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Chapter Thirty-Three
Jasper had no idea how he and Hollyn made it through the rest of the improv show. He’d wanted to sweep Hollyn out of there the minute they’d kissed, but they’d stayed onstage and had given it everything they had. The whole group had walked off to a standing ovation.
The applause was still ringing in his ears as he grasped Hollyn’s hand and tugged her toward the back of the bar. But before they could make it to the storeroom and get some actual alone time, Fitz intercepted them. He threw his arms around Jasper and picked him up off his feet. “Holy shit, Jasper!”
Fitz squeezed the breath out of him. Only Fitz could make Jasper feel like his six-foot-two frame was small. “Dude, calm down. I didn’t announce onstage that I lovedyou.”
Hollyn was laughing at them, her eyes sparkling. “Should I be jealous?”
“Maybe,” Fitz said, releasing Jasper and thumping him on the back “Because I love this guy. That show was…wow. The signs, man.”
Jasper straightened his collar. “Aww, Fitzwilliam, I didn’t take you for a romantic.”
“It’s Fitzgerald, asshole. Do I look like a Mr. Darcy?” Fitz grimaced like the idea of being considered broody offended him on a personal level. “And though I’m happy for the both of you, this isn’t about the romance. This is about setting yourself up to go viral. That shit y’all pulled up there?” He shook his head with a smirk. “Golden. You should see the hashtags popping up already. Hashtag LoveAtImprov, hashtag GrandGesture, hashtag ImTheGuy.” He glanced at Hollyn. “Hashtag MizPoppyInLove.”
Hollyn grinned.
Jasper shrugged. “I didn’t do it for the hashtags.”
“And I don’t give a damn about your intentions,” Fitz fired back. “Because all that matters right now is the fact that at least two of the investors are in. The third is a strong maybe. Either way, you’re going to have enough. You and Hail Yes are going to get your theater, Jas.”
Jasper rocked back on his heels, the news hitting him like crashing surf. “Are you serious?”
“They want you to be part of it, too, Hollyn. A regular special guest,” Fitz said, looking to her. “People are going to connect to your story and the story of the two of you together.”
Hollyn’s eyes widened. “I’m not an actor.”
“That doesn’t matter. You did great tonight, and you’re likable onstage. They can work you into games without you needing to be a full member of the team,” Fitz said. “Bringing in guests will keep it fresh.”
Jasper laced his hands behind his head. “I can’t believe this.”
Fitz gripped Jasper’s shoulder and gave him a little shake. “I told you not to doubt me.”
Jasper laughed. “My mistake, man.”
“Damn straight,” Fitz said. “Now, I’ll go bring the good news to your group. You take your girl and run.”
“I plan on it.” Jasper looked over to Hollyn, his chest filling up with so much he couldn’t sort it all out at once. “You ready to go, Hollyn Darling?”
She stepped into his space and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Give me five minutes to say goodbye to Cal and Andi and then I’m all yours.”
He lifted a brow. “Is Cal going to challenge me to a duel out back?”
She laughed and patted his chest. “It’s okay. We’ve worked it out. I let him know my heart was elsewhere.”
That gave Jasper pause, and he grabbed her around the waist before she could escape. “Wait, you told Cal your heart belonged to someone else even though you knew I was leaving?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “Jasper, don’t you get it? I loveyou. I choseyou. Whether you were leaving or not, that didn’t change what is.”
I chose you.The words were everything he hadn’t known he needed to hear. This meant something more to her like it did to him. He’d loved a woman before. He’d thought he’d loved Kenzie. But from the very start with Hollyn, he’d sensed the shift. She was different. He’d tried to dismiss that feeling because he’d figured it was just his impulsiveness jumping the gun again, but his gut hadn’t lied. The feeling he had for her was singular.
He knew they were still new to each other in a lot of ways, but something deep in his DNA just knew—her, this one. It was why when he’d finally gotten on the plane today, he hadn’t had to wrestle with the decision about turning down the part. Sitting in that plane, heading back to New Orleans, to Hollyn…all of it had felt as if things were going exactly as they should be. Like all points in his life had been converging to get him to this moment.
Everything in LA had felt wrong, off. He didn’t want to give up improvising. He didn’t want to stick to script. He didn’t want to go hang out with the “beautiful” people. He didn’t want to spend all his days working with Kenzie. He didn’t want to be away from Hail Yes or his family. He loved this city. He loved improv. He loved his friends.
This theater. This life. Would give him what he’d always wanted. A place on the stage and a job he could feel proud of. His family and friends nearby. And most of all, this life would give him Hollyn.
Hollyn came back to him after saying goodbye to her friends. “You ready to go home?”
