The Pairing

by Katie Ashley

  Pesh chuckled. “I hardly think I was mauling her.”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “Come now. It’s time we went downstairs.”

  After Pesh held out his arm for her, Megan slid hers through his. “Don’t be nervous,” he murmured into her ear.

  “I’m not,” she lied.

  “Megan, I know you well enough by now that I know when you’re nervous. You fidget and bite your lip.”

  “Sorry,” she muttered, as they got onto the elevator.

  Considering it was packed with Pesh’s family, Megan kept her mouth shut about her nerves. The last thing she wanted to do was to come off wrong in front of them. When the doors opened, she drew in a couple of deep breaths to still her nerves.

  There was a whole lot of pomp and circumstance that she didn’t quite understand about how they were all supposed to enter. She just tried not to mess up the part when she came in with her parents. Just like at a wedding reception, she and Pesh sat at a table at the head of the room. Of course, she hadn’t quite prepared herself for the golden chairs that looked almost like thrones.

  Once everyone was assembled, Pesh’s father got up to speak. “We are very grateful that you all could be with us this evening. I know that with Megan’s friends and family, as well as some of our son’s, there are a lot of you unacquainted with our culture. I will try to explain to you what the proceedings are.”

  On the table in front of them were two flower wreaths that reminded her of the leis that you would see in Hawaii. They were in colors of white, gold, and purple. The wreaths crisscrossed over the black ring boxes. She knew from what Pesh had told her that they would be giving each other rings tonight to symbolize their future union. It all seemed pretty extreme to her for just an engagement party—it was almost like a wedding.

  “It’s show-time,” Pesh murmured in her ear before he stood up. She quickly followed his lead. He took one of the flower wreaths off the table and brought it over her head. He made sure to adjust her hair so it flowed over the flowers. When he was done, she did the same, although it was a little harder for her to reach up over his head.

  Then he took one of the platinum bands and put it on her trembling finger. “I love you so very much, Megan. There’s not another woman in the world I could love like I do you,” he whispered to reassure her.

  “I love you so much, too.” She then slid the band on his hand. Once it was done, applause went out over the ballroom, and Pesh pulled her to him for a kiss.

  “Now what do we do?” she asked.

  He smiled at her. “We dance.”

  After exhaling the breath she had been holding, Megan took Pesh’s hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. A song she had never heard before in her life began to play from the DJ.

  “So what were you thinking when it came to the wedding?” Pesh asked.

  “Something small.”

  His brows rose in surprise. “Really? I was thinking you would want to go all out.”

  She shook her head. “I just want something simple with our closest friends and family. I don’t have to have something showy to make me happy.”

  He grinned. “You know that anything ‘simple’ is not going to set well with my parents.”

  Megan laughed. “Well, they’re just going to have to accept it.”

  “We could just run off and get married in a cave in Hawaii,” he suggested.

  “That idea has potential, but I think as my parents’ only daughter, they would kill me if they didn’t get to plan something.”

  His expression grew serious. “I don’t want us to have to wait much longer.”

  “I agree. I want to get married in the next couple of months.”

  He smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

  As Megan glanced over to see her grandfather dancing with his lady friend, an idea popped into her head. “What if we got married in Papa’s rose garden?”

  “It sounds like a beautiful place, but is there enough room?”

  “Only our closest friends and family, remember?” she insisted.

  “It could work.”

  “So you like the idea?”

  “I do.” With a wink, he said, “It makes sense considering you proposed to me at Patrick’s house.”

  Megan grinned. “That’s right. It does.”

  “Think we can put it all together in two months?”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  He brought his warm lips to hers, and Megan shivered in spite of the heat on the dance floor. “I can’t wait to make you my wife,” he murmured against her lips.

  “I’m ready to make an honest man out of you, too.”

  Pesh threw his head back and chuckled. “Only you would say something like that.”

  “Hey, the truth is the truth.”

  The song ended, and Pesh escorted her back to their table. After they finished with the blessings from Pesh’s family, dinner was served. Megan couldn’t believe all the food that was paraded by her. She lost count on how many plates of delicious Indian food she sampled. By the time the desserts came out, she was thoroughly stuffed and couldn’t eat any. “Let’s go mingle,” she suggested when Pesh also turned down any dessert.

  “Sounds good to me,” he said, before getting out of his chair.

  They made their way through the maze of tables, talking to family and friends. Megan was introduced to so many of Pesh’s relatives that she was sure she would never be able to remember them all. When they finally got to the Fitzgerald tables filled with her parents and aunts and uncles, she was thrilled when Pesh took a seat across from Aidan and Emma.

  After they had been talking for a while, Emma turned Aidan. “Do you think Noah’s okay?”

  Aidan smiled. “I’m sure he’s fine, babe. The sitter looked very qualified.”

  Although Emma nodded her head, Megan could tell that she wasn’t convinced. Both Mason and Noah were upstairs in the hotel with babysitters outside of their family for the first time in their young lives. Megan shared a bit of Emma’s apprehension, but when she had dropped Mason off in the suite, he seemed to get along with the woman they had hired.

  “I might just go peek in on him. You know, make sure she got him to sleep,” Emma said, rising out of her chair.

  Aidan shook his head and stood up. “You need to be off your feet. You said yourself you weren’t feeling too well before we left.”

  Emma shot him a murderous look. “Thanks for saying that in front of Pesh and Megan.”

  Aidan gave them a sheepish grin. “Sorry guys. I hope it doesn’t ruin your fabulous party knowing that Emma, at nine months pregnant and some change, wasn’t feeling wonderful.”

  Megan laughed while Pesh shook his head. “Emma, if you want to go on upstairs and lie down, we won’t be hurt. I remember how awful it feels being overdue,” Megan said.

  “No, I’m fine. I want to stay,” Emma replied. When Aidan motioned for her to have a seat, she shook her head. “I need to go to the restroom.”

  “You want me to go check on Noah?”

  Emma sighed. “I’m sure he’s fine or the sitter would have texted me. I’m just being overprotective.”

  Aidan gave her a quick kiss. “Love you, sweetheart.”

  She smiled at him. “I love you, too.”

  After she headed through the crowd to the bathroom, Aidan began telling Pesh some wild story from work that had Pesh doubled over with laughter. When Emma returned, she didn’t sit back down. Instead, she swayed back and forth on her feet next to her chair.

  “Aidan,” she said in a strained voice. Megan couldn’t help noticing how Emma had paled considerably since her trip to the bathroom just a few minutes before.

  He held up his finger. “One second, babe. I gotta finish telling Pesh this story.”

  “But my water broke.”

  Without taking his eyes off Pesh, Aidan slid his glass of water over to her. “Here take mine.”

  If the situation hadn’t been dire, Megan would have l
aughed at how oblivious Aidan was. Pesh leaned forward in his seat. “Um, Aidan, I think—”

  He didn’t get a chance to finish. Instead, water splashed against the side of Aidan’s face. He shot out of his chair before whirling around to Emma. “What the hell, Em?”

  “My. Water. Broke,” she muttered through gritted teeth.

  “Oh shit,” he replied. After tossing his napkin back on the table, he held up a hand. “Okay, it’s fine. No need to panic. We’re not that far from the hospital—”

  “Like twenty minutes,” Emma argued.

  Aidan’s hands came to her shoulders. “It’ll be fine, babe. I promise.”

  Emma huffed out a few frustrated breaths as she weighed his words. Then her grim expression softened. “Okay.”

  Aidan grinned as he turned back to Pesh and Megan. “I hate to cut and run, but it looks like baby Caroline is a big attention whore who wants all the glory tonight.”

  Megan rose out of her chair. “Don’t you worry about it one bit. Since she’s a week overdue, I’m going to let her have this one without accusing her of trying to steal the limelight.”

  “Can we do anything?” Pesh asked.

  While Aidan shook his head, Emma said, “Just make sure Noah is okay.”

  Angie rose out of her chair. “I’ll go check on him right now.”

  Emma smiled. “Thanks.”

  Aidan dug around in his pocket. When he produced a set of keys, he tossed them at Pesh. “Since I came after work, Em and I are in separate cars. Whoever has Noah overnight will need our SUV to get him to the hospital tomorrow.”

  Pesh nodded as Megan said, “Good thinking. I’m not sure if Mom is taking him or Becky.” At Emma’s somewhat apprehensive look that there wasn’t a strict plan in place for Noah, Megan said, “It’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “Okay,” she said, a little reluctantly.

  Sliding his arm around Emma’s waist, Aidan said, “Come on, sweetheart. We need to go.”

  At the feel of Pesh’s hand on her back, Megan glanced up at him. “Exciting night for them, eh?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “How about letting me take you for another spin on the dance floor?”

  “I’d love that.”

  As an Indian love song flowed out from the speakers, Megan wrapped her arms around Pesh’s neck. This time he didn’t bother dancing more formally like he had in Savannah. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her flush against him. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his broad chest, loving the gentle beat of his heart beneath his shirt.

  When the song finished, they didn’t move. They just waited for the next one. Thankfully, it was another slow one. Halfway through, she felt a tug on the bottom of her drape. Glancing down, she saw Georgie peering up at her. “What are you doing, sweetie?” she asked.

  He glanced left and right before he spoke. “Mommy told me not to tell anybody, but she needs you to come up to her hotel room.”

  “Okay. What for?”

  “Noah’s going crazy wanting Aunt Emma, and she thinks you’re the only one that might be able to get him to calm down.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  When she turned back to Pesh, he smiled. “You don’t even need to apologize. Go see if you can help.”

  She leaned up and gave him a smacking kiss on the lips. “Thank you for being so amazing each and every moment of the day.”

  His thumb brushed against her cheek. “You’re welcome, my love.”

  “Be back as soon as I can.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Taking Georgie’s hand, she made her way off the dance floor and out of the ballroom. After getting on one of the elevators, they rode to the sixth floor. She let Georgie lead the way. He stopped halfway down the hall and knocked on the door. By then, she didn’t have to guess which room Noah was in. She could hear his screams all the way outside. When Becky flung open the door, she waved Megan through with her hand. “The others didn’t want me to interrupt you, but we’ve been trying the last hour to get him to calm down, and he’s just not having it.”

  Megan found the scene in hotel room somewhat comical. Her mother, along with her aunts Julia and Liz, stood in a circle around one of the beds. Outfitted in a fuzzy, blue footed sleeper, Noah sat in the middle of the mattress, his cheeks streaked and soaked with tears and his face red from crying. “What is the matter?” Megan asked.

  Everyone whirled around to look at her. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. Go back to your party,” Angie said, over Noah’s wails.

  “Um, I think it’s safe to say that it isn’t fine. Or at least, he’s not fine.”

  Liz fanned her face with her hand. “It’s like the moment Emma left the hotel, he freaked out. He woke up out of a dead sleep screaming for his mama. The poor baby-sitter hung in as long as she could before she finally called us.”

  Megan cocked her head at Noah. “Poor thing.” She bypassed her aunts to hold out her arms. Considering he’d spent so much time with her, Noah happily reached for her, and Megan pulled him into her embrace. “Hey buddy, you’ve got to stop crying.”

  He was snubbing so hard his breath came in big hiccups as his chest heaved. “Mama. Want mama,” he pleaded pitifully.

  Megan hugged him tight to her chest. “I know, sweetie. But she’s at the hospital having your baby sister.”

  Her answer didn’t satisfy him since he drew in a deep breath to start screaming again. She smiled at him. “You wanna go downstairs to the party?” He appeared thoughtful. “Pesh is downstairs. You wanna see him?”

  “Esh?”

  Megan laughed. “Yes, he’s down there.”

  “See Esh,” he said, kicking his feet as if to tell her to start walking.

  “Here. I’ll take him,” her mother suggested, reaching for Noah.

  He shrieked before wrapping his arms tighter around Megan’s neck. “I think it’s safe to say he’s staying with me.”

  “But it’s your engagement party,” Julia protested.

  “Yes, and I’ve been enjoying it the last four hours. I don’t think watching him is going to take away anything for me.”

  As she started out the doorway, she asked, “Is Mason okay?”

  Her mother nodded. “Thank goodness he’s down the hall, or we’d have two toddlers running around at eleven o’clock.”

  Megan giggled as she walked down the hall. Her necklace and the beaded sari seemed to be holding Noah’s interest. “Pretty, huh?” she asked, as they got on the elevator.

  “Ooh, pwetty,” he mimicked.

  When she got back downstairs, Pesh was seated at their table, talking to some of their colleagues. The moment Noah saw him, he reached out for Pesh. “Well hello, little one. Were you really crying because you wanted to come to our party?”

  Noah grinned at Pesh behind his pacifier, which caused Pesh to smile. “He looks so much like Aidan when he does that, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes, he does. I’m sure he’s going to use that cute little grin to his advantage when he gets older, just like his daddy did.” She eased into the chair beside them.

  After spitting out his pacifier, Noah asked, “Daddy?”

  “Uh, oh, I shouldn’t have said that,” Megan muttered under her breath.

  “My daddy?”

  “He’s at the hospital with Mommy. We’ll take you there in the morning,” she replied.

  That statement caused Noah’s lip to tremble. Before he could start crying, Pesh rose out of his chair. “Let’s go look at all the pretty party decorations.”

  Megan smiled as she watched Pesh take Noah around the room. Her heart warmed at his thoughtfulness. She couldn’t believe there was ever a time when she fought her feelings for him. There wasn’t a better man in the whole world, and the fact that he loved her was a true miracle.

  By the time Pesh returned, Noah had fallen asleep. He carefully sat back down beside her. “Here,” she suggested, taking off her glittering drape. She wrapped the fabric
over Noah like a blanket.

  “Did I mention how much I loved you in a sari?” Pesh questioned, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

  She glanced down to see the top had her boobs bulging out the front as well as the fact her stomach was now bared. “I’ll have to wear one more often for you.”

  “I would love that.”

  When her phone beeped, she reached across the table and grabbed it. “Oh my God!”

  “What?” Pesh asked.

  “That was Aidan. The baby is already here.”

  “Considering it’s a second baby, it isn’t too surprising.”

  “I need to tell my mom and aunts.”

  He nodded. “Go ahead. We’re fine.”

  Megan smiled at Noah sleeping soundly against Pesh’s chest. “Be right back.” She made her way over to her family’s table. “That was Aidan. Caroline was just born.”

  A whoop went up around the table. “Is Emma okay?” Becky asked.

  Megan nodded. “He said mother and baby are doing great.”

  Julia shook her head and smiled. “Aidan with a daughter—now that’s going to be something to see.”

  They all laughed. “That’s so true,” Megan said.

  Becky glanced at the group. “Why don’t we go see them? I mean, the hospital isn’t too far from here.”

  Angie nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’d personally like to see Aidan in action with his baby girl.”

  With a snort, Megan added, “I would have liked to have been in the delivery room when she was first born. His expression then would have been priceless.”

  “I bet he cried,” Liz said.

  “Oh yeah, he bawled for sure,” Angie replied, with a grin.

  As her aunts started gathering up their purses and telling their husbands where they were going, Megan said, “I want to go too.” Before they could argue, she held up her hand. “It’s late. The party is pretty much over, and there’s two more next week at some of Pesh’s relatives’ houses. Besides, I want to see the newest Fitzgerald baby girl.”

  Her mother frowned. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive.”

  “All right. Go tell Pesh, and we’ll meet you out front.”

  She smiled as she went back to their table. “My mom and aunts are going to the hospital to see Aidan and Emma.”