“Well, that’s another thing the two of you will have to have fun with. Wow, this game has turned into a checklist for you guys!” Kristen said.
“Indeed it has,” Drew agreed as he moved closer to me. “I can’t wait to get started.”
I was convinced that I was now tomato red.
“Okay, game over,” Carter decreed. “Time for more sampling.”
“Wait!” Kristen said. “I haveonemore; never have I ever been the first person to tell someone I love them.”
Both Kristen and Carter polished off their drinks. Drew and I seemed to realize at the same moment thatoneof us would’ve had to say it first.
I panicked as our bride and groom seemed to figure it out as well.
“Hold on, did you guys get engaged without telling you that you love each other? How does that even work?” Carter laughed.
“Oh, uh, it’s actually a funny story,” I began, staring at Drew and praying that he was better at thinking on his feet than I was in this moment.
He chuckled and gave me a nod that seemed to signify that he could step up to cover. “So funny. We said it at the exact same time!”
“Aww,” Kristen said, placing her hand over her heart. “So cute!”
“Yup,” Drew replied. “We’d just had a wonderful day together. Slept in, went to the beach, dozed under a big umbrella, swam a little. Then we grabbed food cart tacos on the way home. We were sitting on a picnic bench in the corner of a parking lot, both a little sweaty and tired but so fucking happy. I said ‘I have something to tell you’ and Em said ‘me too, but I’m scared.’ So I suggested that we both say it at the same time, on the count of three. Well, you can guess what we each said.”
“Gotta admit, thatiscute,” Carter said.
Drew tightened his arm around me and pulled me closer so we were fully touching down one side. His body felt so strong and solid and there was somuchof it, like he could pull me in and surround me completely. I wondered if he could feel the tremor that rolled through me.
“Folks, if I may interrupt,” Eric called out from behind us. “I mixed up another drink that I’m calling Love in Unison.”
Eric described what was in the drink and Drew and I untangled slowly. I snuck away from the others, hoping no one would notice. When I was out of earshot I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. I needed to keep reminding myself of the potential long-term benefit to putting up with all the camerasandCarter.
Drew was doing surprisingly okay and I had no idea what to think about how well Mr. Tall, Dark, and Grumpy was managing to lie on the fly. I was sweating, certain that at any second, someone would catch us in a lie and then it’d be all over for us.
I could see him looking around and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to find me so I raised my hand to catch his attention. The smile he gave me was doing things to my insides it should have no business doing. We wereplayacting. Nothing more.
There were cameras everywhere and I wouldn’t have been surprised if we had one or more designated for us from the moment we became a couple of interest. Drew said something to the production coordinator standing next to him, then started walking toward me with the same smile on his face. I could have sworn he slowed his steps to draw them out. Like some sort of predatory alpha hole intent on staking his claim on… me?
“Hi.” It came out in a squeak and I cleared my throat to say it again but before I could, he swept me into his arms and swung me around. I pointed at the mic on my collar and Drew grimaced then gave me a fast nod letting me know he knew, which meant I needed to go along with whatever he planned.
“I have an idea about what we should have for dinner, but first, I wanted to check to see how hungry you are. Are you …hungry?”
“Um, I guess?” I said, trying to play along but not sure what he was getting at.
Drew shifted closer, the heat from his body spreading up my legs and into other parts it had no business going. I felt him reposition and realized he was angling us so that the cameras would capture whatever he was about to say next, with cinematic framing. I glanced above us and noticed the faux tree branch covered in cherry blossoms.
So far, he was doing an excellent job picking his staging.
“So would you say that you’restarving?” Drew asked in a deep, rumbly voice that sent flames up my spine.
It wasn’t hard to embrace my inner actress in this scenario. Weirdly enough, it barely felt like acting. I bit my lip and stared up at him with bedroom eyes. “Oh, I am. I can wait until later to have a full feast, but I definitely need a taste right now.”
“Oh really?” Drew murmured, his eyes on my mouth.
I felt my breathing go shallow as my body woke up to what was happening.
I nodded and leaned a tiny bit closer to him, like I was teasing him.
Drew reached out to cup my cheek and just that was enough to make my legs feel rubbery.
