This could be a good life. Thiswasa good life. I loved it more every single day.
“I’ve been thinking,” I said after a few heartbeats of comfortable silence. “Maybe satisfied-in-otter-bay?”
Xander quirked an eyebrow.
“For Instagram,” I said, looking down into my champagne. “I know it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but… I’m not starving, anymore.”
The next thing I knew, Xander was pulling me in for a kiss, fingers in my hair, lips champagne-flavored and warm and soft as ever. I melted against him, work temporarily forgotten.
“Glad to hear it,” he murmured against my lips, not letting me escape. Not that I wanted to escape. Kissing Xander was right at the top of my favorite activities.
It took a wolf-whistle from the crowd to finally break us apart, and I turned to see that the whistler was Muriel herself, grinning from ear to ear.
“Sorry, that was unprofessional,” I apologized.
I wasn’t actually sorry, though. I’d never be sorry for kissing Xander.
Muriel snorted. “Honey, this is awedding,” she said. “The more kisses the better.”
I glanced at Xander, sharing a tiny, shy smile with him.
“Speaking of which, we’re planning on leaving in just a handful of minutes,” Muriel said. “I’m about to say my goodbyes, I thought you’d want the head’s up. Can’t miss our exit!”
“Not for the world,” I said. “And uh. Thank you, for this opportunity. It means—“
“The world to you, I know, you’ve said about a hundred times,” Muriel said, but she was smiling the whole time. “And why wouldn’t I want Otter Bay’s best photographer to capture my wedding? You make me look stunning.”
Heat rose to my cheeks, but I couldn’t stop myself smiling at that. It was nice to feel like I was actually good at something. Like I was appreciated.
“The camera just captures what’s already there,” I said, smiling at her.
Muriel laughed, pulling me down by the shoulder to kiss my cheek. “You’re a good boy, Milo,” she said. “Finish that champagne and meet us out front in fifteen.”
Xander bumped his hip against mine as Muriel walked away, launching into her round of goodbyes. “See? I don’t tell you you’re a great photographer because I’m trying to get into your pants,” he said.
“No, it’s literally everything else you tell me that’s aimed at getting into my pants,” I teased.
“Don’t hear you complaining,” Xander said, shuffling closer and giving my ass a discreet squeeze.
“I’m not,” I said. “You’re always welcome in my pants.”
Xander chuckled, letting his hand drop and settling to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me.
“What was it you were gonna tell me earlier?” I asked, sipping my champagne.
“Oh, nothing important,” Xander said. “Just that I caught Dawn making out with Roxie behind the marquee.”
I choked on my champagne, barely saving myself from spraying it all over everyone around me.
Xander patted my back, chuckling as I recovered.
I searched the crowd for Dawn, spotted her in a corner with her short-nailed fingers brushing against Roxie’s perfectly manicured ones, and smiled.
EPILOGUE
XANDER
One year later…
