Chapter 30
Zinnia
The schedule allotted one hour for wedding party photos while guests trekked across the estate to the reception ballroom. No one knew how Beatrix had even gotten past security inside the venue—until Sadie called from her delivery room.
Wedding Segment Producer Neal was fired on the spot for being a traitor.
“A beautiful ceremony just doesn’t make headlines the way it used to,” Mabel explained to Zinnia. “For storyline purposes, Alfie and Bea belonged together. The network wanted to see it through.”
Zinnia watched Jordan for a moment, currently taking solo pictures with her parents. He made her dad laugh mid–camera flash.
Mabel went on. “You’ll never hear me say this again, so enjoy it while you can: I’m sorry I missed the signs.
I should’ve known something was up and put a stop to it.
Also, if you could ask your obscenely attractive friend to calm down, that’d be great.
She actually threatened me. I’ve never been so scared and turned on in my life.
I didn’t need to know that about myself. ”
“It has to be somebody’s fault. Grace landed on you because there’s no one else. Sorry.” Zinnia gave her a hug. “I’m glad we met. May our paths never cross professionally ever again.”
“Oh, they will. Who do you think is mentoring Nora?”
“We haven’t said yes,” Zinnia reminded her. “Negotiations are only that.”
While they had turned down Charles and Magda’s offer, several more had poured in over the last few months.
They were considering signing on to a limited travel series, filmed two weeks at a time quarterly.
Sharing their vacations as opposed to their daily life had appeal.
Not to mention, their businesses would benefit from continued participation in the Zaffre brand.
For better or for worse, they were public figures now. Their goal was to embrace it as carefully and safely as possible. They’d find the best path for them eventually.
“Baby girl! Come on!” Her dad called her over to join their photo.
During the reception, Fiona and Wylie gave speeches and then the Zaffres began disappearing one by one as planned. Jordan’s parents went first, saying goodbye with hugs and well wishes.
“There’s nothing like taking a red-eye to China,” Damon said.
“Thank you for coming. And thank you for paying,” Zinnia joked. “We literally couldn’t have done this without you.”
He laughed. “I’d ask you to take good care of him, but I know you already do. I’m proud to have you as a daughter-in-law.”
“Excuse you, that’s my line, dear.” Amber smiled, looping her arm through his.
Being on good terms with Amber was honestly still a little strange, but Zinnia was getting used to it.
Exactly sixty-seven minutes later, Wylie made a quiet exit. And forty-three minutes after that, Lulie followed with a loud on-camera announcement: she and Eric were going to Las Vegas.
“Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge,” she said while hugging Jordan.
He smiled at her, doting as ever. “No.”
“Alfie—”
“No.”
“But you—”
“No.”
“You can’t tell—”
“No.”
Eric sidled up next to her. In his fitted suit with a red bow tie, he could’ve easily passed for one of Zinnia’s younger cousins.
He was surprisingly shorter than Lulie by a generous amount but radiated confidence.
Whereas she was moody and boisterous, he had a mellow presence.
His clear brown eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses were careful and smart.
“Babe, I think he means it. Maybe next year.”
Zinnia cut Jordan off before he could say anything else. “Thank you for coming. You two have a good night and make good choices, okay?”
“We’ll try.” Eric grinned.
Zinnia’s family were among the last guests to leave. They said goodbye just before midnight.
“I love you,” Fiona said to Zinnia and turned to Jordan. “I’m fond of you.”
“I appreciate that,” he said with a laugh.
“Text us when you land. Send as many pictures as you want,” Grace said.
Somehow, they still weren’t together. It would happen, someday, when they were ready. Whatever kept them apart would fade and then they’d have their own love story to tell.
“Bye, my baby,” her mom said, holding her cheeks. “You’re so beautiful. Look at you. Married. Again.”
“We’ll see you in three weeks,” her dad promised. “Call us in the meantime.”
When they got back from New Zealand, they were spending Thanksgiving weekend with her parents.
Zaffre holidays were filmed affairs and Zinnia didn’t want to have all of their firsts as a married couple on camera. So this year, her parents got Thanksgiving, his parents got Christmas Day, and they’d have Christmas Eve to themselves—the start of their new family tradition.
After the camera pods officially clocked out for the night, Jordan led Zinnia out to the dance floor, serenaded by melodic harmonization as their song began to play. They’d decided on a simple slow dance to keep things easy.
“Did you really say all that to Bea?” she asked.
“Yep. Walked right into the selective editing trap.” He peered at her and planted a quick kiss on her nose.
“Although, you should’ve known something was up when she said I compared everyone I dated to her.
Because we never did. Zin, we had business meetings.
I set up that inside joke specifically for you. ”
Her triumphant cackle drowned out the music for a moment as they continued dancing in neat loops across the floor in the empty, glittering ballroom.
“Jordan,” she began, wanting to go first. “I decided to search for a stranger to marry because I thought I was never going to find my person. I’ve never been in love before because that doesn’t make sense to me.
The way I love people feels so all-encompassing, it’s always been enough for me, and it still is.
It’s something that I hope I’m able to hold on to until the day I die.
But I didn’t realize there could be more for me to find.
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love you more than my parents or Grace and Fiona.
For me, it’s like different shades of the same wondrous color.
I love you in a way that makes me feel like I’ll never be alone again.
Even if you leave me someday, I’ll still have the memory of being your other half and how miraculous it felt.
Your shade of my love means you are my person.
My stranger. My plus-one. I love you, Jordan.
For as long as my heart is beating and my soul is shining. I love you so, so much.”
“Oh.” He was blinking a lot and cleared his throat. “I, uh…oh.”
Zinnia didn’t know if she believed in soulmates, but damn it, the way her heart roared as she said her vow made a compelling case for him. She kissed his cheek until he made her stop by kissing her instead.
“Being loved by you is the greatest honor of my life,” Jordan said breathlessly.
“For a long time, I thought you’d never love me back.
I waited for the moment when I’d realize it was time to leave.
I’d accept that I was wasting my time being obsessed with you.
And then I realized that actually, no, I was never going to leave, because I was exactly where I wanted to be.
“The love I feel for you is so transcendent it changed me. I didn’t need you to love me back because my feelings were my own.
You inspired them. That didn’t make you responsible for them.
I am in love with you because that’s how it works for me.
I want to spend my life, my forever, with you, my love.
For as long as you’ll have me, however that looks. ”
Zinnia honestly didn’t think anything could ever surpass my wife.
My love knocked her senseless, stole her passport, and shipped her off to sea. It was uncharted waters just waiting to be explored with him—exhilarating and wonderfully terrifying. An adventure to last a lifetime.
“Say that again.” She had to close her eyes for a moment to catch her breath. “Just one more time, please.”
He smiled, knowing exactly what she wanted. “Say what, my love?”