Page 154 of The Plus One Pact

"Good one." He laughs and puts his hand over his eyes.

I slip out the door.

Cynthia is already in her dress, and she looks beautiful. Radiant. She throws her arms around me. "I'm glad she made it."

"Me too."

"Don't fuck it up." She kisses me on the cheek and returns to her room.

I move down the stairs. Into the living room, where Ivy is waiting in the foyer.

The space is already set up for the reception. Right now, it's quiet. All the guests are in the backyard. Not that it's a lot of people.

Mom. A few friends. Some relatives. Cynthia's parents.

Ivy stands under a Congratulations banner.

She looks beautiful and perfect and nervous.

The sight of her soothes something in me. Some place that’s afraid. No, not just the sight. The smell, the sound, the feeling of her presence.

I like being around her.

It’s really that simple.

"Hey." Her voice is nervous. Like she doesn’t know how to say all the right things.

"Hey." Mine is too. I barely recognize it. After all, I don’t get nervous. I don’t put my heart on the line enough to risk anything. Or I didn’t.

"I'm not sure I got the timing quite right. I was too nervous to tell you about the episode. And I wanted to ask how you’d like to handle your identity. I can decline to share more details. Or I can share some incorrect ones. I can even find another escort willing to go on record as my mystery man. So no one will know it’s you.”

“I don’t care about that.”

“You don’t?” Confusion streaks her eyes.

She’s right to be confused. I do care about that. I don’t want someone else to take my place as the man who rocked her world. Even if it risks more people finding the truth.

I don’t want to lie anymore.

“Don’t,” I say. “Tell people the truth.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Ivy smooths her teal midi dress. It's perfect. Exactly how I imagine her on formal occasions, yet completely different. A soft silk that drapes over her curves and falls just past her knee. Smooth enough to touch. Formal yet casual.

"You look beautiful."

"Thanks. I was jealous of how Cynthia looked in this in purple, so I figured, hey, if she doesn't like it, why let the cut go to waste?" She takes another step towards me. "You do too."

"Beautiful?"

She nods. "Handsome too. And maybe a little ragged."

"Hey."

She smiles. "I'm trying something. Honesty."