Mariah's POV

All morning Tessa's words played through my mind. One cozy room should be enough. Sitting at the table, I waited for Sharon to bring the pancakes. I can't believe Tessa and I are going to go away for a three-day weekend in San Francisco. My body started buzzing with possibilities as I sipped my coffee.

"Someone's in a good mood this morning." Taking her own seat, my mother studied me over the rim of her mug.

"Stop psychoanalyzing me. Yes, I'm happy before having at least three cups of coffee. Yes, it has to deal with Tessa. No, we haven't had sex yet. Did I cover everything?"

"For now." Scoffing, I glanced down to a "good morning" text. "From that smile, I can only assume you've won the lottery or it's a text from Tessa."

"Being with Tessa is like winning the lottery." After a quick text back, I continued eating. "How are things between you and Nick? Did you figure things out last night once he found you?"

"Yes, we talked. The engagement is still on. The two of us need to be more honest with one another. I don't like that he kept things from me but I would have tried to talk him out of doing everything he did to create Dark Horse."

"Yeah. All of that pretending to be JT was just…a lot."

"It was. So, tell me about your second date with Tessa. How are things going between the two of you?"

"Well," I debated my words carefully knowing how Sharon would react. "Depending on a few things, we might go to that music festival in San Francisco again."

"The one where you and Tessa kissed last year?"

"Where it all began, yes." I waited for Sharon to lecture me about not taking things slowly but it never came. "Nothing? Nothing about how we're going too fast or something?"

"I've said everything before. Just be careful. I want you to be happy and safe. Tessa makes you happy. The two of you have fought so hard to be together and now it's finally happened. You're a smart woman, Mariah. You can do anything you set your mind to."

"Thank you. Your blessing means a lot to me and I know it will mean even more to Tessa."

"Is that your first cup or second?"

Studying my mother, I became nervous. "My second…why?"

"Where are you about telling your brother all of this?" Coffee spewed across the table, splashing Sharon. Dabbing her face, she spoke with a laugh. "I'll take it, you're not there yet."

"No! I've not even thought about telling Noah." Feeling my heart race, I started to panic. "Have you talked to him? Does he know already?"

"Calm down. He knows nothing. I've not talked to him in about a week. I just ask because he's probably going to call in the next few days. And it's going to get out eventually that the two of you are dating."

"I can't think about that right now. I don't want to ask you to not say anything…"

"It's not my news to tell. When you tell Noah is up to you and Tessa. Anyway, why don't you invite Tessa over tonight for a family dinner? It'll be nice. She needs to know I'm on her side now and that she's an extended part of the family."

"Thank you, Mom."

xxx

Before walking into HWG, I caught myself humming one of Tessa's songs. I need to dial back the perkiness or Hilary may take my head off. "Good morning, everyone." Oops. Still too perky.

"Well, someone's in a good mood this morning." Devon grinned. "I wonder why."

"You know, I think it has to deal with the date I saw her on two nights ago." Hilary added with the same playful sarcasm. "Who knew all it would take was a little shove in the right direction."

"You call what Devon and Kyle did "little"? Dare I ask what your idea of "big" would be?" I paused. "Nope. Don't. I don't want to know."

As if on cue, Tessa walked in humming. She stopped realizing we were all staring. "What? Am I not allowed to be in a good mood?" Hilary and Devon shared a glance.

"Not when it deals with either of us being perky before ten. They've already picked on me. Now, it's your turn."

"Oh, joy." Placing the to-go tray on the table, Tessa passed me a coffee and small bag. "Your favorite. Well, breakfast favorite."

"Mmm. Cranberry scone and caramel macchiato?" All she did was nod. "Thank you."

"Welcome."

"They're so cute together." Devon tried whispering but failed purposely, causing Hilary to laugh.

"Aren't they?"

The exchange only caused my cheeks to flush. "Can we all, please, get to work? Hilary and I have a live show today."

"You know they're happy for us." Placing her hand on mine, Tessa squeezed gently.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I'm not sure if it was because Devon and I are friends but every once in a while, it's almost like he could read my mind.

"Oh, before I forget, I need you and Tessa to cover the music festival next month. I'll let the two of you set it up and I'll get the VIP passes." Turning his attention to Hilary, he continued. "Can you spare Mariah for a few days?" The powerful woman studied Tessa and I a moment.

"I can set everything up before we leave. So, really you wouldn't even need me." Not like she can say no to Devon. But my life would be easier if she let me go willingly.

"I believe I can. If anything, I'll have someone fill in for a few days."

"Fantastic. I'll have the hotel and flight reservations on your desk by tomorrow morning." Tessa tried dialing back her enthusiasm but it still shown through.

xxx

Lunch time rolled around, and Devon let Tessa and I put ours on the company card. After placing the orders, we found a shady spot on the roof top. "So, they picked on you for being too perky when you walked in?" The musician got comfortable on the small couch, sitting close but still have the ability to face me.

"Yes. I tried to hide it a little but failed miserably. Sharon said the same thing this morning when we ate breakfast."

"How is everything going between Nick and your mom? It seemed pretty ridged last night."

"Everything is good now. The engagement is back on. Speaking of Sharon and Nick, they want you to come over for dinner tonight." Tessa froze. "Nothing bad. I promise." Lacing my fingers in hers, I continued. "They just want to include you in our family is all."

"Oh, okay." Finally, our food came. Both of us were starving. "It's so nice of Devon to pay for our lunch."

"I think it's his way of apologizing for deceiving us. Not that I'm complaining. I love how that night turned out."

"Me too."

"Ah, if it isn't the two love birds." Kyle sauntered towards us with his normal cheesy grin. "Hello, ladies. How are you this fine afternoon?"

"Are you here to gloat or congratulate us?" Tessa deadpanned.

"Little of both." Pulling up a chair, he sat across the small table. "I'm glad you decided to stay for the movie."

"I'm glad she did too." Gently, Tessa swept a curl behind my ear before giving the man her full attention. "Thank you, Kyle."

"Yes, as much as it hurts to say this, thank you."

"The two of you are quite welcome. It was clear to everyone you belong together. You just needed to let down a few walls."

"Yup. You're right." I hate that he's getting so much of an ego boost from this.

"Well, as your ship captain, I won't keep you any longer." With that, Kyle left.

"Wait, our what?" The musician snorted a laugh. "Ship captain?"

"He ships us. Like in a relationship. Tessa and Mariah equals Teriah."

"Aaahh. You internet savvy people are such dorks."

Xxx

I had just finished setting the table when Tessa arrived. Opening the door, I welcomed my girlfriend inside. "Hey."

"Hi." Hugging me quickly, the musician pecked me on the cheek. Glancing around, her brows creased not seeing Nick or Sharon. "Where are…"

"Sharon's in the kitchen and Nick is upstairs dealing with Dark Horse stuff before dinner."

"Ah, okay."

"But…" Cupping the woman's cheek, I kissed her softly. "I still get a proper kiss."

Humming, Tessa smiled. "I missed you."

"Is it safe to walk into the living room?" Sharon called from the kitchen. "I don't want to walk in on anything."

"MOM!" A wholesome laugh escaped Tessa. "Whose side are you on?"

"Yours, of course." Lacing her arm through mine, she pulled me close. "But, that doesn't mean I can't laugh at your adorableness when you get embarrassed."

It's war woman. Just wait. Scoffing, I narrowed my eyes playfully. "Riiiggghhhttt. We'll see about that."

"I hear friendly banter so I assume it's safe to walk downstairs." Nick kidded. "Hey, Tessa."

"You too? Really, Nick? I thought I could count on you at least not to make jokes like that. I mean, you have a daughter who's about to be a teenager."

"And a soon to be step daughter who will kick anyone's ass if they hurt said teenager." Turning his attention to Sharon, he started towards the kitchen. "What else needs to come out?"

"Just the wine." Smiling, Sharon motioned towards the table. "Sit. Everything's ready."

Doing as instructed, Tessa and I took our seats. "Everything smells fantastic, Sharon. Thank you for having me over."

"You're welcome, Tessa." Taking her own seat, she waited as Nick poured us each a healthy glass of wine. "We just wanted to clear the air about a few things."

"Jumping right into the heavy stuff, are we?" Grabbing my glass, I took a large sip. "I would like to open by stating I knew nothing of this."

Nick shook his head. "It's not an intervention, Mariah." Taking his fiancé's hand, he smiled. "We wanted to make sure Tessa knew we saw her as a member of our family."

"Mariah is going to be my Maid of Honor and I wanted to see if you would be interested in being a Bride's Maid."

Tessa stared slightly gaping at Nick and Sharon. She was at a total loss for words. "I…I would be honored to. Thank you, both."

"You're welcome." Nick's voice was very father-like. Then turned serious. "There is one more thing."

The words escaped me before I could stop them. "Oh, God…" Please tell me she's not pregnant. I can't deal with two pregnant women.

"Noah is coming back to town."

"What?!" Tessa and I spoke in unison.

"For the wedding and to work at Dark Horse." Sharon tried to ease the blow. "He'll be here around the tenth of August."

That's worse. I'm going to be sick. "Uh-huh…" Downing the rest of my wine, I tried regaining my composure.

Realizing I was unable to, Tessa stepped in. "Will he be staying here?"

"Yes. We're giving him the guest room since he won't be staying at the main house."

Taking my hand in hers, the musician squeezed. "Has anyone told him about me and Mariah?"

"No. Like I said this morning, Nick and I thought the two of you should tell him. On your own terms."

"Thank you. That means a lot."

The rest of dinner was filled with talk about Dark Horse and the wedding. Since Sharon and Nick cooked, Tessa and I cleaned and put away the leftovers. Hearing the TV on, Tessa used the moment of privacy to speak freely. "So, Noah's coming back…"

"Can we not? I cannot handle that topic on a full stomach. If I think about it too much, I may vomit." Loading each plate into the dishwasher, I sighed realizing I was going to talk about it either way. "I'm not ashamed of us. By no means. I'm just…there was still tension between us when he left."

"I can understand that. There was tension between us too. At least you're his sister. No matter what happens, he'll always, eventually, forgive you."

"You're family too, Tessa." Placing the last glass in the wrack, I closed the dishwasher and hopped up on the counter to sit. Taking my girlfriend's hand, I guided her to stand in front of me. "And I'll fight anyone who says otherwise."

"You are such a fiery redhead." Tilting her head upwards, Tessa caught me in a tender kiss. "And I love it."

Hopping down, I grinned. "You do, huh?"

"Mmhmm." Taking my hand, Tessa led us into the main room.

"We're going to bed." Sharon stretched. "It was good having you over."

"Thanks, Sharon." After saying all the goodnights, a melancholy cloud fell over Tessa. "I guess I better go. It's getting late."

Not wanting her to leave, I thought quickly. "You can always stay here. I think some of your stuff is still in my closet."

A grin tugged at pale lips. "You didn't burn my stuff? Even after what I did?"

"I may have thought about it, but never got around to it." They smelt like you. Of course, I didn't burn them. But you'll never know that.

"So, I've got like a week's worth of clothes here. I figured I'd never see that leather jacket or hoodie again."

"Oh, no. You won't. Because they're mine now. I claim them as mine." And you will never know I wore your hoodie when I missed you.

"What's that look? You're thinking something." Tessa's eyes narrowed.

"N-nothing." Shit. I've been caught.

"We'll see about that." Cupping my face, the musician kissed me deeply then ran up the stairs, leaving me speechless. "Try to catch me!"

Coming to my senses, I tried to get out of the fog Tessa had just put me in. "That's not fair!"

Entering my bedroom, I found Tessa laying on my bed with a devilish smile. "Well, Miss. Copeland, now that you have me in your chambers, what is it that you'll do?"

Everything that I've dreamt about the past year? Well, soon. Not tonight. "That depends," flipping off the light, I made my way to the nightstand to turn the lamp on. Leaning over the musician, I purred. "What did you have in mind?"

Green eyes darkened as Tessa bit her lip. "So many, many things. But not tonight." Pulling me in for a tender kiss, she guided me to lay beside her. Breaking apart, Tessa kissed my forehead. "I don't want to mess this up. I have one chance with you and I want it to last."

Xxx

Tessa's POV

I groaned hearing Mariah's alarm clock buzz. "Turn it off." Burrowing my face more into messy curls, I tightened my grip on the woman who laid before me.

"You gotta let go of me first. I can't reach the buttons." Loosening my hold, Mariah shut off the annoying alarm and snuggled back into me. "We'll have to get up soon for work."

"You always set it thirty minutes before you actually need to get up. We've got time." My voice was muffled.

Mariah chuckled softly. "You know me too well. Good morning."

"Morning." I love this. Waking to her in my arms, smelling her shampoo, and the fact that her bed is so comfortable. It's nothing like my futon. "Sleep well?"

"I did." Turning, the redhead faced me. "You?"

"Mmhmm." Sneaking a peak at my drowsy girlfriend caused my heart to melt. She's so beautiful. How did I ever get so lucky?

"I can feel you staring at me again." Smiling, Mariah let her eyes adjust to the morning light. "I'm glad you stayed."

"There's nowhere I'd rather be. But, can we make a deal for when I stay over on weekends?"

A laugh vibrated Mariah's throat. "Make sure the alarm clock is off?"

"Or at least set it to a decent hour. Ten, maybe?" Tucking some hair behind Mariah's ear, I kissed her quickly. "Much better."

"The kiss or the hair out of my face?" Nimble fingers danced on the skin between my yoga pants and T-shirt, causing me to shiver.

Drawing lazy shapes on Mariah's lower back caused a sharp intake of breath. "Can't it be both?"

"I like that answer. Now, stop doing that or we'll never get up in time."

Grinning, I let my hand fully spread along the woman's lower back. "I'd be okay with that."

"Mariah." A light knock interrupted our glorious moment. "Did you fall asleep again? You're not in the shower yet."

"I'm awake. Go ahead and shower. I'll make coffee."

"Okay." Sharon paused. "Morning, Tessa."

Heat rushed to my cheeks, causing Mariah to laugh. "Morning, Sharon." Glaring at my girlfriend, I spoke. "You can stop laughing now."

"Oh, no. This is too great."

xxx

Walking into work was a little awkward considering it was deafly quiet. Hilary and Devon stopped talking as we entered. "Well, well, well, look who came into work together…"

"Hilary." Devon warned.

"What? Tessa's car could have broken down and Mariah picked her up. I'm not insinuating anything." All Devon did was sigh.

Throughout the day, I caught Mariah stealing glances my way when Devon and Hilary weren't looking or were gone. Is she staring at my shoulders? I think she is. Hmm. This could be interesting.

When our bosses finally left for lunch, I decided to have a little torturous fun with my girlfriend. "Hey Mariah," I waited until the redhead looked up from her laptop to start sauntering towards her.

"Yeah," her voice trailed off. Catching herself, Mariah cleared her throat and tried looking anywhere but directly at me.

Smoothly, I sat on the table and closed her laptop. Gaining Mariah's full attention, I continued, shoulder out with a sinister grin. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Something I can't have in the office." Quickly, Mariah covered her mouth realizing what she had said. "Oh, my God. Tessa, I am so sorry. That just came out."

"That's what I thought." I've never seen her face so red before.

"What do you expect me to do when you flaunt those sexy bare shoulders and collar bones? In fact," standing, Mariah went to grab my coat from the wrack. "Put this on." Not letting me move, the shorter woman placed the jacket over my shoulders. "There. Now I can form a coherent sentence."

I tried not to laugh at Mariah's reaction but failed. "Now you know how I feel when you have curly hair porn hair. I mean, dear Lord, every time you curl your hair I can't focus. I may or may not have walked straight into a glass door once or twice."

"Are you serious?" All I did was nod. "Wow." Toying with my jacket, she continued. "You know, it's a pain to curl my hair but…I may have incentive."

"Warn a woman first. I kinda have a reputation to uphold."

Snorting, Mariah laughed. "Really? You never give me warning when you wear a sexy off the shoulder top."

Pulling the woman close, I let my hands rest on her hips. "No matter what you wear, or do to your hair, you always look amazing to me."

"Aww, you are entirely too sweet." Mariah let her hands stroke the outsides of my thighs.

"Since we're a couple, I can be. Before, I had to hide it. Now I don't."

"Thank goodness." Capturing my lips in a tender kiss, Mariah let her hands roam my sides. Shamelessly, I wrapped my legs around the redhead to keep her in place as I deepened the kiss. "Tessa…" Mariah's voice was breathless with need. I groaned hearing the elevator chime, warning us that someone was coming. "Until later."

"I'll hold you to that." Sliding off the table, I got back to my seat just in time.

Hilary stopped as soon as she crossed the office threshold. "God." She scoffed. "The sexual tension between you two is worse than teenagers. Do I even want to know what you did during lunch?"

"Hilary!" Devon cut in. "You're one to talk. As for Mariah and Tessa, they know as long as their relationship doesn't get in the way of their work, I won't separate them. Just keep it professional, please."

"We will." Mariah and I spoke in unison.

"I have the flight and hotel arrangements for the festival. It's in your email. I just need you to sign off on it."

"Alright." Pulling out his phone, Devon skimmed through his emails. "I'm sure whatever you decided is fine. Just remember, you do have to leave said hotel room on occasion."

"Oh. My. God." Mariah hid her face in her hands.

Xxx

Time passed quickly, and it was almost time for Noah to return. To say Mariah and I were nervous would be an understatement. Thankfully, we had a few more days to prepare ourselves for whatever awkwardness awaited us.

Mariah, being a fantastic daughter and Maid of Honor, helped plan the wedding. I helped with what I could but mainly stood on the sidelines and waited to be asked. When Mariah gets into her planning mode, it's best to wait for orders. I laughed inwardly watching the shorter woman jot down notes and make the needed phone calls. Every once in a while, gritting her teeth trying to keep her cool when in reality she wanted to strangle whoever was on the other end of the call.

Ending a call, Mariah leaned back in her chair with a sigh of relief. "I think that's everything except the fitting. Decorations, catering, venue, preacher, everything's checked off the list."

Glancing over the list, I gave a simple nod. "Yup. I sent out the invites already. Most people have received and RSVPed. I think we're good."

"Thank you for your help, Tessa."

"You're welcome. I'm happy to help make your life less stressful. Taking care of this, dealing with a pregnant Hilary, your job, it's a lot to deal with."

"It is but you help more than you know."

"Okay! Who's ready for the fitting?" Sharon descended the stairs with a pep in her step. "How's everything coming along?"

"I'm happy to report that everything is done." Mariah spoke triumphantly. "All except the fitting."

"Excellent!"

Entering Fenmore's, we were quickly ushered into a large fitting room where we were greeted by Lauren. There was a small stage-like area in the center surrounded by a trifold mirror to show every angle of a dress. "Ladies," she tried her best to act happy for Sharon. "Welcome."

"Thank you for doing this, Lauren. It really means a lot to Nick and I."

"Of course. Yours and Mariah's dresses are ready to be tried on. My associate will be in here momentarily to help. Tessa, you need to come with me so I can get your measurements."

"Oh, okay." Mariah smiled reassuringly before I exited the room. Following Lauren into a much smaller room, I watched as she sifted though hundreds of dresses.

"Here's the one that closely matches Mariah's." Pulling it, Lauren hung it on the wall. Retrieving a measuring tape, she smiled trying to ease my nerves. "I'm not going to bite. You look a little miserable. Have you ever had a fitting before?"

"No. I've never even had a proper bra fitting."

"Okay. Well let your arms fall naturally. I need to size your bust and waist correctly. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Doing as instructed, I watched as Lauren wrapped the long tape around my torso and jotted down my numbers. This is so awkward. I wonder how Mariah's doing.

"So, you and Mariah are an official couple. I can't say I'm surprised. From everything I've heard and seen, I had a feeling the two of you would end up together." She paused before taking the last measurement. "I'm happy for you both. I'm not exactly a fan of Sharon's but I've always liked Mariah. She's had it rough and it's good to see her happy."

"Thanks."

Wrapping the tape around her neck, Lauren smiled. "Welcome. We're done. Let's go back in and try this on. I'll make the alterations after you leave."

"Awesome."

"And who knows, maybe I'll see you and Mariah in here again for a different kind of dress." When Lauren's words finally dawned on me, I walked straight into a chair. "Are you okay?"

"I…uhm…" Unable to speak, I just nodded. Seeing Mariah walking down an isle towards me in a wedding dress? I felt my heart start to flutter.

Rejoining Sharon and Mariah, I didn't trust myself to speak. "Jen, would you help Tessa into her dress and pin what needs to be pinned? I have a meeting."

"Of course, Mrs. Baldwin."

Mariah's brow creased seeing my face still red. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-yeah." I cleared my throat. "Everything's good." Finally letting myself look at the redhead, my jaw slacked. "You look…incredible."

"You think?" Mariah turned slowly, letting me see the entire dress.

Maybe Lauren was right. "Definitely." Seeing Mariah's bare back caused my body temperature to skyrocket.

"Let's see you in yours. I'm going to go change out of this. The last thing I want is to ruin it before the big day."

Carefully, Jen helped me into the long dress. "I'll need to take a little off the bottom." The blonde muttered. "But not much else needs tailored."

Holding up the excess fabric, I went to stand in front of the large mirror. I look beautiful. Overwhelmed, I felt my throat start to constrict. I've never thought about marriage but seeing myself right now, I could imagine standing here in a white dress. Waiting for Mariah to walk down the isle to join me in front of our friends and family. Sadness clenched my heart. Who am I kidding? I'm not that lucky.

"You look breathtaking." Mariah's voice was soft as she stood behind me. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around my waist and let her chin rest on my shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"There aren't words."

"Good." Kissing my shoulder quickly, Mariah moved away before Sharon joined us. "What do you think? She looks amazing, doesn't she?"

"She does. It doesn't seem like there will be many alterations."

"No. Besides the bottom, Jen hasn't said much more."

"Well, that's good. Go get changed and we'll grab dinner from the club."

Xxx

I was able to ignore the sadness I felt earlier until I was alone in my room. As I listened to the water pressure, I silently prayed Mariah wouldn't get frozen. I normally had about fifteen to twenty minutes of warm water before it turned to ice. I laughed imagining a shrill screech from the shorter woman if that happened. She has so much hair. That alone takes nearly ten minutes to wash, condition, and rinse. Closing my eyes, I let myself get lost in the sound. I'm so happy. When Crystal and I were younger we talked about weddings and what we wanted in our future if we ever got out of Chicago. Now that I'm here, I'm scared to be happy. It could get ruined in an instant. Turning away from the bathroom door, I buried my face in Mariah's pillow. Breathing in her scent always calmed me.

"Hey," climbing in behind me, Mariah wrapped an arm around my hips. Holding me close, she nuzzled her face in my hair. "What's wrong? And don't say "nothing." I know you better than that. Something changed at the fitting. Is there something wrong with the dress?"

It's not white. "No. Nothing is wrong with the dress. It's gorgeous." Rolling to my back, I guided the shorter woman to lay her head on my chest. Wrapping my arms around her, I relaxed feeling her weight on me. "It just reminded me of Crystal and what we talked about when we were kids."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mariah's voice was soft. "I know you don't like to talk about your past, so I don't want to pry."

Kissing my girlfriend's hair, I hugged her. "Not tonight. It means a lot that you don't pry into my past. You take me for who I am even though my life before GC is very cloak and dagger."

"You'll tell me eventually." Sighing contently, Mariah buried her face into my neck. "You really did look amazing in that dress today. I can't wait to see you in it again."

I shivered feeling Mariah's breath on my neck. "That goes both ways."

"I meant to ask, what did you and Lauren talk about earlier? Something had you a little freaked out."

"Just that she's happy for us. She's not a big fan of Sharon but she always liked you."

Realizing that I was holding something back, Mariah leaned up on her elbow. "That's not all."

Biting my lip, I finally gave in. "And she said: "who knows? Maybe I'll see you and Mariah in here for a different kind of dress.""

"Oh…" Mariah's expression was unreadable as she sat up.

"Hey, hey." Sitting, I took her hand in mine. "Don't think anything about it. It's probably just habit or the saleswoman in her." Entwining our fingers, I drew lazy circles with my thumb. "Mariah?"

Casting her eyes downward, Mariah's voice was a whisper. "Is that what you thought about earlier when you saw yourself in the dress? I knew something was different. Your nose was red and eyes were cloudy."

Feeling my heart pound behind my ribs, I fought the urge to drop this whole conversation. "Will you be upset if I say yes?"