Blue Shoes #3: New Adult Erotic Romance

by Knight, JJ

  The three of us follow behind him, tottering on our high-heeled blue shoes. I’ve got the big guitar case, and I knock into a few people who are seated, but I manage to get through and up onto the stage.

  Amanda, Riley, and I take our spots. Nick takes the beat-up guitar case from my hands and then accepts the microphone from Ryanna.

  He introduces himself as one of the partners in the restaurant, but I hardly hear his words. Everything’s a blur, and the stage lights are blinding. The whole world looks different from up here on the stage.

  Ryanna comes over to hug me and wishes me luck. She gives me a lingering kiss on my cheek. “Have fun,” she says.

  Nick is having difficulty talking over the roar of the crowd. He’s trying to explain that the restaurant is forming a partnership with Morris Music, and that they’ll be hosting more live events, but the crowd doesn’t care about the future. They don’t care that Dylan’s beat-up old guitar will be in a display case on the wall next week.

  They just want to see him. Now.

  And so do I.

  Nick throws one arm in the air and yells, “Ladies and gentlemen, DYLAN WOLF!”

  The curtain moves, but nobody comes out.

  Nick repeats himself, “DYLAN WOLF!”

  The curtain moves, but still there’s no Dylan.

  The crowd starts to make unhappy, impatient noises.

  Nick begs them for a minute and turns to me. “Jess, would you go back there and check on him?”

  I nod and push my way back through the curtain.

  The tiny space behind the stage is dark compared to the lights on the other side. I take off my dark sunglasses, which helps a lot.

  There’s nobody else back here, except for Dylan. He’s standing in a casual pose, hands in his pockets.

  “What’s going on?” I ask. “This isn’t part of the plan.”

  He winks at me. “Yes, it is.”

  Suddenly, Dylan’s down on one knee before me.

  “Jess Rivera.” He holds out the engagement ring. Even in the dim light backstage, it sparkles with fire. “For a long time, I tried to ignore the cracks that were forming. I thought I could keep going, and that I didn’t need to change. But when I lost you, I finally realized my life wasn’t just about me anymore.”

  “Yes!” I say. “Yes, yes, yes.”

  He grins. “I haven’t asked you yet.”

  “Oh. I didn’t want to mess up and wait too long.”

  “You weren’t the one who messed up.” He reaches for my hand and slides the ring onto my finger. My legs are really shaking now.

  “My life is about the two of us now,” he says. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to see the light, but I get it now.” He squeezes my hand. “You are the light, and I must have had those cracks so I could let you in.”

  I stare at the ring on my finger. “Yes.”

  “I still haven’t asked.”

  “Oh.”

  “Jess Rivera, think about it for thirty seconds before you give me your answer. I’ll count down. Here it comes. Jess Rivera, will you marry me… in a castle, in Italy?”

  “Um…”

  He holds up a finger and starts counting down the thirty seconds. “Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”

  My answer is yes. I think. My head is swimming, and the crowd on the other side of the curtain is making so much noise. I look over at the curtain, and I am reminded of that moment in the hospital room, when there was only a green hospital curtain between us and the world.

  And the curtain was enough.

  We may not have the privacy of a normal couple, but we don’t need anonymity, as long as there are curtains and stolen moments together.

  I look down at the ring, which is just a ring.

  I look into Dylan’s eyes, which are more beautiful than any ring.

  He’s finishing the countdown, “Three, two, one.”

  “Yes,” I say. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Ask me a thousand times, and I’ll keep saying yes. Sometimes I might need a few minutes to think about it, but I’ll always say yes.”

  He gets to his feet and kisses me.

  He pulls away, wiping the red lipstick off his mouth with the back of his hand, and says, “Wow, you are tall in those shoes.”

  “You like them?”

  “You know I love you in blue shoes.” He nods for us to go back through the curtain. “We should get out there before they set the place on fire. Then this new Morris Music acquisition won’t be worth a dime.”

  He pulls me in for one more hug before we step through the curtain.

  “We’ll get married just outside of Rome,” he says. “There’s a castle that will be perfect.”

  “Rome?” Just saying the name of the city makes my heart ache, but I think about something Chet said, about getting back on the horse that bucked you off.

  “We’ll bring all our friends with us, and they can even join us on the honeymoon.”

  “Yes,” I say. “Let’s get married in Rome. Yes. I love you.”

  “I love you.” He hugs me one more time, then I put my dark sunglasses back on and we walk through the curtain, out to the stage.

  The whole crowd is chanting his name.

  I spot Maggie Clark, sitting with her back rigid and her eyes wide. Everything about the partnership with Morris Music is news to her, a complete surprise. She was part of the charity event planning, but that was partly to distract her while we set up the deal with her son, Nick. The look on her face is absolutely priceless.

  I can see it in her eyes that she understands the situation. We have all the evidence Clay Veritas gathered, and we could sue her for tampering with my phone and creating lies about Dylan. She did cause pain, and we can show a financial hit with Dylan’s sales. We could bankrupt her if we wanted to.

  But I feel sorry for the woman. She did all this because she was used for years by a powerful man. I can only hope that she takes this opportunity, and dedicates her life to doing good, for a change.

  I give her a wave, but she doesn’t even blink. She’s in her own world of shock.

  I take my spot in between the girls and lean over to tell first Riley, then Amanda, to check out my sparkly engagement ring.

  They both grin at me, not surprised at all.

  “We knew,” Riley says.

  Dylan has his old guitar in his hands. He takes a moment to check the tuning, driving the crowd wild. Once they’re worked into a lather, he starts playing one of his signature songs, Blue Shoes.

  The three of us shuffle in unison, his backup girls for this very special performance.

  I hiss at Amanda, “You two knew about this backstage surprise proposal?”

  She leans her head toward me. “We’ve already booked time off work. I can’t wait to see Rome.”

  Riley says, “Nan is going to love Italy. She wants to visit the local farms, of course.”

  I start laughing so hard, I lose the rhythm of our groove. The girls sandwich my hips between their hips to keep me moving on the beat.

  Dylan keeps singing, charming the crowd with every word.

  He glances over at me, giving me a special look to let me know he’s always thinking about me, even when he’s on stage and the crowd is screaming his name.

  He’s told me this before, but it isn’t until now that I believe it.

  I’m here tonight, but this isn’t any different, to his heart.

  When he’s on stage, singing about me, I’m always with him.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ROME, ITALY

  Dylan rented a castle. An actual castle. In the countryside outside Rome. I feel like a princess.

  I’d marry him anywhere, but I have to admit this place is much more beautiful than the mansion in Malibu. We’re up in the hills, far from the sea, but we’ve got an amazing view of vineyards.

  Nan and her gentleman friend arrived two days before us. She insisted she needed the extra days to get used to the time change. She swears they’re both going
to keep up with us younger folks and not miss a thing.

  Our flight to Italy was thirteen hours, but it didn’t feel as long as my first trip, because all the people we love were on the flight with us.

  My boss and friend, Chet Morris, sat next to my sister, Riley. I’m trying to hook those two up, but either they have no chemistry or they’re great at hiding it.

  Amanda brought her boyfriend, Caleb. He and I have been talking quite a bit lately, and I have a secret. I know he’s going to propose to her in Italy. I’m not telling anyone, except Dylan, of course. I tell him everything now.

  After we got engaged for the second time, he kept seeing his therapist, because he didn’t want to screw things up again. I tagged along for a few sessions, just so we could talk about couple stuff.

  The therapist is a decent guy. He’s a little odd, with his crystals, wood-paneled walls, and trickling water fountains in the therapy room, but it is L.A. People in the city like that sort of thing. Maybe it’s what we need to balance the energy of an entire city that’s so image conscious.

  The guy said Dylan never really dealt with what happened with his first wife. He felt Dylan had been suppressing his pain and rage, but that a deeper part of him wanted it brought to the surface, which was why he kept dialing up the drama in his life. Subconsciously, he was pushing for a train wreck.

  I don’t know if I believe all that stuff.

  I do know he seems happier now, and he gets happiness from more places than just his music. We take more time to see movie matinees, walk in gardens, and visit museums. The week before we flew to Italy, we visited MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

  At MOCA, Dylan lost himself in an abstract painting for at least ten minutes. The painting was mostly white, with little crunchy-looking bits. I thought he was having a deep, profound experience, but when we walked away, he said to me, “I think we need a new dishwasher. I keep finding food on the clean plates.”

  I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard. Dylan can be dark and moody at times, but he can also give Amanda a run for her money in the jokes department.

  I can’t wait to be married, and to proudly call him my husband.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The morning of our wedding day could not be more amazing. The sun is bright, and flowers are blooming everywhere.

  Tonight, we’ll eat and dance inside the castle’s ballroom. The dinner is being catered by a local family-owned restaurant, and there will be plenty of Italian wine, of course.

  For the ceremony, chairs are lined up in the castle’s courtyard. Rose petals mark the aisle and the circle where Dylan and I will stand.

  I’m nervous, but I think our special vows will be good luck. Clay Verity gave us a copy of the vows he and his wife wrote for their wedding. We decided that since the two of them have been happily married for so long, we’re going to borrow their words today for our “something borrowed.”

  Our “something blue” is my old blue shoes—the ones from Dylan’s song, not the crazy heels. They’re not so pretty anymore, but they’re hidden by my beautiful dress, which is new.

  Riley spotted my stolen wedding dress for sale on the internet, and Dylan wanted to buy it for me, but I told him I had a better idea.

  As soon as we arrived in Rome, we went straight to the little wedding boutique I saw on my first visit, and I picked out their most beautiful gown.

  Time is flying past me in a blur. The ceremony is about to start any minute.

  Amanda and Riley fuss with my hair and makeup. They act like I’m going in front of a thousand people to accept an Oscar.

  “It’s just us,” I say.

  “It’s your wedding,” Riley says.

  “Your real, secret wedding,” Amanda points out. We all laugh. No one has seen any paparazzi, and even if they did sniff around, Dylan made sure to book everything under fake names.

  “I don’t care what I look like,” I say. “I’m just happy we’re all here.”

  “Princess Jessica,” Amanda teases.

  I look down at myself in the gown. The tight bodice is covered in shimmering beads. The shape forms a heart around my chest, with the point at my navel, making my waist look tiny. The skirt flows out from the hips, long at the back and with a slit up the front. The skirt is covered in tiny feathery material that layers softly. It’s glamorous and unique and stunning.

  When Nan sees me downstairs, she tears up.

  I hug her and beg her to not make me into more of a nervous wreck. “Riley and Amanda spent ages on my makeup. They’ll kill me if I mess it up now.”

  She squeezes me tight. “The most beautiful thing you’re wearing today is your smile.”

  Her words wrap around me with love. I have to tear myself from her arms before she does make me cry.

  The music starts to play, just outside the doors leading to the courtyard. I hear Chet getting everyone to take their seats.

  Nan curls her arm into mine.

  “Is he the man of your dreams, Jess?”

  I nod. “Yes, Nan. He is.”

  “Good. I thought so. But you know, if he gives you any trouble after this, you just tell me. I’ll fly over to L.A. in a heartbeat.”

  I laugh, then kiss her on the forehead. “You could just come and live by us. Then you could talk to him whenever you like.”

  Nan smiles. “I do like the sunshine.”

  The wedding march plays.

  It’s happening.

  Nan tugs me, and I stumble into my walk down the aisle. My insides are full of butterflies. Dylan’s standing next to Chet, plus Amanda’s boyfriend Caleb, and some older friends of Dylan’s. One of the guys is a tough MMA fighter, but he looks refined in his tuxedo, like James Bond.

  All the guys are staring at me like they’ve never seen me before. I guess they’ve never seen this tomboy in a dress like this.

  Dylan’s chest rises and falls with each heavy breath.

  This is it. This is really it. After everything we’ve been through, Dylan and I are finally getting married.

  Dylan lets out a low whistle when I get to him.

  “Bellissima,” he says.

  The world swirls, a wild twirl of color and light. People are talking, but their words mix with the chirping birds in the trees around us.

  We stare at each other as we say our vows, but I barely hear any of it. I feel like we’re both floating, our feet not even touching the ground.

  “I do. I absolutely do,” Dylan says, his voice rich with his trademark grit.

  I say some words. I must have said the right ones, because Dylan leans forward and kisses me.

  I can barely feel my own lips, let alone his. I drop my bouquet so I can wrap my arms around his shoulders and kiss him harder.

  Our friends and family cheer and clap. A few people whistle, and finally, Dylan’s friend pulls us apart.

  “Same some for later,” he tells us.

  The wicked grin on Dylan’s lips tells me he has plenty saved up for later. We’ve slept in separate rooms for the last week, and there will be fireworks tonight.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I can’t stop smiling throughout dinner and it’s not just because of the wine and great food. Amanda and Riley make speeches that are mostly giggling. Throughout everything, Dylan never lets me go. He has my hand in his the whole time, like I’m a part of him now.

  Before our tiramisu dessert, Amanda’s boyfriend Caleb takes the microphone. He’s so nervous about proposing, I can’t even watch.

  Caleb starts his surprise proposal with a few kind words about me and Dylan, then stalls. He starts telling bad jokes about rock bands and drummers.

  Dylan squeezes my hand under the table. “Poor guy,” he says. “This is why I didn’t propose to you in front of a huge crowd.”

  “Hah! As if you’d ever get nervous in front of an audience.”

  “Playing music is different. It’s a performance. When I’m with you, that’s real.”

  I lean forward and kiss him. �
�I love you so much,” I whisper.

  “I love you with everything and more,” he says.

  Over by the podium, Caleb finally stops telling jokes and walks across the ballroom, to where Amanda is sitting at the long family table.

  He clicks off the microphone sets it on the floor as he lowers himself to one knee.

  Now we can’t hear a word he’s saying, but I can see it on Amanda’s face.

  When he’s done proposing, she screams, “YES!” and throws herself into his arms hard enough to topple them both over.

  Everyone goes wild, including the staff at the castle.

  Chapter Twenty

  After dessert, Chet takes the seat next to us and thanks us for inviting him.

  Dylan says, “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, man. Are we good?”

  “We’re good,” Chet says. He doesn’t acknowledge how Dylan once accused us of having an affair, but moves right into official Morris business. “We’re better than good. The publicity from the new restaurant partnership is working like a dream. Instead of giving that publicity cash away to bars, we’re getting a share back again. We’re launching the album with the budget it deserves.”

  I smile at Dylan. “We’ve got some marketing surprises planned, too. You’ll see.”

  Chet grins and pats the cell phone in his pocket. “Speaking of surprises, Dylan’s going to have some competition soon. I just got a call. We found her. The angel-voiced woman of my dreams.”

  He looks lovestruck.

  I tease him, “What’s going on, Chet? Are you going to sign this girl to the label, or propose to her?”

  Chet gets a mischievous grin, and his cheeks redden. This woman must be incredible if she’s making him blush.

  “You love her,” I say, still teasing. “I can’t believe it. Chet Morris finally found a girl who makes him speechless.”

  Dylan says, “Congratulations, man. If she’s the one, don’t let her get away.”

  I’m so happy for Chet, I grab him in a hug. “We can come back here to this castle for your wedding.”