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Lauren stops me before I can unlock it. “I just need you to know, I wanted her to hire a cover band to perform this for you live, but I was out-voted. The only thing she would let me do was spread the word about the class.”
I squeeze Frankie to my side. “That was you? Did you or Lauren arrange the monthly classes?”
“Me. When Mr. Sutton offered me the promotion, I asked him myself.” She ducks her head, but I tip her chin up and kiss her.
“Thank you. I know that was hard.” Pulling back, I grin down at her. “Can I look now?”
There’s an unread text message from Frankie. I open up our thread, reading my last text to her before she sent an answer.
Me: Rocky, I need to know how you really feel about me. Whatever answer you give, I promise to accept. Just tell me the truth.
Her text is a link. I click on it, and the strains of JP Saxe’s “Hey Stupid, I Love You,” float out into the silence.
Muffled whispers compete with the song, but I only have eyes for Frankie. “You mean it?”
She nods. “Yes. And I’m saying it here, in front of our friends, because I need you to know that I’m not ashamed of you or embarrassed to be with you. I truly thought I wasn’t enough for you, not the other way around.”
I open my mouth to speak, but she stops me with a finger to my lips. “But I am refusing to feel ashamed for wanting something. For wanting you. Because I trust you wouldn’t say it if you didn’t mean it with your whole giant heart. And if I’m who you want, who am I to take that away from you? I’ll let you be the judge of what you deserve. I won’t try to decide for you.”
She looks around at her friends. “I’m giving all of you, even you, Liam, permission to call me out if I chicken out of being with Julian.”
I pull her into my arms. “And what about me? Do I have permission to call you out too?”
She pulls me down to whisper in my ear. “You have permission to do anything and everything.” I pull back, and her cheeks are bright red.
Waggling my eyebrows, I grin down at her. “Oh, really?” She nods, just slightly. “Hey, Liam? You wanted to go hang out with Emma now, right?”
He groans. “Really, Dad?”
“Good. Text me when you’re heading home.” Then, I do what I’ve been dying to do for ages. Frankie’s hanging over my shoulder and laughing as I smack her ass. “See you guys on Monday!”
Epilogue
Frankie
I roll off Julian, breathing hard. “How many was that?”
He doesn’t move, staring up at the ceiling. “Five, I think?”
“Five? I thought that was number four?” My chest is on fire, and my legs are jello. If a fly landed on my nose right now, I wouldn’t have the energy to flick it off. “I thought it was your job to count?”
Julian rolls over, pinning me down with his arm. “It’s my birthday, you keep count.” His hair is loose and sweaty from our exertions. I tuck a strand behind his ear so I can see his face. He grins at me, then catches my earlobe between his teeth, his hand drifting dangerously close to my breasts.
“Julian! Someone could see you!” I swat him away, glancing around to make sure no one else at the gym saw.
He presses a kiss to my neck, chuckling to himself. “You should wear a bra then, Rocky.”
“I was wearing a bra. You lost it on the way here, remember?” I slide my hand under his shirt, my fingers tracing the outline of my favorite tattoo. I don’t need to see it to know my name is woven into the stems of the forget-me-nots at his waist.
“Mmm, that’s right.” He nips my bottom lip. “Totally worth the detour. Well, since I’ve bested you five out of eight, can we go home and continue my birthday celebration?”
I swat his wandering hand away from the hem of my shorts. “You know we have a Zoom date—everyone is expecting us.”
I roll to my feet, a much easier feat now than it was a year ago when Liam and Julian finally badgered me into doing more than just monthly self-defense classes. I hate to admit it, but adding weekly boxing lessons with Liam to the occasional Pilates classes Sophie and Lauren drag me to makes me feel more confident. But I’ll never say so to Julian.
He already knows how good he makes me feel. No need to blow up his ego anymore. Especially today.
“No more shenanigans until after we see my family,” I remind him. “We’re showering here, so you don’t get any ideas.”
