by Megan Smith
Jaylinn reaches down and slides her shoe on. “It’s never just a few minutes with you.”
“Let’s try.”
“Let’s not.”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Five.” She retorts back, challenging me because she seriously doubts me, can't blame her.
“Ten.”
She puts her hands on her hips. “Five or no deal.”
“Deal.” I lean forward grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the bed with me. Five minutes will never be enough time but I’ll take what I can get.
Mason comes banging on my door shortly after Jaylinn leaves claiming he was kicked out.
I’m trying to figure out how in the fuck to use the coffee maker in our room. I’ve never seen anything like this one and I’m sure it’s not helping that I’m still half asleep.
“You nervous?” I ask Mason. He’s a little quieter than normal.
“Nah, excited and relieved more than anything.”
I nod and then smack the coffee machine off the desk and it lands in the trash can. Making coffee should not be that complicated.
“What the fuck?”
“I need coffee.”
“So you try to break it?”
I roll my eyes and fall back on my bed. “It’s already broken.”
Mason picks it up and tries to figure the damn thing out as well. A few minutes later he’s tossing it in the trash. “Let’s go find coffee.”
Climbing from the bed I search around for my hoodie and jeans and then follow behind Mason.
We find a small coffee shop downstairs and then head over to Midnight Atlantic to check out what they’ve done with the place in preparation for Mason’s wedding.
We walk out of Caesars Casino, across the boardwalk and The Pier Shops. We pass by some high end stores to a water fountain. I stop, dig into my pants pocket and pull out a few coins. I flip one with my thumb and watch it fly into the air before it sinks to the bottom on the fountain.
Mason smiles and shakes his head. “You make a wish?”
“Yup.”
“What is it?”
I shrug and we walk towards the elevators. “That Jaylinn will say yes when I propose.”
Mason stops dead in his tracks, eyes wide. “You’re going to ask her?”
I shrug again. “Yup.”
“Do you know any other word than yup?”
“Yup.” Dumbass walked right into that one.
“I guess I set myself up for that.”
“Yup.”
He shakes his head and hits the number four taking us to the top. “So when do you plan on asking Jay? And how come you never said anything to me?”
I lean back against the railing in the elevator and cross my ankles. “I didn’t know I was supposed to tell you everything,” I joke trying to lighten the mood. This is his day not mine. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
Mason curses.
“I’m just screwing around with you. I don’t know yet but soon, real soon.”
“Tonight?”
“Nah, today is about you and Hailey.”
He nods. “You get a ring already?”
The elevator dings and Mason and I step out. “Yeah, got it on Saturday. Jay was helping Sadie get settled in after she was released from the hospital and I ran out to see our boy over in Philly.”
“How’s Sadie doing?”
I open the door to Midnight Atlantic. “She’s hanging in there.”
Mason gets distracted by the sight in front of him. The entire place is nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows. The view is fucking breathtaking, with the Atlantic Ocean, beaches, boardwalk, and the Atlantic City skyline.
“Damn,” Mason whispers.
A girl comes from a side door dressed in a black skirt and a white blouse. Her hair on top of her head in a bun and she’s wearing some killer heels. She strides over to us, confident, head held high. She extends her hand to Mason. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Mason. I’m Amanda.”
Mason takes her hand and shakes it. “Nice to meet you, too.” He nods his head towards me. “This is my brother—”
“Cooper, right?” Amanda holds her hand out for me.
“Right,” I say shaking it.
“Would you like to see where the ceremony will be held?”
“Yes, please.”
Amanda strides back towards the door she just came from. “Right this way.”
As Mason and I pass through the door, Mason cocks his head to the side. “Are you the same Amanda I was talking to on the phone?”
She giggles and snorts at the same time.
“Ahh, there it is,” Mason says laughing.
Amanda looks down to her feet. “Yes, sorry. I was a little nervous talking with you over the phone. It’s not every day that Mason Cahill calls your work.”
Raising an eyebrow to Mason, “You let this guy get you all flustered?”
Her cheeks turn pink. “Yeah.”
And just to mess with her now, I flirt. “And I don’t do it for you?”
Mason snorts.
“Jeez, it’s getting a little hot in here,” Amanda fans her face. “I’ll make sure that the heat is turned down a little for the wedding.” We’ve stopped in front of another door.
“Doesn’t it get cold in here with all these windows?”
Mason shakes his head but it doesn’t stop me from messing with her.
“Well, yeah, but it’s not right now.”
I take a step closer. “You’re right. It is a little hot in here.” Then I take one more step, reach around her and turn the door knob.
“Oh jeez,” she says as Mason and I step around her.
Mason hits me on the arm. “Quit messing with her.”
Amanda flicks a light on and the room transforms. What looked like a room with a bunch of chairs lined up is now decorated with tall glass vases next to each row of chairs. Every vase has flowers and a floating candle in the center. The chairs are in perfect order, five on one side, and five on the other. Towards the front of the room there is a white archway with black bows and white flowers covering it. And tear drop lights hang from the ceiling just over the archway.
“Do you like?” Amanda asks anxiously.
Mason has yet to say a single word. He moves up to the front of the room and spins around. “It’s fucking perfect!”
Amanda squeals.
I give my approval as well even though it isn’t needed. “Nice job.”
“Thanks.”
“This is the same room that the reception will be in as well. We’ll move everyone across the hall for cocktail hour while we flip the room,” Amanda says it so fast it takes my mind a second to catch up.
“Do you have any of that stuff you drank before we came over here?”
Amanda’s eyes furrow. “Huh?”
“You’re talking so damn fast and have all this energy,” I hold up my coffee cup. “This isn’t cutting it.”
“If you would have kept your dick in your pants last night, and this morning, you probably wouldn’t need more than that coffee.”
Amanda’s cheeks burn crimson and she avoids eye contact.
“Not my fault she couldn’t get enough.”
“Ahh, if only Hunter was here you wouldn’t be talking like that.”
I shrug. He’s right I wouldn’t but he’s not here.
“Well, let me show you some of the smaller details. Flowers, cakes, center pieces, and all that fun stuff.”
Amanda leads us through the kitchen and into a huge open room. Mason and I spend another hour going over all the details about where we’ll be hanging out until it’s time for the ceremony, as well as where the girls will be stationed. She goes over the timeline for each step of the wedding and then finally finishes up asking if we have any questions.
“I know I mentioned on the phone that we need security just in case the media gets word of the wedding. I don’t think things will get crazy but you never know.”
Ama
nda shakes her head. “We’re covered. We have two guys who will be stationed at the elevators downstairs.”
Mason and I both nod. So far there haven’t been any issues since we arrived yesterday. A few people have asked for autographs from Mason and me and even asked what brought us to Atlantic City and we just said the obvious answer, gambling.
“Anything else?”
“Nope, I think you’ve got everything covered,” Mason says tucking his hands in his pockets.
“Great. Then I’ll see you all here tonight,” Amanda holds her hand out to Mason.
“Thanks again for everything. Hailey’s going to be blown away.”
“Ekk, thanks!”
“See you later, Amanda,” I say holding the door open and following behind Mason.
When we hit the elevator I see the tremble in Mason’s hand. “You’ll be a married man in hours.”
“I will.”
“Any regrets?”
He looks at me for a long minute. “None.”
“Then let’s get you married.”
Jaylinn
Hailey had two girls she went to school with come down to the hotel this morning to help us all get ready for the wedding. Chloe is getting her hair done while I’m sitting in the chair getting my makeup done. Shelly applies fake eyelashes to one of my lids. She leans down and gets the second one ready.
“Wow,” I hear MacKenzie say. “I thought you had gorgeous eyelashes before but you should see them now.”
I smile and lean around Shelly so I can see in the mirror. My eyelashes are long and thick, the way every girl wishes hers were.
“You like them?” Shelly asks. “I have other ones but I think those are going to look the best on you.”
“They’re perfect.”
“Good, now lean back and I’ll put the other side on.”
I feel a miniature hand grab hold of my fingers that I have laying on the armrest. “Up.”
I place my hand on top of my niece’s hand. “I’ll pick you up in a second, Liv.”
“Come here, sweet girl¸” MacKenzie picks her daughter up. “Look how pretty Aunt Jay looks, Olivia.”
“Up.”
“You are up, silly girl.”
Shelly laughs. “How old is she?”
“She just turned a year the day after Christmas.”
“Aww, my daughter turns one in a few months.”
“Well, tell her we said happy birthday.”
Shelly finishes with my makeup and then I switch seats with Chloe.
“Are we doing your hair up as well?” Emily asks.
“Whatever the boss wants.”
“I heard that!” Hailey yells from the main room where she’s playing with Caleb and Alexis.
Emily and I laugh. “Up it is.”
I sit in the chair for the next few hours while Emily works on curling my long hair in soft curls and then pins it up and off to the side with a few curls lining my face.
She sprays an entire can of hairspray in my hair. I stand and take a look in the mirror. I have to admit I look like a million bucks and I even feel like it, too.
Hailey steps up behind and rests her chin on my shoulder. “Beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
“Alright, move over bitches, it’s my turn.” MacKenzie pushes Hailey and me to the side.
“No matter what you do you’ll never look like this,” I say running a hand up and down my body.
Hailey and Chloe laugh.
“You’re such a bitch.”
“But you love this bitch.”
MacKenzie sighs. “I do, I do.”
Hailey, Chloe and I stand back holding each other for a few minutes while we watch Emily and Shelly get to work on MacKenzie and my mom. MacKenzie’s hair is being styled a bit different from what Chloe and I have since she’s the matron of honor. My mom has Shelly put just a little makeup on, nothing too heavy and fancy.
My breathing slows a bit at the pain of thinking mom might not be here for my own wedding. Why does cancer have to be such a bitch? It can sneak up at any time and deliver a punch you’ll never expect.
“Um, Jay?” I find MacKenzie’s eyes on me.
“Yeah?”
She’s trying not to smile. “What’s that?”
I look down thinking I spilled coffee on my button down shirt but what I find is that a button has come undone and it’s revealing a bite mark left by Cooper.
“Oh this,” I wave a hand dismissively, “battle with the vacuum cleaner.”
Hailey and Chloe both snort and MacKenzie rolls her eyes. Forgetting for half a second that my mom is in the room, my eyes dart over to her. She’s got her head leaning back against the chair so thankfully she didn’t see it.
“Shelly,” Mom starts. “Can you make sure that Jaylinn’s love bite is covered up for the wedding?”
All the girls bust out laughing and I hang my head in shame. Damn it, Cooper!
“Mom, it’s—”
“Don’t you dare, Jaylinn Marie. Don’t play me like I’m some kind of idiot.”
“Oh dear,” Elle, MacKenzie’s mom, says when she shuffles into the room with Olivia on one hip and Alexis on the other. “What did I just walk in on?”
“Jaylinn being yelled at for acting like a hussy.”
“MacKenzie!” I say through gritted teeth.
She laughs. “I’m just kidding,” her eyes cut over to her mom. “Cooper’s mouth fell onto Jaylinn’s boob.”
“Oh my God!” I say storming out of the room completely embarrassed.
I find my way back out to the main room of the suite and plop down onto the couch. Hailey and Chloe join me a few minutes later. Hailey is a ball of nerves, her legs are bouncing, she keeps playing with the hem of her shirt and she keeps checking her phone.
“We need some music.” Chloe reaches for her phone, a few clicks later and Girls Just Want To Have Fun comes on. She pulls Hailey off the couch and takes a rose out of the bouquet that was delivered from Mason earlier. Chloe pulls me up next and gives me a rose too and then she’s up on the couch and singing at the top of her lungs.
Hailey and I throw our heads back laughing.
“Let’s go, girls,” she sings.
Hailey and I climb onto the couch and join her. We’re standing there dancing, singing and carrying on when MacKenzie slides into the room, Tom Cruise-style, with her socks on damn near falling on her face.
MacKenzie grabs a rose, sticks it between her teeth then climbs onto the chair across from the couch. The four of us sing and carry on having the time of our lives. Wop by J. Dash comes on next and then we’re all scrambling finding new positions and dance moves to fit.
I’m to the point of crying from laughing at Hailey and MacKenzie. Both of their crazy asses are standing on the dining room table, white shirts that say Bride and Matron of Honor, white socks, white shorts and sunglasses. It’s a sight to see. Good thing no one has cameras, otherwise this could all end very badly.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Spoke too soon. My mom and Elle are standing in the hallway snapping pictures. Hailey and MacKenzie on the dining room table and Chloe and I on the couch look like a bunch of hot, drunk messes.
“Mom!” MacKenzie screams. “Don’t you dare put that on Facebook.”
“I’m not,” my phone beeps a second later as does Chloe’s.
I jump off the couch and pick up my phone. There is a notification from Twitter. “Pre-wedding dance party.”
“Shit.” I glance up to where Hailey and MacKenzie are climbing from the table. “Don’t worry it’s not on Facebook.”
“It’s on Twitter,” Chloe says.
MacKenzie stops suddenly, looking at her mom. “You’re on Twitter?”
Hailey bumps into MacKenzie. “You know how to use Twitter?”
Elle mocks being hurt.
Mom is standing there shaking her head at us. She looks beautiful, happy, healthy and not a care in the world today. “Y
ou girls are too much!”
MacKenzie grabs her phone, “Huh, look at that. You’re on Twitter.”
“Hailey!” Shelly yells. “You’re up!”
“Ekk!” Hailey skips down the hall. She brings Olivia and Alexis out to us and then heads back into the room. “No one is allowed in until I’m done.”
Mom and Elle take the babies and sit them near each other in front of the TV, with all their toys that were brought for them. Chloe, MacKenzie and I take a seat on the couch playing with our phones.
A few minutes later there is a knock on the door and we all look at each other. “Wonder who that is?” MacKenzie says scrambling off the floor near her daughter, heading to the door.
“Hey, baby,” MacKenzie says. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We brought some food to hold everyone over,” Jackson answers walking into our room with Hunter in tow.
I glance to the time on my phone and see that it’s about seven. A few more hours and we’d have to make our way across the boardwalk to the venue.
Chloe’s ears perk up. “I knew I married that man for a reason.”
Jackson scratches his head. “You married me for bringing you food?”
“Mom, can we go?” Alex bounces into his mom’s lap.
“Soon, baby, soon.” Chloe grabs a bag from Jackson and starts to pull sandwiches out and placing them on a paper plate she also took out from the bag.
“Be right back.” MacKenzie walks away towards the room Hailey is in. A second later she comes back shaking her head.
“What’s the matter, CC?” Hunter asks.
“I asked crazy in there if she wanted anything to eat and she threatened to break my fingers if I touched the doorknob.”
Hunter chuckles. “Sounds about right coming from her.”
MacKenzie takes a seat on the floor next to Olivia and Ryder, Hunter slides in behind her and he pulls her back against his chest. Seeing them sitting there makes me want to be wrapped up in Cooper’s arms. The love my brother shares with MacKenzie is a true fairytale, the ones you only read about in books. But seeing them here in front of me makes me believe that anyone can have what they have, once they find their true soul mate.
I found mine, even if it was a little rough getting there, just like a diamond in the rough, it takes a lot of time, patience and energy to find the beauty within. Cooper is my diamond in more ways than one. One day I hope to have his babies running circles around us, keeping us up late at night, mending broken hearts, and cleaning their cuts.
