I’M A VERY HAPPY MAN TODAY.
#TOBELOVEDBYYOU
TRIS
XOX
“To be loved by you.” I hold the card to my chest.
And he is.
Marley smiles as she watches me, and finally she says, “I love seeing you like this.”
“Like what, all dreamy and starry eyed like a schoolgirl?”
“Happy.”
I smile softly. “Thanks. I really am.” I put the card carefully back into its envelope. I’ll keep it in a safe place with the other card from the last lot of roses he gave me.
Everything from Tristan is special.
“I’m meeting his family on Saturday night at a black-tie dinner,” I say.
“Oh jeez.” Her eyes widen. “What are you wearing?”
“No idea. This is my worst nightmare.”
“What do you have in your wardrobe?”
“Nothing. I haven’t bought an evening dress in years. What the hell do you even wear to a black-tie dinner these days?”
“We’ll go shopping. Don’t worry; we’ll find you something. You have to look amazing.”
“I know.” Nerves flutter in my stomach as I imagine meeting his parents and older brother, Jameson. I know their opinions are important to Tris. “I want to look understated sexy, not like mutton dressed up as lamb. Something age appropriate but not motherly.”
“Definitely,” Marley says as she thinks. “I’m going to google this.”
“Dress sense doesn’t come up on Google, Marley.”
“No, but stylists do.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“I can’t afford a stylist.”
“What you can’t afford is to look like a bag of shit. This is his announcement to the world that you and he are together. It’s an important event, and everyone is going to be looking at you. Don’t worry; we’ll give her a strict budget to work with.”
I stare at her as I process her advice. “Do you think? Isn’t getting a stylist a bit over the top?”
“Claire, everyone in that ballroom is going to use a stylist, and besides, this is New York. Nothing is over the top. I got this. Leave it to me.”
I pull onto my street and see the black Aston Martin parked in my driveway, and I bite my lip to stifle my smile.
He beat me home.
Tristan Miles is at my house . . . with my kids.
Wonders never cease.
I give a subtle shake of my head in disbelief as I go over the last few months. What a whirlwind.