A Wedding Affair (The Wedding Affair) (59 page)

“I believe college has had quite a
profound effect on you today” I giggle at his remarks, I look up at him as I take his face in my hands and I say what I feel

“No professor it is
you that has a profound effect on me” he gives me this smile that says it all
we’re good

“
Come Aria we need to eat” he jumps out of the pool and grabs a towel and puts it around his waist he reaches for the robe on the chair and stands me up and dresses me in it as he kisses me and folds me under his arm.

“Aria sweetheart did you eat today?”
we walk through the French doors into the kitchen as our discarded closes are reminders how this all started.

“I can’t remember” he smiles at me

“Ok Aria sweetheart what are you hungry for?”

“Do you even have to ask?” he laughs as he rubs his nose against mine

“I love you and I will love you again but we need to eat Aria”

BLING DING BLING DING

Just then his cellphone rings he kisses me as he looks down at his discarded trousers and reaches for his ever present phone ringing.

“Ian Bollinger this better be good!” he words make me laugh as he holds me in his arms, he has water beading over his chest he is moving my hair off my face as he cups the phone under his chin

“Oh hello there… how are you?”

“Good
, yes well my situation has changed a bit” he kisses my nose then pulls away quickly as he concentrates more on his phone call. I walk over and pick up our clothes and hang them over the chair in the kitchen. I hear Ian talking as I gather up my things from the floor as well.

“
Ok wow really that soon… when did it go on the market?... Ok text me the address… Sure how about we meet you there with in the hour?... Sounds good” Ian presses end on his phone and he hugs me.

“
Aria I have a surprise?” He is all smiles and elation, as he is happy and elated about something,

“
You do” my gaze on him is guarded because he knows I hate surprises, but he is in such a good mood I don’t challenge him

“Aria do you feel like eating out there is
something I want to show you?”

“Sure ok” he kisses me.

“Ok let me get dressed” I pull out of his embrace and go to move past him and he grabs me and hugs me hard to him and holds me tight.

“Aria please have an open mind
, it’s is all I ask?”

“Ian I expect
the same from you in all matters” his words have me worried a bit but I kiss him just the same as I head upstairs to get dressed. I head to my closet, I brush my hair out braid it and put it up into a bun, I slip on my skinny black jeans and my pink short sleeved blouse I find my black flats that I just love and I sit at my vanity and look at myself when my phone goes off

BLEEP BLING

Erika

Hey haven’t heard from the bride camp how’s it going?

Aria

Things are looking up

Erika

With whom might I ask?

Aria

Funny, with Ian of course

Erika

So sex with a mad man has helped you and Ian

Aria

Look love to fill you in but Ian is taking me someplace right now

Catch up tomorrow?

Erika

Ok just making sure you are ok

Aria

I love you too

Erika I do love her to death she is judge, my jury and polices me well. I get busy fixing my face and I have to say that my sex life has gone from nonexistence to fiery and now with Ian we are finding our way and that makes me smile.

Looking at the girl in mirro
r I see Ian’s Aria, cheeks flushed, a smile that he has put here and I know we will be happy I am sure that in due time Ian and I will have all the passion and heat that I found with Tristan.

I clean off my face
with some Evian water and put on some mascara and eyeliner, and my favorite Chanel gloss. I look at the girl before me and wonder if I am denying myself who I really am to be with Ian, because although today has been fun it has all been the product of us both proving a point, me that I want him and him that he only wants me. I wonder isn’t that what a marriage should be about being careful of the other persons feeling? I learned a lot today and not just about Henry VIII I learned how Ian feels about me, he has a great deal of respect for me and he puts no one above me. I wish I could say the same about myself.

He is a much better person that I will ever be. He has always been one of those
do good-er types
you know the ones that are selfless and always giving to no avail.

I grab my black short jacket
and head back downstairs, Ian is waiting in the kitchen for me dressed in jeans and t-shirt and I have to say I wouldn’t mind taking him again he looks delectable and I think he is trying to drive me crazy on purpose. I walk over to him as I move his tousled hair off his forehead

“Are you even going to tell me where we are going?”
I cross my arms and look at him with pursed lips.

“Where’s the fun in that I like seei
ng you squirm I love you when you’re eager, you are so beautiful like this” he runs his nose down my cheek and kisses it sweetly.

“Ian I will take all my clothes off right now and then take yours off” as I reach under his t shirt and run my hands up his warm body he
laughs at my statement

“I’m hard” I move my hands over his zipper to his jeans an
d he is not lying

“Houston we got a problem are we going out or staying in?” he reaches down to my waist band and he touches sex

“Are you wet Aria?” I pull his hand out

“Let’s go Ian” I don’t need him finding me out. He kisses my cheek

“Come on Aria let’s get going”

He takes my hand and we head out

-------<>-------

It is almost eight pm and we are now turning from Euclid to up Mayfield a smile crosses my face

“
we are in little Italy” Ian looks over to me and is smiling like it’s Christmas morning or something, jeez I kinda like the Christmas morning antics I had with never mind jeez I gotta stop with the Tristan memories.

He parks in front of a
cream and ivory townhouse with a black rot iron gate on Mayfield near Murray Hill. I eye my favorite pizza place, we are near Prestie’s pizza and bakery, I hope we get to go there after this little adventure we are taking gosh I love their pizza you can smell it in the air.

I look around at all the eclectic Italian shops
, the sidewalk café s are packed with people enjoying a summer meal al fresco they even have Sinatra piped on the streets this is such a wonderful neighborhood and all Italian still.

This area has
always been a favorite part of town for me. Holy Rosary Church is still going strong, this area is renowned for THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION on August 15
th
every year, it’s the food in the street, the Italian music, and dancers, the rides and carnival games they block off the streets and it’s a wonderful time to be catholic in the city.

The best part
is the huge procession in the streets with the statues of Holy Mary it is such a special time to be here as people come from all over to participate and share in our catholic rituals as well as our traditions.

Ian looks over at me as I recall the feast l
ast year and how all my family and friends got together for it, I hope we can get both our families to come this year because this year I will be married.

“Come on Aria lets go”
the smile on his face is wonderful he looks good today, he looks like sex.

I g
et out of the car and look over at Ian

“Ian what is going on?”

“Come” he holds out his hand and we walk to a waiting lady on the corner.

“
Hello there Mr. Bollinger so nice to finally meet face to face.” Wow we are meeting someone here

“Yes how nice to
meet you” they shake hands as I stand at Ian’s side

“This is
my fiancée Aria Macy, Aria this is Gloria Haven a real-estate agent I had contacted when I decided to move back to Cleveland about a month or so ago” She is an older lady probably early sixties blond hair, glasses, taller than me, she is in a smart suit and classic heels and a warm smile.

A thought leaves me a bit worried
Ian has been in touch with a real-estate agent and this is the first I am hearing about this!  I don’t know how I feel about all of this.

“Aria congratulations this just came on the market and Ian has mentioned how he has been interested in this area so please right this way.”

I am led by my fiancé and his real-estate agent into a townhouse which is all glass and concrete on the outside.

We enter a single door into a huge area that is the main living space, very modern with a fireplace on the back wall, a dining area not a dining room,
mind you, no bay window and no walls to separate the rooms all open concept living which is nice but I like walls.

“Let’s check out the kitchen shall we”
Gloria says in a soft clear voice, we find a state of the art kitchen with ultramodern cabinets, a Viking range, a sub-zero refrigerator and a center island with three pendant lights above it, which opens to the great room. There is an open staircase that you can see though it does not look safe like for little ones, like children or a dog.

We are ushered upstairs.
There are three bedrooms upstairs that we check out, very small master suite I doubt my huge boudoir bed will fit in here. We wander and look around and see the whole place, my first thought is
what are we doing here?
The second thing is
small closets, huge deal breaker!

Sorry Tristan’s words come to mind when he saw my closet
‘oh Aria you are never moving from here’
We are alone in the master suite and I cross my arms and look at Ian to start explaining why we are looking at property and I had no clue he was even in the market for a home. I wait and say noting…he better start talking.

“
So Aria what do you think?” Ian is happy and his smile is turned on bright like a flash on a camera, he is elated at this find and it appears that he wants me to love it as much as he does. I don’t want to shoot him down or make him mad so I go for the nonchalant query.

“Well I had no idea that you were looking for a place?
” I am crossed arms and giving him a dead stare he had better start talking.

“Well really I wasn’t, I hav
en’t, you see when I came back to Cleveland I contacted the real-estate office my sister knew Gloria and told her I was thinking of transferring here and I would be teaching near this area and how I liked it, but there was nothing available and then we got engaged and I just forgot all about it because well your home is wonderful, but I wanted to see this with you and get your take on it.” he seems sincere and honest.

Well that is comforting to know that he is not pushing this down my throat, which is good, he is considerate and he has not been scouting for a house behind my back, which
is comforting to know as well.

“I don’t know Ian, I just never imagined leaving my home, I thought we might try and build a future at my house?” I warm a bit to him and still my arms are crossed.

“Well that is just it that is ‘your family home’ I want this place to be ours, where we build our memories.”

“So you don’t want to live in my family home and make it ours and fill it with our children?”

“Aria whoa! Hold it right there children! One step at a time, we are not even married yet and you are talking children!” he pushes his hair back and walks over to me.

“Well you do want children right?” he is standing in front of me looking at me as I won’t put my arms down, they are crossed and I am getting a little pissed at him right now.

“Well in a sense, but not right now!” Oh hell and holy fucken beast I hate it when Tristan is right. We can’t have this fight here, the way I am feeling right now I would throw this ring at him and run, I need to take a breather and relax, but I think Mr. Bollinger needs to hear how I really feel.

“
Ian this is a beautiful place and I am sure it is a wonderful area, it’s close to your school and all,

b
ut to me getting married is all about family, I wanted to raise my children in the home I grew up in, I wanted to continue the family dinners and get-togethers in
our
family dining room!”

Ian looks displeased with my
comments, he enfolds me in his arms as mine are still crossed, he kissed my forehead and looks at my displeased face and he knows I am mad.