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She seems to think about it for a while, seriously weighing the pros and cons of each.
“Your way is way better. Way, way better.”
“Are you sure about that?” I ask, suddenly curious. She's never talked about this before, but our different worlds must be a bit of adjustment. She's had her game face on more or less the whole time, but I see again the real Bella peeking through, like the sun poking through the clouds. But instead of immediately rushing away, she brightens even further.
“It is kind of strange, having people stare at me all the time,” she admits. “You probably have really different idea about privacy than I do. I first, I felt a little… I don’t even know what a good word would be. Assaulted? Insulted? Something like that anyway.”
“So then why would you want it this way?” Emmet asks gently.
She shrugs as though the answer is obvious. “Well, when I'm with you, I don't have anything to worry about. It feels okay. Like when we're together, there's an invisible shield around us, like a force field or something.”
She finishes with a chuckle, shaking her head. “This must sound ridiculous to you.”
But Emmet glances at me, and I know exactly what he's thinking. Safety. It's a rare thing for us. But we've noticed it too, or at least I have. Being with her feels like suddenly sailing into calmer waters. It does feel safe. And the way Emmet's looking at me, he feels it too.
I’m not sure this has ever happened before.
In just a little while, the server comes in with steaming plates of fresh seafood and filet mignon. The champagne bottle is replaced by a new bucket, and I watch with delight as Bella helps herself to a generous portion. The girl can eat. I like that. She's not shy about it.
“Pink river!” she muses as she spears a fat shrimp and bites cleanly through it. “You really do know how to throw a party, Dillon. What else is happening?”
I start to tell her, but then change my mind. I love that glitter in her eyes right now, when he knows that it's something, but she doesn't know what. Anticipation.
“You know what, why don’t we just let it be a surprise?”
Emmet raises his eyebrows at at me. “Okay, but, do I get to know what's happening? I'm sort of integral to the process, you know.”
I just shrug. “You will know when the time is right, brother. You'll know everything you need to know.”
They look at each other, mimicking each other's surprised, amazed expressions. “I guess we'll just have to wait and see!”
“Trust me, you are going to love it,” I assure them, sinking my teeth into a spicy, sweet mussel. “Only the best for you guys.”
CHAPTER 16
Emmet
Perez Hilton arrives in a limousine that swoops toward the curb at the underground dock. He emerges from the door, adjusting his sunglasses and looking around suspiciously as though he expects to be overtaken by a group of screaming fans.
But there aren't any.
While he readjusts his expectations to our relative privacy, I stride forward, holding out my hand in greeting.
He purses his lips thoughtfully and slides his hand against mine. “Mr. Riordan,” he smiles. “At long last.”
“Thank you so much for coming. It's great for you to make the time.”
I lead him down the short flight of concrete stairs to the floating dock on the river. Our other boat is here, not the sailboat but a thirty foot cruise liner that we sometimes use for dinner parties.
“Well isn't this nice!” he sighs, pulling himself up the railing and onto the boat. “You sure do know how to put on a show! Wait, is the river… pink?"
I smile and nod, walking up behind him with my arms crossed. There's a little bit of a breeze coming off the lake and I hope that Bella is wearing something warm enough. The days are starting to get cooler and the temperatures could drop suddenly, especially on the water.
“Yes, well, if they can dye
the river green for St. Patrick's Day, the could certainly die the river my girlfriend’s favorite color for this, right?”
“Your girlfriend!” Perez repeats, his cheeks dimpling deeply. I'm not sure if I like this guy or not. I’m pretty sure he said some fairly crappy things about me, but then again that's his job. Still, he has enough reach that this fairytale should get a lot of good exposure.
