Perfect Imperfection

by Jennifer Preston

  “Well, we should be heading off,” Bri grabbed Adam’s arm and began steering him to the door. The last thing she needed was for Adam to start connecting the dots.

  “Oh, yes.” Adam shook off his confusion and grinned at her. “But before we go, there’s one thing I need to do first. Wait here.”

  He walked back to the front door and pulled it open.

  “Surprise!” A huge crowd of cheering people swarmed through the door to fill the bar.

  Shocked and a bit confused, Bri just stood there, not comprehending what was going on. Laughing, Adam returned to her side and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Happy Birthday,” he grinned before kissing her.

  She returned his kiss a bit hesitantly, awkwardly aware of Cole watching her.

  “But,” she managed as she pulled back, “my birthday isn’t for two more weeks.”

  “Hence the surprise.” Adam’s eyes danced at her. “You’d never suspect a party this early, and I wanted to do something special. And I have another surprise.” He turned and gestured to the group of people hovering just behind him. The shock of the party had prevented her from recognizing any of the faces around her, but as she followed Adam’s arm, her mouth dropped open.

  “Layla?” she gasped, before she catapulted herself at her best friend.

  “Surprise,” Layla grinned.

  “Devon,” Bri gave him a hug. “I can’t believe you guys are here.”

  “Hey, what about me?” another familiar voice called, and Bri’s eyes widened.

  “Matt?” She threw herself at her old friend from Duke. “Oh my gosh. And Stacie!” She hugged her old dance teammate. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “I told Matt it was about time we came to visit you. We’re practically neighbors, you know. Maryland is not that far away,” Stacie smiled.

  Bri smiled at the two of them together. “I still can’t believe this,” she wagged her finger between Matt and Stacie. “How are things going?”

  “Nope,” another much loved voice cut in. “You can drill them about their sordid love affair after I get my enthusiastic greeting.”

  “Stephanie!” Bri practically squealed. “Oh my gosh, look at you!” she pulled back. Her other friend from the dance team at Duke looked positively stunning. “You went blond.”

  “Yep.” Stephanie fingered her once red locks. “I think it suits me, don’t you? Plus I wanted to know if it was true that blonds have more fun.”

  “Oh no,” Bri laughed. “Like you need any more trouble. Just do me a favor, and take it easy on the guys here. They all know me, and know where to come complaining when you break all their hearts.”

  “What, me?” Steph gave her a conspiratorial wink.

  Next Bri’s intern friends from Bedlam came up to wish her a happy birthday, and Joe and the rest of the pub’s staff gave her quick hugs before rushing off to take care of all the new customers. A few of the pub’s regulars even stopped by to pay their respects, before heading to the bar.

  “Ambria, my love,” Becks beamed as she walked up, Gracie right behind her. “I am loving the look on your face right now. Didn’t have a clue, did you? Your bloke here was pretty crafty, pulling this one over on you.”

  “What?” Bri turned to Adam. “You planned this whole thing? Calling all my old friends and inviting them?”

  “Well, I had a little help,” Adam blushed adorably. “Becks here helped me with your local friends, and Layla helped with everyone else. After grilling me for a half hour on what my intentions were with her best friend.”

  “Oh no,” Bri laughed. “I hope she wasn’t too hard on you.”

  “Not at all,” Adam replied. “I guess the fact that she, and everyone else, showed up tonight means I passed.”

  “Thank you.” The enormity of what he had done overwhelmed her, and Bri pulled him to her and kissed him.

  A slight clearing of a throat pulled Bri back to herself. She turned an annoyed glare at the cause of the interruption.

  Cole had been standing back behind her, forgotten as she greeted all her guests. But now he stepped up beside her.

  “I have a little surprise for you, too,” he grinned. Then he nodded to the corner behind her. She turned to see what he was looking at, and froze.

  “Seb?” Shock stole her voice, but he seemed to hear her and a warm smile crossed his face.

  He sauntered over, all cool and collected, but the sparkle in his eyes gave him away. “Hey, Bri. Happy Birthday.”

  “Oh my gosh,” she threw her arms around him. “How are you here?”

  “Layla told me about this little shindig, and I knew your party wouldn’t be complete without your favorite person in the world.”

  “Claire is here?” Bri teased, turning and looking around the room.

  “Ha ha,” Seb grumbled, and she laughed.

  “Seriously, though,” she smiled at him. “You are right. This wouldn’t be a party without you.”

  “Ah,” Cole cut in. “He is only half the surprise. Do you want to do the honors,” he asked Seb. “Or should I.”

  “I think this one better come from you,” Seb deferred, slinging his arm around Bri’s shoulders.

  “What’s going on?” she glanced warily between Seb and Cole.

  “Well,” Cole took a deep breath. “Seb and I are you newest neighbors. You’ll be seeing a lot more of us from now on.”

  Bri blinked at him, not quite understanding. “What?”

  “I’ve been offered a job as an NBA analyst with ESPN here in their New York studio. Seb has graciously agreed to come be my producer. So, here we are. Surprise!”

  Bri’s jaw dropped. No. Cole could not be living in Manhattan. He couldn’t mean he was staying here, permanently. This city was her haven. She’d come to New York to get away from him, and now… No, no, no. This could not be happening.

  Horrified, her eyes shot over to Adam. He returned her look quizzically, clearly wondering why two of her friends moving to the city would upset her.

  She turned back to Cole, but no words would come out. She wanted to tell him to leave, to get out of her city and never come back. He must’ve seen it on her face, because a small smile turned up his lips and he shook his head, ever so slightly. He wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Well, that’s great news,” Adam finally filled the awkward silence that had descended. “I’ll enjoy the opportunity to get to know some of Bri’s oldest friends. If you need any help with things, let me know.” He smiled at the usurper next to her. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, it’s time to start Bri’s party.”

  Bri gratefully followed Adam as he led her away. She desperately needed some breathing space and some time to think. But as they approached the long table that had been set up on the stage, she cringed.

  Pasting a smile on her face, she took the middle seat, and sat in full view of the entire room. She could feel herself starting to sweat under the heat of the stage lights and the weight of all the eyes on her. She’d never liked being the center of attention, and being up there in the spotlight was making her more than a little uncomfortable. She had to force herself not to squirm.

  Layla and Devon had joined them at the table, sitting next to her, and Becks and Joe sat on the other side of Adam. The rest of the guests filled the tables around the stage and throughout the pub. Cole, of course, managed to slide into the table right in front of her. She grimaced, and Layla reached under the table to squeeze her hand. Bri was returning it gratefully, when a thought stopped her short.

  “You told Seb about this party?” she leaned over and asked softly.

  “Yeah,” Layla returned. “He is your friend, isn’t he?”

  “Did you also invite Cole?” She glared pointedly.

  “Yes, I did.” Layla sat up defiantly. “I thought he should know, that he should have the choice to be here.”

  “Layla,” Bri groaned. “What about my choice, what I want? That wasn’t your call to make.”

  “Actually, it w
as. Adam was adamant you not know about the party, so it’s not like I could run it by you first. So, I made the decision to invite him.”

  Bri was about to argue further, but Adam tapped the microphone he had somehow gotten ahold of, and her tirade was cut short.

  “We’ll talk about this later,” she warned Layla, before plastering her smile back on her face and turning her attention to her boyfriend.

  “Hello,” Adam smiled at the crowd. “I want to thank you all for coming tonight to help celebrate Bri’s birthday. It’s amazing to see so many of her friends here, some of you traveling a long way to be here just for this occasion. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Adam, and Bri and I have been together for going on ten months now. I’m looking forward to getting to know those of you I haven’t met yet, and learning more about this beautiful woman I love.” He paused to smile at Bri, and the room applauded. Bri blushed furiously, but managed to smile back at him. She glanced over at Cole, who was watching her with a narrow stare. Telling herself she didn’t care what Cole thought about her relationship, she turned her attention back to Adam.

  “So, you all know we’re here for Bri’s birthday, but you may not know that there is something else we’re celebrating tonight. As you’re all probably aware, Bri has been interning at Bedlam Publishing for almost a year and a half now. Well, just this week Bri was offered a full time position at the company, after she graduates with her master’s this spring. So, let me be the first to say congratulations.” This time he leaned down and kissed her, and the room erupted in whistles as well as thunderous applause. Pulling back, Bri’s cheeks were pink again, but it was also from pride, not just embarrassment. “Really, this is an honor,” Adam addressed the crowd again. “Not all interns are offered jobs, and not usually this early on. So this is quite the accomplishment. Not that I ever doubted her,” he winked down at her. “And now, if I may be so bold, I’d like to add one more cause for celebration tonight.” He paused to take a deep breath before kneeling in front of Bri.

  Bri’s heart stopped as Adam pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket and opened it up.

  “Ambria Donnelly,” Adam looked up at her. “These last few months with you have been the happiest of my life. I’m constantly amazed by your kindness and grace, your selflessness and generosity, and most of all, your big, beautiful heart. I love you so much, and would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  Chapter 17

  It took Bri’s mind a few moments to realize what was happening.

  Adam was proposing.

  Wait, what?

  Her mind was spinning. How was this happening? They’d never even talked about marriage. Where was this even coming from? He couldn’t be springing this on her now. Not here in front of all of these people…

  Her eyes shot involuntarily to Cole, who was watching her with barely checked intensity, like his whole future depended on her answer. His eyes held hers for a moment, pleading with her, begging her not to do what he knew she was about to. But her gaze moved to the rest of the room, to all the people smiling and waiting, and she knew she couldn’t refuse. Cole saw it on her face and abruptly turned his head away. She felt something dying in her heart

  Shaking herself out of her shock, she turned back to Adam. He was still watching her intently, but fear was creeping into his eyes the longer he waited for her to reply. Forcing herself to smile, she held out her shaking hand.

  “Yes,” she made herself say.

  “Yes?” Adam repeated, not quite believing it.

  “Yes,” she nodded, and Adam swept her up off her chair and into his arms. He kissed her passionately, and she could feel his overwhelming joy and excitement, and relief. He hadn’t been sure she would say yes. Well, that made two of them.

  The roar of the crowd finally pulled them apart, and this time Bri’s face wasn’t the only one that was bright pink. Laughing, Adam took her hand and slid the diamond solitaire engagement ring onto her finger.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I picked it out myself,” Adam murmured as they both looked down at the shiny new ring on her finger. “But I kind of figured that you’d be happy with anything from Tiffany’s.”

  “It’s Tiffany’s?” Bri gaped. “Adam, this must’ve cost a fortune.”

  “Nah,” Adam brushed her off with a grin. “And Tiffany’s has excellent financing options.”

  She reached up and hugged him, trying to force down the knot of guilt and fear rising in her. This was for the best, she told herself. Even though she wasn’t one hundred percent sure she was ready to marry Adam, she knew there was no way in hell she was going to embarrass him in front of all these people by turning him down. This was a discussion that could wait until later, when they were alone. For the remainder of the night, she could play the excited bride-to-be.

  Finally releasing her, Adam turned back to the crowd. “Thank you again for being here to celebrate this wonderful occasion with us. Please, enjoy the food and the drinks, and get to know each other. Cheers!” He raised his glass and the rest of the room answered.

  All throughout dinner, Bri was very aware of two things. The first was the new weight on her finger that seemed to get heavier and heavier as she stared at it. Her eyes couldn’t seem to escape it; dread and apprehension making that ring feel like a lead weight threatening to pull her hand right through the table.

  The other thing she was acutely and uncomfortably aware of was a certain pair of eyes on her, following each word and movement, soaking in every expression and nuance. Even though she resolutely refused to glance in their direction, she knew those eyes hadn’t left her for more than a few moments as she made herself eat and talk and laugh. She couldn’t hide from them or their piercing intensity.

  After dinner was over, the tables were pushed off to the side to open up space for dancing. Bri gratefully left the stage to make room for the DJ, glad to be out of the spotlight. She was sure her face had been flushed the whole time she’d been up there.

  The music started and Layla, Stacie, and Stephanie grabbed her and pulled her out to the floor. They all gushed over the ring and Adam as they danced, but Bri wasn’t paying much attention. Those eyes were stalking her from the edge of the room, and she was certain it was only a matter of time before she had to face them.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t get as much time as she’d hoped. She was dancing with Seb, and having a perfectly lovely time, when Cole stepped up, stopping them with a hand on Seb’s shoulder.

  “Mind if I cut in?” he grinned.

  Bri was about to protest, but Seb just inclined his head and stepped away from her.

  “Seb!” she pleaded, begging him not to leave her. But he just winked and moved to find a new partner. Frustrated, she was about to run off also, but Cole’s hands caught her and trapped her against him. There’d be no escaping until he decided to let her go.

  “I guess congratulations are in order,” he looked down at her, and there was no hint of happiness in his eyes.

  Struck by the pain on his face, she felt her guilt rising up again.

  “Look Cole, I didn’t know he was going to do that in front of everybody. I mean, it’s not like we did this to hurt you, or rub it in, or anything. I don’t even know…” She was rambling, and she needed to stop before she said something she couldn’t take back.

  “Bri, it’s alright,” he gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry about me, it’s you who matters. I just want you to be happy.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. If you’re happy, then I’m happy. But just know you don’t have to say yes because everyone expects you to, him included. You should only marry someone if that’s what you want, not because you’re afraid of hurting his feelings.”

  Shocked, she turned and looked at him. Really looked at him.

  The last time she’d seen him, Cole had been broken and unconscious in a hospital bed. Now, here he was before her, looking healthy a
nd whole and nothing like his world had completely collapsed around him months before. She didn’t even notice any faltering in his steps from his leg as he led her around the floor. He seemed to have made a complete recovery from his accident, which filled her with more relief and joy than she’d admit. His black hair was longer on top again, and his gray eyes held an intensity in them she hadn’t seen before. It was like they could see right through to her soul, and they were staking their claim there.

  “What are you doing here, Cole?” she heard herself whisper, and she couldn’t quite keep the fear out of her voice.

  “I’m here for you, Bri,” he stated. There was no uncertainty or doubt in his voice, and that made her nervous.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I am here for you,” he repeated slowly, his eyes holding hers. “I’ve been through hell and back this past year, but one good thing has come out of it. I know now exactly what I want, and I’m here to fight for it.”

  Shock, fear, and something like excitement rooted her to the floor, and she stared at him aghast.

  “But… But I’m getting married,” she stammered, her ire building at his gall. “You can’t just waltz in here and claim me like I’m some consolation prize or something.”

  “Oh, believe me,” he pressed her closer. “You are no consolation prize. You are the dream that has gotten me through all the pain and discouragement and agony and disappointment of the past year. You are the reason I get out of bed every morning, and the reason I haven’t given up. You have been my hope and my will, and I’m not living without you any longer.”

  “But… why? You are supposed to forget about me and move on. I’m trying to move on.”

  “Because Bri, I heard you.”

  “What?” she gasped, and her heart stopped.

  “I heard you, that day at the hospital. You were there, and I heard everything you said.”

  “No,” was all she could utter. He had been unconscious. That was the only reason she’d allowed herself to say those things, to be completely honest with him. He wasn’t supposed to have heard her. He was never supposed to know.