She dropped her hands. “Seriously? You all think I’m a snob?”
Becca looked away as Ella jumped up and began clearing away the takeout containers and Angie took a slow sip of her wine.
“Great. Great! So…my mother was right. I’m a snob and everyone knows it,” she huffed. “Now what?”
Putting her glass down, Angie leveled her with a stare. “You have a fling and move on.”
“But…I don’t…how…?” Hailey sputtered helplessly.
“Use your words,” Angie teased.
Ella sat back down and smiled patiently. “I hate to say it, but you totally need to leave your comfort zone, Hails. Normally I don’t believe in the fling thing, but in this particular situation, I think it’s what you need to do.”
“If you don’t,” Becca began as she took her seat again, “you’re always going to wonder about it. For all you know, the sex could be really bad and then it will totally cure you of your feelings for him.”
“But what if the sex is good?” Hailey asked earnestly. “Like mind-blowingly good? Then what?”
“Then you keep flinging until you’re done,” Angie said matter-of-factly then shrugged. “Why are you overthinking this? You like this guy. You think he’s hot. And in this instance, you get to have sex with him without worrying about whether or not he’s going to be able to support you financially in the future. No strings. No hassles. No worries.”
“Isn’t that how you went into things with Sean?” Hailey asked with a hint of snarkiness.
“As a matter of fact it wasn’t,” Angie countered. “It was lust at first sight for the both of us. We were always on the same page from the get-go.”
“But it was all about no strings and worries and all that happy horseshit,” Hailey replied. “And now look where you are.”
“I don’t think we need to get pissy,” Becca interjected.
“Don’t worry,” Angie said, her eyes never leaving Hailey’s. “I don’t see it that way. Hailey actually has a point. So…yes. In the beginning Sean and I were just having fun and then my feelings changed. Apparently, so did his. We didn’t talk about it before. From this point forward, however, we will. I knew I liked Sean and I knew what he did for a living and I’ve met his family. Hailey—on the other hand—based all of her feelings simply on Logan’s looks. That’s the difference.”
“God,” Hailey huffed, “you really can be a bitch.” She stood and walked out of the kitchen.
With a sigh, Becca got up and went after her. She found Hailey by the front door putting her shoes on. “Don’t go,” she said. “You threw down the gauntlet. You can’t honestly say you’re surprised she came back at you.”
“Yeah, but…”
“And nothing either of you said was a lie. You did base your opinion of Logan on his looks without getting to know him and Angie went into her relationship with Sean as a fling. I think things got a little out of hand, but since when do we tiptoe around each other?”
Hailey’s shoulders dropped and she leaned against the front door. “You know what kills me more than anything?”
“What?”
“I’m really this shallow.”
“Hails, you’re not shallow. You’re disappointed Logan isn’t exactly who you built him up to be. It doesn’t make him any less of a good guy. But…we’re also at the age where we’re looking for a man who is going to take care of us. Or in the very least be a partner with us. It may not be politically correct to admit it, but there it is.” She shrugged and took one of Hailey’s hands in hers and squeezed. “Don’t go. We still have the DVD to watch and we have to watch it together.”
Hailey seemed to consider her options for a minute. “Will we get to be here when you call Max and let him know how we liked it?”
Becca blushed. “I don’t know. I’m really nervous about calling him.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not really about the DVD. You and I both know that. He was giving me a reason to call him so he could ask me out.”
Hailey smiled. “It’s kind of cute if you ask me.”
Becca agreed. “Am I crazy for going out with him so soon after my breakup with Danny?”
“Hell no! I think going out with Max is going to be a great thing. He’s super sweet, considerate and it’s kind of obvious that he’s really into you.”
“Yeah…well…if I’m being honest…I’m really kind of into him too.”
Hailey’s grin widened. “Aww…aren’t you adorable!” She pulled Becca in for a hug. “Fine, we won’t hover when you make the call, but you have to promise to call us all when you get back from your date.”
Becca pulled back and smiled. “Deal.” Moving away, she walked over to the TV and turned it on. “I already have the DVD in.”
“Why didn’t he just upload it and send it to you? I didn’t think anyone even used DVDs anymore.”
“I guess it’s like having a hard copy for copyright purposes,” Becca said. “When it’s all done and edited, I’m sure we can ask him to send us each a copy of the file. Hopefully he won’t mind.”
“Maybe.”
“Come on, you two,” Becca called into the kitchen. “We’re going to watch the DVD now!”
Angie came into the living room first and eyed Hailey warily. “Are we cool?”
Hailey nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I overreacted.”
They hugged it out just as Ella walked in. “Oh, thank God. That was awkward.”
Together, they sat down around Becca’s living room as she hit play on the remote. For the next thirty minutes, no one spoke. Max had taken all of the pictures and set them to a beautiful orchestral soundtrack. Every once in a while he cut away to some audio of Judith talking during a bridal show but the story was generally told with the musical soundtrack.
At the end of the DVD, the words “Friday Night Brides” came across the screen. They each looked at one another and then gasped at the picture that came up first. It was the four of them dressed up as flower girls in their very first show. And from there, it flowed easily as the pictures showed how they had grown and transformed from young girls, to teenagers, to the women they were now. All of the dresses—flower girl, bridesmaid and bridal—were there. Some of the photos showed them posing as a group, while some were individual shots.
The final picture was from the anniversary show when Judith had come up on stage at the very end and stood in the middle of their quartet. Each of them were smiling—beaming really—and the shot perfectly captured every emotion they were feeling.
When the screen faded to black, the room was silent.
Becca looked around and saw that, like herself, everyone was a little teary. “Wow,” she quietly. “That was…”
“Amazing,” Hailey finished for her. “I know I saw all of those pictures dozens of times in my life, but never like that. What Max did was…”
“Beautiful,” Ella said, her voice filled with wonder. “I can’t believe he was able to put something like that together in a week! The pictures he chose were perfect and the music just added to the emotion and it was all just so…”
“Un-freaking-believably awesome!” Angie finished.
“You always take it a step further,” Becca laughed.
“Go big or go home,” Angie chuckled and raised her wine glass in a mock salute. “That was incredible. Hails, your mom is going to love it. I don’t think I’d change a thing.”
“Me either,” Ella said. “And I’m telling you now, Dylan and I are going to book Max as our wedding photographer. If he can do something as amazing as that, then I definitely want to book him before the word gets out about how great he is.”
“He’s going to love that,” Becca said. “Can I mention it when I talk to him later?”
Ella nodded. “Absolutely! Dylan and I haven’t really talked about a photographer yet, but once I tell him about Max’s work, he’ll be on board. And I’m already thinking about the kind of wedding video I want!”
“W
ith all of the years the two of you have been together, Max will have plenty of photos to use for the montage,” Hailey said with a smile.
They all stood and went back to the kitchen. “Anyone want coffee or tea with their brownies?” Becca asked.
“Any chance you have some ice cream?” Hailey asked. “That video left me with an overwhelming need to overload on chocolate.”
“It was pretty emotional,” Becca agreed as she pulled a carton of ice cream from the freezer. “Have at it.”
For the next hour they talked about the video and food and Ella’s wedding and Becca’s upcoming date with Max. By the time everyone left, Becca was only mildly nervous about making the call.
Walking into her bedroom, she changed into an oversized t-shirt and went through her nightly routine—washed her face, brushed her teeth, and procrastinated for as long as she could. Max’s business card was sitting on her nightstand along with her phone. It was almost eleven o’clock and now she wondered if she was being completely rude.
Only one way to find out…
“Hello?”
Just the sound of his voice made Becca smile. “Hey,” she said softly, “it’s Becca. Sorry I’m calling so late.”
“I was afraid you weren’t going to call at all,” he admitted with a nervous chuckle. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good.” She told him about her night with the girls and how things almost fell apart. “It doesn’t happen very often, but every once in a while, we get a little…snippy.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” Max said. “It’s not possible for everyone to get along and be happy all the time. You’re four very unique women. But it’s great how you were able to put it all aside so quickly.”
“Well, watching your video really helped.”
He was silent for a moment. “So…? What did you think?”
She couldn’t help but smile at the uncertainty in his voice. “Max?”
“Yeah?”
“It was amazing,” she said. “Absolutely amazing. By the time it was over, we were all crying.”
“Really? You’re not just saying that?”
“Trust me. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it,” she said honestly. “We were all blown away with how you were able to put something together so amazing and beautiful on such short notice. Ella is going to be calling you to book you for her wedding.”
“Seriously? That’s great! The only weddings I’ve done so far have been for friends and family, but…uh-oh.”
“What? What’s the matter?”
“I probably shouldn’t have admitted that to you. Ella is going to want someone with a little more experience than me.”
She laughed out loud. “Max, do you even hear yourself? You do incredible work! You are a very talented artist and it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing this for! We’ve worked with photographers who were in the business for years whose work wasn’t even half as good as yours!”
“I’m seriously not fishing for compliments, but I have to admit, you’re good for my ego.”
His admission had her smiling again. “Well it’s the truth.”
He paused for a minute. “Would you still like to have lunch with me tomorrow?”
Becca knew she wanted to go out with Max. More than she thought she would. But first dates were always so awkward—sitting across from each other and sort of having an informal Q&A while you ate. It wasn’t her favorite thing to do. Although if she had to choose between going to lunch or dinner on a first date, she’d definitely choose lunch.
“Becca? You still there?” He chuckled. “If you’d rather not go, you can just tell me. I’ll understand.”
Even though Max couldn’t see her, Becca blushed as she smiled. “I would,” she said shyly. “I really would like to have lunch with you.”
“The weather’s supposed to be great tomorrow,” Max began and Becca could hear the relief in his tone. “I was thinking of maybe grabbing some sandwiches and hitting a park or something. You know, something casual. What do you think?”
In that minute, Becca thought Max just might be too good to be true.
****
“And then…there was this beautiful montage of me and the girls from just about every show we ever did with Mrs. J,” Ella said excitedly. “I’m telling you, Dylan, it was so beautiful I cried!”
“And that’s a good thing?” he asked with a smirk.
Ella had just gotten home from her dinner with the girls and had not stopped talking since she walked in the door. The townhouse she and Dylan rented was only a couple of blocks away from Becca’s house and even on the three-minute drive, she had been overcome with excitement to tell Dylan all about what Max had created.
“I want us to sit down with him and talk to him about the wedding,” she said. “And I definitely want him to do the kind of video he put together for Mrs. J.” She sighed happily. “It will be something we’re going to show our kids and our grandkids and it’s going to be wonderful.” She was sitting on the couch by now and kicking off her shoes and smiling at Dylan.
“Why don’t you give him a call tomorrow and set up a time for us to talk to him? Or maybe we can just arrange to talk to him after the show on Friday. What do you think?”
“Oh!” she gasped. “I completely forgot to tell you, Becca’s going out with him tomorrow! On a date!”
Dylan’s eyes went wide. “Really? How did that happen?”
Ella told him about how Becca and Max had sort of hit it off after his first show and how Max clearly had a crush on her. “I’m so proud of her,” she continued. “I was afraid she was going to stay in a funk over Danny, but it seems like Max is helping her get over it. Fast.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,” Dylan said, “Becca was too good for Danny.”
She relaxed on the sofa and let out another happy sigh. “I missed you tonight.”
Dylan rose from his spot on the recliner and walked over to her, holding out a hand to bring her to her feet. When she was pressed up against him, he kissed her thoroughly. “How much did you miss me?”
Ella couldn’t help but grin at his words. “A whole lot,” she said breathlessly as she raked her hands up into his sandy brown hair and pulled him back down for another kiss. If there was one thing she loved, it was the way Dylan kissed. He started out slow and sweet and then let it build. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Without a word, Dylan took her by the hand and led her up to their bedroom. They’d been living together for two years and Ella still loved the fact that the place was theirs. For so many years they’d had to sneak around or get a hotel room and having the freedom to go up to their own room and make love in their own bed was as close to perfect as anything could be.
As soon as they crossed the threshold, Dylan gently pulled her back into his arms and immediately went back to kissing her. The fact that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him had her more than ready.
They moved around the room in each other’s arms as if their steps were choreographed. His hands began a slow journey from her hips and slipped under her shirt, moving the fabric up and over her head. Once it hit the floor, those work-roughened hands gently cupped her breasts and Ella sighed at the contact. It never ceased to amaze her how, after all this time, it was always so good.
They knew exactly how to touch each other, how to kiss, how to move. To some people, they’d say it was boring, but Ella didn’t mind. And from the feel of Dylan’s arousal pressing against her belly, she knew he didn’t mind either. There was something to be said for knowing your partner, your lover, so well that being intimate wasn’t simply about acrobatics or sex marathons.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Dylan murmured, his breath hot against her throat. “Clear your mind, Ella, and let me make you feel good.”
His hands moved to her hips and immediately began sliding her yoga pants down, along with her panties. That was the beauty of girls’ night—dressing comfortably. And now she was eve
n more thankful for it. Slowly, she shimmied and kicked the garments aside and shamelessly rubbed herself against Dylan.
“One of us is majorly overdressed,” she said just as his head dipped to kiss the swell of her breast.
Lightning quick, he straightened and pulled his t-shirt up and over his head and then went to work on shucking his jeans. In nothing but his boxer briefs, he gently pulled her toward the bed and then down on top of him. His kiss became more urgent as he rolled her beneath him.
“Dylan,” she purred, loving the feel of him. Her hands raked up and down his back and then back up into his hair. He murmured how much he loved her as he began to kiss her from her lips, to her jaw, her throat and breasts.
She particularly liked it when he kissed her there.
This was how it was meant to be—slow and sweet and sexy. Those were the words that always came to her mind when she thought about Dylan. Everything he did and how he did it, was his way of showing her how much he loved her.
His mouth worshipped her.
His hands worshipped her.
Soon she was panting beneath his touch. “Dylan…I…I need you. Please.”
Dylan lifted his head and smiled at her. “I need you too, sweetheart. Every minute of every day.” For a minute he moved off of her so he could slide his boxers off and then he was back, positioned between her thighs and kissing her softly. “You know what I wish?”
She shook her head as her legs wrapped around his waist.
“I wish we were already married and working on having a baby,” he said, his voice low, his expression serious.
“You do?” she asked in wonder. Ella already knew they both wanted kids, but they hadn’t really talked about the timing.
Dylan nodded. “Ella Gilmore, the thought of you being my wife and us making a family? It’s all I think about lately. We’ve been planning this wedding for so long and it just seems like it’s never going to get here.”
Suddenly sex was the last thing on her mind. She shifted slightly beneath him. “Why haven’t you said anything before? I thought…when we set the date, you were okay with it. We talked about taking the extra time to save up some money and…how long have you felt like this?”
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