"I can do that," I told her slowly. "I'd like that," I amended. It was strange, us being nice to each other, but I was certainly on board if she was. "And thank you for doing this."
"To be honest, I'm looking forward to the break. I'm sick of cleaning that rich bitch's house."
We laughed hard. I tried to recall if she'd ever made a joke before and couldn't come up with any. Still, it was a good start.
*****
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love."
~Sophocles
DANTE
Scarlett straightened my tie. "You're so decorative. Arm candy. I'd take you over any bag."
"Well, that's reassuring," I said wryly and she looked up and smiled.
I wanted to kiss her, head to toe, starting with her lush pink mouth, but I knew better than to screw up the makeup she'd just had painstakingly applied.
She properly interpreted the look I was giving her and made a little noise in her throat.
It didn't help.
She took a step back, biting her lip.
It was an effort, but I kept myself from going after her.
My phone dinged a text at me, and I checked it surreptitiously. And smiled.
Good. The night was going to be perfect.
The surprise hadn't been hard to finagle. The owner of the casino that housed the Kink and Ink tattoo parlor was an old family connection, generations deep. I'd even met the famous James Cavendish several times, and we got along quite well. We had lunch whenever we were in the same city, as a rule.
I'd passed the invitation to Frankie Abelli through James, and her response had come swiftly: a resounding yes.
She was a huge fan of Stuart Whently and only too happy to attend one of his movie premieres.
And Scarlett, being Frankie's biggest fangirl (she'd recently made me marathon watch the entire show with her) was going to lose her ever-loving mind. I couldn't wait.
She'd dressed with utmost care for tonight. She looked edible. Opulently beautiful. Completely flawless and abundantly ravishing. Sin draped in sheer lavender Givenchy.
This was her introduction to the world and she was about to knock 'em dead, and it was about goddamned time.
She was made for this.
She'd left her hair down, and I couldn't keep my hands off it for long. Nor my lips from her skin. I saved her makeup by focusing on her shoulders, her collar, her cleavage. There was way too much of her perfect flesh exposed, and I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through the evening without falling prey to her lavish charms.
"Stop it," she said, her tone telling me that she wanted the opposite. "You're such a tease. We have to leave in like five minutes."
"I can work with that," I told her sincerely.
She threw her head back and laughed.
It was flooring. Spectacular. I'd been through hell and back more than once just on the faith that I'd see it again someday. It was worth every second of suffering to be on this side of it, to see her smile every day, to hear that laugh.
I'd do it again if I had to. Every bit of it. For this.
"Come here," I told her gruffly.
She came, her eyes suspicious on me, but I just held her for a few drugging moments, lips at her hair.
Heart in her hands.
Soul joined with hers. In perpetuity.
We were in the back of a limo that the studio had sent, headed to the premiere when I said, "I have a surprise for you."
She shot me a saucy grin. "Is it oral?"
That surprised a belly laugh out of me. "Is oral on the table?"
"Only if you're doing it. You don't have any makeup to worry about."
I started shifting lower in my seat, all too ready to accommodate her, but she stopped me with a hand and giggle.
"I was kidding! You know I'm too nervous right now."
"I'm pretty sure an orgasm will help with that."
"You're incorrigible."
"Yes," I said, tone succinct. "Also, I'm very good with my tongue."
When I handed her out of the limo, she was only slightly mussed and much more relaxed.
She took to the red carpet like a natural. A queen taking her throne. A goddess.
Gram would have been so proud and not the least bit surprised. Just like me.
I was just as Scarlett had said—arm candy. An accessory for the evening. I was fine with that. It was refreshing and stress-free in comparison to my usual social functions. I didn't have to conduct any business, didn't have to do much aside from stand close to the love of my life and smile for the camera.
She really, sincerely disliked her co-star, and she made sure I stood next to him in several photos to illustrate how much taller I was.
I was game. Any enemy of Scarlett's was on my shit list, as ever.
"We heard you're engaged? When are you tying the knot?" was asked often, or some version of it.
"As soon as I can drag her to a courthouse," I'd say, or, "How late is Vegas open?"
These answers were always met with chuckles, but the truth was, I wasn't really joking.
"Your surprise is here," I murmured into her ear when I spotted Frankie Abelli approaching.