Kingmakers, Year Four

Zoe Romero

Berlin, German y

June

I packed several dresses for Chay’s wedding, but none of them seem right once we reach the opulent hotel where the ceremony will be held.

I’ve never seen such an eye-popping array of color, pattern, and texture—as if it were designed by Liberace after a vacation in Wonderland.

I’d expect nothing less from Chay. “Subtle” and “understated” are the dirtiest words in her dictionary.

Now my wardrobe choices seem underwhelming. Chay said the dress code was “somewhere between the Oscars and the Met Gala.”

I attended the Oscars with Miles just last year. Chay told me that the black gown I wore was, “nice, but a little boring.”

I plan to spend the afternoon shopping on Kurfurstendamm to find something more impressive to wear, but Miles forestalls me before I can leave our room.

“I’ve got something that might work,” he says.

“You brought a dress?” I say, trying not to smile. “That’s daring, even for you. Though you do have incredible legs . . .”

Miles grins. “Yeah, I bet you’d love to see that. Sorry to disappoint—this dress was always for you. ”

He covers my eyes with his hands, walking me through the main room of our suite into the bedroom.

“Is this just a ruse to get me back in that bed?” I say.

“Possibly,” Miles says. “Depends how much you like your gift . . .”

He pulls his hands away, revealing a strapless gown artfully displayed on the coverlet, with a pair of matching silk gloves, a belt, and high-heeled shoes in precisely the same shade of shocking pink.

I stare at the dress, hands over my mouth.

“You didn’t . . .” I whisper.

“It’s not the real one,” Miles says, quickly. “I mean, I’ll buy that for you if you want, but it’s so old it would fall apart if you tried to wear it. I had a replica made. It’s all peau d’ange silk, just like the original, and look, the lining’s black satin. The palms of the gloves are even suede, just like in the film.”

“How on earth did you remember?” I say.

Three years ago, I told Miles that my dream dress was the one Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I used to watch that movie all the time with my abuela .

I’ve never mentioned it since.

“I remember everything you say to me,” Miles tells me, his expression serious.

It’s true—Miles never forgets. He never misses details. He never fails to come through .

“How do you do it?” I say, shaking my head at him.

“I do it because you matter to me,” Miles says. “I wouldn’t forget about you any more than I’d forget about breathing.”

I can’t breathe right now. My chest is too tight. The dress is so beautiful. It’s a dream come to life—something I never expected to actually touch and hold.

“Put it on,” he says.

The silk is smooth and cool as water running over my skin. I pull on the dress, turning so Miles can zip the back, carefully navigating the oversized bow at the waist.

I step into the shoes, don the gloves, and stand before the full-length mirror so we can both admire the effect.

The pink silk blazes against my skin. The dress fits me to the millimeter.

“How in the fuck did you get my measurements!” I cry.

Miles just laughs. “That was the easy part,” he says.

I snap a picture of myself so I can send it to Chay. She texts me back immediately, in all caps, so I can almost hear her screech of delight:

THAT IS THE HOTTEST YOU’VE EVER LOOKED! What a perfect wedding present for me ;)

Miles laughs reading it .

“I thought it was more a gift to myself, but I’m glad Chay’s happy.”

I grab his face between my hands and kiss him.

“ I’m happy,” I tell him. “Extremely happy.”

We take the elevator down to the reception. Miles looks irresistible in a cream-colored suit with his dark curls freshly washed and his face clean-shaven. I’m already counting the minutes until we can go back up to our room.

We’re seated amongst a profusion of peonies, dahlias, and overblown roses, in brilliant shades of fuchsia, orange, and crimson.

Anna and Leo sit directly in front of us, Leo grinning brighter than I’ve ever seen. The reason is obvious—his hand rests on Anna’s belly, which stretches the limits of her tight black dress.

“How was the flight over?” I ask her, squeezing her shoulder in sympathy.

“Miserable,” she says. “One of these babies is a real fucking asshole.”

“Maybe both of them!” Leo says, with undisguised excitement.

Even as I watch, the side of Anna’s belly visibly distends with a well-aimed kick.

“I don’t know if they’re gonna let me back on the plane,” Anna says. “I’m so big that I look like I’m due tomorrow.”

“I think Cat actually is due tomorrow,” I say .

“I wish she could have come,” Anna says. “And I envy her only having to push one baby out.”

“Yeah, but she’ll have to go through the whole thing again if she wants another,” Leo says. “This is like a two-for-one deal on the pregnancy.”

“Easy for you to say!” Anna says, smacking him on the shoulder.

Leo just grins and pulls her close.

“Sorry babygirl. Twins on both sides of our family — it was pretty much guaranteed to happen.”

Cara Wilk drops down in the seat next to her sister, panting slightly.

“Oh good, we’re not late!” she says. “I broke a heel on my shoe.”

“Don’t worry,” Hedeon says, sitting down next to her. “Those sandals are even prettier.”

He puts his arm around Cara’s shoulder so she can snuggle against his chest.

I can’t help smiling, seeing that Hedeon has matched his tie to Cara’s pale blue dress.

Hedeon moved to Chicago so he can see Cara over the summers when she comes home from Kingmakers. He’s been working with Leo and the rest of the Gallos. Well—the rest of them except for my husband .

Miles and I are perfectly happy in Los Angeles. We’ve been developing a TV show for Netflix—my version of The Sopranos , centered around teenagers from mafia families.

“Just don’t put anything in the script that will get us in trouble,” Miles told me.

“You mean, don’t call their high school Kingmakers and put it on a secret island?” I teased him.

“Well . . .” he raised an eyebrow. “It does make for a good setting . . .”

I love working with Miles. Our strengths and weaknesses perfectly complement each other. His ambition is boundless, and he’ll do anything to reach our goals. I’m the rudder that helps steer him away from some of his more fantastical ideas toward those that might actually work.

“Oh!” Cara gasps. “Here she comes!”

In true Chay fashion, she walks down the aisle to the pounding refrains of some German rock band I’ve never heard of.

Her father is wearing his leather Night Wolves jacket over a pair of artfully-distressed jeans and studded boots. He holds Chay’s arm, grinning broadly.

Ozzy steps up to the altar to wait for her. He’s dressed in plaid pants, combat boots, and a sleeveless suit jacket that shows the tattoos running down his arms. An oversized orange peony protrudes from his buttonhole. His mohawk has been spiked up to its most astronomical heights. He looks dazzled, utterly stunned at the sight of his bride.

No one can outshine Chay tonight. She’s got the bouffant of Texas beauty queen, the makeup of an 80s hair band, and a dress that trails ten yards behind her. The layers and layers of exploding tulle are dyed in descending sunset colors: fuchsia, salmon, tangerine, scarlet, indigo, and purple.

She practically runs down the aisle to Ozzy.

Ozzy’s dad performs the ceremony. He keeps it short and simple.

“Ozzy was in love with Chay from the moment he laid eyes on her. Chay took a little more convincing.”

We all laugh.

“But I think it’s clear to see that no couple could be more excited to finally tie the knot. Ozzy, you’re damn lucky to have this girl. And Chay, no one will ever be more devoted to you than my son. I know the two of you will never be bored together. And god help anyone who stands in your way!”

Before he can give the order, Ozzy seizes Chay, bends her backward, and kisses her as if he’s waited years to do it.

We all whistle and cheer, Caleb Griffin throwing handfuls of rainbow-colored petals on the couple as he’d been instructed to do as the flower boy.

Right at that moment, I feel my phone buzzing in my handbag .

With a premonition of what I’m about to see, I pull it out, scanning the screen. Just as I hoped, it’s a message from Dean:

Baby was in a hurry. We barely made it to the hospital in time. Cat handled it like a champion—Levi Yenin is 7 lbs. 6 oz, 22 inches long. So fucking happy to have him here.

I’m crying from the very first word.

Miles reads over my shoulder, his arm around my waist.

“I told you,” he says. “We gotta hurry up if we’re gonna give that kid a cousin.”

Leo Gall o

Chicago

Two Years Later

I’m dressing for Sabrina’s engagement party.

After two years of arguing over whether they’ll live in St. Petersburg or Chicago, she’s finally agreed to marry Adrik Petrov.

They’re holding the party on the rooftop terrace of LondonHouse. It’s a black-tie affair, which means I have to remember how to tie a goddamn bow tie.

I’ve been fucking with it for twenty minutes now, not wanting to admit that I’m going to have to ask Anna to work her magic yet again.

She’s already dressed, playing with the twins downstairs before we have to leave them with the sitter.

I know she’s excited to see Cara, who just completed her last year at Kingmakers, and is finally home for good. Cara’s only here a month before she and Hedeon embark on their six-month backpacking trip across Asia. I guess Cara feels like Kingmakers wasn’t quite enough inspiration for the novel she’s been writing the last two years.

I’m equally excited to see Rafe and Nix, Freya and Ares, and Kade Petrov. It’s been too long. We’re all so busy and so scattered across the globe—it takes a wedding or a funeral to bring us all together. I know which one I prefer .

Giving up on the ridiculous bow tie, I head downstairs to beg for my wife’s help.

I almost trip over the twins, who barrel across the hallway at top speed, Athena chasing after Archie, both brandishing wooden swords.

“Don’t run with those!” I bellow after them, but they’re shrieking too loud to hear me.

It’s hard to tell them apart from behind, since they’re both crowned with a bush of dark curls, and they’re both equally filthy and feral unless Anna has just lifted them out of the bath.

She may have done so—Athena was wearing the bottom of a pair of pajamas, and Archie the top.

I search through the main floor of our house, looking for Anna.

We bought this gothic mansion right before the twins were born. I was starting to get nervous that Anna wouldn’t find a place she liked. She was adamant that she didn’t want any gleaming, modern condo on the lake, no matter how pretty the view. Her tastes were shaped from an early age by her father’s house.

The Astor Street mansion has everything she likes—dormers and gables, high ceilings, cavernous fireplaces, an overgrown garden, leaded glass windows, and an abundance of ghosts.

The twins love it. They’re continually getting lost in the maze of ancient rooms, popping out again in unexpected places as if they’ve found a secret passageway through the walls .

I love it because it suits Anna so well. She only becomes more ethereal and elegant with each year that passes. She’s as timeless as this house, and as beautiful.

At last I find her in the music room, setting a vinyl on her mother’s old record player.

I see her long, silvery sheaf of hair laying over her shoulder, and the backless silk gown she’s chosen for the evening.

She hears my footsteps behind her and turns to face me, the skirt of her shimmering black dress twisting around her legs like the bloom of a calla lily.

As she looks up at me with those ice-blue eyes, I’m hit with the strangest sense of déjà vu.

All at once I remember a dream I had, my first month at Kingmakers.

Anna and I were only friends then. Best friends, and nothing more.

I was already in love with her, but didn’t know it yet.

My heart stops in my chest as I remember every detail of that dream:

A mansion even grander than my parents’.

Two little twins, running through the room.

My wife in an elegant black dress.

When the woman turned, I saw that it was Anna .

That was the moment I realized that no vision of my future could ever be complete without her.

I knew I had to have her. But at the time, it seemed it could never happen.

There are crossroads in life where you can either choose the cold truth you see in front of you, or you can choose to chase the impossible dream.

It’s only by believing in that dream, and pursuing it, that you can turn it into a living, breathing reality.

You must chase the dream to live the dream. Otherwise, it will only ever be an ephemeral fantasy in your mind.

Sabrina Gallo’s ready to graduate early…