Page 35 of Maggie

Maggie said, “I don’t mind the fans. The paparazzi get annoying sometimes, but I’m always willing to talk to fans. They’re the backbone behind my band. We couldn’t play our music without the fans.”

Maggie smiled at Aubrey and picked up her fork. She glanced around the room and noticed a lot of looks and hushed whispers directed their way. Apparently, the fan’s attention had been what they needed to get this charade moving.

Wylder’s dinner was beef wellington so she could use food as an opportunity to get close to him. She cut a piece of chicken and speared it with her fork. She offered it to Wylder and leaned in to play with his hair.

“Here, try this,” she said.

Wylder’s lips closed around the fork and slid the food off of it.

“Don’t look now,” she whispered, “but we’ve got an attentive audience.”

Wylder nodded, chewed, and swallowed. “Thank you. It’s good.”

“Sure thing, honeybun.”

Wylder chuckled at the nickname.

They settled in to eat their dinners and chat. Frieda must have spent a fortune on food, Maggie thought. It’s delicious. She chuckled to herself as she mentally compared the meal to the $5,000 per plate dinner she’d attended.

Maggie loved Wylder’s family. His parents were adorable together, plus his sister, her husband, and Kelsey all felt like people she could be friends with. The wonderful connection he had with Kelsey was so supportive and engaging that Maggie could easily have mistaken Kelsey as Wylder’s own daughter rather than his niece. Maggie had never seen anything like the comfort and happiness these people had together. Wylder relaxed more as the evening went by, and eventually she could tell that he was finally in his element. She enjoyed seeing the talkative, funny, flirtatious side of him.

“I think it’s time to repaint the tattoo shop,” he said. “Maybe a new spray paint mural and a different color for the other walls,” he said.

“Do you spray paint, too?” Maggie asked.

He smiled. “Yes. I do a little of everything when it comes to art. Painting, drawing, graffiti, you name it.”

Aubrey interjected, “He’s really talented. He painted Kelsey’s room with Alice in Wonderland images when she was a baby. I need to have him re-do it, but I hate to lose the pictures that are already there.”

Wylder laughed. “I’ll put up better images. Tell me when.”

“Alice in Wonderland, huh?” Maggie teased.

Wylder smiled. “Yes. I know it’s your favorite. I love Alice, too. I’m all about having an overactive imagination.”

“Maybe you can look at his work tomorrow when you come over,” Aubrey said.

“MOM!” Kelsey shouted. “It’s my room. Maggie doesn’t want to go in there.”

Aubrey waved her protest off. “Obviously, someone’s room is messy right now.”

Wylder’s dad laughed and interrupted. “Wylder, do you have any idea how you want to repaint the shop?”

Wylder shook his head. “I haven’t decided yet. I need to bounce the idea off Zeke. I’m sure he has some input.”

When a sickeningly sweet voice came from behind them, everyone’s attention turned toward it. “Thank you all so much for coming to my wedding.”

As Maggie shifted to look, she heard Wylder’s mom say, “It’s all been beautiful, Frieda.”

---