Mysterious

Chapter 81

Over the next few months Arissa and Bruno got excited, nervous and even more excited about starting a family. They visited Texas and Hawaii to celebrate the news. She continued to work, getting involved in the fashion industry. She had even contemplated starting her own PR firm that catered toward midline fashion designers and make-up artists. She had kept the dream to herself knowing that it wouldn't be something that Bruno would support. He didn't want her to get hurt, knowing that going into business on her own would be hard on her and her ego. She would tell him about it one day...but for now she was fat and happy and that was the way she liked it. By the time the Grammy's came she was extra big and lacking any self confidence, but he wanted her to go to the Grammy's with him. She went back and forth as to whether she wanted to go, but he finally won her over by promising to get her whatever she wanted – food, clothes, jewelry, a new car, for the last three weeks of her pregnancy. She couldn't say no to jewelry. He was not above bribing her into doing things.

"Brunnooooooo....." she yelled from their closet. "I don't know if my dress is going to fit me...." she told him walking out in a loose fighting bright pink dress with a black trim. She twirled around in a circle showing him that it wasn't zipping.

"Risssss...." he matched her whine grabbing the back of the dress zipping it up."There..." he finished brushing her hair off her shoulder kissing her neck.

"Bruno...I just put the dress on you're not going to get it off..." she told him turning around facing him.

"Don't worry baby doll, I don't think I would be able to zip it back up..." he told her.

"Bruno! I know I'm fat...you don't have to rub it in, geez." she said putting her hair in a quick ponytail.

"But I can rub your tummmyyyyy..." he said leaning down to kiss her stomach. She ran her fingers through his straightened hair as he kissed her stomach. "I love you, babyyy..." he sang to her. "Okay, this hat...." Bruno asked pointing to a brown fedora "Or the white one..." he picked up the white one with a blue feather in it placing it on his head.

"Bruno...why would you cover up your sexy straight hair?" she asked him.

"Damn...I knew you'd veto both of them...that's why I wasn't going to wear one at all." he smiled at her. He handed her a pair of his sunglasses putting on another pair he had sitting on the dresser. He handed her the white hat after she had a hold of the sunglasses. "You wear those..." he told her.

"In the car. That's it..." she responded.

"I can't ever win....geez."

"Bru...if you wanted me to wear them I would have picked something that matched..." she explained to him.

"You have to embrace the fedora, Riss...it's all in how you carry yourself." he said placing it on her head making the bun fall. She laughed at him rolling her eyes keeping the hat on placing the sunglasses on after.

"I'm ready, Mr. Mars..." she told him dancing out the door.

"Your shoes, Riss?" he asked her.

"I'm going boho tonight..." she told him running back in the room picking up her black flats.

"Very boho..." he smiled at her as she sat down on the edge of the bed. He took the shoes from her hands. She lifted her feet up as he placed them on her feet.

"Can you tell I have pregnant feet?" she asked him.

"They're cute pregnant feet, though." he responded taking her hands lifting her up to go to the car.

**

Bruno held on to Arissa's hand tightly as they made their way through the Grammy red carpet. He stopped in front of the group at E! smiling at Guilana Ransic.

"And who is this lovely lady?" she asked him after they exchanged hellos.

"This is my lovely, amazing, beautiful wife, Arissa..." he said squeezing her hand again.

"Well, you look absolutely beautiful Arissa, he's a very lucky man to have found someone as beautiful as you. "

"And the baby isn't even his..." she laughed.

"This is news to me..." Bruno answered.

"Haha, no it is..." she joked squeezing his hand back. "He just better thank me during his speech. Or else it won't be his."

"Oh...she's feisty, Bruno..." Guilana answered.

They finished their conversation heading to the CBS pre-show.

"Bruno! We wanted to congratulate you...you won Best Pop vocal already tonight!" the correspondent said. Arissa's mouth dropped in shock. Oh my gosh...she thought to herself. She rubbed his back smiling next to him.

*"Wow! That's so exciting! I didn't even get to check my messages to find out..." he said genuinely surprised. "Are you sure?" he asked the correspondent.

"Yep. 100%..." she answered.

**

Bruno won one more award that evening for Best Collaboration with Timberland. His speech as enduring- thanking his family and Arissa for supporting him through everything. He pointed toward Arissa making her blush. "And check her out. She let me get her pregnant..." he finished his speech.

"God...he would do that..." Arissa said quietly.

He drug her to an Elektra after party after winning the Awards completely oblivious to her mood. She was struggling to stay awake with her feet hurting feeling a handful of sporadic contractions having to get up to go to the bathroom several times. She sat in a cushy chair watching him talk to all of the celebrities. One of her PR friends touched her on the shoulder sitting down next to her.

"He was so good tonight, Arissa..." she told her.

"I know he was..." she smiled watching his hands move with his conversation. He was so happy and she adored it. "But I'd really like to just sleep..." she said laying her head on her friend's shoulder. Her friend rubbed her head.

"Yeah..I do too..." she answered her. Bruno caught a glimpse of Arissa closing her eyes realizing she was tired. He excused himself sitting in front of her.

"Riss?" he asked taking her hand. "Let's go home..."

She nodded her head. He took her hand helping her stand up.

"Uff...I'm huge..." she told him.

"I like you that way..." he said leading her out the door to a handful of flashes.

"Smile, Riss...they all love you..." he whispered to her. "Because I do..."

He led her to the car opening the door for her even buckling her seatbelt. He kissed her grazing her lips. "Go to sleep, sweetheart." he told her.

"That won't be a problem..." she replied laying her head on the window falling asleep within minutes.

"Aww, Riss...wake up, baby..." he awed pulling up to the house. He undid her seatbelt grabbing her sound asleep to put her to bed.

"Good night, Riss..." he told her covering up her bright pink dress with their big down comforter.

"Good morning, Bruno..." she whispered to him as he pulled away from her head kissing her on the forehead.