“Are you two quite done posturing?” Jessica says, coming up beside me.
“It’s just playful banter,” I reply, wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her in for a quick kiss.
“It won’t be if you don’t get your tongue out of her mouth,” Mason says, not too quietly.
Jessica’s cheeks heat when I pull away. She might be blushing profusely, but that doesn’t stop her from glaring at her brother.
“Mason, I had to watch you snogging girls on our sofa growing up. At least Caleb is one of the loves of my life, unlike all your many conquests.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Avery says as she joins me on my other side and signals for the bartender, who smiles brightly and comes straight over.
Mason scowls in Avery’s direction.
I clear my throat, drawing his attention back to me and raise my eyebrows.
He grinds his jaw, and I see the moment he concedes, his arm wrapping around Jessica’s shoulders and pulling her into his side.
“I’m proud of you, Jess. I wish Nan was here to see it, too.”
She brings her hand to her neck and plays with her rose pendant necklace.
“Thank you,” she says, any of her ire quickly diminishing.
He pulls her into a bear hug, and I reluctantly let go of her waist.
I look to Avery, who is watching them. Her expression is much less hostile now, too, thank fuck for that. Hopefully, they can keep it that way, at least until the opening is over.
“Time for the toast?” Noah asks, coming up behind me, his hand going to my lower back.
“Absolutely, perfect timing,” I reply. “Aspen okay?” I ask, my hand moving to his hip.
He nods and smiles, but there’s still something bothering him. I can tell, even though he tries to mask it well. I want to ask him again if he’s really alright, but instead, I ask, “Do you want to go first, or should I?”
“You can go first, I’m pretty sure whatever you say, I’ll be right there along with you.”
He reaches for a fork, tapping his glass to gain everyone’s attention.
It doesn’t take long for the conversations to die down and for everyone to have a drink in their hands. I asked the servers to make sure the trays were full to save the embarrassment of having an empty glass to toast with. I love that Jessica also catered to non-alcoholic beverages with mocktails and fresh juice.
“Jessica,” I say, holding out my hand towards her and gently pulling her closer. Noah moves to her other side, so she’s between us.
I kiss her temple before looking over at the sea of friends, smiling their attention on us.
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for being here for the opening for Obsidian Rose.” I glance around the room. “It goes without saying how proud both Noah and I are of how much Jessica has done in such a short amount of time. Her potential is limitless, and her talent speaks for itself. Just look around you. This was all her.”
I gaze down at her rosy cheeks and wide smile. I know being the centre of attention isn’t easy for her, but she deserves this. This is her time to shine.
“Congratulations, sweet girl, this is only the beginning, and I, for one, can’t wait to see you thrive.”
Shouts of ‘cheers’ and ‘here, here’ echo around the restaurant, staff included. The fact that everyone here is as invested in making it a success as much as Jessica is a testament to the woman she is. I reach for her chin and place a soft, tender kiss on her mouth before pulling back. Her hot breath tickles my lips, her lips lifting into the most serene smile before my eyes seek out Noah.
“Noah,” I say, with a nod for him to continue.
He takes Jessica’s free hand in his, bending to kiss her knuckles before his attention returns to the people around us.
“Everything Caleb said and more. Proud is an understatement. Jessica has worked tirelessly to make her dream a reality. She’s the strongest, most resilient person I have the honour to know. And the best part, above all else, is we get to love her.”
He stares down at her now, his gaze full of reverence, and I get it because the feeling is completely mutual.
