On February thirteenth, the house is alive with activity. There is not one quiet room in the entire place. Renata is in the guest room, putting last minute touches on my dress. A clerk is helping her make sure there is no lace or sequin out of place and all the little diamonds are perfect. Then the veil is ironed out. They’ve brought a mannequin so the dress won’t get wrinkled in the closet or lying on the bed.
Brandy is at the church making sure that the decorations are all in place. The tailor in charge of the tuxedos for the groomsmen, Papa, and of course the groom is en route here with them. I picked up the gifts for the girls earlier today. They have been engraved with a special saying to each one of them. Mama made it perfectly clear that even though we are already married, we’re not going to sleep together tonight. I laughed when she told me. That is until I saw that she was serious.
I said, “Good luck when you tell your son.”
I was in the kitchen when I heard him yell, “What?” After that, there was silence. I hope I can control my sons the way she does hers. Even at this age, she still has the last word. God, I love that woman.
I am in our room, going over the vows I have written for the ceremony. Or at least the ones I’m trying to write. It’s just that there are so many things I want to say. I need to shorten them. If not, I’ll be reciting them for an hour.
A few days ago, I walked into the library. There were pieces of wrinkled paper thrown all over the floor by the desk. My husband was writing his vows, grunting with effort when I entered. I told him to write whatever was in his heart. Pointing to his chest and heart, he said, “I know what’s in there. I know what I feel. It’s just hard expressing those thoughts in the right words.”
I calmly sat in his lap. “Sweetheart, the words don’t have to be perfect. There is no one to impress. Just say what you’re feeling. That’s what is important.”
I really should listen to my own advice.
I’ve already torn countless pieces of paper from this tablet. Each one is wadded up in a ball. I scribble down a whole paragraph, then as I read it out loud, it doesn’t feel or sound right. I want it to be perfect. I want my husband and everyone else to know exactly how much Aiden has brought into my life. How because of him, I started to believe in love again. How I now know that everything happens for a reason, even the horrible, tragic events. He is my present and my future. Without him, I would still be in the dark.
After so many attempts and pieces of paper, I finally have the one. This is how I feel. The words make perfect sense. They say just what is in my heart. Damn, I should be an author. They have all come together as if written for a novel. “Yup, Lexie. You are a genius.”
Looking at the clock on the nightstand, I’m surprised nobody has come in search of me. It’s taken me almost half a day. I fold the paper and hide it in my top drawer. I’ll need to read it again tonight before going to sleep. It’ll be my reading material since I am sleeping alone.
As I exit the room, the gorgeous man of my dreams strolls in. He’s been downstairs getting a haircut. The barber made a house call for the occasion. Aiden bends down and sweeps me up as if I didn’t weigh anything. He carries me back into the room and lays me on the bed.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I need to get downstairs and make sure the bouquets the girls will be holding are here and put away.”
“I thought Brandy was taking care of all that?”
“Aiden, she’s at the church. I can and want to be able to handle some things for our wedding.”
“Okay, I just wanted to relax with you for a few minutes before getting in the shower. Remember, my bachelor party is tonight.”
I playfully tap his arm. “Ha, I know the kind of relaxing you want would probably lead to sex.”
He has a shocked look on his face. “You make it sound like that is all I ever think about.”
Now it’s me who is stunned. “Duh, hello. If I remember right, it was on our first date that you told me, and I quote, ‘Alexis, you have started a fire in me. One only you can put out.’ Then, when I said I wasn’t going to sleep with you, you came back with, ‘Oh, trust me. We won’t be sleeping.’”
Aiden throws his head back in laughter. “Wow, I am good. Look where we are now.”
Laughing along with him, I slide off the bed. “Now I’m going downstairs to check on things. You go take your shower and get ready for the party.” I close the door before he can say another word.
***
At the bottom of the stairs, Shannon and Ysabel are waiting for me. They both wear little, devilish smiles. I give them a sideways grin. “What are you two up to?”
Each taking me by the arm, they walk me into the family room. “Well, my brother has a bachelor party tonight. It’s only fitting that you have a bachelorette party too.”
I laugh. “Did you both forget that I’m pregnant? I can’t drink anything except one glass of red wine a day.”
“You don’t have to drink to have a good time. Remember all the fun we had growing up? And we didn’t drink either.”
“Alexis, there is this little club in town that we can go to. I promise we will have you home early.”
My eyes go back and forth between them. “Okay, but just for a little while. What could happen in just a couple of hours?” I slip out of their hold, but as I am walking away to enter the library, I turn back toward them. “Let me tell Aiden before you two start talking about it.”
I wrap the gifts for the girls with Mama’s help. As she ties the last bow, I pull a small box out of my pocket and hand it to her. “This is for you, from me, because I love you.”
Her eyes get all shiny as they fill with tears. Opening the box, she pulls out a silver necklace. It’s a heart with a single diamond in the center.
“Turn it around. I had them write something in the back for you.”
As she reads it out loud, the tears start flowing. “To Mama—ti amo.” She pulls me in for a hug. “Ti amo, Alexis.”
Breaking the embrace, I tell her the babies are very lucky to have her as a grandmother and that I am also lucky to have her as a mother-in-law.
“We are the ones who are lucky to have you in this family.”
After clearing her throat to let us know she’s in the room, Brandy tells me all the decorations are in place and I will love the way they look. Leaving the library with her, I fill her in on the plans for tonight. “Oh, they convinced you then?”
“So, you knew about it?”
“They informed me all about it this morning.”
“Well, like I said to them, let me let Aiden know before any of you start talking about it.” I grab a sandwich in the kitchen before heading up to the bedroom to tell my overprotective husband.
***
He is in the closet, picking out his clothes for tonight. Strolling in causally, I ask him to keep an open mind and let me finish before he says anything. He looks at me. “Should I prepare myself for this? Am I going to like it or not?”
“Would you please just do as I ask?” He walks over to the bench by the bed and sits, never taking his eyes off me. Sitting next to him, and giving him the biggest smile I can, I bat my eyes. “Now, you know I didn’t say a word when you told me they were giving you a bachelor party tonight. I want you to have a night of fun.”
Folding his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes at me, he asks, “Alexis, what are you getting at?”
“Well, if you be quiet and let me finish, you’ll find out.”
“Okay, okay.”
“I think it’s only fair that I go out with the girls tonight.”
His whole demeanor changes in the blink of an eye. His jaw clenches and he lets out a breath. I put my hand up before he has a chance to say anything. “Wait, okay? It’s only for a little while. Plus I’ll be with your sister, for one. Shannon and Brandy will be there as well, and you know I would never do anything to put our sons in any kind of danger. If I didn’t oppose to you going out with the guys, then why can’t I go out as well? Unless you don’t trust me?”
He stands and walks to the bathroom door, turning around to look at me. “Okay, since the bodyguards will be keeping an eye on you. Besides, I do trust you to be careful and take good care of the babies. I don’t see a problem with it.”
Jumping up, I run to him and throw my arms around his neck. “Thank you, Aiden. I love you.”
He wraps his arms around me. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m going to make sure the bodyguards are close to you all night. We’re talking just an arm’s length away.”
I remove my arms from around his neck. “It is really necessary that they be that close? I mean, it’s not like I’m going to get kidnapped or anything. Frank is dead, and everybody seems so nice here in the village.”
With his jaw clenched, he says, “Alexis, humor me, please. Do not fight me on this issue. I do not want to be worried about you all evening.”
Letting out a sigh and crossing my arms over my chest, I walk over to the bed and plop on it. “Fine, I don’t want to argue with you the night before the wedding. Just so you know, I’m letting you have your way this time and this time only.”
He tosses his head back in laughter. “Baby, are you trying to warn me? Are you actually challenging me? Because remember, I always get what I want.”
My head whips up and I let out a laugh now. I stare directly into his eyes. Narrowing mine at him, I tilt my head to one side. “It is my turn to be perfectly clear with you. I let you have what I want you to have, and that is me, because as much as you want me, I want you more. Remember the most important quote of a married man’s life: happy wife, happy life.”
Rising from the bed, I walk out of the room. As I make my way down the stairs, I wonder what Aiden’s expression is like. I love my husband more than my own life, and I would do anything for him, but this marriage is going to have to be fifty/fifty.
Back downstairs, I find Brandy. “Is everything in place for Aiden’s wedding present?”
With a smirk, she says, “Lexie, it’s all set. Trust me, I’m good at my job.”
I place my hands on her shoulders. “I do trust you. I just need everything to be perfect. I can’t wait to watch the look on his face when he sees it.”
***
After giving my husband a sweet, passionate kiss, I join the girls, who are already in the car waiting for me. “You and my brother act like teenagers. Neither one of you can keep your hands off each other. No wonder you got pregnant so quickly.”
We all start laughing. I rub my knuckles on my blouse, then blow them. “Hey, what can I say? The sex is amazing.”
Brandy and Shannon start whistling and yelling. “Woohoo!”
“Eww, I don’t want to know that about my brother.”
“Where are you all taking me?” I ask as we drive into town. Shannon assures me that I will be very pleasantly surprised. Not really being familiar with the city, I’m not sure where we are. A sleek, modern building with no windows comes into sight. It looks completely different from all the other ones on the street. All the other buildings are stone or brick. This one seems cast from silver.
We get out of the car. There is a line in front of the club. I read the sign, which says, ‘Il Corpo/The Body.’ Then I notice that there are only women in line. “Where did you bring me? Is this what I think it is?”
None of them says a word. They all have evil little grins on their faces.
“Oh my god, are you serious? Aiden is going to blow his top.”
“Oh, come on. One last hoorah before you tie the knot.”
“Before? Hello, I am married!”
Brandy goes up to the doorman and he signals us to enter.
Once we’re seated, the girls order drinks. I clear my throat. “Remember, I can only have one glass of wine.” The place is not very big. It is dimly lit, and the tables are round with a small lamp on each of them. The waitress comes over with our drinks. Music starts and the announcer introduces the first dancer of the night. Out comes Zorro. He’s wearing a black satin shirt and black pants. The mask is the perfect touch. He performs to the song “Animals” by Maroon 5. The women are all going crazy, throwing money up on the stage. Brandy and Ysabel whistle and cheer him on. The song finishes and he exits. The lights dim, and though we can’t see the announcer, we hear his booming voice: “Next, for your viewing pleasure, we have Superman.”
Red, white, and blue lights start flashing. The song of choice is “Kryptonite” by Three Doors Down. A spotlight appears on a blond, stocky guy. He’s wearing blue tights and a blue and red shirt with the initial S on the front. The final touch is his long red cape. Again, with each sway or jerk of his hips, the women swoon. I notice Brandy has had to answer the phone twice already. I can’t help but think it has to be Aiden checking up on me. I signal her to give me the phone. She shrugs her shoulders and mouths, “Sorry.”
“No, it’s not your fault.” I take the phone and bring it up to my ear. “If you are going to be checking on me over and over, then why don’t you come see for yourself?”
The line is dead.
“Do we have Alexis Steffan in the audience? Alexis, come up on stage, please.”
I stand frozen and my face gets red from embarrassment. The girls start whistling and waving their hands at me to go up on stage. “What did you all do?”
One of the dancers, a half-dressed man, asks me again to go on up. I make my way up to the center of the stage. They set out a chair for me to sit on. Laughing, I look out over a blur of faces.
“A once in a lifetime treat for you ladies—a one and only one-time appearance tonight! We have a very special guest with us in honor of Alexis, who is here to celebrate her bachelorette party. Everyone help me in welcoming the one and only Aiden Steffan!”
Music starts playing as the last words are spoken—“I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. So many of the ladies here run up to the edge of the stage. They’re all gawking at Aiden as he struts out, swinging his hips to the rhythm of the music. He rounds the chair and begins shaking his hips in front of my face. I’m still not able to speak a single word out of shock.
In the corner of my eye I notice the girls laughing and whistling. When I turn my head in their direction, Shannon shakes her head and signals me that they had no idea.
Aiden slides on the floor. When he lifts his ass off of it, the ladies go crazy. Shaking my head and covering my mouth with my hands, I tell myself, “Oh hell, one night let loose.”
I start waving my hand in the air and whistling. He runs up to me, jumps on the chair, and stands on it with his crotch in my face. He thrusts it forward and backward. I look up at him.
Staring back down at me, he mouths the words, “I love you.”
Stepping off the chair, he strikes a pose on the stage. He’s only wearing pants, and now he begins to unzip those. He slides them down to the floor. He is left only in boxer briefs. The room erupts in louder roars. Money is thrown onto the stage from all directions.
Aiden ends the song in a forward slide on his knees, then rises and turns back to me. He holds out his hand for me to take. In an instant, I am standing by him.
He takes a bow, and then we are escorted off the stage and into a dressing room.
Grabbing me, he takes me right there in the dressing room. “Baby, I need you.” I take him by surprise. “Aiden, I need you right now.” I particularly knock us down when I press up against him. I kiss him with such a force that I walk us over to the couch in the room. I pull back, and push him down. I slide his underwear down, then I remove mine. I straddle him and take us both to the throes of pleasure. Walking out the back door, we are driven away from the club and back home. “Aiden, I didn’t even tell the girls I was leaving.”
“They were told. It’s all taken care of.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I say, “You are frustrating. It’s a good thing I’m so in love with you.”
He lets out a chuckle and pulls me to his chest. “I thank God for that every day, baby.”
At home, Mama orders him to one of the guest rooms. He grunts under his breath at the disappointing thought of not being able to sleep with me, then kisses me passionately. I walk into our bedroom and fall asleep dreaming about tomorrow.