Page 100 of Confessions of a Smutty Romance Author

“But this is a whole damn moment,” Henrietta said, staring at herself in the full-length mirror affixed to the back of the door. She drew her thick bronze leg out the slit of her aqua-green dress, obviously admiring the look.

“That dress was made for you,” I said.

Birdie hugged her from behind, her own bright yellow dress with a poufy skirt flaring around Henrietta. “You’re gorgeous, Hen.”

I nodded in agreement. “We all are.”

Birdie held both of our hands. “Are we ready to go pick up the guys?”

I nodded. We finished packing our clutch bags with the essentials and walked out the front door, down the sidewalk and toward the waiting limo like the queens we were.

The driver opened the door to let us in, and as soon as we were settled, I reached into the fridge, grabbed a bottle of champagne, and popped the cork. “No need to wait for the guys when we can start the party now.” I poured them each a glass and passed them to Birdie.

Birdie smiled, taking the drinks from me and passing one to Hen. “It’s too bad Jonas’s mom isn’t coming. I thought she really loved your books.”

“She does,” I said, frowning, “but she didn’t want the headlines the day after the premiere to be about how she looks. I just wish she knew I don’t care about things like that. I’d love to have her with us.”

They nodded solemnly. Each one of us knew what it looked like to hide our bodies from the world and to face judgement in a way not many did. It wasn’t the same as having scars from a fire, but it wasn’t exactly the opposite either.

A short drive later, the limo stopped in the Moores’ driveway. I peered out the tinted window, wanting to catch a glimpse of the guys stepping out of the house.

Jonas’s dad looked so suave in his suit. I almost didn’t recognize him outside of his work clothes. And Jonas was a handsome, younger version of his father. He looked damn good in that tux, but that was no surprise. I already knew he would look amazing.

Cohen looked debonair too, his graying hair contrasting his black suit perfectly. But then someone walked out the door behind them.

I covered my mouth with my hand, seeing Mariah in a cream-colored, long-sleeved dress. “Oh my gosh,” I breathed. She was coming. She was facing her fears. And she was going to be there for me.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I got out of the limo, running to her. “You look beautiful, Riah,” I breathed, taking her in up-close.

She smiled and looked down, color staining her cheeks. “I couldn’t miss your big day.”

45

Jonas

I’d never seen Mara look more beautiful than she did when she was hugging my mom. The love in her eyes for the woman who raised me did things to my heart I’d never felt before.

When she and Mom parted, she smiled at me, tears in her eyes matching my own. I kissed her deeply and pulled back just enough to whisper against her lips, “I love you, Mara Taylor.”

I felt her smile against my mouth. “I love you, Jonas Moore.”

I hugged her tight, then pulled back to take her in. The dress she wore was perfection on her. It dipped low, showing her sexy cleavage, and the material caught all the light, illuminating her face. “You look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, fluttering her lashes in the most adorable way. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“I specifically requested a red-carpet look,” I said. I didn’t tell her that I’d done a considerable amount of googling, not wanting to embarrass her during the moment she’d been working toward her entire life.

“It’s very suave,” she replied.

I laced my fingers through hers and followed my family into the limo. As soon as we were settled, she cuddled close to me, still holding my hand. It was sheer perfection, only made better by the glasses of champagne Birdie was filling and passing around.

Dad’s voice cut through all the noise, and he said, “I think it’s time we have a toast for Miss Mara.”

Cohen put a champagne glass in my hand, and I held it up, waiting for Dad’s toast.

His eyes crinkled as he smiled at the woman I loved. “Mara, when we met you six months ago, we knew you were special, but we had no idea how important you’d become to our family. I’ve watched you care for my wife with all the love she deserves. I’ve watched you push my son to open up and be the man he was made to be. And I’ve watched you bravely step beyond your past and move into your future. I can’t wait to see the movie you inspired, but mostly, I can’t wait to see what you do after. All signs point to something incredible.”

“Cheers,” I said emphatically, matching all our friends.

---