by Claire Adams
“I do,” I said and pulled her back towards me. “I know exactly what you are getting at and this is precisely why I am in love with you. We are getting married which means there is really no distinction between my money and your money, my home and your home. Everything is ours from now on, together. That is what family is all about. We will be sharing our lives with each other, every bit of it. But okay, if it makes you feel better you can slowly pay me back for whatever you wish, so you feel like we are equals. If the scales are tipped at all, they are in that you are cleverer and far more intelligent than I will ever be, so you have the upper hand in a sense.”
She giggled and let out an adorable little snort. “You guys must all stop this ridiculous praise of my intelligence. It’s starting to get way too funny. I am twenty years old and I don’t even have an undergraduate degree yet.”
“Exactly my point,” I said cheerfully. “But anyways, moving on. You can go over checks and balances and ‘pay back’ whatever you think you need to. We have a whole lifetime for you to do this as it happens. I am firmly intent upon this so if you put up further arguments, we will just be wasting precious time that could be spent fucking. I will not ever agree to a prenup. The whole idea behind it suggests that there is even the slightest bit of possibility that you and I might not be together forever. I would rather die the most painful death than allow myself to even entertain such an idea. I have been married before and it was a complete disaster, as you know very well. Given that I had made up my mind that nothing would convince me to partake in a union again. Then you came along. Believe me when I say this, Aria, I would never have proposed to you if I had even for a second thought that there was a possibility that we wouldn’t last forever.”
She hugged me tighter, kissing my chest. “How did you get to become such a sweet and loving person? God I am so lucky.”
I shrugged. “It’s the effect you have on me. Most people – my own mother included – would laugh at the idea that someone used those words to describe me.”
“Well your mother sounds kind of awful anyway,” she said.
“Yeah, you will have the opportunity to experience it firsthand soon enough. Apparently it is the norm to invite your parents to your wedding or something.” I rolled my eyes.
She laughed. “I am sure she isn’t so terrible. She did give birth to the most amazing man in the world after all.”
“You are too sweet,” I said and kissed her forehead. “But seriously, my mother can be a nightmare, so if I were you I would be careful. She is going to try and make you feel as though you aren’t good enough for me. She obviously won’t have any idea what the fuck she is talking about, so if I were you I would ignore everything she says.”
“I’m sure I could get her to like me,” she said confidently.
“You know what?” I thought about that for a second. “You actually might just accomplish that, Aria. It is rather difficult not to fall in love with you, as I speak from very personal experience.”
The doorbell rang. “Were we expecting company?” Aria asked.
“Oh yeah, that’s kind of a surprise. I’ll be right back,” I said and walked to the door to welcome Fiona Davis.
“Sorry our house is a bit of a mess, my fiancée just moved in today and we are still figuring out where to put everything.”
“No worries at all, Zayden,” Fiona said, kissing me on the cheek. “Now where is the lovely bride?”
“Right in the living room, come on in.”
I escorted her to where Aria was, who looked rather alarmed at the sight of a beautiful blonde woman standing in front of her.
“Your sister. Please tell me she is your sister,” Aria said with her eyebrows raised. “I mean hello, sorry I didn’t mean to be rude.”
Fiona giggled as I looked at them in amusement. “Oh darling, aren’t you absolutely adorable?” She looked at Zayden. “Wow, well done Sinclair. I can’t wait to work with her.”
“What is going on?” Aria asked suspiciously and then her face lit up in realization. “You’re Fiona.”
She got up nervously and then sat back down, apparently unsure how to react to a celebrity wedding planner standing in her living room.
“That is what they call me.” Fiona giggled. “But you can call me anything you like. From this moment on, I’m here to do your bidding.”
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” Aria was hyperventilating and it was entertaining to watch. I felt a sense of pride at being able to do this for her. “Is it okay if – can I – may I call my best friend and maid-of-honor to come here? It will make her day. I can’t believe this.”
“Of course, dear,” Fiona said, pulling out a binder from her pocketbook. “I hear I will be assisting this lady’s wedding too later in the year. So it only seems logical that we spend as much time together as possible.”
“You haven’t changed one bit since college.” I rolled my eyes. The woman was so good at her job and so enthusiastic about everything to do with it.
“You guys went to college together?” Aria gasped. “What other celebrities did you go to college with?”
“A couple here and there. Now let’s get down to business. We have a rather extravagant wedding to plan here.”
“First things first,” Fiona said, pursuing her binder. “Do you have a theme in mind, Aria? It’s a specialty of the Plaza; they can transform the venue to look like your wildest imagination.”
“A Hogwarts themed wedding would be rather nice,” Aria said after pondering for a few moments. “But I suppose that isn’t the most romantic. Hmm…”
Fiona, who was giving Aria a very understanding look, gleamed with pleasure. “You know, you would be surprised. I have actually planned two Hogwarts themed weddings so far and the clients were extremely satisfied. Technology is so advanced these days we were able to make the venue appear enchanted.”
“I don’t actually want a Hogwarts themed wedding.” Aria giggled. “Although I sure did when I was fourteen. I suspect I might have grown out of it somewhat.”
“Thank god.” Fiona sighed in relief. “I have to admit, I always found the concept rather amateurish. But if you’re into books and reading, I am sure we can find something you would relate to.”
“How about a regular wedding, but since you said you can make venues seem enchanted, we have a bit of an enchanted forest thing going on with a décor? I don’t want to say princess-themed, because that also sounds rather amateur. It would be nice to have the look of a fairy-tale decoration wise though.”
“That is actually a very good idea,” Fiona said, unclipping some papers from her binders. “Here are some pictures of similar things I have done, we can pick one of those or we can create a whole new concept from scratch. Now we don’t have a whole lot of time, so I hope you can take some time off work. Since we have a lot to do and the venue is in New York, it’s not going to be very easy to coordinate if you’re working all the time.”
“She has the next three weeks off,” I said cheerfully. “I am her boss and I say so. No Aria,” I said when she looked like she was about to protest. “You can make up the days later if you must, I don’t really care either way, but knowing you, you would probably want that. But for now, just focus on making this thing as perfect as you can.”
Aria opened her mouth and closed it again. “Okay, I guess so.”
“I have some bakers from Elegant Bakery flying in from New York tomorrow,” Fiona said, still not taking her eyes off her binder. “So get ready for a tasting.”
“Actually,” Aria said, looking almost apologetic. “I was thinking…my best friend – the maid-of-honor – is the best confectioner I know and she really wants to…I mean if it’s okay with you.” She looked at Fiona nervously, who let out another giggle.
“She is too cute,” Fiona said. “What do you mean if it’s okay with me? This is your wedding. Everything happens as you desire. I will cancel the meeting with the bakers. Tell the maid-of-honor she can design your cake. A p
ersonal touch. I rather like it.” Fiona smiled.
“We can tell her together in a bit. She is on her way here.” Aria smiled nervously. “Sorry I just texted her, I couldn’t resist.”
“Okay, you guys plan this out. I have a meeting in an hour that I need to be in the office for. Don’t worry about unpacking, Aria, I’ll get someone to do it for you later,” I said. I walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Are you happy?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“I couldn’t be happier,” she said radiantly.
“I love you,” I said and kissed her. “Now work on planning the wedding of your dreams.”
Chapter 7
Aria
It was my wedding day! It was also Christmas day, but that happened every year. But it was my wedding day on Christmas day! I squealed the moment I woke up in the most comfortable hotel bed I had ever slept in. After much consideration, Fiona and I had reached the conclusion that we would keep the wedding ceremony itself really small and personal. It was literally just going to be Zayden’s mom, my mom, Nick and Stacey, and we were holding off on the big party at the Plaza with the enchanted forest theme for the reception. It made more sense to me because I wanted our wedding to be personal and the thought of a whole audience hearing my vows to Zayden made me feel uncomfortable. Very few people in the world deserved to hear that so I had decided that was how it was going to be.
The private wedding ceremony would take place in Central Park and the Plaza would be reserved for the reception. This was a last minute decision I made after visiting Central Park two days ago. The place took my breath away. New York in general managed to do that. You see things and places on T.V. and magazines and get mesmerized. Somehow you never expect that reality would look better than your fantasies. Yet that was New York. Everything about it was better than any camera could realistically capture. Times Square actually glowed at every step and there were tiny flakes of glitter spread across the sidewalks. People in the most extravagant and colorful – and sometimes rather inappropriate – clothing zoomed around the place as though they were characters from a movie rather than real people. Happy tourists chattered alongside every corner and I could see fellow first-time New York visitors have the same reaction to the extravaganza as I did and I felt a crazy sense of solidarity. I had managed to purchase almost everything sold at one of the myriads of gift shops and currently owned an “I <3 NY” shirt in every shape and size possible.
What truly took my breath away, however, was the serenity of Central Park. The fact that it managed to keep its sense of nature and natural beauty in the midst of a city so loud and happening was shocking and awe-inspiring. It was quiet and beautiful and as far as I was concerned, the most romantic place in the whole world. So naturally, I had decided that my wedding ceremony would take place there.
I rolled around the enormous bed in delight at the thought of what was to come for the rest of the day. Zayden had taken a different room, in favor of being somewhat traditional and separating the bride and the groom the night before the wedding. That didn’t stop me from being sorely tempted to walking over to his hotel room in just a robe and nothing else and sliding it off. We had been abstaining from sex for the past week so that our wedding night would be truly exceptional, but it had been so much harder than I had expected, considering we slept in the same bed every night.
And Zayden had the body of a Greek God.
But it was okay. It was all okay because we were going to get married today. Nothing would ever be able to keep us apart from each other ever again. I looked at my enormous ring once more and took a very deep breath. This was really, truly happening. By the end of this evening, I would become Mrs. Zayden Sinclair. I squealed like a little girl once more and then got up to take a shower. Stacey, Fiona and my hairdresser would be here in half an hour.
---
“Okay we have five hours to get you ready,” Fiona said in a business-like voice when she arrived. “You are going to get ready for the ceremony and subsequent reception so Fabio here will do your hair and make-up so it lasts the next twelve hours,” she said pointing to a slender and flamboyant man she had brought along. “Is your dress ready?” She eyed the room looking alarmed. “I don’t see it anywhere.”
“I hung it up in the living room of the penthouse. I won’t be wearing it until all of this is done, so I wanted to keep it safe.” I smiled.
The truth was that the wedding dress made me very nervous and not just because it was the most expensive thing I had ever purchased – and it was, it had tiny bits of actual diamond studded across the hem – but because it reminded me of everything that was going to happen today. I wasn’t sure I would be able to handle the joy and excitement it brought me.
“Good thinking,” Fiona said curtly.
She was a rather interesting woman. Everything was business to her, even the tasting of the variety of cake Stacey baked for us one afternoon. We were literally just chilling and having some beers at my old apartment while Stacey tried out different combinations for colors and recipe and décor. It wasn’t very different from the usual evening we used to spend goofing around at the apartment, except the part where this time Stacey was baking my wedding cake. Fiona somehow managed to make it formal and businesslike by constantly taking notes after every tasting, flipping her binder non-stop and refusing to partake in the beer drinking. She did bring her own champagne so the last part must have been just a matter of preference.
That said, I had taken quite a liking to her and felt excited by the notion that she would be joining us again next year for Stacey’s wedding. There was something about her that reminded me of myself. Perhaps it was her sheer dedication to her work. She was much older than I was and I felt like I had been learning a whole lot from her about running a business as a woman.
I watched her direct Fabio in admiration before getting seated for my hair and makeup.
Stacey came half-way into my make-up and exclaimed, “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!” we all exclaimed back.
“But more importantly,” she said, sitting down next to me. “Happy wedding day to the best best-friend in the whole world!”
“That would be you.” I smiled, which made Fabio give me a stern look. I was supposed to be sitting still. “Can I have one moment, Fabio? I want to look at my maid-of-honor.”
“If you must,” he said reluctantly.
“Stacey, you look amazing!” I exclaimed upon turning around to look at her. She was wearing a bright purple dress of her own choosing – I didn’t believe in subjecting my maid-of-honor to a hideous dress of my choice – and her hair was tied up in a neat bun.
“Nothing compared to the bride of course, you’re going to be turning heads in all of Central Park today, mark my words.”
I beamed delightedly. “We will be,” I said, reaching out both my hands to grab hers. “I can’t believe this is happening, Stace. I am actually getting married today!”
She joined my squealing, which made me feel a whole lot better about me acting like a little girl all morning.
“Now let Fabio finish getting you ready so you can go get married.”
---
When Stacey, Nick and I arrived at Central Park – we had a separate limo sent to us than Zayden’s – nobody was there except an old lady with bright blonde hair dressed in a designer red outfit.
“You must be Zayden’s mother,” I said brightly approaching her. I realized it was the lady I had met at his house that one morning.
“You must be his newest play toy,” she said with a fake smile. “Good for you, hun. Make sure he gets to play well, since you’ll be getting quite a lot of monetary advantage in this situation.”
“That is incredibly rude,” I said with a smile still plastered to my face. “And under any other circumstances I would have responded with an equal - if not more – sass, and believe me I may look small but I am capable of a lot. However, it is my wedding day and you are the mother of the most important
person in my life, so I will be nice. Look, Mrs. Sinclair, I understand you have your own little pre-conceived notions about who I am and what I want from your son. And you know what, in a way it’s oddly endearing. It means you care about him in your own little weird way. But make no mistake, I care about him too and I will not have anybody questioning my intentions. Of course, I can’t expect you to change your mind based on my words alone – anyone can claim anything, after all, as you witnessed from the whole disaster with Gina, a woman I believe you did in fact approve of for your son. All I ask of you is you reserve some judgment until you get to know me. After a month or two, if you still feel like I am using your son for money and don’t actually care about him, feel free to hate me.”
“Bold. I like that. I should have known Zayden wouldn’t be marrying some wussy,” Mrs. Sinclair said with an awkward – but what I suspected to be genuine – smile. “And pretty too. Very pretty,” she said those words with a sternness that almost felt like an insult. “Well, I guess I can reserve judgment after all.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to sound softer. Somehow her approval of my boldness made me soften towards her a little. She was an old woman and the thing that mattered most was that she cared about Zayden. “I, on the other hand, don’t need to reserve any judgment,” I said smilingly. “You seem to care about Zayden which wins my approval of you.”
“I don’t recall asking for your approval,” she said in a stern voice, but seemed somewhat amused.
“You didn’t have to.” I grinned. “Now if you excuse me, I have to go get married to your son.”
I turned away, realizing a little too late that the effect couldn’t have been as grand as I had hoped considering that Zayden had yet to even arrive. I simply sat down on one of the benches by the tree where we were holding the ceremony and admired the breath-taking view. Getting married on Christmas Day was a stroke of pure genius, for New York City looked like it had been embellished with the joy that I was feeling.