Page 54 of Marry Me, Right Now

“Yeah. He’s been asking everyone really weird questions about how long you’ve been together and stuff. I told him a few details, but I don’t think he believed me. He’s just being really sketchy.”

Jacob was listening intently. “He always gets odd and paranoid when he hits the booze,” he said to them apologetically. “I’ll see if Asher can me help settle him down.”

“Sorry,” Rayanne said, “I know family can be hard.”

Jacob headed for the other end of the room, and Lauren followed at a discreet distance while Rayanne stayed with me.

“Do you need anything?” she asked.

“I’m great, thanks.” Then I laughed. “Although it’s weird to have so many people checking on me.”

She laughed. “Yeah. I’ve seen you on your feet working for over fourteen hours straight. This is nothing, except for the endless chit chat about yourself instead of the menu.”

“Precisely.”

Her head turned to the back as we heard a murmur in the crowd, then a door shut almost loud enough to be a slam. In a few minutes Lauren came rushing back to us.

“I’ll be quick before jacob knows that I was spying. His brother is seriously drunk, and being a total ass. He’s pissed off that their mom didn’t have a background check done on Mia. Jacob dragged him outside, so I don’t think anyone else heard George ranting about how Mia is an actress, she’s not real, and she’s too poor to understand their lifestyle and their family. Poor Jacob is trying really hard to calm him down and not punch him in the face, I think.”

Rayanne gave my hand a squeeze. “Oh, Mia, I’m so sorry.”

I shrugged. “There was bound to be some sort of family stress.”

Jacob came back looking remarkably calm, as Rayanne and Lauren backed away a little.

“Is everything okay?” I asked lightly.

“Yes. George is in a cab home. Don’t worry about it.” He looked into my eyes, clearly seeing my concern. Reaching out to cup my face in his hand, his thumb ran along my cheekbone so softly it made me feel floaty.

The girls took another step back, and I caught Rayanne’s grin. “The toasts are starting in a minute, but we’ll give you two a second.”

I slid over to murmur in Jacob’s ear, “Are you okay?”

He nodded, his fingers trailing down my back. “Now that I’m back here with you, yes.” I could see that he truly meant it. I adored knowing that being with me made him feel better.

It was a monumental relief that Jacob had picked Asher instead of George to be the best man, so that nobody noticed he was missing when the toasts began.

Asher stood up and raised a glass. “Friends and family, I’m honored to congratulate this adorable couple. For those of you who don’t know h

im very well yet, Jacob is a solid guy. He’s honest, loyal, and always there to lend a hand. However, his life lacked a little sparkle.” Everyone laughed as he turned to me. “Then along came Mia, the sweet artsy girl, and suddenly Jacob is relaxed and smiling all the time. I’m hardly an expert in love, but I’m fairly certain that whoever compliments your life perfectly and makes you calm and happy is definitely the one. Thank you for joining our world Mia. Congratulations to the happy couple!”

Everyone applauded and sipped their champagne, then it was Lauren’s turn. I had to admit, I was a bit nervous. She occasionally got a little rowdy and inappropriate after a few glasses of wine, and she had always had a deep distrust of rich people. This would be her ultimate chance to stick it to the man, in her eyes, but I was fairly certain she wouldn’t do that to me.

“I’d like to raise a glass to Mia and Jacob.” Everyone in the room followed suit.

“They’re a bit of a weird couple, but many of us prefer the weird to the normal, so that’s absolutely fine.”

I was relieved to see that the rich people laughed right along with my friends.

“Is it weird that they kept their love a secret for so long? Well, yes. But love is strange. Life is unusual. These two weirdos have found each other, and it’s a beautiful thing. Mia and I always check out each other's boyfriends, and give honest feedback. But the look in her eyes when I asked her how Jacob really treated her was a refreshing change.”

She paused, and I found myself holding my breath, begging for her not to go into detail about our usual boyfriend questions.

“She said that Jacob brought balance into her life, and I’ve never heard her say such a thing before.” Lauren raised her glass. “Bright blessings, Mia and Jacob. May you bring each other balance, harmony, peace, and endless love.”

Everyone cheered and sipped their champagne as I hugged her. “Thanks so much for not mentioning the fourth question,” I whispered into her ear.

“I almost did, but I knew you’d kill me.”

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