Page 180 of Untying the Knot
I shake my head. “Banner, I can’t fucking disappoint you.”
“You won’t,” he says.
“But—”
“But nothing. You won’t disappoint me. Keep the business and me out of the picture along with everyone else attached to it. If those factors weren’t part of the issue, tell me, would you move back to Chicago to make her happy?”
“I’d do just about anything to keep her in my life and make her happy.” And if that means packing up and heading back to Chicago, then . . . I guess I would.
“Then I think you have your answer.” He drains the rest of his whiskey before setting the empty glass back on the table. “I love you, man, and I know you’re not happy, not without her. I don’t want to watch you lose her, so do what it takes.”
I grip the edge of the table and look over at her. Her head falls back as a laugh flies out of her mouth. Her hand grips Lottie’s arm while she nods. I can see it. I can see her living here, loving it here. I can see her becoming great friends with Kelsey and Lottie. I can see her working with Kelsey, finding great joy in creating spaces that portray her style and Kelsey’s models of sustainability. I can see us finding a home we love and creating a life around it. But just because I can see it doesn’t mean that she can. It doesn’t mean she’ll forgive me and no longer resent me for hurting her in the first place.
“Like I said,” Banner adds, breaking into my thoughts. “Don’t worry about it now. Think about it later.”
“What are you two talking about?” Penn asks, walking up to us, wearing a large smile. “If you tell me the divorce, I’m going to be pissed because we’re at a wedding.”
“Sort of,” I answer.
“Ugh, come on, man. Look at your girl over there.” He gestures toward Myla. “She’s having a hell of a good time. Go join her. Show her that you’re not some morose platypus over here, just counting down the minutes until you leave Napa.”
“Platypus?” I ask.
He thins his lips and makes them look like a platypus bill. “A platypus.”
“Oddly, that does resemble a platypus,” Banner says with a smirk.
“Shut the fuck up. I don’t look like that.”
Penn nods. “Yeah, you do. I smelled platypus pout from a mile away. Now knock it off and go dance with your girl. For fuck’s sake.” Penn pushes me toward her, and I have no choice but to walk up to Myla and interrupt her conversation with Kelsey and Lottie.
“Hey, babe,” I say as I hold my hand out. “Care to dance?”
She looks over her shoulder and smirks. “Took you long enough to ask.” She slips her hand in mine, and I pull her out onto the dance floor under the bulb string lights. A cover band plays a slow version ofWicked Game. I place my hand on her bare back and pull her in close before I start moving.
With my lips right next to her ear, I whisper, “Everyone who isn’t staring at the bride is staring at you.”
Her free hand roams up to the back of my neck. “I only care about one set of eyes staring at me.”
Her gaze meets mine as we slowly move across the dance floor. “I can’t seem to take my eyes off you, Myla. You’re stunning.”
“Thank you,” she says. “I don’t know if I mentioned this, but you look really good in this suit.” Her hand toys with the collar of my jacket.
“How good?” I ask, making her chuckle.
“So good that I think it might look better on the floor of the hotel room later tonight.”
“Mmm,” I hum into her ear. “That must be really good then.”
“Very good.”
“You know”—I slide my hand a few more inches down her back so my pinky nearly touches her crack—“if we weren’t at a wedding and in front of a bunch of people, I’d do some pretty wicked things to you in this dress.”
“That’s my hope for later,” she says as she rests her head against my chest.
Our position immediately brings me back to our wedding day, when we danced beneath the setting sun, the sky lit in hues of orange, pink, and yellow.
“This reminds me of our wedding, dancing with you this close.”
