Page 91 of The Ruse

Nash took a sip and set his glass back on the table. “So, I haven’t been to a debutante ball before.” He tugged on his collar as if suddenly nervous. “But I, uh,” –he swallowed— “I hear that you’re supposed to all have escorts. Is that right?”

“I’ve never been to one before, either, but that’s what I was told.” My cheeks warmed, and I wondered if this was the moment I’d been putting off for weeks—the one where I went out on a limb and asked Nash to be my escort. I cleared my throat. “There was actually a bachelor’s brunch or something like that last weekend where they have a bunch of guys come and spend time with the other debutantes so they can decide if they want to ask one of them to be their escort…”

“Really?” Nash raised his eyebrows, like he knew all about it but was trying to act surprised. “That’s interesting.”

“I thought so.” I swirled my fork around in my pasta again.

Just do it, Elyse. Just ask him to be your escort.

“But you were at the cast retreat last weekend, so you didn’t go.”

“That’s right.”

He picked up his fork and poked at his food for a second before looking back at me. “Do you already have an escort?”

“Oh, no,” I said, a jumble of nerves filling my stomach. “I haven’t asked anyone yet.”AKA, I haven’t gotten up the courage to ask you.I took a sip of my water to drown the frog that had suddenly jumped into my throat. “I’ve just been so busy with the musical and school and everything that I haven’t had time to figure out how to ask someone.”

Just spit out the words.

The ball was two weeks away. I needed to have a date.

“Well,” Nash said. “I don’t want to assume anything…” His fingers twitched on the white tablecloth like he was nervous, too. “But I do have a tux for the event and will already be there…”

Was he saying what I thought he was?

“W-would you mind being my escort?” I asked, and then held my breath as I waited for him to answer. He might have helped me out a ton in asking him, but he could still say no.

But then, his aqua-blue eyes brightened and he got the cutest, happiest look on his face as he said, “It would be an honor to be your escort.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” he said, letting out a relieved laugh. “I’ve been hoping all week that you’d ask me.”

He had?

Awww.My whole body warmed, because just the way he said it reminded me of exactly why I liked him so much. He wassosweet.

And suddenly, I didn’t know why I’d put off asking him for so long because I should have done it a week ago when everyone else asked their guys.

Sure, I’d been a little distracted by that accidental kiss with Asher and all the confusing feelings I’d been experiencing all week. But now that I’d put it out there and Nash had accepted, it was so obvious that Nash was the right guy to ask all along.

“Are you okay to go to the events they have before the ball?” I asked, just so I didn’t get ahead of myself. “There are a couple of practices for the dance all the debutantes and escorts will be doing that night. And I think there’s a cocktail party the night before, too.”

Now that I thought about it, being an escort was a pretty big ask.

But he smiled and said, “I’ll already be in town since Cambrielle and Carter have to be at those things, too. So yes, I can make it to all those events.”

“That was amazing,”I whispered to Nash after the cast ofThe Phantom of the Operahad done their final bow and the curtains had closed. We were sitting in the front row and had just witnessed the show of a lifetime.

“I know.” He turned to me, his eyes showing that he was just as in awe of the performance as I was. “I barely took a breath through the whole thing.”

“Me either,” I admitted. Although part of that had been because of him holding my hand the whole time.

It had been so long since I just sat through a show or movie with a guy, holding hands, that I’d forgotten how much I’d missed it.

“Did you get any ideas for things to add to our production?” he asked. “Because I have about a million ideas I want to talk to Miss Crawley about now.”

“Just a few,” I said. “Though after watching the way the actress played Christine, I have to admit that I’m a little intimidated now. She was phenomenal.”

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