sissy.

  “Shut up!”

  “No really, like, could you imagine it?! Haha, you’re standing there with a guitar singing some sappy Backstreet Boys song or something.” She was actually slapping her leg as she filled the ballroom with her laughter.

  Shea didn’t think she was funny.

  “You suck,” Shea said, crossing his arms as his sister, his twin, laughed at his expense. When she finally calmed herself, she looked up at him.

  “Oh, shut up, you know its wicked funny,” she giggled.

  “I’m not laughing.”

  “Party pooper. Anyways, like I said, give her time. I didn’t tell James I loved him until Ryan was born, that was almost a year into our relationship. You’ve jumped the gun, telling her at three months, I know this is your first time, but damn Shea, give her some time.”

  Shea shoulders slump and he let out a frustrated sigh, “Is it too much to ask for, just to know I’m loved?”

  “Aw, brother, I love you,” Grace said batting her eyes at him before bursting out in a fit of giggles.

  “Oh God,” Shea said rolling his eyes as he started for the door, “I’ll see you tonight, good job in here.”

  “Shea, I love you, I do, so much! I love you! Bye!”

  Damn twin.

  Mud baths, massages, facials, oh my!

  “This is the life,” Elli basically moaned as she leaned back into her puffy chair, having her feet done. She held a glass of champagne in one hand and a chocolate covered strawberry in the other. “I will have to make sure to thank Shea extra long tonight.”

  Everyone giggled as they sat back enjoying their pedicures.

  “Hell, I might have to help,” Reese said as one of the workers stood behind her chair, rubbing her shoulders. That earned her a round of giggles as everyone just basked in the treatments they were getting.

  “In your dreams,” Elli teased back, Reese laughed as she nodded her head.

  “Hell, yes, in my dreams. That dude is sex on legs. Jeez, he’s so pretty.”

  “He really is,” Piper gushed.

  “Hey, you skinny hoes, back off my man!” Elli laughed; Reese and Piper giggled along, and Elli couldn’t think the last time she felt so relaxed and happy.

  Being with her friends, getting pampered, was the greatest start to her birthday, and the way everyone was talking; tonight was gonna be even better.

  After getting their feet and hands done, they headed up to the hair salon. Elli sat in the chair as a girl named Andee starting doing her hair. After getting it trimmed and washed up real good, Harper came over, smiling down at Elli.

  “Okay, so we are covering the mirror.”

  “Huh?” Elli asked as two other salon workers came over covering the mirror with a black sheet, as everyone grinned over at Elli.

  “You can’t see what she does.”

  “Why?” Elli complained.

  “It’s part of the surprise, so shut up.”

  Harper walked away, sitting back in her chair, leaving Elli frustrated. She hated not knowing what she looked like. What if this chick jacked her hair up or made her makeup look crazy. It was driving her crazy as she sat, letting the Andee girl do whatever she wanted with her hair. After about an hour and a half, Andee was finally done with Elli’s hair and makeup.

  Elli stood up as everyone came over towards her with smiles on their faces. Everyone, well, expect Trice, had intricate up dos, with flowers or feathers in their hair. Everyone looked so classic, so beautiful.

  “This isn’t fair! I wanna know what I look like!”

  Everyone laughed as Harper came towards her a blindfold in her hand. “Oh come on!” she complained as Harper was careful to tie i
t over her eyes.

  “Don’t ruin it. Shea’s worked hard, okay?” Harper whispered in her ear as the world went black around her.

  Damn it, she was right.

  Elli had no clue where she was. Everyone was talking and moving around her when they arrived at wherever they were at as Elli stood there confused and frustrated.

  She wanted the damn blindfold off.

  She wanted to see Shea.

  Her day had been amazing, except for the blindfold business, and she wanted to thank him.

  “Are we getting her dressed now?” Harper asked as Elli was sat on a couch, maybe, hell it might have been a chair.

  “Yeah, go ahead. Everyone is starting to arrive.” Grace said.

  “Grace?” Elli asked.

  “Yeah, happy birthday!”

  “Thanks, what are you doing here?”

  “Um, I don’t know. You don’t hear me.”

  Everyone started laughing except Elli. She didn’t think this was funny. Gosh, she hated secrets. Someone started pulling at her clothes, and then she felt someone taking off her bra.

  “Hey!”

  “It’s me El, shush,” Harper said putting another bra on her; Harper directed Elli into what she guessed was a dress. The satin was cool against Elli’s skin and she was dying to know what it looked like, to know what was going on, and when the hell she could take the damn blind fold off! Harper zipped her up and tied something, then Elli didn’t feel anything, but she heard everyone’s intake of breaths and their “awes.”

  “Okay, when you hear the door shut, take off the blind fold,” Harper said. Elli just stood there waiting, everyone wished her luck, and then finally, the door shut. Elli practically ripped the blindfold from her head. When her eyes adjusted she was looking at herself if a full length brass mirror.

  “Oh, my God,” she muttered as her hand came up over her mouth. She was wearing the dress from the shop that Grace had her try on. Her hair was done up in pin curls with pearls holding in each curl. Her makeup was done so soft that it was hard to tell she even had any one. The dress, oh, it was masterpiece, beautiful, stunning; Elli could go on for days describing the beauty of it.