by S. E. Lund
"We'll keep it in mind," I said with a laugh, glad that David was so happy about our engagement and forthcoming wedding. "It would be nice to have a winter wedding in a summer climate."
I turned to Josh and he smiled. "Whatever you want, I'm happy."
I went to David and kissed his cheek, which made him smile. "Thanks for the offer. We'll talk and consider it. We've already thought about some place exotic like Bora Bora or somewhere else in French Polynesia."
"Oh, count me in, in that case," David said and clapped his hands with glee. "I love that place. Fantastic clear water. Weather is amazing."
I glanced at Josh and he smiled at me and kissed my knuckles.
"We'll let you know when we make a firm decision," he said.
After our meal, which was authentic Korean BBQ, and which I worried would give me indigestion, we said our goodbyes, hugs and kisses and promises of keeping in touch, we left.
"Seriously, you two fly to LA anytime you need to get away from the cold. My door is always open to you both and the bedroom will always be ready."
David and Josh hugged and kissed, and they had a moment together, their foreheads pressed against each other. They'd been through a life-altering event together and it had changed them both.
As we left the house and I turned back to see the brothers standing on the front entryway, I smiled. I had always felt I lost out as a child not having other siblings, and now I had four, with the possibility of four sisters-in-law on top of it.
I truly felt blessed.
6
Josh
New Year's Eve in Times Square is an event of a lifetime if you're not from Manhattan, but for me, it was just a huge crowd of people, some of whom might be very drunk or intent on picking my pocket -- or worse. But Ella wanted to go and ring in the New Year surrounded by tens of thousands of others, so I felt I couldn't argue.
Reg wasn't happy, however. Before we left for LA, well in advance of the date, I'd spoken with him, wanting to arrange it so Ella could have her New York Ball Drop experience.
"It'll be nearly impossible to keep you safe if you insist on staying in the middle of the crowd," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"What are our options?"
He shrugged. "You could spend the evening in one of the clubs or restaurants in the area and then go out for the dropping of the ball at midnight. We could provide several bodyguards who could surround you, go with you into the crowd. You could stay for the ball drop, and then leave, going back to the venue afterwards. Or you could watch it on a flatscreen. Pretty much every bar with one will show the ball drop at midnight."
"Ella really wants the experience," I said. "Do whatever you can to make it happen. Get us a seat at The View. It's a good location close to Times Square so it won't be a big deal to get down to street level to watch the ball drop, get us in, and then get us out." The View was a revolving restaurant at the 48th floor of the Marriott, its patrons the well-heeled, and wanting a view of Times Square while they ate or partied.
Reg nodded. "If that’s what you want, that's the plan. I'll make it happen."
"Thanks," I said, and we shook.
So, when we arrived back in Manhattan and finished unpacking, we had to get dressed up and ready for our night on the town.
We both put on our best night-out-on-the-town outfits, me in a steel grey suit, black tie and white shirt, and Ella in a little black dress, hose and heels. Over top went our warmest coats, gloves and boots to protect us against the weather. Then, we were driven to The View near Time's Square where we would enjoy a dinner and drinks. When the time came, Reg and his crew would escort us to a spot where we could see the ball drop. It might not be in the middle of the crowd, but it would have to do.
I didn't want Mr. Fedora to show up and threaten either of us. I still had no idea who he was, but until I did, I took it as a threat to one or the other of us, or both of us.
Not the best end to one of the worst -- and best -- years of my life.
* * *
We sat at our table in 'The View' as it was called, sipping our champagne cocktails and admiring the scenery outside our window. The crystal was all polished, the silverware, too. Linen tablecloths, brass fixtures finished the decor. Suits were thousands of dollars each and the diamonds in the ears and on the fingers of the women were huge.
"I don't belong here," Ella said, glancing around at the other patrons.
"You do now," I said and wagged my eyebrows.
She smiled and took a sip of her cocktail.
"A lot happened to both of us this year," Ella said. "You lost your father, became CEO of MBS, and bought the Chronicle."
I took her hand. "And I met you." I kissed her knuckles tenderly. Then, I leaned over and kissed her as well. "But speaking of big years, how about you? You graduated with your degree, you and Jerkface split, you moved to Manhattan and landed a plum job with Macintyre Publishing with an office looking out over Fifth Avenue."
"And I met you," she said, mirroring my own words.
I kissed her again, feeling at that moment totally and completely happy. The only thing that could have made me happier was for my parents to still be alive to meet Ella. They would love her -- of that I was certain. She was sweet and smart and determined. She was also lovely on top of it and had a good family.
Both my mother and father would approve.
Of course, their approval wouldn't be necessary, but it would make it perfect.
It was then that I wanted to set a date -- the perfect way to end the year.
"When do you want to get married?" I asked, taking both her hands in mine and watching her face to see her response. "Should we do a June wedding and be traditional? Or do you want fall colors? Maybe a winter wedding in good old California?"
Ella shrugged. "I don't know. What do you prefer?"
"I thought a bride would be excited about planning her wedding."
She exhaled. "I was excited when I was engaged to Derek, and look where that got me?"
I frowned. "Ella, I want you to be excited for our wedding. What's holding you back?"
She hesitated. "We've only known each other for a short time, when you add it up. Maybe a longer engagement is wise -- to make up for it?"
I couldn't help but feel deflated at that, thinking she'd be as eager as I was to set the date.
"You feel you need more time?" I said, sitting back, unable to keep a slightly sour note out of my tone. "I'd marry you tomorrow."
She squeezed my hand. "I don't mean that," she said softly. "I've decided. I want to marry you. I'm just trying to be smart instead of stupid, like the last time I got engaged. It's just, isn't there some kind of traditional time period before you get married after you get engaged? Three months?"
"People get married in Vegas on the spot," I said. "There's no limit that I know of."
I shook my head, feeling the great evening sour right in front of my eyes.
I knew she was right. Both of us had made mistakes with our last choice of potential marriage partners. She was only trying to be rational about it, but at the same time, her hesitation made me feel a sense of gloom.
"But if you insist," I said, not willing to give up and let the evening deflate. "Three months wait would bring us to April and an Easter wedding sounds good to me, if you're going to make me wait." I gave her a crooked smile.
"Josh," she said and leaned in closer. "I love you. I want to live with you the rest of my life. We can wait three months to make sure all the plans are in place and it's perfect. That's all."
"I know," I said and kissed her softly. "I shouldn't be like that, but I want us to get married -- soon. As soon as we have it all figured out. Location. The wedding dress. Food. Music. You know -- everything both of us thought we'd be doing a year ago."
She leaned closer and kissed me. "Are we each other's consolation prize?"
"No," I said and cupped her cheek. "They were door number two. We're the real prize and thank God for jaywalkin
g and the twist of fate that meant we found each other and finally picked the right door."
Then I kissed her with passion, my emotions getting the better of me. She kissed me back with just as much intensity. When the kiss broke, we looked in each other's eyes meaningfully.
"Easter sounds like a perfect time for a wedding," she said and smiled. In her eyes, I saw warmth and real happiness.
She had become everything to me. She was my heart and I didn't want to even imagine her being unsure or unhappy about our relationship.
"An Easter wedding sounds perfect," I said. "What do you say we have it in LA and make my little brother happy?"
She smiled. "It would make him happy, wouldn't it? He seemed so eager to have you or any of the brothers move to California. I think he's lonely."
"Losing Terry was hard on him," I said. "Losing his father and his best friend and bandmate in the same year was too much. I think it made him grow up a bit. He's always been one of those guys who never took anything seriously -- except his music. Losing Mom, then Dad and then Terry..."
"I can't imagine it," Ella said softly. "I never had siblings, and so I'm really happy to inherit a bunch of brothers."
"They're a great group," I replied, smiling at the thought of them. "You can expect to be spoiled and treated like a princess for the rest of your life."
"It works for me," she said with a grin. "You know us only children. Spoiled brats and lonely as hell, always dreaming of brothers and sisters..."
"Is that true?" I asked, curious. "I always had siblings -- an entire crew of brothers close in age. We played with each other and there was never a dull moment."
"You're so lucky," Ella said with a soft sigh. "I was pampered of course, but I was also lonely. I never wanted to have people over to my house. I always wanted to go to my friend's houses and be around their big families. When I saw people sitting around the dinner table at night, the noise and laughter, I was so envious. I wanted little sisters and a big brother and to have that kind of family."
"Well, now you have four big brothers."
"My cup runneth over," she replied, smiling, her eyes crinkling in the corners.
We kissed again, and when the kiss ended, I noticed a couple close to us watching us. They were smiling wistfully, probably remembering when they were our age and first in love.
It made me happy.
I leaned closer to Ella. "Don't look now, but we're making this older couple at the booth across the aisle really happy with all our snogging."
"Snogging?" she said and giggled. "Is that what you call it?"
"It's British," I said and wagged my eyebrows. "I'm an international man of refinement, didn't you know?"
"I didn't," she replied and leaned closer. "It sounds very unrefined. Probably not something the Queen would use."
"Probably not," I said and kissed her again. Then I saw her steal a look over at the couple, who were still watching us with fond remembrance. The woman smiled at us.
"Snog me again," Ella said. "Make them happy."
So I did.
* * *
About ten minutes to midnight, we asked our waitress if she could hold our table while we went out to watch the celebrations. I handed her a fifty-dollar bill as incentive and she took it and tucked it into her apron.
"It's yours as long as we're open."
Then, we grabbed our coats at the coat check and left the club, taking the elevator down to the lobby, determined to make it out into the crowd so we could ring in the new year properly, surrounded by thousands of Manhattanites hugging and kissing.
I'd almost forgotten about our little entourage made up of Reg's three bodyguards, who surrounded us and helped push through the crowd so we could get into viewing distance of the famous ball so we could watch it drop. While we waited, I slipped my arm around a shivering Ella and pulled her close.
"This has been one of the best and worst years of my life," I said. "It would have been one of the worst, if not for you."
She smiled up at me, her eyes soft. "Aww, Josh. I'm sorry about your dad. And the crash. And your ex. But you did get the paper."
"And I met you."
We kissed briefly and then turned and counted down the seconds. When the countdown ended and we hit midnight, I pulled her fully into my arms and lifted her up, kissing her deeply. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back, just as deeply.
"I love you," I said when the kiss ended. "Happy New Year."
"I love you, too," she replied. "Happy New Year back at you."
"Here's to many more New Year's Eve celebrations to come. Say, sixty or so. Maybe more, if they discover the secrets of immortality in the next few decades."
She laughed and we kissed again and again while the crowds cheered and celebrated, and fireworks exploded around us.
"Let's get out of here," she whispered as the throng crushed us. "I'd like another drink and then maybe we can go back to the apartment."
I motioned to our bodyguards and they found a route through the crowd back to the restaurant, where we removed our coats and went back to the table. After we got another drink, we held hands across the table.
"So, what do you see for the next year, since we're officially in it now? What do you want to have happen?" I asked.
She smiled and considered for a moment before answering.
"I want us to keep getting closer," she said. "I want to get a paying job so I can hold up my side of the sky."
I laughed. "As soon as your internship is over, you have a paid position if you want it."
"I want it," she said. "I want to be independent. I know, I know," she said and made a face. "You're worth millions, but I still want to have a career and accomplish things."
"Of course," I said. "You want to become an editor. You want to write your chick lit novel."
"I do," she said. "I want to travel. I've only been on vacations with my parents and only in the US, Canada and Mexico. I want to go to Europe and Africa. Asia. I want to go around the world."
"I'll be only too happy to take you everywhere. I've been so busy for the last few years, trying to get caught up with MBS after I finished my service. I haven't really done any traveling. We should spend a couple of years seeing the world in between business meetings, of course."
I smiled, for the expression in her eyes was one of pure excitement and contentment.
The feeling was mutual.
7
Ella
At twelve-thirty, Josh glanced at his watch and then turned to me. "How are you feeling? Want more champagne? Or do you want to go back to the apartment for some special Josh treatment?"
I narrowed my eyes, pretending it was a difficult decision just to tease him, but it was a pretty easy decision.
"Special Josh treatment? Or another glass of champagne? Let me see..."
Then I laughed and he did as well.
"Josh treatment it is," I said finally. "Besides, if I have another glass of that, I'll fall asleep before any of the Special Josh treatment is experienced or doled out."
"Well, we don't want that," he said and held his hand over the bottle. "No more champagne for you."
Luckily, the bottle was finished so there was no need to worry about me trying to drink more. I was feeling a bit bubbly but not too much to enjoy what I knew awaited me back home.
Josh paid the bill and then we left with our coats, taking the elevator back to the lobby. Our crew of bodyguards surrounded us as we made our way to the limo service at the back of the hotel. As we drove off, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with how much my life had changed since that day in September when I tried to cross the street and Josh almost ran into me.
There I was, engaged to one of the handsomest richest bachelors in Manhattan, driving back to his apartment in a limo. It was a far cry from my first day in Manhattan when I saw the tiny hole in the wall that had been advertised as a 'one bedroom' apartment.
Because of the crowds, it took a while to get back to
the apartment, but we spent our time kissing, so instead of dampening our mutual desire, the long ride only enhanced it. By the time we arrived, I felt wet and swollen, ready for Josh.
Josh thanked the driver and made sure to pass him a hefty tip, then we went to the elevator, nodding to the security guard and saying goodnight to our bodyguards, who checked out the elevator before we got inside.
We kissed all the way up in the elevator, not caring if the security guards in the back room were watching. When the elevator reached the penthouse floor, Josh broke the kiss, and I was already breathless, anticipating what would happen next.
Josh and I went right into the bedroom, throwing our coats off on the back of the sofa on the way there. I practically tripped when I removed my boots, and giggled, slinging my handbag onto the chair by the door, eager to go with him into the bedroom.
Josh pulled me inside, and wasted no time, pulling down the shoulder of my dress, kissing the side of my neck and down to my collarbone and the swell of my breast.
"Oh, God, I need you," he murmured against my skin. Then, he pushed me back towards the bed, steering me until I felt the bed against the back of my thighs.
Josh pulled the other side of my dress down, baring my black lace push-up bra. He stood and admired me for a moment, running his fingers along the tops of my breasts, making me shiver with delight and arousal.
I clenched my thighs together unconsciously in response.
He kissed me, his mouth moving down my neck to my breasts, which he bared, one at a time, licking the swell before covering my now-hardening nipple with his mouth. I groaned when he sucked, my eyes closing.
When I reached down to remove my dress completely, he grabbed my hand.
"Don't," he said and looked in my eyes. "I want to watch you do it slowly. Tease me."
I stopped, trying to imagine what he'd most like me to do.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Expose one breast completely."