Chapter 43
MADDIE
Rio hands the cab driver a large bill and waves away the change as our taxi pulls up to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
I crane my neck to look up at the towering glass building that dominates Columbus Circle.
A bellman in a crisp black uniform with shiny gold buttons rushes over to our door, pulling it open with a white-gloved hand.
"Welcome, Mr. Wilder," he says.
Rio helps me out of the cab and guides me into the lobby. Enormous flower arrangements tower from pedestals in each corner, filling the air with a sweet, delicate scent.
I knew Rio came from money. But having an apartment in this hotel means he comes from a lot of money.
Big money.
For the first time, I wonder why he’s dedicated himself to being a rockstar when he could just kick back and relax.
But I know how committed both Rio and Steven are to their music. It’s a labor of love.
Not lust for profit.
The realization gives me renewed respect for Rio.
Rio takes me by the hand and introduces me to the handsome man wearing a well-fitting blue suit and gold pin behind the counter.
"Maddie, meet Oswald,” says Rio. “He's the head concierge for the residents, and you'll be seeing him quite a bit. Oswald, meet the future Mrs. Wilder."
My jaw practically hits the floor. Future Mrs. Wilder?
I feel my cheeks flush hot as I try to keep my expression neutral.
Oswald doesn't even blink at Rio's announcement.
"Hello, future Mrs. Wilder," he says, looking down at the bundle of fur in my arms. "I see you have an adorable puppy. Is there anything I can get for him? Food? Toys?"
I imagine Snorty waking up to a personal butler bringing him gourmet treats on a silver platter. My spoiled little Snortster would probably expect it every day after that.
“No thank you,” I say, shifting Snorty in my arms. “He just needs sleep. Nice meeting you,” I say to Oswald as Rio leads me away.
Only when the door of the fancy mirrored elevator closes do I confront Rio.
“Future Mrs. Wilder, huh?” I say in a teasing tone. “I must have missed your proposal.”
Rio grins but doesn’t answer.
Before I can respond, Snorty whimpers in his sleep.
I rock him gently, hoping he’ll fall asleep again. He’ll need rest to regain his strength.
When we reach the penthouse floor, Rio opens his apartment door. It’s all I can do to avoid gasping in surprise.
Rio’s apartment resembles something from a glamorous magazine spread. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal New York City at its finest.
He leads me through the apartment, holding the door open to what looks to be a guest room.
“He’ll be comfortable in here,” he says.
I settle Snorty carefully on top of the duvet.
The room’s cool, soundless. The city feels a million miles away in here.
“I should get in beside him,” I say, preparing to slip into bed. “He’ll wake and be frightened.”
“No need,” says Rio, stopping me. “He’s still asleep from the anesthesia. He won’t wake for hours. And I want to talk to you.”
I gently lay the covers over my sleeping puppy and tuck him in so he’s snuggly warm.
Then I follow Rio into the living room.
“Want something to drink? Something to eat?”
“Water’s good,” I say, settling on the sofa as he takes a bottle of sparkling water from a small refrigerator near the marble bar. He pours us both a glass.
Then Rio opens a cupboard and takes out a box of Cracker Jacks.
“Want some?” he says, after tearing open the box and sitting beside me.
“Sure.” I take a caramel-covered morsel and pop it into my mouth.
“I want to apologize,” Rio says, taking my now sticky hand. “I was a jerk in Las Vegas. Distrusting you like that. I’m not sure where that’s coming from.”
I’m silent for a moment, reflecting on his tone. On the words unsaid.
It’s not easy for any man to admit he was wrong, I think to myself.
“Why were you so quick to assume I’d deceive you with any man? Least of all Joseph W. King?”
Maybe it’s the tone I used when I asked the question. Or maybe it’s something else. But Rio laughs.
“Crazy, isn’t it? I chalk it up to my possessive nature,” he says, digging deeper into the Cracker Jacks, as if feeling for something inside.
“I was an only child, but when cousins came to visit, I’d never let them play with my toys. They were mine. Just like after that magical night we spent together, I thought you were mine. So when I saw that tabloid photo of you with Joseph’s hand on your rear end, I went crazy.”
“It’s over,” I say, putting my fingers over his lips. “Let’s not talk of it again.”
“Agreed.”
Rio speaks the word with something that sounds like relief.
“And now, I want to make good on the way I introduced you to Oswald.”
“And how was that?” I tease. “I have a short memory.”
Rio pulls something out of the Cracker Jack box, still wrapped in its factory paper.
He opens it, revealing a tiny gold ring. “Ha! Hit the jackpot. Looks like lady luck is with us.”
“Maddie,” he says, getting down on one knee. “I’d like to ask you to be my wife.”
It takes me a moment to catch my breath. I’d assumed that what Rio said to the concierge Oswald was a joke.
But now here’s Rio. Asking me to marry him.
And getting down on one knee.
After the emotional roller coaster of the weekend, this is almost too much to absorb.
I think about what being Rio’s wife would entail. Would it mean sitting at home, waiting for him to come back from road trips?
Clenching my fists, wondering how many groupies he slept with along the way?
“Well,” says Rio, sounding almost irked when I don’t answer right away. “Do you have any response?”
“I thought they stopped adding prizes to Cracker Jacks years ago,” is all I can think to say.
Rio rises and sits back on the sofa with me. “Answer the question.”
“Rio, if you're serious, I want to know that this is real. That you're going to trust me.”
“I will. Promise.”
“And when you're a world-famous rockstar, how will I know you'll be true? Fidelity is important to me.”
Rio's eyes lock with mine, and I see something in them I've never noticed before. A vulnerability beneath all that rockstar confidence.
"Maddie, those days are over," he says, his voice lower than usual. "The women over the years, they’ve meant nothing to me."
He takes my hand, his calloused fingers warm against mine.
"You and I have a history together. Steven's my best friend. Now that my parents are gone, you two and your mother are my only real family."
He glances toward the guest room. "And Snorty, of course," he adds, his lips quirking up slightly. "So will you be mine?"
I listen to Rio’s words, wanting to believe them.
“Maddie. That song I sang when the crowd demanded an encore. That same song ultimately won us the meeting with Midnight Records.”
He pauses, swallows. “And that was the song I wrote for you. A song meant to express how I feel about you.”
“It was a powerful song,” I begin, after a brief hesitation. “I saw it on television with my mother. I heard the emotion you put into the melody. Into the lyrics. And yes, I wanted to believe it was written about the chemistry we shared. But at that point, you had already turned your back on me.”
“I’ll never do that again. You must believe me. We have a gravity—a magical force of magnetic attraction—that brings us together. You must feel that too.”
I nod.
Rio takes my hand. “So will you say yes?”
I look down at the Cracker Jack ring glinting from the sun pouring in from the window.
Silly, cheap, yet perfect at the same time.
More important than the most expensive diamond ring in the world.
"Yes," I say, throwing my arms around him. “I’m yours. Forever and ever.”