Better words had not been invented to describe this situation.
Hours later, as we packed away my life, I was still explaining the mechanics of the wedding to them.
“So we will all fly over to New York that Friday and the wedding is on Sunday. Zayden is paying for our tickets, business class—”
Stacey gasped again. I was starting to get used to that as the background noise to my life.
“No!”
“Yes,” I said cheerfully. “I’ve never been in business class either. But I hear there is champagne. We will find out sooner or later. And that is just the beginning of it. He is putting us all up in fancy five-star hotels right in mid-town where all the action is supposed to happen. All my life I have dreamed of going to Times Square and now I will be staying so close to it while I prepare for my wedding at The Plaza. It’s insane is what it is.”
“Oh god, Aria, this is going to be like one of those weddings in the movies where you just have to think for a second if anyone in the world can afford such a thing. Now you can!”
“No, I can’t. Zayden can though and he wants to so why should I complain? Although, he did force a pretty heavy promotion on me so who knows, soon enough, maybe I would be able to afford such things myself?”
Stacey covered her face and fell flat on my bed. “I can’t anymore, Aria. Too much big news. Congratulations on the promotion. Although I should have seen that one coming a long time ago. You’re brilliant and Zayden knows this, so he would have offered you the promotion even if you guys were never romantically involved.”
“That’s what he said too.” I frowned, being unable to fathom why everyone thought I was so smart. I should just be grateful for the opportunity, but it was difficult to believe that I had made it this far on talent alone.
“Give yourself more credit, Aria! You’re the best student in our year. The only time you got an A minus you crawled into bed and cried for two days straight. If it wasn’t Zayden, some other big shot at some other bank would be eager to take you.”
“Fine, fine,” I said reluctantly. “I earned the promotion or whatever. I still need to graduate from college, you know?”
“Yeah, how do you plan to do that with the demands of your new job and planning your wedding?”
“Well, I am taking all my final exams early – so later this week – for this semester and then I will be done with my junior year. I’m going to try and do my senior year online. The Dean has been understanding and willing to help me with it. She was worried if she didn’t try to work with me I would go elsewhere where and my diploma wouldn’t have their name on it.”
“Nobody has ever fought so hard to keep my name.” Nick snickered. “Yet you don’t think you’re intelligent enough to have earned that promotion. I think you need some therapy, Aria.”
“I think you guys need to shut up,” I said jokingly. “But anyways, I’ll have my degree and my job – and my soon to be husband, of course – so I am happy. I don’t really have to go in to work or start my new position until the wedding, which helps. Now that I have arranged to take my finals early—”
“When did you even manage to do that?” Stacey looked at me in awe. “Didn’t you just find out about all this earlier this afternoon?”
“I called the Dean on my way home.” I waved my hand to suggest it was no big deal. “You know how I like to be on top of things.”
“You are like from some other planet, my goodness. Any other girl – me for sure and Nick too and he is not even a girl – would be so consumed in the excitement of all of this that at least for a day school would be relegated to the back of our minds.”
“Well, school is important.” I grinned. So many wonderful things were happening and I had no idea why Nick and Stacey were insistent on showering me with so complements. Perhaps it had something to do with me moving away, but it sure as hell made me feel wonderful.
“So in summary,” Nick said, looking at a legal pad. “You are getting married in New York in three weeks, you are taking your finals next week and you start your new position at work after the weeding. And you’re moving out tomorrow?”
“Nick, have you been taking notes?” I burst out laughing. It was classic Nick.
He flashed me a confused look. “Shouldn’t I have been? As your – wait, what will I be doing in your wedding? Stacey is maid-of-honor. I can’t exactly be a bridesmaid. Wait, Aria, I am in your wedding right?” He looked horrified by the possibility that he might not be.
“You are the brides-dude-of-honor. I made up that title for you. You will be standing next to my bridesmaids with honor but you don’t have to put on a dress, a suit will do.” I smirked.
“Awesome, then as your brides-dude-of-honor, I have to make sure we document everything so there is no lag in any part of your wedding. And I also volunteer to be the errands guy. I love running errands,” he said with a straight face, making Stacey and I burst into a fresh pair of giggles.
“Pizza’s here,” I said when the doorbell rang.
It was as perfect as the last night with my two favorite people in the world could ever be.
Chapter 6
Zayden
I walked into the living room to find Aria fiddling with her boxes. A strange sense of accomplishment filled over me as I watched her unpack in her new home. My home. Our home. The thought of all the wonderful memories we were going to make here for the rest of our lives filled me with profound happiness. I couldn’t believe all of this was happening, that Aria was here, now and real, and willing to be mine.