"Aria, you had me hooked the moment you stood in front of me in the VIP booth back at Volt. Then you had me whipped when you were sprawled across my desk a panting mess." His lips brush mine and I want nothing more than to lean forward and close the...
The light breeze has a slight chill to it, but the gas lanterns that are set up around the backyard keep you warm enough to not get a chill. I approach Ric who's talking to my cousin. The oldest girl of the generation in the family blushes at something he whispers into her ear.
I look past Ric and see Alessia with a rather grim look on her face. She watches as the two interact, a sad frown marring her fine features. She catches me watching her, quickly looking somewhere else she walks off to busy herself with something.
I continue my way over to Ric, his face growing serious once he notices me. Angeline is pulled away by one of her sisters by the time I reach my best friend.
"Leave my cousin alone please." I tilt my head slightly to the side and inspect my friend's desperate state. His hair is a mess, and he messes it up even more, dragging his hand through the honey-coloured strands. "Also I thought you were still hung up on Alessia." I lean in closer so only he can hear me.
"The only reason I was flirting with Angeline was to make Alessia jealous." he fiddles with the sleeves of his suit jacket, twisting and tugging at them. "Where did you disappear to?"
"Aria. She was freaking herself out. The baby started kicking and she was worried something was wrong with it." I look out over the garden and sigh deeply. The sun has started to set, casting a soft glow over everything. The altar is set up with white fabric and an array of white and light pink flowers. Most of the guests are family but a few select people here are business partners. The French mod boss stands stoically with a tumbler in hand, his second-in-command practically hanging off his arm.
"Shit. Really?"
I nod mindlessly, still scanning the yard. Many people have started to take their seats. I watch as Dani, Alessia and Kayla walk past and into the house. Probably going to check that Aria is fully ready.
"You ready man? The first of us men to get hitched. Tie the knot." Giovanni comes up behind me, clapping me on the shoulders. Dom is close behind him with an even more sour look than usual. He looks at the doorway that the girls just walked through, his sour look souring even more.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
My Mother and Aldina hustle everyone into their seats, and Carlo walks around trying to find the officiant.
Once everyone is seated in their place and the officiant is standing at the head of the aisle, Aldina forces me down the aisle, my brothers and Ric following behind and taking a seat in the front row next to the French leader. Five sets are left empty for the girls.
A soft chatter floats over the seated crowd. The officiant greets me as I stand just off to the side. My eyes are glued to the door leading into the house. I may have already seen Aria in her dress but I'd like to think that she wasn't entirely ready.
