After The One (The One Series Duet) Read online

  Good. No one’s here yet, I thought, seeing no cars in the driveway. I need to hurry.

  “I want to see it! You probably look so cute with a baby bump. Send me a picture! And seriously, I want to know who goes wedding dress shopping on Christmas Eve?” Koko continued playfully.

  “Well,” I started as I parked in the garage. “I went to the apartment to pick up Julian’s Christmas gifts and while I was out, I popped into Urbane Bridal. You would be amazed at how empty bridal boutiques are on Christmas Eve. Everyone was getting last minute gifts elsewhere so I basically had the store to myself.”

  “Well, I get back in seventy-two hours and I demand to see this dress in person.”

  “And you will.” I grabbed Julian’s gifts out of the backseat and propped the biggest one on my hip. “But you need to stop trying to change the subject. What happened with Bryce?”

  Koko sucked her teeth loudly. “We talked.”

  I waited for her to elaborate. When she didn’t, I asked, “So where do the two of you stand now?”

  “I don’t know, Zoe.” She sighed dramatically. “I guess we’re somewhere between he’s not dead to me anymore and I’m answering his calls now.”

  The unexpected response caused me to giggle as I entered the house. “Well I’m glad he’s not dead to you anymore.” I paused as I hoisted Julian’s gift to the island in the middle of the kitchen. “But how do you feel? And wasn’t he supposed to go on the trip with you?”

  “He was. He was uninvited. As far as how I feel, love sucks.”

  I smirked on my way out the door to get my wedding dress out of the trunk. “Yeah, sometimes, but when it’s real, it’s always worth it.”

  “Speaking of real love, you get married a week from tomorrow! You finally have a dress. I got a call from the wedding planner extraordinaire Peri Moore yesterday. She has pulled everything together so fast. I guess when you have unlimited money and resources, you can do anything.”

  Hmm. I thought she said she was sending an email so that no one would forget anything.

  The itinerary was extensive and what we were asking our friends and family to do for the sake of the wedding special was definitely intrusive. I wanted to be sure they knew exactly what was being asked of them so they could make fully informed decisions.

  The corners of my mouth turned down. “Oh, I didn’t realize she was calling the wedding party. I had an entire breakdown of the activities Robert Brady is forcing on us as part of the wedding so you knew what you were getting into. I asked her to attach a brochure of the resort, too.”

  “Yeah, she did, and I got it, but she wanted to verbally confirm that we received and opened the email. She said you were concerned about the number of filmed activities and wanted to make sure we knew and were sure we wanted to commit.”

  I smiled as I cradled my dress in my arms like a baby and entered the house. “Wow, Peri’s even more thorough than I thought!”

  “Yeah, she’s good, Zoe. So you need to stop worrying. We all know what we’re getting into. The wedding weekend will be a good time no matter what, but I’m still amazed at how she pulled it off so fast!”

  With the phone balanced on my shoulder, I rushed upstairs and hung up my wedding dress in the closet in my office. “Well, it’s truly amazing how many doors an unlimited budget, courtesy of The One, can open. Between our wedding being on a Sunday and it being New Year’s Day, it was already going to be difficult to find a venue, but a few calls from The One and the venue was locked down. And Peri just focused on securing décor and handling invites and all of that other stuff. We met with her on Thursday and my mind was blown.”

  Our wedding was being held at the Riviera Villa Resort, a resort so exclusive, I’d never even heard of it before. The brochure blew me away with its interior and exterior beauty. From pools to wineries to hiking trails, Riviera had it all. When I saw that it was an all-inclusive resort and all food and drink were included, I was sold. But once I saw the price tag associated with having an event there for one evening, let alone an entire weekend, I balked. Regardless of how much money Julian and I could pull together, I wouldn’t have been okay with spending that amount of money on a wedding.

  I don’t know if Robert Brady is trying to make it up to us because he’s keeping us from having the wedding we want…but Riviera Villa Resort is a good start!

  Once the location was decided upon, Peri Moore focused on the details and had arranged for us to finalize those details all week. We firmed up our real guest list and selected stationary on Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, invitations were mailed out. We completed the food and beverage tasting on Tuesday. We participated in the cake tasting on Wednesday. On Thursday, we had a long lunch meeting with Peri to review and confirm details after an extensive meeting with Julian’s lawyers and the show’s lawyers regarding filming and the actual ceremony and reception. On Friday, we went to the courthouse to get our marriage license and then we went to buy wedding bands. It was a busy, but productive week.

  “You did the food tasting on Monday, how was it?” Koko asked.

  “Absolutely delicious,” I gushed. “I mean, every single thing was good. There wasn’t a bad dish in the bunch and the cakes were so good we couldn’t decide on one flavor so we’re having a bunch of different flavors made into cupcakes in addition to a cake.”

  “My mouth is watering already.” She lowered her voice. “Aunt Suki has this big dinner planned for tonight but her cooking skills are…lacking. If breakfast was any indication, I’ll be starving by the time I get back.”

  I stifled a laugh. “Stop it! She’s trying. This is her first time doing the Christmas Eve celebration. Your mom always does it. Aunt Suki is probably feeling the pressure. Give her a chance.”

  “Yeah, easy for you to say. You didn’t pull an eggshell from your eggs this morning.”

  “Yuck!” I gagged.

  Koko’s high-pitched squeal of a laugh echoed through the phone. “Sorry,” she apologized through her giggles. “I forgot your stomach is sensitive. Everything okay with that?”

  “Everything is good.” I smiled, running my hand across my belly. “And are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. Confused and conflicted, but I’m fine. My relationship goal is something kind of like what you and Julian have. You two are so…healthy.”

  I’d never thought about it like that, but she was right.

  We are a healthy couple.

  I’d only been in one real relationship before my relationship with Julian and it had operated so differently. We didn’t communicate well at all and whenever disagreements or arguments would arise, we fought dirty. We would threaten to leave each other and although we cared about each other, it almost seemed like an automatic reflex to threaten to end the relationship.

  In my relationship with Julian, we were on the same page and, most importantly, we worked to keep it that way. I’d always hoped to find a relationship like my parents. I didn’t know if it was something that would actually happen for me because I had been in love, but it hadn’t been anything like what they had. With Julian, it made sense why nothing ever worked out with any other man. Julian was the one and he was absolutely perfect for me.

  Julian and I argued, but we were both determined to resolve our issues as soon as possible. Julian and I communicated about everything and trusted each other completely. Our commitment to one another created a space of love, loyalty, and devotion. Even when we were at our maddest—the Lillian Pierce incident from earlier in the year—breaking up was never an option. We knew we would work it out and we worked together to figure out how. We were a team in every way.

  I looked at my wedding dress hanging in the closet and smiled. “This is the only healthy relationship I’ve ever been in.”

  “I know,” Koko agreed. “Just a few days ago you guys went from fighting to figuring it out to fucking in a couple short hours.”

  I threw my head back and laughed. “And this is why I can’t tell you anyth
ing!”

  “I’m serious,” she giggled. “That ‘don’t go to bed angry’ shit works and it’s clearly working for you guys. I’ve been going to bed angry for weeks and I’m angry when I wake up and I’m angry when he calls and texts and pops up at my trailer.”

  “You know why that is, right?” I didn’t wait for her to respond to continue. “Because you won’t talk to him, Koko.”

  We talked for a few more minutes and then got off of the phone with promises to text after our respective dinners.

  As I made my way back downstairs, I heard the door leading to the garage open.

  “Oh what’s this?” Julian said in a loud, booming voice.

  My smile grew as I ran down the rest of the stairs. “Don’t touch it!” I yelled as I bounded into the room.

  There were three big bags sitting on the island next to my gifts, but I barely got a good look at them as I launched my body into Julian’s open arms.

  “Merry Christmas Eve, my love,” I greeted him as I hugged him tightly.

  “Hi Beautiful. Merry Christmas Eve,” he breathed, nuzzling his face in my hair. I heard him inhale deeply. “I love this stuff you put in your hair.”

  Tilting my head backward, I grinned up at him. “You should. You bought it.”

  He smirked. “What can I say? I have good taste.”

  “That you do.”

  I lifted myself on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. He tasted as good as he smelled. I put my arms around his neck to give me leverage and I allowed my tongue to meet his, deepening the kiss.

  Julian groaned in response. His hands flexed against my lower back and then slid over my ass, gripping as much of it as he could in two handfuls.

  I moved against him sexily as arousal started to take over my body. “Our families will be here at six. We have a little more than two hours. Let’s utilize our time wisely,” I murmured against his lips.

  “You read my mind,” he growled back.

  As if on cue, the buzzing of Julian’s phone vibrating against the marble counter interrupted the spontaneity of the moment.

  I pulled out of the kiss and looked over at the device.

  “Ignore it,” Julian mumbled as he kissed and sucked his way down my neck.

  God that feels good.

  I closed my eyes for a second, enjoying the way his lips sparked an electric current through my body. I sighed, running my hands over his head, scratching at his scalp. Just as quickly, I forgot about the phone completely. I just relished being in his arms, having his lips on my body. Our lips met again and I was completely sucked in.

  The phone buzzed again, somehow louder than before—or maybe I was just so wrapped up in the kiss that it just seemed that way. I considered that possibility as I pulled out of the kiss.

  “You should get that,” I whispered begrudgingly.

  His hand slipped between my legs. “I’m more concerned about getting that.”

  The chuckle that erupted out of us burst our sexy bubble. I pushed him playfully. “You are hilarious! Get the phone. It could be your parents.” I checked my back pocket and I’d remembered I left my phone upstairs. “Or my parents because they couldn’t get in touch with me. Or Beverly.”

  He let me go reluctantly. “True, true.” He walked to his phone. “But you’re going to wish we got it on one last time before we are overrun with family for the next few days.”

  “Don’t remind me,” I wailed, throwing my hands up dramatically. “We won’t be free to play until we get to the resort.”

  “You were right. It’s Beverly. She’ll be here in the next ten minutes with the food.”

  “See…” I narrowed my eyes at him as I grabbed his gifts to put under the tree. “You were trying to start something we couldn’t have finished. You’re the real tease.”

  Julian chuckled. “Are those heavy? Let me take them.”

  “No, no, no. They aren’t heavy and I know you just want to shake them to see what they are.” I gave him a look. “You worry about your own gift situation.”

  His laughter followed me out of the room.

  “Oh!” I turned around and walked back to the kitchen. “Any word on Chele King?”

  Julian had been working on trying to get the R&B artist to perform at our wedding. I knew I had to make concessions to marry the man I loved—there was so much bullshit and back and forth with the show—but as long as I was able to marry Julian while wearing my dream dress in front of our closest family and friends as I walked down the aisle to Chele King’s song “Always The One,” I was good.

  “Yeah…” He stretched the word out and I knew it wasn’t good news. He made a face. “I did hear back. She’s working on an album right now and isn’t doing live performances.”

  A small swell of disappointment washed over me before it quickly receded. “Well, I get that. I know how you were when you were finishing your album.” I smiled at him before an idea hit me. “Andre! Your intern! Since he’s DJing the reception, maybe he’ll be able to find an acoustic version. Oh! Or maybe someone can do a cover of it!” I started to get excited again.

  “These are good ideas, Beautiful. I’m going to work some things out.” He flashed his endearing smile. “When you walk down the aisle toward me, it will be to that song.”

  “I love you,” I sang as I walked out of the room for a second time.

  Adding Julian’s big gift to the others in the formal living room, I stepped back and took everything in. The lush pine tree stood tall in the corner. Gifts for our families and friends were strategically placed. White candles and string lights lit the room, making it look festive without being overdone.

  Simple. Elegant. Beautiful.

  Before heading upstairs to get ready for dinner, I went around checking all the guest bedrooms on the first floor. I had enough time to spend ten minutes with Beverly when she arrived since she was going to visit family and we wouldn’t see her until the wedding weekend. When I finally made it to the bedroom, I felt exhausted.

  This is going to be a long week.

  My hot shower revitalized me. Dressing in a short-sleeved eggplant purple dress and comfortable black pumps, I felt some of my energy coming back. But when I heard the doorbell, I excitedly scrambled downstairs.

  In a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt that combined eggplant purple and indigo blue, Julian stood by the door waiting for me. He flashed me a huge smile. “That dress looks great on you.”

  I hadn’t been dressed when he’d gone upstairs to take a shower. Instead, I was sitting on the bed thinking about the nap I should’ve taken.

  “Thank you.” I reached him and wrapped my arm around him. “I picked this dress because you have on that shirt.”

  Julian chuckled before kissing my forehead. “Well, what can I say? I have great taste.”

  Holding him a little tighter, I nodded. “I would agree with that.”

  Reaching forward, he grabbed the front door knob and swung the door open.

  “We’re here!” Susan Winters sang with her arms up in the air.

  Brian Winters had gift bags in hand. “I would sing, but… I really don’t want to.”

  We laughed as we embraced the couple. They insisted on seeing the ring before even coming all the way into the house. Once they’d had their fill, Julian grabbed the bags from his dad and they walked toward the formal living room. I looped my arm with Susan and we followed behind the men. Before she finished telling me about the two week camping trip they’d been on, the doorbell rang again.

  “Excuse me,” I said, patting her arm before turning back toward the door.

  “Excuse us,” Julian corrected, slapping me on my ass as he started jogging toward the door.

  I laughed, picking up my pace as I chased him down.

  He waited until I was next to him before opening the door.

  “Hey!” we all yelled at the same time.

  Hugging my mom and dad first, I was confused when I didn’t see my brother.

  Since my
dad was whispering with Julian, I turned to my mom and asked, “Where’s Zach?”

  “He’s been seeing someone and they are spending their first Christmas together. They will be flying in in time for the wedding though,” Mom answered, smoothing her short hair down on the side. “And I know you’re wondering: he has his tux.”

  I giggled and squeezed her again. “That seriously was what I was thinking.”

  With her hands on my shoulders, she looked at me. “You are glowing, Sweetheart.”

  I grinned. “I’m happy. I’m really happy.” I held out my hand, causing my mom to gasp. “It looks even more beautiful on your finger. Zachary, look.”

  Dad patted Julian on his back. “I don’t need to tell you to take care of my little girl. I know she’s in good hands.” He marched over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “And I don’t need to tell you that I’m sorry for calling you little girl because you will always be my little girl. I don’t care how old you are.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” I mumbled into his shoulder as I hugged him.

  “Okay let me take these,” Julian said, grabbing their luggage. He looked at me. “Zoe, you want to take them to the living room?”

  “Of course,” I replied, winking at him. “Mom, Dad, follow me.”

  “It smells delicious in here,” Dad commented as we walked down the hallway and into the living room.

  Elise and Zachary Jordan and Susan and Brian Winters were like best friends whenever they were together. They got along well and seemed to talk nonstop. For the entire hour before dinner, raucous laughter throughout the house as Julian and I moved in and out between the kitchen and dining room areas and the living room.

  “Dinner is served!” I announced as I beckoned my parents and soon to be in-laws.

  Christmas Eve dinner was consumed with wedding talk. We ate delicious food and dissected every part of the weekend. Although we’d been telling them information as we got it, it was a lot of information all at one time. They were excited for what they deemed a romantic getaway, but they were all a little hesitant about being on camera.

  Especially Elise Jordan.

  I promised I would get the contracts for her to read over so she could have a better understanding of what they could and could not do to set her mind at ease.