Three Weddings and a Dress (26 page)

Warmth, the cozy kind you get when you’re loved, slipped over her along with Bella’s soft satin. Ari ran a hand over the beads and lace as she twisted and saw her reflection in the mirror.

Magical.

Swallowing the lump that had formed she tried to speak, though no one was there to hear. Failed. Tried again, “Oh, Mama I wish you could see me.”

Light through the sheer curtain sparkled off the moisture on her cheeks. She brushed it off with her fingers.

Inhaling, she told herself the halo around her was an illusion from the dwindling dusk. Bella was everything she’d ever wanted as a young girl. Her fantasy come true.

Too bad she didn’t have a hero to share it with.

Conner was more the sidekick, her Robin not Batman.

She let out the breath she’d been holding. Time to return to earth. Bella had been given to her by some miracle. That didn’t mean it was because she was supposed to get married. No, she wanted to think of it more as a career boost.

Throwing her clothes into the now empty bag, she retraced her steps to the alley. Placing the bundle in the top case, she snapped it shut and unlocked the scooter from its post.

Grasping a handful of lace over satin in each fist, she hiked the dress up to her thighs revealing her red leather cowboy boots to clamor onto the seat. She pressed the start button and was off.

The traffic at five was thick as she weaved her way through the streets of Manhattan. She could only imagine the sight she made astride her pink Vespa.

Dear Diary;

The wind beneath my lace

Wind whipped between my satin and lace. I’d never experienced anything so exhilarating. I’d found my soul mate and I was already off to a new adventure. The only blot on the horizon was the fact she didn’t seem to
want
to have a wedding.

What was a bride dress to do?

The scooter slowed as Ari pulled up onto the sidewalk by a large apartment building. After climbing off, the skirt of my dress dropped to cover up the bright boots. I was a bit disappointed. I really liked them.

She unlocked the door and stepped into the foyer. While she checked her mailbox, I took the opportunity to look over my new home.

Electric currents zinged my beads, drawing my attention to the stairs. What I saw there made me suck in my bodice. The most gorgeous male human I’d ever seen in my short existence.

He was Ari’s soul mate. Why on earth didn’t she want to marry him?

Ari pivoted at the same time he reached the bottom. The collision was inevitable. I couldn’t warn her.

The impact ignited a series of sparks that hissed through my beads.

Ari’s gasp almost deafened me. Her skin shivered under my satin. I was amazed by her reaction.

She did not know him!

His arms wrapped around Ari and the back of my dress. I swear his hands would leave imprints.

Ari quickly stepped out of his embrace.

I could tell she was flustered. I didn’t think she was used to that emotion either.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.” Her mail laid scattered on the floor. She stooped to pick up the envelopes.
 

“Let me…” He bent to help at the same time.

This time their heads connected. I found my bottom ribbons pressed between her buttocks and the grimy floor. A shudder ran over my lace.
     

His deep chuckle crinkled my satin, and I sighed. He gave me a strange look, then used the newel post to lever himself to his feet. He stretched an arm out to my Ari.

“Let me help you instead of bashing you on the noggin this time.”

Here were my two soul mates. I am atwitter with love. I need to find a way to bring these two together.

Chapter Seventeen

Ari swallowed for the hundredth time. She’d never been close to the handsome guy from Apartment C since he’d moved in last week. Sure, she’d spied on him from the railing and like every other female in the building, drooled as she watched.

Holy lord, up close and personal he was a dream come true. She held the letters she’d retrieved and stared. There was no way to help it. Oh, please don’t let her mouth be hanging open too.

He stuck out his hand. “I’m Gerard Adams I just moved into apartment ‘C’.”

“I know.” She had not just said that. She briefly closed her eyes, then grasped his hand.

The jolt of awareness rendered her speechless. Even Bella seemed aware, for the satin tightened until the bodice stopped her lungs from drawing air.

His eyes widened with surprise, as though he’d felt a smidgen of the shock she did. Dropping his hand, she took a defensive step backward.

“Hmm…” Finally able to breathe, she inhaled. “I’m Arabella Davis. Nice to meet you.”

He cleared his throat, hopefully because he was having the same problem articulating. “Coming from your wedding?”

“What?” Bewildered she followed his gaze down to her outfit, oh, Bella. “Oh, no. It’s a long story, I need to go.”

She swung around grasped Bella’s sides with her hands, not caring if her mail slipped from her fingers, if it did, she didn’t notice. Ari raced up the stairs as if her life depended on it. He probably thought she was totally, rude.

“Nice boots, Arabella,” Gerard called after her.

Or, maybe not. Without a backward glance, she answered. “Thanks.”

When her foot hit the top stair to the landing of her floor, she could hardly draw in air. There was no way she could hold off any longer. She glanced down as she rounded the newel post to the hall to see if he was still in the foyer.

God, he was watching her. Electricity arched between them.

Spinning on the heel of her boot, she sprinted the rest of the way to her apartment. She unlocked the door, swung it wide and had her back against it in record time. Good grief, he must think she was an idiot, or at the very least, odd. Great impression. Her labored breathing echoed through the silent apartment.

Until Conner came around the corner and saw her, he jumped. “Whoa, you’re home.”

“What are you doing here?”

“What’s up with the dress?” He squinted at her then as if realizing what kind of dress it was. “Hey, just because I wanted to move in here? Man, Ari, I didn’t mean, you know…”

He nervously ran his fingers through his dark rumbled hair. She used to think it was sexy, now she just thought of it as a rats nest. If she wasn’t still tingling all over from her encounter with Gerard she would have taken a minute to let him sweat. Not now though, now all she wanted to do was get to her room and remember.

 
“Oh don’t flatter yourself Conner.”

He gave her another disgruntled look, “Why are you wearing that…” He pointed with his finger as if he didn’t even want to say
wedding dress
.
 

“She’s a Heidi by Design.”

His bewildered look quickly turned to understanding. “Whew, had me scared for a minute. I know Heidi is your idol. So you’re going to copy the design then? Is that legal?”

“Gee, no, Conner. I’m going to use her for inspiration for my creations.” Why was she even bothering to explain? “I’m going to go change now. I really want to be alone.”

“But, I brought a movie and some of my things over.”

She’d taken a step in the direction of her room, but now she swung around to face him. “Define
some things
.”

He shifted from one foot to another as if he was ten years old again and being reprimanded by his mother. Which brought to mind the realization she’d had earlier in the day. He wanted a mother, not a girlfriend. She’d be damned to let him use her.

It was then she noticed the old ratty chair stuffed into her over-loaded living room. “What the hell is that?”

He glanced over his shoulder. His Adam’s apple did a quick bob. “Some of the things I was talking about.”

“I never said you could move in.” Why was he doing this now?

This was going to make telling him she didn’t want to see him anymore, that much harder.

Her life wasn’t complicated.

She went to work, had a friendship of sorts with Conner and created her designs.

She wanted more.

Like, going to Central Park to watch the kids play soccer on Saturdays or check out a baseball game at Yankees Stadium. Maybe have coffee with a friend at the corner Java Hut on the way to work.

Was that too much to hope for?

She glared at Conner standing there looking forlorn and innocent. She didn’t have any friends to do those things with. Conner had squelched all of that.

Everyone had stopped inviting her because he’d sucked all the life out of her. How had she let that happen? Had she let him? Guilt settled around her belly.

Again, the satin and lace of Bella seemed to constrict as if agreeing with her thoughts.

Reinforced by Bella’s agreement, she pointed at him. “Sit. I need to change and then we talk.”

“Okay.” His whine grated down her spine.

How had she ever found that tone to be sexy and vulnerable?

In her bedroom, she stripped the dress that she’d been working on off her mannequin and hung it in the closet. Carefully removing Bella, she draped her over the fabric form and stepped back, not caring she was only in her underwear and red boots. Walking around Bella, she checked for smudges on the flawless fabric and the hem to make sure there was no dirt from her ride on the Love Machine or the escaped in the foyer. A sigh of relief escaped when she discovered the gown was none-the-worse for her adventure.

Bella was a beautiful sight. What inspiration would she bring?

The light glistened off the thousand beads; an image of herself wearing the dress at her own wedding ran through her mind. Stunned at the happiness that went with it, she glanced back at her closed door.

No, she refused to believe that Conner was her destiny.

Hands on hips, head tilted to the side, her voice stern, “Bella, I am not going to give you that. Conner will no longer be in my life.”

She blinked, had Bella just shuddered? Magical, yes, because she was a beautiful creation, but shuddering in response? No way! Shoving all her fanciful thoughts away, she kicked off her boots, grabbed her jeans from the end of her bed and pulled them on. She donned a t-shirt, took a deep breath for the battle to come and went to face her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.

Conner was nowhere to be seen. Had the coward left? In answer to her question, she heard the microwave turn on. Irritation peppered over her. Making himself at home as if he’d already moved in.

Marching to her small kitchen area, she found him bent over and searching through her fridge. “What are you doing?”

 
Startled he hit his head on the shelf, rubbing it as he turned to look at her. Hurt flitted over his features. “Ouch. What did you do that for?”

“Ask you a question? Because I wanted to know the answer, why are you here in the kitchen making yourself right at home, when I asked you to wait for me in the living room?”

“Geez, Ari, what’s your problem? I always do this.”