A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair) (44 page)

“Here allow me” he hold
s up his wrist one at a time and I don’t look at him as I put in his cufflinks, I do the other wrist and step behind him and hold out his jacket he slips it on and I grab one of my raw silk raven black bow-ties, I turn up his collar and he lifts up his chin as I snake it around his neck.

“This one looks better on you
, I made it for this shirt” I tie it perfectly in seconds, I turn the collar down and he looks amazing as usual. I go to walk away and he grabs me

“Let me zip you up
, the whole world doesn’t need to see all your treasures” I smile I am so in trouble with this man but I don’t care, I am so high right now high off of him that my feet are never going to touch the ground. His lips are at my ear I turn my head and he kisses me sweetly

“
Thank you Mr. Bach”

“
You are so beautiful” I smile as I look up at him

“You! no more tuxedo’
s” he looks at me as his teeth cinch his bottom lip

“Does it have a profound effect on you?” he is being playful while I am in deep shit

“Well let’s just say that Saturday night was a direct result of my weakness for men in tuxedos” he laughs and he is so adorable

What about today?”

“Combination of tuxedo and sexual frustration”

“So you just want me for sex?”

“No, sex anyone can have, with you tonight it was more lateral” he smiles and takes my breath away

“Oh my
naughty Marietta”
he pulls me in his arms and kisses me, I touch my lips and grab my bag from the desk.

“Come
let’s go!”

We walk out of the store together I lock the doors

“Aria this is far from over, I will see you tonight”

“
I will hold you to it” he smiles as he leaves my side. Tristan goes one way and I go the other.

I hurry as I catch the escalator up to the show area in the main area of Tower Centre where the huge dancing water fountain is. A feeling of uneasiness comes across me as I see who is walking towards me at a brisk pace,  none other
than the women in black, Miss Samantha Winter.

“Miss Macy I have been looking all over for you”
oh what does the grim reaper want all dressed in gloom.

“Really did you see Oliver he should be able to answer any questions in my absence”

“What I have to say has nothing to do with Oliver” ok so now I am intrigued as I cross my arms and stand in front of her. Just then my name is being shouted by a very tall familiar blond and her cohort who I know from the news here in Cleveland, its Robin Swaboda and none other than Mr. Jimmy Donovan.

“Aria Macy we need your help, Jimmy lost his bow-tie he can’t find it anywhere
”

“Um Miss. Winter excuse me would you?” I
am only too happy to walk away from miss gloom and doom.

“Sure no problem right this way” Jimmy Donovan
and Robin Swaboda follow me to Oliver where I grab a black raven bow-tie from one of the many that Oliver has in his pockets.

“May I?” I stand in front of Mr. Donovan and tie his tie for him in no time flat.

“There you go problem solved” they both look at me like I saved the day, oh well it’s just Business as Usual for us.

“
Miss Macy thank you so much”

“Please call me Aria and it was my pleasure to be of help Mr. Donovan and Mrs. Swaboda, keep the tie to remember this evening.

“Robin and Jimmy Please” Robin says with a sweet smile that is all her own. They head down to the main floor to MC this event, the crowd is starting to gather. I would say a pretty hefty turn out of people have shown up for this event, it gets bigger every year and with Jimmy and Robin hosting it’s a good time, they should do a two drink minimum. I like their banter, it reminds me of you know who and myself. Speaking of you know who as I stand in the wings and glance over the crowd and see not one but two of my favorite men out there, the man who wants to marry me and the man who secretly loves me…jeez
how insensitive I must have been when he told me that he loved me.

Chapter 23

BLOW ME ONE LAST KISS

The music is blaring, the room i
s all dressed up it looks like New Year’s Eve, the lights are low the balloons are all over to designate certain area, they really did a nice job.

It’s after seven
and the shows about to start.

“Hey Aria how are you”

“Good Mark how are you?” Mark is the manager of Tiffany and Company

“I was just talking to Tr
istan”

“
Really you two still making all the romps to the player clubs?” I think they don’t but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

“
Aria you know I am not that guy anymore” just than Oliver is at my side and he needs some help.

“Li
sten I have to go good to see you Mark” I follow Oliver and he has an issue with a belt so we grab some two sided tape and fix it, there problem solved yet again.

I just make it behind the stage.
The models look great, the clothes are simply stunning all the stores really brought their A game tonight, the dresses from Saks, the Tiffany jewelry and handbags, gosh this is like a
parade of wishes and wants for me.

T
he models are lined up looks like everything is ready to go, the show coordinators are managing the rest. Which is of course Samantha Winter the girl with the clipboard, I don’t know what it is about her but she just rubs me the wrong way and I don’t even know her, she started with the Tower Centre not too long ago well this is the first time I have had to deal with her I should ask Oliver what her story is, he always finds out the insider information. I glance down and find my friends in their places.

Ian is sitting in his
seat; he looks great in his charcoal suit and custom gray tie I made for him. He smiles back at me. Of course right beside him are Erika and Sabrina and Christopher, I have to say my friends clean up nice. 

Oh the looks and glares I am getting from them, shock on Sabrina’s face for sure, Erika she is harder to read, I think her lo
ok is worry, doubt, and anger.

I pan the audience and gosh I
have dressed more than half of the men here it seems, I see a lot of Business as Usual clients as well as a lot of ties in the sea of on lookers, I know there inseam and their likes and dislikes and I am pretty damn proud of myself as I give them all a once over they all look fabulous.

I am wearing
my little black Christian Dior crepe dress, with the tiny white peter pan collar that is adorned with all crystals, this dress is quite fitted, I look the innocent bride-to-be right down to my Christian Dior black stiletto heels, I am six inches taller, I feel powerful and so relaxed is it the heels or the illicit sex? Well I have a smile on my face that completes the look, so I am going with a combination of  both killer heels, and sex with hot ex equals…today’s hot look.

Here comes Oliver, he looks amazing
, have I never told you about him? Oliver is as tall as me barely five feet, he looks like Georgio Armani, suave, debonair blue eyes, blond hair he is just amazing, he and his partner Gerry who is a night club singer here in town just adopted a rescue dog, Tootsie they are both so dear to me.

“Aria you look beautiful
, glowing, radiant actually my dear” Oliver is in his electric cerulean suit that he made for this evening. Oh shit does he know about my office antics?

“You are pretty dapper in that suit
I must say” as I straighten his tie, we exchange some banter and he hugs me hard. Shit he knows, he saw Tristan enter my office, he knows I got it bad for that man and probably how bad we gave it to each other…shit shit shit why is my universe falling apart? My past is compromising my future and my future doesn’t compare to my past. My thoughts are interrupted and brought back to the events at hand as the lights are blinking to signal everyone to take their seats.

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

Show
time
….The stage is set before the marble staircase; the models are to walk down the stairs over the huge oval water fountain and then back up the steps. The fountain is lit up in white and blue lights almost like a runway at the airport pretty nifty I must say. All of the tables are all arranged around the huge center fountain; it’s quite dramatic and makes a great center piece for the show. The food and bar are behind the third row.

I can see the whole area from where I am
standing on the balcony above it all, I see that The Theatrical Grill has set up the buffet by the wall of windows that overlook the river, I see the beer garden is down further and it is set up with huge TV’s to catch the game or whatever is on and the wine and martini bar with the sign big as day that reads Chateau de Bach, I get a glimpse of Tristan, wow devastatingly handsome, sharp, sexy and in charge his black tousled hair, that killer tux and he is wearing my shirt and the bowtie that I made, he is animated and pristine, always commanding and he does look like a model no wonder Oliver thought he was one, gosh I always thought he was way too good looking for me. I always thought I could never satisfy him and his insatiable desires, but how times have changed and his desires have become my own.

I am caught staring at him and our eyes lock on
to one another, I don’t dare make a motion he nods and I look away to the show and watch the clothes and jewelry go by. The music is hip and trendy, it’s pumping up the audience. The lights are set the energy in the room is exciting I can’t wait to see it all.

I am
caught up in the moment as I glance over the audience; flashes go off in every direction as I can see this event is pretty heavily covered by the press. Events such as this, moments like this one is what I have worked for my whole life to see my art walk across that runway, what I create we live in it, we work in it and we play in it. I never get tired of fashion shows or clothing nor shopping the whole realm of it all, to me this is the brass ring, sure I could be in New York or Paris but when I get to do what I love in my own home town surrounded by my family and friends that to me is success.

I glance over to Ian he is making comments to others and he looks so proud, he has always been my cheerleader, even when we were
kids he always was in my corner, just to see him now champion me he makes me smile and he looks up at me and blows me a kiss and I reach out and catch it. He smiles and pats his heart. He is special, he is romantic and he loves me. I am pulled from my thoughts by Oliver who hands me a program for this event to see what all is being auctioned off by all the other stores and venders here this evening.

Wow this is quite an impressive list of goodies up for
grabs; I can see this is going to be a great evening.

*****
A SUMMER OF FASHION
*****

FASHIONS PROVIDED BY THE FOLLOWING

Tiffany and Company

T
hree carat cocktail ring

One carat dia
mond earrings

Tiffany handbag in Tiffany blue

Tiffany Atlas Watch

Twelve differ
ent Tiffany key rings and accessories

Saks Fifth Avenue at Tower Centre

Louie Vuitton handbag and matching Wallet

Dresses by BCBG

Dresses by Narcisco Rodriguez

Dresses by Donna Karen

Dresses By Ralph Lauren

A day at the Spa at Saks Fifth Avenue for two

A full set of Men
’s golf clubs

A complete makeover courtesy of Chanel cosmetics

Tory Birch handbag and wallet

Chanel

Dress, jackets, handbags

Leather accessories

And more…

Lord
& Taylor

Coach handbag and shoes

Dresses by Dior

Dresses By DVF

Dresses by Calvin Kline

A coach legacy briefcase

A fox fur stole and leather gloves

A French coffee press with coffee for one year from Gavalia

Bloomingdales Department Store

Michael Kors handbag and wallet

Dresses by Oscar de la Renta

Dresses by Betsy Johnson

Accessories by Polo

Men’s Gucci loafers and leather wallet

Women’s cashmere sweater and gloves