The Favor

“He’s not doing it to hurt you. He’s doing it because he’s jealous and bitter. He wants you to doubt me so that you’ll return my ring and walk away.”

“Yeah, I get that. But it’s still sad.”

“What did you do with the ring he gave you?”

“I put it in an envelope and slipped it through his aunt’s mail slot. She doesn’t live very far from me.” I forced a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll give this one back to you in person.”

“I don’t expect you to give it back to me. It’s yours.”

I almost jerked back. “It’s a prop. An expensive prop.”

“That I’ll have no use for, so you might as well have it.”

“And do what with it?”

He shrugged and walked toward the door as he replied, “Keep it. Sell it. Gift it to someone. Whatever. Your ring, your choice.”

“How much did it cost?” Because something told me I could probably feed a small country with it.

“Not much.”

Oh, I doubted that. Just as he went to leave the room, I called out, “Dane?”

Sighing, he threw me an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “I have things to do, Vienna.”

What a snippy little shit. He did that sometimes if he had work on his mind—went from civil to frustrated in an instant, wishing to be alone.

I was going to thank him for letting me keep the ring, but now the idea of pricking at his patience seemed far more appealing. “I just wanted to say … if you hear any noises in here, there’ll be no need to investigate.”

He frowned. “What kind of noises?”

Hiding a smile, I answered, “Oh, vibrating. Gasping. Moaning. Whimpering. That sort of thing.”

He flexed his fingers, snaring me with that relentless stare. Then he shook his head and sighed as he walked out. “Only you, Vienna. Only you.”

Snickering to myself, I began to get undressed.

Chapter Ten

I’d never really given much thought into what kind of wedding I might one day have. I hadn’t envisioned a certain style of dress or a particular kind of venue. But in ordinary circumstances, I doubted I’d have chosen to pledge my vows in front of an ordained Elvis impersonator. These circumstances, however, were far from ordinary. The bride and groom were far from loved-up. And the setting of the ceremony therefore seemed far from important.

Standing before Elvis in the very pretty chapel, I wasn’t nervous anymore. On the drive here, I’d felt on the verge of jumping out of my skin and I hadn’t been able to stop plucking at my pretty sundress. But now that the ceremony was actually happening, I had the insane urge to laugh.

I mean, I was marrying my boss … in front of Elvis … who kept belching … so Dane kept sighing … and my nose was filled with the smell of onions because Elvis’s loud burps reeked of them. Each belch echoed throughout the chapel. Sometimes he paused to mutter “excuse me” beneath his breath while other times he managed to talk through the burps and didn’t miss a beat. It was all just surreal.

I was so glad that Dane had insisted on having the ceremony recorded, because this was too precious not to share.

I snuck a quick look at him. His jaw was hard as he stared at poor Elvis, evidently pissed. Dane wasn’t the type to appreciate the funny side of such a situation, especially considering it was a wedding ceremony—one he’d paid to make happen. This had to be the only time I’d ever witnessed him bite back his words. He was not a man who held his tongue, and he genuinely looked as if it pained him to do it.

I might not have felt so desperate to chortle if I wasn’t aware that I absolutely could not laugh right now. The pressure of holding it in only made things worse, as did the way Dane kept giving me the stink eye, warning me not to dare crack up. I’d always had a nervous laugh; it had gotten me into trouble in the classroom more times than I could count.

I tightened my hold on the platinum masculine wedding band in my palm, as if it could give me the strength that I needed to keep my composure. He’d given the ring to me before we left the hotel, and I’d been terrified that I’d drop it somewhere. “Showtime,” he’d then said.

Yes, it was a show. And I was one of the main stars. Now I needed to play my part. And I was trying really, really hard to do it well and keep from laughing, but I wasn’t sure I’d be successful at it for much longer.

Elvis belched again.

Dane sighed again.

A snicker popped out of me before I could stop it. I quickly clamped my lips together. Dane shot me another cautioning look, and I almost choked on the laugh that was now stuck in my throat. I held it in, but my shoulders shook, and my body quaked.