smiles?” I asked, pulling his hand down and intertwining our fingers.
“I guess so.”
“Well, I think we need to think about how we’re going to reenact this first scene. Prep ourselves, so it’ll be faster. If we can do it in less than ten takes, we’ll be all set to do the next scene and then go home.”
He nodded. “Good idea. I’m all about going home.” He tipped his chin my way.
I thought back to our very first brainstorming session and the idea of the commercial. I thought about the feels we wanted to give our target audience—family, love, celebration. “So, today is the big day. The couple has been dating for two years.”
“Two years?” Connor scoffed. “Six months. A year is already too long to know.”
I reeled back. “You think it only takes six months for a couple to know that they can spend the rest of their lives together?”
“Yeah.”
“But they hardly know each other.”
“True. But I’m a firm believer in the saying, When you know, you know.” He shrugged with this amused smirk on his face. “And they have the rest of their lives to get to know each other. I learn more about myself each and every day—what I want, what I can do, my limits.”
“Still …”
He leaned in, giving me that look again, the lusty I want to kiss you look.
“It’s not about the time and how long a couple has been together; it’s the feeling they get when they are around each other.”
“But sometimes, those feelings are just in the beginning, and once the honeymoon is over, then it’s real fights, real life.”
“Yeah, and all the real fights, real life stuff is worth it in the end because you’ve found your person.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
I laughed. “You are a hopeless romantic. I never knew.” I waved a hand, getting back on track with things. “So, they’ve been dating for six months. He’s madly in love with her, and he can’t live without her, so he decides”—I lifted my ring finger and wiggled it—“this is it. He’s going to put a ring on it, so no one will beat him to it.”
“So, he plans this extravagant event,” Connor continued. “He plans this awesome way on how he’s going to do it.” He tapped his temple in an I’m so smart way. “And he strings lights from tree to tree, illuminating the area. That, and the stars make the date have this romantic feel. Then, he takes her to the lake, to their very first date.”
“So, she’s going to know he’s going to propose then if she sees this.” I laughed.
“No.” He shook his head. “Because”—he lowered his chin and tapped my nose with his forefinger—“she thinks he’s planned this extravagant event for their six-month anniversary. He’s so romantic that he plans month celebrations.”
I smiled bigger. “With chocolate.”
“That’s right.”
Our eyes locked, and we high-fived.
Chapter 23
Charlie
My family was all seated at the table, eating dinner. I could have spent the night at Connor’s house, like I had been, but I’d promised my mother I’d be home for the family dinner. It seemed like weeks since I’d sat and eaten dinner with her since I had been with Connor recently.
My mother never asked me where I had been spending the night at when I hadn’t come home.
On one normal Wednesday night, I’d thrown out that I was meeting Alyssa and Casey out for drinks, which was true. I hadn’t told her that Connor and Kyle were there, nor had I told her that I went home with Connor.
Sandy’s voice grated on my nerves, like nails on a chalkboard. Luckily with her, I had trained my ear to have selective hearing. I cut up my chicken Parmesan, which Elsa had prepared. It was over-the-top delicious, and I enjoyed each savory bit as I tried to concentrate on the positive—my satisfied stomach.
“Yeah, two Saturdays from now,” Sandy piped up, which had me peering up, with my fork midair.
I counted the days to my exhibit.
“My company is being honored in the Under Thirty Entrepreneur Awards ceremony, so save the date.”
Wait. What? No.
My mother practically jumped out of her seat. “How amazing, Sandy. Congrats.” She placed a hand on Richard’s hand on the table as he beamed at his daughter.
“Is it a black-tie event?”
“Yes, Daddy. Your tux will do fine. Me? I’ll need to find something to wear.” She smiled, flipping her hair over her shoulder, and stared at me. “You’re invited too, Charlie. I actually hope you can come.”
“Of course she can