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Phoenix was sitting directly in front of us, and he turned to look at me and said, “Here’s my theory, not that you asked for it. I’ve seen a lot of actors who want this more than anything, and they put so much pressure on themselves that it throws off every audition. Even just a bit too much intensity or the subtlest whiff of desperation will cost them the part every single time. The only way to turn it around is to decide it’s not the most important thing in your life after all.”
“I really felt like I had nothing left to lose when I re-auditioned for the part of Alex.” I met Lorenzo’s gaze and told him, “And it definitely wasn’t the most important thing in my life.”
Phoenix turned back around in his seat and said, “I rest my case.”
Seahorse Ranch was all lit up and looked wonderfully inviting when we arrived a few minutes later. Vee jogged over as soon as he saw us, and then he grabbed my cat and dotted kisses on the top of her head before exclaiming, “I missed you, baby girl!” Then he smiled at me and kissed my cheek. “You too, superstar. I want all the tea on your famous costars over dinner. Leave nothing out.”
“Riley’s the resident tea expert,” I said. “He’s a makeup artist, and his department always knows the juiciest gossip. Riley Palma, please meet my dear friend Vihaan Khatri. We all call him Vee.”
“Oh, we’re definitely going to be BFFs. I just know it,” Vee said, as he linked his arm with Riley’s and his new bestie gave him a big smile.
Beck told him, “Before you whisk him away, let me give Riley and Phoenix the keys to their rooms. They might want to drop off their bags and freshen up a bit.”
“Okay fine, but Madame and I are coming with you,” Vee said, as he shifted my cat in his arms.
They all took off in the direction of the hotel lobby, and I slid my hands around Lorenzo’s waist and said, “Alone at last, at least for the next thirty seconds until the rest of our friends discover us.”
Just then, Vee’s little blue parakeet soared over to us and landed on Lorenzo’s head, which for some reason was one if its favorite perches. It could only say one thing, but it delivered its line with panache as it demanded, “What the fuck?”
We both chuckled, and Lorenzo said, “It’s nice to know some things never change.”
I traced his jawline with my fingertip. “This is a pretty great place. Are you sure you want to leave it?”
“Seahorse Ranch will always be here, and when we’re living in L.A. it’ll be quick and easy to visit, especially with my plane.” The Cessna was currently waiting for us in San Francisco, where we’d left it before our vacation.
“That’s very true.”
“I can’t stop thinking about finding a cute little house for just the two of us,” he said. “Maybe a vintage bungalow with old Hollywood charm?”
“I’d love that. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but if and when this other movie comes through, we may be able to afford a down-payment on a place of our own, instead of renting.”
He said, “That’d be great, but either way is fine with me, as long as we’re together.”
“I agree. That’s all that matters.”
Lorenzo smiled at me. “You know, we really should get married, since I plan on being with you forever.”
I grinned and leaned back to look at him. “Was that your idea of a proposal?”
“Needs work, huh?”
“Maybe a little bit.”
“Okay, how about this?”
The parakeet flew off as Lorie went down on one knee, and I whispered, “Oh my God.”
He looked up at me and took my hand. “I absolutely adore you, Will, and there’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
“Yes! Of course I’ll marry you.” He slipped a silver band onto my finger, and when he stood up, I launched myself into his arms and said, “I adore you, Lorie.”
“I adore you, too.”
He picked me up, and I wrapped my arms and legs around him. “That seemed spontaneous, but you must have planned ahead, because you had this beautiful ring.”
“I asked for your parents’ blessing when we were in Louisiana,” he said, “and your mom gave me the ring. It belonged to her granddad. I didn’t know how or when I was going to ask, but the moment felt right, so I went with it.”
As we kissed each other, we heard Ren yell, “Did we just see what we think we saw?”
Everyone was rushing into the courtyard, and Lorie put me down and announced, “We’re getting married!”
In the next moment, we were inundated with hugs and well-wishes from our friends. Vee pushed through the crowd and crushed me in a bear hug, followed by Beck. Pretty soon, someone busted out the champagne, and as glasses were passed around, I stretched up and whispered in Lorie’s ear, “As fun as all of this is, I can’t wait to get you alone tonight.”
