He chuckles. “I know, it’s nice to spend some time with my wife,” he says, flinging his arm around Anna and pulling her in.
“What are you crapping on about?” Anna retorts.
“I feel like I hardly see you on weekends, my love.”
“Bollocks,” she says, teasingly.
“I don’t think so, you’re always busy having a sleepover with this lot,” he says, flashing us a playful smile.
I shoot him a smirk.
“I’m thirty-one, Mason. I’m not dead. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean I lose my independence.”
Gemma turns to me, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Uh oh, I think we’re in the middle of a lovers’ tiff.” I laugh along with her.
“No, no,” Mason says, planting a kiss on Anna’s head as we approach the door, “I could never be mad at this one.” He squeezes her shoulder, and she pinches his waist.
“Oh, by the way, Gemma,” Anna says, turning to her, “Max is going to be leading some big, flashy marketing campaign that your agency’s been hired for.”
Max is Anna’s older brother. He’s forty and has been working in some impressive leadership role in New York for the last ten years. I’ve hardly seen him, he’s so busy. He used to give us real grief when we were growing up, but he’s a lot of fun.
“Oh? It’ll be nice to finally meet him,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows, “I’ve rather enjoyed the photos you’ve posted with him.”
Anna stops dead in her tracks and points an accusatory finger at her, “Don’t you fucking dare even think about shagging my brother.”
“Me?” Gemma says, fluttering her lashes as she holds a hand over her chest, “why, I would never!”
“Fuck sake,” Anna says, storming off to join the line.
I spot Caroline and Peter up ahead.
“Caroline!” I shout, and she spins around. Before I know it, she sweeps me into her arms, pulling me into a bruising hug. I let out a relieved breath. It feels so wonderful to see her again. She squeezes a little too tight, as she always does, and I smile.
“Oh, honey,” she says, her eyes watery. She cradles my face in her small hands. “It’ssogood to see you.” The comforting, familiar scent of her floral perfume invades my senses, and pressure builds behind my eyes. Her arms feel like home.
We pull apart and my gaze shifts to Peter, standing awkwardly beside Caroline watching the whole exchange. My expression softens as I lock eyes with him. “Hi, Peter,” I say, my voice small.
He rolls his eyes. “Come here, love,” he says, and I step into his embrace.
Caroline and Peter greet the rest of the gang as we wait in line.
She gives my shoulders a gentle shake. “Are you ready for this?”
I nod enthusiastically, barely able to speak. I amsopumped for James, and so proud of him. Caroline’s eyes light with what I know is the same thrill I’m feeling. I turn to glance back at the others to find them also grinning.
I can already tell tonight will be unforgettable.
“Do you think they’ll let you backstage?” Gemma shouts in my ear over the waves of screams and cheers around us.
“I don’t know. Should I give it a shot?” I yell back, cupping my hands around my mouth to be heard.
She shrugs. “I don’t see why not!”
Good point.
“I’ll message you if I run into any issues,” I say before I start moving. Caroline and Peter watch with curiosity as I thread through the row, and Gemma fills them in on my plan. When I look back, I catch Caroline’s gaze. She gives me a very enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Unsure of where to go, I start walking through the stadium hallways until I spot a small woman with a clipboard, shouting into a headpiece.
