Page 96 of Fair Trade
“Okay, Casanova. We only have a few minutes before we need to get out of here. We can’t be late to our own bachelor and bachelorette parties, especially since we’re the ones hosting.”
“I thought this was supposed to be a joint event. Why Daisy decided to separate us for the first half of the day is beyond me,” I grumble.
“It’s a girls’ brunch. She hardly thought she was excluding you boys from French toast and mimosas,” she deadpans.
I burrow my face into her neck. “But this is different now. We are different now. I want to enjoy our very real parties to celebrate our very real marriage. I know we’re doing it a bit backwards, but that seems to be the trend with our relationship, and I wouldn’t change a single thing if it meant we ended up right here.” I tighten my arms around her.
“I know, and that’s very sweet of you.” She pauses a bit too long for my woman, who has no problem stringing along sentences. Usually, ones that are much wittier and quicker than mine. “But let’s just focus on hosting. Today should really be about Isabella, and even Daisy, who refuses to let us celebrate her. They’re the real brides.”
My head snaps up and my eyes flare. But she’s quick to notice her mistake. “Luisa—”
“No, I know what you’re going to say. I’m a real bride too. I’m just saying we’re already married.”
“Okay, fine. Then marry me again.”
She chuckles, then stiffens in my arms at the look on my face. “You can’t be serious.”
“No, you’re right about something there. You are a real wife, but you never got the opportunity to be a real bride. So let’s plan it. You deserve to have those experiences. The wedding, the parties, the—you know, the whole shebang.” I stop myself from saying a proposal. I have yet to figure that one out, and I don’t want to tip her off in the slightest.
“Nick, I don’t need all of that stuff. I’m happy. Truly.”
She’s on the second day of her period, so I know I’m playing dirty when I try to pull on her very sensitive heartstrings. “Don’t you want your dad to walk you down the aisle? Go shopping for a dress with your mom? Have a weekend getaway with your girlfriends where you wear embarrassing tiaras and sashes and walk around with a cut-out picture of me?”
Her eyes immediately fill with tears and she points a threatening finger at my face. “I haven’t called you the devil in a long time, but even Lucifer wouldn’t go that low.”
I smile as I place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Pretty sure you were calling me a demon of some sort last week when I put that pink toy up your—” Her hand slaps over my mouth, but I pull it back down. “Say yes. Walk down an aisle to me, in front of our friends and family.”
Delilah whines from somewhere behind the counter where I can’t see her, and Luisa giggles.
“And our beautiful and definitely not needy pup.” I shake my head. “What do you say? Will you marry this cheeky bastard for love this time?”
She smiles up at me, eyes twinkling with what I thought was love but what turns out to be mischief. “Nah, this time I’ll marry you for your money.” She taps my chest twice and slips out of my hold.
“Angel,” I warn.
“Who knows. You could always try a third time for love. Maybe work on that winning personality of yours and lose a couple of abs so you seem more relatable.”
“Wife.” I take a step toward her.
“Oh no you don’t.” She grabs her purse from the counter and slides into her pumps. “No time for my ‘sorry not sorry’ blow jobs. Gotta go meet the girls!” She bolts to the door.
“Luisa.”
She steps out the door but pokes her head back inside the house. “Yes, I’ll marry you again, you big goof.”
I grin as I pick up my long-forgotten coffee mug. “Good to hear that you’ve come to your senses.” She blows me a kiss, but I raise a finger before she takes off. “Have fun at your brunch. We’ll catch up with you later. But after, when we get back home, I’m going to need an in-depth presentation of your blow job categories. Please and thank you.”
She winks. “As you wish.”
fifty
It felt like areal bachelorette brunch.
After our conversation this morning about getting married again, I’ve allowed myself to lean into the festivities, donning the embarrassing sash and all.
It was too cold out to have Amelia bar hop with us, so we promised her we’d do another low-key event like a spa day so she could participate with us, and Nikki came down with the flu two days ago, so it’s just my main girls with me. Isabella and Daisy.
Daisy did an incredible job mapping out the places we should hit up so we never had to walk more than two blocks at a time, and she handled all the reservations so we could roll into the good times.
