“Thanks, I had no idea this was coming,” Lunar replies.
“Neither did I,” I quip.
Danger smirks at me, his pale face back to a more even tone, and the cold sweats have disappeared.
Seems he was nervous about the proposal.
“Sorry, Ry. I only got the ring this morning. I didn’t know I was going to pop the question today. I was going to do something really cheesy and romantic with candles and petals and shit, but when we got the news of the single going to number one, I got excited and thought, fuck! I wanna keep this good thing going. Sorry if it wasn’t romantic enough for you, babe.”
Lunar leans back into him, shaking her head. “You know me well enough to know I’m not really the candles and petals type anyway. Take me for a ride on a hog, tie me to your bed and spank my ass, then drop to your knees and tell me you love me. That’s how this woman likes it.”
I smirk as Danger groans and raises his eyebrow. “Yeah, I should’ve guessed.” He leans in closer to her ear. “The tying up and spanking comes later, I promise.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa… we can still hear you, guys!” Matt chuckles as I shake my head, and Tillie giggles. Nate frowns and shifts uncomfortably.
“And, ah… I live with you, so I don’t want to know what’s going on in my house, thanks. Hearing it is one thing, but knowing what’s actually happening? Yeah, just shut your mouth, Danger,” I joke, and they both laugh.
I turn to glance at Tillie and smile, trying to ignore my twisting stomach and the uneasy feeling developing.
***
After spending the next three hours eating, drinking, and generally hanging out with my adopted family, we decide the autumn air is a little too chilly and we need to head back inside. Danger and I grab the empty boxes as the girls take the glasses, and the twins grab the empty champagne bottles. We chat and laugh as we head down toward the boardroom, where we know Oliver will be.
After depositing the trash in the kitchen, we all file into the room while Oliver focuses hard on the screen of his notebook.
“Hope you didn’t want any pizza. We were trying to save you some, but Matty, the garbage guts, ate your slices,” Tillie quips.
Matt smirks and nods like he knows it’s the truth and is proud of it.
“Sorry, what?” Oliver asks, looking up at us and rubbing his temple. His eyes are slightly red, like he’s been focusing far too hard on his screen, and he appears tired. The man works too hard.
“Oliver, you need to go home. Come back tomorrow. The tour can wait one more day,” Tillie offers, resting her hand on his shoulder.
He looks back to his notebook, seeming to ignore her as we all watch him click on something and take a deep breath. With a smile, he closes the lid and sits back in the seat, relaxing his posture. “I’m done.”
“Great, you need a good night’s rest. Maybe even have tomorrow off and come back the day after with a refreshed head.”
He smiles, tilting his head. “You’re kind, Tillie, but no. I mean, I’m done organizing. The tour is all set up. We leave in two days.”
We all look at each other and gawk.
“Two days?” Danger asks, and Oliver nods.
“Yes, we need to strike while the iron is hot. Your publicity right now is high. Tickets will skyrocket. Your songs will push up the charts. We need to do this now. Sure, there’s less time to publicize the tour, but we can work on that, right, Tillie?”
She takes in a deep breath, looking slightly frazzled, but she nods and swallows hard. “Yeah, we can do it.”
“It’s settled then. But for now, everyone should go home, rest, and we will discuss all the ins and outs tomorrow.”
We all look around, frozen to the spot like we’re deer stuck in headlights. Today has been one shock after another—the number-one song, the engagement, a pop-up tour. What’s next?
“Well, go on… get out of here,” Oliver snaps, making us jump slightly, and we nod before rushing out the door.
“Two days, Tillie. Is that possible?” Danger asks.
“Yeah, I’ll work some PR magic. Don’t worry, itwillhappen and itwillbe great!”
“Okay, as long as you’re sure? Ry, you coming home?” Danger asks, and I turn to look at Tillie. Wanting to give Lunar and Danger some time, since they just got engaged, I hope Tillie is okay with what I’m about to suggest.
