Page 26 of You Are Cordially Invited

They were right, of course. Reuben wanted me to be me, the me he knew, the me he loved, and not to worry about what others might think. In particular, not to worry about his career or the vicious media, because for sure my choice would be eviscerated by some, if not most of them. I could count on a few being on my side, but the rest, who knew?

I should’ve known not to question Reuben’s courage. He’d proved it time and time again. Plus, Sandy and Gayle had also been fiercely adamant, and they were right. That morning of bubbly and tears had changed everything. I threw the conservative options out the fucking window, and we started again.

Gone was the black and white idea, with all the fem and frillies safely hidden underneath where no one could see them. In its place, an ocean of pale pink tulle fell from a skirt with a tightly fitted waist and hip. At the back, the tulle ended in a short sweep of train, while at the front, it curved up and was slit to the thigh, revealing cream stockings tucked into white button-down, high-heeled ankle boots, with just the glimpse of a black lace and satin garter when my leg slipped through the opening, just so. A soft pink-and-cream satin fitted waistcoat completed the outfit, its run of thirty tiny pearl buttons catching the light, with nothing underneath bar a thin black leather harness peeking out. Thethingyhad arrived in time.

And I loved it.

Fuck the haters.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and—

“Dammit.” I held out a hand for Sandy to slap a few Kleenex into. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to fucking cry, again.”

He slipped an arm around my waist as I wiped my eyes, trying not to smudge my eyeliner, something else that was becoming a habit.

“And why the hell not?” he said, clutching me close. “You’re getting married, babe. This is big, right? And you don’t have to hide yourself from me, you know that.”

I turned and cupped his face. “I do know, and thank God for that.” I looked to Gayle and smiled. “You too. Thank you.”

I ran my hands down the vest and stood a little straighter. Yeah. It was fierce. “The media are gonna wet their fucking pants.” I fired Sandy a wicked grin.

He laughed. “Hell yeah, they are. You look awesome. It’s exactly who you are. It’s pretty, and sexy, and tough, and daring but not sleazy, and totally appropriate. With the eyeliner and makeup, the outer layer says sweet, willing, and fuck me please, while the harness says I’m male to the bone and don’t presume anything.”

He rested his head on my shoulder. “Every person in that room is gonna see you as the breathtaking force of nature that you are. And I’d bet even the straight ones are gonna wonder what it would be like to be the centre of your attention for a night. It couldn’t be more perfect, and Reuben will get it straight away. Everyone will.”

I turned at the snort to find Gayle’s eyes sparkling. “What he said.” She fanned her face. “This has been an... education.” She beamed. “And I wouldn’t have swapped it for the world. Please, please tell everyone where you got it made.”

“It’s already on the thank you cards,” I assured her, and she blushed brightly.

“Oh yeah.” I turned back to the mirror. “This is a done deal.”

* * *

We headed for the closest bar for a celebratory drink after slamming my credit card with a bill equivalent to the gross national debt of a small country. But I had not a single regret. I couldn’t wait to wear it.

Sandy slid his flute of prosecco to the side, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his ankles. “So now that the outfit is done and dusted—” He arched a brow my way. “—you can tell me what particular hornet’s nest is rammed up your arse today. You’re way more spikey than usual.”

His perceptiveness was bang on, as usual, dammit.

I rolled my eyes and gazed out the window, ignoring yet another text from my mother. “I’m fine,” I said, dodging his question. The Viaduct Basin, jam-packed with restaurants and bars that fed off its America’s Cup heritage, was hardly enthralling on a quiet Monday evening. But if I stared at the burnt-orange sky reflected on the flat surface of the water as long as possible, it kept Sandy from reading the lie in my eyes.

My phone buzzed again, and my mother’s face lit up the screen. I switched it to silent, glanced up at Sandy, and saw his brows draw together. Damn. I loved my mother to bits, and he knew it. Ignoring her wasn’t something I normally did, but I had no answers to give her, and she wasn’t the right person to ask any questions of either.

“The wedding is close, that’s all.” I brushed his concern aside. “There’s a lot of balls in the air.” I took a slug of champagne and set the glass back on the table.

He reached across and tapped my nose. “Liar.”

Told you.

“I’ve survived wedding shopping with you for six months. I should get a damn Nobel Peace Prize for that effort alone.”

He had a legitimate point.

He continued, “So don’t you dare fuck with me, Cameron Delaney Wano. What’s eating you? And don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts because I’ve never seen two guys more determinedly in love than you two. You’re disgustingly happy and you’re my damn role models.”

I snorted. “You really need to get out more. Because if you only knew how close we’ve come on occasion—ow—Jesus fuck!”

Sandy withdrew his foot from my shin. “Don’t you dare joke it off. Of course you’ve had arguments. You guys are hugely different in lots of ways, just like Miller and me. Not to mention you’ve been squeezed by the media and public opinion till your eyes popped. And yet, you’re still here, stupidly in love and making it work. We all come close. Life isn’t a fucking romance novel. But it’s exactlybecauseit hasn’tbeen easy that it matters, right? If you don’t want to tell me, fine. But don’t lie to me.”

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