Page 98 of For the Cameras
The look in Chase’s eyes was all I needed.
I wanted him to feel like he was the most important thing in the world, and I’d never stop trying to show him that.
“I only hope I’m as lucky as you, one day,” Emmett said. “I’m happy for you both.”
Emmett was whip-smart, attractive, and a multi-millionaire. I knew he wasn’t going to have any trouble finding a man of his own one day, too.
“Thanks, Emmett,” Chase said. “It means a lot. And thank you for inviting us to this party pad, because I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Emmett waved us forward toward the front door. “Come on in. Let’s get some drinks in those hands. My personal chef has some killer appetizers already out on the backyard bar for us.”
As we followed Emmett inside, Chase came to my side, giving me a mischievous grin.
“Hey,” he whispered in my ear. “How much do you want to bet there’s some sort of chocolate cake chips and dip as one of the appetizers?”
I struggled not to laugh. “Or maybe some deviled egg cupcakes?”
“Ugh,” Chase said, but both of us were laughing like idiots now. Luckily Emmett was many paces ahead, not paying attention to us in our little world.
“I think there will at least be mac and cheese pie,” I said.
“Actually,” Chase said, “that kind of sounds like it might be good.”
“It does, to be honest.”
He beamed at me as we entered Emmett’s colossal front doors. “We should open a restaurant.”
I put my hand on his lower back, giving it a squeeze. “I’d do anything with you, Chase.”
He leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips. “And I want to do everything with you.”
“I knew it!” I heard someone call out from further inside the house, and I knew it must be Emmett’s marketing coworker.
“Let’s get this party started,” I told Chase, taking his hand and heading on in.
No fear in my heart.
No worries that I was going to do or say something wrong.
Because I really did feel like I could do anything, with Chase at my side.
EPILOGUE
CHASE, THREE MONTHS LATER
“Now this is a watch party, Adam-style,” I said, looking all around the back patio at Jade Brewery.
It was early evening on a Monday night, and I’d somehow sweet-talked Rush into being willing to close the whole patio of the brewery for our private event tonight.
It was the premiere of Adam’s episode of the Fixer Brothers TV show, and while it was tradition to hold watch parties for the TV premieres, I knew for tonight, I wanted to do it in a way that Adam would like best.
That meantnothaving a cram-packed room full of strangers.
We had the whole outdoor space to ourselves. Adam’s happy place was outside on his bedroom balcony, and over the last few months, he’d come to love the outdoor area of Jade Brewery, too. It had all just been renovated by the Fixer Brothers themselves earlier this year, and it felt even more serene tonight. Harlan, the head brewer, had set out pitchers of Adam’s favorite beer on each of the tables, and the rows of string lights that dotted the patio and lawn space made the whole back area feel like its own little world.
And I’d decked out every table on the brewery deck with little papers full of trivia questions, tiny Sudoku puzzles, and various Polaroid pictures that Carla had snapped all throughout the filming at Adam’s house. The TV screens on the outer deck wall were currently playing old sci-fi movies, too, until it was time to watch the Fixer Brothers show.
Only the construction and film crews were invited, as well as everyone’s partners, Emmett, and a couple of the guys from his marketing firm.