Her lips curved up. “I was invited just like you.” She flipped her hair and leaned back. “I’m surprised to see you here, though.Last Resortstill has a good week to wrap.”
“I’d do anything to make Maggie happy. If she wants me at her birthday party, I’ll be at her birthday party.”
She pursed her lips. “You’ll also call her talented, waste your money on her ridiculous scripts, and destroy your career by starring in her shitty movies, just to make her happy?”
“You are one fuckin’ spiteful bitch.” He leaned forward. “Maggie’s the most beautiful and talented person I’ve ever seen. I bought her scripts because I loved them even before I knew they were hers.”
“Yeah. Whatever makes you sleep better at night.”
He shook his head incredulously. “Speaking of the most beautiful and talented girl in the world, where’s she? I’d like to wish her a happy birthday.”
She downed her glass and pointed at the door leading to the outside deck. “Out there with Kyle.”
He rose. “Excuse me.”
“I wouldn’t go there if I were you. You wouldn’t want to interrupt someone’s proposal.”
Scene30
Maggie
I held myself, rubbing my arms, looking across the horizon of twinkling stars and L.A. city lights. “I know you have a surprise for me, but it’s cold out here. Can we take it inside?”
Kyle laughed under his breath, taking off his blazer. Then he placed it on my shoulders. “How do you know about the surprise?”
I adjusted it around me, warmth wrapping me already. “Dad told me. That’s why you’re slightly forgiven for inviting Andrea.”
He laughed again, his hands nervously looking for his pockets.
My mind ran on automatic, registering every piece of information I’d been given subtly. He’d been nervous all night, now more than ever. He had a surprise for me that involved both my parents. He’d been checking his pocket every…
No!
I gulped, my knees weak, my hands squeezing the ice-cold railing for support.
Kyle started his speech, but I couldn’t hear the words, the noise in my head too loud. Breathing seemed to be the hardest task in the world. I began to shiver, sweat trickling down my back. He must have noticed because he came close and folded his arms around me. I still couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I could hear both our hearts pounding dangerously.
He held my face between his hands, the night lights in his eyes. “I love you, Maggie, more than anything.” His lips touched mine. They were cold, too, like everything else at the moment. Like everything we’d had in the past three weeks. He inserted one hand inside the blazer on me and came out with a small velvet box.
I could feel the blood slipping away from my face, tears clouding my vision. Kyle’s knee found the floor, and my heart found it, too.
As he opened the box, the dazzling sparkle of the very expensive rock on the ring blinded me. He swallowed hard and smiled. “Maggie Carolina Dawson, will you make me the happiest man in the world…and marry me?”
Scene31
Mike
Mike felt something twitch inside him, something intense, something that sent him spiraling.
A victorious smirk covered Andrea’s face as she tapped him on the shoulder and strutted away. She was enjoying this.
He spun around and stared through the dark glass until he found Maggie and the asshole who was about to steal her from him for good. Except Maggie was never his, and he’d never told her he wanted nothing more than to be hers.
This can’t happen. I have to tell her.
He stalked forward as Kyle went down on one knee, ignoring everything that once mattered, ready to unleash hell. A fist grabbing his arm made him flinch and stop midway.
