If I thoughtthere were a lot of eyes on me at our wedding, I had another thing coming.
Today is Jett’s competition day, and now everyone knows that I’ll be standing at the end of his run as his wife, not his girlfriend, or just a random fling he decided to keep around.
Dan keeps himself close to me as we weave our way through the crowd, and a security guard opens the metal fence and lets us squeeze through the gap.
The last event had drawn a crowd… but this one? The sea of people stretches on until I can no longer see where they end and the ski hill begins. I have to wonder if it has anything to do with the news story announcing Jett Landry’s nuptials, and the outpouring of commentary on the internet that followed.
Other friends and family are gathering around the end of the run, eagerly awaiting their skier to come celebrate their finish with them.
I adjust my earmuffs and bounce on the balls of my feet to keep warm while we wait. Brooke has me in another one-piece, Nuclear snow suit, white winter boots, and white fluffy earmuffs. I’ve been getting used to looking the part, like a professional skier’swife.
How I even ended up in this situation is beyond me. Lesson learned to be careful what you wish for, because while I was busy trying to manifest a husband, the universe was preparing to hand me…this.
I glance around at the rest of the crowd behind the fence, the women who have probably been waiting here all day to make sure they have a front row seat to Jett’s big finish today.
Despite the chill in the air on the otherwise crystal clear, sunny day, they’re all in string bikini tops. That same girl is back, still with Jett’s name written across her breasts. They’re all looking me up and down, and the back of my neck starts to prickle, my palms sweating in my mittens.
Jett could have his pick of whoever he wanted here. Any one of these women would jump at the chance to be with him for even one night. He could be living it up, going home with one of them to celebrate his run… and instead he’s saddled to me.
A virgin who has no business pretending that I’m anywhere near his league.
But we have a plan, and as much as I can’t help but worry that this little side quest is taking away from both of our relationship goals, we both have a lot to gain from this marriage.
Today will be easy. We’ve done it once before, we can do it again.
Jett just needs to finish the run, meet me at the bottom, and plant one right on my lips for the world to see. Butterflies flutter around in my belly.
I’ve only ever kissed one man, so I don’t have anything tocompare this to, but mygod,Jett is a good kisser. It might take me longer to find my real husband, but I have to admit, there aresomeperks to being married to Jett.
Someone approaches me from behind and taps me on the shoulder. When I turn, there’s a giant camera lens and a microphone in my face, a reporter wearing a snug fitting puffer jacket and a pink toque with a pompom behind it.
“Poppy, can we get a word?” She asks, wide blue eyes staring at me intently.
I glance around to try and find Brooke or Dan, but they’re standing to the side, facing away from me and deep in conversation.
“Sure.” I can manage on my own in a quick interview without Brooke handing me a script. Though, she never prepared me that this would even be a possibility.
“You must be excited to watch Jett compete today, since you’re here not as his girlfriend anymore but as his wife.”
It’s not a question, but she waits for my answer anyways.
“It’s pretty surreal,” I admit.Keep the answers short, Pops. Short and sweet. You got this,I think to myself, even though my pulse is roaring in my ears.
“It all happened so fast, I can imagine it’s been hard to wrap your head around.”
Another non-question question.
I try to think of how Jett would respond, because I’ve seen him do it so many times in press conferences. “Is there a question in there somewhere?”He’d ask, brazen and rhetorical. But I’m not as ballsy.
“When Jett wants to make something happen, he’s a determined man.” I go with instead.
“Everyone wants to know what it’s like to be married tothe world’s most notorious playboy. He was famous for saying he would never commit. Has he fully changed his womanizing ways?”
Now, we’re edging into dangerous territory, and I nervously glance around for Brooke, Dan, anyone.
Brooke clearly hasn’t noticed that I’m over here being bombarded by this reporter, or else she’d be over here breaking it up in a second. I don’t want to take too long to come up with an answer, or the media will have a hay day.
I can see the headlines now:MRS. JETT LANDRY PLAYED FOR A FOOL.
