The World According to Vince - Jane Harvey-Berrick Page 0,72
couple turned to their guests, smiled, waved, hugged and kissed, then finally peeled themselves free to climb into the car.
“Love you!” I yelled at Cady.
She blew kisses out of the window as the car pulled away.
I looked at Vince and smiled. “That was a great idea.”
“The Pedicab or the Aston Martin?”
“Both!” I grinned. “Definitely inspired.”
I must have given the right answer because he kissed me soundly before escorting me back inside.
I would willingly have gone home then in a stupor of happy exhaustion, but part of the best man and maid of honor’s duty was to make sure the rest of the evening ran smoothly. Besides, I was also Cady’s wedding planner, so I felt responsible.
We went around talking to everyone, organizing taxis with Jenna, the Rainbow Room’s events coordinator, until there was no one left but us.
“One last dance?” Vince asked.
“The band went home,” I pointed out.
“But when I look at you, I hear music,” he smiled.
“That is such a cheesy line!”
“Doesn’t make it any less true.” And he held out his hand. “May I have the extreme fookin’ pleasure of the last dance?” he said.
“Such sweet words,” I smiled, accepting his hand.
As the servers quietly cleared the tables, Vince and I clung together, swaying to a tune that no one but us could hear.
Then in a soft voice, Vince started to sing:
When I need you,
I just close my eyes and I’m with you,
And all that I so want to give you, babe,
Is only a heartbeat away.
I listened carefully to the moving lyrics but had to admit that I didn’t know the song.
Vince shrugged, his thoughts half lost in the past, half fixed in the present.
“It’s a song from the seventies by a British singer called Leo Sayer. Mum loved him.”
As Vince hummed the tune, the lights dimmed one by one, and we were left alone in the darkness, only the neon glow of Manhattan casting soft shadows across the empty dancefloor.
“Time to go,” Vince sighed.
“Thank you for a magical evening,” I said softly.
“I fooked up with the Irish dancing.”
“You were fantastic.”
“And I fooked up again by forgetting to bring my speech.”
“You were amazing and everybody loved what you said.”
“I fell in the chocolate fountain.”
“Highlight of the evening.”
“And I brought a lion.”
“Definitely memorable.”
“And I’m sorry that—”
I reached up to press my fingers over his lips. “Vince, it was perfect. You were perfect.”
He smiled, then kissed the palm of my hand. “Will you come home with me?”
“Ask me again after the court case.”
He frowned. “I thought that was all sorted. A plea bargain or something?”
That made me grimace. I really hadn’t meant to say anything to spoil tonight.
“That was the plan, yes, but the DA is hinting that he wants to take it to trial. He’s afraid vigilantes will copy you. Well, that’s what he says—I think he just wants some free publicity, and you’re very popular.”
“Well, that’s a bit shite.”
“More than a bit,” I agreed. “It’s not definite, but it’s a possibility that we have to be ready for.”
He rubbed his hand over his cheeks. “What if we don’t tell anyone you came home with me tonight?”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Is that all you’re worried about?”
“Well, yeah,” he grinned. “What else?”
“That’s my Vince,” I smiled. “One track mind.”
“You’re really going to make me go home to my kids without their Mummy Gracie?”
I smiled as I stepped away. “I really am.”
“Wow, tough love. But I can wait.”
We rode the elevator in silence, the quiet that came with a promise for the future.
Vince let me take the first cab that arrived and kissed me sweetly.
“Look after this one,” he said to the driver. “She’s precious cargo.”
The driver grunted and didn’t reply, but I smiled up at Vince. “I’ll call you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Night, Vince. Kiss the kids for me!” but the driver was already pulling away and my words were lost in the New York night.
I arrived back to my empty apartment, already missing Vince, missing the dogs, missing our easy companionship and the electricity that had been sparking between us all evening.
With a sigh, I hung up my beautiful dress and put my two beautiful bouquets in vases, then cleaned off all my makeup.
I fell into bed with a smile on my face, then ground my teeth when I remembered that I hadn’t checked my messages; I hadn’t even looked at my phone all evening. I rummaged in the bottom of my tiny wedding purse and pulled it out. I was tagged in a ton of posts from Cady’s wedding, and