What happened in Vegas: Didn't Stay In Vegas! (30 page)

We said our
good-byes and left.
Nick and
Aria were getting married in ten short weeks. I was starting a new
life, and apparently my tits looked larger! Who needed breast
augmentation when Bradley could maul them to the point of becoming
swollen?

~43~

We left the hospital without further incident. It was
sunny out but starting to get cold. We sat in the car while Aria
started googling places. She started rhyming off all the things she
needed to do and that
’
s when I jumped
in,
“
Aria, let
’
s stay organized. We
need to go back to your place or mine and make a list of the things
we need to do before the wedding.
”

She was
gleaming,
“
Sounds like a plan.
”
She pulled her
beamer into her spot and we took the lift to the eighth floor. I
suggested my place because my hunger pangs were getting the better
of me and if I didn
’
t get food fast I was
going to start getting bitchy.

I opened the
door to let us in and kicked off my shoes to get comfortable. I
headed straight for the kitchen where I started digging cabinets
trying to figure out what I was going to make us,
“
Do you want anything specific Aria?
”

Aria stayed
behind in the living room looking for a piece of paper and a pen
she could use to write her list on while I was wrestling up food
for both of us,
“
Make whatever
you
’
ve got, I
’
m not
picky.
”
I found some leftover chicken breasts I had baked
yesterday and threw them together with a salad. I grabbed two
bottles of water and now I was set to help Aria with her
list.

Aria and I brainstormed.

~To Do~

1. Invites

2. Tuxedo and Dress

3. Bridesmaid Dress and Groom

4. Caterer

5. Flowers and bouquet

6. Salon appointment

7. Cake

8. Honeymoon

9. Rings

10. Old, new, borrowed, blue

11. Limo

12. Seating plan.

If we missed anything we would figure it out
as we went along. A part of me envied Aria for getting engaged and
married so quickly, it was super romantic.

The next day proved to be a very busy one.
Nick called saying that he was being discharged. We had forty-five
minutes to pick him up from the hospital, drop him off at home and
be at the dress shop for our first attempt at finding a dress.

I
didn
’
t think it was going to happen. We told Nick to make
sure he got all his paperwork given to him right away so he
wouldn
’
t slow us down when we went to pick him up. We dropped
him off at Aria
’
s loft like discarded
luggage and heavy footed it to the first dress
appointment.

We made it, on time! I rewarded Snowball by
stroking her bonnet before we left her to go into the store. I had
luckily found first class parking right in front of the dress
shop.

The dress shop
was so personal. The display window had two
dummy
’
s, a bride in a traditional wedding gown, and a groom
in a tuxedo. I stopped to look at the display when I saw the chest
move on the groom. I quietly gasped realizing that they were live
mannequins. I chuckled and brought it to Aria
’
s
attention,
“
Look live
mannequins!
”

Aria scolded
me,
“
We don
’
t have time for
that!
”
It dawned on me, was having a wedding only ten weeks
away going to turn her into a bridezilla? I was hoping I
wouldn
’
t have to remind her that I was going through a major
change in my life too, and I needed time for myself to pack up my
loft. I accepted the scolding as nerves and opened the door to the
dress shop for Aria following closely behind her.

A really badly
overweight Portuguese woman by the name of Maria greeted us at the
door and told us that she was our designated personal shopper for
today. Aria took her hand and told Maria,
“
I
’
m the bride, and this is Chanel my
bridesmaid.
”

Maria shook our
hands saying it was a pleasure to meet us. She eyed Aria up and
down sizing her up and asked her,
“
What were you
thinking of wearing Aria? What do you like?
”

Aria gazed at
her own reflection in the mirror,
“
I always imagined
looking like a princess, you know, like Lady Diana? I want a long
dress that has a train of at least four feet, a tight sequined
body, a flared skirt but not tacky, and a veil with a princess
tiara that would make any toddler envious. I want to look like an
absolute princess.
”

Maria rubbed her hands together and
disappeared into the back. She returned with a rack full of dresses
for Aria to try on. We were going to be here a long time! I felt my
phone vibrate so I checked it and found a text from Bradley:

Bradley: What are you doing?

Chanel: Dress shopping with Aria.

Bradley: Meet me for dinner at the
Paddock.

Chanel: Will we be dining with Maggie?

Bradley: Not funny 6:30

Chanel:
We
’
ll be there.

Bradley: Alone!

Chanel: I
can
’
t just leave Aria after shopping with her all day.
It
’
s rude!

Bradley: Be rude.

It
wasn
’
t until the second store and three hours later that we
were finished shopping for a dress that Aria loved. She ended up
with a three foot train and the tiara of her dreams. I loved it too
but I knew the price tag was going to shock Nick.

He was for a
lack of a better word on the frugal side so I
’
m sure he
was going to suffer countless sleepless nights over the extra money
he had to spend pleasing Aria. She had no idea what a nickel
pincher he could be.

There was no
time to drop Aria off before meeting Bradley, I had to bring her.
We walked into the Paddock ten minutes late and Bradley was already
seated at a table for two, oops! I tried to explain,
“
There was no time!
”
He flashed me a look
with his dark eyes; he was so not at all pleased.

I gave him a
look and shrugged my shoulders when Aria wasn
’
t looking.
He was wearing a black suit and grey tie; he stood up to kiss me
and then suggested,
“
Let
’
s find a larger
table.
”
He looked super-hot tonight.

He looked at
Aria,
“
Did you find a dress?
”

“I
did!
”
She gushed.

“I have to run
to the ladies bathroom. I
’
ll be right
back,
”
I announced.

Aria turned to
me,
“
Again? That
’
s the third time in
two hours!
”

I furrowed my
brows,
“
Whose counting?
”

She took her
serviette and shook it loose placing it on her lap,
“
It
’
s hard not to notice!
”

When I got back
from the ladies room it was all eyes on me. I felt a huge bit
self-conscious. Bradley scanned my eyes with his and said,
“
Aria suspects you
’
re
pregnant.
”
Taken aback by his off the cuff comment I
didn
’
t react, with my luck and poor timing, I probably
was.

Bradley
commented,
“
So I take it if you
two were dress shopping, there was no time to find a new place to
live?
”

I focused on
Bradley,
“
On the contrary, Aria found a bungalow close to
the hospital for me. My offer was accepted. I
’
ll be
moving in at the end of the month. I thought your brother would
have told you,
”
I mumbled.

Bradley
’
s expression was of
pure agitation,
“
Why should I learn
that you found a place from him? Shouldn
’
t that
information come from you? Did you even consider our relationship
before putting an offer in?
”

A small amount
of guilt washed over me at the realization that I never did involve
him in the process but I defended myself,
“
We
’
ve been so hot and cold lately, I thought the
decision was strictly mine to make.
”

Aria appeared
uncomfortable as the tension escalated between us. She started to
pull her chair out,
“
I have to go check on
Nick, I
’
ve been away for quite some time.
I
’
ll catch you guys later.
”
She grabbed her
purse and hustled out of the Paddock like it was on fire. I
couldn
’
t go after her because I knew better than to further
offend my burly alpha male.

The waitress
came by to take our order. Not a good time.
Bradley
’
s glare at me was so punishing, she would have
been blind not to notice. He always made me feel like a bad little
girl.
“
I
’
m sorry. What do you
want me to do?
”
I whined.

He rubbed his
stubble, his eyes were dark and pensive, and he said,
“
Reconsider, retract your offer and live with me in
Oakville.
”

“Really? I need
to talk to Aria, I don
’
t know if I can back
out of the purchase if I
’
ve already put an
offer in.
”

His eyes began
to soften as his tone remained firm,
“
Don
’
t take too long, I
might revoke the offer!
”
He was looking
mighty handsome to me.

I started
running my fingers up his short sideburns and down the back of his
scalp where his hair was the shortest, it seemed to sooth
him,
“
You
’
re forcing me to be
impetuous.
”

He scrutinized
me,
“
Just follow your heart.
”

I was just about to say yes, when I got a
vibration in my pocket. I pulled my phone out and it was a text
from Nick:

Nick: Coco, R U fighting with Throb? Aria
told me she left the 2 of U.

Chanel:
Can
’
t text now, busy

Nick: Answer

Chanel: No, not
now. He
’
s going to get mad, TTYL.

Nick: Aria
won
’
t tell me, how much was the dress?

Chanel: 9K

Nick: WTF! Why
didn
’
t U stop her?

Chanel: Not my business, go easy on her.

Nick: Code RED

I glanced up at Bradley; he was looking at
me impatiently:

Chanel: Bradley asked me to move in with
him.

Nick: Say No!

Chanel: Why?
You were all 4 us the other day. What
’
s changed?

Nick:
It
’
s too early!

Chanel:
You
’
ve known Aria 4 5min and U asked her to marry U. Why
shouldn
’
t I move in with him?

Nick: I need to
speak to Aria; I can
’
t worry about U right
now. Tell him U will think about it.

He was
waiting,
“
What was so urgent that couldn
’
t wait
until after dinner?
”

“The text was
Nick wanting to know how much the dress cost that Aria bought. He
was seeing red.
”
I was feeling rebellious and
impetuous so I went with it,
“
My heart says yes
Bradley. I will move in with you as long as I can retract my
offer.
”

He threw some
money on the table and he grabbed my wrist the way he always does,
and then leaving Snowball in the lurch he dragged me like the cave
dweller he was and opened the door to the Hummer almost but not
really pushing me inside. He floored it the entire way home, he was
lucky as hell there wasn
’
t a cop to be seen
and he made it to his house in record time.