He shrugged carelessly, noticing the breast on the angel for the first time.
“I tend to live...”
The title of his future memoir.
Alright—time’s up, Wilder. What’cha got?
“What’s that?” I leaned back with a look of theatric surprise and raised my voice to be heard by the crowd. “You were raising awareness for environmental groups protesting inhumane practices inherent in the commercialization of shellfish?”
Not my greatest story, but he hadn’t left me many options.
The manager shook a fist towards the heavens, but Nick flashed me a secret grin and nodded sagely—discreetly angling his ‘good side’ towards the cameras.
“As many of you know, the passionate advocacy for mollusks and other forms of sea life is a cause very near and dear to my heart.”
“Don’t over-sell it,” I muttered, clenching my teeth together in a perfect smile.
“At any rate, I think tonight has taught us all a valuable lesson.” He levelled the long-suffering manager in his gaze, holding him hilariously accountable. “Isn’t that right, Marcel?”
...don’t push it.
Marcel turned with a vengeful glare to the police.
“Fire at will.”
There was a split second pause, during which nobody moved.
Then I threw back my head with the loudest laugh I could possible manage. A second later, the rest of the patrons joined in. Then the press. Laughter gave way to applause, as if the entire debacle was some kind of aquatic performance art. Only Marcel the manager looked supremely disappointed, as the cops holstered their tasers and headed home.
“There’s a car waiting out front,” I muttered under the cover of applause. “Get your ass out of the fountain, Nick. I’m taking you home.”
He waved to his adoring fans, tilting precariously as the water sloshed up around his ankles. “That might be a little difficult, as I’m not entirely sure I can stand.” His eyes flickered guiltily to the four empty bottles of champagne sitting on his abandoned table. “You’re going to have to come in here and get me.”
Go in there?!
“Nick,” I hissed between my teeth, “I’m wearing new shoes.”
“So take off your shoes.”
“And a new dress.”
His eyes sparkled with a devilish wink.
“Well, you know what I’m going to say to that.”
My blood boiled as I gauged my rather limited options. The applause was already starting to die down, and the police were only a stone’s throw away. It also had to be said, that Nick didn’t look very capable of supporting his own weight right now.
He looked handsome. And wet. And very, very drunk.
“You’re serious right now?” I stalled. “You’re really going to make me come in there?”
He didn’t answer. Just blinked at me and stepped further into the fountain.
Of for the love of—
A bitter sigh slipped past my teeth as I kicked off my shoes, hiked up my designer dress, and waded tentatively into the fountain.
“You might be worried about the cops, but you should know that I’m going strangle you myself in the car on the way home,” I warned, stepping carefully over a hundred well-wishers’ coins. “I’m going to do what the nannies couldn’t.”