Page 18 of The Arianna Arrangement

My eyes widened with excitement. I absolutely loved my life in Crestwood, but there was really only so much you could do. I missed getting to explore New York. “Can we go to the zoo?”

I hadn’t been there since the time our families went together right after signing the contract for our marriage. It had been the most magical time because my parents weren’t big believers in doing things like that.

His smile melted my heart. “Aboslutely. This time, I’ll even hold your hand as we walk through it.”

One hand flew to my chest while the other went to my forehead. “Well I’ll be. If I ain’t just the luckiest woman east of the Mississippi.”

Tucker rolled his eyes, but couldn’t contain his smile. “You and Aunt Silver really have to stop watching so many old movies.”

“I can think of much worse hobbies I could have.”

He pursed his lips, then nodded. “Touché. Get ready and we’ll leave in thirty.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

As soon as the door was shut, I jumped off the couch and headed to my closet. I had the perfect yellow sundress for this occasion. It had thin straps that were scrunched up, with a sweetheart neckline that was also outlined in scrunched material. It had little pink flowers all over it and fell about mid thigh.

Since we’d be walking at the zoo, I wasn’t about to wear sandals or heels, but I needed a comfy pair of shoes that would complement the dress. Thankfully I had a pair of white slip-on sneakers that had a crocheted design.

If I was in Crestwood, I probably would have pulled on a big floppy hat to go with it, but I didn’t think my mother would approve of that fashion choice, so I just ran a straightener through my hair and touched up my makeup. As I stepped out of my door, I checked my phone and saw I was right on time.

Tucker was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me, along with our security.

When I stepped off the last step, he put his arm out for me to take and leaned in to press a kiss to my temple. “You look nice.”

I smiled and looked at him out of the corner of my eye. “You’re not so bad yourself.” He was wearing dark jeans and a white Henley. “So other than the zoo, what are our plans?”

“I’d love to get a New York pizza, and maybe some gelato at that place you like.”

Man, this man really knew the way to my heart. “Sold.”

While in Crestwood, Sean usually drove us around if we weren’t heading to school, but in New York, Tucker had a bodyguard that was specifically for driving him around while Sean rode shotgun. This allowed him to always be able to have Tucker’s security at the forefront of his mind.

My security guard, Vinny, didn’t come to Crestwood with me, but as soon as I stepped foot back on New York soil, he was up my ass like an enema. He rode in the back seat on the way to the zoo, and another car of security followed behind us.

It really was a bit overkill considering the accords between the families, but I knew you had to pick your battles, and this one wasn’t worth choosing.

True to his word, Tucker held my hand as we walked through the zoo. “Hippos!” I picked up the pace, dragging Tuck behind me. “I love hippos. They’re my favorite.”

His eyebrows scrunched. “I don’t think I knew that. Why hippos?”

I shrugged as I watched them. “They look so cute and unassuming, but they can be vicious. They’re some of the deadliest creatures in the wild.”

“Interesting. My favorite animal is the octopus.”

I side eyed him. “Because it has the word puss in it?”

He rolled his eyes, but that didn’t stop a smile from crossing his lips. “No. Because they’re extremely intelligent, can figure their way out of situations, and are very adaptable.”

Damn. That was a better answer than mine, but I’d stick with the hippos.

We took a picture in front of the hippos before moving on. When we came across the monkeys, I couldn’t help but take a selfie to send to Leyla. “She’s gonna be so jealous.”

Tucker chuckled. “Yeah, she will. She’s always loved monkeys.”

Her family sometimes called her monkey, so I figured she’d always liked them. That’s why I planned to buy her a stuffed one before leaving today.

After a few hours walking around and seeing the animals, we headed to the gift shop, getting something for each of his siblings, before heading out to eat supper.