Page 62 of The Bourbon Bargain

Paige’s shoulders shake with silent sobs, and I take a moment to draw her into my arms and hold her against me, kissing her forehead and ignoring whatever protocol may be needed for a wedding ceremony. The most important thing at this moment isn’t following a prescribed series of events, it’s ensuring my wife is taken care of. She clings to my tux jacket and sniffles quietly. When she lifts her face, I carefully wipe her tear-stained cheeks and hold her face in my hands until she smiles and shows me she’s ready to continue.

Our tender moment affects everyone in the crowd, with many sets of sniffles that can be heard over the bubbling of the waterfall. I look over at Judge Whitaker, and he’s wiping his own cheeks, a small smile curving up his full mustache. He nods at me and holds up his leather book once again to continue.

“By the power vested in me by the great state of Georgia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Hayes, you may now kiss your bride.”

I smile widely as I slide my hand into Paige’s hair to cradle her head, my other arm snaking around her waist as I dip her back and kiss her silly to cheers and clapping. Her lips press back, her hands coming to my cheeks and keeping my face close. I raise her back up and she’s a vision of happy perfection, her smile euphoric as she gazes up at me.

The blur of events that follows is eclipsed by the depth of love, desire, and devotion I feel for my wife, who endures every photo, each hug, and every offer of congratulations with grace. I follow her lead, going where I’m told, posing as instructed, and staying on my absolute best behavior to do her justice. As long as I have her on my arm, I can endure anything. I could be chained to a mountain while an eagle tore out my liver, and as long as I have Paige, it would be worth it.

The only time I allow Paige out of my arms is when she slips away to change into a silky dress, with her hair caught up at the nape of her neck elegantly. It’s an intriguing surprise when she spins in front of me and shows that the dress bares her back, stopping just before the curve of her ass. I’m struggling to keep my hands to myself as we finish our obligations at The Abyss, my hands straying to the soft skin as we pose and move through the garden. Thankfully, the planner calls for everyone to begin the trek to The Mansion and finally directs us downstairs and out of the club.

The vintage Rolls Royce that takes us from the club to The Mansion is a nice touch that Caroline arranged, and for once I appreciate her attention to detail.

I cup Paige’s radiant face, running my thumb across her cheek. “How are you doing, angel?” I ask once we can relax, finally alone with our thoughts and each other after what feels like the longest day of my life. The nerves and adrenaline are wearing off, and I feel bone tired. I need to rally for what’s ahead, which, according to Paige, will be a spectacle.

“I’m indescribably happy.”

She turns her face and kisses my palm. When she turns back to me, I let my hand slide down to her neck, feeling her delicate throat muscles work as she speaks through the caress of my fingers against her skin.

“I’m actually really glad we had a chance to do this after all. For as much of a headache my mama has made this week, having that ceremony be exactly what I hoped for and something so personal to us, it almost makes what’s coming next bearable.”

I massage the back of her neck, wanting to ease some of the tension that flashes across her features. “It’s just a few hours, then we have a honeymoon to enjoy.”

She perks up at that, tilting her head at me. “But we haven’t planned a honeymoon. I certainly wasn’t expecting one.”

“You don’t have to expect it, but you deserve it after everything this month has held. It’s about time I took some time off and really relaxed with you. Does a week in Turks and Caicos with white sand beaches and warm, crystal-clear ocean water sound good to you?”

She closes her eyes and shudders in pleasure. “That sounds incredible.”

“We’ll leave tomorrow.”

“Oh, Hayes, you are too good to me.” She pulls my head down and kisses me just as the car pulls up to The Mansion.

“Well, Mrs. Olsen, let’s go start the rest of our lives together.”

thirty-two

The Atlanta Haute List

BillionaireAndBelleThrowWedding of the Year

Our favorite newlyweds had quite the shindig down in Savannah for New Year’s Eve. Hauties in the know have absolutely flooded our tip line with sightings of the who’s who of the business world, photos, and recountings of the ceremony and reception, and we are positively ravenous for every last detail. Aren’t you? Don’t worry, we’ll share all of the juicy details!

Hayes Olsen and Paige Fairchild held an intimate ceremony that took place at sunset in the vaunted rooftop garden known as Elysium at The Abyss Nightclub, with music by a string quartet and vows that had us swooning when we read them. The bride wore a bespoke off-the-shoulder, lace gown from none other than Haute Belle right here in Atlanta, and the groom wore an all-black Brioni tux that looked positivelyyummyon him. Brothers Payton and Zander stood at Hayes’s side in their own classic black tuxes, and Alex Whitaker was Paige’s man of honor in a deep green, rhinestone-studded, wide-leg suit that would have looked right at home on the likes of Taylor Swift or Harry Styles. We certainly appreciate the apparel choices of this fashionable crowd, blending classic and unexpected choices as fluidly as any fashionista. A giant black dog even joined the couple at the altar in front of a waterfall, on hisgoodest boibehavior as the best dog. Sources say the dog’s name is Cerberus and he belongs to Hayes. We love seeing man’s best friend featured so prominently in this beautiful ceremony! We want more Cerberus content and hope the happy couple will oblige us with more outings featuring him in the near future.

The bride—who changed into a stunning silk creation, again from Haute Bell—and groom were whisked away from the club in a vintage black Rolls Royce to attend the much larger reception at the Fairchild family’s hotel, The Mansion, where a large conservatory ballroom was turned into a fairytale delight of the senses. The reported four hundred guests were made up of family friends, celebrities, Georgia supreme court judges, the mayor of Savannah, and business elites from every sector. Charming signature cocktails—a blackberry gin and tonic for the bride, and a smoked old fashioned for the groom—were made with Fairchild’s own Underworld Spirits elderflower gin and double-barrel bourbon. The gourmet plated dinner featured filet mignon, whipped potatoes, and fried okra as a nod to the pair’s Georgia heritage. A five-tier wedding cake had something for everyone’s taste buds, including the couple’s own tier featuring raspberry preserves between layers of chocolate cake, set in bourbon vanilla buttercream, and dusted with edible gold.

Guests were wowed by aerial performances throughout the evening, danced to a live swing band, and had the pleasure of meandering through a fairy garden that would have done Queen Titania herself proud that took up residence in the hotel lobby.

The twice-as-nice newlyweds were sent off at midnight with sparklers and fireworks that exploded over The Mansion grounds and lit up the Savannah skyline. The revelers who stuck around were provided dessert shooters and bite-size comfort foods at the after-party with famed DJ Apollon playing hit after hit to keep the crowd dancing. Partygoers left in the wee hours of the morning with gift bags featuring Underworld Spirits liquors, Cartier watches or bracelets, and custom gift boxes of Ladurée chocolates and macarons. Are you drooling over these generous parting gifts, because we definitely are.

The couple is reportedly on their honeymoon, having left on New Year’s Day for somewhere tropical and warm, we would hope. We wish them all the best in their lives together and our sincerest congratulations on their nuptials. We can’t wait to have them back in Atlanta helping to keep us warm this winter with their fiery love story that continues to evolve and become one for the ages. We really have become the biggest fans of their relationship as they have disproved our doubts and challenged our preconceived notions of their personal lives time and again, which gives us hope for our own happily ever after.

Who knows, maybe the younger Olsen brothers, Payton and Zander, will take notes from big brother Hayes and be looking for their own great romances right here in Georgia. We know plenty of hauties that would be willing to step up to that challenge, right? One could only hope, and we are triple-crossing our fingers and toes to see that happen.

We’ll continue to provide you with all the best haute takes and tips on this happy couple as always, so click Like and Subscribe for all the Haute gossip!

Epilogue Hayes

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