59. Chapter Fifty-Nine
Three Years Later
And the Instagram post from the gossip site says, “Graham Crowley is fit! The action hero / producer / writer status looks good on him. But we have noticed that Christina Malloy hasn’t been seen in the past few months.”
* * *
My stomach threatens to betray me. I’m sewn into this dress, and I can’t breathe.
The last time I was this uncomfortable, a rumor had been started about me and Graham Crowley dating.
I can’t help but smile at the thought now, twisting the diamond on my finger even as my insides fight for space. I owe everything to the first person who passed on the rumor nearly three years ago, and to our agents who wanted to capitalize on it.
Dolly brushes up next to my chair and I rest my hand on her back. She’s been keeping an eye on me—my protector.
“I’m okay, sweetheart,” I say, running my hand down her back. “It’s going to be a long night.”
“And I promise not to leave your side,” Graham says from behind me, and I turn to take him in.
He’s dressed in a custom-made tuxedo that accents his wide chest and shoulders. Action heroes don’t fit into tuxedos easily—we’ve found humor in this knowledge for the past few weeks leading up to the premiere.
Graham reaches a hand out to me, and I take it, easing from my seat.
“You look radiant,” he says as he runs a finger over my jaw, down my throat, and into my cleavage, grinning like a teenager being allowed his first touch. “I can’t wait to get you out of this dress.”
That has me lifting his hand away and lacing our fingers together. “Mr. Crowley, you know that this dress isn’t coming off without a trained seamstress in attendance.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “I’d pay extra just to tear it off of you.”
I lean into him, careful not to get my makeup on his jacket, and his arms come around me. “Tempting. Oh, so tempting,” I tease, taking a step back and blowing out a breath before I suck in another.
Concern contorts his face, and his eyes grow darker. “Are you okay?”
“Don’t judge me, but I’m sure before the night is out, I’m going to be sick.”
“We don’t have to do this,” he says, and I shake my head.
“We most certainly do have to do this. We have a lot invested in tonight,” I remind him as I brush a piece of lint off his jacket. “I’ve never wanted to attend a movie premiere more than I do this one. Whisked Away”—I use my hand to envision the marquee—“written by Graham Crowley and based on the bestselling book by Graham Crowley. Produced by Graham Crowley. Starring Graham Crowley,” I say with a laugh. “I’m so proud of you.”
He pulls me to him. “If only I hadn’t had an affair with my leading lady.” He winks at me.
“Yeah, well, that affair is what makes me so uncomfortable in this dress,” I remind him.
Graham runs his hand over the swell of my stomach. “Oh, so worth it.”
Loki joins us, and Graham pats him on his side. And, just as Dolly had, Loki brushes up against me to let me know he’s here for me too.
“Your mom said she’s ready,” he says, and I nod.
“And your parents?”
“Their car is waiting for them downstairs too. Mom has changed her dress three times.”
I laugh at that. I think she might be more nervous than I am.
* * *
My mother checks her lipstick in the mirror of her compact. She radiates a glow of a happy and successful woman.
I know she’d say it was the new technology she’s invested in for her chain of spas that makes her look so young and beautiful, but I think that divorcing my father and moving into my condo when I moved in with Graham is what did that for her.
In the past few years, she’s moved on from therapy, opened six more spa locations, and though she’s tried to hide it, I’ve heard a rumor that she’s seeing a plastic surgeon—romantically that is.
Before she closes the compact, she adjusts her earrings, which were custom made from the rings that my father had bought her over the years. Once they were divorced, and my mother had taken her share of my father’s wealth, he admitted to multiple affairs, and those rings were tokens of guilt.
As of yet, I haven’t mended my relationship with my father. I’m not sure when I’ll be ready for that—or if I’ll be ready for that.
Penny hands me my clutch as the car pulls up in front of the theater.
“Thank you,” I say, patting her hand before she pulls it back.
She smiles wide in her custom-made dress, her own clutch on her lap.
King of Mischief Productions has become a lifeline for all of us. Graham swooped in when my father pulled out of my Penelope Mondragon movie, and not only did it save the movie, but I’m contracted for two more Penelope Mondragon movies. The first was box office gold, and they’re banking on the others to have the same kind of success. And the memes that circulate social media comparing me to Meg Ryan are epic, in my opinion.
Of course, I also got to be with the man I love, and no contract or rumor could keep me from him.
I became Graham’s business partner only a week after we got married in a private ceremony with my mother, his family, Penny as my maid of honor, and Milo as Graham’s best man in the backyard of Graham’s house—our house. I can guarantee that Loki and Dolly were excited to have their parents get married.
Once I was a partner in King of Mischief Productions, we hired Penny to run the office, and Milo became an investor. He’s no longer the safe friend who isn’t involved in the industry.
Graham has written two more books, and he says the words flow since I’m his muse and he wakes up next to me every morning.
Graham takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. “Are you doing okay?”
I nod with a smile, trying to reassure both of us. “I’ll be fine. But I hope you have an escape plan if we need it.”
Graham leans in and brushes a kiss over my lips. “In a few minutes, the whole world will understand our need to sneak out if we need to.”
I bite down on my bottom lip. This dress is so tight, there will be no speculation about why I look sick. But we’ve planned our entrance, and this will be our announcement without saying a word.
As the car comes to a stop, the door is opened, and my mother takes the hand offered to her.
There is a roar of applause for her, and for the first time, I can’t help but enjoy her moment with her. She deserves appreciation from the masses.
Milo exits the car next and offers his hand to Penny.
“This is our dream come true, right?” Graham says. “We have it all now?”
I run my hand over my belly and smile back at him. “We have it all.”
“Wait until they see our next publicity stunt,” he says, resting his hand over mine.
“It’ll be epic.”
He eases in and presses a kiss to my lips. “Let’s go stir things up.”
Graham moves to the door and climbs from the car. The noise from those outside escalates as my gorgeous, action hero husband is seen by the crowd. He gives them a wave before reaching for my hand.
As I step out of the car, his arm comes around me, and his hand goes directly to my belly. We share a smile and then wave at those who have amassed to celebrate the man who brought this moment to life.
It’s also that moment that our baby kicks for the very first time.
Graham’s eyes go wide, and I cover his hand with mine.
“Did you feel that?” he asks.
I laugh and lean into him. “Of course I felt it.” I let a sigh move through me. “You know what this means? This baby is already addicted to this kind of attention.”
Graham’s brows draw inward. “I’m now understanding your father’s need to keep us apart.”
I rest my hand on his chest. “Yeah, well, that didn’t work out, did it?”
“Thank God.”
Another wave of sickness moves through me. “Do you have an escape plan?” I whisper on a breath, willing away the nausea.
“I can have one in place in a hot minute.”
I nod. “If we sneak out, the rumors will fly.”
He leans in and kisses me. The cheers surrounding us are muted by the sound of my heartbeat resonating through me just by having him near.
“I say we go with the rumors. I’m guessing they’re going to notice that I knocked you up.”
“You think?” I say with a laugh.
“Let’s go make our appearance and then get home to our dogs.”
“I like your plan, Mr. Crowley,” I say as Graham takes my hand and we begin our walk into the theater, waving at the fans who have gathered to see their favorite TV movie couple in real life—in love, happily married, successful, and expecting a baby.
* * *
And the interview in the magazine that showcases Graham Crowley, Christina Malloy, and their daughter on the cover says, “Could anyone have predicted that what started as a publicity stunt would turn into a happily ever after?”