“Don’t worry. I’m never letting you go, roomie.” Ezra laughed as the line moved forward, and I couldn’t help my secret smirk. “What?”
“Nothing.” I swung his hand lightly, trying to distract him. “Picturing us at eighty with like fifty years of being roommates. I might need to get you a title upgrade at some point so you’re not calling me roomie while we’re in our front porch rocking chairs at the retirement home.”
“Ha.” Ezra chuckled loudly enough to turn a few heads of others waiting. “I’ll still call you roomie. But I’ll take the title upgrade. If you’re asking.”
“Oh, when I’m asking, you’ll know.” I kept my voice sly but casual, like this was simply more of our usual joking around and not related to any bigger plans I had.
“Soon?” Ezra waggled his eyebrows at me, adorably maddening in his eagerness. He liked to get all overexcited like this to make me smile, but for the most part, he’d let me set the pace for major milestones in our relationship, like ditching condoms a few months back and putting both our names on the lease for the new place.
“Shush. Here comes Danny and Cash.” I made a show of waving them over. Ezra had used his other two tickets for them since his folks couldn’t make it. The invite was likely partly for my benefit as Ezra tended to worry about me having no one to talk to at these things.
“Looking good, LT.” Cash bumped my shoulder, giving me a friendly half-hug before turning to Ezra. “Please stop getting nominated for shit. I need fewer occasions to wear the penguin suit.”
“But you look so good.” Danny batted his eyes. “I think you need more occasions to wear tuxes, not less.”
“Maybe.” Cash’s tone was exactly the same caginess as mine earlier. Dude totally had long-term plans, and Danny’s impatience was right up there with Ezra’s.
Ezra grabbed my elbow as we were led to our seats, leaning in to whisper, “See? Rank upgrades must be in the air. You can’t let your little brother beat you to the punch.”
“You’re too impatient for your own good.”
“But cute?” He looked all coy as he settled into the aisle seat with the rest of us in a row next to him.
“But cute.” I threw an arm around him. The cameras lurking everywhere in the auditorium already knew we were dating. I wasn’t going to let a few flashbulbs deter me.
“And hey, I’m waiting on you.” He let his head fall onto my shoulder, silky hair smelling of expensive product that only served to make me want to drag him into the shower later. “I’m patient. I could just do the asking my own self.”
“You could.” I shrugged like I didn’t have a horse in this race. “Why ruin the fun of waiting?”
My tone must have given more away than I’d intended because his eyes went wide. “Duncan Lubov, do you have a plan?”
“Not telling.” I stuck my tongue out at him like I was nine, loving how he laughed and laughed at my silliness.
“And you expect me to make it through this whole boring show knowing that?”
“Knowing what?” On my other side, Danny perked up.
“Duncan has plans. Apparently.” Ezra did a good job of pretending to be put out, but his pleased eyes gave him away.
“Oh, I know that.” Danny waved a hand.
“Me too.” Cash grinned.
“Evil. You guys are all evil.” Ezra pointed at the three of us.
“Don’t go forgetting your speech now,” I said mildly.
“I might not even need it—”
“You’ll need it.” The other two nodded at my words, but Ezra’s gaze was only for me, warming me all the way to the soles of my dress shoes.
“I love your confidence in me.”
“Always.” I was always going to believe him and always going to be here for him, and I couldn’t wait to show him how much I meant that.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ezra
“I earned pie.” On the giddiest of highs, I stumbled into our bungalow. Kate, ever the miracle worker, had found us a little cottage with a decent location, funky midcentury vibe, and while far smaller than my last few rentals, I loved it more than any of the other places I’d lived.
I headed past the living room, which was dominated by a piano near the front window where even Duncan had taken to fooling around, showing he remembered more from his long-ago lessons than he’d thought. I was on a mission to the tucked-away kitchen, a remodeled space more than large enough for two novice cooks with a nice view of the postage-stamp backyard. I’d talked Duncan into some whimsical fairy lights for the patio, and they twinkled in the darkness. The hour was late, but I was nowhere near sleepy.
“You sure did earn your armful of awards.” Duncan had let Kate make off with our box of wins as she was planning some social media posts with the trophies, but he’d looked awfully sweet holding my statues during the show. “But are you sure you want pie now? It’s almost midnight.”