Avoiding Temptation (Avoiding 3)

“That was also a necessity.”

“Not a necessity. An inevitable. You’re always gorgeous. I think marriage is going to look good on you,” Lexi said. If she kept talking, she was going to start crying, and crying was not an option with her makeup like this.

“Are you telling me I’m going to get fat?”

Lexi burst out laughing. “No! You couldn’t possibly be fat. Look at you! Adam is one lucky man.”

“Damn right, he is,” Chyna said with a wink. “I mean…I’m the lucky one. He’s worth it all.”

“He’s your knight in shining armor,” Lexi said with a giggle.

“Oh God,” Chyna groaned.

“Come on, he slayed the dragon and saved you from your evil stepmother.”

“You’re ridiculous. So, now, Adam is suddenly Prince Charming?”

“He is to you, isn’t he?” Lexi asked. Seeing her friend just beam back at her at the silly comparison gave her the best feeling.

“All that and more,” Chyna admitted.

Chyna moved forward and pulled Lexi into a hug. “You mean the world to me, chica. I’m sorry about yelling at you when you were last here.”

“Really…it’s okay. I needed to hear it,” Lexi admitted. “And you don’t need to rehash it on your wedding day. Today is your day. All smiles. All congratulations. All about you. Just the way you like it.”

“Can’t even keep you from being snotty when you’re saying nice things,” Chyna said, rolling her eyes.

“You wouldn’t want me any other way.”

“Ladies,” the wedding planner said, popping her head into the room. “Are we all set?”

Chyna didn’t let go of Lexi, and they stood together as best friends, practically sisters. They both nodded because speaking might result in tears. Lexi knew Chyna wasn’t nervous, but happy tears were equally as likely as jitters.

“Lexi, I’ll take you first,” the wedding planner said, opening the door wide.

Lexi turned to face her friend. “Next time I see you, you’ll be walking down the aisle, making everyone jealous. I love you. You’re my best friend. Try not to cry. I can’t promise I won’t. The only thing I have to say is…I’m really glad it’s Adam. Of all the guys I would want to share my best friend with, I think he’s the best.”

“Thank you,” Chyna whispered, her voice stuck in her throat at the words.

Lexi kissed her powdered cheek before turning and walking out of the dressing room with the wedding planner. She took in a shuddering breath and held back her tears. She couldn’t cry. Nothing had happened yet.

They walked up a small flight of stairs to the landing area where Adam and John waited. Lexi turned to look out the double doors leading to the rooftop location Chyna had selected. While seeing the backdrop of the entire New York City skyline, her breath caught in her throat. She had been up here before with Chyna to see the venue, but this was something else all on its own. The sun was setting high on the horizon, casting a beautiful glow across the rooftop.

The entire rooftop was decorated in an elegant burgundy and gold color theme with a bit of extravagance that only Chyna could pull off. There was no altar, only a small platform before an old-fashioned brick fireplace. Chairs were filled with friends and family on either side of the aisle. Each chair was draped in a burgundy cloth with individual gold bows on the back. Floral arrangements with burgundy and gold flowers paired with white roses were tied to the end of every row. The aisle was littered with dark red rose petals and a shower of gold flecks that reflected off the ebbing sunlight. The officiant stood at the end of the aisle, patiently waiting for the wedding to begin.

“Wow,” Lexi whispered. “It’s gorgeous.”

“You look gorgeous,” John whispered.

Lexi took a deep breath and then turned to face him and Adam. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“I agree with my brother,” Adam said. “Gorgeous.”

“You two look great yourself,” she said cordially.

And they did.

Both were in tailored made-for-their-bodies black suits with pressed white button-ups. Adam’s tie was burgundy and gold, diagonally striped, while John wore a solid burgundy tie. They looked so much alike in that moment even though John was a few years older. John still carried himself with that staggering confidence that melted girls’ panties, but this was Adam’s day. He was as excited as Chyna, and so…today he had won. Plus, he got Chyna, and she was the real prize.

“That’s your cue, Adam,” the wedding planner said.

He walked through the double doors and took his spot next to the officiant. They shook hands and exchanged a few words. Adam had the biggest smile that hadn’t left his face practically since the proposal. He was a man who appreciated the person he was with and would never take advantage of their relationship. He knew how lucky he was today.

“You should wear gold more often,” John said.

That was when Lexi realized that the moment had finally come where she was alone with him again.

“It highlights your skin tone and brings out the gold in your eyes.”

Lexi sighed softly. She had been debating how to approach this situation for a while now. She had never been able to figure it out. She wanted to be okay with all of this for Chyna, but John was walking her down the aisle. The only people she ever wanted to do that was her daddy and her husband. Lexi glanced down at her engagement ring and stopped moving when she realized that her thought hadn’t been Ramsey. It had been on her husband. Granted, they weren’t one and the same…yet.

“You’re lost in thought,” John said.

“Oh, yes. Just thinking about Chyna and how we got to this moment,” she said.

“Right.”

He sounded disbelieving, but she couldn’t care about that.

She brushed down the front of her dress in anticipation of the upcoming wedding ceremony. When she had first caught a glimpse of the dress that Chyna had had designed for her, she had been stunned. It was beautiful. Chyna hadn’t tried to make the dress a little ugly. She knew there was no way she would be outshined on her big day, and the bridesmaid’s dress she had chosen would only make Chyna look more beautiful. It would cast her in the spotlight, not out of it.

The form-fitting dress was a knee-length gold and burgundy number with hand-sewn gold sequins swirled into a pattern on the top. It was strapless and cut into a sweetheart neckline. The bottom half was several layers of pleated sheer burgundy material over a burgundy silk slip that dropped to her knees. She had on matching burgundy high heels, a thin gold chain with a knot resting between her collarbones, and matching gold knot earrings that she had received as a bridesmaid gift.