Page 79 of Marry Me Forever
Standing up taller, I nodded. “Bring it.”
He laughed softly. “I’ll introduce you to my friend first. She’s the party host, and then we’ll make the rounds. And remember?—”
“To let you know if I ever need a break. I know, Nolan. And I will.”
With a nod, he propelled us toward a couple near the door—Zara Jones and her husband. Since Emmy had organized her wedding, I knew Zara wasn’t snobby or thought she was better than everyone simply because she was a successful movie star. So when she smiled at me, I smiled back.
She had light brown skin, dark hair pulled back into a twist of some kind, and dark brown eyes. She also wore a dark blue gown decorated with shiny stones; it was also floofy enough to hide most of her obvious pregnancy. “That dress makes me think of a galaxy full of stars.”
I mentally cursed. That wasn’t exactly a polite, formal way to make an introduction.
But Zara laughed. “I thought the same thing. I love anything that sparkles.”
The man with fair skin and blond hair at her side spoke up. “A little too much. You should’ve seen the comforter she wanted to buy. But I drew the line at sparkles that could end up on my ass.”
Zara tsked and then said to me, “Hello. I’m Zara Jones, and this is my husband, Brody.”
“Oh, hi. I’m Katie Evans. Nolan’s fiancée.”
Nolan placed a hand on my lower back. “Hey Zara, Brody. Thanks for inviting us.”
“Well, of course. It’s probably the last big event we can have until after the baby’s born, and I was determined to make a splash.”
Nolan said, “You definitely did. A red carpet?”
Zara laughed. “Well, why not? Everywhere who attends my party deserves it.”
Zara’s husband murmured, “Not quite everyone.”
His gaze was off to the side, and I followed it to find Wendy Webster standing amidst a crowd of people. She wore a dark red dress that hugged her slight form, which matched the bowtie and cummerbund of the man she stood next to.
Zara lowered her voice. “Well, I invited her date, Bryan, and I had no idea he’d bring her. But everyone knows the rules—if she causes a scene, my bodyguard will toss her out. I don’t care who she is.”
Brody rubbed his wife’s arm. “Calm down, honey. She’s not worth distressing the baby.”
Zara took a few deep breaths. “I know.”
She shared a loving glance with her husband, the type which contained an entire conversation without words, and my heart ached with longing.
Would I ever have such a close relationship with someone? Have a man look at me like Brody looked at Zara, as if she were the most precious thing in the world?
Nolan said, “We’ll do our best to steer clear of her. Katie and I just want to have a good time.”
Zara nodded. “And you will. Go enjoy yourselves! I’ll see if I can chat some more later.”
Another couple came up, and Nolan guided me across the room to the bar. Once we both had our flutes of champagne, we walked to the perimeter of the big ballroom so we could talk.
After a few sips of fortification, I said, “Zara’s nice.”
Nolan nodded. “We worked on a movie together years ago and kept in touch. She worked her way up from nothing too, although her story is far more impressive than mine.”
“Well, according to Emmy, she’s a fantastic tipper, so that’s a plus in my book.”
The music changed to something slower. Nolan took my empty glass and placed both of ours on the tray of a passing server. “Will you dance with me, Katie?”
My heart thudded. “What, as in slow dance? I don’t really know how, beyond swaying in place.”
He put out a hand. “I can teach you. Do you trust me?”