Page 33 of Proposal Play

“Are you a gentleman?”

Not in bed. “Sometimes,” I say, holding her gaze for a beat before we reach the venue. The Sapphire Theater holds around five thousand, and the place is packed as we head toward our VIP seats in the front.

As we make our way through the crowd, I reach for her hand, then position myself slightly ahead of Maeve, clearing a path through the boisterous throng. The scent of beer, sweat, and perfume mingles in the air, blending with the riotous sounds of laughter and cheers. The party atmosphere is in full swing, and the anticipation for the show builds with each step. The crush of bodies is intense, so I grip her hand tighter, keeping her close to my side.

“Aren’t you possessive,” she says.

“Don’t want anyone touching my date,” I joke, only it’s not a joke.

I fucking don’t.

I scan the theater, making sure no one is getting too close to her.

No one but me.

By the time we reach the front of the room, I’m all too aware of her warmth beside me. But as she slips into her seat, flashing me that carefree smile, I remind myself tokeep it cool. Tonight’s about fun—just fun. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

I can’t find her a job or line up clients, but there’s one thing I know I can do—make her smile. And when she does, it lights up her whole face. That makes everything worth it.

When she turns to me, she flashes it full wattage, and says, “Let’s see if you’re a hundred-thousand-dollar date, Callahan.”

I crack up but quickly school my expression. “Is that a challenge?”

“I believe it is,” she teases. “I paid a lot for you.”

I toss my head back, laughing. I’m about to point out the obvious—that she paid nothing—but stop myself. That’s poor sportsmanship. It’s also untrue. She might not have paid in dollars, but she paid in chutzpah, in guts, and in fucking loyalty, wanting to save me from someone I didn’t even know wanted to use me as a pawn. I think back to the mom and dad in the lobby, to their happiness and relief at getting a break tonight. I think, too, of how easily we made that happen for them.

I loop back to the auction, when Maeve saved me from what could’ve been a sticky situation with Miranda. So yeah, Maeve definitely threw down for me. And I’m going to show her what a great date I can be.

“You sure did. And I’m going to make it worth every single cent,” I say.

When the band comes on, I don’t hold back. I cheer, I shout, I grab her hand, and the crowd around us gets to their feet too. We sing along, voices getting hoarse, but I don’t care. I don’t play hockey with my voice. I play it with my body, and I use it tonight, dancing with a friend, showing her the time of her life.

When servers come by, trying to get our attention above the noise, I scan the menu and ask for a Lemonade Affair. It’s rosemary, lemonade, and gin. Maeve’s eyes light up, so I amend the order to make it two. When the drinks arrive, I toast to us.

“You are a good time. I should bid on you every year,” she says, and the thought of that goes straight to my head, making it crackle with ideas—some I shouldn’t be entertaining. Blame the Lemonade Affair.

“I’ll keep making it worth your while,” I say.

“Oh, I know you will. I’m jealous of every woman you’ve ever had a date with,” she says, and damn, she’s saying things that are making my mind race way too far ahead. But the way she’s having fun, singing along, is all I care about.

When the lead singer finishes their hit song “Blown Away” with an epic strum of his guitar, Maeve turns to me, her face flushed, her eyes bright. “I love that song. I just do.”

“I know,” I say.

She blushes. “I’ve said that before?”

I hold up my thumb and forefinger to show a sliver of space. “A few times. You said it makes you happy.” I have to cup my hand around her ear because it’s loud.

She shivers as I touch her. At least I think she does. And that reaction goes south of the pants border. Good thing it’s dark.

“Well, it still makes me happy. This whole night is making me happy. So whatever you’re doing tonight, Callahan, it’s working.”

A surge of satisfaction spreads warmth through my chest. Mission accomplished. I can’t help the grin that stretches across my face, wide and sure. This is what I setout to do—to make her forget everything else, if only for tonight. Her happiness is my win, and knowing I’m the reason for it makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.

The singer clears his throat, his deep, raspy baritone booming across the theater. “I’ve got a new song for you tonight. Something I’ve been working on for a while. A little number about promises. Promises made, and promises kept.”

Maeve’s eyes widen. “Did you know he was going to premiere a new song?”

---