Page 81 of A Conflict of Interest

“You know, I specifically wrote a fanfic that wasn’t just smut because I knew you liked the squishier romantic ones. The least you could do is respect that. Do you know how hard it was to be sweet and romantic and vanilla and stuff?”

“I still did not want to readanyof your erotic writing. A fact which remains true today.” She paused. “Also, fucking… mind control kink is not vanilla.”

“Oh yeah… I forgot I put that in there.”

“I wishIcould forget,” she muttered.

“You know, I’m going to do everything in my power to keep stealing her for trips like that. Are you going to kill me if I keep sweeping your employee off her feet for romantic getaways across the ocean?”

“Ha. Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll work out a setup for her to transition into a more remote-flexible position. Although I think Kelcey would be heartbroken if she didn’t get to come into the office all the time too… she does love getting to see everyone there.”

“She’s just… pure radiant sunshine. God, I love her. The things you turn into when there’s a girl on the line, huh?” I shrugged. “Well, one day you’ll marry yours too, and then I can start making fun of you for how you act like you’re not completely obsessed in every waking moment with yourwifeinstead.”

“Hm. I think you’ll be too distracted with yours.”

“She’s definitely worthy of getting distracted by. Speaking of… watch this,” I said, and I pushed off from the wall, setting down my cappuccino and heading over to crash the show where the kids were gathered around Lucy and Kelcey, both of them playing while laughing together with the gaggle of children, and I knelt to where Kelcey beamed at me.

“Hi, beautiful,” she said.

“Hello, love of my life,” I said, and the kids made variousewwlaughing noises, appropriately grossed out at grownups being in love. I grinned at the kids. “Okay, you rascals, let me be in love here. Yeesh. Hey, kids, you mind if I take Kelcey for one second? I have a very important question I want to ask her while everyone’s here.”

The kids unilaterally booed at the idea of me taking Kelcey away. Kelcey laughed, waving her hand at them all. “You guys! I’ll be right back, okay?Ilove Veronica too, so it’s going to make me sad if you’re all mean to her!”

“Okay,” came the chorus of children, resigned to not being mean to mefor now.I didn’t mind being the gay aunt everyone got to make jokes at the expense of and married to the gay aunteveryone loved. Seemed right for us, anyway. Just because I was soft for Kelcey didn’t make me not a dirty rascal.

I took Kelcey’s hand and helped her up to her feet, and she came with me, giggling and blushing, to the center of the room as Lucy—she was a good co-conspirator to the end, love her—turned the music down to hush the room and make everyone turn to where Kelcey and I stood in the center, and Kelcey bit her lip nervously.

“Why do I feel like this is real?” she said quietly.

I took her hands in mine, squeezing them lightly. “Because it is,” I whispered back. “I mean… not like this is a one-and-done thing. This is me continuing to choose this every day, forever. Every morning I wake up with you and every night I go to bed with you is asking you the same question. And if the answer is yes, I’ll never take it for granted.”

“Oh my god, I’m blushing,” she laughed, ducking her head nervously, and she wasn’t lying—full-faced blushing, which just looked cute on her. I was a fan.

I was kind of a fan of everything Kelcey Huntington, though.

“Kelcey,” I said, raising my voice enough to fill the room. “I, uh… my mom suggested this, and it seemed like a pretty good idea.”

Kelcey nodded, playing along. “Yeah? You know, I also got a cool idea from something your mom said. It’d be wild if it was the same idea.”

“Ha. Can you imagine? I mean, could be. We’re always in sync.” I squeezed her hands once and dropped to one knee, and I slipped my hand into my pocket, pulling out her ring, and I heard the collective gasp through the room as I presented it, because apparently everyone bought it. I mean, my family was… credulous, to say the least. “Kelcey Huntington, I want everyoneto know for the rest of my life that I’ve dedicated myself to loving you. Will you marry me?”

Kelcey played her part perfectly, beaming like I’d just suggested the same thing for dinner she was about to suggest. “Oh my god, you’re not going to believe this,” she said as casually as anything, and she reached into her pocket. “I was just… uh…”

I mouthedother pocketto her quietly, and she lit up, checking her other pocket, and she whipped out my ring, presenting it to me.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing! Can you believe that?”

“Oh my god, what,” I said in a voice much too laid-back for a proposal. Across the room, I spotted the confused reactions of a dozen family members, looking around like they weren’t sure if they were supposed to laugh or clap, people furrowing their brows even as they clasped their hands over their mouths in excitement—everyone except Mom, who looked like she was seeing the greatest thing to ever happen on planet earth, already frantically wiping tears away, and except for Matthew Gould, who just smiled cheerfully like everything was normal. Literally nothing on earth could faze that guy.

“I know, right?” Kelcey said. “Oh my god, it’s like a sign.”

The kids giggled, which meant we were probably doing well. I slipped the ring onto Kelcey’s finger, and she slipped my ring onto mine, and even though we’d already done it, I couldn’t help the rush of excitement, a million feelings at the reality of the situation andgetting to put an engagement ring on Kelcey’s finger.And her doing the same on mine.

“I love you, Veronica,” Kelcey said, as I rose back to my feet. “And I want to keep loving you forever, and ever, and… and even after that.”

“You’re not going to believe this,” I said, slipping my hands into hers. “I was just about to say the same thing.”

She gave me a look of faux shock. “No.”

“I absolutely was.” I kissed her, slipping my hands to her waist and holding her against me, and the room broke out in cheering that was only slightly hesitant and confused—except, of course, for Matthew Gould, who clapped cheerily, and Mom, who bawled her heart out that she was the happiest person alive and that she’d never seen anything more beautiful in her life.

Woman had some low standards. Well, whatever. Some Prestons were willing to just accept whatever. ButIdidn’t settle for anything less than Kelcey Huntington.

I mean,Kelcey Huntington.That was a woman worth spending a lifetime with.

∞∞∞

The End

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