Chapter 8
John knew this was her favorite band and smiled, listening to her sing. "They're playing in the next state over, want to go see them?" He offered.
Her head snapped to the side, tears welling up in her eyes, and turned the radio down. "What? Y-You would take me to see them?" She was using the tears that had been meant for pain as a cover up when John nodded, squealing before wrapping her arms around his neck and rained kisses all over the side of his face, nodding as she wiped her tears away. "Yes, yes I would love to see them!" The happiness mixed with pain sparkled in her green eyes as she turned the radio back on, grabbing John's hand and kissed it before staring out the window as her eyes closed. She was listening to Rascal Flatts new CD, the next song being 'Forever' and bit her bottom lip.
John would do anything to make Austin happy. When she was sad, he was sad. When she was happy, he was happy. His mood centered around hers; she was his world.
No matter how hard the lyrics hit home to her, Austin couldn't stop listening to the CD and sang along with it. She was addicted; she admitted it and flipped the visor down to check her makeup, glad she hadn't smeared her eyeliner when she cried. She caught a glance of Randy's face and immediately flipped it back up again, chest constricting painfully. Austin already knew she still loved Randy and always would, but he was her past and he was happy with his wife Samantha. She had to move on and John was the perfect person to do that with because she loved him too. It was like her heart was being torn in two and she hated it.
Randy was happy as hell when they were finally at the tux place, thrilled to be getting away from Rascal Flatts, and had every intention of taking a cab back to the hotel. There was no way he could go through that again.
"So silver and blue." John said with a grin, looking both excited and nervous as he took Austin's hand, planting a kiss to the top of it. "I'm going to either pass out or puke, I'm nervous."
"It's just a FITTING, moron."
"John, look at me sweetheart." She cupped his face in her hands, their eyes locking, and could see how nervous he really was. "I love you, calm down. It's a fitting; it's not the big day yet. You can't get cold feet until the night before the wedding." She giggled, trying not to sound nervous herself and smiled when he kissed the top of her head as their fingers laced together, walking with him inside the building. Austin looked around while John spoke with the salesperson, nodding whenever a recommendation was made. "No, no corsages or napkins are needed, just straight midnight blue tuxes with silver shirts." She stood up, placing the magazine on the table, and tapped her chin before nodding at the suit the salesman brought out. "Perfect, go try that on boys."
Randy could only stare at the tuxedo with a disgusted look on his face. "If the radio starts playing 'It's Raining Men', I am so fucking out of here." He commented, following John to the dressing room.
"Hey, these are snazzy."
"The silver is blinding. We're going to look like fools."
"Well, we're unconventional."
When Randy stepped out first, Austin slowly stood up from the chair and looked at the suit, the shirt, taking a deep breath. "Do you have a darker silver or maybe even a deep gray?" She asked, knowing that would work as well, and fixed the collar before making sure the sleeves were the same length, her eyebrows furrowing together. "Stop fidgeting." She ordered before turning to face him, both of them staring in the mirror. "With a deep darker grey I think we have it." She smiled when John came walking out, chewing her bottom lip. "What if we changed the colors to black and silver?"
John frowned when Randy started actually humming 'It's Raining Men', wanting nothing more then to reach over and slap his friend upside his head, but didn't want to risk ruining the suit. "Why?"
"Because we look gay." Randy sighed, wondering if he should spell it out for the man. "John, look at us. We look like we belong in a Vegas sideshow."
"Austin, if you start laughing, I'm- Don't laugh!"
She couldn't help it and started giggling uncontrollably. "He's right. These colors don't go together. I think we'll have to have black tuxes with a deep blue shirt, the silver will just be sprinkled on the flowers and whatnot." She nodded as if to clarify it before turning to the salesman. "Would you mind grabbing them black instead?" Her heart warming smile charmed the salesman and winked at her fiancé before looking at both of them. "Okay go change; I can't even look at you two in those suits." She was going to start laughing again.
John and Randy both stared at her, identical unamused expressions on each of their faces. A second later, they had shed their coats so they had more freedom to attack her. Randy let John have her upper body, knowing damn well if he got too close, he was liable to kiss her or something. Instantly tickling her inner thigh, his hands automatically knew where to go, hearing her shriek at John to quit.
Austin was laughing so hard she was crying as she squirmed in both of their arms, squeals echoing around the place, not caring who heard her. "Jonathan, stop it! Randy!" She knew she couldn't get away from these behemoths; they were MUCH bigger than her and powerful. She still couldn't believe how built Randy was; he'd nearly taken her breath away the first time her eyes locked on him a week ago, which would explain the fainting spell. "Stop it you guys!" She rasped out just as the salesman came back out, forcing them to release her and smacked both of them upside the head, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "You'll pay for that, Johnny."
"God I hope so." John teased, rubbing the back of his head, exchanging smirks with Randy. "Sorry, you don't get to pay for it."
"Poor me." Randy murmured, glad his friend had missed the longing tone to his voice, clearing his throat. "So are we ready to try on more monkey suits?"
Austin hadn't missed that tone, or the fact that Randy knew where her ultimate ticklish spot was, clearing her throat with a nod. "Yeah, go and try on the black with these darker grey shirts." She ushered them back into the dressing room and smiled back at the salesman. "Sorry about that. I know we were making a scene."
"Not a problem, honey. It happens more than you realize, so who is the lucky fella?"
"The brown haired one." She replied with a grin, though it faded when the salesman raised an eyebrow.
"I would've thought you'd be marrying the other one." He shrugged nonchalantly. "My mistake." He walked away, leaving Austin standing there dumb struck.
"So, what do you think of her? Now that you've finally gotten to spend a little time with her?" John asked from his stall, groaning when his elbow bashed into a mirror, cracking it. "Damn..."
Snorting, Randy chuckled, busy shimmying into his suit already. He figured saying 'she has a hot ass and I was so tempted to fuck her three ways from Sunday right there in front of your dumbass', was not the appropriate thing to say. He simply responded with, "She's alright, I suppose..."
The shock slowly wore off as Austin stared in the mirror, chewing her bottom lip, not liking what that salesman said and plastered a smile on her face when Randy walked out followed by John. Her breath was stolen at the sight of both of them, more Randy than John. She was a horrible person.
"Perfect!" She squealed with excitement, clasping her hands together and walked over to fix the collars, moving from John to Randy, green eyes locking on his briefly before pulling back, nodding. "Black with dark grey, just like I thought. The blue will go into the decorations and the bridesmaids are wearing it so it'll fit perfectly." Austin was all about color and knew this was going to look perfect, the midnight blue suits were too much, but black contrasted and split the colors equally. "What do you think?"
"I think you should come adjust my collar some more." John teased seductively. He wasn't aware his fiancée was having horrible, lusty thoughts about his friend and Best Man, or that the friend was having the same kind of thoughts about her in return. "I like these better, baby."
Randy just nodded, watching her intently, his tongue flicking out to wet his suddenly dry lips.
That fire she'd managed to keep tame for the most part was now exploding throughout her worse than a volcano eruption, especially after watching Randy do that. What the hell was she doing?! "I'm sure you would." She purred, walking over to John and adjusted his collar, laughing when he dipped her and kissed her lips passionately. Austin was horrible because she was wishing this was Randy at the moment and not John, tears stinging her eyes. She quickly blinked them back as he lifted her back up to her feet and smacked him when he flashed her a playful grin. "Your ass is mine later, Cena." She vowed before smoothing the suit down again. "Okay go change out of them so we can pay for them."
"Uh...don't you think they ought to do some measurements and stuff?" John asked hesitantly, looking down at his legs, watching as Randy did the same. "We look like we're wearing high waters."
"What the hell is a high water?"
"What my mom calls pants that are too short."
"We can let them down, it'll be fine." A saleswoman assured them.
"The sleeves fit you perfectly and, besides, you told them your measurements over the phone before we even came here. This is why we had to make an appointment." Austin sounded exasperated and smiled at the saleswoman, who was eyeing John something fierce. Austin didn't care at the moment, her mind currently on her very stunning looking ex-boyfriend, who was adjusting himself in the mirror. "Now if only I could find a dress then we would have nearly everything set besides the invitations, band, reception afterwards..."
Randy caught her sneaking a glimpse at him and flashed her a charming, albeit arrogant smirk; his blue eyes twinkling wickedly. "I know I'm gorgeous aren't I?" He drawled teasingly, his voice too low to be overheard by John and the giggling saleswoman. "If you need an opinion on a wedding dress, Aus, I'd be more than happy to offer one." He suggested, knowing fully well she probably wouldn't want to show him the dress she was marrying his best friend in.
"You would?" Austin blurted out before she could stop herself, clearing her throat as she slowly walked over to him. "Why are you offering to help me with that?" Austin was suspicious and narrowed her eyes slightly, not believing his arrogance, rolling her eyes when he just shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, you want to help me, John has a signing today at three. If you're not busy, come to our room and I'll show you the three I have narrowed down." She walked away, but not before looking over her shoulder at him winking. "You'll do." She was referring to his gorgeous comment before going over to her fiancé, seeing he was paying for the tuxes with a smile on her face.
John smirked at her, eyes moving up and down her frame. "How bout I help you make a decision on a dress?" He offered, knowing fully well what she was going to say, and grinned impishly. "Sorry, had to try. But we got the tuxes picked out; you need to decide on a dress baby."
Randy moved up behind them, glancing at John. "Is it safe to go change now?" He asked, wondering if she would tell her fiancé about him going to their room.
"You cannot see my dress for the final time, John." Austin stated, nodding at Randy, before turning her gaze back to her fiancé, biting her bottom lip. "Randy is going to help me decide. I trust his judgment and it'll give me a chance to get all the dirt on you." She winked when John raised an eyebrow, kissing his lips softly. "Not to mention he's married and I'm engaged to a wonderful man standing in front of me. You don't mind, do you?" Austin wasn't about to keep the fact that Randy was coming back to their room with her, alone, to look over wedding dresses from John and wondered just what the hell she was doing.
"No, of course not." John said instantly, smiling down at her, blue eyes filled with warmth and love. He didn't mind; he trusted them. Not to mention, he could probably get Randy to spill the beans about which wedding gown she picked or to describe the three to him. "I'm going to go change." He kissed her lips tenderly before heading back to the dressing room.
Austin closed her eyes momentarily and walked over to sit down, putting her head in her hands and squeezed her red hair between fingers, sighing heavily. She was out of her mind letting Randy come back to their room, alone, knowing it was much more than about her wedding dress. Why would he even do that to himself, put himself through that misery and pain? What the hell was she thinking?
Randy was married, happily from the looks of it, so what gave Austin any right thinking Randy still wanted her? She ran away from him, left him, and broke his heart. He probably was doing this for John and nothing more. Though the way he touched her earlier while being tickled...Austin was confused and looked up when Randy walked out, plastering a smile on her face. "John should be out soon." She said, needing to look at something besides the tight white tank top he wore along with dark blue jeans that fit him like a second skin.
'I need a cigarette.' She thought and headed outside for one.
Figuring he knew what she was doing, he decided a nicotine fix wouldn't hurt. Especially since John simply would NOT shut up. 'Man, ain't she the greatest? Yo, you GOTS to tell me about her dresses'; Randy was getting a headache. John was awesome, but he had to learn to talk like a white person more often. When he got excited, he sounded like a child who was racially challenged.
"Mind if I join you?" He huskily asked from behind.
