“For those of you that have known me for a while, I’ve never been one for big parties,” Anne said. “But right now, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.”
Lizzy let out an unbridled “Wahoo!” and the crowd laughed.
“The New Year is a time for new beginnings. And I’m a big fan of those,” Anne continued, a smile still teasing her lips as her eyes found Freddie’s again. “So Happy New Year’s, everybody. Thanks for spending it with us.”
Another cheer, but this one was from the whole group,punctuated by smiles and hugs and raised glasses all directed at the incredible woman standing before them.
Freddie raised his glass to Anne, too, not even trying to curb the look of adoration on his face. Back in college, he had been known as the ringmaster behind some of the most legendary soirees in NYU history. But he hadn’t thrown those parties just because he enjoyed them. It was also an attempt at coaxing Anne out of her shell, so the world could see what he saw. In the end, he didn’t need to worry about that. She didn’t know how to follow someone into a party. That didn’t mean she didn’t know how to lead them.
The music kicked in then, a tinny, instrumental version of “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,” and Emma stepped forward. She looked more tipsy than her cohorts as she leaned into the microphone, gripping it tightly with both hands and squinting against the spotlights.
“Where is my boyfriend?” she said, her voice loud and muffled.
George smiled as he yelled out, “Over here.”
Emma’s gaze darted over. Then she pointed at him. “Knightley. This one’s for you.”
Knightley chuckled as the three women started singing, each at a completely different pitch.
“Did I miss something?” Will asked.
George shook his head, still smiling. “I asked her to marry me again and she said no.”
Freddie laughed. George had asked Emma to marry him a dozen times since they finally admitted they loved each other three years ago. And even though she had officially moved in with him over the summer, she was still adamant about never walking down the aisle. Freddie never really understood why, though, and last summer, while the six of them were out in the Hamptons staying at Will’s house in Montauk, he made the mistake of asking Emma.He ended up spending the next hour listening to her pontificate on how people’s antiquated notions of marriage were detrimental to the advancement of women in the twenty-first century.
“Why do you keep asking her?” he asked.
George sighed. “Is it weird if I say foreplay?”
“Yes,” Will murmured, taking a sip of his beer.
George smiled again. “All right. Maybe it’s just a way of letting her know that I don’t care either way. I know she doesn’t want to, and I’m all right with that. But if she changes her mind, the offer is there, too.” He took a sip of his drink and nodded to the stage, where the three women had abandoned the lyrics in a fit of laughter. “This isn’t Regency England. They don’t need us to survive. They’ll flourish either way. So then, it’s really up to them if they want it.”
Freddie turned to Will. “What about you and Lizzy?”
Will looked at him as if this was a stupid question.
George chuckled. “So what are you waiting for?”
“We’re not in a rush,” Will said, his gaze drifting back to the stage. His expression softened a bit when his eyes met Lizzy’s. “Besides, her older sister is getting married soon, so she doesn’t want to take any attention away from that.”
George nodded again, then turned to Freddie. “And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“What areyouwaiting for?”
Freddie considered. He and Anne had talked about getting married. Of course they had. Back in college, it had seemed like a sure thing, an inevitable future that they didn’t need to plan for, so they took it for granted. Now, so many years later, they understood the gravity, the nuance. But most importantly, they both appreciated the time. Not only how much was ahead, but how much had passed. They had wasted years already and the ideaof spending any more time apart sent a unique panic through his bloodstream.
Suddenly, he couldn’t remember what he was waiting for. Unlike Emma, Anne wanted to get married. She always had. And unlike Lizzy, she didn’t have any major milestones she was waiting to accomplish. Anne had moved in with him last spring and reclaimed her old bedroom as her office. They even started a tradition by picking the worst Christmas tree on the lot again this year. Its almost-bare branches were still decorated in their living room.
As for Freddie, he had wanted to marry her since the first moment he saw her freshman year. Everything was right there, just waiting to be realized. And suddenly his mind zeroed in on the note sitting in his wallet. The one that had been there for more than a decade.
The song reached its crescendo and the room was cheering so loudly it was impossible for the men to continue their conversation. Not that they would want to, anyway. Anne, Lizzy, and Emma had stolen their attention, swaying together as they practically yelled the song’s final lyrics.
“Are you ready, boots? Start walkin’!”
Applause erupted around them as the women bowed, then stumbled from the stage directly to where the three men were standing by the bar. Anne leaned into Freddie’s side while Emma fell into George’s embrace, planting a kiss on his lips. Lizzy stopped in front of Will even as his arms encircled her waist.
