Page 93 of The Plus One
“You outdid yourself with the cake,” Dan, Harper’s boyfriend, said, giving Lizzie a tiny salute.
She bowed. “I was explicitly told not to make it explicit,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Apparently, this is a classy event and a dick-shaped cake blowing a load didn’t fit the bill.”
Dan laughed so hard he choked on his bite. Harper giggled with him, patting him on the back. He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss to her palm when he finally recovered, smiling at her like she was the sun.
“Oh, Alex! This is our song,” Thu said, patting her boyfriend’s knee as the DJ played a new track. “Let’s dance.”
“Thu, this is ‘Disturbia’ by Rihanna,” Harper said, scrunching up her nose.
“Cute, right?” Thu said, pulling Alex behind her, his cheeks rosy and smile dopey. He’d follow wherever Thu led.
Indira nestled closer into Jude’s chest, his arms wrapped around her from behind as they watched the dancing from afar. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m gonna go get a little bit of air,” he whispered into her ear.
“Need me to come with you?” she asked, turning to look at him. Jude definitely wasn’t at his most comfortable with all the noise and people, but he was managing it well, taking lots of breaks and walks when a spark of anxiety would hit him.
“Nah, stay here with your friends,” he said, smiling as he brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I won’t be long.”
She gave him a soft kiss, then untangled herself from him, watching him walk away. When she turned back to the table, she realized Lizzie and Rake were also missing.
A loud laugh drew her attention to a doorway right as the pair disappeared through it, Lizzie smacking Rake on the ass for good measure. Harper caught Indira’s eye, and they shared a knowing look before erupting into giggles.
“Some things never change,” Harper said, cheeks flooded with color.
“Thank God for that.” Indira clinked her glass against Harper’s and Dan’s before taking a sip.
“All right, my dear, you’ve got some explaining to do,” a familiar voice said next to Indira.
She looked up, smiling at her mom. “Who? Me?”
Angela sat down, grabbing her daughter’s hand. “Yes, you. The girl who was just snuggled awfully close to Jude Bailey. The same Jude Bailey you once tried to push in front of my car when I was leaving to go to the grocery store.”
“That was an accident!” Indira lied.
Angela gave her a knowing look.
“He’d just stolen my bike,” Indira grumbled.
“When did this happen?” her mom asked, eyes sparkling as she leaned close. “Or maybe a better question is how?”
Indira laughed, dropping her head to her hands. “You know the old adage—keep your childhood nemesis close.”
Angela smacked her on the thigh. “Details, Dira!”
“I don’t really know,” Indira said, looking up at her mom, her cheeks heating at just the thought of Jude being hers. “We were kind of helping each other deal with stuff and…” Indira made a goofy, flappy move with her hands.
Her mom grinned. “Are you happy?”
Indira nodded. “Yeah. I really am.”
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
Angela wrapped her in a big hug, Indira inhaling the familiar clean scent of her. There was nothing quite like a hug from her mom.
“Mama Papadakis?” Jeremy interrupted with a light clearing of his throat, appearing by their side. “May I have this dance?” He reached out a hand, smile wide and wonderful.
Angela beamed. “Of course, sweetheart,” she said, taking his proffered hand. “We’ll talk more later,” she added, winking at her daughter.
Indira rolled her eyes but smiled, watching as Jeremy walked Angela to the dance floor. He led her in a slow dance, the pair talkingand laughing the entire time while shooting frequent glances at Collin, who was animatedly talking to a group of guests on the side. Alex and Thu had continued dancing, holding each other tightly, Thu’s head resting on his shoulder as Alex smiled.
