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"Same here." She tips her head up, and I meet her halfway, sealing our pact with a kiss that promises a thousand tomorrows.
And tomorrow, the whole world will be watching.
CHAPTER
TEN
Kate
I'm standing next to Ben, my body tingling with the kind of electricity that comes from too many eyes on you. The air in the grand hotel ballroom is thick, almost crackling with anticipation as reporters shuffle their feet and cameras blink like a swarm of fireflies in a dark field. Flashing lights paint us intermittently, casting surreal shadows over our faces.
"Jesus, it's like they're all starved for the next big headline," I whisper, only half-joking. We're at this ridiculously opulent podium, flanked by microphones that seem as eager as the crowd to gobble up our words. I can feel the heat of the moment—Ben's warmth beside me, the buzz of a hundred conversations just waiting to erupt into a frenzy when we give them the cue.
"Ready to feed the lions?" Ben murmurs, his voice low and steady, betraying none of the nervousness I know he has to be feeling. His pilot cool must come in handy in times like these.
I flash him my best starlet smile, the one that's graced countless magazine covers. "Only if you are, Captain."
The press, they're a beast of their own making—hungry, always hungry for the freshest scoop, the juiciest bit of gossip. And boy, do Ben and I have a treat for them today. It's not every day a movie star and a commercial pilot set the world on its ear.
"Let's do this," I say, gripping the edge of the podium like it's the only thing keeping me grounded. Because with Ben by my side, I feel like I could very well soar.
Ben's fingers intertwine with mine, a silent message of solidarity. I sneak a glance at him, and in the brief moment our eyes lock, I see my own nerves reflected back—yet there's a spark there, a fiery determination that tells me we're doing the right damn thing.
"Kate," he whispers, his thumb gently caressing the back of my hand, "I've got you."
"Always have," I breathe, bolstered by the simple truth of those words. I squeeze his hand tighter, a lifeline amidst the sea of eager faces and probing lenses.
And then, as the murmurs crescendo into a roar of expectation, Ben steps forward. He clears his throat, and the room hushes as if on command. The cameras are rolling, the world tuning in, and for a moment, I'm struck by the surreal nature of it all.
"Good evening," Ben begins, his voice echoing through the ballroom. There's no trace of the commercial pilot who navigates skies; this is the man whose love knows no bounds, who's about to bare his soul to the world. "Thank you all for joining us tonight. I stand here before you, not as a pilot, but as a man completely and utterly captivated by the woman beside me."
The crowd shifts, sensing the gravity of his words, their collective breath bated.
"Kate Woodbridge," he continues, turning towards me, and it's like we're the only two people in the room. His dark eyes are intense, brimming with emotion. "From the moment I met her, she's been an enigma—a starlet with the power to light up the screen and my life. She's more than her cascading honey locks or her sparkling green eyes that seem to hold the mysteries of the universe."
He pauses, and I can feel the weight of every gaze upon us. But in this sliver of time, they melt away, leaving just his soul speaking to mine.
"Kate has ignited a fire within me—a passion and a purpose I never knew existed. Her strength, her vivacity...she's not just my love. She's my compass, my north star in the ever-changing sky that is life." Ben's voice cracks, raw and real. "With her, I'm grounded and yet free to soar higher than any plane could take me."
Around us, the air feels charged, every word a live wire connecting hearts and minds. I blink back tears, liquid joy threatening to spill over. How did I get so lucky?
"Tonight," he says, his gaze never leaving mine, "I want to make the most public of declarations. Because love, the kind of love that we share, should be shouted from the rooftops. Kate, you've changed my life. You've given me a new course, filled with possibility, adventure, and the promise of a love that transcends distance and time."
His speech is a confession, a testament to a love that's taken my world and turned it beautifully upside down.
"Who knew," Ben's voice softens, "that landing the job of a lifetime would lead us here?" He chuckles, a sound that tickles my ears and tugs at a smile I'm trying desperately to keep professional. "I was just the pilot, she was the star—yet she saw me. Can you believe it?"
A ripple of laughter sweeps through the crowd. Flashbulbs pop like stars going supernova, capturing our every move.
"Kate," he continues, the timbre of his voice dipping into something so warm, so intimate, I feel exposed under the glaring lights, "taught me that true love isn't about grand gestures or the miles we fly—it's about sharing that deep most part of ourselves no one else gets to see."
The press and audience lean in, hungry for these morsels of candid humanity against the backdrop of their usual scripted fare. Their expressions are a mix—surprise, intrigue, some even with eyebrows raised in amusement.
"Every takeoff, every landing, I carry her with me. She's more exhilarating than any jetstream, more captivating than the most exotic destination." His eyes lock on mine, and it's as if we're alone, his confessions meant only for my ears. "With Kate, I dream of a future where each day is a new adventure. Side by side, heart to heart."
Murmurs echo around the space, each syllable of his speech seeming to echo in the vast space. There's a collective intake of breath, a shared moment of vulnerability hanging between us all.
"Kate is not just the woman I love," he says, voice breaking ever so slightly, "she's the soul I've searched for in every corner of the earth. And now, standing before you all, there's no place I'd rather be than right here."
