Page 83 of Full Court Love
I run my hand over my face, a futile attempt to pull myself together. “Well, whoever that is in whatever movie that is, I’m eternally grateful.”
She laughs and steps toward me. I’m suddenly very angry that we have somewhere to be. Reaching up to my neck, she grabs the edges of the bow tie still hanging loose and untied.
“Couldn’t hack this?”
I had completely forgotten about it. Fantasizing about marrying Lucy and then seeing her looking like an angel had wiped all other thoughts from my brain.
“Yeah. Any chance you somehow possess the secret skill of tying a bow tie?”
She bites her lip and slowly shakes her head. “Sorry to disappoint, but no.”
I grab her hips and pull her close. “Oh, no, believe me, I’m not disappointed in the slightest.”
Our kiss is soft–I’m not risking ruining her perfect makeup.
“Are you ready to go fulfill another dream?”
She looks up at me, and it makes my heart race. Her expression is so full of love and admiration that I look away. I don’t want to get emotional right now.
When she speaks, her voice is gentle, but full of conviction. “Just so you know, you are now my main dream. Everything else is icing on the cake. But having you with me heretoday, and every other day, is the cake. I really hope you know that.”
I kiss her forehead, holding my lips there for a few seconds so I can breathe her in. This girl is the rest of my life.
“Yeah, we could still run away and live in a hut in a remote village. I don’t care where. You’ve become the absolute light of my life, so the yellow dress is actually very fitting.”
She laughs, and there’s still no sound that both soothes and excites me like that laugh.
Running my hands down her arms, I interlace our fingers. “Should we go?”
She takes one long, deep breath and nods again. “Just leave the bow tie like that. It looks intentionally edgy. It suits you.”
I shake my head, but don’t make a move to take it off. I lift her hand to my lips and guide her toward the door. As I lead her out, I feel her whole body begin to tense up with nervous energy. I don’t want tonight to be anything short of perfect for her. I need to lighten the mood.
So, I make a dumb attempt to help her relax and say the first joke that pops into my head. “Oh, by the way, thank you for saying I’m cake. It’s one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received. Everyone always tells me I’m handsome and charming and sexy as hell–but no one recognizes my similarities to a common dessert, and that hurts. You really made me feel seen.”
It’s at best a subpar joke, but it works. Her giggles stick with us the whole elevator ride down.
Lucy’s mom and grandparents are waiting for us in the lobby. They gasp when they see her, and I twirl her around so they get the full effect. Tears are already being shed, and we aren’t even there yet.
A limo is pulled up to the curb, and the driver has a sign that readsLucy Townes. She’s one of the rare few who isguaranteed to be drafted, so she gets the royal treatment. We pull up to the venue, and it’s like we’re arriving at the Oscars.
A red carpet awaits, along with at least fifty photographers.
A man in a tuxedo steps up and opens the door. Lucy doesn’t move. Her eyes are huge. I lean forward and whisper in her ear, “Enjoy this. You deserve it.”
She slowly steps out of the limo, and I hear the clicks of the cameras begin in earnest. I’m planning to stay behind the scenes. I don’t want or need any attention. Lucy deserves it all. Unfortunately, she has other plans.
Grasping my hand for dear life, she pulls me out behind her. I’m definitely losing circulation in my fingers as we make the trek across the photographers’ line of fire. She keeps glancing back at me like she’s drowning in the ocean and I’m her lifeboat.
For someone this famous, she’s terrible at being famous.
It makes me love her even more.
But I also know her quiet confidence is in there–it just needs a little convincing to come out. I lean forward, and in a hushed voice, I start attempting references to her favorite romances to break through her anxiety.
“Pretend like you’re in Bridgerton, walking in front of the queen–and she has an especially wild wig on, with like birds and bees flying around.”
She lets out a real laugh, and I hear the click of photos being taken.