Page 62 of House of Desire

“You look beautiful,” I tell her and mean it. The eggplant purple dress stands out against her freckled skin, clinging to her curves. A slit hits high on her thigh as the skirt flows down to the ground.

While she’s stunning, always has been, the happiness bleeding from her turns her into nothing short of an enchantress. My throat tightens again as my heart clenches. The joy of watching the person I love the most find her happiness fills the cracks inside me with light.

I wouldn’t be standing here without her.

I wouldn’t have met Anastasia without her and that would have been a loss no matter how it ended.

“Good job,” she says, taking my arm, and leading me to the backyard where the guests will arrive. “This is going to be fun!”

As the stars of the movie arrive, I almost have an out-of-body experience. Seeing someone who is supposed to be playing me is wild. While I think he looks nothing like me, Charlie and Courtney both have sworn up and down I’m completely, and emphatically, wrong.

“Congratulations, man,” I say, shaking Alec’s hand as he comes out of the house into the backyard.

“Thanks. I hope you know you’re required to come to the wedding,” he says, making sure his tux is perfect. Like he’d ever have a string out of place.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Just tell me when and where. You know I’ll be there.”

Tank and Lorelei walk on the red carpet, posing like professionals while the photographers take picture after picture. Alec and I watch them as they make their way to us.

“Did you ask her yet?” Lorelei asks immediately, clasping her hands in front of her chest and basically bouncing with excitement.

“Ask who what?” Alec says, annoying her immediately.

“I’m going to call Dad and tell on you for being mean to me.”

“Don’t you think you’re a little old to be a tattletale?”

“You only think that because I’m his favorite,” she says, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

Charlie comes through the back door, a glass of champagne in one hand and a whiskey drink of some sort in the other. She hands it to Alec without a word as she greets Lorelei and Tank, thanking them for coming.

“So, are you going to tell me the news or are we supposed to pretend like we don’t see that rock on your hand?” Lorelei asks, causing Charlie to laugh, her happiness infectious.

“Lorelei, guess what! I’m engaged,” she says, thrusting her hand out. Lore squeals, grabbing her hand and getting so close, I think for a minute she’s going to kiss the ring I helped pick out.

“Alec is going to be so upset you’re off the market. Did you tell him you’ll have to dump him now that someone’s going to make an honest woman out of you?” Lorelei teases.

“He was heartsick, but I believe he’ll get over it.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” Alec says, dry as the Sahara, taking a drink.

As the ladies fall, almost immediately, into talk of what type of dress Charlie should wear for the ceremony, I excuse myself and head inside looking for the bar.

“Whiskey, neat,” I say, sliding next to a woman in a yellow dress.

“Parker, I thought I recognized your voice. It’s so good to see you,” Carmen says, turning toward me.

“Carmen? What are you doing here?” I ask, kissing her cheek in a surprised greeting.

“I’m here with a date. The actor who played Alec reached out to me on social media and we just kind of hit it off.”

“That’s great,” I say, taking my drink from the bartender, while slipping a tip in the jar on the counter. “Listen, I never got a chance to apologize for not picking you. You’re an amazing person and obviously there was chemistry between us, but there was always just something holding me back. I wish I could have been more straightforward with you on the show.”

“Oh, sweetie, it’s totally fine. We never would have worked anyway. I can see that now, even though I thought we’d be perfect together then.” She takes a drink of her cocktail and gives a little wave to someone over my shoulder, probably her date, but my eyes stay on her.

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t we have worked?”

“Because you still need to get over your ex-wife,” she says, her tone implying I’m an idiot for not seeing that.

---