Only Have Eyes for Him Read online

  “Great. You’re here.” He didn’t sound pleased. “Seth and Asher are both waiting, in separate rooms. We’re running a bit behind so if you could make this quick…”

  “She’ll take the time she needs, Mark.” Brielle was grateful for Stacey’s interjection. “Brielle will go to Room Two first.”

  Mark’s face fell. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I am.” Brielle brushed past him and put her hand on the door handle.

  Brielle was ready.

  Chapter Four

  Seth

  Seth was glad when he heard Mark retrieve Asher from the apartment. He didn’t want to ride over there with that loser and was much happier knowing he was alone in the apartment.

  He had slept fairly well the night before. Seth had convinced himself that he would either marry Brielle the next day or convince everyone in town she was a total mess. It was a win-win for Seth. Either he won his prize or saved face.

  It was going to be a long day regardless. Seth knew that he had about a half-hour to pack up his bags and get ready to leave for the hotel. He stuffed his wrinkled clothes back into his suitcase as best he could.

  If he did marry Brielle later that day, Seth’s side of the aisle would be empty. He hadn’t told anyone he was there and his mother certainly wouldn’t approve. She liked Brielle more than she liked Seth, after all.

  Having an empty side of the aisle would be easier to handle if he didn’t know the people on his bride’s side. Unfortunately, all of Brielle’s friends and family disliked him. It would be difficult to not react to their stares as he waited for Brielle to walk down the aisle.

  Seth hoped he could keep himself together through the ceremony with all those stupid faces staring at him. He was already worked up about it as he jammed his toiletries into his bag. By the time he was finished, he was red in the face.

  The front door to the apartment opened and he could hear Mark’s footsteps coming down the hall.

  “Seth? Ready?”

  “Yup.”

  “I’ll walk you down, the car is here.”

  The men rode the elevator in silence. Seth’s grip on his bag loosened and he relaxed a bit. Who cared about Brielle’s family? When she chose him, that would show them all who was boss. His confidence was renewed.

  Mark rode in the Towncar with Seth to the hotel. Seth wasn’t sure if Mark was his babysitter or just needed a ride over. Either way, he hoped Mark wouldn’t spend the entire morning with him. He wanted to drink some beers in silence as he got ready. The week of chatty men wanting to discuss their feelings was still grating on his nerves.

  “Here we are. Good luck!” The driver got Seth’s bags from the trunk and handed them to the doorman at the hotel.

  “They will take you to your room. I will call in an hour to let you know what to do next.” Mark sat down on a bench by the front door. “Oh, and your suit is in the room.”

  Seth followed the doorman to the elevator in silence. The man tried to talk to him about his wedding but Seth wasn’t in the mood. When they arrived at the room, Seth finally spoke.

  “Where can I get some beer?”

  “I’ll have some sent up to you, sir.”

  Seth grunted in response and shut the door. He unzipped the garment bag and looked at the suit. It would look fine on him but he knew he’d be uncomfortable. He threw the suit on the bed and looked around the hotel room.

  It was too fancy, just like the lobby. He hated places like this. His mother loved them but would never let Seth touch anything as a child when they went somewhere ‘too nice’ as she said. She would love it here.

  A different hotel employee brought up Seth’s beers. Seth told him to charge it to the room. The man lingered but Seth didn’t want to tip him. Mark and Abigail should have taken care of that. He sat down on the bed and cracked open a beer.

  He sucked down the first beer, then another, and then another. Eventually, Seth glanced at the clock and realized it was time to head downstairs. He had wanted to shave but ran out of time. Brielle would have to take him as is.

  Seth quickly threw on the suit and tossed the beer bottles in the trash. The phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Seth. Come downstairs. I’m in the lobby. I will show you where to go. Do it quickly, please.”

  Seth hung up and looked around the room. He left his bags on the floor next to the crumpled garment back. A quick look in the mirror told him his tie was on wrong but he didn’t have time to fix it. Hopefully, Mark would do it when he arrived in the lobby.

  The beers started to kick in as he rode the elevator to the lobby. Seth hadn’t eaten that day and the beer-filled his stomach with gas. He let out a large belch just as the elevator doors were opening.

  “Charming.” Mark was waiting right outside the elevator for him. “Are you drunk?”

  “No. Just had a few beers to loosen up.”

  Mark rolled his eyes. “Walk with me. You will be in Room Two. You will face the wall. There is a camera crew in there ready to film your reaction, Laura and James will come in with Brielle.”

  “When do I get my money?”

  “We can’t really talk about that right now, Seth.”

  Seth gritted his teeth. “I’m not going in there without an answer.”

  Mark closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “Seth, the network. They won’t honor the agreement unless you win.”

  “WHAT? YOU SAID-”

  “I know what I said. Calm down. Brielle will be here any second.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. I will sue you.”

  “That’s fine. Just go stand over there.”

  Seth was reeling. His fists were clenched and he could feel his face slowly turning red from the neck up.

  A voice came from a walkie talkie on the camera crew in front of him. “Here she comes.”

  The door creaked open and he heard Brielle’s footsteps make their way across the room.

  “Hi, Seth.”

  Chapter Five

  Brielle

  “Brielle?” Seth started to turn around.

  “Stay where you are.” She wanted him to wait with anticipation before turning around. He had tortured her for almost a decade, she wanted to savor his anticipation. It felt good to have all the power for once.

  “Okay…”

  She walked up behind him so close he could feel her breath on the back of his neck. Then, Brielle stepped back. “Okay. You can turn around now.”

  Seth turned around quickly. His face was full of anticipation. He smiled for a brief moment. “Wow. I’ve waited so long to see you in a wedding dress.” He looked her up and down, clearly puzzled by the mermaid style dress she chose. “This is what you went with, huh?”

  “Yes, Seth. This is what I went with.”

  “Well, it’s too late to change it now. Did you come around? How did Asher take the news?”

  Brielle couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you really think I’m going to marry you?”

  The color drained from Seth’s face. “Baby,” he almost whispered, “we’re meant to be together.”

  She shook her head. “No, Seth, we’re not. You’ve treated me like trash for years. You tricked me into falling back in love with you just to...just to what? Humiliate me on national television? Keep me as your housewife so you have someone to pick up your dirty underwear for the rest of your life?”

  Seth’s face was beginning to turn almost purple. He was shaking. “Listen, Brielle, we can work this out. Don’t forget, Asher lied to you, too.”

  “And he’ll deal with that. I would rather go home alone than marry you, Seth.” Brielle folded her arms and turned to leave. “Goodbye, Seth. Good luck finding someone else to control after this airs.”

  She was swelling with pride, saying everything she’d always wanted to say to Seth but never had the courage. Then she heard him call after her.

  “Wait! Brielle!”

  She thought about not turning around but couldn’t help herself. “Wh
at?”

  “There’s money. I’ll get money if we get married, I’ll share it with you. Half and half.”

  She thought for a moment before answering. “Seth, no amount of money is worth staying with you. But good to know, I’ll be sure to sue for emotional damages now.”

  “We can get a divorce! In a month! You can keep the money.”

  It gave Brielle great pleasure to see him this desperate. She looked across the room at him, seeing him for the sad, stunted man he really was for the first time.

  “Goodbye, Seth.”

  She ignored his pleas for her to stay as she walked out of the room. The door slammed behind her with a deafening thud. Brielle exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding in. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “How’d it go?” Stacey asked gingerly.

  Brielle dabbed her eyes and smiled at Stacey. “That felt so good. I’m free. I’m finally FREE!” She held her arms in the air victoriously.

  “One down, one to go. Are you ready?”

  She nodded. She walked to the next door as Stacey fixed her hair and her train.

  Brielle was about to take the first step towards the rest of her life.

  Chapter Six

  Asher

  Asher waited for what seemed like forever in the empty room. Mark rushed him in and told him to stand facing the wall. A camera crew was set up nearby, camera trained on Asher. He tried his best not to fidget or panic. The only thing left to do was wait for Brielle.

  It was impossible not to assume the worst. They had left things on such uncertain terms and when his device was deactivated that morning, he felt so lost without his lifeline to the woman he loved. It had only been a few hours since they’d last spoken but Asher was beginning to lose hope.

  Their date had gone so well. They had so much chemistry, their kiss was amazing, and he was sure she was the one. Honestly, he worried more about his actions pushing her into Seth’s arms than her ending both relationships. Asher could deal with life without her, as hard as it was, as long as he knew she was happy. She would never be happy with Seth.

  After what seemed like hours but couldn’t have been more than 30 minutes, Asher’s ears perked up. He heard the gentle click of the door handle being turned. Quiet footsteps clicked along the floor followed by the swoosh of fabric.

  It was her. Brielle was finally here. He tried to steady his breathing and resist the urge to turn around and face her. He had to wait for her, just a few seconds more. It was agony, the walk from the door to the middle of the room suddenly spanned miles.

  And then, the footsteps stopped. Asher didn’t dare exhale. He could feel the heat of her body and every nerve on his body sensed her presence.

  “Asher?” Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear it.

  “Brielle?”

  She gently tapped his shoulder. “Turn around.”

  Asher turned slowly. If they did get married today, he wanted to savor every second of seeing his wife on their wedding day.

  Brielle took his breath away. Everything about her, from her head to her toes, was perfect. He felt himself tear up as her lips spread into a wide smile. “Brielle...I...you...you look absolutely perfect.”

  She blushed. “You think so?”

  “I really, truly do. That dress looks amazing on you. It’s so...you.”

  “That means a lot, actually.”

  He stood there staring for a moment, unable to find the words to continue. Luckily, she came prepared to talk to him.

  “Can we talk for a minute?”

  Asher nodded. “Of course.” He braced himself for the worst.

  “I’m still...disappointed by your decision to lie to me. I know you were put in an impossible situation but you still betrayed my trust. We had such an amazing date yesterday, so many wonderful conversations this week...I was completely honest with you. So to learn that you lied about something as big as Seth being the other man I thought I was in love with, it’s a big deal to me.”

  Asher’s heart sank. She wasn’t going to go through with the wedding. “Of course. I totally understand. And I’m truly sorry. I just...I didn’t want to lose you. I should have told you the truth.”

  “Moving forward, I want us to go to a marriage counselor to work through the trust issues. And no more lies. I want everything on the table, even if it hurts.”

  A look of confusion came over Asher’s face. “Wait...moving forward?”

  Brielle smiled up at him. “Of course. Because Asher Wilson...we’re getting married today.”

  Asher couldn’t contain himself. He grabbed Brielle and pulled her into a kiss. Her lips met his with enthusiasm before pulling away. “Is something wrong?”

  She giggled. “No, it’s just...my makeup. I’m about to get married for national television and I don’t want lipstick all over my face!”

  “Of course.” He pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m so happy. I...I don’t even have words for how I feel right now.”

  Just then, the door opened. Stacey popped her head in. “I don’t want to rush you two but it’s almost showtime! Brielle needs to get a makeup touch up before she walks down the aisle.”

  Asher squeezed Brielle’s hands. “Don’t change your mind in the next half hour.”

  She winked. “Don’t worry. I’ve never been more sure of something in my entire life.”

  He reluctantly let go of her hands and watched her skip back out the door. His heart was full. He was marrying Brielle today, his family was here, and she was so incredibly happy.

  All that was left to do was wait at the end of the aisle for his bride.

  Chapter Seven

  Brielle

  If Brielle wasn’t already strapped into her wedding dress with her hair done, she would have flopped down on the bed and kicked her feet in the air. She had a burst of adrenaline and was elated. In less than an hour, she was marrying Asher.

  Gabby could tell she was overjoyed. “So...how’d it go?” she teased.

  “I did it. I’m free!”

  “Wait...what?”

  “Of Seth. I’m free of Seth!”

  Gabby breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank God. I was so worried you were going to pick him. I would have to deal with him for the rest of my life.”

  “Honestly, I was worried there for a minute too. But no. It’s Asher, it’s been Asher all along. Even before I knew him.”

  Gabby laughed. “Look at you, hopeless romantic.”

  “What can I say? It’s my wedding day!” Brielle squealed and Gabby helped her sit up. “Now, I need a makeup touch up, some more hairspray, and a little more champagne.” She looked around. “Also, where is my mother?”

  “Stacey came to get her. It’s just you and me, girl!”

  Gabby left Brielle to find the hairstylist and makeup artist. Brielle’s nerves were now excitement. She couldn’t stop thinking about how handsome Asher looked in that suit, how he was the man she’d been dreaming about. He was absolutely perfect, especially now that she had a face to pair with the body she’d been seeing in her daydreams.

  “Alright, let’s get you ready!”

  Hair and makeup worked quickly to ensure every strand was in place. While they worked, Gabby secured Brielle’s something old, borrowed, and blue to her body.

  Brielle’s eyes were closed. “What’s old?”

  “This hair clip,” Gabby grunted as she snapped the clip into the complicated yet perfect mess of hair on Brielle’s head.

  “And borrowed?” She felt Gabby’s hands around her ankle.

  “Friendship bracelet. I do want it back. You made it for me in 3rd grade.”

  “Of course. And blue?”

  Her makeup artist answered that one. “I added a blue eyeliner to your lower lids. It’s beautiful!” She stepped back.

  Brielle looked to Gabby with approval and saw her nod enthusiastically. “Well...I guess we’re ready then?”

  Gabby took one final look in the mirror. “I’m ready when yo
u are.” She offered Brielle her elbow. “Shall we?”

  Brielle took her arm and the two women sashayed to the elevator. How many times had they walked like this through town and school and the mall? Brielle teared up thinking about their friendship.

  “Thank you, Gab. For being here. For loving me.”

  Gabby pushed the down button for the elevator. “Same, Bri.”

  Excitement built in Brielle’s chest as the elevator doors opened and they descended to the lobby. People milling about the room stopped to stare once more and Brielle let a huge smile cross her face. Stacey was waiting by the main ballroom doors.

  “Let’s go, Brielle! We’re waiting for you!” Stacey took Brielle’s hands. “Are you ready?”

  “More than ready!”

  The next few minutes were a blur. Stacey lined up Brielle and Gabby to prepare them for the walk down the aisle. Brielle’s bouquet was handed to her, her train was straightened, and Laura and James were positioned directly in front of her to capture her every move.

  Brielle’s dad appeared and hugged her. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks, dad.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this? Your mother gave me a quick update.”

  “Asher’s a good man, dad. I promise. I’m ready.”

  “Okay then. Let’s go!”

  Stacey whispered a countdown from three and the music began playing. Brielle blinked back tears of joy as she watched the doors open and saw her friends and family waiting for her at the end of the long aisle.

  The room had a fairytale-like whimsy to it. Stacey had taken all of Brielle’s scattered ideas and turned them into a dream. Soft lights, velvet sashes, and greenery with dainty flowers scattered the room. Brielle watched with anticipation as Gabby walked gracefully down the aisle.

  There was a transition and Brielle’s processional music began to play. The officiant motioned for the crowd to rise. Stacey squeezed her shoulder and gave her a light push down the aisle.