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Post by Cooper Benson on Oct 14, 2015 19:26:05 GMT
It was interesting to think that, not too long ago, Cooper had been single, raising his little girl and living in a hotel. Now he and Melanie were happily living in a townhouse across town with enough room for her to grow and he was engaged to Madison. As they circulated the New Years Eve Party that had become one of the bigger annual social events in the city over the years, he grinned down at her. "So, when we see our friends are you going to wait for them to notice the ring, or just shout it at them - because the second one might do a lot for my ego," he teased.
Meanwhile, Amber Jacobs kept Brandon company. Given their last few major social outings had ended poorly and the fact that New Years Eve was typically a holiday fueled by cocktails that she could no longer drink, she found herself keeping to herself a bit more than she normally would have. Instead, she'd taken to people watching - a recently developed hobby. She observed a woman she'd gone to high school with flirting with a waiter. "She's going to regret that in the morning," she observed under her breath.
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Post by Madison Benson on Oct 14, 2015 19:45:56 GMT
If she was being entirely honest with herself, Madison would have admitted that she barely even knew how they got to the party. She felt drunk despite realizing that she hadn't even had anything to drink yet this evening. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from the incessant smiling and she found herself looking down at her left hand a lot. Honestly, there were moments where she realized that Cooper had drifted off into the background as well as she had begun to fantasize about what their wedding was going to be like and what their life would be like together after that. The thought of a future together made her much happier than she ever thought she could be, and she knew that an enormously large part of that excitement and joy was rooted squarely in the fact that she loved her new fiance more than she could possibly express. Nearly giggling at her own thought of Cooper as her fiance, she looked up at him with her own grin. "Should I just shout it across the room now?" she teased.
Brandon reached out for Amber's hand and squeezed it softly. He knew that social gatherings were quickly becoming one of their least enjoyable pasttimes together, but he had hoped that the New Years party might be enough to break their routine. It was, after all, New Years Eve which meant that they could finally put all of the drama of the last year behind them. Though, not all of the previous year had been problematic, he ammended. It was the year that Amber had come back into his life and it was the year in which they had found out that they were starting a family together. The rest of it aside, overall it had been a pretty good year.
Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, he smirked at her, "Want to go do something we might regret later?"
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Oct 14, 2015 20:03:43 GMT
Amber smiled softly at Brandon, thinking briefly that she really could never bring herself to regret anything that she did with him. But she shrugged off the sentimental thought, instead chuckling softly and pressing her lips against his with a smirk. "What were you thinking?" she asked him curiously. "Something scandalous and tawdry, I hope," she nodded before pulling back and taking a sip of her water. She glanced around and spotted Cooper and Maddy, letting out a soft sigh and realizing that slipping away for a private moment with her boyfriend might have to wait. "People we know and like," she pointed out gently.
Cooper grinned at her, bending down to kiss her gently on the mouth, his hands on her waist, he might have even kissed her longer than was appropriate for a public setting, but in all truth he couldn't help himself now that there was a ring on her finger. He smirked down at her and nodded, "Want me to get a microphone for you, too? Just to make sure everyone knows?" he laughed gently, brushing some of her hair out of her face and nodding. "Shall we?" he asked, nodding in the direction of two familiar faces.
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Post by Madison Benson on Oct 14, 2015 20:20:25 GMT
Scandalous and tawdry were exactly the words that he had in mind. It had been a long time since they had excused themselves in the middle of a party to fully enjoy a few moments of each other's company. Brandon couldn't actually remember the last time that he had found himself in a coat room with Amber and he felt that it was a problem that needed to be corrected right away. Brandon looked in the direction that she pointed out and spotted their friends too. He sighed and hung his head for a brief second. "Well, I guess the coat room will have to wait then."
Maddy looked over and spotted Brandon and Amber, her grin still firmly in place on her lips. And while she was sure that given a drink or two she would have easily taken him up on his offer of a microphone and a public announcement, she had to admit that she liked the idea of telling them personally much better. There was a lot less likelihood that she was going to fall in a very public setting this way. She realized quickly that she needed to find wedding shoes quickly so that she could practice walking in them, all the better to eliminate the possibility of falling on her way to the altar. At that thought she nodded to Cooper and took his hand, making her way over to their friends.
"Hi!" she said, greeting them brightly. In the briefest of moments she considered just waiting for someone to notice, but excitement was bubbling up and she couldn't contain it any longer. "We're getting married!"
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Oct 14, 2015 20:31:25 GMT
Amber smirked at Brandon but then turned her attention to Maddy. She hadn't actually been expecting Madison's abrupt announcement and while she tried to hide it, it gave her a moment's pause. She smiled brightly at the brunette, pulling her into a quick hug and laughing lightly. "That's so wonderful! Congratulations!" She was also mentally calculating how long she had been dating. She thought back to the Christmas Party, telling Adam that she thought marriage might not even be in the cards for her and Brandon despite the fact that she was pregnant. She told herself she was still okay with that, that as long as she was with Brandon it didn't matter in what capacity.
Pulling back, she nodded at Maddy. "Let me see the ring!" she insisted.
Cooper observed the two women for a moment, glancing around for Riley and Adam, knowing that he could expect quite a bit of excitement from the women. However, a part of him wondered how Amber really felt about all of this. Still, he smiled at them, turning to Brandon and nodding to him in greeting. "Happy New Year," he said with a chuckle.
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Post by Madison Benson on Oct 14, 2015 20:50:30 GMT
Maddy was just excited to have said it out loud, and to have had the chance to finally tell some of their friends. She was still beyond overjoyed at the idea of telling Riley too, but her newfound friendship with Amber had made her so happy to share the good news with her too. Holding out her left hand to Amber to show off the stunning engagement ring, she still couldn't help but beam. "It still feels so surreal," she admitted.
At Madison's announcement, Brandon found himself watching Amber more than he did the other two. It appeared that their social circle was doing a fine job of coupling up and getting married, but he still hesitated with taking that step with Amber. It wasn't that he didn't want it, it wasn't even that he didn't think that it would happen, it just came down to the timing of it. Were it not for their soon-to-be son or daughter, he was sure that an engagement would have been the next step that he would have taken with Amber. It was one thing when Riley had gotten engaged to Adam Tyler, he justified, because they had known each other since law school and so Brandon could understand why there hadn't been the necessity of a long relationship or a very long engagement. He assumed that it was going to be that way for Amber and himself when they got engaged as well. But when it came to Cooper and Madison, he was beginning to feel like he was moving much too slow. He had known Amber for the last fifteen years, and in some capacity had been in a relationship with her for at least five of those years. But now, with the baby and everything else, it still didn't seem right to get engaged just now.
He smiled at Cooper, "Congratulations. Quite a way to end the year."
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Oct 14, 2015 21:03:11 GMT
At Brandon's comment, Cooper smiled broadly, wrapping an arm around Maddy's shoulders. "Yeah, well no time like the present right? I figure that when you really want something, there's no point in putting it off." He winked down at his fiancee, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she showed off her ring to the blonde.
Amber fawned over the ring and tried not to bristle slightly at Cooper's comment. "That's really great," she nodded at them. "I'm so happy for you two!" And really, she was. She liked weddings, she had grown fond of Cooper and she'd come to adore Maddy's company - even regretting the fact she hadn't gotten to know the brunette sooner. She tried very hard not to take Cooper's comment personally to heart. She'd known Brandon for a long time and known that he loved her for a while, too. Back when they were younger and their relationship was a bit more dysfunctional, she'd resigned herself to the fact that they weren't a traditional couple too. And while some things had changed and she knew they were in it for the long haul, she didn't necessarily know if marriage was something he really wanted or even felt was necessary since they were committed to each other and starting a family. She told herself that was fine.
"I need another water, would anyone like a drink - to celebrate?" she offered.
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Post by Brandon Finn on Oct 15, 2015 0:41:21 GMT
It was times like these where Brandon truly sympathized with Amber for her inability to have a strong drink. As much as he was happy for Cooper and Madison on their engagement, Cooper's words had gotten under his skin. He had known that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Amber since the moment that they rekindled their relationship after the reunion, and that fact had been solidified after their brief break-up. Taking another drink from his glass, he tried to ensure that the smile remain poised on his lips for the time being. She seemed happy enough, but he was afraid that deep down she was feeling the way that he was - uncertain about whether or not he should have made a move already, whether or not it should have been them celebrating their own engagement.
"I'll grab everyone some champagne," he offered, pressing a kiss to Amber's temple before excusing himself to the bar. It was more difficult to process the engagement than he had expected, but he hoped that with a little bit of time, and quite a bit more alcohol, it would all become clear.
Maddy smiled and thanked Brandon. She didn't know if it was getting prepared for Riley's wedding, but she already knew that she had something that she wanted to ask Amber. Thanks to the internet she had contemplated making a big deal about it, but truth be told, like the engagement she was feeling like maybe this was something that was better handled in person. Contemplating briefly whether or not it was too soon, she smiled at Amber. "I know it's probably way too soon to ask but ... I just don't know who else I would even want to ask, but would you want to be a bridesmaid?" She flushed, "I'm sorry, I know I've been engaged for like an hour and we don't even have a date yet, but I would be lying if I said that I haven't given it any thought."
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Oct 15, 2015 0:50:25 GMT
"So, I left my phone home on purpose." Riley Nicholls informed her fiancee as they entered the New Years Eve party, she beamed at him. "I'm all yours tonight. Well, yours and Maddy's," she reasoned. Riley was excited. She already knew, because Cooper had called her a few days prior, that Cooper was proposing to Maddy on New Years Eve, and she was ecstatic to see her friend and share in her good news, to celebrate with her. Her hand in Adam's, she beamed at him. "There she is!" she giggled, spotting how happy Maddy was already. She turned to Adam and smiled at him, squeezing his hand and leaning up to kiss him quickly on the lips.
Amber smiled brightly at Madison, bobbing her head. "Of course, I would love that!" she exclaimed. She smiled at the brunette. She spotted Riley and Adam approaching, waving to them with a soft smile before hugging Maddy. "I'm going to go see if Brandon needs help at the bar, I'll be right back," she told her with a bright smile, allowing Maddy to have time to celebrate with her best friend. Approaching her boyfriend at the bar, she placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Hey you," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him. "Does that coat room offer still stand?"
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Post by Brandon Finn on Oct 15, 2015 1:33:28 GMT
Adam grinned at her, appreciative of the fact that she was making time for the two of them to have a relatively normal night out. At least as normal as it could be considering the fact that it was a group function and not their own date. He probably would have made plans for the two of them to go out and celebrate together, but Riley had informed him of Cooper's intentions to propose to Madison and so he knew that it was important to her to be here. Since getting into a relationship with Riley, he had started building his own friendship with the couple as well, so if truth be told, he was happy to be there to celebrate with them too. "Then we should go and say hi. I'm sure she's just bursting to tell you."
Maddy grinned brightly at Amber, appreciative of the fact that she had agreed, even though Maddy was certain she was still skipping about a thousand steps. But, like Cooper had said, when you know that you want something, you might as well go for it. She turned to Cooper and grinned, pressing herself up on her toes to kiss him quickly before spotting Riley and Adam heading their way. Excitedly she broke away from him for a second and walked over to meet her best friend. "Hi! I'm engaged!" She was sure that this was now going to be the way that she said hello to people for a while.
Brandon smiled at Amber, accepting the drinks that he had ordered from the bar, including a water for Amber and another glass of scotch for himself. "Yes," he smirked. "The coat room offer always stands." Truthfully he felt like he could use a distraction from all of the happy engagement celebration, at least for a little while. "Think that we can disappear for a little while unnoticed?"
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Oct 15, 2015 2:00:33 GMT
Amber giggled softly at Brandon and nodded. "I think we can arrange it," she nodded. Leaning over she got the attention of the bartender and asked him to have the champagne sent over to Madison, Cooper, Adam and Riley before slipping her hand into Brandon's. Leaning up to press her lips against his, she giggled. "You know, this always was my favorite part of events like these," she told him with a smirk.
Riley laughed softly when Maddy immediately greeted them with the announcement and clapped her hands together excitedly. "I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend tightly. She pulled back long enough to take her friend's hand and look at the ring, she smiled appreciatively at her and nodded. "This is so great! I want to take full credit for introducing the two of you!" she pointed out, hugging Cooper quickly too.
Cooper smirked, happily letting Maddy soak up the excitement and enjoy the big moment of telling everyone. He nodded at Adam in greeting. "Happy New Year, Adam," he nodded at him.
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Post by Brandon Finn on Oct 18, 2015 5:18:56 GMT
Brandon smirked back at her, kissing her quickly. "It's really the only part that makes them bearable," he said with a nod. He couldn't really remember the last time they had snuck out of the festivities for a few moments to themselves and it suddenly felt like they were young and in high school again. That was maybe one of his favorite parts about his relationship with Amber, amongst everything that was great about who they were now, they had a lot of really great history too. "Come on." Taking her hand, he led her in the direction of the aforementioned coat room.
Maddy laughed at her friend's comment, realizing that she never really thanked Riley properly for introducing her to her new fiance. Had it not been for Riley she wasn't sure what she would have done after breaking up with Parker, but she wasn't sure that she really wanted to think about it. It probably would have included a lot of wine and a lot of romance novels, and while those things were great on their own, she wasn't sure that she wanted them to take up a large portion of her life. "Thank you for that, really. I'll make sure to print it in the program for you - or the newspaper."
Adam nodded in response to Cooper. "Happy New Year. And congratulations. That's really great for the two of you."
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Post by Cooper Benson on Oct 18, 2015 5:37:19 GMT
Cooper grinned at Adam who, over the recent months he had really come to like. He knew that Maddy's friendship with Riley was important to her and was a fan of Riley's as well, luck had it that Riley's fiance was also pretty easy for him to get along with. Cooper contemplated that for a moment, and realized that other than Brandon, he didn't often have friendships but found he'd come to consider Adam one. In fact, now that Madison had already asked Amber to be her bridesmaid and was sure to ask Riley to be her maid of honor, he should probably start thinking of who to ask as well. Honestly, the two names he had in mind were perfectly good in his book, but not so much in each other's. He made a note to contemplate it more at a later date. "Thanks," he said to Adam, chuckling when a tray of champagne flutes was brought over to them. He glanced at the bar. "Looks like Finn and Amber stepped away for a minute," he noted with a shake of his head, picking up two glasses and handing one to his fiancee.
Riley giggled at Maddy, hugging her again with an excited grin. She pulled back, "You could take out a billboard for me," she joked before stepping back and taking Adam's hand in hers. Her free hand reached for the champagne and she beamed. "We should toast then." The more she thought about Maddy getting married, the more excited she was for her friend. Truth be told, even though planning the wedding was a bit out of her comfort zone, she was excited for her own wedding and was so happy that her best friend had found someone to spend the rest of her life with too.
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Post by Madison Benson on Oct 18, 2015 20:59:14 GMT
Adam watched Riley for a minute, relieved to see her looking so happy in lieu of everything that had been going on recently. After their own disaster of an engagement party, it was nice to see her get to share in her friend's joy. With their own wedding now just four months away, the reality of it all was beginning to set in and he knew that she was going to enjoy getting to be there for Madison with sage words of wisdom from her own experiences. Ultimately, it was that moment in the future that he was looking forward to the most; the moment in which all of the planning and stress was behind them and they could just focus on their own marriage. Being married to her was the motivation to propose after all, and he couldn't wait for the moment when she became his wife. His thoughts were distracted when a tray of champagne arrived and Cooper mentioned the disappearance of Brandon and Amber. He gave a small smile and took a drink for himself, "Seems like they're back to being themselves again." If anyone else had experienced the sort of neverending drama that he and Riley had this year, it was those two. Maybe, he realized, that was a good enough reason to put all of the rest of the drama behind them and make amends with Brandon too.
Maddy grinned, taking the offered champagne flute from Cooper. "To weddings and engagements?" she offered. If there was anything she was excited for as much, if not more than, her own wedding planning, it was getting the chance to be part of Riley and Adam's wedding in April. For as long as she had been friends with Riley, she had always wanted her to find her happily ever after, and at the beginning of her relationship with Garrett and her high-powered career, Maddy thought that she had. It took until now, for her to see her best friend with Adam, for her to realize that she had been wrong the whole time. It sounded awfully cheesy, but she had hoped to be half as happy as the two of them were together, even among the tension and the fighting. She made a mental note to remember that for her maid of honor speech at their wedding.
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