After The One (The One Series Duet) (32 page)

“No, wait.” I took a deep breath. “Don’t tell me what it is. Just tell me why I have to wait until after we’re married. Because if you wait until our reception to say something like, ‘I just found out Lillian has a two year old and it’s mine,’ I will kill you.”

Julian started laughing and I continued, “Julian Evan Winters, I’m serious. It’ll go from
The One: Wedding Special
to
The One Time That Bride Killed The Groom At The Reception: Special Victims Unit.”

Julian’s deep, rumbling chuckle soothed me and erased the last of my worries. Something about his laugh made me feel at ease, like we were back at home with no microphones, no cameras, and none of the Lillians or Leahs of the world.

The sound of his laugh spread through me and I bit my lip as the smile stretched across my face.

“I swear it’s nothing like that at all,” Julian assured me. “I guarantee it won’t make you sad or mad. I can’t tell you yet, but it will not upset you. I swear.”

“Okay.” I breathed, feeling lighter. I curled up into a ball. “Okay.”

“Are you okay now?” Julian asked.

“I’m more than okay.” I nuzzled my head into my pillow. “I don’t know how you do it, but you make everything better.”

“You make me better.”

There was a tremble in my chest as I fell more deeply in love with him.

“God, Julian. I love you.”

“I love you, too. And I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Lenny chipped her nail so in the morning we’re going back to the spa so she can get that taken care of and then the ladies and I are headed off site, I’m assuming for brunch. Then we’re coming back to the resort so we can get dressed and I can marry the man of my dreams.”

“Say that again.”

“I’m going to marry the man of my dreams,” I repeated, amusement in my voice.

“I like the sound of that.”

We talked for a few minutes longer before we said goodnight. I fell asleep happy and when I woke up hours later, I had a grin on my face. After a long hot shower, I slipped on the white dress my friends had gotten me. I looked at myself in the mirror and admired the way the sheer lace top looked against my skin. The short satin skirt was a flirty length that showed off my legs. I felt elegant and beautiful.

We’re probably going to one of those tea parties Keisha was talking about or a day party if Lenny or Koko had anything to do with planning it.
I put my hand on my belly and turned to the side.
Whatever it is, I’d rather be overdressed than underdressed.

“Bride-to-be!” Keisha yelled from somewhere downstairs. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

Deciding to try out my own version of my wedding hairstyle, I pinned my hair to one side. Instead of having my hair completely pinned up, I allowed my hair to just hang loose and free—not only because I preferred my hair down and flowing, but because I wouldn’t have been surprised if a penis tiara or some other bachelorette crown found its way onto my head over the course of the day.

I lined my eyes with black eyeliner and after glossing my lips, I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. I was going to have makeup on during the wedding so I wanted my skin to breathe and went with a natural look.

After slipping into sexy five-inch stiletto heels and a black cardigan, I was ready to go. I spun around slowly, pleased with my appearance.

I made my way downstairs and stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw them.

“You guys look great!” I cried as my eyes swept over them.

Koko, Keisha, and Lenny each had on a different black lace dress. All of the dresses were short, but they each had different cuts and styles that showcased their bodies.

“You look beautiful,” Lenny complimented me.

“If you look this good in this white dress, imagine what you’re going to look like later in your gown. You are so beautiful, Zoe. You’re glowing,” Keisha added.

Koko’s eyes watered. “You’re getting married today,” she murmured before running over to me and hugging me tight.

“Don’t cry or you’re going to make me cry,” I mumbled, careful not to get her flowing blue-streaked locks stuck to my lip gloss as we embraced. “Wearing this makes me feel bridal.”

“You look bridal,” Koko wailed.

I hugged Keisha and Lenny next and then shrugged my shoulders. “Are you going to tell me where we’re headed now?” I lifted my black clutch. “I only have my wallet and my phone in here. I hope we’re eating wherever we go. I’m starving!”

Lenny looked a little panicked. “We’re still going to get my nail fixed at the spa before heading out right?”

Keisha put her hand on Lenny’s shoulder. “Yes. Don’t worry.” She looked down at the cracked nail. “How did you do that anyway? We’ve had our nails done for less than twenty-four hours.”

Lenny’s eyes lit up. “You would not believe the position James put me in—”

“You know what?” I interrupted with a laugh. “I can’t hear any wild sex stories without something in my stomach.” I patted my belly. “Both of us are starving so hold that thought.”

They laughed.

“Okay while you do that, I’m going to call Omar and have him make sure Julian isn’t near any of the windows so we can get out of here as soon as possible,” Keisha offered.

Koko nodded. “Perfect.”

I grabbed a banana, a protein bar, and a bottle of water then followed my best friends out of the villa to Koko’s car. We heard all about Lenny’s wild night which had included once at the party on the golf course, once back at the villa in her room, and then again in the outdoor hot tub.

“Yeah, I won’t be using that anymore,” Keisha quipped as Lenny got out of the car.

She flashed us her middle finger with a laugh before disappearing into the spa.

The rest of us waited in the car. Keisha informed us that although Scott was really cute, Omar was sexy and he challenged her. They’d gotten into an argument about something she couldn’t even remember, and she’d realized how sexy it was that he challenged her and wasn’t intimidated by her.

Koko let us know what we already knew—she and Bryce were in love. She also told us what we didn’t already know—Bryce hadn’t left our villa until an hour before we were supposed to wake up.

“Well, I knew,” Keisha spoke up as we watched Lenny walk back to the car, staring at her fixed nail. “The walls are thin.”

“What?” Koko whipped her head around with a huge grin as she gripped the steering wheel. “We don’t mind an audience, but we were quiet!”

“Yeah…maybe…but I know I woke up to the sound of the headboard hitting the wall.”

Koko laughed. “Well after talking things through until we fell asleep, I needed some action before he left. Unfortunately, at the wedding, we’re still going to have to act like we’re not together so…” She made a face.

“All done!” Lenny announced as she climbed into the backseat.

“What do you think would happen if you and Bryce went to your bosses and came out as a couple?” I wondered aloud.

“Oh! Are you going to do that?” Lenny asked as Koko pulled off toward the resort exit.

“I don’t know. JJ knows. She said she could tell and she doesn’t care. She said as long as the relationship doesn’t negatively impact my work, it’s none of her business and my job is safe. But Robert Brady doesn’t know and he’s a wild card. I don’t want Bryce to lose his job,” Koko told us, sorrow in her tone. “But enough of that, we are going to have a beautiful brunch and then we are going to get our hair and makeup done and then we are going to watch our Zoe become Mrs. Julian Winters.”

Howls and catcalls rang out from the three of them as I grinned foolishly.

I am going to be Mrs. Julian Winters.

We arrived at some swanky restaurant thirty minutes away from the resort. We hopped out of the car and the valet drove off leaving us staring up at the building in awe.

“Wow,” I commented as we took tentative steps toward the reflective glass doors. We couldn’t see in, but we could certainly tell from the doorman that we were out of our usual element.

“Nice choice,” Lenny muttered under her breath.

Koko nodded. “This is going to be amazing.”

As we approached, the doorman opened the door for us. I was the first one to enter the building.

“Wow,” I repeated to myself as I looked at the marble columns, ancient Greek statues, and elaborate mural on the high ceiling. Paintings and sculptures were strategically placed along the walls while benches were positioned throughout the middle.

I hope they didn’t have to pay to get us a reservation here.
I looked over at them and noticed the wonder in their faces.
Maybe they didn’t even know how expensive this place is.

My friends were truly the best group of women. I loved them wholeheartedly and I appreciated the effort they’d put in to be there for me. But I could not in good faith allow them to spend whatever kind of money this place required.

I cast my gaze around once more before I stopped in my tracks. I had been so captivated by the beauty that I hadn’t realized it appeared as though we were at a museum and not a restaurant.

“This way,” Koko directed as she strutted across the marble floor. Our heels clicked in the mostly silent gallery as we followed her to the desk.

“Hello, we have a reservation under Zoe Winters,” Koko told the female attendant.

I grinned as I heard my married name for the first time from someone other than me or Julian. “Zoe Winters,” I murmured.

Lenny heard me and grabbed my hand.

I squeezed it and she squeezed back.

“While you wait for your table, please feel free to take in our gallery. We have information packets here and we can send a text when your table is ready,” a male attendant spoke up.

With a tight smile, the female attendant corrected him. “Their table is ready now.” She turned back to Koko. “Your guests are already here. To get to our restaurant, please take our elevator to the second floor.”

As soon as we were at the elevator, I let my curiosity be known. “Our guests? Who are we meeting here?” I asked as Lenny and Keisha avoided eye contact with me.

“Who do you think?” Koko replied with her best poker face.

I talked to Mom and Dad this morning and they were going to breakfast with Julian’s parents… I texted Zach, but he didn’t answer...

“Probably an old friend from UCLA…?” I looked from Koko to Keisha, but then Lenny caught my eye. “Or someone from Breakers Bar?”

No one said a word, even though I scowled at them as they exchanged knowing smiles.

The elevator door dinged open to a posh restaurant with two glass walls and several marble columns. Crisp white tablecloths and glass tableware gave the entire room a heightened elegance. Even the waiters and waitresses wore solid white dress shirts and either black pants or skirts.

“This place is unbelievable,” Keisha remarked.

A waitress greeted us and once Koko gave her my name, we were taken to a table in a little alcove. A grin spread across my face as I saw who was waiting for us.

My eyes stung with happy tears. “I thought you said you were having breakfast with Julian’s parents,” I cried, throwing my arms around my mom and then my dad.

“We wanted to surprise you,” my mom said, stroking my hair.

“Are you surprised?” my dad asked with a stroke to my cheek.

“I’m so surprised!” I put my hand to my chest and then I went around them to hug the other members of my family. “Hi Grandma!”

After embracing my grandma, my brother and his girlfriend, my cousin and her boyfriend, and my aunt who I hadn’t even known was going to be able to make it, we all sat down. I noticed they all had on black and white.

“You all look great.” I looked at my best friends, my gaze focused on Koko for a beat longer than the rest. “Thank you for everything. This is amazing.”

We ate family style while we enjoyed each other’s company. We had loud group conversations. We broke off into separate, smaller conversations. We spent almost two full hours eating decadently and laughing heartily.

My mom looked at her watch. “Oh! We have to head back soon.”

I looked at the clock on my phone; the wedding wasn’t going to start until five and it wasn’t even noon.

I guess we should be back no later than two o’clock.

I was having such a good time; I didn’t want to leave right away. It had nothing to do with having second thoughts about being Julian’s wife—I wanted that more than anything. My hesitation was rooted in the fact that we were sharing our last real meal all together until the next holiday season.

The only thing missing, the one thing that would make the moment complete was Julian, but besides him, I had all my loved ones together in one spot for the first time ever. I didn’t make it back home to Virginia as often as my family would’ve liked. My family didn’t make it California as often as I would’ve liked. My friends and I were busy with work so we didn’t see each other as often as we should. Our brunch at the incredibly chic Greek-inspired venue would always be a treasured memory.

I used my dessert fork to clink my glass, getting my friends and family’s attention. “First, thank you all for being here. You all look beautiful in your black and white. I’m glad I got to spend a few private moments with you. This surprise brunch was exactly what I needed before having to be on camera later. Speaking of that…you didn’t sign up to do a television show and I apologize for you being subjected to the intrusion, but I will say I am thankful that Koko signed me up for
The One.
” I looked at her and smiled before sweeping my gaze around the table. “Without the show, I wouldn’t have met Julian when I did and we wouldn’t be getting married today.”

I cleared my throat before I continued. “I am incredibly blessed to have you all with me today to celebrate my marriage to Julian. In five hours, I will be walking down the aisle surrounded by all of you. Each of you has touched me and molded me into the woman I am so I just wanted to take a few minutes to say I love you, and I am so thankful and blessed to have you in my life.”

While everyone clinked glasses, I ran the pad of my finger under my eyes to absorb any moisture. I felt so simultaneously happy and weepy, I couldn’t be sure if I was crying or not.