“What the hell for?” I said.
“You’ll see.”
I think Dys is crazy, but he's the man with the plan, so I go along. But when Dys told me we were all driving to the restaurant separately, I knew something big was up.
The sight of Rory’s red Ferrari, Dys’ black Jaguar and myRusso FolgoreMaserati Ghibli roaring up to the restaurant door one after the other must have been impressive. So maybe it was okay that Rose the stylist put me into this suit. I had to admit that I looked good.
But more so was paparazzi crowding the entrance snapping our pictures while we go out of our cars. Now I understood what Jersey meant by "doing it up." Jersey, in his frontman's style, wrapped a lanky arm around Rory and me and mugged for the cameras.
“Is Banshee getting back together?” shouted a reporter.
“When are you touring as Banshee?”
“Is there any truth to the rumor that one of you is getting married?”
The questions rushed at us, but Jersey just waved. The doorman opened the door for us, and we entered, and damn it, there were more people with cameras sitting at tables, and I gathered this was the "A" list of reporters and cameramen. As themaitre’ dshowed us to our table, and we sat staring at each other, acting on our best behavior because everyone in LA knew what happened the last time we sat in a restaurant together.
And then Jacine came in on Tobias' arm, and I couldn't have been more jealous. She was magnificent with her hair piled high and wearing a low v-neck silver dress slit high up one thigh, and I fell in love with her all over again.
Yeah. I loved Jacine Alexander.
Rory and Cole had their tongues hanging out, too. Well, not really, but the look in their eyes told me what dogs they were and that they loved Jacine as much as I do.
Tobias looked like he won the lottery as he escorted her to the table and I admit they looked fine together. Well, you don’t live your adult years in the higher circles of LA society and not learn how to rock a winning attitude.
But all eyes followed them to our table, and I swear a buzz started up as they sat down after Jacine gave each one of us a kiss.
Dinner came and went, and we did our best to act like grown men. Even Dys impressed me with his adult and gracious attitude. We nursed our wine and didn't order hard liquor which was the wisest course considering what we were all about to do. A man should be sober when he proposes.
The waiter cleared the dinner dishes, which was our cue. We all stood together and took out the blue velvet boxes we all had.
Jacine narrowed her eyes.
“What is this?”
We all knelt and offered her the boxes, each one a different cut of diamond.
“We almost got you a tiara,” said Dys. God, he could be so over-the-top. “But we decided that you deserve as many diamonds as you could get. It doesn’t matter who you marry. You belong to all of us, and we’ll be right there with you. In fact, we wrote a song for you.”
“You did?”
“You know it. It’s called ‘Ever.’
“You wrote that long before—”
“It’s like this,” said Rory, our mystic. “That song came from all of us. It imprinted on our souls before we wrote it, and it called to the one woman it was meant for—you. So if you ever need a friend—”
“Someone to help tie up loose ends,” said Jersey.
“Someone to give you diamonds,” I said. Hey, I never promised to stick to the lyrics.
“And watch the stars with you,” sang Tobias. Damn, lawyer man could sing. Who knew?
So then we three joined in.
“Call me. We’ll be there always and ever.”
There wasn't a single noise in the place as every patron, waiter, waitress, bus person, and the rest stared at us. From the corner of the room, the sound of a lone handclap started. We turned our heads, and damn if it wasn't Franklin Alexander who walked forward and shook all our hands. The entire restaurant full of people clapped too, and Jacine threw herself into our arms, and we hugged her collectively.
