The Moonlight Wedding

by Lucy Kevin

  A short while later, he brought her into a dressing room where the four members of the band were drinking beer, looking like they’d just run a marathon. After the incredibly energetic show they’d put on, she understood why.

  At first glance, they looked like members of a biker gang, with extravagant beards, leather pants, long hair, tattoos, and piercings. But from the grins on their faces when they spotted Lucas, she could tell immediately that they were all really nice guys.

  “Lucas!” The lead singer pushed up from his seat. “I thought I spotted you in the crowd.”

  “I wasn’t going to miss it. And I wanted to bring my friend to see you play.” She was touched that he already considered her a friend. “Meg, this is Brian, Saul, Ken, and Jon. Guys, this is Meg.”

  The band made room for her on the couch, and someone got her a glass of wine. “What did you think of the show?” Brian asked.

  “It was amazing. There was so much energy.” Even now, she could feel the music pulsing through her. “I’m so glad Lucas brought me.”

  “We’re working on a video together,” he explained. Clearly, he trusted these guys not to leak the details of his top-secret shoot. “Tonight was part of our research.”

  “Are you a producer?” Saul asked Meg.

  “Actually, I work at Married in Malibu. I usually design weddings instead of music videos.”

  Ken’s eyebrows went up. “I’ve read about that place in celebrity magazines. It sounds pretty ritzy.”

  “Since when do you read celebrity magazines?” Lucas asked Ken, laughing.

  “Since when do you read?” Jon joked, as the men fell into good-natured teasing.

  In the world in which Meg had grown up, everyone acted polite on the surface, but could turn cruel at the drop of a hat. Whereas here, it was clear that these men would be there for each other when it really mattered, no matter what.

  “We’re heading on to a party,” Brian told them. “Why don’t the two of you join us?”

  Meg was torn. She was tempted to say yes. But she was already so full of sensation, so much sound and color. What she really wanted to do was go home and let it all soak in.

  Lucas seemed to sense that, because he shook his head. “We’ll take a rain check this time, guys. Great show.”

  On the way out to Lucas’s car, several fans stopped him to ask for autographs and photos. But she didn’t mind in the least. His music made their lives better—and they wanted him to know how happy he made them.

  Once they hit the road and she realized he was taking her back to Married in Malibu, instead of to her house, she asked, “Would you mind dropping me back at my place? My car’s fine where it is for the night.”

  She rarely invited visitors to her house. A tenth the size of her mother’s, Meg’s home was her sanctuary. But now that Lucas had shown her part of his world tonight, she found she wanted to show him a little bit of hers, even if he only stayed long enough to see her front garden.

  “Your friends were really nice,” she said with a smile.

  “So are yours over at Married in Malibu. They seem like a great crew.”

  “I’m lucky to have met them all.”

  She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like without them. On second thought, she could imagine it all too clearly. Without her friends at Married in Malibu, she knew her life would be nothing more than the usual grind of galas and charity events, using her talents in whatever limited way her mother told her to.

  “Actually, I think your friends are lucky to have met you,” Lucas said, turning to meet her gaze. “I know I feel lucky.”

  She was blushing profusely as he pulled up in front of her home. As he walked her to her front door, she noticed nearly all the lights were off in her neighbors’ homes.

  “I didn’t realize how late it is.” She was still buzzing after the concert, wide awake even though she would normally have been asleep by now. “Is this what people always feel after seeing a great show?”

  “If you mean feeling invincible, like I could do anything, like I don’t ever want this moment to end?” He held her gaze. “Yes, that’s exactly how I feel tonight.”

  With his gorgeous face lit by the nearly full moon above them, Meg couldn’t lie to herself any longer. It wasn’t just the great concert that made her feel like she could dance all night long.

  It was Lucas.

  “I had a really great time with you, Meg.” His voice was deep and warm. “Thank you for coming with me. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the show nearly as much without you.”

  She was on the verge of telling him that tonight had been, hands down, the best night of her life. But before she could, he leaned in, and for a moment—just a moment—she dared to dream that she might feel his lips pressing against hers.

  Of course, she knew she needed to be cautious and that she couldn’t make the mistake of falling in love with him when she was simply supposed to be his video designer. But the truth was that if Lucas kissed her now, she didn’t think she would have enough self-control to push him away…or to keep from relishing every second of his kiss.

  In the end, his lips only brushed her cheek.

  Even that was enough to stay with her, long after he’d said good night and driven away.

  Chapter Six

  With her car still at Married in Malibu, Meg thought about taking an Uber to work the next morning. But Lucas had said he and his friends used to take the bus to explore different areas when they were teenagers. She wasn’t sure how she’d gone this many years without taking a bus, but she was determined to rectify that situation immediately.

  Not only did the bus turn out to be great for people-watching, but the route traversed some interesting-looking areas that she’d never been in before. One day soon, she would go back and spend more time exploring.

  A text came in from her mother when Meg was still a few miles out from work.

  Everyone liked the ideas I presented last night. Call me so that we can discuss the detailed plan for when you run the event. I need you to have everything ready for dinner the day after tomorrow.

  As usual, her mother had assumed Meg was free for dinner, regardless of the night of the week. What’s more, she’d also assumed that her daughter would happily set up and run the charity event. And why wouldn’t she, when Meg had always done exactly that?

  Today, however, instead of getting right back to her mother, Meg made a mental note to call her later as she pulled out her notebook to jot down an idea the local scenery had just given her for one of Lucas’s film sets. For the rest of the ride, the message on her phone was forgotten as she continued to sketch ideas, wanting to capture the excitement of last night’s show before she lost hold of the feeling. The only problem was, once she put some thoughts down on paper, they didn’t look quite right. She felt as though she was circling the right ideas, but not quite getting to the heart of them.

  When Meg arrived at Married in Malibu, Kate was trimming back roses while chatting with Jenn, who must be taking a break from the kitchen for a few minutes. Her friends clearly took great joy in their jobs, despite the seemingly endless work of nurturing the large garden throughout each season—and coming up with brilliant new cake flavors and designs—for every wedding.

  Meg walked over to say hello. “Good morning.”

  “You look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning,” Jenn noted. “I hope that means everything is going well with Lucas’s video?”

  Meg tried to fight back a blush, but it was difficult when she couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of his lips on her cheek last night—and the way he’d said, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the show nearly as much without you.

  “It’s going great, thanks. Although—” Normally, she wouldn’t have dared admit to anything less than perfect control over every detail. Yet she could tell Jenn and Kate the truth, couldn’t she? After all, they were her friends. “I’m having a little trouble translating my ideas into concrete designs.”

  “I
totally get that,” Kate said. “Sometimes when I’m putting displays together, it takes hours staring at the plants before I finally get it right.”

  “It’s the same for me in the kitchen,” Jenn agreed. “Sometimes it’s not until I’ve baked a cake a dozen times that I finally get the look and taste just right.”

  Kate reached out to touch Meg’s arm. “I wish the rest of us could do more to take the pressure off you. Maybe if the three of us take a few minutes to go through the details for the wedding as a team, that might help crystallize your ideas for the video as a whole?”

  Meg hesitated for a moment. She was used to working alone. But then, she’d never had friends who were not only experts in their fields—but who would also never think of shooting down her ideas in order to prop up their own.

  Yet again, it struck her how different working at Married in Malibu was from helping out with her mother’s many causes. At the upper echelons of society, everything was about status, about proving why you deserved the most praise, the most accolades. Whereas here, Meg’s friends genuinely cared about seeing her succeed.

  “It needs to be a rock ’n’ roll wedding,” Meg said, “but I don’t know exactly how to get that across, apart from using a few big, bold colors.” She thought about the colors Lucas seemed to favor. “Blues. Different shades of charcoal, with an occasional hint of purple.”

  “I can make a contemporary, angular, multitiered cake for maximum impact,” Jenn offered.

  “And I can combine striking blue and purple flowers to echo the theme of Jenn’s cake.”

  “A classic white dress would really stand out as a contrast, wouldn’t it?” When both women nodded, Meg said, “I really like everything you’ve both suggested. Of course, I’ll have to run all of this by Lucas.”

  “I haven’t seen a client yet who’s gone against your recommendations,” Kate noted. “They know when they’re in the hands of an expert.”

  “Speaking of expert hands,” Jenn said, “what’s Lucas Crosby really like?”

  Kate teasingly elbowed Jenn in the ribs. “Does Daniel know you have a crush?”

  “It’s not a crush,” their star baker said, though her cheeks had gone slightly pink. “I’ve just been a fan for a while and can’t help but wonder if he’s as great as he seems.”

  Meg had never sat with a group of girlfriends and talked about a guy before. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure she knew where to start. “He is great,” she finally said.

  “You’ve got to give us more than that!” Jenn urged.

  “Well…he took me to a rock concert last night. It was amazing.”

  “Sounds like Jenn isn’t the only one with a crush,” Kate murmured.

  Meg shook her head. “I… He…”

  “I shouldn’t be teasing you,” Kate said. “It’s just that he’s so famous and so good-looking.”

  “Kate’s right. You know how much I love Daniel, but even I was a little bit nervous meeting Lucas two days ago.”

  Had it been only two days? Meg could hardly imagine a time when Lucas hadn’t been in her life.

  “I was really nervous at first,” she admitted. “And awkward. But he’s so nice. And kind. And open and honest too.”

  Kate didn’t look at all surprised. “The famous people coming to get married here are still ordinary underneath, aren’t they?”

  But Meg had a hard time thinking of Lucas as ordinary.

  How could she, when he was extraordinary in every sense that mattered?

  “Just remember,” Kate added, “if you need our help again, we’re here for you.”

  “Thanks, but—”

  “But nothing,” Jenn said. “You’re one of us. Part of our posse.”

  “Don’t forget that all of us want to help you however we can,” Kate added. “You’re not in this alone, Meg.”

  Meg’s heart had felt fit to burst from the excitement of last night. Already this morning, it was overflowing again.

  All her life, she’d felt like she was balancing on a high wire with no one waiting to catch her if she fell. Now, she had a group of friends who would not only catch her—they would make sure she didn’t have to get up on the high wire in the first place.

  Impulsively, she reached out to hug both women. And when they hugged her back, it was one of the nicest feelings in the world.

  * * *

  Lucas found Meg sitting beneath an oak tree, sketching in a notebook. She looked up with a smile when he called her name.

  “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve had so many ideas since last night!” She handed him the notebook. “Here’s how I’m thinking we could set up the wedding scene.”

  Her sketch combined rock ’n’ roll with classic elegance, and Lucas knew in his gut that it would be perfect.

  “As I hope you can see from what I’ve drawn, I’d like to give the hall the feel of a chapel. That way, when we shoot you waiting for your bride—”

  “I wouldn’t wait for her at the altar,” Lucas interrupted. “I wouldn’t be able to keep from breaking away from my best man to meet her halfway up the aisle.”

  Meg smiled. “You’re right. And I think you’d reach for her hands, knowing this was the moment you’d been waiting for your whole life.”

  Lucas instinctively wrapped his hand around hers. He could feel the softness of her skin, so different from the calluses that years of playing guitar had given him. This close, he could also smell the sweet scent of her perfume.

  “I’d walk beside her to the altar,” he said softly.

  “And then we could show you saying your vows while your song is playing,” Meg said. “I know your lyrics to ‘Perfect Moments’ are everything I would want someone to say to me on my wedding day.”

  It always meant a great deal to him to know that one of his songs moved someone enough for them to play it during a special occasion, or that his lyrics had helped them to get through a hard time in their life. Yet, Meg saying that his lyrics would be her idea of perfect wedding vows made him speechless.

  “And then after you exchange rings,” she continued, “you’ll walk out of the church together—”

  “Wait. You’ve missed something.” With their hands still linked, he couldn’t stop himself from drawing her closer. “We need to show the first kiss as husband and wife.”

  “You’re right.” She was flushing lightly. “And when you kiss each other, everything else around you should fade away.”

  “That’s perfect, Meg. Although, there’s still something we need to figure out—what kind of kiss should it be?”

  “What do you mean, what kind of kiss?” Her cheeks had flushed a deeper rose by now, but she hadn’t let go of his hands.

  “Should it be soft and gentle? Should I brush my fingers over her cheek and take the time to drink in her scent before my lips feather against hers?”

  As Lucas spoke, instead of some actress that they still needed to cast, it was Meg’s lips he imagined tasting, Meg’s hair he wanted to run his fingers through.

  “Should I take my time exploring that first kiss, because I know I’ll have the rest of my life to share with her? Or should all the moments we’ve spent together have built up until I can’t hold back any longer from giving her a passionate forever kiss?”

  Chapter Seven

  All Lucas had done was describe the kiss, but Meg could practically taste his lips against hers. And when he switched to the possibility of the more passionate kiss, it was all she could do to keep from gasping in anticipation of it.

  She wanted to kiss him so much it hurt—just like every other groupie who had ever thrown herself at him.

  Thankfully, his phone rang before she could make that critical mistake.

  “Sorry,” he said as he drew his hands from hers to answer the call. “That’s the ring tone for my sound engineer. I have to get this in case there’s a problem with mastering the final track.” After a short conversation, he put the phone back into his pocket. “Just like I thought, there’s a pr
oblem at the recording studio that I’ve got to sort out.”

  “Nothing serious, I hope?”

  “It’s nothing unexpected at this stage in the game. I just hate having to leave when our ideas are falling into place.”

  “Actually, now that we’ve figured out the basics for the wedding, I can start getting everything ready while you’re gone. Would that be okay with you?”

  “Whatever you do, Meg, you have my complete trust. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  For a moment, she thought he might give her another kiss on the cheek, just as he had the night before. In the end, however, he headed off to his car with only a wave.

  She should have gone inside immediately to put their ideas into practice. But her mind was still cluttered with echoes of the sweet, then passionate, kisses he had described.

  Kisses she’d be dreaming of from now on…

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Liz asked when she found Meg standing in the middle of the rose garden.

  “I like Lucas.” Meg couldn’t believe she’d just said that out loud. Especially to her boss. She half expected the earth to crack open and swallow her up. Either that or she’d be fired on the spot.

  “I can see why,” Liz replied. “He seems like a really nice guy.”

  “No, I mean I like him.”

  Liz grinned. “I knew what you meant the first time.”

  “But I’m not supposed to fall for him!”

  Liz cocked her head. “Why not?”

  “He’s a client.”

  Instead of agreeing, her boss shrugged. “He’s not here to marry someone. And he’s not seeing anyone, is he?”

  “I don’t think so. But he has women falling for him left, right, and center. Trust me, I’ve seen the way people react to him everywhere we go. He doesn’t need me falling for him too, especially when I’m supposed to be focusing my energy on his video.”

  “First of all, it sounds like you’re doing fantastic work for his video so far. And second, what makes you think he’s not falling for you right back?”

  “You can’t be serious. He’s a rock star. And I’m…” Meg held out her arms, gesturing to herself. “Well, I’m just me.”