My (Not So) Perfect Plan (Believe In Us #2)

ELEVEN

EVAN

Everything is going according to plan. My father came through like he promised. I’m hopeful that our relationship can begin in a way that neither of us have ever had. I guess for some emotionally damaged people, opening up to others, even their own children, can be difficult. At least I believe he may love me now.

I make one last check in the mirror and gotta say I’m pleased with the tux my mom said I should go with. It makes me feel like James Bond, if Bond was younger and broader in the shoulders. The suit fits like a glove. I just hope my date finds it as exciting.

Tamara texts me to let me know she’s almost ready to go. I pick up my car keys and the black mask I plan on wearing. When the next text comes through, I walk downstairs, telling my mom and dad that I’ll meet them there, and pull out the car my dad is letting me use for the evening.

The James Bond look is completed by an navy ’72 Aston Martin and my black aviators. I’ve already delivered the gift for Claire that I’ve been working on since our date. It took me almost all night and most of today, after which I was able to catch a hard fours of sleep, but it’s finished. Raven assures me Claire hasn’t seen it and that she won’t until she joins everyone later in the evening when the party is in full swing.

I drive up to the well-lit doors of the venue and hand the keys to the valet. He’s excited to drive it and I wink at him.

“Take care of my girl.”

“Yes, sir!” He runs off and I present my ticket at the door. I’m one of the first people in the place, but I pull my mask out and place it across my eyes. Raven is across the room, pointing at a prop while he talks with Tamara. He’s wearing an old-fashioned tux with a bow tie, his hair combed back from his face, and he looks really different. Tamara is her usual self though, teetering on sky high heels, a poofy skirt with some sort of gauzy material floating around her knees, while a form-fitting long-sleeved sequined top goes up to her neck. Like me, Raven wears a simple black mask, but Tamara’s is ornate with feathers and jewels.

Raven helps me pull out Claire’s gift and set it up. People are starting to show up, mingling in the foyer where hor ‘duerves are laid out with champagne for the adults and soda for the teenagers. I greet my parents and we mingle with the other guests, many of whom are familiar to my father through business connections.

My fingers have been tapping out a steady rhythm on my leg for the past twenty minutes when Tamara comes up to my elbow and mentions that she’s here. My heart starts pounding a mile a minute. Jaxon squeezes my shoulder with a hand and Rachel mouths ‘good luck’ before they lose themselves in the crowd, probably intent on finding an out of the way room where they can lose themselves in each other.

Claire walks into the room and I’m struck dumb. Her dress is simple, a gold floor length gown with long sleeves and a wide collar that highlights her collarbones and neck. Her blond hair is down, a sleek waterfall behind her, and her cheeks are flushed, lips rosy, begging to be kissed. My eyes roam up and down her. Heat blooms in my gut at the way the material flatters the long length of her torso and the curve of her hips. Someone calls to her, Raven, and she turns making me lose my breath. The back of her gown is made to look like sheer lace, though, knowing how modest she is, it must be lace with a nude underlay.

I watch as her eyes light on the gift I made for her and then cloud with confusion. I step toward her while Raven explains and then points in my direction. Claire meets my eyes and a huge smile creases her mouth even though it looks like she’s on the verge of tears. She throws her arms around me and I never want to let her go.

“You built that for me?” she asks, her words sounding like they are about to break.

“It took me all night and then some, but yeah,” I smile.

“I can’t believe it. You totally brought the vision of my gondola to life.”

“Do you want to try it out?” I ask, keeping my arms wrapped around her. Her eyes move to my side. Tamara is at my elbow, a Cheshire cat grin on her cheeks.

“Oh. I mean, we don’t have to,” she stutters, “I’m sure you want to take photos with your date instead.”

“I was hoping that would be you.”

Her eyebrows draw together. “But… what about Tamara?”

Tamara comes forward and pulls her out of my arms and into a hug. “I already have a date, dearest. I came with Raven. Plus the fact, Evan kind of deserves it considering he was the one who got us the new venue.”

I hiss at Tamara for letting the cat out of the bag, but considering the look of confused amazement Claire sends me, I can’t bring myself to care so much.

Claire shakes her head, her eyes darting back and forth between us. “I don’t understand.”

I take her by the hand and lead her out onto the terrace. The moon has come up, shedding silvery light over everything. I pause next to the balustrade, clasping her fingers in mine and she draws in a ragged breath.

“Did you really get the venue for us?”

“I got my dad to do it. We finally had that talk we needed to have for the past ten years,” I laugh.

“Thank you. It would have fallen apart if it weren’t for you.”

I shrug. “I wanted to make you happy.”

She looks down and grins like that’s a secret she wanted to hear. But then she gets a little frown of worry and her eyes lock with mine. “Tamara?”

I kiss her gently on the forehead before I draw back again so I can see her when I tell her.

“I didn’t bring anyone as my date, Claire. There’s only one girl I wanted to take tonight, but… I don’t fit in with the life she has planned for herself.” I take a deep breath and continue even though nervousness is making my voice tremble. “I have to put myself out there and hope that everything will work out because she makes feel alive like I’ve never felt before. I can only hope she finds it in herself to do the same. Sometime between riding in my truck singing to 80s music at the top of our lungs and the physical therapy, I fell for you. I don’t want to pressure you into –”

Her lips are on mine. Her arms slide up my chest to wrap around the back of my neck and as soon as I recover from the shock, I return the kiss with everything I have, putting everything I feel for her in a single contact of my lips on hers. I tell her that she’s beautiful, and precious, and wonderful without words.

I don’t know how long we’ve been standing there, but when I pull back we’re both breathing hard and my hands are at her waist.

“I’ve wanted you for so long, Evan, but I never believed it was possible.” Her eyes search mine like she’s fearful. “Tell me this is real. Tell me I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and this won’t be some horrible prank.”

I kiss away her fears, needing to gently show her how much she means to me. Then I pull away and rest my forehead on hers, cupping her face in my hands.

“I know you think I’m… out of your league or something, but you’re not,” I say, shutting my eyes and breathing in the smell of her floral perfume. “I’m the same dweeb I’ve always been. I might be able to pretend better than you, and I will admit to having taken advantage of opportunities and making serious mistakes, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting you. Will you give me a chance, Claire? Can you rewrite your plan?”

She reaches up and rips off my mask. I feel exposed and overwhelmed, like everyone will notice and laugh at the fool making an idiot of himself, but no one does.

“Evan, I’ve liked you since we were in second grade, but I didn’t know what it meant to really love someone until you came into my life and started moving all my game pieces all over the place and making me feel things that no stick-in-the-mud worth their salt has the right to be feeling for the school’s golden boy.”

I kiss her again. “Is that a yes?”

She pulls away from me, her hands still in mine, and bites her lip. She swallows and her eyes come up to meet mine, full of determination, and faith, and happiness.

“Yes.”

Whatever else she is going to says is lost by my mouth coming down over hers. I haven’t told her that I want to grow old with her, that I want her to have my babies, and wake up next to her in my arms every morning. I’ll take baby steps if that’s what it takes to win her heart. This year might have sucked in all the worst ways, but it’s hard for me to regret it since it brought me Claire. I don’t know what the future holds, but as I shift her back and forth while we dance on the terrace, I know I don’t want a future without her in it.