by Claire Adams
“Aria,” I said with an urge to laugh. “What on earth do you think you are talking about?”
She raised her eyebrows. “My mother’s hospital bills. I am guessing that’s where you were going with bringing up that subject?”
“Quite the contrary. Have you not realized by now that I will gladly turn over my entire fortune for you? My money is your money. What I wanted to discuss,” I said, planting a kiss on her mouth, unable to help it. “Is that I paid off the rest of her bill. Since I am marrying her daughter, it’s the least I could do. She is giving me far more than I have given her. You were right on one account of course; the contract is no longer valid. You are going to be my wife now. We don’t need some stupid contract.”
“Well, I have actually been thinking about that,” Aria said softly and slowly, as though weighing her words in her mind. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, Zayden. You know I love you a lot, more than words can ever describe. If you don’t then you’re just stupid and shouldn’t be allowed to run such a huge empire.” She giggled. “I love you with all my heart and want us to be together forever. But life is strange and sometimes things happen. In the case that we ever find ourselves in a situation that is unpleasant as far as our union goes—”
“What are you trying to say, Aria?” I felt myself stiffen. I didn’t like hearing those words.
“Well, I guess what I am really trying to say is that the last thing in the world that I want is to feel like I am in some way taking advantage of you. As you know, I have nothing but some annoying amounts of debt. You have quite a lot. In the case that we were to,” she choked up trying to formulate that idea. “In the case that we ever, you know, split up for any reason, I want you to feel like your assets and everything you own are secure and yours. Which is why I think a prenuptial contract is important. To protect you.”
“Are you joking?” I stared at her closely to make sure that she was being serious.
Her words at once annoyed me greatly but also made me admire her even more. Any other woman would be thrilled that I hadn’t brought up a prenup or tried to convince me to ignore it if I had brought it up. Aria would be the only person to care so much about protecting me because she didn’t want me for my money. She wanted me for me.
The part that annoyed me was that she thought that such an arrangement would even be necessary. That was absolutely preposterous. I saw no situation in any part of our future where divorce would ever even cross my mind, and I highly doubted that she did too. So she must think somehow that I might change my mind about how much I loved her down the line…she simply did not get that what I felt for her was beyond everyday romance, beyond my concern for my own life…
“I am not joking, Zayden. I want you to feel secure. It is important to me that you know that I am marrying you for the right reasons. I appreciate the promotion I got at work, and it will certainly help me grow into my own going forward. As such, even though we are nullifying our contract, I am going to pay you back for the money you paid towards my mother’s hospital bills, just like we had planned. I want us to be equals in this relationship, I couldn’t stress that more. In fact, down the line I expect to pay for half the costs we incur during this wedding. I know you don’t need the money, but it’s really a matter of principle at the end of the day. Do you understand what I am getting at?”
“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 20 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 cour
se, 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 14. 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 the 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 fairytale, 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 personal 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 Seven
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 TV 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 businesslike voice when she arrived. “You are going to get ready for the ceremony and subsequent reception, so Fabio here will do your hair and makeup so it lasts the next 12 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 diamonds 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 varieties 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 for 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 halfway into my makeup 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.
