Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Britney
My heart thundered as I raced to a bridal shop in a limo I’d ordered.
Michael had been devastatingly handsome earlier that morning, cooking breakfast in the boxers he’d slept in and singing.
The day of the fake wedding had come, and I got the ring that matched my princess-cut diamond, which was a ring of little diamonds in the same gold design.
On the kitchen counter, I spotted a diamond necklace and earrings modeled after crown jewels that were actually sapphires surrounded by gold. I’d seen photos of the original pieces in a magazine recently.
Michael hugged me and said, “For our wedding, my darling.”
Tears came from my eyes.
He was a sweetheart. I was lucky that, in faking it, I had somehow gotten him as a partner.
However, as I walked into the bridal shop full of white dresses on Fifth Avenue, I swiped my face again. For once in my life, I would be the dramatic Carrie though Michael was way less dramatic than any TV guy ever had been.
As I stepped farther into the room, my friends stepped forward from one side and hugged me.
I felt better with them there. “Kelly, Avril, Hope, Isabel, Miley, I’m so happy you’re here.”
Kelly was all smiles. “It’s not every day one of us elopes.”
Hope then said, “And we’ll be having children around the same time, and I want our children to be best friends.”
I headed to the dressing room because my friends had all apparently picked out dresses for me. “I’ve been out of sorts since the doctor said no cosmos.”
Miley analyzed my statement. “Once you have a nanny, you can host us at this place Kelly was telling us about.”
I stopped and pointed at a mermaid-style dress then a simple white form-fitting gown. As the staff grabbed my sizes for the pile, I asked my friends, “She told you I cried?”
“Maybe a little,” Isabel said but then lifted her chin. “We know you’re hormonal.”
I tried on a fluffy princess dress with lace sleeves, but that was clearly more Kelly’s style.
I had no time to be picky, but style was style, and until right then, I’d not really thought about actually marrying Michael.
I wanted to look like myself when I came out, and I shook my head.
“I won’t always have that excuse, but anyway, how come you haven’t asked us to look for a dress for you yet, Avril? ”
I stared again at the simple dress, which had beading near the chest. I would wear it out on the town, if I was honest, but I grabbed the long silky-sleeved one that was more Isabel’s style and came out.
Avril was saying, “I’m still deciding when I want the wedding, but we’re not in a rush.”
I gave a thumbs down then decided my time to focus on my friends and noy problems. I shimmied into a buxom, slightly too low dress and stared at the open V-neck as I asked Avril, “You’re happy?”
“Absolutely,” she said quickly. I blinked and wondered if she and Kir had married in Vegas a few weeks before, but I held my tongue. She would admit it in her own time.
The new dress I tried on was perfect. My heart thumped faster. Time to see what my friends think. I came out with a smile and said, “Good. So what do you think?”
“It’s short,” Miley said.
I shrugged. The tea-length dress did show my ankles and some of my lower leg, but I wasn’t heading to a church. “Only a little.”
“You look elegant.” Kelly smiled and beamed like she was happy for me.
I nodded and decided that was it. The open-back tulle Bocho-style dress was perfect.
As I handed over my credit card, Hope said, “No one would believe you’re anything other than a goddess.”
I met her gaze and whispered so that the saleslady couldn’t hear me. “I don’t know if I’ll ever turn into a lady, though.”
Hope hugged me and said, “Michael knows you and can’t expect you to be someone you’re not.”
So that was the dress. Kelly grabbed my clothes for me, I paid, and we headed out to the limo.
“I… he doesn’t. It’s all me,” I said.
The limo turned on to go but Kelly opened the door and pointed at a florist shop near by.
Hope asked, “What do you mean?”
I stared at my friends. After Kelly hugged me and hopped out to fetch the flowers, I said, “I’ve been blaming my parents and my hormones, but I think I’m just plain old scared.”
Miley asked, “Can we help?”
They could do nothing but be themselves. As Kelly ran back carrying a bouquet, I said, “No, just get me to my wedding, and then we’ll all go to my new home.”
When she handed it to me, I realized it was roses and peonies, two of my favorite flowers mixed together.
Refusing to cry, I swiped my face as we raced to the courthouse.
That day was probably the closest thing to a real wedding I would ever have, and I couldn’t tell my friends I was lying and Michael and I weren’t on the path to happily ever after.
The limo stopped.
Miley took my hand as we started to get out and said, “We’re here. Last chance to run.”
My heart thumped, and I shook my head. “I’m not running anywhere except to Michael.”
I sometimes wished we were more than what we were, especially when I turned up the marble stairs to head to the second floor and saw him standing there. His tall, lean-but-all-muscles form captured my attention, along with his patrician jawline and blue eyes that bore into my soul.
The more I stared, the quieter everything became. My friends’ sounds disappeared more and more entirely with every step.
Once I reached him, he took my hand and said, “You look gorgeous, darling.”
My heart pounded, and heat rose in my face. “Thank you. We stopped to get flowers.”
He gazed at my hand, and a smile grew on my face as he offered his arm. I noticed his friends had all found seats with mine near the front.
Michael focused entirely on me. “Good call. We’re next if everyone’s ready.”
He made me feel wanted.
I took his arm and nodded. “We are.”
The officiant summoned us by name, and we walked in. I handed over my driver’s license, and my friends took their seats. Then I held hands with Michael.
Once the official had marked all the documents, he said, “Do you, Britney Carlyle?—”
“Smith,” I interrupted.
He checked my license and asked, “Smith?”
“Use my birth name, not my legally changed name for the ceremony,” I said quickly. With Michael, I wanted to keep the lies to a minimum.
He nodded, and I turned toward Michael.
The official asked, “Do you, Britney Smith, take Michael Fuller as your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health for as long as you both live?”
“I do,” I said, wondering how in the world I was standing next to him.
The judge then asked him, “Do you, Michael Fuller, take Britney Smith as your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health for as long as you both live?”
“I will.”
I stared at him quizzically but recalled the royal wedding clips I’d seen had the royals using the future tense.
The official hadn’t blinked and said, “Then by the powers invested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Michael stared at me, and past his face, the rest of the world was fuzzy. I took a deep breath.
When he didn’t move, I tugged on his elbow and said, “So kiss me already.”
Then his lips met mine. And I forgot everything. I’d longed for more of him, and now we were official. We were married, and as the kiss ended, I decided to enjoy every single moment I could from then on.
I brushed my face so that no one would see my tears and started, “I…”
Michael said, “It’s okay to cry, Britney.”
“It’s hormones,” I said and pressed my face into his shoulder.
The rule I’d made about no more sex was stupid. I’d let fear rule me.
He hugged me and said, “Let’s go home.”
So I walked out next to him, and we boarded a limo. My friends headed to a separate one as Michael held my hand.
As I stared at him, I realized he was wonderful, and I wasn’t exactly faking.
When we stopped at the building in Soho, he waited outside the door, and we headed inside. My friends and his were already there.
Once we stepped in the door, I found servants had plates and furniture in my taste all over the place already.
I wanted to ask how he’d done that, but Hope came and squealed in front of me and said, “OMG, you have a pool in the penthouse!”
As her husband-to-be was also a trillionaire, I laughed and said, “I’m sure Charlie can get you one.”
She tugged me toward my friends. As Michael winked at me and joined the men, she told me, “I never thought about it. We go to his parents every weekend, and they have a pool.”
Miley was pointing at the skyline near the window, while Isabel was still gazing at the pool. My friends were my rock.
“We’ve seen the mansion,” I said. “Well, come over anytime.”
Then I heard Jeff Norouzi, and my ears buzzed as he spoke. “So, Michael, how does it feel?”
Michael tugged on his neck and said, “Great. Britney’s the prettiest woman I ever met.” He seemed nervous.
Instantly, my stomach tightened. We were lying, and he was probably at a loss with what to say.
Jeff continued, saying, “My mother is upset she’s out of town and can’t wish you well.”
Michael met my gaze, and I quickly turned toward my friends. He then told Jeff, “We’ll be back and see her then.”
Roman Norouzi, Michael’s friends, said, “And it’s about time we all get to see your home in London.”
Xerses, another Norouzi, quickly added, “You’ve never invited us before.”
I craned my neck and asked, “Really? He kept it quiet.”
Charlie laughed and quickly asked, “Does that surprise you?”
I walked over to the guys as we were all in the same room and close. I hugged him as I said, “No, but I like Michael’s steadiness.”
We ate, and my friends and I toured the house that I was going to live in.
As the laughter faded, Hope hugged me and said, “We’ll leave you two alone now.”
We walked the small party to the door and waved like we were in some sort of TV sitcom.
Maybe I thought too much about images I’d seen.
As we closed the door, I met Michael’s gaze and said, “I think they think we’re in love.”
His blue eyes grew harder to read. He stepped back and said, “Let’s go swimming.”
As he took off his clothes and left a trail down the hall, I said, “I don’t know where my bathing suit is.”
At the natatorium door, he slipped off his boxer briefs and said, “I’ve seen you naked. I dare you.”
My eyes widened, and I placed my hands on my hips. “You’re daring me?”
He nodded and dove in.
Steam came off the water. I unzipped my dress and undid a few buttons, hanging it on the door to keep it from wrinkling. That done, I kept my underwear on and walked over.
“Why now?” I sashayed to the edge and dipped a toe in the warm waters.
“I said, ‘I will,’ and you’re changing on me.”
“Is that bad?” I asked and eased my way in.
He laughed and came closer. “No. It’s sexier on you, though.”
I swam back to the edge but lifted my chin. “Good, because you and I are connected now.”
He smiled and treaded water where he was. “I’m glad.”
One of my questions from earlier resurfaced, and I swam toward him. “Why ‘will’ and not ‘do’ for the vows?”
He shrugged. “Americans are more skeptical in their vows, only talking about the present moment, but in England, we take vows to be from this moment on and in the future.”
I tilted my head and said, “That sounds like the differences between us now.”
He stared at me, unblinking. “If you say so.”
My skin buzzed in awareness, but I headed back to my ledge and quickly said, “I’m getting out. Get dressed and joined me.”
“I will,” he called after me.
I knew he stared was staring my ass. I left my dress because my wet hands shouldn’t touch it, and I gazed back at him. “Now, that does sound good.”
Then I headed to the master’s suite to change. I wasn’t sure how to untangle our lives, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to try, either. So I avoided Michael for a few minutes to get my head back on straight.