Authors: Claire Adams
Zayden beamed delightfully, as Stacey and
my mom began to sob into their handkerchiefs. Even Zayden’s mom looked
reluctantly moved. I found myself tear up as well, from the sheer power of the
words I had spoken. Because they were true and because we were in love and
because this was the most beautiful thing that had ever happened to me.
By the time Zayden spoke his vows, his
voice was trembling.
“Aria, Aria, Aria. I feel like there is
very little words can say that can describe just how ecstatic I am to be here
with you today, ready to make you mine forever. I think I have spoken enough of
why you are so extraordinary – which no one can argue that you are one in a
million – and of our past and how you made me fall in love with you so
hopelessly. Today, I want to speak of our future. Oh the beautiful, magnificent
future we are going to build together, Aria. I wish I could show you the things
we are going to be doing together, extraordinary things, both in terms of
business and our personal lives. I can’t wait to build my perfect family with
my perfect partner. We will have as many kids as you want and can have. They
will all take after their mom and be adorable little feisty trouble-makers. We
will buy a house in every State – and country – you desire so you are never
bored of a place again. Your mind is too grand to be stationed at a single
town. You are capable of so much Aria. I look forward to being your business
partner almost as much as I look forward to being a husband – which is still
not nearly close enough, cause God I have never looked forward to anything in
my life as much as I look forward to being your husband – and I know you will
take my life to its highest points and my business too. You will get everything
your enormous heart desires, before you even ask for it, before you even
realize you want it. I will take care of all your needs and always love you
with everything I have, more every day than the last. Even when we are old and
wrinkly and blind. No matter what. In sickness and in health. You are right,
Aria, this right here is exactly what fairy tales are made of. You are right.
This is our happily ever after.”
Everyone burst into applause, as I started
bawling as hard as Stacey and my mom. Even Nick was tearing up and Zayden’s
mom’s eyes seemed rather twinkly. I was so overcome with emotion that for a
moment, I had even forgotten where I was, until I saw that hundreds of
onlookers were gazing at our wedding. Strangers dressed in bright and colorful
Christmas outfits were clapping from meters away and tearing up and it was just
like all my favorite weddings from my favorite movies had coalesced into one
fantastical ceremony. Except the ceremony was mine and I was the heroine and in
about three seconds I would be married to the love of my life.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,”
the minister said at last. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Zayden and I wasted no time in embracing
each other as tightly as we could and kissing deeply, lovingly with all our
might, as the crowd continued to cheer from every corner into the visible
distance. It was done, it had happened, it was over. I was now and will always
be the wife of Zayden Sinclair.
Chapter
8
Zayden
The wedding ceremony had gone perfectly and
I was rather thrilled that Aria wanted to keep that part small. It made it
easier to let my emotions run wild. Her vows were still sending shivers down my
spine. It felt so surreal to be loved so deeply and earnestly. It was hard to
believe that a girl so small could harbor that much love. And for me!
---
We were at the reception at the Plaza and
it was as grand as could be. Hundreds of guests – all of my colleagues and
business partners and all of Aria’s friends from college and her extended
family had arrived – were admiring the fantastic decoration Fiona had put
together. The hall really did look like an enchanted forest, mixed with
Christmas lights. I wasn’t sure I had ever seen anything quite so beautiful
before. Except my wife of course.
I looked at her standing across the room
and talking to my mother. It had only taken a few hours for them to start
getting along. Of course, I should have thought that it would from the get go.
Aria wasn’t exactly an amateur at charming someone. She had done such a
fantastic job with me. My mother was hardly tougher than I was. I felt a great
sense of pleasure watching them chatter delightfully, as I grabbed a glass of
champagne.
The D.J. was playing all of Aria’s
favorite romantic songs and I realized it was time for our first dance
together. I motioned to the D.J. with a nod of my head and he understood.
“Ladies and gentleman,” the young looking
guy said. “The bride and groom will now have their first dance as a newly
married couple.”
The song “You and Me” by Lifehouse began
to play as Aria and I slowly began walking towards each other, with everyone
watching in awe.
When I held her, she put her chin against
my shoulder, standing on her tip-toe in the most endearing way. We began moving
together to a song that seemed to perfectly describe our moment as it was
happening.
“I love you, Mrs. Sinclair,” I whispered
softly against her ear and then kissed her temple.
“I love you too, Mr. Roberts,” she said
with a slight giggle.
“Yeah right, so you hope.”
“How about this? We can both hyphenate.
Roberts-Sinclair?”
“I really should have listened to you
about that prenup, huh?” I joked, knowing that if that was what she wanted, she
would have it. My name wasn’t nearly as important to me as she was. I had vowed
to dedicate my life to making her happy and that was exactly what I was going
to do.
“Okay, we can be Mr. and Mrs.
Roberts-Sinclair,” I said after teasing her for a little bit longer. “Does that
make you happy?”
“So, so happy,” she said and hugged me
tighter. “Thank you, Mr. Roberts-Sinclair.”
We continued to dance into the evening, as
the Christmas lights took over the wedding lights and everything was joyful and
perfect. The music slowly took the form of Christmas music, as everyone danced
delightedly, a little buzzed from all the champagne and wine, celebrating this
extra special occasion. Soon enough, I found myself dancing with my mother,
then Aria’s mother and then both of them at the same time.
After some wine in their system, the two
ladies found it surprisingly easy to get along, even bonding over the music of
their times, which I specifically requested the DJ to play.
I danced with Stacey as Aria waltzed away
happily with Nick, who seemed to have gotten emotional after seeing one of his
best friends enjoy the best night of her life. He treated her much like an
older brother. Aria didn’t have any siblings and it was nice to know she had
made her own family through the course of her life. Stacey, who had gotten
humorously drunk, was saying some really random and funny things as we danced
together.
“You know, Aria and I once went skinny
dipping in our neighbor’s pool when we were fourteen,” she said giggling, while
continuing to sip her champagne. “And I don’t think I am supposed to tell you
this, so keep it to yourself. I hope I can trust you now that we are friends.”
“We are?” I inquired. It was nice knowing
that I would now have close friends. People that looked out for you and enjoyed
your company without any particular occasion to do so. It had been a long, long
time since I had experienced friendship in that manner and I was looking
forward to this new phase of my life.
“You know, for a brilliant billionaire,
you aren’t very smart,” Stacey said pointedly. “You got Fiona Davis to plan
Nick and my wedding, without us so much as asking, and more importantly you
just married our best friend. And you still have to ask if we are friends?
Maybe Aria didn’t make the best decision marrying you after all.” She shook her
head.
“Since we are friends,” I said jovially.
“I feel comfortable saying that if you repeat those words ever again, I will
stab you with a dagger.”
“Do you even own a dagger?” She looked at
me quizzically. “Because I do. Let me know if you ever need to borrow it. It
will give much more weight to your threats, Mr. Sinclair.”
“Sure, I will gladly borrow it so that I
can threaten you with it next time you call me that. For someone who calls us
friends, you seem to have an awfully difficult time referring to me by anything
but Mr. Sinclair.”
“Fine, Mr. Roberts-Sinclair then.” She
giggled some more.
“Seriously, how do you girls find time to
exchange news at such rapid speed? It has barely been half an hour since Aria
and I made a decision to go with that hyphenated last name and I can swear on
my favorite car that the two of you haven’t even been a foot within each other
since, considering everyone has been dancing the whole time.”
“We have our ways.” Stacey said and
shrugged as the Christmas carol ended. “You will get used to it soon enough.
Now dance with your wife, I think the party is about to come to an end.”
The final song was a perfect
representation of the wedding and Christmas, as Mariah Carey sang “All I Want
for Christmas is You,” just as Nick and I switched partners and Aria was back
in my eager arms.
“Your friend is quite funny,” I said,
starting to move with her. “And rather intoxicated I believe.”
“She should be. I would never forgive her
for being sober at my wedding. I don’t plan to be sober at hers!”
“You guys have the strangest friendship,”
I said, screwing my nose. “Although, I suppose you develop a very special kind
of bond after skinny dipping at a neighbor’s pool when you’re fourteen. Wow,
now that I think of it, that was only six years ago.”
“I am pretty sure you weren’t supposed to
tell me you knew about this,” Aria said scornfully. “If you want to be friends
with Stacey, you better learn how to keep her secrets.”
“That sounds like way too much work,” I
joked. “I think I am fine without the friendship. I’m joking,” I added when she
looked at me with almost murderous rage. “I really like your friends.”
“Good,” she said sharply and went back to
placing her chin on my shoulders. “Now on to some important things. You know
what all I want for Christmas is?” She looked at me with a naughty glint in her
eyes.
“Me?” I suggested. “That is what the song
says anyway.”
“I want to secretly disappear from our
wedding reception and make our way into your hotel room. Then I want you to rip
my wedding dress – and by that I mean carefully remove it from my body because
if there is a single actual rip on it, I will have to kill you – and make love
to me until we are both so tired we can no longer perform basic human functions
such as breathing.”
I got so hard that I had to employ all the
strength I could muster to not fuck her right there with all of our friends and
family watching.
“I’ll go first, through the back door,” I
said quickly. “If someone asks, I am going to the bathroom. You should use the
front door so we don’t raise any eyebrows. Just say you need some air. It’s
pretty busy in here, people should understand.”
She burst out laughing. “We don’t have to
plan so hard, baby,” she said. I couldn’t remember her ever having used that
term of endearment before, and somehow it had the effect of making me harder
than before. All I wanted for Christmas was to fuck her as my wife for the
first time. “I am sure people will understand that as newlyweds we cannot wait
to take each other’s clothes off. Of course, we don’t have to tell them for the
sake of not embarrassing them, and ourselves but it is kind of understood.
There is no need to play 007 here.”
“Alright,” I said, breaking off as the
song ended. “The thought of my mother knowing what we are off to do makes me
uncomfortable. The thought of your mother too, but since she has already heard
more than she should have, she happens to be the least of my concern. I think
my way is safer. I agreed to change my name, now you must agree to this little
request. And hurry because I don’t want to fuck you in the limo and make Ned
uncomfortable. So the sooner we get to the hotel the better.”
“I’ll see you in five minutes, Mr.
Roberts-Sinclair,” she said and kissed me hard on the mouth before turning her
heel and walking away.
Chapter
9
Aria
As the champagne had started to wear off
by the time we reached Zayden’s hotel room, I started to feel rather nervous
and I couldn’t figure out why. We had done this repeatedly countless times.
There was nothing different about this time, was there?
Except there was.
We were married this time and it made a
whole world of difference. I sat down in the bed with my legs crossed, a
meaningless feat since my wedding dress covered up to my ankles. I wasn’t
exactly sure what I was trying to accomplish here.
When Zayden got back inside with two fresh
classes of champagne in his hands, the look in his eyes was radically different
from that during the wedding ceremony. He looked hungry, ravenous and excited.
My feelings matched the look in his eyes as I longed to get out of this twenty
thousand dollar dress and devour him.