“Of course you could’ve.” Marcus took Tyler by his shoulders and pushed him back to stare into his eyes. “Maybe I helped by being the catalyst, but you were never destined to remain a dancer for me. I watched you on the dance floor, and I could tell you were special. You had bigger dreams than that.”
“Lots of people have dreams. But you’ve changed so much from the first time I met you. I thought you were this selfish, self-absorbed, arrogant—”
“All right, I get the picture.” Marcus punched Tyler lightly on the shoulder, then pulled on his jacket. “Let’s go. I told the guys not to start without us since we might have some news for them.”
Tyler stopped dead. “You didn’t really say that, did you? They’re going to speculate like crazy.”
Unable to keep from laughing out loud, Marcus held the door open for Tyler. “Yeah I know. And I’m going to let them squirm for a while. Play up with me, okay?”
Tyler nudged his shoulder. “You’re evil. It’s one of the many reasons I love you.”
“Tonight you’ll show me all the other reasons.” With his arm around Tyler’s shoulders, Marcus walked down the block. “One by one and slowly.”
The restaurant was located only a ten-minute walk from the studio, but Marcus made certain to arrive a bit late. With everyone so busy lately, it seemed like they never had a chance to get together much anymore as a group, and while he understood the dynamics of the group had changed since Julian married Nick and Zach had fallen in love with Sam, he still missed his friends.
Steph had the day off, so an unfamiliar waitress led them to their usual table. As Marcus had hoped, the guys were already there. Julian’s eyes lit up when he caught sight of him and Tyler.
“Ah, there they are. We were about to send out a search party. You’re never this late.” Julian’s gaze found Tyler, and his face softened. “I’m sorry about your sister, Tyler. If there’s anything we can do, let us know.”
Marcus squeezed Tyler’s shoulder, then let him go to shrug off his jacket and sit down. A faint smile of gratitude was about as much as Tyler could muster when it came to Amber. For several nights after they found out about her death, Marcus had found Tyler sitting by Lillie’s bed in the dark, watching her sleep, and it broke his heart.
“Thanks, Julian. I’ve gotten over the initial shock, and now all I feel is kind of numb.”
Zach nodded. “I totally understand. It’s exactly how I felt when I heard my father died.”
Tyler settled next to him, and Marcus slid his arm around Tyler’s shoulders, his fingers playing along Tyler’s neck. He caught Julian watching him with a gleam in his eyes and a self-satisfied smirk.
“Tyler,” said Julian, bracing his elbows on the table and giving him a frank stare. “I’ve decided to start a children’s dance line. Your little niece inspired me, and I’d love to use her as the model for the print campaign. What do you think?”
Tyler stiffened beneath his hands. “Seriously? I’m not sure. I’d hate for her to get caught up in that world at such a young age.”
Julian nodded. “I understand. But I’ll personally make sure she’s always safe and never feels overwhelmed.” He pulled out his sketchpad and flipped the pages until he reached the desired page. “Look. I think you’ll like the name.”
He turned it around to face them, and Marcus gaped at the picture of Lillie in a ladybug ballerina outfit, dancing in a field of flowers.
“Lillie-bug Designs?”
Julian smile grew broader as everyone at the table clamored to see the sketches, and he passed the pad around.
“I heard Marcus call her ‘Lillie-bug’ and thought it was cute. And ladybugs are supposed to bring good luck.” He slanted a look at Tyler. “What do you think, Tyler? Do you think Lillie will like the outfits?”
Tyler snorted. “Are you kidding? She’ll love them.” He took the sketchpad out of Marcus’s hands. “I’m still not sure about getting her involved in the modeling aspect.”
“I think Lillie would be perfect,” said Marcus, holding the sketches. “After all, Julian got the idea from her. She’ll need an agent, and you’ll need a lawyer to deal with the contracts.”
“Always thinking with your business head.” Tyler patted his arm. “I’ll think about it.”
“And you’ll make some extra money that you’ll need, especially now.”
“What do you mean, ‘especially now’?” asked Zach. “What’s happened?”
Marcus waved over the waiter. “Bring a bottle of champagne, please. Tyler and I have an announcement.” He sat back and let his friends pepper him with questions, knowing that they expected him to announce they were getting engaged or married. Marcus had yet to understand the rush to get married; no one could convince him marriage was necessary. Look at his parents; they were the prime example that marriage wasn’t right for everyone.
He waited until the champagne was poured and everyone at the table shut up and gave him their undivided attention. With his glass raised, he stood and faced Tyler.
“To Tyler. Congratulations on signing the lease on your new dance studio. I know Up On Your Toes and you will be a massive success.”
Julian sighed, his disappointment obvious. “I knew you were setting us up.” He raised his glass. “Congratulations, Tyler. I second Marcus; I think you’re headed for great things.”
