Modern Arrangements: Complete Trilogy (Modern Arrangements #1-3) (18 page)

Viola interrupted.

"Lilli, this may be an arranged
marriage, in a sense, but that does not mean that you don’t deserve a beautiful
day." With that she turned back to the seamstress to discuss things.

"Guess she told you," Phoebe
piped in from behind me.

"Hush it, gnome." I laughed.

"I am not a lawn gnome!" She
argued.

I changed out of the dress and was
instructed to walk through the racks of clothing to look for bridesmaid dress
ideas. I stopped on a strapless empire waist gown. It was simply, yet elegant
and it was just beautiful. The dress was a very deep fuchsia like color; the
description on the dress tag said watermelon.

"What about this?" I shouted
over my shoulder and the girls appeared at my side. They all looked it over and
added it to the pile of dresses to try on.

I sat back with Viola and Elora with a
mimosa and some fruit waiting for Celia and Phoebe to change into the different
dresses.

 "Try the same one on at the same
time" I asked. I then noticed Maggie starting to sit next to Elora.
"What are you doing?" Maggie looked at me confused. I smiled and nodded
my head toward the changing curtain. "Get your little ass behind that
curtain." I winked. She smiled large and ran to the curtain.

"I think you just became her
favorite person" Elora leaned over and whispered.

"Oh hell, she loves you
already" Viola stated and tilted her flute glass back completely.

 Whoa. Viola is feeling the champagne.

I smiled to myself as I heard Elora
giggle at Viola’s change of demeanor.

"Well, Viola, I do believe that you
are a little hell cat underneath all of this." I smiled as I motioned over
her body. She just smirked and grabbed another glass with a wink. I giggled
with Elora. The girls went through a few dresses until they came upon the one
that I picked out. Each of them looked perfect in it and they felt comfortable,
so that’s the one we got.

I thought that the dresses would be the
end of it but I was so wrong. The rest of the afternoon was spent picking out a
cake; I picked out a plain white cake with deep red lilies decorations.
Selecting flowers, deep red lilies and ivory color snowball flowers or Guelder
Rose and going over hairstyles, shoes, menus for the reception and the
location. Viola had a couple of New York locations picked out but I could tell
that there was one she favored, so that is the one that I picked. The wedding
and the reception would be held at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Pier. It was truly
a beautiful location.

We were all about to start our goodbyes
when Phoebe chimed in quickly.

"What about the Bridal Shower and
Bachelorette parties?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Phoebe, there is no time for those
things. We simply…" Viola cut me off.

"Nonsense! What did you have in
mind Phoebe?"

"Well, I’m sure you have family and
friends that you would like to invite to a shower type brunch, right?"
Viola nodded. "Okay then, I say we plan a brunch shower for the weekend
before the wedding." She smiled brightly.

"Sounds perfect," Viola
agreed. "We can tell Aidan to make a guys day/night out and we can use the
apartment. I’ll have arrangements made for catering, table set up, etc." I
sat back as they continued to discuss things before exchanging numbers to talk
later.

Returning to the apartment, Phoebe took
off saying she had plans to make. Celia and I took a nap before we had to get
to the club to work.

Once we got dressed and were on our way
to the club, I turned to Celia.

"Well, at least I got out of the
bachelorette party." I smiled at my small victory.

Celia smiled slyly.

 "Oh, I wouldn’t count on
that." She giggled.

Chapter Fourteen

Events and Parties

Aidan

I was sitting at my desk glaring at
James who was not paying one ounce of attention to the conference call going
on. I muted my phone from Mr. Yiroshimu as he rambled on about quarterly
standings.

"James," I hissed. He looked
up. "Am I taking up too much of your time this afternoon?" I glared.

"Oh Jesus, it's just the financials,
Aidan. What the hell has your tightie whities in a knot?" He chuckled.

"You are not paying attention,
that's what the problem is," I snapped. I knew that the sexual frustration
was getting to me, putting me in a pissy mood.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he nodded
absentmindedly. I growled.

I was about to yell at him again but my
cell phone vibrated.

"Hello?" I picked it up
without looking at the caller Id.

"Aidan," It was Viola.

"Yes, Viola, what can I do for
you?" My mood lightened at the sound of her voice.

"Lilli and the girls just left, I
wanted to make sure that you didn't mind me rearranging your apartment the
weekend before the wedding for a Bridal Luncheon." I sighed and smiled. I
felt some relief knowing that it was only a month away from the wedding day and
that I was going to be married in time. Though, mid January was cutting it
close.

"Of course you can."

"Thank you, dear. I'll let you get
back to work...oh, and I just wanted to tell you that you have a tux fitting
tomorrow afternoon with your Uncle and James. Make sure you are there, on
time." She was in motherly tone now.

"Okay," I responded and we
said our goodbyes.

As soon as my phone was back on my desk
it vibrated again; Phoebe. I furrowed my brow and answered.

"Hello?"

"Aidan, it’s Phoebe." She
chirped.

"I know. What can I do for you,
Phoebe?"

"I need you to be out of your
apartment the Saturday before the wedding for—"

"For the Bridal Luncheon
right?"

"Well...wait how did you
know?"

"Viola just called me," I
smirked into the phone.

"Oh, well, I'm going to plan more
than that. Viola can handle the brunch. I'm planning the bachelorette
party," She giggled mischievously.

"Really?" I raised my brows.

"Yeah, so I need you to be out
before the brunch and if possible just spend the night with Oscar or something,
okay?"

"So, I'm supposed to hand my place
over—"

"Yes, you are going to let me use
Lilli and your apartment to give her a party." I could tell that she was
smiling.

"Oh, I am?"

"Yes, you are, so make plans with
the guys. Talk to you later, I have plans to make. Bye."

Before I could even say anything else
she had hung up. Well I guess she told me.

"Who the hell was that?" James
pulled himself away from his iPhone to ask.

"Phoebe." He raised his brow
in question. "Looks like you get to give me a bachelor's night out the
Saturday before the wedding." I smiled crookedly at him and a large smile
spread over his face. He turned his attention back to his phone with a little
more enthusiasm.

I took the phone off mute and listened
to the remainder of the conference call.

Plans were made and tuxes were fitted.
Lilli had a few more trips to Viola's during some afternoons to finalize some
things. The planning was good for her since she wasn't working at the club
anymore, I could sense her boredom more and more.

Work had gotten crazy with a couple of
new mergers that were being dealt with. I was rushing out of the apartment
Tuesday. When I got to the elevator I realized that I forgot something. Running
back to the apartment, I found Lilli standing outside of the door with my
iPhone in her hand, holding it out to me. I took it smiling and she walked back
into the apartment.

 "Bye," I yelled before the door
shut.

"Later," she yelled back.

It was small things like that, which I
was starting to get used to with her. She was around so much and knew a lot
about my routine. It was like she was starting to know me and it was
comfortable.

Christmas arrived quickly and Lilli went
to Maine to be with her father while I stayed in New York with my family and
work. Being in the apartment alone felt different after having another person
around; I found myself more irritated at being by myself.

On Christmas Eve I ended up at Viola and
Liam’s, I ended up staying over at their place instead of going home alone.

"What’s the matter Aidan-o, are you
sad because your fake fiancée isn’t here?" Maggie teased.

"That’s really not funny," I
retorted.

"Oh, please!" She rolled her eyes.
"So, how you going to convince Lilli to sleep with you?" she giggled.

"What? Maggie…who…how—?"

She wrinkled up her face.

"Like I don’t overhear things going
on around here," she snorted.

"I think that you should stop
eavesdropping. Besides, you don’t know what you are talking about." I
huffed and went back to my laptop.

"Mmmhmm…" she said trying not
to laugh."You’re so uptight, it’s crazy. You used to be so playful."
Maggie pouted and left the room. I sighed and put my head in my hands.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lilli returned before New Year’s Eve,
mainly because Viola had planned a charity event for the family foundation she
ran. ‘Isobel’s Heart’ foundation was started by my grandmother before she died.
Grandma Olivia had taken over but soon my mother and Viola were handling things.
Now, it was just Viola.

Viola had taken Lilli with her to visit
some of the local places that the foundation supports; mostly orphanages for
children, including mentally and physically disabled children. There was also
the abused women and children’s center that Viola had brought into the
foundation years ago.

The New Year’s event was held to raise
money for each charity. There was going to be a ‘date’ auction, where men would
bid on single women to spend the evening with; a silent auction for items that
were donated, and then there was the ticket prices where a portion would go to
the foundation.

When Lilli met me downstairs in the
apartment for the New Year’s event I had to say that I was thankful that she
was no longer considered ‘single’ and therefore would not be a part of the
‘date’ auction. I may have sunk the entire Iverson fortune to keep her away
from another man, especially with the way she was dressed. In that floor length
midnight blue dress with a low v-neck that hugged her body until it reached her
mid thigh, there would have been a serious battle for her. She was stunning,
once again.

The event went as perfectly as Viola had
planned it and she had raised a great deal of money. What surprised me was the
extent of knowledge Lilli had about the foundation and the event. Viola saw my
perplexed expression when Lilli was pulled away by an organizer to discuss
something about the silent auction.

"Didn’t she tell you?" Viola
tilted her head slightly as she furrowed her brow.

"Tell me what?"

"Lilli has been working with me on
the event. She is quite quick that one." Viola smiled in Lilli’s
direction, "Ever since she visited the homes with me she has been eagerly
volunteering to help with things. She has been a lifesaver in some areas."
Viola was still smiling.

"Really? No, she hadn’t mentioned
anything besides spending some time with you." I rubbed the back of my
head realizing that I really didn’t know much about her day at all.

"Hmm…" Viola eyed me.

"What?" I blurted at the tone she
had.

"I just figured that you would know
what your future wife does during her day," she eyed me skeptically.

"She doesn’t have to report back to
me about her every second." I took a drink of my champagne.

Viola laughed.

"Oh, Aidan, that is not what I meant."
She continued to giggle. "I mean that you are coming off, right now, as
knowing nothing about her. That’s not good, especially if you are going to be
together for four years…or longer, perhaps." She smiled slyly.

"Longer, perhaps?" I smiled at
her and shook my head. "Don’t get any ideas just yet Aunt Viola. We aren’t
even married yet."

She smiled wide again.

"Sometimes a woman can see things
that a man cannot." She said with a wink as she walked towards Lilli.

The next week went by quickly and Lilli
was swamped with Viola, going through all of the final wedding details. I could
tell that she had just about had enough. I would watch her eyes light up when
Viola would call but then her face would fall and contort into disgust when she
would realize she was calling about the wedding plans. I found it humorous,
her, not so much.

Saturday arrived and James was being all
‘hush hush’ about the plans for the evening. I had made him swear that there
wouldn’t be any hookers, mainly because I found them disgusting, but also
because I didn’t know if I could control myself with all the pent up sexual
frustration I harbored.

When I got up Saturday morning Viola was
already clearing out the apartment and rearranging for the brunch. Phoebe was
also flitting around helping Vi. I grabbed some coffee and Phoebe shooed me
back upstairs to get dressed and ‘get the hell out’, as she put it.

Once dressed, I worked on my laptop for
awhile before James called me. Around ten James informed me to be ready in
thirty minutes still keeping our plans a secret. At ten-twenty I headed
downstairs.

"What are you still doing
here?" Phoebe scolded. "The ladies will be arriving in half an
hour." Her hands were on her hips.

"I’m on my way out now," I
rolled my eyes. "Viola," she turned around with a large smile. I held
a small box out to her. "This is for Lilli."

She smiled. "Is this the—?"

"Yeah." I kissed her cheek.

"Good boy," she said proudly.
"You’re leaving now?" I nodded. "Okay, Lilli is in the
kitchen."

I walked into the kitchen and saw Lilli
standing at the counter. She was wearing a blue and white striped dress that
flared out from her waist, a large dark blue belt and her sleeves covered to
just above her elbows.

"Um…I’m going to head out
now."

She turned around quickly.

"Oh," she laughed lightly,
"You scared me." She smiled. "Okay, have fun. Be careful with
the naked ladies…you don’t know what they might have!" She teased and laughed.

"Ha ha," I rolled my eyes.
"I distinctly made James swear that there would be no hookers."

"Hmmm…well then…" she turned
toward a bag that was on the counter and turned back to me with a huge wad of
cash, "Here you go."

"What the hell is this?" I exclaimed,
wide-eyed, as I took the wad and looked at it closer.

"It’s a bunch of ones," she
giggled. "Have a lap dance on me!" She laughed harder as she patted my
back and started to walk around me. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"You are insane." I laughed.
She looked at me confused. "What guy has a fiancée buy them a lap
dance?"

"More than you know," she
winked. "Have a good time," she smiled.

I kissed her cheek. There was that
electric pulse at the touch of her skin.

"Bye," I looked at her, her eyes
seeming to glaze over.

Oh, she felt it too. She has to.

James picked me up in a limo and I shook
my head as I got in.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I laughed. He
smiled large.

"We are doing this in style
brother! Next stop Oscar."

We picked up Oscar, Liam, Dixon, Marcus and
a few other friends. James broke out the beers in the limousine as we headed to
our first destination: the strip club. Dixon’s face was lit up and he fist
pounded James. Oscar shook his head and laughed while Liam seemed nervous.

"You okay, old man?" James
teased.

"I’m fine, boy. It’s just been a
long time since I’ve stepped into a strip club." Everyone laughed.

At the strip club everyone let loose,
including, much to my surprise, Liam. Following his fourth drink he was on his
second lap dance.

"This is the groom!" Dixon
shouted and pointed to me. I covered my face as I saw three half-dressed girls
head my direction.

Oh God!

One stood behind me and ran her hands
down my chest, her breasts rubbing against my back. The next stood in front of
me holding onto my shirt and pulling me close to her as she ground into me
seductively. The third danced slowly and seductively with the second girl,
giving the girl-on-girl effect. I knew I was going to burst at any moment. I
had to close my eyes and take repeated deep breaths to calm down.