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“Go on,” Tom said, delighted. “Climb on up.”
Nick obeyed without breaking a sweat, and then he was grinning down at the older man, hands on the railing. “This is perfect,” he said. “Seriously. A game changer. I owe you.”
“No, you don’t,” Tom said cheerfully. “There’s only one other person in the world we’re this happy to help.”
Nick was peering through the camera and adjusting settings when he heard someone bound up the stairs behind him. Hayley leaned over his shoulder and kissed his cheek.
“Picture for Rose,” she said.
Nick leaned back as both of them beamed into Hayley’s phone for a selfie and looked at the result. “Aw,” he said. “Send me that one.”
Hayley did. Rosie, of course, did not have a phone, but she was permitted to enlist her parents to take one picture a day for Uncle Nick and Hayley, usually at bedtime. They’d made a game out of reciprocating as soon as possible.
“Did she send one just now?” Nick asked. Hayley showed him Rosie’s latest, texted to both of them, and he laughed. Rosie was snuggled up in pajamas next to Mel, and both of them were laughing hard.
“Mel told me to remind you about rehearsal tomorrow,” Hayley said.
Nick snorted. “Like I have ever once forgotten about rehearsal.”
“Probably because she reminds you,” Hayley teased. “The show’s almost sold out, by the way.”
“Really? We’re a week and a half away.”
“I’ve already sold half a dozen tickets tonight.”
Nick couldn’t wait for his return to the Adagio stage. This would be his fourth monthly gig with Mel in the Vivez café, and it had become so popular with patrons and crew alike that the Vivez singers were bummed to have to do the holiday show that Wednesday night instead of joining Nick and Mel on stage to croon a little.
Hayley came around the side of the chair and dropped into Nick’s lap. “Hey,” she said playfully. “Why’d you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Could’ve just left that girl alone.”
Nick laughed. “I wondered if you recognized her.”
“I did.” She put her arms around his neck. “And you were very kind.”
“You know,” he murmured, their noses almost touching, “everyone can still see us up here.”
She nodded solemnly. “We’ll have to explain that I can’t go onstage until you kiss me.”
So he did. Nick pulled her close, savored her lips on his, and didn’t stop until he was absolutely sure that all of him had said to her, clear as a bell,I choose you.
“Wow,” Hayley murmured. “I’m coming back for more at intermission.”
He grinned. “Love you.”
“I love you more than chocolate, baby.”
Then she whispered familiar words in his ear, dashed down the steps, and slipped effortlessly into the whirlwind below.
For twenty minutes, Nick Freeman sat above the crowd and watched a woman with olive skin and joyful brown eyes glide from table to table like she was skimming across a lake. Nick saw all she could do and all he would never do; he chose the beauty in each of them, and the beauty in who they were together.
As the house lights went down and the show began, Nick thought of the six words Hayley had whispered in his ear, the words they told each other every day.
Thank you for dancing with me.
