Page 96 of The Player + The Pact = I Do

“You need to have a destination wedding,” Worth says. “That solves that problem.”

“Not really,” Sophia replies. “People still invite people to destination weddings.”

“An impromptu destination wedding,” Fisher says.

“Vegas,” everyone around the table choruses.

Bennett looks at his watch. “I could have a plane ready for us in an hour.”

My heart begins to race, and I grab Jules’ hand. “We could do that. Then we’d be married.”

“My mom would kill me.”

“No she wouldn’t,” Sophia says. “So long as you didn’t tell her and had a small, town hall ceremony when you got back.”

A grin spreads across my face. I really like the idea of being married to Jules by the end of the day. I’m impatient. Being engaged is too easy to fake. I want to be her husband.

“I don’t have a dress,” she says. “I haven’t even started to look. Even though I don’t want a big wedding, I do want a pretty dress.”

I try not to show my disappointment. I want her to have the wedding she wants. So we should wait.

The table falls silent, until Jules says, “I really like brunch. We should make it a regular thing. I know you guys have your Monday nights, but brunch is a nice couple-of-times-a-month supplement.”

There’s a rumble of agreement around the table.

“In fact,” she continues, “we could host again this time next week. And you never know, someone might bring up an impromptu Vegas wedding. And by then, I might have found a dress.”

I turn my head to look at Jules, to make sure I’m picking up on her fairly obvious hints that she’s going to marry me next weekend. She beams at me, and I cup her head in my hand and press a kiss onto her lips.

“I’ll arrange the jet,” Bennett says.

“I’m clearing my week so I can help with everything,” Efa says. “I know some really cool places with beautiful dresses.”

“Me too,” Sophia says. “Although I’m imagining Efa knows better places.”

Jules squeezes my hand under the table. And I kiss the side of her head.

We’re doing this. This time next week, we’re going to be married.

“You think a skull belt would look nice on a wedding dress?” she asks.

Proof, as if I needed any, that I’ve waited two years too many to marry the woman who I’ve known is my destiny from the first moment I set eyes on her.