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I chat with Maria for a few more minutes and then return to the sunroom to wrap up a few things. At noon, I go to our room to get ready for the day. A shower and clean clothes later, I’m ready for my lunch date with Isla.
Outside, I find my car sparkly clean and in good shape. I haven’t used it in almost two weeks, but Carlos clearly takes care of it. I tell him thank you as I’m driving through the gate.
LA traffic doesn’t care for the time, and it takes me longer than I’d anticipated to get to the coffee house. I’m lucky to get parking in front of the building. As much as I love locking myself in my cave to create art, it feels good to be outside with the sun warming my bare arms.
The scent of chocolaty coffee hits my nostrils as soon as I enter. I let out a sigh as other tantalizing smells tease my taste buds, like the smell of baked products. I spot Isla and make my way to her at the far end of the room.
“Latecomer,” she says as she stands to hug and kiss me.
“I’m sorry. Blame it on the traffic,” I tell her.
She gives me a naughty look. “You sure it’s not lover boy who made you late?”
I laugh. “Lover boy is at work.”
A server comes to take our orders. We both ask for salads and coffee. When she tosses her blonde mane to one side for the third time in a time span of fewer than three minutes, I know something is up, and it’s huge.
“Okay, spit it out,” I tell her.
She grins. “Mark proposed, and I said yes!” She shouts the last part so that half of the people in the coffee house hear her news.
A cheer erupts and people tell Isla congratulations. I’m grinning as I’m listening and watching the show. Trust Isla to do things in her own flamboyant way, including telling her best friend her news.
“Oh my God, finally!” I tell her when the furor has died down.
“I know,” Isla says, her face flushed. “You’ll never believe his reason for taking so long to propose. Turns out the idiot hates—no, detests—big weddings. So he kept putting it off.”
I let my face fall dramatically. “Your wedding was my one chance to be a maid of honor.”
She reaches out and rests her hand on mine. “Never fear. You’ll still be my best maid. Only we’ll do it in Vegas. That’s what Mark and I decided.”
I grin. I’m so happy for her. Mark and Isla were made for each other. “I’ve never been to a Vegas wedding.”
“There was one before our time at the station,” Isla says. “One of the guys and his wife got married in Vegas, or so I heard.”
“I heard about it too, and now it’s your turn. I can’t believe you’re going to get married.” I’m beyond myself with excitement, and I have so many questions. “Are you inviting other people?”
The server brings our food, and another follows with our coffee. We continue with the conversation as though there hadn’t been an interruption.
“No, it would defeat the purpose of going to Vegas if we invite a crowd. However, you and lover boy are invited.”
I frown. “Can you stop calling him that? It’ll stick.”
Isla pouts. “You’re no fun. I won’t mind if you come up with a nickname for Mark.”
“You know I wouldn’t. I’m far too respectful.”
Isla smiles at me fondly. “Yes, you are. Let’s talk dresses now. I was thinking of getting a simple strapless ball gown-like dress … pink. I don’t want white.”
I roll my eyes. “And here I was thinking you were a traditional sort of girl.”
She ignores me and continues as though I haven’t spoken in between mouthfuls of her sandwich. “And the same for you. Just a slight variation or maybe even the same. We can even pretend we’re having a double wedding.”
I laugh. “You’re crazy, but I’ll be happy to wear whatever you want.” Since we met, Isla likes to joke that we’ll have a double wedding. I’m glad that is one dream of hers that is not coming true.
We make plans for the wedding, and by the time we part company several hours later, I feel as if everything is set. I can’t wait for Kyle to get home so that I can share the news with him.
To my surprise, I see his car as I’m parking mine, and joy envelopes me. I hurry into the house. I find him in his office, seated at his desk, staring at the computer screen.
He pushes his chair back and smiles at me. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“What a nice surprise to find you home.” I cross the room and go straight to him, plopping down on his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck. He smells so good. I kiss him, and we kiss deeply for the next couple of minutes, forgetting all else but each other.
