Page 82 of Mr. Picture Perfect
“And maybe,” Malcolm finishes with a lift of a finger, “you’ll find your Mr. Picture Perfect during the course of this event.” He shrugs. “Though I’m afraid, considering this whole ordeal ends in an auction with who-knows invited from who-knows-where, you will very likely end up as the arm candy to some sugar daddy. The highest bidder. You know how it goes. Is that alright with you?” he asks as he suppresses a chuckle. “Do you mind being someone’s pet for a night? Nadineisbasically prostituting you guys, and she’s your sassy southern pimp.”
Watching Malcolm hold back laughter, I can’t help but crack. I try not to laugh, but it can’t be helped, and suddenly I can’t stop. Malcolm busts out, too, and soon, there are tears in our eyes. For a beautiful moment I wish would last longer, all the tension and worry weighing down my soul is gone and far, far away from here.
Malcolm recovers, breathes, then reaches to pat my leg. “You know how highly I think of you. And how much Nadine values you in this big, beautiful debacle. I mean, you realize you literallyarethe reason for this whole fundraising event, right?”
I wipe the tears out of my eyes with my free hand. “Yeah?”
“None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for your split-second decision to race across the street and save Noah from what could have been a terrible disaster. You made yourself a hero. You woke the town up. Gave everyone something to talk about. Can you take a moment and just imagine how many people went home that day feeling more grateful for what they have? Grateful for their lives and families and friends?Wow. After reading the article earlier, evenIfound myself choked up. And I never get choked up. About anything. Not even the birth of cute baby bunnies, and thanks to Samuel, I’ve seenthatin the flesh.”
I smile, grateful. “Nadine may have done us strange by trying to set us up with each other, but I’m happy she did, because I feel lucky to have someone like you rooting for me.”
There is surprising warmth in the smile Malcolm gives me. “I am notably pleased we crossed paths, too, Cole,” he says with flair, “and I’m confident you’ll find your man. That Nadine is more than determined to make it happen.”
Okay, I can’t stand it anymore.
I can’t hold it back.
Noah will understand. I’m certain of it. Maybe he will even be happy to have someone else in town we can confide in.
“Malcolm, I gotta tell you something.”
He lifts his eyebrows, his smile still lingering on his lips. “Tell me what?”
I brace myself. Excitement bubbles up from deep within me. I clasp my thighs for some reason, bare my teeth, then finally say it out loud: “I’m already seeing someone.”
It’s instant. I feel relief beyond measure. I feel giddy to be at last sharing this with a trusted friend. It breathes life into the deep and unquestionable emotion I carry for Noah. It validates it all, just the uttering of that simple fact out loud.
Malcolm’s face twists. “What?”
He’s confused. That’s expected. “It’s Noah,” I say, now giving the confession a name. “We’re actually a thing. A veryrecentthing. Since last night, actually.”
“Uh, last night …?”
“Yep! Since last night. Noah and I. Though it feels more like we’ve been in a relationship secretly for years, ever since the days of our crazy high school past. Well, a one-sided one, I guess.”
“One-sided …?”
“We spent a lot of time together as kids, too. It’s sweet when you think about it. Our parents used to be best friends. We have a bit of history together, yet it took all this time for us to finally …” I bring my hands together, symbolizing us meeting. “And now I’m over the damned moon, Malcolm. I have no way to describe to you how I’m feeling other than …” I let out a happy sigh. “…elated.”
When I’m finished waxing poetically about Noah, I notice that Malcolm has barely said a word, his face reflecting nothing.
It suddenly occurs to me that this information might not be a good thing for Malcolm, who has been sweating buckets over this whole event, and who might see my surprise secret relationship with Noah as a terrible obstacle.
Maybe I shouldn’t have told him.
This was a huge mistake.
Then Malcolm gasps with such force, it’s like he’s trying to suck his face into his face. “Cole! This is the greatest news ever!”
I blink. “It is?”
“I’m so happy for you!” He glances over his shoulder, as if to check whether someone lurks there, then leans forward. “But we havegotto keep this between just us, alright?”
“Oh, I know.”
“Nadine will lose her shit if she finds out. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she will be happy and relieved that you’ve found a guy. But she’ll probably freak out first. Just between us, the mayor thing is a bigger deal than she anticipated, and she has these days where she calls me over and just … cries over wine with me. It is a side of her I never dreamed I’d see. Right now would be … the very wrong time to tell her that her leading bachelor isn’t actually a bachelor.” Malcolm reconsiders. “Though, to be fair, a bachelor by definition is just a guy who isn’t married. By that definition, evenI’ma bachelor. Samuel would of course vehemently disagree and thrust a ring right on my finger if he heard that. Y’know what? I’m talking entirely too much. Tell me everything.” Malcolm comes even closer. “Spill all the tea, every last drop.”
With that, I tell him how it came to be. Running into Noah at the festival. Talking to him at the Strongs’. Our failed attempt at an interview the next morning. The photo shoot and the dinner. Our secret rendezvous at his house last night—minus the intimate details, of course. Malcolm is there to drink up every bit of it.
