28. Kate
KATE
A year later
“C’mon! Beat that high score!”
I cheered on my boyfriend and his nephew as they competed in a pinball competition.
I had a feeling they were going to win. The two of them had been on a tear as pinball teammates in the last year, and I was so damn proud of them both.
A few seconds later, the pinball machine lit up, and the Hamiltonians, as they called themselves, hit a new high score.
I screamed my heart out, along with my vocal cords. But that was par for the course around Jake. My vocal cords always seemed to get a workout with my man.
When the competition ended, I jumped into his arms, giving him a big, wet kiss. When I let go, I high-fived Carson, then I fist-bumped Christine.
“Our boys rock,” I said.
“That they do,” she seconded. Then she turned to her boyfriend. In the last year, she’d started dating again, and had found happiness with Daniel.
Turned out Trish had played a part in that relationship too.
My boss had quite the cupid in her, I’d learned.
But that wasn’t surprising.
Trish was the queen of this city, and she was a dealmaker. There was nothing she loved better than to seal the bargain, whether in business or love.
We said good night to the three of them after the tournament, and Jake and I went to one of our favorite spots—the scene of our first “scene.”
The Rapture.
We’d played many parts here in the last year, acted out many scenarios—pilot and flight attendant, boss and assistant, teacher and student.
And we’d invented scenarios for many others.
It was the place where we’d fallen into bed and fallen in love. For us, those two things were intertwined.
As they should be.
As we wound down the hall of The Extravagant toward the music pulsing from inside the club, Jake squeezed my hand. “What role do you want to play tonight?”
I tapped my chin, contemplating our options. “How about?—”
I blinked, because Jake had disappeared from my peripheral vision. But he hadn’t actually vanished. At the speed of light, Jake had bent down on one knee, and I found him holding a small velvet box. His gaze locked with mine, his dark-brown eyes so vulnerable.
“There’s one more important role I’d like to play with you. Kate Williams, you are brilliant and beautiful, captivating and kind, sexy and sinful, the most wonderful friend, and the most incredible lover. The only other role I want you to play is my wife. Will you marry me?”
I dropped to my knees too, threw my arms around him, and said yes.
“I’ll take you up on that offer,” I said. “And I’ll bet we’ll make it last for all time.”
“I’ll take that wager.” He slid a gorgeous diamond on my finger as tears of happiness streamed down my cheeks, and the future seemed like the surest bet of all.
Later, our friends joined us at the club to celebrate. Adam bought a bottle of champagne and toasted to us, claiming he was responsible for the union.
I didn’t see a need to correct him.
Besides, Jake had told me what Adam had said, and he had played a part after all.
So many people had their own roles in getting us together, and I felt so lucky that they did. And how lucky was it that I’d decided to explore my fantasies that weekend?
Now we’d have a lifetime of doing just that.
As I drew Jake in for another kiss, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face on the dance floor.
It belonged to a man who had played a part during a meaningful time in my life when he’d shared his thoughts on companionship, friendship, and kindness.
The top escort for one of my biggest clients was dancing with the maid of honor from that fateful girls’ night out.
And I was dying to know what their story was.