USE ME
ZAC
"What in the hell are you doing here? I mean, sorry for being rude, but--really, what the hell are you doing here?"
When Nikki's head full of curls bounded in the art area of 3CG to alert Zac that he had a visitor, he couldn't help but be a little confused. Now Drew stood before him, dressed in obscenely expensive designer clothes with hair styled as if a stylist traveled with her everywhere she went. He wouldn't have been surprised if that were the case.
"Are you mad?" she asked quietly.
Zac shoved his hands in his pockets. "I wasn't. Until that article came out. Drew, my wife and my sister-in-law both read Cosmo. Kate didn't exactly appreciate seeing my teenage indiscretions displayed for the entire world to see. And, really, neither did I. Honestly, Drew, you're more famous now than you could have ever imagined. Why did you feel the need to throw all of us under the bus along the way? I mean, do you not give a shit about any of the people who have supported you?"
Drew glanced down at her glove-covered hands.
"I can't believe you even showed your face here," Zac said. "I've been meaning to confront you about the whole Mel thing but now this--I mean, just--how could you?"
"I'm sorry," Drew said meekly. "I'm sorry, I'm just--I'm not thrilled with the article. A lot of it was taken out of context. You know how those things work."
"You completely lied about Mel and Jason. About Ireland. What the hell are you trying to accomplish? What did she ever do to you?"
"Oh, come off it, Zac," Drew suddenly spat out. "When WASN'T it ever about Mel? It's ALWAYS been about her. It was always 'Mel this' and 'Mel and Tay that.' Hell, she even became a millionaire and she didn't even have to earn it! Shit just magically falls into place for her. I work my ass off for ten years to get to where I am and all she has to do is sign a paper and suddenly, she's the fucking toast of New York! Then she has Tay falling all over her, Jason falling all over her, and even YOU unnaturally cling to her. I could never compete! It was always something. 'Oh, poor Mel, she's been through so much!' I'm so fucking sick and tired of that shit. You can't sit there and tell me that when we were together, you didn't get the least bit annoyed at all the attention
Mel and Tay were getting?"
Zac studied Drew's face for a moment, his feelings crushed. Drew was gone. What was left of what he once knew of her had vanished. He had no idea who this red-headed woman was standing before him. "No," he
disagreed. "I wasn't. Because it was never about that for me. All I wanted was to be with you. The attention never mattered to me. But it all makes sense now. How you were so quick and desperate for me to 'make us public.' You only wanted me to benefit yourself, didn't you? It was always about that for you. I'm disappointed, Drew. I'm disappointed that everything that has ever come out of your mouth has been a lie. I did the right thing by letting you go back then."
"But, Zac, it hasn't--"
"I think you should go. Have you even seen Mel yet? Or are you too good for her now?"
"Well, no, but--"
"Seriously? You hurt her more than anyone, yet you still refuse to see or speak to her. And for what? Because you're afraid she and Tay are becoming the power supercouple you and I weren't? If this is what you've become, Drew, I'm not sure I want any part in it."
"Zac, please. I said I was sorry. What else can I do?"
"You're apologizing to the wrong person. Maybe issue a retraction? Own up to your lies? That would be a start. And next time, don't show up here unannounced."
Zac didn't even bother to see her out the door before he walked back to the painting he'd been working on before he was interrupted. He picked the paint brush back up and stood there for a moment. How dare she? How dare she have the audacity to show her face? What had she expected to happen here today? Initally, Mel had been his only concern. But now it seemed that he, too, had now lost a close friend. Successfully, she was
picking all her friends off, one by one, starting with the ones who were closest. What a sad world she must live in to do a thing like that.
--------------------------------------------
MEL
With Zoe on cat-sitting duty, Taylor and Mel were sitting on the plane, traveling to Houston, Texas. Mel sat next to Tay in first class with her head in her laptop, making out a seating chart for the emergency responders
benefit the following week. She kept coming up with an extra seat and she had no idea why. "I'm not understanding this," she muttered. "Where does this extra seat keep coming from? I know I haven't missed
anybody..."
"Maybe it's for me," Tay joked, leaning over to nudge her shoulder with his.
Mel smiled up at him. "I'm sorry, honey," she said regretfully. "I'm taking Nikki and Kate and it's just a girls' trip this time. We're gonna stay in the condo, get our nails done, exchange embarrassing stories about our men...you can come next trip."
"Deal," he answered. "Hey, I'm really glad you're including Kate in this. She's really not so bad. I know before things were kinda weird with--well, you know."
"She's really not a bad person. I think she was just stuck under certain influences then, but I'm excited to be getting to know the real her. She reminds me a little bit of Drew, actually. Except without the lying. I mean, she'll jump to a conclusion in a heartbeat, but she has yet to lie."
--------------------
The next day, the pair found themselves walking into The Corinthian Houston. Mel looked around in awe. "Wow. This place is better than I thought it would be..." And it was. The ceiling seemed to reach the sky as she looked up at the balcony that surrounded them overhead. Seemingly miles ahead of them, beyond the large, open space between the two rows of columns, was a stage-like platform with two staircases on either side leading up to the balcony.
"Oh my god, Tay, look! Come on!" Mel grabbed him by the hand and the pair laughed as she raced with him across the floor and towards the stage. Halting in front of the small staircase that led to the stage, she stood across from him, taking both his hands in hers and grinning from ear to ear. "In nine months, we could be standing right here, just like this."
Tay smiled back at her. "Or we could just do it right now."
Her giddiness gave her butterflies in her stomach. "Okay, then. Do you, Jordan Taylor Hanson, take this woman, in all her crazy, stubborn glory, to be your wife?"
Tay grinned back, ready to play along. "I do. And do you, Melody Brianne Banks--"
"Oh my god, I haven't heard my own middle name in years!"
"Wait," he laughed, which set Mel off along with him. "You're not supposed to interrupt! Do you, Melody Brianne Banks, take this man, hard-headed and neurotic, to be your husband?"
"I do."
"By the power vested in me, by the county of--" Tay looked around himself. "Wait, where are we?"
They were both consumed with giggles when a female voice rang out behind them. "Well then, you must be the happy couple I get the pleasure of meeting today!"
They turned around to face the woman, seemingly in her late thirties, sporting a blonde French twist and a gray business suit. She held out her hand as she approached them. "Hi, Diane Crowder. I'm the events
coordinator here at Corinthian. I believe we spoke on the phone, Mr..."
"Uh, Hanson," Tay reached out and shook her hand. "Taylor Hanson. And this is my fiancée, Melody Banks."
"Ah, yes," she answered, shaking both their hands. "When you called I thought it just HAD to be a coincidence, but now that I see you here in the flesh--well, I'm a fan."
Tay glanced over at Mel and blushed. "Oh, well thank you very much."
"Well, now. Let me give you the tour and then we can discuss what you're hoping to get out of Corinthian on your big day."
As she walked ahead of them to lead them around, Mel whispered to Tay, "How is she a fan when she didn't even recognize you?"
He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Don't question it, just go with it."
Realizing that Tay had intended to use his name if he had to, which was something he normally didn't like to do, Mel scrunched his nose up at him and smiled. "Oh, you're so bad!"
Playfully, he popped her behind in response which caused her to gasp a little louder than she expected to. When Ms. Crowder turned around at the sound, Mel plastered on a straight face. Thankfully, the woman hadn't
caught on to anything. Instead, she smiled. "Yes, it is beautiful, isn't it?"
Mel heard everything she wanted to hear that day, plus a little bit more. "The Corinthian does not allow outside catering. We go through our own catering company who offers a wide variety of options for whatever you decide you want to serve. They are marvelous, so I guarantee you wouldn't want an outside caterer anyway."
"Any possibility we could meet with the before we make a decision?" Mel asked.
"Oh, absolutely. We can set up the appointment today, if you like. Also, we do not allow any outside alcohol, as that is provided by Corinthian, as well. We have everything you could possibly want in stock. So by choosing Corinthian, you've basically relieved yourself of the hassle of finding caterers or obtaining an alcohol license. That's always a plus when having weddings here. Takes the pressure off of you, and we handle it all."
"What if I wanted to serve Mmmhops at my wedding?" Tay asked.
Ms. Crowder's expression was blank. "Mmmhops?"
"It's my band's beer. What if I wanted to serve my own beer at my own wedding?"
He had apparently caught her off guard. "Um, would that be a deal-breaker for you?"
"We would have to discuss it," he said, matter-of-factly.
Mel looked up at her fiancée, her eyes burning into him. She'd forgotten how sexy he was when he negotiated, no matter how big or small the matter. She decided right then that he was getting laid tonight.
Ms. Crowder lowered her voice and smiled. "Well, you know, there are always loopholes in everything that you do. I'm sure you understand that, as a businessman yourself."
"So that can be arranged?"
"I can make it a personal priority."
"Excellent."
"On the same subject of services, Corinthian provides anything you could possibly need, from lighting, security, all the way down to invitations and party favors. Essentially, Corinthian Houston could take care of your entire wedding with utmost luxury and quality."
To Mel, this sounded like a serenade. "Of course, I would want to be involved first-hand with any services I choose to allow Corinthian to provide."
"Absolutely. We wouldn't have it any other way. You tell us what you want, we will provide it for you. Honestly, you couldn't have picked a better venue to hold your wedding and, what's more, we are more than honored that you are considering us in the first place."
Mel smiled and glanced up at Tay before she turned back to Ms. Crowder. "Is it okay if we speak for a moment in private?"
She smiled. "Yes, of course. Take all the time you need. I'll be right over here whenever you're ready." She then handed them a couple of brochures she held in her hand. "One of those is a list of trusted clients who work with us on a regular basis. I think you'll be familiar with most of the names on the list. I hope it helps whatever decision you decide to make."
Mel led Tay back over to the stage and sat with him on the steps. She looked out at the venue beyond her, having absolutely no trouble visualizing their wedding. "I really love it here," she said. "I mean, did you hear what she said? Catering? Security? They basically do it all. They're like an all-inclusive resort or something." She laughed lightly. "Hell, they'd probably provide the honeymoon, too."
Tay turned the brochure over in his hand. "There's a lot of good names on here. Major companies, banks--even Playboy and Chanel. Shit, Mel, they probably STAY booked up here. I gotta tell you, I'm betting the probability of getting this place when we want it is pretty slim."
"I know," she sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of."
"So, do you really want it? Do you have your heart set on it?"
"I mean, look at it. Look out there. Our wedding won't be terribly large. We can seat guests in an aisle on either side here. And we have the space beyond the columns there to our complete disposal. And up there, we could hold the reception. Or maybe a cocktail hour while they flip from the wedding to the reception." She looked over at him and smiled. "Hey, that's not a bad idea."
"Why not just have the reception up there? And--well I kinda would like to do our wedding photos in private. But I don't want to see you in your dress before the wedding. I never did understand people who took their photos before the ceremony."
"Well we can work that out. I'm just afraid that if we have our reception on the balcony that someone might fall off or something."
Tay chuckled. "I think you worry too much."
"But it is a possibility. And there will be children up there and such. I'm getting chills just at the thought."
"I'm sure they'll do things however we want them done. Did you see the way she looked at me? If I throw around Hanson enough, I'm pretty sure I can get what I want."
She grinned up at him. "Tay, are you really gonna stoop to that level?"
"If it gets you the wedding you want, I'll stoop to whatever level it's gonna take."
Mel smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "I am the luckiest woman in the world, do you know that? October is just too far away."
He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "It'll be here before you know it. So what do you think? Do we check out other venues or do we check out availability?"
Mel paused in thought before she answered. She then looked up at him, her eyes sparkling under the dim lighting. "I think this is our place."
Moments later, they sat across from Diane Crowder in her office. Smiling, Mel said, "I think we want to have our wedding here."
Ms. Crowder's face lit up like the Fourth of July. "Wonderful! What date did you have in mind?"
"October 20th," Mel answered confidently.
At that, the fireworks were gone from Ms. Crowder's face. "Um...we're pretty booked up that month, I think...I mean, every single weekend..." She quickly slid on her glasses and clicked through her computer, making
comparisons to a date book she had in front of her. "October 20th is a...Thursday...Thursday? You want to have your wedding on a weekday?"
"That's the date we want," Tay stated plainly.
"Oh, um, okay...let me just see here...ah, here we go." The smile returned to her face. "It just so happens, that's one of the few days we have open. Today is your lucky day."
Mel and Tay smiled at each other. This was fate. They just knew it.
----------------------------
That night in their hotel room, Taylor lounged on the bed in a white t-shirt and blue boxers. He rarely wore shorts so whenever Mel saw the opportunity for easy access, she took it.
Walking out of the bathroom in nothing but an oversized t-shirt, she walked around to Tay's side of the bed and jerked the magazine he'd been reading out of his hand, tossing it to the side. Swinging a leg over, she helped herself onto the bed, straddling him. Resting his hands on her thighs, he smiled up at her. "Mmm, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Yesterday was my last day," she said, shifting herself over him, just enough to grind ever-so-lightly.
His hands gripped her a little tighter. "Oh yeah? Are you telling me you saved yourself just for me?"
Mel pulled her hair tie from her pony tail and flipped her hair to the side as she lowered herself close to his ear. "I didn't even touch myself," she groaned into his ear.
"Do it now," he breathed, turning his face into hers and gripping her long hair at the nape of her neck. "Touch yourself now. I wanna watch you."
She straightened herself back up on top of him and pulled the loose-fitted shirt over her head, revealing her complete nakedness underneath. Tay bit his lip and groaned at the sight of her. She allowed her hand to drop
seductively down the length of her body when, abruptly, he grabbed her hips tightly and removed her from the top of him, tossing her on her back on the bed. He grabbed her by the hands and interlaced his fingers with hers, holding them above her head, leaning down to kiss her hungrily. When he sat back up, he removed his own shirt and spread her legs apart. "Do it," he commanded.
Her eyes darkened as she looked into his blue eyes, intently staring back at her. Her hand dropped between her legs and she began to massage herself, quickly losing herself to her own touch. Never taking her eyes
off of Tay, she watched him as he sat on his knees in front of her and took himself out of his boxers, slowly stroking himself. "Goddammit, Mel," he hissed. "That's so fucking hot."
He finally lost it when she slid her fingers inside herself and arched her back. He pulled her up by her arm and wrapped his arms around her, adjusting her where he wanted her in relation to his hardness. From here, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back, taking her neck in his mouth. She groaned in pleasure and his heart raced. He couldn't get enough of her soft skin and her sweet flavor. She smelled of faint
perfume and shampoo. She seduced him even as he commanded control of her body.
"Tell me you want it," he growled into her ear. "Beg me for it."
She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and whipped her hair around the other side of her head, her eyes deliberately meeting his. "Please," she whispered.
"What was that, I couldn't hear you," he said through gritted teeth. He wrapped his arms around her hips tightly and forcefully pulled her against him, causing a gasp to come from within her. "You do want it, don't
you?"
"Yes," she whimpered her answer a little louder. "Right now."
"Yeah," he breathed. "That's more like it."
The moment he entered her, her head fell back in pleasure. With one arm still around her hips, he grinded his hips into her, gripping her jawline with his other hand, pulling her face to meet his. "You only look here,"
he commanded.
Obeying him, her eyes bore into his as he bucked his hips harder into her. On top of him, her hips began to roll in sync with him and he smiled at her, seductively. "Oh, you naughty girl," he groaned, his warm breath
on her face. "You like it like that, don't you?"
"Harder," she breathed the challenge at him from the depths of her throat. "I want more."
At her command, he went at her hard, almost certainly bottoming out in her, but she was so wet that the pain almost coincided with the pleasure. Gripping as much of his skin as she could get her hands on, her head finally fell down onto his shoulder in defeat and she cried out as she came, the side of her fist listlessly pounding against his shoulder. Moments later, he gripped her tight and still against him and he bucked his hips one last time and came with a satisfied growl through his teeth.
As they were both still for the moment, catching their breath, he lifted her head off his shoulder and kissed her lips tenderly, his hands gently grazing her back. As his tongue entered her mouth, he kissed her with such a
sweetness that the dynamic between the two acts nearly made Mel want to cry.
"That was amazing," she whispered breathlessly, breaking their kiss.
He smiled, wiping the hair from her sweaty forehead. "I've been waiting all week to take you like that."
"It was hot."
"You liked that? You like when I take control like that?"
"You know what I like."
Tay kissed her once more before they left their current position and prepared to go to bed. Maybe it was hormones. Maybe it was her genuine, true, love for him. She didn't know. But she did know that she was not looking forward to being away from him again next week.
ZAC
"What in the hell are you doing here? I mean, sorry for being rude, but--really, what the hell are you doing here?"
When Nikki's head full of curls bounded in the art area of 3CG to alert Zac that he had a visitor, he couldn't help but be a little confused. Now Drew stood before him, dressed in obscenely expensive designer clothes with hair styled as if a stylist traveled with her everywhere she went. He wouldn't have been surprised if that were the case.
"Are you mad?" she asked quietly.
Zac shoved his hands in his pockets. "I wasn't. Until that article came out. Drew, my wife and my sister-in-law both read Cosmo. Kate didn't exactly appreciate seeing my teenage indiscretions displayed for the entire world to see. And, really, neither did I. Honestly, Drew, you're more famous now than you could have ever imagined. Why did you feel the need to throw all of us under the bus along the way? I mean, do you not give a shit about any of the people who have supported you?"
Drew glanced down at her glove-covered hands.
"I can't believe you even showed your face here," Zac said. "I've been meaning to confront you about the whole Mel thing but now this--I mean, just--how could you?"
"I'm sorry," Drew said meekly. "I'm sorry, I'm just--I'm not thrilled with the article. A lot of it was taken out of context. You know how those things work."
"You completely lied about Mel and Jason. About Ireland. What the hell are you trying to accomplish? What did she ever do to you?"
"Oh, come off it, Zac," Drew suddenly spat out. "When WASN'T it ever about Mel? It's ALWAYS been about her. It was always 'Mel this' and 'Mel and Tay that.' Hell, she even became a millionaire and she didn't even have to earn it! Shit just magically falls into place for her. I work my ass off for ten years to get to where I am and all she has to do is sign a paper and suddenly, she's the fucking toast of New York! Then she has Tay falling all over her, Jason falling all over her, and even YOU unnaturally cling to her. I could never compete! It was always something. 'Oh, poor Mel, she's been through so much!' I'm so fucking sick and tired of that shit. You can't sit there and tell me that when we were together, you didn't get the least bit annoyed at all the attention
Mel and Tay were getting?"
Zac studied Drew's face for a moment, his feelings crushed. Drew was gone. What was left of what he once knew of her had vanished. He had no idea who this red-headed woman was standing before him. "No," he
disagreed. "I wasn't. Because it was never about that for me. All I wanted was to be with you. The attention never mattered to me. But it all makes sense now. How you were so quick and desperate for me to 'make us public.' You only wanted me to benefit yourself, didn't you? It was always about that for you. I'm disappointed, Drew. I'm disappointed that everything that has ever come out of your mouth has been a lie. I did the right thing by letting you go back then."
"But, Zac, it hasn't--"
"I think you should go. Have you even seen Mel yet? Or are you too good for her now?"
"Well, no, but--"
"Seriously? You hurt her more than anyone, yet you still refuse to see or speak to her. And for what? Because you're afraid she and Tay are becoming the power supercouple you and I weren't? If this is what you've become, Drew, I'm not sure I want any part in it."
"Zac, please. I said I was sorry. What else can I do?"
"You're apologizing to the wrong person. Maybe issue a retraction? Own up to your lies? That would be a start. And next time, don't show up here unannounced."
Zac didn't even bother to see her out the door before he walked back to the painting he'd been working on before he was interrupted. He picked the paint brush back up and stood there for a moment. How dare she? How dare she have the audacity to show her face? What had she expected to happen here today? Initally, Mel had been his only concern. But now it seemed that he, too, had now lost a close friend. Successfully, she was
picking all her friends off, one by one, starting with the ones who were closest. What a sad world she must live in to do a thing like that.
--------------------------------------------
MEL
With Zoe on cat-sitting duty, Taylor and Mel were sitting on the plane, traveling to Houston, Texas. Mel sat next to Tay in first class with her head in her laptop, making out a seating chart for the emergency responders
benefit the following week. She kept coming up with an extra seat and she had no idea why. "I'm not understanding this," she muttered. "Where does this extra seat keep coming from? I know I haven't missed
anybody..."
"Maybe it's for me," Tay joked, leaning over to nudge her shoulder with his.
Mel smiled up at him. "I'm sorry, honey," she said regretfully. "I'm taking Nikki and Kate and it's just a girls' trip this time. We're gonna stay in the condo, get our nails done, exchange embarrassing stories about our men...you can come next trip."
"Deal," he answered. "Hey, I'm really glad you're including Kate in this. She's really not so bad. I know before things were kinda weird with--well, you know."
"She's really not a bad person. I think she was just stuck under certain influences then, but I'm excited to be getting to know the real her. She reminds me a little bit of Drew, actually. Except without the lying. I mean, she'll jump to a conclusion in a heartbeat, but she has yet to lie."
--------------------
The next day, the pair found themselves walking into The Corinthian Houston. Mel looked around in awe. "Wow. This place is better than I thought it would be..." And it was. The ceiling seemed to reach the sky as she looked up at the balcony that surrounded them overhead. Seemingly miles ahead of them, beyond the large, open space between the two rows of columns, was a stage-like platform with two staircases on either side leading up to the balcony.
"Oh my god, Tay, look! Come on!" Mel grabbed him by the hand and the pair laughed as she raced with him across the floor and towards the stage. Halting in front of the small staircase that led to the stage, she stood across from him, taking both his hands in hers and grinning from ear to ear. "In nine months, we could be standing right here, just like this."
Tay smiled back at her. "Or we could just do it right now."
Her giddiness gave her butterflies in her stomach. "Okay, then. Do you, Jordan Taylor Hanson, take this woman, in all her crazy, stubborn glory, to be your wife?"
Tay grinned back, ready to play along. "I do. And do you, Melody Brianne Banks--"
"Oh my god, I haven't heard my own middle name in years!"
"Wait," he laughed, which set Mel off along with him. "You're not supposed to interrupt! Do you, Melody Brianne Banks, take this man, hard-headed and neurotic, to be your husband?"
"I do."
"By the power vested in me, by the county of--" Tay looked around himself. "Wait, where are we?"
They were both consumed with giggles when a female voice rang out behind them. "Well then, you must be the happy couple I get the pleasure of meeting today!"
They turned around to face the woman, seemingly in her late thirties, sporting a blonde French twist and a gray business suit. She held out her hand as she approached them. "Hi, Diane Crowder. I'm the events
coordinator here at Corinthian. I believe we spoke on the phone, Mr..."
"Uh, Hanson," Tay reached out and shook her hand. "Taylor Hanson. And this is my fiancée, Melody Banks."
"Ah, yes," she answered, shaking both their hands. "When you called I thought it just HAD to be a coincidence, but now that I see you here in the flesh--well, I'm a fan."
Tay glanced over at Mel and blushed. "Oh, well thank you very much."
"Well, now. Let me give you the tour and then we can discuss what you're hoping to get out of Corinthian on your big day."
As she walked ahead of them to lead them around, Mel whispered to Tay, "How is she a fan when she didn't even recognize you?"
He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Don't question it, just go with it."
Realizing that Tay had intended to use his name if he had to, which was something he normally didn't like to do, Mel scrunched his nose up at him and smiled. "Oh, you're so bad!"
Playfully, he popped her behind in response which caused her to gasp a little louder than she expected to. When Ms. Crowder turned around at the sound, Mel plastered on a straight face. Thankfully, the woman hadn't
caught on to anything. Instead, she smiled. "Yes, it is beautiful, isn't it?"
Mel heard everything she wanted to hear that day, plus a little bit more. "The Corinthian does not allow outside catering. We go through our own catering company who offers a wide variety of options for whatever you decide you want to serve. They are marvelous, so I guarantee you wouldn't want an outside caterer anyway."
"Any possibility we could meet with the before we make a decision?" Mel asked.
"Oh, absolutely. We can set up the appointment today, if you like. Also, we do not allow any outside alcohol, as that is provided by Corinthian, as well. We have everything you could possibly want in stock. So by choosing Corinthian, you've basically relieved yourself of the hassle of finding caterers or obtaining an alcohol license. That's always a plus when having weddings here. Takes the pressure off of you, and we handle it all."
"What if I wanted to serve Mmmhops at my wedding?" Tay asked.
Ms. Crowder's expression was blank. "Mmmhops?"
"It's my band's beer. What if I wanted to serve my own beer at my own wedding?"
He had apparently caught her off guard. "Um, would that be a deal-breaker for you?"
"We would have to discuss it," he said, matter-of-factly.
Mel looked up at her fiancée, her eyes burning into him. She'd forgotten how sexy he was when he negotiated, no matter how big or small the matter. She decided right then that he was getting laid tonight.
Ms. Crowder lowered her voice and smiled. "Well, you know, there are always loopholes in everything that you do. I'm sure you understand that, as a businessman yourself."
"So that can be arranged?"
"I can make it a personal priority."
"Excellent."
"On the same subject of services, Corinthian provides anything you could possibly need, from lighting, security, all the way down to invitations and party favors. Essentially, Corinthian Houston could take care of your entire wedding with utmost luxury and quality."
To Mel, this sounded like a serenade. "Of course, I would want to be involved first-hand with any services I choose to allow Corinthian to provide."
"Absolutely. We wouldn't have it any other way. You tell us what you want, we will provide it for you. Honestly, you couldn't have picked a better venue to hold your wedding and, what's more, we are more than honored that you are considering us in the first place."
Mel smiled and glanced up at Tay before she turned back to Ms. Crowder. "Is it okay if we speak for a moment in private?"
She smiled. "Yes, of course. Take all the time you need. I'll be right over here whenever you're ready." She then handed them a couple of brochures she held in her hand. "One of those is a list of trusted clients who work with us on a regular basis. I think you'll be familiar with most of the names on the list. I hope it helps whatever decision you decide to make."
Mel led Tay back over to the stage and sat with him on the steps. She looked out at the venue beyond her, having absolutely no trouble visualizing their wedding. "I really love it here," she said. "I mean, did you hear what she said? Catering? Security? They basically do it all. They're like an all-inclusive resort or something." She laughed lightly. "Hell, they'd probably provide the honeymoon, too."
Tay turned the brochure over in his hand. "There's a lot of good names on here. Major companies, banks--even Playboy and Chanel. Shit, Mel, they probably STAY booked up here. I gotta tell you, I'm betting the probability of getting this place when we want it is pretty slim."
"I know," she sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of."
"So, do you really want it? Do you have your heart set on it?"
"I mean, look at it. Look out there. Our wedding won't be terribly large. We can seat guests in an aisle on either side here. And we have the space beyond the columns there to our complete disposal. And up there, we could hold the reception. Or maybe a cocktail hour while they flip from the wedding to the reception." She looked over at him and smiled. "Hey, that's not a bad idea."
"Why not just have the reception up there? And--well I kinda would like to do our wedding photos in private. But I don't want to see you in your dress before the wedding. I never did understand people who took their photos before the ceremony."
"Well we can work that out. I'm just afraid that if we have our reception on the balcony that someone might fall off or something."
Tay chuckled. "I think you worry too much."
"But it is a possibility. And there will be children up there and such. I'm getting chills just at the thought."
"I'm sure they'll do things however we want them done. Did you see the way she looked at me? If I throw around Hanson enough, I'm pretty sure I can get what I want."
She grinned up at him. "Tay, are you really gonna stoop to that level?"
"If it gets you the wedding you want, I'll stoop to whatever level it's gonna take."
Mel smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "I am the luckiest woman in the world, do you know that? October is just too far away."
He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "It'll be here before you know it. So what do you think? Do we check out other venues or do we check out availability?"
Mel paused in thought before she answered. She then looked up at him, her eyes sparkling under the dim lighting. "I think this is our place."
Moments later, they sat across from Diane Crowder in her office. Smiling, Mel said, "I think we want to have our wedding here."
Ms. Crowder's face lit up like the Fourth of July. "Wonderful! What date did you have in mind?"
"October 20th," Mel answered confidently.
At that, the fireworks were gone from Ms. Crowder's face. "Um...we're pretty booked up that month, I think...I mean, every single weekend..." She quickly slid on her glasses and clicked through her computer, making
comparisons to a date book she had in front of her. "October 20th is a...Thursday...Thursday? You want to have your wedding on a weekday?"
"That's the date we want," Tay stated plainly.
"Oh, um, okay...let me just see here...ah, here we go." The smile returned to her face. "It just so happens, that's one of the few days we have open. Today is your lucky day."
Mel and Tay smiled at each other. This was fate. They just knew it.
----------------------------
That night in their hotel room, Taylor lounged on the bed in a white t-shirt and blue boxers. He rarely wore shorts so whenever Mel saw the opportunity for easy access, she took it.
Walking out of the bathroom in nothing but an oversized t-shirt, she walked around to Tay's side of the bed and jerked the magazine he'd been reading out of his hand, tossing it to the side. Swinging a leg over, she helped herself onto the bed, straddling him. Resting his hands on her thighs, he smiled up at her. "Mmm, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Yesterday was my last day," she said, shifting herself over him, just enough to grind ever-so-lightly.
His hands gripped her a little tighter. "Oh yeah? Are you telling me you saved yourself just for me?"
Mel pulled her hair tie from her pony tail and flipped her hair to the side as she lowered herself close to his ear. "I didn't even touch myself," she groaned into his ear.
"Do it now," he breathed, turning his face into hers and gripping her long hair at the nape of her neck. "Touch yourself now. I wanna watch you."
She straightened herself back up on top of him and pulled the loose-fitted shirt over her head, revealing her complete nakedness underneath. Tay bit his lip and groaned at the sight of her. She allowed her hand to drop
seductively down the length of her body when, abruptly, he grabbed her hips tightly and removed her from the top of him, tossing her on her back on the bed. He grabbed her by the hands and interlaced his fingers with hers, holding them above her head, leaning down to kiss her hungrily. When he sat back up, he removed his own shirt and spread her legs apart. "Do it," he commanded.
Her eyes darkened as she looked into his blue eyes, intently staring back at her. Her hand dropped between her legs and she began to massage herself, quickly losing herself to her own touch. Never taking her eyes
off of Tay, she watched him as he sat on his knees in front of her and took himself out of his boxers, slowly stroking himself. "Goddammit, Mel," he hissed. "That's so fucking hot."
He finally lost it when she slid her fingers inside herself and arched her back. He pulled her up by her arm and wrapped his arms around her, adjusting her where he wanted her in relation to his hardness. From here, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back, taking her neck in his mouth. She groaned in pleasure and his heart raced. He couldn't get enough of her soft skin and her sweet flavor. She smelled of faint
perfume and shampoo. She seduced him even as he commanded control of her body.
"Tell me you want it," he growled into her ear. "Beg me for it."
She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and whipped her hair around the other side of her head, her eyes deliberately meeting his. "Please," she whispered.
"What was that, I couldn't hear you," he said through gritted teeth. He wrapped his arms around her hips tightly and forcefully pulled her against him, causing a gasp to come from within her. "You do want it, don't
you?"
"Yes," she whimpered her answer a little louder. "Right now."
"Yeah," he breathed. "That's more like it."
The moment he entered her, her head fell back in pleasure. With one arm still around her hips, he grinded his hips into her, gripping her jawline with his other hand, pulling her face to meet his. "You only look here,"
he commanded.
Obeying him, her eyes bore into his as he bucked his hips harder into her. On top of him, her hips began to roll in sync with him and he smiled at her, seductively. "Oh, you naughty girl," he groaned, his warm breath
on her face. "You like it like that, don't you?"
"Harder," she breathed the challenge at him from the depths of her throat. "I want more."
At her command, he went at her hard, almost certainly bottoming out in her, but she was so wet that the pain almost coincided with the pleasure. Gripping as much of his skin as she could get her hands on, her head finally fell down onto his shoulder in defeat and she cried out as she came, the side of her fist listlessly pounding against his shoulder. Moments later, he gripped her tight and still against him and he bucked his hips one last time and came with a satisfied growl through his teeth.
As they were both still for the moment, catching their breath, he lifted her head off his shoulder and kissed her lips tenderly, his hands gently grazing her back. As his tongue entered her mouth, he kissed her with such a
sweetness that the dynamic between the two acts nearly made Mel want to cry.
"That was amazing," she whispered breathlessly, breaking their kiss.
He smiled, wiping the hair from her sweaty forehead. "I've been waiting all week to take you like that."
"It was hot."
"You liked that? You like when I take control like that?"
"You know what I like."
Tay kissed her once more before they left their current position and prepared to go to bed. Maybe it was hormones. Maybe it was her genuine, true, love for him. She didn't know. But she did know that she was not looking forward to being away from him again next week.