A/N: I'M BACK! MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! HAPPY KWANZA! HAPPY HANUKKAH! I'm sorry I didn't post for three weeks! I was so brain dead after finals that I honestly couldn't finish the chapter. And when i did, I had the hardest time with chapter 18. Plus, I've started a new project, but I'm back! I hope you guys like this chapter and it makes up for being MIA for so long! Well, here's the chapter :) enjoy!
"Roza," I heard Dimitri call from downstairs. "Hurry we up. You don't want to be late."
"I'm going!" I shouted from my room. With a sigh I finished blow drying my hair and did my make up. I mean don't get me wrong, I don't regret telling Dimitri where I hid my spare key. Actually I'm kinda glad because I think I would never have made it a single this I had this week aside from work unless Dimitri had come and gotten me.
"I'm ready to go now," I called as I walked down the stairs. A grin spreading across my face as I saw Dimitri's jaw slightly hang open and his eyes darken with lust as he saw me and openly checked me out. A giggle escaped my lips when I reached him. "Might want to close your jaw, Comrade. Don't want a fly going in do you?"
He closed his jaw and averted his eyes as we walked out to his truck. With the porch lights I could see the slight blush on his cheek. I let out another giggle and stood on my tippy toes to give him a kiss on my cheek. "You're so cute when your embarrassed."
"Roza, no man likes to be called cute unless they're a kid," he said gruffly.
"Yea, well you're my man so deal with it," I said with a cheeky grin. He didn't say anything but gave me an equally cheeky smile.
"Oh, don't forget we have to get to the airport, babe," I said as he pulled out. He nodded his head and drove with one hand on the wheel and the other holding mine. Looking down at our intertwined hand, my mind drifted this past month. I had started working at Chic Boutique, which was a lot of fun. Sonya had me working in the store with Alberta from morning until lunch and then from lunch to early evening I was working with Sonya in her office setting up the online store. After work I'd go over to the dojo and Dimitri would train me after hours and then we'd get a late dinner. Sometimes we'd go out, but mostly it was in my place or at his apartment, which was perfectly fine with me. Except on Fridays. Every Friday this month we'd gone over to Olena's for dinner. The weekends were another story. I'd spend the whole day Saturday working and then at nights Lissa, Christian, Dimitri, and I would watch a movie outside under Lissa and I's tree. It was really romantic, except for the movies. One night we saw horror, another we saw comedy, then we saw action, and last weekend we saw a mystery thriller. I mean honestly, this month as been bliss. Sundays were spent doing that last minute stuff for the wedding I just wish I had more than a few weeks left before school started. I managed to see my dad a few times but I hadn't seen my mom at all.
"Rose. Roza," Dimitri said, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him expectantly and he nodded his head behind me. I turned around and saw we were already at the airport. I felt a big grin come along my face with excitement. I leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips before jumping out and, with my sign in hand, I walked into the baggage claim area. Sure as shit, who I came for was waiting for me, their back to me.
I cleared my throat and playfully said, "Been waiting a while?" I had an amused smile when they turned around, the annoyance and exasperation evident in their expression.
"Oh look, the party's already started," Dimitri sarcastically noted, his eyes shimmering with amusement. I rolled my eyes as I would my arm around his elbow. We walked in through the front door, Dimitri grabbing a champagne glass for each of us and handed one to me. Soon enough the three of us were walking out the patio door and joining everyone in the backyard. It wasn't a huge party, slightly bigger than the engagement party, but small enough that a few round tables were set up and we had a stage in the front and a dance floor in the middle. The back patio was lined with hanging lights and a sheet of lights hung between the roof and trees, going over the whole set up. Lissa and Christian were in the middle of the dance floor greeting and talking to their guest. The gang was already sitting at a table, two seats empty. There was a bar to the other side, on the patio, and I saw a few people mingling around there. Oh and look who was there! A lonely Tasha sipping on her scotch. I couldn't stop the smug smile that came over me as I snuggled closer to Dimitri as I walked on the bar side of the dance floor, making my way to the stage.
Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound echoed off the microphone, silencing every conversation and turning everyone's attention to me. I saw Lissa turn around and eye me curiously. I smiled cheekily at her before clearing my throat.
"Good evening, everyone," I began. "Um, so, before this party officially starts, I have a surprise for the bride...and groom I suppose. As many of you know, Lissa's friends are her family and she loves us fiercely. So when one of our closest friends told us she wasn't able to get home in time to be at the wedding, much less be in the bridal party, Lissa was heartbroken. Well, I'm pleased to say that we have a special guest with us here tonight. I give you the final piece to the bridesmaids, Sydney Sage." I said gesturing to Syd as she walked up to the stage in a silver dress, matching the color Mia and I had decided on. Her pale silver chiffon dress was simple just like her, with a thick one shoulder strap, pleated skirt, and black slash around her waist, a black flower adorned on the side of the sash. She had on black flats and her hair was up in a french bun. Mia and I had decided we'd wear dresses a little less modest than Syd.
Mine was a slinky dolman one-sleeved dark dress covered with silver sequins that was loose but still showed off my curves and bust. it had a short, fitted skirt that hugged my legs and showed off how toned they have become. I paired it with dark silver, silk stilettos and let my hair cascade in its natural curls. Mia wore a dress similar to mine, but her dress was a lighter shade of silver, but still covered with sequins. it was a one shoulder strap covered with crystal beads with an asymmetrical neckline. it was slim fit, which fit her thin body frame perfectly and had a mini skirt like mine. It had an open back that disconnected the strap from the front. She paired her dress with the same color silver stilettos and had her hair in her usual ringlets, but had it half up with a silver jeweled clip.
I heard Lissa and Mia let out a gasp as they ran up the stage to embrace our friend. Everyone clapped as we walked off the stage.
"Rosemarie Hathaway how could you keep something like this from me?" Liss reprimanded, her voice stern but the joy and thankfulness evident in her eyes.
"Lissa," I groaned. "Please don't call me that. My own mother doesn't call me that." She just glared at me, clearly not amused with my subject shift. I let out a deep breath before continuing. "I wanted to surprise you. Kinda have it be an early wedding gift."
Sydney nodded her head, interjecting, "Plus I asked her not to say anything in case something came up with Ms. Terwillger. Something almost did, but Trey covered for me."
"Oh...ok...wait," Lissa said looking between the two of us. "If there was the possibility of something coming up then you had to have brought this up to her earlier, meaning Rose has known for a while. How long have you known?" She looked at me. I shifted from one foot the other and said three months. "Three months?! Rose that's from the beginning! Why?"
"Honestly, cus Syd said so. She said that you needed to focus on planning the wedding how you want it, not constantly worrying if it would fit with her schedule. It wasn't a sure thing, and we didn't need you to worry over something that might never happen," I rushed out. She was about to say something but I cut her off. "And don't say you don't do that cus you most definitely do. Look it's your rehearsal dinner. Your three best friends are here with you. Let's have fun. I'm sorry I kept this from you, but it was worth seeing your reaction." We smiled at each other misty eyed and she wrapped me in a big hug as we walked back to our table. Every table in this party sits six to eight people, but Lissa's table was the exception. Hers could all twelve of us, Lissa, Christian, Mason, Eddie, Mia, Sydney, Viktoria, Nikolai, Adrian and his date, and Dimitiri and I.
"So, Adrian, who's your date?" I ask jokingly. He told me who he was bringing, I just wanted him to tell everyone else. I could tell he knew that from the glare he shot me.
"This is Jill," he began. Jill waved timidly at us. She looked younger than us, maybe Viktoria's age. She had long, wild light brown hair with blonde highlights and green eyes like Adrian, but hers were mirkier. She looked extremely nervous and shy. "She's my baby sister. I thought it would do her good to get out once in a while and mingle"
We all greeted her after I went around introducing her, not missing the intriguing look that flashed in Eddie's eyes as he smiled a greeting her. And I didn't meet the blush that timidly graced her cheeks. Oh boy, I thought, hoping Mia didn't see that. She did. I held my breath for a while until I saw her flip her hair behind her shoulder and act like she didn't see it. After that, we all fell into easy conversation, sometimes it was one big conversation, other times it was multiple side conversations. It wasn't until the band stopped playing and the leader started talking that we hushed down.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I hope you are enjoying this beautiful place and wonderful weather," he began, his voice deep and jazzy like his music. "Our bride-to-be has asked me to lend her the stage for a little bit, so now I ask her to come up."
With a giggle, Lissa got up and grabbed Mia before coming to me. I groaned as I got up, feeling Dimitri squeeze my hand in comfort before I followed them to the stage.
"Well I'd like to thank you guys for coming tonight and making it special for Christian and I. I'd also like to thank my bridesmaids and especially my maid of honor for joining me up here to give a small surprise. Don't worry, no dancing is involved," she said, the audience chuckling with her. I swear, she knew how to hold a crowd. "Those of you that were at my engagement party, remember Rose's voice? Well tonight, the three us are going to sing a little something for you before handing it back to the band and opening the dance floor."
With that, she handed me the mike and the band started playing the opening melody. And soon I began singing Two is Better Than One by Boys Like Girls with Lissa and Mia. When that song was over and the applause died down we did a more upbeat song, Marry You by Bruno Mars=, before going back to our seats. As soon as we stepped of the stage the band started playing a tune and Lissa went to grab Christian. I didn't even get off the dance floor before I felt big, strong, warm hands wrap around my waist and pull me close, spinning me around so I could face him. I smiled at Dimitri and wrapped my arms around his neck as we swayed to the music.
Once we started dancing, we never stopped. Amid the twirling and gliding, we were laughing and being carefree. Of course, sometimes I'd dance with or next to Lissa and I danced with Mia and Vika and even Syd got onto the dance floor, but I was always next to Dimitri. That was until someone rudely stepped in and asked for a dance. Not just someone, Tasha. Deciding to be the better person and bitch slapping her into next week, I smiled at her before going on my tippy toes and tightening my arms around Dimitri as I gave him a kiss hotter than wasabi and sririacha. I smiled as his hands tightened around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer, and he moaned against my lips. Just as quickly as I started the kiss, I broke away from him, flustered and breathless. With a hair toss, I walked away and towards the bar to join Sydney, except it seemed she had company, so I hung back behind the pillar.
"Sydney Sage isn't it?"
"Yes, and you are?" she asked in a rather boring tone, not looking up from her iced tea. I smirked at the hurt that passed through Adrian's eyes at not being recognized. But it quickly turned into his lazy smile as he reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips, murmuring his name against her knuckles before kissing it. Sydney looked up, shock and flustered before regaining her casual composure and taking her hand back.
"Surely you've heard of me," Adrian persisted as he leaned closer to her, appalled that his charms haven't worked with Sydney. I silently snickered at how hard he's going to have to work to impress Syd. She just shrugged her shoulders and said she's seen his name in passing from a few magazines. I think Adrian realized that his usual wits and swagger were going to work because I saw his emerald eyes blaze with determination as he quickly tried another approach asking about her flight and where she was and why. It threw Sydney off but she responded.
I was about to make my presence known and go talk to Jill, but I saw she was talking to someone. I walked in the shadows and saw it was Eddie. They were deep in conversation, I think they were in their own little world. I tried not to eavesdrop but I could hear Eddie talking adamantly about his excitement to start in the academy this coming week and then asking Jill about what she does and she meekly said she's about to start modeling for this designer but she was having trouble getting her parents approval but how Adrian was going to provide a cover for her so she could go. Poor girl, I thought, and made a note to getting closer to her so she could use us as a cover also. As I looked around and saw Lissa and Christian dancing and smiling goofingly at each other, I felt my heat swell with happiness. My life was going great, and so were my friends. Hell, I swear I saw Mia pinned up against a tree making out with someone.
I was about to retreat back into the house and try to find my parents and hopefully try to the bury the hatchet, when a pair of of hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me to his strong chest. I let out a very high pitched, a very girly, and a very not me squeal as he lift me off the ground and spun me around so when I faced him I was looking down at him. I quieted down the minute my eyes locked with his chocolate brown ones and I was encased in his aftershave. I smiled down at him before lowering my head and kissing me him softly. However, our kisses were never just soft kisses, the passion immediately picked up and soon we broke apart to catch our breathes..
After taking a second to collect ourselves, we walked back wards the dance floor. Almost made it to, until my mother decided to make an appearance.
"Rose. Marie. Hathaway," she said sternly from behind me, the tone of her voice telling me how trouble I'm in. When I turned to face her and saw her eyes blazing and locked on mine and Dimitri's intertwined hands, all I could think was Oh shit as I squeezed his hand for support.
A/N: Uh. Oh! Janine Hathaway has made an appearance! Wonder how that goes ;) LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME:
1. How you think that little meeting will go
2. How was the chapter? Am I forgiven for being gone for so long?
3. How about that little surprise Rose had for Lissa? I thought it was sweet!
4. Love's in the air don't ya think? Do you like the pairings I have right now? How about the ones I'm hinting at ;) (what do you think those are)?
HAVE A GOOD DAY/NIGHT EVERYONE! I'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!