“There’s no time for that,” Conrad said. “Arch needs to be doing all the things they require for applicants now, which will already require a shit-ton of my time. Which I’m happy to give to him. But I can’t go on a crusade to change the system while still hoping to get them in.”
“They’re not a part of any public system, either,” David added. “Even public schools take forever to get anything changed.”
David was a public school teacher, and he was making points.
“I can’t imagine a privately funded one even needing to think about making a change like that,” David said. “Especially if demand is high.”
“It is,” Conrad said. “Archie says ‘it’s elite.’”
He gave a wry chuckle, but this had clearly been weighing on him.
“Well I can think of one thing that could help,” I said.
All eyes turned to me.
“What’s that?” Conrad asked. He looked so hopeful I felt like shit for speaking up. But it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
I shrugged. “Find yourself a wife.”
The table groaned.
“I’m serious,” I said. “It doesn’t have to be real. Just get someone to pretend to be your wife for the application process. After he’s in, there’s nothing stopping you fromhaving ‘irreconcilable differences’ and going your separate ways, right?”
Kit laughed. So did Sarah. But Jamie frowned. “Could work.”
Cher and David exchanged a look. “Honestly, I’ve seen wilder things happen,” David said.
“I’m not getting fake married,” Conrad said, his voice sharp enough that I sensed I needed to move the conversation along.
“Yeah,” I said. “There’ll be enough real weddings this year to keep us busy anyway.”
“Yup,” Jamie agreed. “Sam’s already cramping our style. No more.”
“I need some air,” Conrad said, getting up abruptly and heading for the bar.
“We’re already outside,” Cher pointed out after he’d gone.
“I’ll check on him,” Kit said softly.
Just then, the opening strains of music came on from the DJ who’d been setting up off to the side of the space.
Something ticked inside of me. When I looked over to Ellie, I saw she was blushing. Did she remember?
“Dance with me?” I asked.
She gave me a smile that made my heart flip-flop. The little diamond on her hand twinkled in the light as I helped her up. I hadn’t been able to afford much, not after that down payment. But she swore up and down she didn’t want something flashy. “I already won the lottery with you,” she’d told me.
She had it all wrong. I was the winner.
On the dance floor, I gripped her by the cheeks, planting a kiss on her before we even got started. I couldn’t help it. She was so pretty in the last of the early summer light.
“Do you remember this song?” I asked her.
She nodded.“We’ve Got Tonight.”
“That’s what got me to ask you to take that walk with me at the conference.”
“Really?”
