Page 98 of When Annika Met Thom

“It’s our way of ensuring the succession.” He started to sing. “Kings do it. Queens do it. Even Manhattan fitness club owners do it.”

Meesha laughed because getting all those syllables to fit the tune made it a tongue-twister.

“Let’s do it,” he continued to sing and Meesha sang the next line along with him.

“Let’s fall in love!”

“Big finish,” Kyle said, giving them a round of applause. He took a few bows, although no one else was applauding. Then he leaned close to her phone. “Come on down to Flatiron Five Fitness and see whether you fall in love. Our two-for-one membership bonus runs through the end of the month. Bring a friend.” He stepped back and dropped his voice to address Meesha. “Now show them the new billboards.”

Meesha told the mixing crew and watched on her phone as the feed was filled with the footage they’d shot Thursday night at Times Square. Once again, there were big billboards for F5F there, but this time, they’d rented the big digital screen. It was night and the city lights were blazing in the video, cars were honking and people were cheering. A digital display in the middle of the big screen was counting down and the crowd began to chant along with it.

“Three. Two. One!”

Confetti and streamers flew. Music roared out of boom boxes—and the screen lit from top to bottom, illuminating one line at a time. The first image was Kyle, dripping from the pool with trouble in his eyes, and the sloganGet Wet at F5F. The crowd roared approval. After fifteen seconds, the display changed. It was Damon’s billboard,Get Hard at F5F, with a pumped Damon looking over his shoulder at the camera. Damn. He was fine. The next was Tyler and Shannyn together, both of them sculpted and beautiful, their wedding rings shining in the shadows.Get Lucky at F5F. Cassie was greeting the morning sun in a warrior pose next,Start Fresh at F5F. There was Nate, swinging on the rock wall, looking like he owned the world.Go for it at F5F. Theo was next, surrounded by a halo of fire and as sculpted to perfection as a man could be.Light Your Inner Fire at F5F.

Meesha smiled as the display changed again, this time revealing their newest ad. Thom looked bigger and more buff every time she saw him, and Shannyn had really taken great shots of him. Meesha had never seen all his tattoos before this photo shoot, and they were incredible. He had two full sleeves and the ink covered his chest and back as well. The knotwork entwined and entangled, all seeming to emanate from the Green Man over his heart. At Meesha’s suggestion, they had tweaked the image so the Green Man’s eyes seemed to be looking right at the viewer.Become Your Secret Weapon at F5F.

While the video was playing, the pace of new arrivals picked up. Meesha saw Chynna, the tattoo artist, and her partner, Trevor, arrive but didn’t have time to speak to them. Chynna was wearing a red sleeveless sequined sheath that showed off the rose tattoos on her arms. She had a black leather biker jacket slung over her shoulder and her hair had been dyed silver with red tips. She looked as urban and gorgeous as always.

Meesha wanted to be Chynna when she grew up.

There was a whole mob of people who arrived together, most gawking like tourists at the club. Meesha assumed they were the family of the bride and groom. She met three of Annika’s siblings in a hurry, then one of Thom’s sisters with both dates, followed by Thom’s mom and dad, Annika’s mom and aunt, and one grandmother who looked like she might dance all night. Meesha wasn’t sure which side she was from. There was a city guy that looked vaguely familiar—he turned out to be the permits guy who had overseen the installation of the rock wall ten years before. His wife was with him, and he guided her toward the wall to show it to her and introduce her to Thom.

It was chaotic in the lobby, everyone mingling, talking and laughing, then a vintage white Rolls Royce limo pulled up to the curb. It was decorated with pink ribbons and even though the windows were tinted, Meesha knew who had arrived. Bystanders on the street stopped to watch.

Meesha put two fingers in her mouth and wolf-whistled, finding the silence that followed very satisfying. “Heads up, people. We’ve got a wedding to attend.”

The guests moved into place as they clapped their approval and the music began. A man who had to be Annika’s dad got out of the Rolls, followed by Thom’s sister Tessa and a sister of Annika’s, both dressed in the same shade of blue as the irises in all the bouquets.

“Drumroll, please,” Meesha whispered, then Annika stepped out of the car. She was wearing a vintage dress of ivory satin studded with beads that fit her perfectly. The way her sister fussed over it and her dad beamed with pride, Meesha guessed it was Annika’s mom’s wedding dress. When the wind lifted her veil, Meesha saw that her long red hair had been elaborately braided so that it resembled the knotwork tattoos on Thom’s arms. Her bouquet of flowers was enormous and spilled from her hands to her knees, a springlike collection of blues and pinks. She smiled and spoke to someone on the street who had obviously complimented her, then the glass doors of the club were swept open and the two bridesmaids led the way into the lobby.

The music soared, the big boxes were opened and the first of the butterflies took flight in the sunlit foyer of F5F. It flew a lap around the lobby as everyone watched, landed on the flowers carried by one of the bridesmaids, then took flight again before landing on one of the orange slices. Everyone smiled. The bridesmaids reached the makeshift altar. The minister raised his hands and smiled at Annika, then Thom stepped forward, turning toward his bride.

Meesha felt the jolt of awareness between them like a bolt of lightning striking home. She watched Annika walk down the aisle, saw Thom smile slowly then take her hand. When he kissed Annika’s hand, his gaze locked on her as he drew her to his side, and Meesha sighed at the perfection of it all.

If she ever got married, it was going to be epic like this.

* * *

It seemedto Thom that the weeks before the wedding had stretched out forever, then suddenly everything had picked up speed. It had been crazy for most of the week, as Annika’s family arrived from the west coast and introductions were made. His mom had hosted a family meal in Queens so everyone could spend more time together. With the reopening of the club, he felt as if he and Annika had run from one obligation to the next.

He’d missed her the night before, missed her like a part of his soul had been taken away.

And when she stepped into the lobby of the club, as radiant as he’d ever seen her, he thought his heart would explode. He didn’t even want to blink as she walked toward him on her father’s arm. She smiled at him as if he was the center of the universe and he smiled back, because she was everything to him.

He couldn’t believe that any one person could be this lucky.

Maybe he’d been saving it up all his life, just so he could be with Annika.

When she came to a stop beside him, he took her hands in his, humbled that she would be his partner forever.

“Hi,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling.

“Hi,” he managed to say.

“Changing your mind?” she asked lightly but there was concern in her eyes.

Thom shook his head. “Just impressed by the power of kismet.”

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