A/N: There's another poll up on my profile! I'll be closing it Friday night! Go vote! :) There's four choices this time!
Chapter Eleven: The Engagement Party
Ella put in her earrings and touched up her lip gloss before she stepped back to try and look at her entire reflection. She sighed as the bathroom counter got in her way. She needed to remember to move her stand alone full length mirror over. She could not deal with only seeing half of her outfit. She stood on her tip toes to try and see the bottom of her dress, but it was no good. She was too short and the counter was too tall.
She let out a low whine and huffed before grabbing her grey coat off of the back of the bathroom door. She was determined to not let Nate see her dress till just before they entered the hall where the party was. It was strapless and stopped a few inches above her knees. The top of the bodice was curved like the top of a heart, and there was beading on the top right of the bodice and then more beading over the bottom left over her stomach and over the edge of her hip. The top left of the bodice had pleating that looked elegant and yet daring. The dress itself was very formfitting. She loved it.
She straightened her necklace as she slipped her arms in the sleeves of her coat. She fastened it before she opened the door and walked out into the bedroom. Nate turned eagerly and Ella nearly laughed as his brow furrowed and the corners of his mouth turned downward. She smirked at him and approached quickly as he struggled with his tie. She pulled his hands away and did it herself. She straightened it and then ran her hands over his shoulders to smooth out the wrinkles.
"You look very handsome," Ella said with a smug smile. She picked his suit jacket up off the bed and held it out for him. He gave her a suspicious look before he slipped his arms into the sleeves.
"As far as I can tell you look very nice too," He said slowly as he faced her again. "But, honey, you're not sharing equally. You've seen me, and I think it's only fair that I see whatever is underneath that coat."
He reached out to unfasten the top of her coat and she laughed and slapped his hands away. "Oh no, not yet. I want you to be surprised."
"Come on, Ella. It's not like you're wearing a wedding dress. This is an engagement party," He said as he stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.
He reached out again and she grabbed his hands. She laughed again. "Nate, if I take off this coat now you're going to want to kiss me, and we both know that we're running late enough as it is. So, no. Not until we get to the party."
"That's evil," Nate told her.
"Yes, it is," She agreed with a grin.
Nate sighed. "Fine, keep your little secret. I'll find out sooner or later."
Ella chuckled as he sighed and motioned for her to lead the way to the car. Once they were in the car and on the road he reached over and laced his fingers with hers. They shared smiles and Ella leaned her head back on the headrest. Nate looked over at her as they parked outside of the hall.
"You do look very beautiful, Ella. Even if you are completely covered by that damn coat," Nate said with a smirk.
She smiled at him in amusement. "Why, thank you, Nathaniel. I appreciate that."
He got out of the car and walked around to help her out of the passenger side. Mrs. Gray met them outside of the door and hugged them both.
"Oh, sweetie, do you want me to take your coat?" Mrs. Gray asked.
"Yes, please, take the coat," Nate said as he reached out to help Ella take off her coat. She rolled her eyes and laughed lightly as she undid the two top clasps. Nate gently peeled off the coat and handed it to his mother. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Ella's bare shoulders and she turned to smirk at him.
"Well, how do I look?" She asked
"I—I…you look," Nate stuttered with a gulp. "Wow." He cleared his throat and blushed. "You're…perfect."
Her face flushed, and she smiled shyly at him. "I'm sure I'm not perfect."
He lightly ran a hand up her arm and pulled her closer. "Yes, you are."
He leaned forward and kissed her lips extremely slowly. Ella let out a soft quivering sigh as he pulled away. His mother cleared her throat, and Nate's eyes flew open. He kissed Ella's forehead and then laced his fingers through hers. Mrs. Gray smiled affectionately at the couple as she opened the door and motioned for them to walk through it.
They were met with applause and cheering, and they smiled brightly at the room. Ella's smile fell a little when she spotted her mother's less than enthusiastic face, but it came right back when her eyes found Tyler's proud face. He jogged toward them and hugged his little sister proudly.
"You know," He said in whisper. "I knew you were engaged, but somehow it didn't hit me until just now. My baby sister's getting married. We're all grown up."
Ella chuckled and hugged him in return. "Yes, we are. Now we just need to find you a girl."
"Good luck with that, I'm a stallion," Tyler said jokingly. Ella bit her bottom lip.
"I do have something I wanted to ask you though, Ty," Ella hesitantly.
"What's that?"
"Well, you're always here for me…and I know that usually a girl has her father walk her down the aisle, but we both know that's not going to happen for me and I was wondering, well hoping, that you might want the job instead?" She asked nervously as her eyes watered slightly.
He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Of course, Ellie. I would be honored."
She sniffled and hugged him again. "Thank you, Ty. Love you."
"Love you too, sis."
She glanced over at her mother and sighed sadly. Tyler squeezed her shoulder.
"She'll come around. For right now, just be thankful that she's here."
Ella nodded. "I am. Should I go talk to her?"
He smiled softly. "I think that would be a good idea."
Ella pulled away from him and headed toward her mother. She turned to find Nate following her and she gave him a warm glance. "Nate…"
"Ella," He said sternly.
She sighed and smiled at him. "Let me do this on my own this time. Please?"
"Ella…"
"Nate," She repeated with a smirk as she reached a hand up to caress his cheek. "I need to talk to her alone."
He nodded reluctantly. "Okay, but I'm gonna be right here. If you need me just…find me. Promise?"
"Promise," She said before she placed a quick kiss to his lips. "I'll be right back."
Ella slowly approached her mother.
"Thank you for coming, mommy," Ella told her in a small childlike voice.
Lauren Do sighed. "I said I would be here, Ellie, and I am."
"How are you? With me and Nate, I mean?" Ella asked slowly.
"Ella, let's not talk about this now."
Ella nodded and sighed. "I see. So, you still don't approve, then?"
"No, I don't. I still believe that you're going to regret this someday soon. This is a hard life you're about to marry into. You'll be alone for a good portion of it. Sometimes it won't even feel like you're married. Is that really what you want?"
Ella ran a hand over her eyes and growled slightly. "Mother, I want Nate, and if that's what comes with him then I will gladly accept any and all conditions and complications. I don't care the cost…I just want Nate. So, you're just going to have to smile and deal with it. It would also be nice if you could at least try to get to know Nate. He's a real man, mom. He's not dad. I mean I know that eventually you'll see it, but I'd like for you to see it before my golden wedding anniversary. Really, take all the time you need. You'll realize you're wrong, but in the mean time…you will be civil to my fiancé and his family. You will force a smile and be gracious and helpful. Am I clear?"
Ms. Do's mouth formed a stern thin line. "Are you…did you…what makes you think you can talk to me like that, young lady?"
"Young lady, mom? Really? I'm twenty five."
"I am your mother," She said in a raised voice.
"You're not acting like it," Ella told her. "And until you are I plan to talk to you however I see fit. Enjoy the party, mom. Nate's grandmother made the potato salad, and I've heard she makes the best potato salad in three states. You should try it."
Ella turned and walked away. She'd expressed her opinion on that matter and that was all she could do for the moment. She smiled softly at Nate as she approached him.
"Everything okay?" He asked worriedly.
"No, but we have an understanding. I think that's the most we can ask for right now," Ella told him.
"An understanding with who?" Esther Gray asked as she approached them.
Ella smiled warmly at the woman and hugged her as she pulled away she glanced discretely over at her mother. "No one, Grandma Gray. No one."
Esther followed Ella's gaze and glared warily at the woman on the other end of it. There was enough resemblance that Esther could tell who she was. That cross looking, unsatisfied woman had to be Ella's mother. She pulled away and then hugged Nate. She kept one arm around Nate after they both pulled back from the hug. "Well, don't the both of you look wonderful? Such a very attractive couple."
"Thank you, Grandma," Nate said with a chuckle as he kissed her cheek.
"You two go mingle and talk to your friends," Esther told them pleasantly. She nodded toward Ms. Do. "Is that your mother?"
"Um, yes. That is my mother," Ella said with a sigh.
"You have her eyes," Esther told her. "I think I'm going to go introduce myself. You kids go make your rounds with your guests."
Ella started to protest but Esther gave Nate a stern look and his eyes widened before he quickly led Ella away. "Let's go find my brothers, Ells."
"But, Nate—"
"C'mon, just trust me," Nate said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her across the room toward Jason.
Esther turned and approached Ms. Do. She smiled and reached out a hand toward her. "You're Ella's mother?"
She nodded and shook Esther's hand. "I'm Lauren Do."
"Do? Not Pador?"
Lauren scowled. "No. I divorced her father years ago. I'd rather not carry around his name if I don't have to deal with him."
"I see," Esther said blankly. "Well, I'm sorry about that. That must be awkward for your children."
Lauren blinked and swallowed thickly. "They've gotten used to it."
"You'll forgive me if I find that sad," Esther said with a sigh. "I will say that I love Ella. She's a very intelligent young woman, and Nate's crazy about her."
"He should be. I'm sure he can't do any better than her."
Esther's eyes widened at her tone. "Well, it's nice to know how you feel about my grandson."
Lauren's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't mean—"
Esther chuckled. "Yes, you did."
"I just—unlike all of you, I'm not sure this is the best thing for my daughter. I married someone who was constantly in the spotlight and it did not turn out well for me," Lauren huffed.
"Yes, I see. Two attractive, talented, and intelligent children came out of it. I can see how it didn't end well," Esther said sarcastically. "And now one of them is blissfully happy and marrying a young man who wants nothing more than to take care of her for the rest of his life. You're most definitely not blessed. No, it's clear the universe is just out to destroy you."
"Excuse me?"
Esther sighed. "You need to learn to appreciate what you have, dear. Look around the room. All of these people are here to celebrate your daughter and the man that means the world to her. They clearly have faith that these two will make it. You seem to be the only person who can't see it. Does that seem odd to you? If you're not careful, Ms. Do, you're going to lose your children. They're going to grow tired of dealing with your…disposition. You need to let your children live their lives and support their decisions. Sometimes we, as parents, don't always know best, as hard as that is for us to accept. Just be happy that your daughter is happy or you run the risk of scaring her away."
"I don't think Ella—"
"Trust me, if you were to ask her, right now, to choose you or Nate. She would choose him. No hesitation," Esther said bluntly. "Adjust your attitude, Ms. Do. Make things easier on your daughter. She's stressed enough as it is. She's lost her father. Don't make her lose her mother as well."
And with that Esther walked away and left Lauren to think. Esther shook her head as she walked. This woman was doing nothing but making it harder on Ella, and she didn't deserve that.
"Alright," Jason said loudly as he stood at his seat at one of the tables. He picked up a glass and carefully tapped it with his fork. "If everyone could please take their seats? It's almost time for dinner to be served, and before we eat I've been told I need to make a toast."
He waited as everyone sat down and then glanced to Nate and Ella as they sat down next to himself and Caitlyn. He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure there's anyone out there who doesn't know this, but just in case…Nate is my youngest brother and one of my best friends. We've been through a lot together over the years, and obviously we've grown up together. But actually Ella's grown up with us too. So did a lot of the people in this room right now. Thanks to a place you all may have heard of called Camp Rock. We don't actually talk about this very often, but I do remember most of you from our last summer before Connect Three made it big. I definitely remember Caity," Jason said as he smiled warmly at his wife.
"She wasn't the Caitlyn she is now, though. She wore soft pinks and purples and was certainly subdued. I remember her, though. Even then, when she was trying to hide it, I could see there was something different about her. And I remember the rest of you too. I remember Tess, Barron, Peggy, Sander, Andy, and Lola. And I remember Ella. She was a tiny little thing who wore enough sequins to blind you for days."
Ella blushed and buried her face in her hands. Nate chuckled and pulled them away. He leaned close to her ear to whisper. "I never minded the sequins. In fact, most of the time I miss them. You don't really wear them much anymore."
"Well, if you like them," Ella whispered with shy smile, "Maybe I'll wear them more often."
"I also remember the first time Nate met Ella. He came back to the cabin, and told Shane and me all about the crazy shiny girl who talked his ear off," Jason turned to wink at Ella before he continued. "But eventually Nate and Ella formed a very unlikely but very close friendship. And I think the things that initially drove him crazy about Ella are the things that eventually caused him to fall so hard. Am I right, little brother?"
Nate smiled and nodded. "Among other things."
"And I know that sometimes talking to Nate feels like talking to a brick wall. He's not the most talkative of individuals, but if there's anyone out there who can get a person to talk its Ella. Having watched the two of them grow up and then having watched the two of them together I have no doubt that they're meant to be. They're perfect for each other, and I think all of us here tonight can clearly see that. I look forward to the end of May, and to watching the two of them officially start their lives together. To Nate and Ella," Jason said as he raised his glass.
"To Nate and Ella," The room repeated.
"Congratulations, you two," Jason said with a nod. "Now, let's eat!"
Jason sat down next to Caitlyn and she smiled proudly at him. Ella beamed at Jason and patted his hand. "Thank you, Jase. That was beautiful."
"You're welcome," He said with a nod.
The food was set down in front of them, and Nate turned toward Brown who sat on the other side of him. He cleared his throat before he spoke, "Uncle Brown?"
Brown gave Nate a curious glance. "Yes?"
"I was hoping you'd be my best man," Nate said with a smile. "Are you up for it?"
Brown clapped Nate on the shoulder. "I'd be honored."
The table fell into small talk as dinner continued and once it was finished Mrs. Gray stood up to make an announcement.
"Thank you all for coming. I hope you enjoyed dinner, and now…it's time for dessert," Mrs. Gray nodded to one of the waiters and he left the room and then came back in rolling a cart. The cart stopped by Ella and Nate's table and Mrs. Gray uncovered the dessert. Ella laughed and shook her head. "Oh it's perfect."
It was a three tiered cake, and each tear was decorated to look like a light blue jewelry gift box. Tiffany's boxes. Ella stood up and gave Mrs. Gray a quick hug.
"It's beautiful. I love it," Ella said happily.
"It's chocolate all the way through," Mrs. Gray said with a chuckle. "Caitlyn said you would like that."
Ella nodded and beamed at her. "And Caitlyn would be right."
They cut the cake and passed it around and they all sat and enjoyed dessert and made small talk for about another half hour, and then finally Nate stood up and got the attention of the room. Shane handed Nate his guitar and Nate nodded his thanks.
"I actually have a little something I'd like to perform now," Nate said as he smiled warmly at Ella. "For years now, Ella and I have had a favorite song. Ella played this for me one summer at camp and since then it's been our song. Even when we were just friends this song belonged to us. It was about us. Then we started dating, and it took on an entirely different meaning. Actually, for me at least, it took on an entirely different meaning long before we started dating. It just took a long time for my chance to come around."
He placed the guitar strap around him and ignored the scolding look from his mother as he sat on the edge of the table and propped a leg up in his chair. He angled himself toward Ella and looked her in the eyes before he continued speaking. "This song is called 'Count on Me' and it's by an artist you all might have heard of called Bruno Mars. This is for you, Ells."
She could feel the tears forming in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip. He hadn't even started playing yet. He started strumming and Ella brought a hand to her mouth. She knew she would be crying by the end of this. He wasn't going to leave her any other choice.
"If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea,
I'll sail the world to find you.
If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see,
I'll be the light to guide you.
Find out what we're made of,
When we are called to help our friends in need.
You can count on me like 1, 2, 3.
I'll be there.
And I know when I need it,
I can count on you like 4, 3, 2,
And you'll be there,
'cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah.
If you're tossin' and you're turnin',
and you just can't fall asleep,
I'll sing a song beside you.
And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me,
Every day I will remind you.
Find out what we're made of,
When we are called to help our friends in need.
You can count on me like 1, 2, 3.
I'll be there.
And I know when I need it,
I can count on you like 4, 3, 2,
And you'll be there,
'cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah.
You'll always have my shoulder when you cry.
I'll never let go,
Never say goodbye.
You can count on me like 1, 2, 3.
I'll be there.
And I know when I need it,
I can count on you like 4, 3, 2,
And you'll be there,
'cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah.
You can count on me 'cause I can count on you."
She was right. She was crying. She sniffled and accepted a tissue someone handed her as Nate set his guitar to the side. The minute he put his feet on the floor and stood up Ella practically jumped him with a hug. He held her tightly and kissed the side of her head. She placed a lingering gentle kiss on his lips before she pulled away and smiled brightly.
"Thank you," She whispered.
"My pleasure, Ells. I love you," He replied.
"I love you, too."
The group applauded and gave them a few minutes before Mrs. Gray cleared her throat. Nate and Ella turned to find her smiling softly at them.
"We have presents for you to open in the back whenever you're ready," Mrs. Gray told them.
Ella quirked a brow. "Presents?"
Nate laughed and rolled his eyes. "Thanks, mom. I've completely lost her attention now."
Ella smirked and turned back to him. "You will never completely lose my attention, Nathaniel. You just lose a little bit of my focus, that's all." She turned and smiled pleasantly at Mrs. Gray. "So, presents?"
Nate and Ella walked to the table in the back and the room turned their focus toward them. Mrs. Gray had them sit down in two chairs next to each other, and handed them each a present from the table. They ripped them open and shared a confused glance when they both opened a different leash and collar set. Ella's was Louis Vuitton and Nate's was covered in the Yankees logo.
"What is this?" Nate asked as he held it up and looked around the room.
Ella glared at Caitlyn. "Is this some sort of twisted joke?"
Caitlyn laughed loudly. "No, but that would be funny."
"C'mon," Mrs. Gray said as she handed them each another present. "Let's keep going."
Nate and Ella looked very lost as they slowly opened the next two presents. Ella frowned at the package in her hands. It was a pair of plush dog toys that looked like high heels. She glanced over at Nate and found him holding a rope dog toy.
"Okay," Ella said slowly as she looked around the room again. "What is this?"
"What do you think it is?" Mr. Gray asked with a smirk.
"You all do know that we don't have a dog, right?" Nate asked them.
"Oh? You don't?" Shane asked with a knowing grin. "I guess that means we all need to take our presents back."
A little bark could be heard behind them and suddenly a small, wiggling, furry bundle was placed in Ella's lap. Ella looked behind her to find Brown bending over her. He winked before he spoke.
"Or we could just give them a dog," Brown said with a chuckle.
Ella gasped and picked up the puppy in her lap. It's fur was a warm copper color and it had a white spot on its nose. "Oh my goodness! Look at you!" She hugged it to her and turned toward Nate. "Look! It has blue eyes and little floppy ears!"
Nate took the puppy from her with a smile. He noticed the white fur on its belly as he did so and looked around the room. "What kind of dog is this?"
"I believe the breeder said she was a Duck Tolling Retriever. She'll be a big comforting dog," Mr. Gray told him.
Ella gasped and clapped lightly. "Perfect! Oh my gosh! Thank you all so much! She's adorable!"
Ella reached over and scratched behind the dog's ears. Its tongue lolled to the side and it's tail wagged. It licked her hand a couple of times and Ella laughed. Nate smiled affectionately and rubbed the puppy's belly as he held it. "What should we name her?"
Ella made a thoughtful noise. "She looks like a…Maggie."
The dog let out a happy bark at the sound of the name and Ella smiled.
"Maggie it is, then," Nate said as he rubbed the dog's head. "Think she'll be able to protect you?"
Ella smirked. "Of course, I mean just look at her. She's fierce. Aren't you, little lady?" It let out another tiny bark, and Ella brought her face just a little closer. "Yes, you are!" Ella let out a light squeal as the dog licked the tip of her nose. She laughed. "Oh I love this dog already. She's just too precious."
"We thought you two might need someone to keep you company in that big house," Mrs. Gray said with a smile. "And this little thing looked like just the right dog for the job. We couldn't resist."