Unzipped
Page 22
Arden laughs. “Yes, I suppose that’s what it would be.”
“And who is this somebody?”
“My good friend Gabe. We talk about everything, so I think he’ll be willing, but the most important part is that I figured out a way that we can do this to preserve our friendship. They’re going to be unconventional lessons.”
“What makes them so unconventional?”
She lowers her voice another notch. “They’re going to be hypothetical.”
That piques my interest even more. “That’s intriguing. How will you manage that? Is it like a workshop? A class?”
Laughing, she answers, “Sort of. But it sounds like the perfect way to preserve a friendship while still learning all the things I want to learn about the opposite sex, right? Sure, Gabe is gorgeous and sexy and fun, and we’re great friends, but I don’t see why it should be a problem at all to have hypothetical, hands-off lessons.”
I don’t tell her that sounds like she’ll be facing all sorts of temptations. I’ll let her figure that out for herself. “I can’t wait to hear how it turns out.”
That night, after I greet Tom at the door, there’s nothing hypothetical about what we do on the couch, on the kitchen counter, and later, much later, after an evening of delicious conversation, discussions about dogs, and lots of laughter . . . in my bed.
Epilogue
Tom
One Year Later
We’re in Singapore. It’s opening day for my client, the billionaire real estate investor who bought a theme park and commissioned a new roller coaster, The Big Fall.
I introduce Finley to Keith at the ribbon cutting.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the polished and poised Keith says to her, kissing the top of her hand.
“And you, as well.”
“Mr. Sutcliffe talks about you so much, and it is an honor to meet the woman who has captured his heart. I hope you enjoy your first ride on the roller coaster.”
“I know we will,” she says.
After a photo shoot before the ride, it’s our turn to get in line. “This time we don’t have to ride it like civilians,” she says.
We’re at the head of the line, and I take her hand. The last year with her has been a whirlwind. We did the drive-back-and-forth thing for about a month between her town and San Francisco. We both have flexible jobs, so I moved to Hope Falls, and we bought a bigger home.
It’s right off Main Street, and near her dad too—who, for the record, is one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met. I like living here. It’s close to Lucky Falls, so we pop over there often, where Finley visits her favorite bookstore to see her friend Arden, and I get to hang out with Gabe. It seems Arden has something going on with my cousin. Finley likes to whisper ideas and possibilities about what’s up between them, speculating on whether they are dating or not. I have a hunch she’s using them for inspiration for another show.
But that’s a story for another time.
I also like living in Hope Falls, because I can see Nash at his nearby restaurant and give him hell for everything and anything. Plus, I have plenty of time and space to do my work. Much of it takes me on the road, but when I come home, I come home to Finley.
That is, when she’s in town.
Her show has taken off. Turned out, all she needed was a company that believed in her, and she found that in Netflix. It’s been a huge hit and was recently nominated for an Emmy for Best Comedy Series.
Mars and Venus is pretty fucking funny, if I do say so myself, especially that episode when they take off on the road trip. But I’d change a few things. After all, Amanda and Lane still aren’t together. I guess it’s true that romantic tension sells. The longer they stay apart, the more the audience wants them to fall into each other’s arms.
In fact, the audience likes it so much that Netflix signed her to write another show.
I couldn’t be prouder of her, and she couldn’t be happier. The woman lives and loves to tell jokes and to make audiences feel all the things.
But today isn’t the time for jokes. It’s our turn to ride one of the badass-est of badass coasters I’ve designed.
Finley and I take our seats, and the shoulder bars secure us in place.
The car chugs out of the station, the clanking begins, and she smiles at me. A few seconds later, we drop, and it’s a hell of a fall. A stomach-in-your-throat, blood-curdling spill that turns into a wild loop the loop.
It’s terrifying and thrilling at the same time.
Sort of like falling in love.
When the ride rolls into the station two minutes later, she’s breathing hard and smiling as wide as the sky.
“Did you like it?”
“I loved it.”
“Did I ever tell you the best part of the ride?’
She shakes her head. “No, tell me.”
“Keith didn’t know what to call it, so he let me name it.”
“You named it? That’s amazing.”
“I named it for you,” I add as Keith walks past the car as it slows, tucking something important into my hand, as we planned.
“You did?”
“You once said it would be a good idea to name a roller coaster after the woman you love. I picked the Big Fall because that’s how I feel about you and about us.”
The nerves dissipate as I reach for her hand once the car stops fully and the shoulder straps rise. I’m not worried. I’m only hopeful as I turn to her. “That’s how I’ll always feel about you. I love you more than a boom box outside a window, more than a man loves a mermaid, and more than I ever thought I would love anyone. Will you marry me?”
I open the box, showing her a bright, shining solitaire.
She clasps her hand to her mouth, crying and nodding. Twisting in the roller-coaster seat, she throws her arms around my neck. “Yes. I will marry you, and can we go bungee jumping too?”
“I dare you to,” I whisper.
“And I accept.”
THE END
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