Modern Arrangements: Complete Trilogy (Modern Arrangements #1-3) (17 page)

"I’m sure he’ll be fine." Forcing
a smile, I tried to play off the left over feelings brought on by Aidan's kiss.

"Hey, Lilli." Maggie called
out as she descended the stairs, dressed in what I was learning was typical
Maggie fashion.

Geez, I need to get her and Phoebe
together
.

Maggie was Phoebe's living dress up doll
wet dream, prancing down the stairs in a strapless silver dress with black lace
overlay. The hem of the dress whispered over her knees with a full puffy skirt.
Accentuating her tiny waist, a black belt with large black rose hugged her. Black
lace gloves and black platform shoes were her perfect accessories.

"Geez girl, you look hot," she
gestured for me to twirl.

"You’ll have to talk to my friend
Phoebe. She did it all." Looking up from my own dress, I glanced between
Viola and Maggie. "You both look amazing."

"Oh thank you, dear," Viola
kissed my cheek.

"Alright ladies, we must get going.
The car is waiting." Liam appeared from a side room. He looked over the
three of us. "Well, Aidan’s loss is definitely my gain. I get to enter
with another lovely lady." He smiled widely.

"Liam Iverson quit your flirting,
you dirty old man!" Viola giggled and smacked him lightly on the chest. He
smiled down on her with such love and adoration I felt like an intruder on their
intimate moment.

"Oh God!" Maggie groaned.
"Go to your room. We have a guest here!" She rolled her eyes. Mrs.
Summers arrived with coats.

We climbed into the car and took off for
the church. The church was gorgeous and once we were seated the groom and
groomsmen took their places. I looked over to Aidan as he stood smiling and
fighting laughter next to James. It was in that moment I saw the copper tones
reflect in his hair from the light shining in through the window behind them.
His skin was so perfect, almost like perfect white marble. He turned toward his
family and when his eyes locked on mine he smiled and I smiled back before
turning my head toward Maggie.

Maggie was discussing the wedding and
the Irish traditions that their family followed, however, I couldn’t seem to calm
the fiery ache that was nagging at me and my lady parts. One look and a crooked
smile was all it seemed to take for me to react to him.

I really was a whore.

I pulled myself together just in time to
hear Viola chime in that we should get together to discuss some wedding details
as well as get my dress fitted.

"You don’t mind wearing my dress do
you?" She said in a hushed tone with concern in her voice.

"Viola, I told Aidan we could just
go to the Justice of the Pea…" she gave me a horrified look. I put my hand
on top of hers and tried to recover quickly. "He insisted that you wanted
this, so I am more than happy to do whatever it is that you have planned."
I smiled at her and she seemed to finally breathe again.

"Well, I still want your input.
Come to my house on Wednesday, can you make it?" I nodded just as the
music started. We all turned to see the bridesmaids enter, followed by the
flower girls. Last was the very princess like bride. Her dress was huge and I
only prayed that Viola did not have that in mind for me.

Once we arrived to the reception I sat
between Maggie and Viola, who were oohing and awing over the décor of the
table. I sipped on my water listening to them discuss wedding plans and ideas.

"Lilli, how about you come over
around ten on Wednesday morning? I will have the dress ready as well as some dresses
brought over for you to look through for your bridesmaids."

"Sure." I tried to look
excited about the details.

"You should bring your friends so
they can be fitted as well." She smiled and the new couple was announced.

I was sitting and laughing with Maggie
when I felt fingers run across my shoulder. I snapped around quickly. Aidan was
smiling down on me.

"Hey," I breathed out and then
rolled my eyes at the smirk on his face, clearly proud of catching me off
guard.

"Hey Aidan-o," Maggie giggled.

"Did someone let you into the
champagne?" He scowled playfully at her. "Cause it sounded like you
called me Aidan-o, Magpie." He smirked and she scowled at him. "Move
over." He ordered.

"No, I’m sitting next to Lilli. I’m
her date." She laughed, wrapping her arm around mine. I played along with
her.

"Oh Maggie, what would I do without
you?" I said over dramatically.

She giggled.

"You wouldn’t be able to survive, my
love."

"Okay, enough." Aidan rolled
his eyes. He grabbed Maggie’s chair and moved her over, placing a chair in the
now empty space. He smiled in victory at Maggie who huffed and threw her napkin
at him.

"Margaret!" Viola chided
across the table. Maggie scoffed at hearing her full first name.

"He started it," she said and
turned her back on Aidan.

I was laughing when I felt his breath on
the side of my face.

"I think we should start practicing
the public displays of happiness," he kissed my temple and then sat back
in his chair with a grin.

Oh really…well two can play this little
game.

I leaned over to him stopping my lips
just one tongue flick from his ear.

"That’s what you are paying me for,
I guess," I teased, grazing my freshly licked lips across his cheek as I
sat back into my seat and giggled under my breath.

I grabbed my water glass and was mid-sip
when I felt his hand on my leg. Just like in the car, I felt the pulsating heat
that radiated between us. I looked up to him and he was grinning.

"Loser," I mumbled under my
breath and laughed silently. He just smiled larger.

Once all of the toasts were completed
and Liam made sure to announce Aidan’s engagement, the music began and everyone
stood to dance. Viola and Liam excused themselves to go to the floor and Aidan
grabbed my hand, pulling me up from the chair. I hesitated.

"What?" he asked.

"I…uh…don’t really dance like
that," I motioned to Liam and Viola who were elegantly moving in a waltz
or something.

"I know how, you can just follow my
lead." He tugged and wrapped one arm around my waist while holding my
other hand to his chest.

"Aidan…"

"Shhh…"

He swayed us slowly and then began to
move us around the floor. I was surprised at how easy it was to follow his
lead. We didn’t speak but his body seemed to get closer and closer to mine. He
spun us and then dipped me, setting me off into a laughing fit which he joined.

The ride home was quiet and I had to
remove my shoes. They were killing me. Thinking back on the night I realized
how much fun it had been to be with Aidan and his family. I adored Maggie. I
don’t remember falling asleep but I woke to Aidan carrying me bridal style into
the elevator of his building.

"Oh shit…I’m sorry," I rubbed my
eyes.

"It’s fine," he said tightly.

I could feel that sensation between us
when we touch.

"Um, I can walk," I said as I
wiggled for him to put me down on my feet.

"It’s alright, we’re almost
there." As soon as he finished the sentence, the doors parted and he
stepped out to our floor.

With his arms full, he was having a hard
time maneuvering to open the door. I reached down and turned the knob.

"Thanks," he said.

"You can put me down, you
know?" I said again bracing myself to be put down as I felt his muscles
flex under my thighs and my back. I bit my lip to control myself.

"Oh, sorry," he put me down
and as I turned to head for the stairs he grabbed my arm. I turned back,
surprised by the action, and he handed me my shoes.

"Oh. Thanks." I smiled and
headed to bed.

After showering, hanging up the dress
and climbing into bed I fell into a restless sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aidan

The workweek came about quickly. Lilli
and I had spent Sunday around the apartment, though we didn’t necessarily
interact too much. Once she fell asleep on the couch watching TV, I sat across
from her watching. She would make the most interesting faces while she slept, I
wished I could read her mind.

Lilli spent a lot of time Sunday talking
to Viola as they planned to get together on Wednesday. I overheard Lilli
talking to Phoebe and Celia about meeting her here on Wednesday morning so they
could go over to plan wedding stuff with Viola. I heard Lilli groan a few
times. I knew she wasn’t thrilled to do all this but she was going along with
it for Viola. I didn’t know how to convey how much I appreciated that.

I left for work Wednesday morning
without seeing or talking to Lilli. Surprisingly, it bothered me.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lilli

Wednesday arrived quickly. I heard Aidan
moving around downstairs as I showered and dressed. I was shoving a piece of
toast in my mouth when there was a knock at the door. I answered.

"Lilli!" Phoebe chirped as she
hugged me tightly. I almost choked on my toast.

"Down, lawn gnome," Celia
laughed and then took her turn hugging me.

"Hey girls, you ready to experience
all this?" I wiggled my eyebrows.

"Bring on the mimosa’s,
dahhling," Celia joked. Phoebe and I giggled as we all went downstairs.

"Lilli, where are we goin—?"
Phoebe looked confused.

"To the car," I motioned over my
shoulder to the black car waiting to drive us over to Viola’s.

"The car?" Celia said with a
smirk.

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes
and smiled. "Viola had the car sent over. I have to get used to this kind
of shit for the next four years, don’t make it worse for me." I pretended
to lecture them.

We all climbed into the car and headed
to Viola.

"Lilli dear!" Viola exclaimed
as Mrs. Summers showed us into the house.

"Viola," I smiled as she
kissed both of my cheeks and I kissed back. "This is Phoebe and  Celia."

"Hello and welcome" Viola
hugged both of them and then motioned us into a large room to the left of us.

"Holy shit," Phoebe stated
when we entered the room. I knew that all three of our mouths were hanging wide
open.

Viola had removed all of the furniture replacing
them with tables and garment wracks filled with dresses. There was a large
three way mirror against the far right wall with a small stand. A large table
of fruit, pastries and mimosas sat next to the entrance.

"Viola," I breathed out.
"This is too much," I shook my head.

"Nonsense," she rebutted.
"You should see what I could do if I had proper time to plan," she
winked and turned to a large garment bag hanging beside her.

"I want you to try this on."
She motioned to a small curtained off area in the room. "Then come out and
we’ll see what needs to be altered." She smiled brightly. "I hope
that you like the dress, dear."

I took the bag and headed to the
curtained area. Slipping into the dress, I emerged from the area and heard
gasps around the room. I looked up and saw Maggie, Viola, Elora, Celia and
Phoebe all looking at me with different emotions on each of their faces.

"Lilli, you look amazing,"
Phoebe said as she flitted over to my side and walked around me.

"It’s a gorgeous dress," Elora
added with a warm smile.

"Oh, Lilli, do you like it?"
Viola pulled my hands out in front of me while looking me over.

"Are you sure you don’t want to
save this dress for Maggie?" I questioned and looked from Viola to Maggie.

Maggie giggled.

"Does my daughter look like she
would wear this dress?" Viola smiled and we both turned to Maggie who was
wearing black fishnet stockings, a pleated red plaid skirt, black rock band
shirt, black patent leather boots and her red hair was up in multiple twisted
knots.

I laughed.

"Yeah, I guess not, huh?" Then
I looked back to Maggie again. "Why aren’t you in school, by the
way?"

She shrugged.

"I get to be here for the wedding
stuff," she smiled brightly.

Viola led me to the white stand so that
the seamstress could go over the dress and pin the places that she would need
to make alterations. I glanced into the mirror in front of me and looked at
myself in the ivory dress. The dress was made of ivory organza. It was
strapless and fitted through the body, flaring at my hips all the way to the
floor. A single wrap of sheer ivory organza went around my shoulders and there
were creamy sparkled appliqué’s across my stomach and over my right hip. The
dress was truly beautiful, too beautiful to waste on a
fake
marriage. I
sighed.

"What’s wrong?" Celia cocked
her eyebrow at me.

"I just feel like it’s all a bit
much for what this is, ya know?" Celia smiled softly.