Marriage & Mockery (Betray Me Once #5)
Chapter 1
BENNETT
Sitting on the edge of our bed, my crisp white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar, I scribbled one last tweak to my acceptance speech notes.
I didn’t think I would actually need to use it, but I wanted to be prepared for the slim chance The Wrong Side of Right received the Best Comedy Series award tonight.
Although the show had become wildly popular over the past four years, we had stiff competition from the other nominees.
I had been thanking my lucky stars ever since my proposal was greenlit for a pilot episode, bypassing the standard full script requirement.
I’d had some minor success before, writing episodes for several shows and even creating another series that lasted for two seasons before getting the axe.
But nothing like the furor that had surrounded the quirky, ensemble workplace sitcom that had captured audiences from the first episode.
“Definitely need to thank them, too,” I mumbled to myself, jotting down another note.
My speech was more funny than flowery, which was fitting since I was known for writing comedy. Being sentimental was more my wife’s forte.
Lifting my head, I glanced toward the bathroom, where Laina’s sweet voice was singing off-key. She was murdering some song from her favorite streaming station, the same way she always did when she got excited.
A smile tugged at my mouth. That sound had been one of my favorites for eighteen years. It never failed to loosen the knot in my chest.
I set the notes aside and stood, drawn toward the bathroom door like I had been since the day I met Laina.
Back when she was a senior in college, and I was a broke writer pounding out scripts on a secondhand laptop.
After graduation, I talked her into moving into my cramped one-bedroom apartment, where I’d been surviving on ramen and sheer stubbornness.
She had worked two jobs to keep us afloat, left encouraging sticky notes on the fridge, and somehow kept us both laughing through the rejections and an empty bank account. Even after we had Lucy, she went back to work only two weeks later because that was all the paid maternity leave she had.
Now we had a multi-million-dollar house in Malibu, right on the beach.
The check I got for the pilot had been more than I’d ever made, allowing Laina to quit the job she’d had back then so she could focus on Lucy, who wanted to do gymnastics and dance.
And the pay had only gone up from there.
Between fees for writing and producing, plus backend points, my overall deal with the studio netted me twenty million a year.
Hell, even the residuals for streaming my first show earned me mid-five-figures now that it’d blown up too.
That kind of money was a drop in the bucket to us, but it would’ve been enough to keep us afloat a decade ago.
Better late than never. At least my wife got to do shit she enjoyed instead of busting her butt to keep things afloat while I tried to make a name for myself in the industry.
I leaned against the doorframe and drank Laina in.
She stood in front of the mirror in a deep burgundy gown, the fabric hugging every lush curve like it had been poured over her.
The plunge of the V-neck made my hands itch to trace the edge along her soft skin, and the slit up one thigh revealed a teasing stretch of leg as she shifted her weight.
Her long brown hair fell in soft waves down her back, and her brown eyes met mine in the mirror.
“Still murdering that chorus, I see,” I teased, stepping behind her. My hands found her hips, sliding around to rest on the curve of her waist as I pulled her back against me.
“Like that’s a surprise.” Laina leaned into my touch. “How’s the speech coming?”
I pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, breathing in her scent. “Doesn’t matter. Tonight’s already my lucky night, even if I don’t win. I’ll have the most beautiful woman in the room on my arm.”
Meeting my gaze in the mirror’s reflection, she rolled her eyes. “Not hardly, with so many famous actresses there.”
“I stand by my words.” I trailed my lips up her neck to her ear, smirking at her little shiver. “Best damn thing I ever did was convince you to go on that first date with me.”
She turned in my arms, and her hands smoothed over the front of my shirt, adjusting the collar with a familiar touch. “I’m so glad you did, because I get to be the woman at your side when you win tonight. I’m so proud of you, honey.”
Her faith in me had kept me going whenever I doubted myself. “I never could’ve done it without you, baby.”
Lucy burst through the bedroom door without knocking and made a beeline for the bathroom. At fourteen, she usually thought she was too cool to be excited, but the nomination was apparently enough to impress even her.
“A Kiton, Dad? Really? It’s Hollywood, not a secret meeting of Swiss bankers.
You should’ve just gone with Tom Ford.” She leaned against the doorframe.
“And Mom, that dress is fire, but if you two start making out on camera, I’m going to pretend I don’t know you anytime we’re in public for at least the next few weeks. ”
I chuckled, and Laina turned toward our daughter with the special smile she reserved for us.
“You’re not fooling anyone with that tough act.” She crossed the room to brush a stray lock of hair behind Lucy’s ear. “I left a plate in the fridge for you to heat when you get hungry.”
Lucy rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched up in a reluctant smile. “Thanks, Mom.”
Watching them together, I couldn’t help but think these two were the real victory. The solid foundation we’d built as a family was my true success. Nothing else came close. Not even the award I was in the running for tonight, no matter how much I wanted to win.
Laina pulled Lucy into a quick side hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before our daughter darted out of the room as quickly as she’d entered.
While my wife finished getting ready, I headed down to the den to drink a glass of scotch, hoping to settle my nerves.
I was used to being behind the camera, not in front of it, so I was as jittery about going up on stage as I was excited about the possibility of actually winning.
I was just finishing my drink when my wife came downstairs looking utterly gorgeous. As we walked out the front door to the waiting Town Car, Lucy warned, “Don’t trip on the way to the stage. That’d be so embarrassing.”
“Gee, thanks,” I grumbled.
Laina looped her arm around mine with a grin. “At least she’s confident you’re going to win.”
“I love how you always look for the silver lining.” I helped her into the back seat of the car before sliding in next to her. “It’s one of my favorite things about you.”
She batted her lashes at me. “Tell me more. Flattery will get you everywhere, darling.”
My wife wasn’t one to fish for compliments, so I knew she was joking. But that didn’t stop me from spending the entire drive whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
My hand slid to her thigh, slipping through the high slit of her gown to rest against her warm skin. I felt that familiar pull that had never faded over the years.
Fame had pulled me away more than I liked lately, but tonight wouldn’t be the same without her right here beside me. She was the reason any of it mattered.
We pulled up to the venue, and cameras flashed in rapid succession as we stepped out onto the red carpet.
I kept Laina tucked close against my side, my arm wrapped firmly around her waist, shielding her from the worst of the chaos while proudly showing her off.
People called my name, but I only had eyes for the woman beside me.
We settled at our assigned table near the front, surrounded by industry heavyweights in tailored suits and glittering gowns who nodded politely while their eyes assessed every detail.
My gaze kept drifting back to Laina across the short distance between us.
She looked stunning, radiant in the soft lighting, every inch the woman who had captured my heart all those years ago and never let go.
I was so damn proud to have her on my arm as we worked the room, but the nervous energy began to build again when we took our seats. Then the moment finally came when the host stepped to the podium and announced, “And now, the award for Best Comedy Series…”
Laina reached over and squeezed my hand supportively, her touch helping to bring my pulse back down a little.
“Bennett Parker for The Wrong Side of Right.”
The table erupted in cheers and applause, but I didn’t fully accept that they’d said my name until Laina jumped up and wrapped her arms around me. “I knew it!”
I stood and gave her a quick kiss before whispering, “I love you,” against her lips. Then I headed toward the stage, stunned that I’d be giving my acceptance speech tonight.