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Kara
Blustery wind whipped around my face as I stood on the small stage, looking out at all the people who had come for the launch. My whole body quaked. Maybe I should have eaten breakfast, although my stomach was too full of butterflies to even fit a muffin. I was nervous, but it wasn’t as if this was the first time Cole and I had ever stood in front of a crowd.
My gaze slanted to my husband. Cole’s hand tightened around mine and my heart fluttered. We both knew what the stakes were.
It wasn’t hard to spot J.P., though he’d arrived too late to chit-chat with him before the ceremony began. He looked amazing as always, standing in a crisp black business suit at the far edge of the crowd. I watched him lift a hand and wave to his colleagues and also to Kyle’s boyfriend and girlfriend, Manny and Rebecca, whom I remembered meeting at that party with Kyle. Then his gaze settled on us, and he pressed his hands together with a nod. It looked like a thank you for coming signal. My heart tightened a little for how far away he was and how utterly ambiguous the gesture felt.
The Lux loomed behind us. A red ribbon draped between two poles blocked the entrance inside. Kyle stood in front of the microphone, beginning to speak, yet I wasn’t hearing a word of it.
Cole did say if you love someone, let them go. And we did that. A month had passed, and during that time, we mentally prepared for this moment when we’d come face to face with J.P. again. When we’d returned to LA, we’d put together a private little ceremony for just the two of us, where we exchanged vows that meant something. It was our own little do-over. The biggest one of those vows had been to be honest with each other and ourselves. That carried over to being honest with the people we cared about...one person in particular.
Kyle extended his hand in invitation toward the microphone and stepped back so we could step up. Oh, God. Were we really going to go through with our plan? I clenched my jaw and faced forward.
“He deserves to know how we feel,” Cole had said, and I couldn’t argue the point. If after he knew, and he still decided to walk away, then we could close that chapter of our lives and move on. But with our feelings eating away at us, everything about our new life together was just a bit soured. Cole was right, but my stomach still flopped with anxiety.
“Now, without further ado,” Kyle said, turning around. He took the large scissors from his executive assistant and held them up, getting a cheer from the crowd. “I present to you all, The Lux.” Kyle opened the scissors and moved forward. A cameraman kneeled near Kyle, waiting for the best opportunity to take a photo. Kyle gave him a nod, the picture was taken, and the ribbon was cut.
The cameraman turned to us, snapping more photos, while what looked to be a news reporter approached, waving her hand. Cole pointed to her. Well, here goes nothing.
“Kara + Cole!” the woman called with a microphone in hand. “I’m Lizzie Wallace from WFYI, and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for us about The Lux?”
“Of course, we can,” Cole said cheerfully. His tone lilted, overly bright, but his grip on my hand was painful. He was just as nervous as I was, if not more so. “What would you like to know?”
“What was your experience like on The Lux?” Lizzie asked. “Everyone on your social media platforms saw your photos and comments, but what was the overall consensus? Is it truly a traveling experience everyone should enjoy at least once in their life?”
“That’s two questions,” I said with a nervous giggle.
Lizzie chuckled and bobbed her head. “Yes, I suppose so.”
“Well, all I have to say is that Cole and I really discovered ourselves on The Lux.” I patted Cole’s back and we turned towards each other. Cole’s eyes were so soft. His body leaned into me.
“Yes,” Cole said, his voice soft, “Kara and I found the courage to love each other in more meaningful ways. And honestly, we owe it all to Hunter Railways VP of Marketing, Jared Parks.”
Cole and I glanced over to J.P., whose face went red, his eyes wide, looking like a deer caught in headlights. I swallowed hard, praying that this wasn’t a mistake. He took a step towards us, then stopped, and I worried he was going to run away. My eyes ran up and down his form, calling him to us as I remembered the feel of him, the heat of his gaze, and the shelter of his care and concern.
“Jared Parks?” Lizzie asked, drawing me away from my thoughts.
I waved at J.P. “Come on over!” I decided to shout out and make myself clear. I watched him look around, as if I could really be talking to anyone else. “Join us. You’re a part of this.”
“Yeah,” Cole added. “You’re actually responsible for this whole operation.”
My smile widened the moment J.P. shook his head with a grin and jogged towards the podium. Cole and I made space so he could stand between us. “Uh...” Nerves began to rock J.P.’s normally cool demeanor. “Hello, I’m Jared Parks, VP of Marketing. I was in charge of making sure Kara + Cole got the most of their experience during their stay on The Lux.”
“And did you...get the most you could out of it?” Liz asked.
“Honestly, The Lux is an amazing ride,” Cole said. “But it wouldn’t have been the same without sharing it with someone who understands your needs,” he continued looking J.P. directly in the eye.
“And with someone you care about deeply,” I added, searching his face to see if he recognized what we were saying.
“J.P. knew that and helped us connect the dots on what’s important.” I turned to Lizzie. “If you take a trip on The Lux, you might get the chance to meet someone special on your trip. Yourself.”
Lizzie chuckled. “Well, that sounds more than promising. I, for one, will be booking a stay as soon as I get the vacation time.”
J.P. smiled charmingly. “We look forward to having you.”
Lizzie left us, approaching Kyle for an interview, and my gaze swiveled to J.P., wondering if Cole and I should have said more. Did he get the message? J.P.’s gaze met mine. There was an ache there, an ache I felt to my very core. I reached for him, wanting to brush his salt-and-pepper hair away from his eyes, fighting the urge. But then he asked, “You’re staying in the suite we booked for you across the street, right? Care for a drink?”
I didn’t even have to look at Cole. “Yes,” we said in unison.
It wasn’t long before we could all say our goodbyes and slip away. Cole and I headed to the hotel first, having slipped J.P. a key card. I was still on edge, anticipating what J.P. had in mind. Was it just drinks? Would we be getting down and dirty? Was this one last quickie before being kicked to the curb? My mind exploded with questions, and I wished we’d asked J.P. to wait at least a half-hour to join us so Cole and I could discuss contingency plans.
It was too late for any of that because the door opened again almost immediately after we stepped in. J.P. stepped through it looking irresistible. But he was frowning.
“That was some stunt you pulled,” he said. Closing the door behind him. He stalked up to me and pulled me close to him. For a moment he just held me still, drinking me in with his eyes. Then he stepped back. “What am I going to do with you two?” He glanced at Cole. “Where’s that drink?”
Cole sprang into action, accessing the minibar. His hands fumbled with the glasses and I went to help. When three tumblers were half-full with vodka on ice, we all sat down.
J.P. didn’t look like himself up close. Circles were evident under his blue eyes, which looked sadder than I remembered.
“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching towards him, placing my hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah, you look a little pale,” Cole added.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and J.P. flinched.
