Chapter Seven
Aria
It was my wedding day! It was also Christmas Day, but that happened every year. But it was my wedding day on Christmas Day! I squealed the moment I woke up in the most comfortable hotel bed I had ever slept in. After much consideration, Fiona and I had reached the conclusion that we would keep the wedding ceremony itself really small and personal. It was literally just going to be Zayden’s mom, my mom, Nick and Stacey, and we were holding off on the big party at The Plaza with the enchanted forest theme for the reception. It made more sense to me because I wanted our wedding to be personal, and the thought of a whole audience hearing my vows to Zayden made me feel uncomfortable. Very few people in the world deserved to hear that, so I had decided that was how it was going to be.
The private wedding ceremony would take place in Central Park, and The Plaza would be reserved for the reception. This was a last minute decision I made after visiting Central Park two days ago. The place took my breath away. New York in general managed to do that. You see things and places on TV and magazines and get mesmerized. Somehow, you never expect that reality would look better than your fantasies. Yet, that was New York. Everything about it was better than any camera could realistically capture. Times Square actually glowed at every step, and there were tiny flakes of glitter spread across the sidewalks. People in the most extravagant and colorful – and sometimes rather inappropriate – clothing zoomed around the place as though they were characters from a movie rather than real people. Happy tourists chattered alongside every corner, and I could see fellow first-time New York visitors have the same reaction to the extravaganza as I did and I felt a crazy sense of solidarity. I had managed to purchase almost everything sold at one of the myriads of gift shops and currently owned an “I <3 NY” shirt in every shape and size possible.
What truly took my breath away, however, was the serenity of Central Park. The fact that it managed to keep its sense of nature and natural beauty in the midst of a city so loud and happening was shocking and awe-inspiring. It was quiet and beautiful and as far as I was concerned, the most romantic place in the whole world. So naturally, I had decided that my wedding ceremony would take place there.
I rolled around the enormous bed in delight at the thought of what was to come for the rest of the day. Zayden had taken a different room, in favor of being somewhat traditional and separating the bride and the groom the night before the wedding. That didn’t stop me from being sorely tempted to walking over to his hotel room in just a robe and nothing else and sliding it off. We had been abstaining from sex for the past week, so that our wedding night would be truly exceptional, but it had been so much harder than I had expected, considering we slept in the same bed every night.
And Zayden had the body of a Greek God.
But it was okay. It was all okay because we were going to get married today. Nothing would ever be able to keep us apart from each other ever again. I looked at my enormous ring once more and took a very deep breath. This was really, truly happening. By the end of this evening, I would become Mrs. Zayden Sinclair. I squealed like a little girl once more and then got up to take a shower. Stacey, Fiona, and my hairdresser would be here in half an hour.
---
“Okay, we have five hours to get you ready,” Fiona said in a businesslike voice when she arrived. “You are going to get ready for the ceremony and subsequent reception, so Fabio here will do your hair and makeup so it lasts the next 12 hours,” she said pointing to a slender and flamboyant man she had brought along. “Is your dress ready?” She eyed the room looking alarmed. “I don’t see it anywhere.”
“I hung it up in the living room of the penthouse. I won’t be wearing it until all of this is done, so I wanted to keep it safe.” I smiled.
The truth was that the wedding dress made me very nervous, and not just because it was the most expensive thing I had ever purchased – and it was, it had tiny bits of actual diamonds studded across the hem – but because it reminded me of everything that was going to happen today. I wasn’t sure I would be able to handle the joy and excitement it brought me.
“Good thinking,” Fiona said curtly.
She was a rather interesting woman. Everything was business to her, even the tasting of the varieties of cake Stacey baked for us one afternoon. We were literally just chilling and having some beers at my old apartment while Stacey tried out different combinations for colors and recipe and décor. It wasn’t very different from the usual evening we used to spend goofing around at the apartment, except for the part where this time Stacey was baking my wedding cake. Fiona somehow managed to make it formal and businesslike by constantly taking notes after every tasting, flipping her binder non-stop, and refusing to partake in the beer drinking. She did bring her own champagne, so the last part must have been just a matter of preference.
That said, I had taken quite a liking to her and felt excited by the notion that she would be joining us again next year for Stacey’s wedding. There was something about her that reminded me of myself. Perhaps it was her sheer dedication to her work. She was much older than I was and I felt like I had been learning a whole lot from her about running a business as a woman.
I watched her direct Fabio in admiration before getting seated for my hair and makeup.
Stacey came halfway into my makeup and exclaimed, “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!” we all exclaimed back.
“But more importantly,” she said, sitting down next to me. “Happy wedding day to the best best friend in the whole world!”
“That would be you.” I smiled, which made Fabio give me a stern look. I was supposed to be sitting still. “Can I have one moment, Fabio? I want to look at my maid of honor.”
“If you must,” he said reluctantly.
“Stacey, you look amazing!” I exclaimed upon turning around to look at her. She was wearing a bright purple dress of her own choosing – I didn’t believe in subjecting my maid of honor to a hideous dress of my choice – and her hair was tied up in a neat bun.
“Nothing compared to the bride of course, you’re going to be turning heads in all of Central Park today, mark my words.”
I beamed delightedly. “We will be,” I said, reaching out both my hands to grab hers. “I can’t believe this is happening, Stace. I am actually getting married today!”
She joined my squealing, which made me feel a whole lot better about me acting like a little girl all morning.
“Now let Fabio finish getting you ready so you can go get married.”
---
When Stacey, Nick, and I arrived at Central Park – we had a separate limo sent to us than Zayden’s – nobody was there except an old lady with bright blonde hair dressed in a designer red outfit.
“You must be Zayden’s mother,” I said brightly approaching her. I realized it was the lady I had met at his house that one morning.
“You must be his newest play toy,” she said with a fake smile. “Good for you, hun. Make sure he gets to play well, since you’ll be getting quite a lot of monetary advantage in this situation.”