Ruby lets out a little squeal of excitement. “Oh my gosh, where to start.”
While she’s thinking, I notice Hannah’s body language has gone rigid. Is she worried about what my friends think? They can be a lot and she doesn’t know any of them very well. It could be that. Or maybe she’s uncomfortable talking about our situation.
My fingers brush against her shoulder. She looks over at me and I give her what I hope is a reassuring smile.
“Okay, I have one,” Ruby says. She has the expression of a hard-nosed journalist ready to break world leaders to get her story, and I’m suddenly nervous. “Whose idea was it to get married?”
Hannah glances at me for an answer and my guess is it’s because she doesn’t remember.
“Mine,” I say.
“Of course it was. But to be fair, he’s been ready to marry you since the moment he first laid eyes on you,” D-Low tells her.
“Bruuuh.” An entire evening with Aidan has worn off on me.
“What, like she didn’t know.” He looks to Hannah. “You knew, right?”
She laughs uncomfortably.
I am definitely going to destroy him in a shoot-out.
“How did it happen? Were you in an alcohol-induced love haze and thought you’d found your soulmate or were you drunkenly joking about getting married by Elvis and then suddenly found yourself at a walk-in chapel?” Ruby fires off her next question.
“Spoken like a true romance author,” Penn says.
She beams. “I’m just trying to picture it. Set the scene for me.”
It’s my turn to shift uncomfortably. The answer is simple but also complicated.
“I don’t remember,” Hannah admits as she crinkles up her nose. “I don’t drink very often, and we were dancing and kissing and the next thing I know…”
“It was my fault,” I say, stare dropping back to her mouth. She said kissing and now it’s all I can think about. Kissing her in the club, on the streets of Vegas, at the chapel, in the elevator, and back in my hotel room. “However it happened, I’m sure it was my idea.”
I know I should feel bad about it, and a part of me does, but an even bigger part is happy to have another chance. Would she have given me that if we hadn’t drunk too much and woken up married?
“How long are you two planning to stay married?” Ruby’s next question is one I’m better prepared for.
Again, I wait to see if Hannah wants to answer but when she stays quiet, I say, “We didn’t put an expiration date on it.”
“The lawyer said an annulment process is easier the quicker we do it,” Hannah adds. “The Winter Classic is in February. If it goes well, then…”
Then she won’t need to stay married to me to avoid any negative press. Medals and trophies speak for themselves.
“Bill is the best. He’ll get it done for us no matter how long it’s been,” I’m reassuring her more than I am everyone else.
Ruby’s gaze narrows. “So for the foreseeable future, you two are going to stay married?” We both nod.
“What about dating?” Ruby asks.
“No,” I answer quickly. After the misunderstanding yesterday, I don’t want Hannah to have any room for doubt.
“I’m too busy with gymnastics to date so it’s not a big deal,” Hannah says.
“Same.” I shrug one shoulder. “You know what the schedule is like for the next few months, Ruby-Doo.”
“I wasn’t asking if you were datingotherpeople.”
Hannah flushes. “We barely see each other even living together.”
