Modern Arrangements: Complete Trilogy (Modern Arrangements #1-3) (40 page)

"Oh, Elora, you look absolutely
stunning," Anne gushed over her. "James won’t be able to keep his
hands off of you."

Elora blushed.

"Oh my..." Viola said softly.
"Elora you look beautiful, as always."

"Thank you, Viola." Elora
headed to the table of food. I followed.

I poured her a mimosa.

"Drink up.  It will make you feel
better." I smiled wide. Elora hesitated and then the glass was out of my
hand. Anne stood holding the glass, a scowl on her face.

"Elora will not be drinking."
Anne grabbed a glass of water and handed it to Elora. "Here, my
dear."

"I'm sorry...I didn't.—" I
tried to apologize.

"It's fine, Lilli, really. The
truth is… I just found out I'm pregnant—"

"That's right. Elora is with
child." Anne announced proudly. "Looks like Aidan should have chosen
a fertile wife." Anne smiled and sipped the mimosa.

With a disgusted look at Anne, I
clenched my hands around the champagne flutes. "How dare you..."

"Anne!" Elora hissed.

Viola cleared her throat and appeared by
my side.

"Anne, please apologize. We don’t
know anything about Aidan and Lilli's personal affairs, so I think that we
should mind our manners."

Anne snorted.

"If Elora had been his wife, we
would be on our way to an heir and secure in the fact that we would not be
losing the family company." She eyed me sternly.

"You know nothing about—" this
time Viola squeezed my shoulders and interrupted.

"Please apologize." Viola
demanded.

"I apologize, Lilli." Anne
cleared her throat. "I simply worry about AIS a little too much and let it
get the best of me." She walked away from the table and went to sit down.

Phoebe, Celia and Maggie were at my side
quickly, pity and concern written on all of their faces.

"I'm fine." I forced a smile.
"At least now I know why she despises me so much." I forced a chuckle,
sucking down half of my mimosa in one gulp.

"I am so sorry, Lilli." Elora stood
on the verge of tears.

"Oh hush, you are having a baby.
Congratulations!" I hugged her tightly.

"You have to let me plan the baby
shower!" Phoebe bounced.

"I'll babysit!" Maggie added
and for the next fifteen minutes we talked about pregnancy and babies. Even
though they didn't realize it, I felt more like crap as the conversation continued.
I truly was jeopardizing the security of AIS. I just wasn't sure that I could
provide a child and feel okay about it. I was starting to wonder why Aidan
hadn't chosen someone else who was more willing when Phoebe pushed Celia into
the changing area.

I sat in the chair farthest from Anne as
we waited for Celia to appear.

Now Celia, being her swimsuit model
curved to perfection self, was in a tight halter gown with a black and white
pinwheel effect. The neckline plunged to just below her sternum where a group
of crystals and beading formed and flared slightly at her hips until it reached
the floor. She wrapped the unattached black satin sash around her arms and
stood in front of the mirrors.

"Gorgeous as usual," I said in
a teasingly sarcastic manor.

"Thank you, thank you," Celia
did a little turn and swayed her hips at me. I laughed.

"Good lord you have a body!"
Viola blurted out to Celia. I started to notice the familiar glaze in her eyes.

"Uh oh, here comes naughty
Viola," I shouted out with a giggle.

"If I had these curves I would run
the world!" Viola giggled. We all laughed. "Dixon is definitely a
happy, happy man, I'm sure." She winked at Celia.

"You know it," Celia winked
back.

"This mask is perfect for your
dress," Phoebe was trying not to giggle from Viola's behavior.

Celia's mask was half black and half
white satin. That was all there was to it. It was simple and not extravagant;
but Phoebe explained that with curves like Celia's, she didn't need anything
extravagant on her face. She was right.

"Okay, Mrs. Iverson..." Phoebe
looked at Anne as she spoke to me, "your turn."

Madeline handed me my dress and I went
behind the curtain to change. Once I had slipped off my clothes and zipped
myself into the dress, I walked out to the mirrors.

"Oh, Lilli," Viola gasped,
giving me the same prideful look she had given Maggie.

“I knew this dress would be perfect! All
it needed was the small altercations.” Phoebe bounced with excitement as she
circled me.

My dress was a very fitting column
dress, entirely black except for the wide solid wide stripe down the front and
the red ribbon around the empire waist, turning into a small bow under my left
breast.

I had to smile at my own appearance.
Phoebe was right, it really did compliment my figure and the slit to just above
my left knee gave it a hint of sexiness.

"Lilli, I never realized how
phenomenal your legs are." Viola was pulling back the slit and getting a
very up close and personal view of my leg. I laughed and tried to pull the
dress back down.

"I would prefer not to show my
underwear off to everyone." I laughed.

"You mean your lack of
underwear," Viola smirked and then laughed. I blushed until I turned
tomato red.

"Lilli!" Maggie snorted out
loudly in hysterics.

"It's good that you aren't,"
Phoebe informed the room "This dress will show panty lines. That means
that we are going to have to go lingerie shopping." Phoebe's eyes
sparkled.

"Not today!" I warned her.

"But the ball is next
weekend," she pouted.

"Oooh, can I go?" Viola chimed
in excitedly. "You know what, after the fittings, let's all go." She
turned to me before I could object. "The guys are going to be at the tux
shop for hours this afternoon, we can get it all taken care of today and then
have dinner." Viola smiled proudly.

"Fine," I growled.

"Yeah!" Phoebe sang. I huffed.
"Here, try this mask" Phoebe handed me the mask and I put it on.

The mask was pretty elaborate.

"It's perfect, Lilli" Phoebe
smiled and motioned for me to look in the mirror. It was all white, except for
around the eyes where it was black with silver swirls. The outside of the mask
was lined with silver threading and crystals that reflected green and red. A lone
black gem encased in a silver triangle rested at the center. On the right side
was a large, black, lace flower with black netting.

"Everyone get together," I
motioned to everyone.

We all stood together in the mirror. It
was a sea of curves wrapped in black and white. A group of beautiful gowns,
masks and women.

"Superb!" Madeline chimed in
and smiled at us all.

"Okay...time to shop!" Phoebe
ran to the changing area.

After everyone was changed, we headed to
the lingerie shop. Viola had called ahead, making arrangements, while we ate.
Once we entered, curtains were pulled over the windows and the ‘closed’ sign
was flipped.

"Juliette, thank you so much for
doing this on such short notice." Viola leaned in and kissed a very tall,
slender woman on each cheek.

"Anything for you, my dear."
She smiled warmly at Viola while holding onto her shoulders. Then she looked
over at Maggie. "Ahh...Maggie, you are getting more and more beautiful
every time I see you!" She moved quickly to Maggie and hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, Juliette." Maggie
blushed slightly.

"And, Anne, it is always a pleasure
to see you," Juliette briefly hugged her and moved back.

"As it is to see you," Anne
smiled back politely. "You know, Elora" Anne motioned to Lor who was
standing just on my left.

"Of course I remember Elora.
Congratulations on your marriage." Juliette briefly hugged her.

"This is Lilli," Viola moved
next to me and pulled me forward toward Juliette, "Aidan's wife."

Juliette's face lit up.

"Mrs. Iverson," she squeezed
me tightly "It is a pleasure to meet you." She wrapped her arm in
mine and pulled us towards full length mirrors and a large rack of lingerie.
"We have some great things selected for you." I smiled, a little
unsure. I was just starting to realize the full reaction people had to me being
'Aidan's wife'.

Phoebe moved quickly to the rack of
lingerie.

"We need something sexy, seamless,
and definitely a thong."

"Ah...I do believe that you will
find some matching sets in this portion of the rack." Juliette motioned to
the section and Phoebe went to work.

"Lilli, this is perfect"
Phoebe pulled out a smooth, nude strapless bra with matching seamless thong.

I shrugged.

"Works for me." I turned
around to everyone. "I'm done." Smiling, I sat down in a chair.

"Oh, come on," Viola pulled me
out of the chair. "Let's try on some 'fun' stuff."

As she pulled me toward the changing
rooms I looked over my shoulder to Phoebe and Celia.

"Help me."

They both laughed as Viola pushed me
into a room.

"Here, try these first." She
shoved a couple of different risqué and lacy get-ups. "Does Aidan have a
color preference?" Viola shouted through the store.

Even though I was alone in the dressing
room, I covered my face and blushed.

“I'm sure he prefers nothing at
all," Celia giggled.

"Nah, I bet Aidan likes
black," Phoebe giggled. "He strikes me as a guy who likes the bad
girl look."

"Oh God," I groaned, hearing
their laughter pick up.

"Maybe he likes costumes like his
Uncle Liam," Viola tossed out there.

"Eww...Mom! No!" I heard
Maggie shout and now I was the one laughing. Maggie barged into the changing
room. "Save me from having to listen to that," she pleaded.

I shook my head.

"Sorry, you can still hear them
from here." I held my stomach and laughed.

"Viola," Anne was stifling her
laughter. "Costumes? Really?"

"Oh, come on, Anne," Viola
sounded astounded. "Do I need to remind you of last New Year when you told
me about a certain Henry who has a thing for 1940's lingerie."

"Viola!" Anne shouted,
horrified. The rest of us were in hysterics, I even heard Maggie snort loudly.

"Viola, you have never
changed." Juliette giggled.

"Oh, don't be shy." Viola
scolded. "There is no shame in a costume or vintage lingerie." Everyone
became silent. Breaking the silence, "So, Lilli, crotchless?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Aidan

Lilli looked as if she were almost
running from me this morning to meet the ladies. I was nervous, wondering if
she had overheard my phone call. That would not be that good at all. The
afternoon arrived and I was finishing dressing before heading to the Tux shop
to meet up with the guys, as well as my uncles.

In the car I got a call from Viola who
had decided that we would all go out to dinner tonight.  I called the house to
inform Rachel that dinner would be unnecessary. In fact, I told her to have a
good weekend off, we would fend for ourselves.

Once I pulled up to the Tux shop and
entered, Geoffrey greeted me. Geoffrey ran the shop and was very familiar with
my family.

"Aidan, it's a pleasure as
always," he greeted me with a firm handshake. "Your uncles and
friends have already arrived."

I was trying to be cordial, but the
whole Lilli practically running away from me was still bothering me.

"Thank you, Geoffrey."

"Oh, congratulations on your
marriage," he smiled wide and gestured for me to follow him.

Entering the back dressing area, I could
hear them all before I joined them.

"Congratulations!" I heard
Liam stating in happy tone.

"Yes, if only Aidan would be
providing us with such news." Uncle Henry's tone, as usual, was annoyed.

"What news should I be providing,
Uncle?" I stood with my arms across my chest.

"Aidan, let's just get fitted—"

"James and Elora are having a
child." Uncle Henry cut Liam off. "Elora is already three months
along."

"Ah...we are back at this
again." I ran my hand through my hair and sighed, turning to James.
"Congratulations! I am so happy for you and Elora." I smiled to him,
genuinely happy for them.

"Thanks man," James looked
slightly ashamed. "Um...let's start with—"

"So, I don't suppose that you have
any news to share with us?" Uncle Henry was really crossing a boundary
line, he knew better.

"No, uncle, no news from me,
yet," I narrowed my eyes at him. "I told you that it is being taken
care of."