“You hear that? That’s good.” The wedding planner nudged me and fanned herself. “Ready?”
A wave of anxiety hit me. What if my parents didn’t enjoy the show? It was supposed to be the Phantom marrying Ellie and Johnny, not me and… “Put on the mask.”
My Phantom did as requested, the white half mask casting his face into shadows and mysterious angles. My heart beat triple time because this act seemed all too real. Hopefully, he wouldn’t flub his lines.
But I really should have worried about my performance.
I shook in place as the soprano belted out one of the signature songs. My knees sent me all sorts of wobbly warning signs they were going to give out. Finally, it was time to say the vows.
“Do you, Mario Valentini, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife…”
Mario Valentini? I glanced up at my phantom to see if that was truly his name. He read my face and nodded once before saying, “I do.”
Then it was my turn.
I shifted weight and almost went down. Mario caught my hand and let me lean on his strength. I squeezed hard.
“Do you, Allie Marie Jacobs, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death. If so, please respond by saying, ‘I do.’”
“I…” Oh shit this was too real. I glanced at the laptop someone propped up on a seat in the front row where my parents watched from their farm. They’d be so disappointed if I chickened out now. “I do.”
The officiate smiled, and his voice boomed louder. “With the power invested in me by the people of Clark County, Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife! Kiss her, you lucky dog.”
Sell it, Allie.
Mario lifted his mask away, holding it between the audience and our little party of two plus the official. He made eye contact with me. Right before he leaned in, he checked the audience. A man in the third row whistled, then cupped his hands over his mouth, “Do it, Valentine. I dare you!”
With an apology written on his face, Mario pulled me close. “Amore, Ti prometto di proteggerti con la mia vita.”
Whatever he said, it sounded perfect. I smiled as he drew closer. The whisper-soft brush of his lips made my eyes flutter shut, and I held on to his jacket so I wouldn’t melt into a puddle. His lips were perfection. Full, lush, supple, yet strong, and I lost the script, kissing him like there was no tomorrow and we had moments left to live.
I was breathless when he broke the kiss to stare at me in wonder. My face must have reflected the same thing because, he’d stolen my soul with that kiss. “Wow,” I breathed.
The audience broke out in laughter and then applause. I hid my face against Mario’s chest as the embarrassment set in.
With trepidation, I checked the laptop where my parents hugged each other. I swore I could hear them say, “We love you, Ellie.”
Not Allie.
That firmed my resolve. “Let’s get out of here,” I told Mario.
“With haste.”
We almost broke into a full sprint to the limo that waited outside. The wedding planner was all smiles as she yelled, “Your things are in the car, arranged just like you requested, Congratulations!”
Not that the word was necessary. We’d done it. We’d fooled the entire crowd and given them a good show.
Mario checked behind us to see if anyone followed us out. I glanced back in time to see a man rush out of the entrance of the complex and race toward our chapel exit. He faded into the distance as the limo picked up speed.
“Where to?” The driver asked.
“Atlantic Aviation, I have a plane waiting,” Mario directed.
I stared at him, taking in his profile, knowing I’d never truly have a man as handsome as he was for real. “It’s been fun, hasn’t it?”
He stared ahead, a bit lost in thought. Finally, he turned to me. “Come with me.”
In my biggest fantasies, there was always a little bit of reality grounding me. I’d never dared to hope for someone to say to me something as impulsive as this. I barely knew him, and had only just learned his name. It was a ridiculous, but tempting proposition to say fuck it to everything. My crumbled career, the therapy sessions currently rehashing my control issues, the legal challenges that followed Grandfather’s estate, the aftermath of Ellie’s relationship implosion, and most of all, facing my parents and telling them it was all an act to bail Ellie out, again. Just once, I wanted to be the irresponsible sister and leave all the trouble behind rather than face it head-on and shoulder everyone else’s burdens. I wanted to live the fantasy. That part asked, “Where are you going?”
