I hear a “whoop-whoop” noise emanating from the general vicinity of Max, and a tiny part of me laughs silently. Then my gaze falls to the rest of the crowd. Most of them are grinning from ear to ear. Georgie is practically swooning, Stella has reached spitting-feathers level on the pissed-off scale, and Jadine looks like death warmed up.
Ethan places the mic on the stand and walks down the few steps leading from the stage to the dance floor. He comes towards me, and his smile is so beautiful that it takes everything I have in me to stop myself running up to him and snogging his face off. Whilst dry-humping his leg.
I manage to smile at him. I hope that’s enough. I’m too terrified to think straight.
“I’ve been rehearsing this for that last half-hour, but I think my brain just stopped working.” He leans over to the table and takes a black plastic drinking straw out of a discarded cocktail glass. “I wasn’t prepared . . . I didn’t know I would . . .”
He’s rambling. I don’t know what he’s talking about, but I decide to help him out. “Maybe we should go talk somewhere a bit more private?”
I sense Freja drifting into the crowd and I immediately want her back. Ethan is preoccupied with bending the straw between his fingers, and I don’t have a clue what to do or say because I don’t know what he’s thinking.
All of a sudden, he stops playing with the straw and falls dead still. The look on his face makes a colony of fluttering butterflies take flight in my uterus. Be still, my galloping lady-bits.
“Will you marry me?”
“What the fuck?”
He grabs my hand and shoves the stupid, sticky straw around my finger. A half-splutter, half-laugh tumbles out of my throat.
“I would have bought a ring if I knew I was going to do this, and I’m sorry . . . God, I can’t even propose right, can I? I should be on one knee or something, shouldn’t I? I could have done this in Santorini, or in Paris, or I could have taken you somewhere romantic with violins and red roses – the whole shebang. I’m sorry for being a shit boyfriend. I didn’t plan this, but tonight I realised you own me and I’m always going to feel this way about you. I want to marry you . . . I mean, you can say no, or tell me I’m an idiot, or tell me to go—”
“Yes.” My voice is shaky and the word is almost a whisper, but there’s no doubt in my mind.
His eyes light up. “You said yes?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, you’ll marry me?”
“Yes.” Jeez, how many times do I have to say it?
“You’re sure?” he asks breathily.
“Yes, but if you make me say yes again, I reserve the right to change my mind.” I feel a huge silly grin spread over my face.
“No, you don’t have to say yes again. I got you.”
“Good. Then I’ll marry you – as long as I don’t have to keep on wearing the straw.”
He takes both of my hands in his, and my heart beats so fast I think it might explode and kill me. “You don’t have to wear the straw, but I should warn you that I have to kiss you now – in front of all these people.”
I glance around the room, wondering how this is going to be received. Max is sobbing on Georgie’s shoulder. Freja is holding back her tears. Stella still looks pissed off, but everyone else seems to be in a state of happy shock. I reckon that’ll do, so I take a deep, shaky breath, wrap my arms around his neck and let his wonderful kiss send currents of fizzing, trembling shivers through my body. I knot my fists in his shirt and pull him closer, but then I remember where I am. I stop kissing him and we share a smile instead.
And I think this could be the moment when my life changes forever. Goodbye, hopelessly complicated. Hello, happy ever after.
Oh, who am I kidding?
I’m sure the rest of my life will be filled with plenty of things to fuck up. But, from now on, we’ll fuck them up together.
THE END
A WORD FROM GUNTHER
(Max’s cat).
If you enjoyed this book, then purr-lease would you consider leaving a positive review on Amazon?
Reviews help other readers find Elizabeth’s stories and open up different ways of marketing to all the millions of humans out there who will love her books.
She says I (or rather my idiot owner) might get my own story if I can purr-suade you. I personally don’t know how this will work. Max is a liability. He still hasn’t realised that I’m the one who steals the serrano ham out of the fridge. I’ve been doing it for seven years! Seven!
Mee-ow
Enjoy the first book in the Agency Series
Just Friends – available now as an ebook or paperback.
How it all began . . . a short story from Ethan’s POV. From mid 2018, this book will be free from all major digital outlets.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Everyone wants to know Freja’s story, right?
What happens when the one who got away comes back? Find out late 2018.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Tribe is based on several real life advertising agencies. Here’s a quick reference guide to help you figure out the organisation of the company:
SENIOR PARTNERS
Stella JuddPartner & CEO
Arthur LovettPartner & Chairman
Lucas BartlePartner & MD
Dylan BestPartner (CEO of BEST Inc.)
Kenneth IvesPartner (CEO of Helios Travel)
Saul BrownPartner (silent)
JUNIOR PARTNERS
Daniel NobleManaging Partner (Clients)
Ethan FraserManaging Partner (Creative)
Karen MarkManaging Partner (Corporate)
CREATIVE DEPARTMENT
Violet ArcherCreative Director
Harry HopkinsDigital Creative Director
Will ThorntonArt Director
Neil DawsonArt Director
Tom VanceArt Director
Pinkie PinkertonCopywriter
Bianca MorettiCopywriter
Ruby SloanCopywriter
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
Freja LarsenFilm Production Director
Jadine ClarkFilm Producer
Stevo SimmsFilm Producer
Georgie RavencroftStudio Manager
Max WolfGraphic Designer (Senior)
Cosmo HinesGraphic Designer
Penny PiperGraphic Designer
CLIENT ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Phillip LovettChief Account Officer
Tamara LockwoodSenior Account Manager
ADMINISTRATIVE
Gabriel DiazExecutive Assistant
Lucille MonroeExecutive Assistant
Priyanka SharmaReceptionist
Amy StefanidisReceptionist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Grey spent a sizable chunk of her childhood in North East England locked away in her bedroom creating characters and writing stories. Isn’t that how all writers start?
Following a five year university education that combined such wide-ranging subjects as fine art, administration, law, economics, graphic design and French, Elizabeth entered the business world as a marketing assistant before moving into operations management.
Marrying Chris in 2007, Elizabeth now has three young children and runs a small, seasonal business selling imported European children’s toys and goods. She is active in local politics and campaigns tirelessly to improve the UK’s education system.
During her time as a stay-at-home mum, Elizabeth rekindled her love of writing and thinks herself lucky every day that she is now able to write full time.
When not working, Elizabeth finds herself immersed in her kids’ hobbies and has acquired an impressive knowledge of Harry Potter (thanks to the big boy), Star Wars (thanks to the little boy) and Barbie (thanks to her daughter). She loves European road-trips, binge-watching Netflix series and doing whatever she can to fight for a better world.
She’s been told she never loses an argument.
Elizabeth’s top quotes:
“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before y
ou begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” – Harper Lee
“In this life, people will love you and people will hate you and none of that will have anything to do with you.” – Abraham Hicks
“Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss
“I am no bird and no net ensnares me. I am a free human being with an independent will.” – Charlotte Bronte
“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa M. Alcott
It's Complicated (The Agency Book 2) Page 29
