Page 24 of After the Red Carpet
“Oh, Finn,” she whispered, tears in her eyes.
He gently kissed her forehead. “Ella, when I look at you, I see my whole life—all the laughter, the joy, even our children who I already love even though they’re only a dream. That’s how much you mean to me.” Tears slid silently down her cheeks. “When we got back together and you moved here, I promised myself that I would do everything right this time, that I would give you the space to bewho you are. When I saw all the effort you’re going through for tomorrow night, I thought I had done it again, allowed my life and desires to overtake yours.”
She rested her forehead against his and whispered, “I love you so much.”
“I love you too. More than anything in the world.”
She pulled back and said, “I always loved you, more than I can say. I just wasn’t ready then. At the time, I thought it was because some part of me didn’t trust you or trust that what we had would last, but it was more than that. It wasn’t you I didn’t trust, it was me, and maybe even love itself. I was afraid that if I fully gave myself to you, that I’d somehow change, that I’d lose myself. Then if you weren’t there one day, I’d be left with nothing. But Finn, that fear is long gone.” She touched his cheek. “The truth is, I have no idea what love is like over a lifetime, but I want to find out, and I want to do that with you. I trust what we have, body and soul.” He smiled and she continued, “It seems you’ve forgotten what I told you on the jet, so I’m going to give you a reminder. I choose you. I choose us. Always.”
“Oh, baby, I love you so much,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “I’m so sorry I raised my voice. I’m so sorry about everything.”
“I’ll never leave you again. I want to be here with you. But I need to be myself.”
“That’s what I want too.”
“As for the dinner party, it wasn’t any trouble at all. When we were in Sweden, I told you how much I love entertaining and about all the get-togethers I used to throw. Your life wasn’t overtaking mine. I was trying to bring myself to your life, to our life.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“I know maybe you think the theme is silly, but . . .”
“I don’t think that at all,” Finn assured her. “I love it.”
“It’s an icebreaker. It gives people something to talk about and makes it easier to get to know one another.”
“How about a date night at home with your future husband? Takeout of your choice, maybe a bubble bath, and you can tell me everything about tomorrow night, like how you came up with the fantastic idea of Morocco to Monaco. What do you say?”
Ella smiled brightly. “I say yes.”
THE NEXT DAY, JUST BEFORE THEIRguests were set to arrive at six o’clock, Finn wandered out back, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. His eyes marveled when he saw the spectacularly set dining table: hot-pink, gold-trimmed slip cushions on each chair, an ornate turquoise-and-gold runner down the center of the table, white plates atop gold chargers with matching gold flatware, beautifully folded emerald-green napkins, bud vases brimming with white flowers, and a sprinkling of glowing votive candles, all beneath a canopy of brightly colored paper lights. He was so captivated by how Ella was present in every detail that he didn’t hear her approach.
“Hey, you,” she said.
He turned and watched her walk toward him, her turquoise sundress and long spiral curls blowing in the breeze. “You are breathtaking. The table is stunning. Creative, magical, and one of a kind, just like you.”
She blushed and gave him a smooch. “Everything is all set in the kitchen. I thought we could have cocktails and chat when everyone arrives. Joyce and her assistant will grill the meats and veggies, and then we can eat.”
“Okay, baby.”
An hour later, they all sat down to dinner, Finn and Ella at the opposite heads of the table. Their guests werechatting with one another about the eye-catching place settings, admiring every detail.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Finn said, raising his wine glass. “To Ella, for creating this very special evening, and to all of you for joining us.”
“Cheers!” everyone said.
Ella smiled and said, “Let me explain what’s on the table. These round breads are calledkhobz,and you can use them like pita. Fill it with whatever you like and fold it over like a pocket—there’s marinated lamb, beef, chicken, and vegetables. Play around with the sauces; the green is zesty herbs, the red one is spicy, and the white is a yogurt cucumber sauce, which is mild and cooling. There’s couscous and salads as well. Dig in.”
The guests began piling their plates. “Oh, wow,” Carol moaned. “Honey, you have to try the lamb with the green sauce,” she said to her husband.
“This bread is killer. I could spend the whole night dipping it in these sauces until I burst,” Dan said.
Finn sat back and smiled, unabashed joy on his face.
After taking seconds and thirds, everyone was finally finished eating. Lauren picked up the snow globe behind her place setting and asked, “Ella, what’s this?”
“Everyone has a snow globe that represents a different destination—there’s Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Bali, Sydney, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, and Rio de Janeiro. They’re your take-home gifts. Check out which one you got. Maybe it will inspire you to think about the places you’ve visited or to dream up new ideas.”
“I got Paris,” Lauren said, shaking her snow globe and watching as the sparkles drifted down over the Eiffel Tower. She looked at Michael and said, “I’ve never been. I can only imagine that it’s as wonderful as everyone says.”
