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I honestly didn’t want to walk into the office on Monday morning.  There was a job to do, but I didn’t want to be the one to do it.  First of all, I didn’t know what to make of the kiss Aiden gave me on New Year’s Eve.  It was exactly what I wanted, but I was getting mixed signals from him.  First he pulls away, then he kisses the chocolate off of my face.  What was I supposed to think?  Second of all, I didn’t know how to face him in the office AFTER the kiss.  I just knew it was going to be awkward.  So as I got ready for work that morning, I took my time.  I even called in to tell Kip that I was going to be late.  We had two clients coming in that morning, so I knew I would have to walk in there eventually.  I stood in front of my mirror and stared at the face in front of me.  It was a face I recognized, but it was changing.  I stared down at my lips in the mirror, remembering the chocolate… remembering the kiss…  Suddenly my cell phone rang.  I ran to my phone and picked it up.  It was just the person I was hoping it would be.  “Lindsay!  Thank God you finally answered your phone,” I breathed as I answered.  “I heard your message!  I can’t believe he kissed you!  What are you going to do about it?” she asked curiously.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “That’s the problem.  I don’t know what to do,” I replied as I reapplied my favorite shade of lipstick; rosy red.  “Do you want to be with him?” she asked.

“I don’t know…  We work together…  I’m just not sure getting involved with Aiden would be wise.  As much as I want to, maybe it’s just better to just be friends.”

“But you wanted him; what happened?”

“Time; I had time to think, and now it just seems like the right thing to do.  What if it doesn’t work out?  Then what will we do?  Where will our business be?  I have to think about things like this.”

“I know… It’s really your decision.  Maybe it is for the best, but if your heart wants to be with him, Anne… To tell you the truth, it will go to him,” she warned.  “Thanks, Lindsay,” I replied as I hung up.  That was the push I needed.  I grabbed my tote, threw on my jacket, and was out the door.  When I arrived at work, Kip was there to give me a hard time.  “Where were you?  What is going on?  You know I left you like, seven messages, which, by the by, you never returned,” he spouted.  I rolled my eyes as I got to my office, relieved that Aiden wasn’t around.  “Kip, it’s a longs story.  I told you I was going to come in late, didn’t I?” I asked, dropping my tote on my leather chair.  Kip nodded as he put his hands on his hips.  “It’s a good thing you’re here now; your clients are coming in at 1,” he reminded me.  I nodded my head as I shooed him out the door.  I searched my desk for my morning coffee, which was not there.  I guess the assistant Kip hired for the office was too busy to do that one simple task… (It’s a good thing they weren’t working for me.)  I let out a sigh and went to the little kitchen on our floor to retrieve my coffee.

I managed to compose myself by the time 1 o’clock rolled around and headed to our conference room to meet with our clients.  Aiden was nowhere to be found as I entered the room; our clients had all ready arrived.  “Hello,” I began as I took my seat in front of them with another coffee.  “I am Anne Tanner, one of your wedding planners,” I explained as I shook both of their hands.  The groom smiled at me as the bride slapped his arm.  “What?” he jumped as he rubbed his arm from the beating.  “I saw the way you were looking at her; stop,” the bride whispered loud enough for me to hear.  Then she turned to me and smiled.  I took a good look at this bride to see what I was in for.  She was a redhead with flowing hair that reached just below her shoulders, and she was skinny like a supermodel.  She carried herself in a way that told everyone around her that she was superior.  She wore some designer labels, and she looked like she just stepped off the runway.  Just by looking at her, I could tell I was going to have my hands full in making her happy.  Then I looked at the groom.  He had dark brown hair that was quite long, but he still spiked it up, sort of into a faux-hawk.  He had a wide jaw and a fairly wide nose that gave him character.

He also wore designer labels, but he looked like he didn’t know how to wear them.  He had on a black polo and over that, some sort of suit vest.  (I figured he was trying to match his blushing bride.)  By this observation, I knew the groom was going to be easy to deal with, but then again, most grooms were.  “I’m Sarah Winters, and this is my fiancé Dylan Paine.  We are so glad that you decided to plan our wedding,” Sarah stated with a smile, wrapping her arm around Dylan’s arm.  I nodded, searching through the window for Aiden.  “I’m sorry, but my partner isn’t here yet,” I informed them as I pulled out my folder.  I figured I might as well not waste their time.  “But you can start telling me exactly what you want for your wedding; that way I get a visual of what you would like,” I explained, opening my portfolio filled with evidence of prior weddings.  “Ooh; that looks beautiful,” Sarah exclaimed as she found the New Year’s Eve wedding we had just come back from.  I nodded as I pulled out my notepad.  “So, when were you thinking of having your wedding?” I asked.  Dylan smiled as he put his arm around Sarah.  “My baby wants our wedding next month; and that’s what my baby is going to get,” he replied.  Ah, so he makes sure everything goes exactly as she wants, that way he won’t have to deal with her yelling… Smart man…  “I’m sure there will be no problem to have your wedding next month; I’ve planned weddings with much less time,” I assured the couple.  Just then Aiden entered with his portfolio, all puffed and in a hurry.  He sat down next to me, a bit embarrassed and introduced himself to the couple.

Now it was Sarah’s turn to fall for the wedding planner; but this time, there was no slap on the arm to tell her to stop looking at Aiden.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she swooned.  Dylan rolled his eyes as he met my gaze.  “Can we get on with it?” he asked impatiently.  Aiden nodded.  “They want the wedding next month,” I informed him as Sarah looked through our portfolios.  Aiden was quiet; he didn’t even look me in the eye.  “What exactly do you envision your wedding day to look like?” he asked as if I hadn’t spoken.  Sarah smiled as she thought about the event.  But I couldn’t get into wedding mode just yet; Aiden was acting weird…  He was ignoring me.  “We were thinking about having lilacs as the theme flowers of the wedding, and I want the wedding in a church; it’s the church where my parents were married…  St. Augustine Cathedral,” Sarah replied happily as she turned to her groom and smiled.  “It’s the perfect place.  We’ve all ready booked it for February the 2^nd.  All we want you to do is decorate it and make the reception, well, exceptional,” she added with enthusiasm.

“Well, I’m sure I can help make it wonderful…  I’m not sure my partner is ready for something like this…  This will take some commitment; something she doesn’t quite have,” Aiden replied with hostility towards me.  I was shocked that he was biting my head off for turning him down.  How childish?  I couldn’t believe he was so upset that he would embarrass me in front of our clients.  “Excuse me?” I asked as I turned towards Aiden.  Sarah and Dylan shifted uncomfortably in their chairs as they watched what was about to be a potential blow-up.  “You heard me; you can’t commit to anything.  I was just letting the couple know that you might not be ready,” Aiden explained as he turned away from me.  I can’t believe this.  Englishman is such a baby!  He can’t take rejection!  “Aiden, can I speak to you outside, please?” I asked as I stood up.  The question wasn’t really a question; it was a demand.  Aiden stood up after me and turned to Sarah and Dylan.  “I’m sorry about this; we’ll be right back,” he replied as he followed me out the door.

I was FUMING mad when we exited that conference room.  I couldn’t believe how Aiden could just embarrass me like that.  I was, after all, a professional.  Aiden knew that; here he was, airing our dirty laundry to everyone else because he wasn’t satisfied with my answer.  “What is going on, Aiden,” I demanded as we stood outside.  Aiden was going to play it off, but he wasn’t the type to play it cool.  “I just can’t understand you, Anne,” he began.  I looked at him with this blank look on my face.  “I thought you wanted me to kiss you,” he stated in confusion.  I shrugged my shoulders.  I guess I was busted.  I was ready to defend myself, deny the whole thing, but I couldn’t.  As I looked into those big hazel eyes, I couldn’t lie.  “I… I did…” I replied quietly.  Aiden looked at me; he seemed fed up with my behavior.  “Then why did you say you wanted to keep a professional relationship?  That’s the part I don’t understand, Anne.  You’re sending me mixed messages…  Do you know how badly I wanted to kiss you at the wedding on New Year’s Eve?  I came so close,” he stated.  Now it was my turn to talk.  “And you pulled away.  You gave me a flower, my favorite flower, and then you pulled away when I wanted to kiss you after the countdown,” I replied.

Aiden probably thought I didn’t notice, but I did…  “I know…  But then I knew I had made a mistake.  I wanted that kiss just as much as you did; I was just afraid.  You know what I’ve been through, Anne…   I thought I was in love with Maria; then I was rudely awakened.  I just wasn’t sure that I trusted my feelings about you.  That’s why I didn’t kiss you,” he explained.  Oh; well you could have just said that in the first place.  “What happened between midnight and 2 in the morning?” I finally had the courage to ask.  Aiden shrugged his shoulders.  “After you pulled away from me and left, I realized that I wished you had stayed in my arms.  It felt… right.  I don’t know how to explain it.  I just knew that I had made a mistake…  I wanted to kiss you.  Then I remembered where you live, so I drove over and sat outside of your apartment for a half an hour.  I debated whether or not to go inside.  Then Maria came into my mind again.  I knew that if I had found love, it would give me the opposite feeling that Maria gave me,” he stated.  Love?  What is he talking about love for?  I could feel myself begin to tense up at the word.  The air around me suddenly got warmer, and I felt as though I were going to suffocate.  Breathe, Anne, breathe, I reminded myself.

“So there won’t be any more embarrassing or uncomfortable moments between us?  We can go back to the way things were?” I asked, hoping that he would agree.  “Of course; shall we go back to our clients?” he added, opening the door to the conference room.  I nodded, and we entered into what seemed like on the verge of a porno scene.  I shielded my eyes as Aiden looked on in horror as the bride and groom were going at it.  They were making out like two horny teenagers.  “Ahem,” Aiden stated to inform the couple we had entered.  That’s when Sarah and Dylan had the decency to peel off of each other and sit down.  Dylan had lipstick smeared all over his face, and Sarah’s hair was no longer in a perfect wave.  She began to wipe her mouth as she pulled out her compact mirror from her Coach purse and handed it to Dylan so he could wipe off the lipstick.  I tried not to laugh as we took our seats.  It was pretty funny to me.  “You were taking so long…” Sarah stated as she composed herself.  “Sorry,” I replied, struggling to stifle the laughter.  As I turned to Aiden, I could tell he was trying not to laugh either.  “We were settling a matter…  It seems you were doing the same in here,” Aiden replied.  I turned my gaze to Sarah, who’s cheeks were turning as red as her hair.  “We’re sorry…  It’s just, we’re so in love!” she stated as she put her arm back in its spot around Dylan’s arm.

“We can’t have St. Augustine’s Cathedral?” Sarah gasped as if she were having a heart attack.  We stood in the chapel of the little cathedral with the man who supposedly said Sarah and Dylan could get married there.  “I’m sorry; we didn’t realize there was all ready a wedding booked for that day when my chaplain told you that you could have it,” the man replied.  Sarah was on the verge of tears as Dylan tried to comfort her.  “It’s okay, babe…  Look, man, my girl wants her wedding on that day, and you’re going to find a way to give it to her,” he warned the priest as he shook his stubby finger at the man.  Aiden and I exchanged glances.  “Is there any way we can have both of the weddings the same day?” I asked.  Sarah gave me a look of death that told me she wasn’t having it.  “Why don’t you two come with me to the back office and we can figure this out?” the priest offered.  Dylan put his arm around Sarah.  “Come on, babe.  We’ll go fix this right now,” he assured her.  The three of them left the chapel and Aiden and I were left alone.  I walked up to the front of the church and observed the stained-glass windows.  They really were a work of art.  “Places like this make me nervous,” Aiden stated quietly as he walked up next to me and observed the windows.

I shrugged my shoulders.  “Not me; I’ve always loved churches.  There is so much work put into them, and some of the churches I have been to are absolutely gorgeous.  These stained-glass windows are beautiful,” I replied, turning back to go sit in the pew in front of us.  “There is that factor, and then there is this unexplainable urge to confess all of my sins,” Aiden teased as he plopped down next to me.  I laughed at his little joke.  “Ah, a smile….  I haven’t seen one of those on your face in some time,” Aiden remarked as he looked up to the ceiling.  I smiled again as I followed his gaze.  “My father used to be a painter, did you know that?” he asked.  I shook my head.  Obviously I couldn’t have known that, unless I had the sudden impulse to Google him online.   (I did however Google Aiden… Named successful Wedding Planner of 2006) “Was he good?” I asked.  Aiden smiled.  “He was amazing with his hands.  Although, he was a better sculptor than painter to me.  He attempted to paint the ceiling of our church back in England,” he replied.  I was surprised that Aiden had such an artistic father.  “Wait, was your father Michelangelo?” I teased.

Aiden rolled his eyes as he nudged my shoulder playfully.  “No…” he replied.  “So why didn’t he become the next greatest painter?” I asked curiously.  Aiden shrugged his shoulders.  “When you need money, you forgo all your passions in life; unless your passion gives you money…” he stated simply.  I nodded my head, knowing full well what he meant.  “My mother was a singer…” I replied quietly.  Aiden looked at me with surprise.  “Your mother could sing?  And she had you?  A girl who can hardly carry a tune?” he asked.  How does he know that?  “How would you know?” I asked, wondering if I had a stalker on my hands.  Aiden smiled at me.  “When we were in Arizona, you were taking a shower…  And you were singing ‘Fever’…  I swear, the dogs outside were howling,” he teased.  I rolled my eyes as I hit him playfully on the arm.  “That’s not funny.  I don’t sing in public…” I paused.  “But my mother did.  She loved to sing.  When she had gigs, my father used to take me to see her.  She lit up the stage…” I exclaimed.  Aiden nodded his head as he leaned back in the pew and stretched out.  “What happened?” he asked.  “Money happened; I was lots of money when school started…  So my mom had to quit singing and get a ‘real job’ as my grandfather put it.  She started working as a secretary at a law firm and moved her way up to the top.  I still miss her singing sometimes,” I replied as I began to reminisce about her voice.

It was quiet for a moment as we sat there, staring up at the ceiling of the little chapel.  “We both got lucky, huh?” I stated after a moment.  Aiden nodded.  “We did; we’re doing something we both love…  It helps that we’re good at it too,” he added.  “Can you paint, Aiden?” I asked after another moment.  Curiosity was getting the best of me.  I had to know if he had an artistic side.  “Yes…  I enjoy drawing more…  I’m quite gifted in that area,” he replied.  I nodded my head as I thought.  Aiden looked at me.  “What?” he asked, wondering what I was thinking.  I shrugged my shoulders and acted nonchalant.  “Oh, nothing…  Did you ever do a picture like Titanic with Rose and Jack?” I wondered.  (I had to ask.)  Aiden began to laugh as he sat up.  “You are amusing, Anne Tanner,” he replied as he patted my leg.  I began to laugh with him.  “Thank you,” I replied.  (It was a complement…)  Suddenly Sarah stormed in from the back of the chapel; she had fire in her eyes.  “Sarah?” I called as she came up to us.  Dylan wasn’t far behind, coming after his fiancé to comfort her.  The priest was nowhere to be found.  “That man…  He wouldn’t give us our wedding!” Sarah yelled.  Aiden and I stood up.  “Oh no, you didn’t kill him, did you?” I asked, half kidding.

Sarah was too angry to hear my joke.  “I wanted my wedding here…” she whined.  Dylan began to rub her back.  “I know, babe, I know… but you can’t.  Maybe we can find a better chapel someplace else,” he suggested.  Tears began to come down Sarah’s cheeks as she pulled out a tissue from her purse.  That’s when my brain began to search for ideas.  “Sarah, I know that you wanted your wedding here, and I’m sorry you couldn’t get the cathedral,” Aiden sympathized.  I searched my mind for churches or cathedrals I had seen throughout my long journey as a wedding planner.  There was one by a beautiful lake that was all stained-glass windows, and then there was one that looked like it was from the 1800s…  It probably was.  One particular place kept sticking out in my mind.  That’s when the light bulb went on.   “Sarah, why don’t we go visit another place?  I know this one little church that is just breathtaking.  I’m sure if you just took a look at it, you wouldn’t care about not being able to have your wedding here,” I suggested.  Sarah thought about it for a moment.  She wiped the tears from her eyes and blew her nose.  “Well, I guess we might as well, considering we have no other choice,” she replied with a sniffle.  I smiled at Aiden and began to walk out of the chapel.  Another good idea by Anne Tanner…