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Rigid at her side, Lola’s jaw was bouncing where she clenched it. She didn’t move. Didn’t say a word while Fortune and Starla passed them.
Carmen’s relief lasted only seconds. Lasted until Fortune deposited Starla next to Elaine and turned to address the crowd. “Ellie and Star have been kind enough to allow me to say a few words and bless their beautiful union.”
“Friends, we are gathered here today under the first light of dawn to celebrate the sacred union of two soul flames.” Fortune lifted her arms, her fabrics dangling and flowing in the breeze at her back. “Their love is written in the stars, predestined and preordained. Though their journey has not been easy, their destined bond could not be denied.”
While Fortune ranted, Lola’s body stiffened. Carmen hoped that Fortune would wrap it up, but as the sun started to cast pink and orange hues in the lightening sky, Carmen feared she was just getting started with her bullshit.
“What extraordinary power love holds - strong enough to melt even the most hardened heart, if we open ourselves to receive it. All human relationships mirror the divine relationship with the universe. When we see our lover as an extension of our spirit, we recognize that we are one.”
Lola muttered under her breath, but it wasn’t until she leaned forward that Carmen slipped her hand in hers and anchored her in place. “Just ignore it,” Carmen whispered.
At her touch, Lola all but jumped. It was insane that they’d had sex and the innocent touch unnerved them both. When Lola was distracted, Carmen slipped her hand away.
“And so today, we bear witness as two souls entwine in love’s embrace. Their union shows us it is never too late for hope and redemption. We, too, can transform and start anew if we have the courage to surrender to love’s call.”
As if poised to antagonize them, Fortune dropped her arms and turned her gaze to Carmen and Lola. “Let this be a turning point, not just for Ellie and Star, but for us all. May we dissolve the barriers of fear and pride. May we nourish seeds of love in even the most barren ground. For where there is love, there are endless possibilities.”
Fortune turned away from them a second before Lola burst out of her self-restraint. At least Starla and Elaine’s vows were short.
As soon as the couple kissed, exactly at the moment that the sun rose to the height of their joined lips, Lola slipped away from Carmen’s side.
Sensing her absence like a sudden dousing of a bonfire, Carmen turned just to watch Lola striding across the sand, her white pants almost glowing in the sunrise.
Carmen’s ribs constricted around empty space. She had an overwhelming urge to go after her. To talk to her.
Doubt kept her rooted to the rough sand shifting beneath her feet. She had no idea what she would say if she caught her before she left. Had no idea how to change the dynamic between them even though she was starting to accept that she wanted to.
CHAPTER26
Lola was losingher damn mind. There was no other explanation. Fortune had put something untraceable into her body and it had hijacked her brain and taken over her thoughts.
Why else would she be sitting in her car, waiting for Kiki outside the production studio, and thinking about Carmen instead of getting ready for the meeting and screen test? There was no other reason than that every time she closed her eyes, she saw the image of Carmen — a pink sunrise lighting her from behind in her white dress and making her look like some kind of otherworldly being.
Gripping her steering wheel, she tried to shake the sensation of Carmen’s hand in hers, but it was burned into her nerve endings. Carmen had only clung onto her to keep her from tackling Fortune, Lola was sure, but the touch had invaded her. Like some lingering poison, it had stayed in her nervous system in the days following the beach wedding.
Carmen’s whispers, falling warm and reassuring on her skin, had also been impossible to forget. She’d never spoken to her so gently. Every other time she’d whispered to her it had been in challenge or taunt or a way to get a rise out of her. A way for Carmen to exert control.
She just didn’t want me to fuck up the lawsuit, she told herself for the hundredth time. Despite Lola’s reckless fantasies, there was no way to change what they had between them. They were forces colliding and they always would be.
Next to Lola’s BMW, a hatchback pulled up. The sight of Kiki was a kick to the back. A reminder that she had important work to do, and this meeting had to go perfectly. If she landed Kiki a real hosting gig immediately after signing her, Natalia was going to be so impressed. She was going to see that Adriana wasn’t the only one with instincts she could trust.
“Hey, babe!” Lola shouted when she got out of her car, even though she’d only met Kiki once the day before.
“Look at you, looking like a boss bitch in that Fendi dress!” Kiki replied, flinging her arms wide.
Designer clothes, as strange as they felt to Lola, were a part of her job. Part of the gloss of show business that everyone expected. She knew Kiki would react to it and hoped it would motivate her to do well today. To see what was possible.
Kiki had worn a pair of painted-on jeans that highlighted her shape and a zip-up leather corset that pushed her boobs up to her neck. Exactly the right choice when coupled with professionally applied makeup and voluminous curls. Kiki undoubtedly looked the part. Lola could see the future so clearly. Could see her as a star.
Lola strode into the sleek conference room with Kiki at her side, pulse thrumming with anticipation. Janice and two other execs were waiting, leather folios open on the glass table.
Smiling widely as she made introductions, Lola amped up the charm. Kiki gave a small wave, cheeks flushed, before taking the seat next to her. Kiki’s entrance had been more reserved than Lola expected, but decided maybe that was a good sign. She’d never walked into a room like this — it was better to err on the side of caution.
“We’re so excited you’re here,” Janice began, tone friendly to make up for the disinterested look on the other two guys’ faces. “This dating show concept really has legs.”
Lola jumped in, selling her vision hard. A luxury yacht sailing the Caribbean, stunning queer contestants, addictive drama — it was everything audiences craved. She talked up Kiki’s social media fame, her bold personality, insisting she was made to helm this voyage of messy romance.
But as she talked, enthusiasm draining with each point, the Execs’ expressions remained polite yet noncommittal. Eyes glazing over, they nodded along without any real spark of interest. Not a good start.
