13. Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Vic
“I ’m married,” I say, standing to one side while Ava takes pictures of Tanner and his groomsmen. Our usual photographer was already booked for today, as were most of the other wedding photographers we occasionally work with. So Ava had offered to do it for us, and we’d accepted.
“That’s what that ring on your finger means, yes,” Spencer says.
“No, I mean. I’m actually married. To Tanner.”
Spencer and Adalie give me a concerned look. “Wasn’t that the plan?” Adalie asks.
“Yes, but…” I scan the beach, stalling for time as I search for the right words. Because all I can really think about is the way his lips had felt on mine. The gentle way he’d held me, as if I were the most precious thing in the world. And just a tiny bit, how, once upon a time, I’d been in love with him. It’s been hard for me to even think those words, but I can’t stop thinking them now. “How am I going to do this? I haven’t had a relationship last longer than a few months since Emily.”
“This isn’t exactly a relationship, Vic,” Adalie says. “It’s a business arrangement. Isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I say, lifting my hand toward my mouth before Spencer grabs it and pushes it back down. The thing that’s really freaking me out is this relationship hasn’t felt strictly business. The more time I spend with Tanner, the more I remember how we used to be friends. How I’d liked him. How good we’d been in bed. I don’t say any of this to my friends. Instead, I say, “We’re going to live together. I’ve never lived with someone before.”
Spencer snorts.
“You don’t count,” I tell him. “I never—” I break off, because I don’t want to admit this part out loud.
I don’t have to, because Spencer finishes it for me. “You were never attracted to me?” He asks the question in his I-told-you-so voice, so I glare at him. He is completely unfazed.
Though I do appreciate he took pity on me and said attracted instead of had feelings for .
“Are you starting to want a real relationship with Tanner?” Adalie asks.
“No. Of course not.” But that fucking kiss flashes through my mind again and something inside calls me a liar.
The way Spencer is looking at me, he knows it, too.
“He was your friend once,” Adalie says. “Maybe you can start there. Just because it’s business doesn’t mean you can’t also be friends. Look at the four of us.”
I take a breath. “I can do that. Friends and business partners. Like the four of us.” Except, after that kiss, I kind of want another one. Without the audience this time.
Ava calls us over and we take more pictures, some with just me and Tanner, some with the whole group. His niece and nephew get in a few, but they’re young and sat so nicely through the ceremony, I don’t make them stay long. Addison takes them to get changed so they can play in the sand for a while before the reception.
“Okay. A couple more,” Ava says. “Vic, do you have that heart he made for you?”
I pick it up from where I set it with my bouquet.
“Perfect,” she says. “This was adorable, by the way,” she tells Tanner. “I want to get a couple with it in the picture.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Because it’s adorable,” she says. “I just said that.”
She moves us around as though we’re puppets and she’s the puppet master, turning us this way and that until we’re between her and the ocean, facing each other, and I’m holding the paper heart in my hand at my side.
“What do you want us to do?” I ask.
“Stand there and talk to each other. Completely ignore me. But actually, Vic, take half a step closer to Tanner. Tanner, put your far arm around Vic’s waist.”
We do as she says, so we’re basically hugging, and I have to look up at him. He’s not a lot taller than me in the heels, but I’d taken them off while we’re in the sand. I swallow because we’re so close together I could easily raise my lips to steal another kiss. I don’t, but I consider it. Instead, I drop my gaze to his tie, noticing the pattern I hadn’t seen earlier.
“Are there hearts on your tie?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
It’s a black tie, with a darker black pattern of little hearts all over it.
“Where did you find something like this?”
He shrugs. “I’ve had this one for a while. It’s the one I wear on Valentine’s Day. I thought it was appropriate for today. By the way, you weren’t lying about your dress being unconventional.”
“You said it was perfect,” I remind him.
“It is. An unconventional wedding needs an unconventional dress. Besides, you’re breathtaking.”
A smile creeps up at his compliment. “You look pretty good, as well, you know. Did you have this suit for a while, too, or is it new?”
“Oh, I just dusted it off and chucked it on. Nothing special.”
My smile widens. “Nothing special, huh?”
“Nope.”
“I think you’re lying,” I say.
He leans down, making my breath catch as he whispers in my ear. “You’re right. I am lying. Except for the tie and pocket square, it’s brand new. Figured you were getting a new dress, I should get a new suit.”
“That’s it,” Ava calls. “Excellent. We can all go eat now.”
I inhale sharply. I’d forgotten she was here. That all my friends are here. I take a step away from Tanner and he lets me go.
I stare at the sand for a moment, gathering my composure, before looking up and following everyone back to the venue. Tanner stays by my side.
“We should probably hold hands to walk in,” he says, adjusting his glasses.
I hold out my hand instead of responding and we wait for a moment for the emcee to announce us.
“It is my pleasure,” I hear from inside the building, “to introduce, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Marcus.”
“That’s us,” Tanner says and we walk in together to cheering.
It’s somewhat surreal to be introduced that way. I’d never considered, in all my thirty-two years, of changing my last name. Had, in fact, intended to never change my last name. But here I am. Victoria Marcus.
I have to say, I kind of like how it sounds.
My father walks up to me immediately after we enter, smiling his fake smile.
“Congratulations, you two,” he says, shaking Tanner’s hand. “Can I speak with you for a minute, Victoria?” He grins at Tanner. “Don’t worry. I’ll have your wife back before you can miss her.”
“That won’t be possible,” Tanner says.
He lets go of my hand and Dad leads me back out onto the deck where people are mingling in the sun.
“Did you change your name?” he asks.
“Yes. Once all the paperwork is filed, anyway. Is there a problem?” I know what his problem is. Tanner told me how he was certain Dad wanted me to keep my last name and potentially even have Tanner take the Sterling name. I’d asked if it had been written into the contract and Tanner said no. So I’d said screw him. If that’s what Dad wants, he can come and tell me and not try to manipulate me.
“I assumed you’d want to remain a Sterling,” he says. “Think of the connections, and your children.”
I grit my teeth at his mention of children. He knows I don’t want them, that I’ve never wanted kids. He and Mom are certain I’ll change my mind. I’m thirty-two years old. You would think I’d have changed my mind by now if I was going to.
“I have connections already, Dad. I don’t need to remain Victoria Sterling to keep them. People get married and change their names all the time and people don’t magically forget about them when they do.”
He narrows his eyes at me, and I know I’ve messed up his plans. I stare back, because I don’t care. It’s been a few years since I stopped caring about his opinion.
Since this is a temporary marriage, it probably would have made more sense if Tanner and I simply kept our last names the same. What can I say? I’m petty.
“Vic?” Tanner calls, coming up to us. “They want to know when to do the first dance. You wanted to do that before dinner, right?”
“Yes.”
He holds out his hand, allowing me an escape from my father. I take it, letting his fingers wrap around my hand, the warmth spreading up my arm as he pulls me away.
We move to the centre of the dance floor and a song starts. Tanner wraps his arm around my waist, holding me close. This is the part of the wedding I’d dreaded the most—dancing with people watching me—which is why I’d wanted it out of the way first. As we begin, Tanner distracts me by asking, “What song is this?”
I listen for a second. The woman is singing about how someone makes her feel like she’s never had her heart broken. “I don’t know,” I say. “I asked Derek to choose something. I think he said it’s by Jessie Murph? It’s good though.”
A male voice begins to sing next, saying something about love being a gamble, and Tanner says, “It’s not exactly a traditional wedding song, is it?”
I laugh. “It’s not exactly a traditional wedding.”
Tanner smiles, reaching up to trace a finger along my cheek. It’s a tender gesture that doesn’t really belong in our business relationship, but I don’t tell him to stop.
“Richard wanted to ask about you changing your name, didn’t he?”
I nod.
“I told you he’d be pissed.”
I shrug. “It’s my name. I can do what I want.”
Tanner smiles at me. “So, Mrs. Marcus, what do you want to do then?”
“Eat. I’m starving.”
He laughs and I can’t help but smile back. I hadn’t exactly meant it as a joke. Regardless that this marriage is temporary, the idea of the wedding still gave me jitters enough that I haven’t eaten much today.
He leans down and kisses my cheek, in the same place he’d been touching me before. “Another couple minutes and we can eat,” he promises.
I keep my hand in his and my other around his neck, even though I really want to touch my cheek where he just kissed me. Instead, I listen to the song we’re dancing to, and how she’d never thought she’d find someone who was good at being real. And I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone more real than Tanner Marcus. My husband.