Taking Shots (Assassins) (54 page)

Harper shook her head, a look of horror on her face, “It scares the living shit out of me when you get like that. I’m glad Shea handled it well, though.”

“
Me, too,” Elli agreed as they pulled into Escape Day Spa and Salon.

Elli had never been there and wondered why they were there now. Harper got out, leaving Elli to scramble to get out of the car. She only took a step before Jodi, Reese, Piper, and Trice jumped out from behind a car, yelling, “Surprise!”

“
Ah! Gosh! Y’all scared the living crap out of me!” Elli exclaimed with her hand over her heart, “What in the hell are y’all doing here?”

“
Spa day!” Trice exclaimed with a flip of his hand towards the Spa.

“
We’re getting out nails, hair, eye brows, everything done!” Piper gushed, basically bouncing on the heels on her feet.

“
What? Really?” Elli asked.

“
Yup,” Harper said, taking Elli’s arm in hers and walking towards the spa, “Shea’s first gift.”

Elli looked over at Harper surprised, “He did this?”

“
Of course, he did, silly, we ain’t got the cash, too,” Jodi laughed as everyone joined in.

“
Wow, I’ll have to call him,” Elli said completely stunned.

“
Not now you won’t! Let’s go!” Harper said pulling her towards the massive building.

That man and his surprises.

If this was the first of his gifts, a spa day with her closest friends at one of the most expensive spas in Nashville, no telling what else he had planned.

And Elli couldn’t wait to find out.

Shea parked his truck behind Grace’s van in the driveway of the Belmont Mansion and headed up the stairs to the front door of the mansion as he admired the beauty of the gazebo that stood off to the side. He was surprised Grace was able to get this place, considering how popular it was, but she did. The mansion was beautiful with its light tan bricks, green shutters, and white trim. The windows that lined the front of the mansion were floor to ceiling and so clear, like they had just been cleaned, which they probably had if Grace had anything to do with it. Shea had to pass through two huge columns to get to the large, dark cherry colored door.

When he walked in, workers were setting up the million of candles that Shea said had to be there. One of the main things in the Pride and Prejudice movie was the candles. They were the only thing lighting the ball room in the movie and Shea wanted Elli, along with the 300 guest that would be joining them, to feel like they walked into the movie.

Shea walked through the main ballroom to find Grace directing what looked like the food people in the kitchen. Grace looked worn out and it made him nervous. Maybe this party was too much for her; maybe he should have hired someone else.

She would have killed him, if he had.

Grace must have heard him come up because she turned, giving him a welcomed smile before turning back to the workers and yelling some more.

Once the guys did whatever the hell she was asking for, she came over to Shea, wrapping her arms around his one. “So what do you think so far?”

“
Amazing, as always.”

He looked around the ball room, taking in the way his sister had basically transformed the mansion into the Neitherfield ball room. It was so impressive. The windows were done with gold drapes; gold swirls were put on the walls, along with pictures of people from the 19
^th
century. There were candelabras that hung in various places along the walls; each one had tall white candles in them. Hundreds of floor brass candle stick holders, stood tall with the tall white pillars in them. There were vintage couches and chairs throughout the whole ballroom, along with a very large, beautiful, wooden piano that sat in the corner.

Shea followed Grace into the dining room and smiled at the result his sister had given him. Each table had a large crystal vase in the middle of it; each one was filled with large white candles and pretty gold wires that held crystals at the end of each of them along with white feathers. The place settings were gold with black napkins; the table clothes were white with gold swirls on them. Grace pointed up to the ceilings, so Shea looked up, taking in the beauty of the nine chandeliers that graced the ceilings.

“
You wouldn’t believe the deposit I had to put down. Plus, we can’t have candles burning all night; they start leaving soot on the ceiling, so I got fake candles, but I don’t think you can tell.”

Shea shook his head, he couldn’t tell the difference, he thought they were real, “You did great, Grace, its perfect. Just like the movie.”

“
Good, I thought so, I’m happy with the result.”

“
Me, too,” he said wrapping his arm around her shoulders, “Good job, sis.”

She smiled up at him, smacking his side. “Thanks.”

They did another run through of the house, and Shea wanted to buy his sister the world. She had out done herself once again. God, he loved her.

“
So your suit is upstairs, along with your socks.”

“
I told you I didn’t want the socks,” Shea complained, as Grace smiled.

“
It completes the ambience,” she said sweetly.

“
I’ll look like a dweeb.”

“
A hot dweeb. Plus, Elli will love it!”

Shea shrugged his shoulders, Grace was probably right.

“
So what’s up? I haven’t seen you at all this past week.” Grace said as they walked past the amazing staircase, that later Elli and Shea would come down.

“
Elli got sick. I’ve been staying at her house.”

“
Is she okay?” Grace asked concern coming over her face.

“
She’s fine now, it was scary though. She couldn’t walk, eat, nothing. She just slept, a lot.”

“
Oh, no, that’s crazy. What happened?”

“
She says it happens sometimes, they changed her meds and everything. She has seemed good the last two days.”

“
Well, good. Gosh, that’s crazy. You should have called me, I would have come and helped.”

“
I had it under control,” Shea said with a grin, “Oh, by the way; I told her I love her.”

Grace whipped her head over from where she was fixing a drape, “Say what? When?”

“
Before we had dinner with mom and dad.”

“
Wow, what did she say?” She put her hands up, stopping him from answering, “Let me guess, ‘Oh Shea, I love you, too!’” Grace said in just about the worst country accent Shea had ever heard, and he thought he was bad at it.

“
Actually no, she didn’t say anything.” Grace stopped laughing and looked over at Shea, surprised.

“
Huh?”

“
Yeah, she apparently doesn’t love me and its driving me nuts.”

“
Well, Shea not everyone falls in love at the same time, give her a minute.”

“
I know, but I just want her to love me. I mean, I don’t know what else to do. I’ve completely changed for this girl and it just doesn’t seem to be enough.”

“
You’re acting like a chick, Shea. Yeah, you’ve changed and it’s great, believe me, I’m the first one to say so, but gosh, let her be. It’s not like she doesn’t have feelings for you. It’s obvious she does.”

“
I know that Grace, but I want to hear her say it. To me.”

Grace scrunched up her face, shaking her head, “You’re turning into a sissy.”

“
I am not!”

“
You are! What are you going to do next, write her a poem? Haha, or maybe serenade her.” Grace bent over; laughing her ass off. Shea prayed Elli would never say anything about him singing to her because Grace would make his life a living hell if she ever found out.

Maybe he was turning into a sissy.

“
Shut up!”

“
No really, like, could you imagine it?! Haha, you’re standing there with a guitar singing some sappy Backstreet Boys song or something.” She was actually slapping her leg as she filled the ballroom with her laughter.

Shea didn’t think she was funny.

“
You suck,” Shea said, crossing his arms as his sister, his twin, laughed at his expense. When she finally calmed herself, she looked up at him.

“
Oh, shut up, you know its wicked funny,” she giggled.

“
I’m not laughing.”

“
Party pooper. Anyways, like I said, give her time. I didn’t tell James I loved him until Ryan was born, that was almost a year into our relationship. You’ve jumped the gun, telling her at three months, I know this is your first time, but damn Shea, give her some time.”

Shea shoulders slump and he let out a frustrated sigh, “Is it too much to ask for, just to know I’m loved?”

“
Aw, brother, I love you,” Grace said batting her eyes at him before bursting out in a fit of giggles.

“
Oh God,” Shea said rolling his eyes as he started for the door, “I’ll see you tonight, good job in here.”

“
Shea, I love you, I do, so much! I love you! Bye!”

Damn twin.

Mud baths, massages, facials, oh my!

“
This is the life,” Elli basically moaned as she leaned back into her puffy chair, having her feet done. She held a glass of champagne in one hand and a chocolate covered strawberry in the other. “I will have to make sure to thank Shea extra long tonight.”

Everyone giggled as they sat back enjoying their pedicures.

“
Hell, I might have to help,” Reese said as one of the workers stood behind her chair, rubbing her shoulders. That earned her a round of giggles as everyone just basked in the treatments they were getting.

“
In your dreams,” Elli teased back, Reese laughed as she nodded her head.

“
Hell, yes, in my dreams. That dude is sex on legs. Jeez, he’s so pretty.”

“
He really is,” Piper gushed.

“
Hey, you skinny hoes, back off my man!” Elli laughed; Reese and Piper giggled along, and Elli couldn’t think the last time she felt so relaxed and happy.

Being with her friends, getting pampered, was the greatest start to her birthday, and the way everyone was talking; tonight was gonna be even better.

After getting their feet and hands done, they headed up to the hair salon. Elli sat in the chair as a girl named Andee starting doing her hair. After getting it trimmed and washed up real good, Harper came over, smiling down at Elli.

“
Okay, so we are covering the mirror.”

“
Huh?” Elli asked as two other salon workers came over covering the mirror with a black sheet, as everyone grinned over at Elli.

“
You can’t see what she does.”

“
Why?” Elli complained.

“
It’s part of the surprise, so shut up.”

Harper walked away, sitting back in her chair, leaving Elli frustrated. She hated not knowing what she looked like. What if this chick jacked her hair up or made her makeup look crazy. It was driving her crazy as she sat, letting the Andee girl do whatever she wanted with her hair. After about an hour and a half, Andee was finally done with Elli’s hair and makeup.

Elli stood up as everyone came over towards her with smiles on their faces. Everyone, well, expect Trice, had intricate up dos, with flowers or feathers in their hair. Everyone looked so classic, so beautiful.

“
This isn’t fair! I wanna know what I look like!”

Everyone laughed as Harper came towards her a blindfold in her hand. “Oh come on!” she complained as Harper was careful to tie it over her eyes.

“
Don’t ruin it. Shea’s worked hard, okay?” Harper whispered in her ear as the world went black around her.

Damn it, she was right.

Elli had no clue where she was. Everyone was talking and moving around her when they arrived at wherever they were at as Elli stood there confused and frustrated.

She wanted the damn blindfold off.

She wanted to see Shea.

Her day had been amazing, except for the blindfold business, and she wanted to thank him.

“
Are we getting her dressed now?” Harper asked as Elli was sat on a couch, maybe, hell it might have been a chair.

“
Yeah, go ahead. Everyone is starting to arrive.” Grace said.

“
Grace?” Elli asked.

“
Yeah, happy birthday!”

“
Thanks, what are you doing here?”

“
Um, I don’t know. You don’t hear me.”

Everyone started laughing except Elli. She didn’t think this was funny. Gosh, she hated secrets. Someone started pulling at her clothes, and then she felt someone taking off her bra.

“
Hey!”

“
It’s me El, shush,” Harper said putting another bra on her; Harper directed Elli into what she guessed was a dress. The satin was cool against Elli’s skin and she was dying to know what it looked like, to know what was going on, and when the hell she could take the damn blind fold off! Harper zipped her up and tied something, then Elli didn’t feel anything, but she heard everyone’s intake of breaths and their “awes.”

“
Okay, when you hear the door shut, take off the blind fold,” Harper said. Elli just stood there waiting, everyone wished her luck, and then finally, the door shut. Elli practically ripped the blindfold from her head. When her eyes adjusted she was looking at herself if a full length brass mirror.