Page 172 of Dangerous Encore
The door pulls open and the driver offershishand.
"After you."Ethannods.
I slide out of the limo. My feet plant on the concrete. I'm here. Standing. Not floating intotheair.
It feels impossible, but it'shappening.
Ethan steps out of the limo and pats me on the back. "You're usually the one giving me thepeptalk."
"Peptalk?"
He laughs. "Okay, more like." He copies my stoic pre-show posture and shoots me a paternal glance. "If you can't handle this, I can call in abackup."
"Yeah?" It's exactly what I'd say to him if he was nervous before a show. "Everybody here is coupled ormarried."
"I can callLogan."
"Youwouldn't."
He shrugs the way I do. "Tryme."
"Fuck, I'm anasshole."
"You're just figuringthatout?"
The coordinator interrupts us. She's in a bright suit, her light hair in a bun. She nods as she introduces herself to Ethan thentome.
"Ethan." She points to the ceremony site on thebeach.
The limo blocks part of our view. It must block the view from those little plastic chairs too. Violet, Joel, Bella, Kit, and Piper are already there. And a few otherfriendstoo.
"It's just you and Carrie walking together. She's on her way. Can you wait here for me?"sheasks.
Ethannods.
The coordinator turns to me. "Youready,Mal?"
Ethan shoots me an enthusiastic smile. "You'vegotthis."
Ido.
I nod to thecoordinator.
She nods back. "Followme."
Ido.
I follow her around the limo, around the lifeguard stand. The ceremony site is just in frontofus.
She nods to the aisle—it's lined with pink rose petals. All the decorations are beautiful. Exactly what Laceywillwant.
Not that she cares aboutthatshit.
But hot pink is her favoritecolor.
And the sky is finally cooperating. The big orange sun is sinking into the ocean, casting a soft glow overeverything.
The coordinator taps me on the shoulder. "Whenever you'reready."
