“You do recognize I’m a sentient being?” she says. “The last time I checked, I wasn’t an inflatable doll to be passed from friend to friend.”
Their hands clasp. She puts her other hand around his waist.
“I am aware of this, yes,” he replies.
“I just had to be sure.”
“And why is that?”
“Because, if you didn’t realize, he asked you if I could dance with him before asking me. And then, during the first song, he felt the need to tell me how much he’s missed me.”
J’s spine straightens. “Missed you?”
“Missed me. And do you know what I said to that?”
“No. What?”
“Nothing. I said nothing. Because I really don’t want to be a friendwrecker.”
“A friendwrecker? Is that a thing?”
“It is now. You know what I mean.”
“Well, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“No, you wouldn’t, would you?”
J twirls V around. They are quiet for a minute, and then he says, “Thanks for the save, by the way.”
“I knew you were in trouble when you skipped the start of the song.”
“I didn’t skip the start of the song!”
“According to lyrics.com, you did.”
“I will gladly turn in my wedding singer license, if you want to press charges.”
“Oh, please,” V says. “You love this kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing?”
“People in love.”
“And you don’t?”
“It makes me uneasy, all these expectations gathered in one room. But at least this time nobody gave a speech pestering the couple about when they’re going to start having kids. That’s progress.”
J kisses V. “Look at you, so down on love.”
“Just down on weddings. Not the same thing.”
“I’m glad you’re with me,” J says.
And V tells him, truthfully, “That’s the reason I’m here.”
Two songs later (“I Will Survive”), Tom tries to cut in.
V laughs and J tells him, with aggressive jokiness, to back off. Tom avoids them for the rest of the night. Even when J is sitting alone (V has to take a call from Thor, who has forgotten the name of a financial advisor), Tom keeps his distance. The flight attendant slips into the conversational space and wants to know if being a global superstar means J has platinum status on more than one airline.
