Page 154 of Dangerous Encore

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9

Mal

At home,we shower together. We cuddle up on the couch and watch Lacey's favorite movie,Some Like It Hot. (She always claims she can't pick a favorite from Billy Wilder's "career full of masterpieces," but this is the one she tends to go back to. It's surprisingly feminist given that it's about two guys pretending to be women foragig).

She spends the run time alternating between talking about all the ways the movie challenged the censorship code of the era and telling me to shush, because we're at thegoodpart.

The tension melts, bit by bit. Even so, when we climb into bed together, she's still off some otherplace.

I slide my arm around her waist and pull her body into mine. There must be a million thoughts in her head. No matter how badly I want all of them, I need to bepatient.

She's dealing with a lotofshit.

I press my lips against her neck. "You're stillshaking."

"Mom isn't going to be in thefrontrow."

Inod.

"Dad isn't going to walk me down theaisle."

"It's a bigchange."

"I know it's the right decision, but… it'salot."

"You want to talkaboutit?"

She shakesherhead.

"You still in to do it in the next twoweeks?"

"Ithinkso."

"Youthinkso?"

She turns to look me in the eyes. Her palm presses against my cheek. Her thumb rubs my temple. "I do. It's just… that's alsoalot."

"I've got it under control. All you have to do isshowup."

"A dress in a week and a half is noeasyfeat."

"You can show up in abikini."

"You'dlikethat."

"A whitebikini."

She laughs. "It'sDecember."

"Awetsuit?"

"Now we're talking." She smiles, but she's not selling it. Her eyes meet mine. "I'm sorry, Mal. I am excited. Really.I'mjust…"

"I get it, baby. We can wait if you need more time to get okaywiththis."

She shakes her head. "I need a day or two. The thought of officially making this forever… it's awesome. And thehoneymoon."

My smile spreads to my ears. "Your truemotivation."

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