Page 119 of Is It Casual Now?

There were the usual settings—beach, romantic restaurant, up in a hot air balloon. But nothing seemed to fit or feel quite right.

Whenever she would question if she even knew what the hell she was doing, Jessie would tut-tut her and spark the excitement back into Siena.

Siena loved Jamie, but she wanted this to be perfect for them.

Jessie: You and Jamie are two peas in a pod. Perfect doesn’t exist. You’ve both been around the entertainment business and airbrushed photos for far too long.

Siena: Ha! Maybe.

It was after a particularly excited Jamie came home from work one day, positively buzzing about the latest drama to do with one of Ingrid’s clients, that Siena got the best idea yet for how to propose in the grandest of ways to Jamie.

When Jamie went for a shower, Siena quickly typed out a message to Jessie.

Siena: Drama. We need to add some juicy drama. It’s what she lives for. And it would make the entire experience catered just to her.

Jessie: Oh brilliant idea. I love it.

Siena: She’ll like it right?

Siena didn’t enjoy the way she questioned herself in ways she never had before when it came to this proposal, but despite Jessie’s scolding, she couldn’t shake her desire for this proposal to be absolutely perfect. It would be the last one she ever did. Jamie was her forever, and that needed to be honored in every way possible with each step forward in their relationship.

Jamie came out of the shower, water drops still beading across her collarbone above the towel she had wrapped around her body.

“What are you doing?” She smiled and flopped down on her back on the bed beside Siena.

Siena’s mind threatened to fizzle out at the expanse of bare legs that hung over the edge of the bed.

“Work stuff. Shouldn’t be long.” Siena jumped off the bed before she got any more distracted. She was finally onto something for this proposal, and if she looked at Jamie any longer, all ideas would vanish, never to be returned.

It blew her mind that the mere sight of Jamie could still cause her such distraction. But she couldn’t imagine ever getting sick of touching her, making love to her, ravishing her until she screamed her name and lost her voice. She’d only lost her voice once, but it was something Siena aimed to achieve again and again during their life together.

“Oh, all right then.” Jamie’s eyes radiated a sadness that Siena would ease later, but right now she had to get this figured out. She was tired of planning. She just wanted to propose.

In her office, she looked at her phone again.

Jessie: Absolutely. Can you use something plausible from work?

Siena: Definitely. I think I know exactly who I can ask a favor of to make it look more legitimate than she could imagine.

Jessie: Bunny and Piper?

Siena: Half right :-)

Jessie: Excellent. You work on that end, and I’ll keep working on getting the ring sorted.

Siena: Thanks, Jessie. You’re the best.

Jessie: Gotta work hard to keep up with Jamie.

The last text was joined by some laughing winky smiley faces, and Siena knew Jessie was trying to play into the myth Jamie always had that Jessie was the perfect golden child. But this wasn’t the first time the joke had fallen flat.

From the outside looking in, it was obvious to Siena that the environment the twins had been brought up in had managed to create a competition between the two of them. As though neither of them had quite felt like they were good enough when they had an exact copy of themselves deemed better to compare themselves to daily.

“Babe?” Jamie knocked on Siena’s office door.

Siena jumped and muttered a curse before she stepped to the door and opened it. Disappointment pooled in her belly as she noted Jamie’s pajamas were on. Not that it had ever stopped them, but it did seem to be a step backward from the half dry, naked Jamie who had sprawled on the bed beside her.

“Hey.” Siena smiled. It dropped almost instantly as she took in the expression on Jamie’s face. “Is everything okay?”

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