A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair) (23 page)

“So you left class then what?”

“I came here and wrote nonsense in a journal and I got mad”

“What do you mean?”

“I was Tristan’s Aria. reckless, out of control, and full of rage” he tightens his grip around me

“I was always afraid my effect on you was never the wonderful affect you had on me”

“You got that right, I made you think and you made me mad”

“Oh Aria, I am so sorry for all of this
, I look at you and your words are filled with all your pain” “I was foolish and naïve, it was my first real relationship, I was hurt and didn’t know how to deal”

I don’t want to remember this an
ymore but it seems Mr. Bach wants to talk.

“Aria for what it’s worth we suffered together but alone”

“It’s done, it’s over with, I did find solace here, comfort, I was so enthralled in us, so consumed by all of it. So when we broke up and I finally knew it was over where did I go? I use to come here a lot, this is where we were happy, so I sat and remembered, I dredge up all of it the good times the bad times even or antics I put it all down on paper so I could finally breathe again, and not have you on my mind twenty for seven”

Just then he
kisses my temple as his shoulders envelope across my chest and it hits me like a ton of bricks all today being with him, I want for nothing, a feeling comes over me of utter contentment, his regard for me radiates, how his heart burns for mine, finally I feel it all, for the first time it all feels so real as my heart blooms for him.

If anything I must admit it to myself, he is the love of my life
, In his arms as they are draped around me, I feel his fear of losing me again, and then the tears start to well in my eyes, because I have made decisions in my life recently that prohibit me from
finally
having what I want….him.

“All that I put you through,
the sadness, the anguish all at my hands Aria, I am so sorry for all of it I am so ashamed, you gave me so much and I left you with nothing but pain and heartache” well if anything that is an accurate account of the whole situation that we called our relationship, and I must fess up too that I was no help in fixing us.

“Tristan, I walked away from you too, it may have been you that
left me, but you are not entirely to blame for us not finding one other, it’s not fair to put this all on you”

“Aria I never thought I
could be your whole life…”

“Tristan you weren’t”

“Jeez thanks” his bruised ego was apparent

“You were
just the part I couldn’t live without” there I said it, he kisses my cheek and held me tight

“Oh Aria you have always been my sunlight in the rain”

“You were my sunshine and my pain” he laughs at my sarcastic antidote

“I never knew why you wanted me, I knew why I wanted you but I never got your attraction to me”

“You were the whole package Tristan you touched every one of my senses and then left me senseless.

“Ok I guess your jabs and pokes I deserve”

“Tristan whenever we were together you made it like New Year’s Eve”

“I want you all to myself”

He turns me around slowly and there it is, it’s been there since I saw him at his restaurant yesterday in that one brief moment when our eyes lock onto one another,
he is in love with me. I see forever in those eyes.
That was the reason why I always let him back in, hoping he would wake up and see the error of his way and now it’s all in front of me wrapped in my favorite, a tux.

“Aria, I never ever wanted anyone the way I want you, you are the love of my life, you know that don’t you? Your love
is what gave me my life back!” He presses his forehead to mine trying anyway to get me to see things his way, his voice is above a whisper, tears streaming down my cheeks, he holds my face in his hands and kisses away my tears, his words warm my heart for this man who once was my only happiness.

“T
ristan you were my favorite hello and my hardest goodbye” and it is my heart speaking now, not my filtered brain that has been programed to rebuke him, not my sarcastic remarks, it was me Aria the girl who feel in love with him all those years ago.

Tristan sighs as if he has been holding his breath forever, a smile that is so shy and innocent
has been on his face all day, it’s quite clear that his heart has been talking to mine. I stand between his legs as his arms are draped around my waist, holding me close, my lips against his neck and there is no place like being in Tristan Bach’s arms. When all of a sudden

Sputter, drip, splash,

We stand and suddenly we are jolted by the lawn sprinklers.

“I
t must be eleven o’clock!” we murmur, we both laugh as we recall us running through the sprinklers barefoot and tipsy like two kids without a care in the world, we were so young and foolish together. Good times as I recall our antics romping around in the sprinklers.

“C
ome let’s have dinner” Tristan takes my hand and we walk back to my car.

-------<>-------

We pull up to The Ritz Carlton Hotel
and Lawrence opens my door for me. Tristan tosses him the keys and I have a feeling Lawrence is wondering who this gentlemen is driving my car, Oh well. Then it dawned on me, the kitchen closes at ten-thirty pm we can’t eat here? Tristan is at my side as we are greeted by the doorman, he opens the gold and glass doors for us, as we make our way into the vestibule of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. I am in his arms as he pulls me close to him and we take the gold and wood elevator to the lobby on six. I do not know what is going on but I feel alive and vibrant in Tristan’s arms, he has always colored my world, and I am brought back to my realization.

“Tristan we can’t eat here the kitchen is closed!” his sly smile tells me
he knows something that I don’t. Did I mention to you all that he is very resourceful in getting his way?

“Aria, we can order room service and have dinner” I shake m
y head at him, very presumptuous of him or pretty clever, I’m not sure yet, the sexy beast has a plan as I see the gleam in his eye.

As the elevator doors open we
face the lavish lobby on six, The Ritz Carlton looks like a palace in Europe, ornate over the top opulence drenched in well attentive staffers.

Tristan takes my hand and we
walk over to the front desk and check in, the self-centered ego-maniac beside me has a reservation yet, ok I’m going for presumptuous.

I don’t say a word I stand next to him
and the curt lady at the desk asks about luggage.

“W
e have it covered” he replies. This self-knowing bastard has me covered alright.

“A
nd we’d like to order your midnight night crab and steak Royale for two, with a bottle of champagne” his words are sheer genius.

Ok
I’m impressed; by the self-centered ego maniac, yes very clever of him.

The very curt young blond in her black suit checks us in and readies all the paperwork as her very delft fingers type with purpose and intent, oh if she only knew who I was
standing next to, she clears her throat and pulls me from my thoughts.

“Of course
Mr. and Mrs. Bach you are in the
Presidential Suite.
Here are your keys to your suite, take these elevators behind you to the fourteenth floor suite number 850 welcome the  Ritz Carlton and enjoy you stay” He looks from the curt lady to me, I purse my lips at Tristan and he knows why.

“Thank you very much” Tristan say as he takes back his credit card and collects his room key.

“If there is anything we can do Mr. Bach, to make you stay more pleasurable please don’t hesitate to lets us know” She gets a good look at him and she is now blushing, oh gosh he does have that charm set at mock speed, but my dear sweet Mr. Bach turns to me with his seductive smile.

“Come Mrs. Bach
midnight supper awaits” wow his endearment startles me and his tone is laced with humor and sexual innuendo. This man has no bounds, he does what he damn well pleases, and everyone else around him just follows suit including me.

I take his out reached han
d and I know from this moment on my heart is making all my decision, logic and rationale has been bound and gagged and set somewhere in the middle of Lake Erie.                                         

-------<>-------

The Presidential suite at THE RITZ is pale green and gold, it has a full kitchen, stocked bar, Jacuzzi and no sooner a knock at the door.

Two men in black
, with smiles and intent, our midnight supper.

“W
here would you like it Mr. Bach?”

“O
ver by the balcony please” the boats are still sailing up and down the river and we can see them from here, how wonderful, that area down there is busy till the wee hours of the morning, college kids, the twenty-something crowd all looking for I don’t know what, but you can hear the crowds in the distance.

“Yes Mr. Bach”

The wait staff expeditiously set the table by the balcony door, the warm cool breeze reverberates through-out the room. Tristan and I watch as they move very quickly with attention to detail from the beautiful china, to real silver flatware, they adorn the table with candles and flowers, a table side champagne stand that looks like a silver top hat how cute. Talk about precision and grace, from the swan folded napkins, down to butter shaped like shells.

I have to say The Ritz Carlton
really does midnight dinner quite well; the two men complete the mood by lighting the candles for our midnight supper. Tristan fists them some cash and then they’re gone, and we are alone.

“
Aria shall we eat?”

“W
hat no Gypsy Violinist!”

His mouth drops open and he
shakes his head at me.

“I will remember that for next time” hmm…next time pretty damn sure of himself isn’t he, but still absolutely adorable.

I reach up and pull his tie and un-do his top button as
he pushes his hair back and suddenly I’m not that hungry for steak Royale and crab claws.

“Dinner, come
, let’s eat” he is almost shy did I catch him off guard?

We walk over to the table
, he holds out my chair, and sits next to me. The pop of champagne, without spilling a bubble, yes that is Tristan Bach.

We fe
ast on delectable cracked crab claws, steak Royale with grilled veggies, a bread basket that even Cheswick would appreciate and for dessert, what else but chocolate soufflé.

I must have a smile on my face that says it all because Tristan has finally relaxe
d with me; he is funny, fetching, terribly indiscreet and my heart blooms for this man, we share a meal and this is how Tristan and I have always spent our time together, our few drinks after work that turned into dinner and then he pushed the sex issue and I would just take off.

Tristan reaches for my hand as he is telling me about the fiasco at his restaurant that brought him in on Friday
, he kisses my hand and continues how the purchasing orders got all mess up by the new girl and his comment was cute.

“Because of her screw-up I found you, the girls definitely getting a raise!”

I blush and shake my head as I press my lips together. We finish dinner and it was wonderful. Taking account of today I have not eaten like this in a long time, I mean just looking at Tristan, I recall all the delectable eats we have feasted on, he made me breakfast, we had lunch at his place, and now when you can’t get a meal past closing time, Tristan pulls together a midnight supper fit for a king, and not too shabby surrounding I might add. I look at our pristine accommodations this is way over the top.

We talk and talk about old times and he
insists on knowing what else I have been up to since we last saw one another. He seems poised and debonair, he is devastatingly handsome as ever as he quizzes me about all my interest, he is sensitive and quite enthusiastic,  but mostly he has finally opened his heart to me, I have forgotten how charming he is, how adorable and delightful he can be and it is what I have missed the most about him, because we were never lovers, we were friends, we always talked and confided in one another and when he left I lost my friend as well as my one true love.

The good news is
Tristan informs me of his family, his mom and he made peace, his step dad is an amazing guy once he got to know him and his sisters are doing well one is a chocolatier while the other is pre law in college. We get to finally talk as adults, no drama, no antics, no mind games he is docile, charismatic, funny, he is everything I never knew I missed.