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In the sand, on the very beach where we’d first met, were all of our family and friends, along with most of our housemates from our season ofLove on Display.
But the biggest surprise was the aisle dividing the sea of white wooden chairs and the arch adorned with flowers at the end of the aisle.
We’d been engaged for about a year and were still working on how that would all work legally. Oliver’s work visa permitted him to stay in the States, but if he ever wanted to switch universities, it would have been a paperwork and logistical nightmare.
Aaron and Diego had said they didn’t mind if Oliver and I married legally for that reason, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that while they didn’t mind it, they felt left out of it.
And so, we’d let it sit on the back burner as life and chaos happened around us. We always knew we’d get it figured out, but it looked like they’d taken matters into their own hands.
A steel drum band started up from beside our congregated guests, and Esmeralda walked toward me with a massive smile and a bit ofgotchain her gaze. She wore a sage green one-shouldered gown, her curly black hair bouncing behind her. Viv left Zander and their one-year-old son, Carter, who was babbling in Jess’s ear, and joined us.
“You ready to get married, Sophie?” Viv asked with a bright smile.
“So ready. But we didn’t figure out all the details yet!”
Diego smirked when I looked at my three guys. “We worked it out, babe. And all of us are tired of waiting for a solution to drop from the sky, so we made one happen. We’re all getting married today in a commitment ceremony. And while the legality of all of us being your husbands is questionable, on paper, you and Oliver will be married. But by doing it this way, none of us will be left out of the event.”
“That’s perfect, honey.” I kissed him on his scruffy cheek, still loving the feel of his stubble against my lips.
“No kissing the bride until the officiant says so!” Aaron said. I looked over at him, and he shrugged. “That was unexpected. Who knew I was a traditionalist?”
“Go on, love,” Oliver encouraged. “We’re all getting ready in the villa, then we’ll give our friends and family a show.”
“Not that kind of show, I hope,” I teased. Oliver and his voyeuristic ways hadn’t changed one bit. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He’d become quite adept at the exhibition aspect of it all, especially after that one time he accidentally FaceTimed Aaron at work. Instead of ending the call when we noticed it connected, Oliver drove both of us wild with his display.
“Come on, Sophie. There will be plenty of time for that later when your parents aren’t watching.” Esmeralda waved a hand at my parents, who waved back. My dad’s cheeks pinked like mine did whenever I got embarrassed.
They’d been really supportive of us after the initial unease wore off. It helped that they’d watched the show—no, not the sexy bits, you pervert—and saw how well we complimented each other.
The guys’ parents had also seen the show, and no one had been more supportive than Aaron’s mom. When we met, she immediately engulfed me in a hug despite being half my size and asked me how to form a harem. She was here with Greg, a lovely man she’d been seeing for the last six months. Diego’s brothers, sisters, and cousins took up the entire second row, and Oliver’s parents were at the bar with Ryan, Daniel, and Gia. Even Cheryl and Antonio had made it. Julie was chatting with Troy, the host that brought us all together and our officiant for the day, according to Aaron.
Tears welled, and before they could fall, I let Es and Viv lead me away toward the villa before I bawled my eyes out. Aaron, Oliver, and Diego followed behind us, laughing and carefree, as we prepared to twine our lives forever.
The girls and I took command of the upstairs while the guys stayed in the kitchen. I glimpsed three black garment bags hanging from the cabinets before Es practically manhandled me upstairs.
“You! Strip!” she commanded. “Viv, there’s a curling iron in the red bag in the glam room. Get that thing switched on and heated. Once she’s in the dress, we’re putting a plastic bag over her shoulders so she can do her makeup without staining anything. Ready? Break!”
I blinked at my business partner as Viv tore out of the room as fast as her little white heels would let her. “Jeee-sus.I’ll never doubt our employees again when they say you’ve gone on the warpath. Why are you panicking?”
“You’renotpanicking?”
I thought about it for a second before I realized the answer was already on the tip of my tongue. “Not at all. Clearly, the guys have planned this down to a T, and I’m just along for the ride. If they can do all of this without me knowing, they can handle waiting if we’re two minutes behind schedule. Now give me a goddamned hug.”
Es laughed but obliged, hugging me tightly and then sneakily trying to undo the zipper on the back of my satin blouse. She groaned when I stepped out of reach.
“I will undress myself, but what will I wear for this?” I asked.
Es opened my old wardrobe cubby in the closet room. Inside, a white bag hung from the rack, too slim to be a poofy wedding dress, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“You didn’t think those doodles you’d done on the edges of your sketches went unnoticed, did you?”
“What did you do?” I asked.
Es pulled the bag out and flipped it. Slowly, she dragged the zipper down and pushed the protective bag out of the way, showing yards of cream silk, delicate lace, and a dress that made my heart stutter. It wasperfect.
“You combined my sketches?” Tears filled my eyes as I recognized the bodice from one doodle I’d done during a finance meeting, then the flowing skirt I’d sketched out when I should have been working on next year’s spring line. The lace was one I had gushed over from our previous year’s winter collection, and it suited the dress perfectly.
“Who designed this?”
