Nick might have tried to dim my light, just to feel better about himself, but he failed. Men who lack confidence want to crumple their partners too, to cope with their pitiful existence.
“Thank you. I have to keep up with you,” I say, smiling, the incident forgotten.
Ian loves my confidence and is not threatened by it or by my success. He relishes in them.
Kat’s and my song comes on, and I move to the dance floor to join her.
Swaying my hips and raising my arms in the air, we dance until sweat breaks on our necks and our throats turn dry from singing off-key, but we don’t care.
We go to the bathroom to refresh, and Kat says, “I’ll have Nick thrown out if you want me to.”
I wave her off. “It’s nothing.”
“I thought Ian might throw him out himself when he grabbed your elbow. What did he say?”
I recount the story, and she gasps. “Really? That asshole. How conveniently he forgot how often he belittled your business and made you believe you were a bad girlfriend. I swear the greener they look, the more red flags they carry. I hate that I introduced you to him.”
I didn’t tell her about the cheating part, afraid she might kill him. Plus, he works with Theo, and I didn’t want to cause him trouble. It was not their fault that they fell for his charm. I did too.
Not wanting her to stress over that on her special day, I say, “Let’s hope for drama free from now on.”
When we return to the ballroom, I see couples on the dance floor.
My heart deflates in a long blow of longing. Shoulders slumped, I trudge to the table, but Ian stands up. I think it’s to pull out my chair when he stretches out his hand.
“Would you dance with me?”
I want that so badly. As if he can read my mind, he quickly adds, “It’s your best friend’s wedding and we’re going to immortalize this moment by dancing together.”
I take his hand, loving when he takes control. “You say and do all the right things.”
“It’s easy when it’s for the right person.”
Yeah, steal some more of my heart as if it’s not entirely yours.
As we walk to the dance floor, I feel eyes on us, but I ignore them, savoring the moment with my man.
A slow song starts, and his arms come around my back. I cross mine around his neck, and we move in sync, eyes locked. Dancing together, the world around us vanishes. It’s just Ian and me. The song ends too soon, but another begins, and we sway on the dance floor, lost in our own little world.
With him, nothing else matters. Everything else simply ceases to exist in his orbit.
As the wedding nears its end, he leans into me, whispering, “I booked us a suite for tonight.”
“You did?” I squeal, loving to be loved by him. Loving how he loves me—selflessly, completely, unshakably.
His eyes sparkle, fascinating me more than any galaxy. “Yes, because I have a surprise for you.”
Completely enamored, I sigh dreamily, “You set the bar high, even for you.”
A lopsided grin arches the corner of his mouth. “Trust me, I’ll measure up.”
“Cocky as ever.”
We’re among the last guests to leave, and I hug my best friend, wishing them well and hoping they have the best time on their honeymoon. They’ll be gone for two weeks. But after all the wedding stress, they deserve it.
Inside the elevator, I thought we’d go straight to the suite, but we end up on the rooftop.
A tray of chocolate-covered strawberries awaits, and soft music plays from a sound system. I can see the entire city lighting up in the distance.
