Page 78 of The Virgin Playboy

“Oh, I want to get a few with your cap on,” my mum capturing me with my doctorate in what felt like a thousand pictures.

“Mum, this is like the dozenth time you've asked me to take it off. And like the thirteenth time you asked me to put it back on.”

“That's because some of these I'm sending to your auntie Pikirangi in Scotland. You know how she feels about you cutting your hair.”

“You've taken a million already. Can we just go out and get something to eat already? I was so nervous this morning, I skipped breakfast. So now I regret it, and I'm starving.”

“Just one more set of pictures for the Australian fam,” Uncle Tiake announced. We had an uncle there that had this weird shrine of all his nieces and nephews' biggest moments or achievements, so I caved. “Gotta have options,” he declared.

“There are so many people here,” Wilhelmina looked around the venue. The venue alone feels like the population of our little island.”

“Yeah, New York can feel really big at first. Especially when you're new here. But you’d be surprised how quickly you adjust.”

“Guess it didn't take you long,” as Winnie playfully pinched my cheek.

“What are we in the mood for?” my mother asked.

“There are loads of options,” I laughed.

“But you're the graduation boy, you get to choose,” my uncle bragged.

“Well…I am in the mood for something, coconutty. So, I'm thinking maybe Thai?” I shrugged. “Honestly, we could probably have decent Thai in New Zealand, though. And I want to introduce you to stuff we can’t get back home. But only if you’re not in a rush to be home.”

“Heck no. If it's up to me, we're staying another week. Ka’imi’s got the kid. That man can manage on his own. Since you're in a tourist guide mood, you can show us all your favorite places. As long as you've lived here, you're bound to have a few,” Winnie asserted.

I did have a lot to show them, and any more time they gave me ensured that I could show them as much as possible. Peyton tugged on my gown, fighting to get my attention where it was otherwise occupied.

“Graham…Graham,” she whined.

“What Payt?” as I bent down to meet her.

“You didn't tell us Jacqueline was going to be here?” as the sound of her name drew my focus to look around for her. Sure enough, Jacqueline anxiously waited from a distance, in a long black dress and vampy stockings, complimented by stacked boots.

Her hair was straightened in her signature bob, and her gothy meets camera-ready makeup made her stand out amongst a room full of gowns, suits, and sundresses.

“Hey guys, will you give me a minute?” I excused myself to step away, approaching Jaq, unable to stop the smile forming.

“Hey, stranger.”

“Hey,” she replied, surprised when I reached in for a hug.

“I promised you we wouldn't run into one another anymore. What gives?” I bantered.

“About that,” she pointed to the air before getting to her point. “So, I know someone, that knew someone, who was a part of your graduating class. To my benefit, they were nice enough to give me a ticket.”

“Wait, so you've been here the whole time?” surprised that she’d even want to waste her time when I may not have even known she was here.

“I didn't want to miss your graduation. You worked really hard all year, so I know how important it was to you. It may not mean much coming from me, but I’m immensely proud of you. There isn’t a doubt that you’re destined to become the next Lin Manuel Miranda,” she beamed.

“Gee, I hope so. And you're wrong about one thing. It actually means a lot to me coming from you,” as I regarded her outfit and I couldn’t have been more stunned. “You look lovely, by the way.”

“Thank you, so do you.” But I was in a gown and jacket, far from anything special. It was her who took all the attention in the room, as there’d been an awkward silence of me just staring at her, not being able to take my eyes off how pretty she looked.

“Well, I know you're with your family. I don't want to take up too much of your time⁠—”

“We were actually about to go out to eat. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you joined us,” desperate to get more time with her.

“No, Graham, I really shouldn't. You deserve to have this time with your family. I just really wanted you to have this,” she said, as she handed me a wrapped book.