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  I lift her hat from her eyes and pull a tissue from my purse for her runny nose. The cold always makes her drain. “Can’t tonight, hun. Remember Grandma Kay is building Lego town while I go out with Aunt Gwen.”

  “Oh yeah.” She smiles, and I’m thankful she loves spending time with Kay as much as she does. She runs off toward them as Nick wanders toward me. I hope and pray he heard what I told her so I don’t have to say it again.

  “So, you and Gwen tonight?”

  I purse my lips. “Yeah… I’m sorry. Something came up and it’s straight out of a dream book. I can’t say no, even for you.”

  He shifts his cleats off the ground and glances up to me with uncertainty. “What do you mean?”

  I explain the tickets and the contest and all the perks, and his eyes tell me he understands what an amazing opportunity it is. “That sounds awesome.”

  “I hope you’re not upset with me.”

  “Why in God’s name would I be upset that you get a night out with your best friend? I’m glad you get a chance to be pampered and relax. Just know I’ll be thinking about you the whole time I eat my Chinese takeout and fall asleep on my couch.”

  “That sounds like a perfect night to me.”

  He takes a step forward, and I can tell he wants to touch me. “Well, if you get home early, you’re more than welcome to spend the night again.”

  I smile and my head drops. He’s such a flirt. The idea of falling asleep with him is almost as good as lying awake in bed with him.

  “We’ll see,” I say with a wink.

  He leans in and whispers, “The next time I see you, I’m going to kiss those lips so hard you’ll feel me on your mouth long after I’m gone.”

  “You’d better be ready to put your money where your mouth is,” I say confidently as I pivot to walk away.

  “Oh, I’m ready,” he announces loudly.

  I laugh as I grip my purse and head to the car. I can feel his eyes on me, and I shake my money maker as I walk, hoping he takes notice. I lift my head over my shoulder and sure enough, he’s staring. I laugh all the way to the car and remind myself I need to run every day until I see him again.

  Gwen is standing off to the side on her phone, and I hear the tail end of her conversation.

  “I know. Me too.” She smiles and mouths “Coop” to me as she points to the phone. “Okay. Maybe… Okay, I will. Bye.”

  I smile and we take the rest of the steps to the car together. “He was very cool about the whole thing. He wants me to text him pics of us after we get dolled up.”

  This night is just what I need, although inside I’m starting to think I might need Nick too.

  I SLEEP HARD for two and a half hours before Gwen and I head to the spa. I spend some significant time telling Gram I think she does too much for me. She advises me that spending time with her great-grandchildren is her favorite thing in the world and that I should stop trying to infringe on her quality time with them. She insists they keep her young of mind and heart.

  When Gwen and I arrive at the spa, we don’t know what to expect. We’re shocked when we’re treated to a full body massage, manicure, pedicure, make-up, and hair styling, but we never complain. The hairdresser curls my hair into ringlets and makes Gwen’s ultra-shiny, straight, and sexy. We feel like queens as we turn the corner to the dress store.

  “H-Hi,” I stutter through a giggle. “I’m not sure if this is real or not, but we supposedly won some sort of thingy, and I was told I needed to just give you my name?”

  The girl smiles sweetly. “And your name is…?” she asks.

  “Everly Haley and Gwen Bryant.”

  “Hmm… I have your names listed as Everly London and Gwen Bryant.”

  My posture stiffens. “That’s odd. London’s my maiden name.” I wonder why Gram would have used it and then figured it was a slip of the tongue.

  “Oh, no problem. We’ve been waiting for you. We were told you have your pick of dresses and shoes. We have some in the back waiting for you, but you’re welcome to browse the store as well.”

  Gwen leans in and asks, “Anything?”

  “Yep.” She nods.

  Gwen’s lips press into a fine line. “Have you ever done anything like this before?” she asks the girl.

  “Umm… no, not me personally. I think it’s really exciting. You two are so lucky!”

  Gwen nods her head and my eyes scour the store. I’m worried I may not find anything and wonder if I might end up wearing my mother’s dress again.

  Gwen and I walk arm-in-arm straight to the back and I see it. It’s red, one arm is sleeveless while the other is fully covered, and there’s a long slit up the side. It’s beautiful, but I can’t help wondering if my arm will look too flabby in it.

  I motion toward it. “Gwen…”

  “Ooh, that’s gorgeous. Try it on.”

  I ask the girl if they have it in my size, and she gallops into the back room to check. After a few minutes, Gwen finds a shiny black dress that’s fitted and low cut. She takes it behind the curtain to try it on. The girl returns with a proud smile on her lips and hands the dress in my size to me. I rush into the room with Gwen to try it on. I help her zip hers and she helps me with mine.

  “Does my waist look too wide?” I question.

  “Not at all. I love the slit up the side. What about me? Is this too low cut?”

  I lift and lower my eyes to take her in. “I don’t think so. It really suits you and your figure!”

  We laugh as we twist and turn. After trying on a couple of other dresses, we decide to go with our original choices. Then I remember I don’t have a strapless bra.

  “Oh shit. I’m going to need to get something without straps.”

  “The sales girl hears me and brings me a red bustier in my size before I can utter another syllable. I try it on and it makes my boobs look twice their size. I eye the price and it’s fifty dollars. I sigh and change back into my clothing.

  “Well?” Gwen asks as she tries on some shoes.

  “It’s too much.”

  “Umm… I forgot to tell you undergarments are included as well. It’s a whole outfit,” the saleswoman tells us.

  Gwen and I glance back and forth and we shrug. “Get some new panties while you’re at it!” She waves.

  After we both have new shoes, dresses, and underwear, we head home to get ready. At 4:45, the limo driver knocks on the door to let us know he’s here but to take our time. I glance out the upstairs window as I fluff my hair. It’s a long black stretch. “Shit…” I mumble and Gwen strains to see it too through the blinds.

  “This is going to be awesome,” Gwen sings. “I’ve always wanted to see Les Miserables. I can’t believe this day!”

  “I know, right?”

  We step back to check each other out, and I suddenly feel like a princess. Grandma Kay and Marlow enter the room.

  “Wow! You look so pretty! Can I wear that dress someday?” Marlow asks.

  “Ab-so-friggin-lutely!” I tell her, and she jumps up and down. Nothing could spoil my high today. I feel pampered and pretty.

  Kay snaps a picture or two of us, and we head down the stairs. I grab my cell and stuff it into my purse.

  “Are you sure you’re really okay with this?” I question Gram one more time.

  “I think I’m just as excited about this night as you are, maybe more. Now go! Have a wonderful time. We’ll be fine here. There’s no need to rush home.”

  I kiss her cheek and wipe my red lipstick away before Gwen hugs her. I lift my dress, kiss the kids, and angle my purse under my arm. Kay watches anxiously from the entry as we laugh our way to the limo.

  The driver immediately leaps up to open the door for us, and Gwen is the first to slide inside.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” she shrills.

  I bite my lip in excitement. Maybe it’s bigger on the inside than she imagined. The minute I tip my head into the door to climb inside, I see why she said what she did and m
y mouth gapes.

  Inside the limo, dressed in black tuxes, are Cooper and Nick. They’re holding glasses of champagne and smiling from ear to ear. Gwen is gawking, and Cooper leans over to plant a small kiss on her lips.

  Nick’s eyes dart over me and he takes me in appreciatively. Before I realize it, Kay is standing next to the door with her camera snapping pictures.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Nick says in a deep, smoldering voice. “Are you surprised?”

  I gaze between Nick, Cooper, Gwen, and Kay, not sure what to make of what I see. “I don’t understand.”

  Kay’s the first to speak. “These two set the whole thing up. Cliff never won any tickets. These two gents just wanted to do something special for you, so they called me and asked me to play along. They bought the spa day, dresses, and everything. I say they’re quite a catch if you ask me.”

  Nick leans forward and kisses Kay on the cheek. “You’re quite a catch, Kay.”

  She waves him off and asks us to pose for another picture. She says goodbye and closes the door, making her way back inside.

  I turn to Nick, and I don’t have words for him. Gwen speaks instead. “You did all of this for us?” she asks Cooper. “Why?”

  “We wanted to show you both how special we think you are, and we knew you wouldn’t let us do this for you unless we fibbed a little. You both work so hard all the time. We wanted to give you the perfect date. And Gwen, just so there’s no doubt in your mind, this is a date. Because you’re dating me and you’re not going to tell me you’re not.”

  Gwen smiles and salutes him. “Yes, sir.”

  “Now that’s hot!” Cooper takes her hand in his and lifts it to his mouth. I feel my heart expanding as I watch them. Gwen is happy and I could just cry.

  Nick hands me a glass and scoots close enough to me so we’re pressed tightly against each other. Gwen and Cooper sit opposite us. Cooper kisses her cheek and whispers something in her ear that makes her laugh. I turn to look at the hottest man I’ve seen in my life, and he’s staring at me.

  “I can’t believe you did this. This morning at the game? You knew the whole time?” I ask as the driver pulls us down the street.

  He grins. “Would you have let me do this for you any other way?”

  “You paid for the spa and my hair and my dress and… my underwear?” I gawk.

  His eyebrows lift at my last word, and I can’t help but smile. “So I guess I technically own your underwear, then?”

  “I wondered why it was suddenly included.” I stare at Gwen in realization.

  Nick replies, “They were instructed to let you have anything and everything you wanted.”

  “Really?” I ask as I angle my head toward Nick. “Why would you do that for me?”

  His head tilts and he sighs. “Because I can and because you’re worth it.”

  “Anything and everything?” Gwen exclaims. “Shoot, Coop. If I would have known you were buying, I’d have thrown in a purse and a few more pairs of lacy underwear.”

  Coop lifts his brows in rapid succession as he sips his champagne. “And I would have gladly bought it all as long as you modeled it for me.”

  I lift my hand to Nick’s face and place it on his cheek. He turns his lips into me and kisses my palm.

  “Where have you been all my life?” I ask playfully but with an undertone of wonder and earnest.

  He gazes deeply into my eyes as if he’s been wanting to answer that exact question. “Waiting for my second chance. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  THE HOUR AND a half drive to the theater is one of the best times of my life. My arm is nestled inside Nick’s, and he’s holding my hand on his thigh. I rest my head on his shoulder, gripping his bicep with my other hand. I’m entranced by him and how I feel being in his presence again. In some ways he’s the same man I remember, but in other ways he’s so much more. There’s something about him that makes me feel secure, wanted, and special. I’ve never felt the way I feel with anyone but him.

  Cooper has Gwen snuggled inside his arm as he and Nick tell us stories of their childhood escapades. Their parents went to college together and have been friends ever since. As I listen to them speak, my eyes meet Gwen’s and I can tell she’s wondering if they’re too good to be true.

  We have amazing box seats for the play, and when Fantine sings “I Dreamed a Dream,” the emotion of the words causes a tear to flow down my cheek. Nick hands me a handkerchief once again, but only after he tilts my head to face his and kisses me tenderly on the lips. With his kiss, he tells me he understands, and somehow, with that kiss, he’s able to make me believe everything is going to be all right.

  Gwen and I sit next to each other and squeeze hands in communication throughout the play. I can tell she’s in awe of the extent to which Cooper went to deliver her the hearts and flowers she needs in the deepest part of her soul. And she didn’t even have to ask for them. Somehow he knew. After the play we dine in the downstairs restaurant, and I’m completely at ease the entire night.

  We eat and talk for hours. Seeing Cooper and Nick together again reminds me of the fun I had with them when we were younger. We may have been eating fast food back then, but the company and laughter hasn’t changed at all. Gwen and I tell stories too, and the boys learn all about our years in college as well as some of our most embarrassing moments. By the time we leave the restaurant, it’s after one in the morning. Even with the pouring rain outside, the night is nearly perfect in every way. I rest my head on Nick’s shoulder on the drive home. It’s dark in the limo, except for occasional flashes of lightning, and very quiet. I can hear Cooper’s low voice mumbling, and here and there Gwen’s soft laughter. But I also hear what can only be described as the clicking of lips. I know he’s kissing her.

  Nick’s hand runs along the outside of my leg until he finds the slit in my dress, and then he touches my bare calf. My breathing increases as his hand ascends, lifting my dress slightly so that he can rest his hand between my knees. I squeeze his arm and he squeezes my thigh. My desire for him is off the charts. I wish for the drive to last forever.

  He turns his mouth into my ear and whispers, “Did you have a good night?”

  I rotate my head to face him as his hand continues to press into my thigh, and I glance up to his perfectly framed mouth. “Yes. Thank you. For everything.” I lift my head slightly and he knows what I need. His lips press to mine and I grasp the back of his head with my hand. Just as his tongue touches mine, there’s a loud popping sound and the limo begins to shake and slide. I grab on to Nick and hear Cooper yell, “What the fuck?”

  After a few moments of terror, we stop. Nick and Cooper immediately jump out of the car while Gwen and I strain to listen to their voices. It’s pouring rain, and the guys are getting soaked. After a few minutes of rumbling noises, we watch the driver on his cell. Nick has his arms crossed and Cooper points to the limo then to the driver. Cooper’s tall, erect posture seems to intimidate the driver, and I can’t say I blame him.

  “What do you think’s going on?” I whisper to Gwen.

  “I’m guessing we have a flat and that Cooper’s a little pissed.”

  I eyeball him through the window and see she’s right. He’s talking with the driver and his gestures are fairly animated. After a few more moments, I see the driver show his cell to them, and they glance up the road in the same direction. Nick pulls Cooper’s arm when it appears Cooper might be losing his temper. Nick opens the door and glances between Gwen and me.

  “Ladies, it appears we have a slight issue.”

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “Well, the driver has a flat and no spare. He tried calling for assistance, but I guess the weather’s caused a slew of accidents and they told him it could take three hours.”

  “Cripes…” Gwen rolls her eyes as a very wet Cooper and Nick slide back into the car.

  “So we have two options,” Nick continues. We can stay here in the car on the side of a busy road, or we can walk about a bl
ock up the street. The driver says there’s a hotel just down the road.” He turns to glance at me. “Completely your choice.”

  I face Gwen and she shrugs. “I really don’t want to sit in this car for three hours.”

  I turn to Nick. “And you’re soaking wet. Are you cold?”

  He brushes a hair from my face. “I’m okay. I played many a game in the cold and Cooper’s used to standing in it directing traffic. It’s you two we’re worried about.”

  As we try to decide on a course of action, the rain seems to let up.

  “I say we make a run for it while we have the chance,” Cooper says, clapping his hands together.

  “Sounds good to me,” Gwen replies. “Except I don’t think Ev and I can run in our heels.”

  I catch Nick and Cooper shoot each other looks and smile. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, bro?” Nick asks.

  “Should we wager on it?” Cooper continues.

  “If we didn’t, what fun would it be?”

  “Loser pays for the rooms?” Cooper asks.

  “Deal.” Nick holds out his fist and Cooper bumps it. Gwen and I watch them in confusion.

  “Um, hold on a minute,” Gwen says, holding up her hand. “What are you two betting on and why do I feel like it has something to do with us?”

  “How would you feel about climbing on my back?” Cooper asks as he turns to Gwen.

  I turn to face Nick and he shrugs to get my approval.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Gwen asks sternly.

  “We can’t have our girls walking in heels on the wet roads, so Nick and I will carry you. If you’d rather be in my arms, that’ll work too.”

  “Nick… no! You can’t carry me!”

  “Why?” he questions.

  “I weigh a ton!”

  “Oh, Ever, you do not! Do you see these muscles?” he asks, pointing to his arms. I do a double take before I give him a look of frustration.

  “Whatev. I’m game. Let’s go!” Gwen says as she moves to exit the limo.

  “Gwen? You can’t be serious!”

  “Well, I’m not sitting here all night, and if Cooper wants to carry me to a warm hotel, then who am I to complain?”