Page 60 of The Final Rose

I almost swallow my tongue, my alarm difficult to hide. I practically can hear the beating of Callie’s heart as she comes to us. She tries to hide any emotion, but I can read her well.

“Sebastian here says it was you who delivered every flower bouquet I sent,” he says loud enough to be overheard.

“Well, apparently it was my job to be Riggs’ delivery girl,” she replies with all that sassiness that makes me crazy.

My mouth curves and Maverick nods. “Well, you better sit down and tell me about his reactions in detail.”

Maverick points to the chair at the front, and that’s when Callie falters. She looks on both sides, but someone from the crew comes to the rescue.

“You have a beer, Sosa,” he says. “Save one for me.”

She nods, relieved. Sitting down and grabbing a drink, my girl smiles coyly. “He cried each time.”

“You don’t say? Sebastian has always been the sensitive one.”

Callie nods effusively. “It’s rare to see a man in tears with no provocation.”

“It’s freeing to hear.”

“Oh, sobbing over the roses.” Callie continues. “Once, he held the flowers and sang to--”

“Ok, ok…” I interrupt them. “That’s enough from you both.”

“I spend my hard-earned money lavishing you with lovely pressies, and that’s what you have to say?”

“Thank you for the flowers, Maverick. I’m actually upset you haven’t sent any since I’m back.”

“He only takes,” Maverick turns to Callie. “Never gives.”

“Oh, I’m giving,” I say with a smirk.

“Well, I won’t get into that,” Maverick murmurs.

Surprising me, instead of feeling uncomfortable, Callie laughs away, clinking her bottle to Maverick’s.

“I’m going to like you, Maverick.”

I meet Devi, Dora,and a bunch more people who ended up getting one last drink before tucking in. My heart feels light. I’m happy I can just hang out with Callie without lurking in the shadows. It feels like before, when our banter was easy. Before I decided she was mine.

Maverick fits into any crowd. His arms open to the back of the comfortable couch, the set crew gave up on tidying up the place and sat down for a drink too. And for a moment, I dare to wish this was it. That I was a regular bloke in love with a girl and having drinks with her friends.

I can’t sayThe Final Roseis the worst decision I ever made. It was probably the best. But sometimes it’s hard to look at the logo without wincing.

“Maybe you should hire me as your manager.” Maverick taps my knee. “Just to sort through the fan letters.”

“Excuse me?”

“The teaser came out today,” Devi explains, and before I have a chance to ask, someone shoves a device in my face and it’s already playing when I turn to have a proper look.

Starts like any other season’s teaser, with the voiceover from the host: “The fairy tale begins…”

Shots of the best angles of the mansion flash. Then the first group of girls. Mackenzie says, “I hope he’s handsome.”

And then someone gasps. Another girl I can’t identify says, “Oh my god!” in a staged whisper.

The screen changes to the interviews set back in the mansion. Vera is smiling at the camera and she says, “I just want to fall in love.”

My stomach plummets, but I don’t have time to react as the teaser is still going, talking about the twelve girls, showing shots of them looking nothing but magnificent.

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