I finished working on my last client for the night and closed up my little tent so I could watch the parade.
Music was on full blast, and the cars and floats started coming down the road.
It was fun to see everyone dancing and having a blast. My favorite float was the Lucille Ball one. They were all dressed in different Lucy outfits and acting out her personality. It was hilarious to watch. Confetti was floating in the sky from the two men on a wedding cake float that passed before, and it gave the whole festival a magical feeling, like anything could happen tonight.
All of a sudden, the whole strip of Duvall Street went black.
I looked around, and everyone was just as surprised as I was.
Only the floats were lit up, except the one in front of my section of the street. It was dark, and there were murmurs about something happening. Maybe too much partying had finally happened in Key West.
Then a voice came through a speaker.
Singing the beginning words to “Can’t Take My Eyes off You.”
“You’re just too good to be true.”
A male voice.
Then a spotlight from one of the balconies hit the dark float, showing the singer by himself, standing in full Superman body paint with jet black hair.
Joel.
“Oh my God.” My eyes widened and then the crowd jumped with me, as the whole strip lit up and a marching band that came out of nowhere began playing the song on their instruments.
My face was red as he danced and sang straight to me. The crowd noticed who he was pointing to and parted like the Red Sea so he could serenade me with his merry band.
This was so embarrassing.
And sweet.
And dammit, he didn’t give up on me.
Tears started to coat my sight, and I laughed at his theatrics.
If there was one thing Joel could do better than anyone, it was put on a show, and humiliate himself for all to see.
But he was doing it for me.
He jumped down each step when the cymbals banged together and then walked over to me, singing his heart out. He wasn’t the best singer in the world, but I didn’t care.
He took the scene straight from 10 Things I Hate About You, and if Kat Stratford the man-hater could give Heath Ledger’s character a chance after this performance, then I could take another chance on love with Joel.
He stood in front of me and rang out the final word, holding his arms out for me to accept him.
I didn’t just do that—I jumped straight onto him, wrapping my legs around his waist, kissing him for every day I missed him, wasting so much time being scared.
“I love you, crazy man,” I told him and ignored the crowd as they celebrated the hero getting his girl.
With me in his arms, he carried me back to his ’90s themed float and set me in a chair.
“I’m never giving up, Lips, and I want you for worse or for better. I want you forever and ever.” He got down on one knee and pulled out a ring from a little pouch from his briefs.
“I’m not touching that thing if it’s been hanging out with your sweaty balls,” I teased, but held my hand out. Of course, I’d marry this man.
He slid the big diamond solitaire on my finger, with an even bigger smile on his face.
I reached over and pulled him in with my newly blinged-out finger and pressed my smile to his.
Music started playing over the speakers of his float, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“The girl told me how to get the girl; I figured it was our end of the story credits song.”
My crazy man.
We kissed and celebrated our love to the tune of a Taylor Swift song.
Epilogue
Two months later
Joel
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Jenson asked, looking scared at what we were about to do.
“It’s easy. You were the mastermind of this mission. You ready, kid?” I put my hand over his shoulder to help calm his nerves. I remember jumping out of an airplane for the first time.
“Okay, let’s go.” I looked behind him at my best man, and he gave me the nod. Jenson was riding tandem with Killian for the flight down. Both of us were very experienced with sky diving, certificates and all. Whether wrong of not, I used my movie star status and an extra tip to waiver the minor form for Jenson.
We both jumped and then we were flying through the sky as our dramatic entrance to our big day. As we soared through the sky, I thought about what Alessandra was going to look like down there as my bride.
Jenson wanted an action wedding, and we didn’t give a shit how we got married, so we let him plan it.
The men were skydiving out of a plane as our entrance, and Alessandra would be driven in by my T-REX three wheeler by her father.
Then we would be married by Lucas, since Jenson thought he was cool. That was all he wanted, but I had a few other plans to make it a special day for all of us. One in particular I thought was going to knock my bride’s garters off.
The ground was coming in quick, and we released our parachutes with perfect timing. The crowd below us was small, mostly our close friends and family. My siblings and their little stinkers were waving at us as we came to a halt on the group by Lucas.
Perfect.
I looked at Killian and held my hand out for a high-five to him and then Jenson. We nailed it. Everyone cheered and then I heard tires burning rubber behind the crowd.
I guess Alessandra’s dad decided to have some fun with the three-wheeler before dropping her off. Or he was trying to make her entrance dramatic, too.
We were a big bag of loco. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Some people loved the intense, all-consuming love that made you wanna cry every time you saw your love.
We were more of a laugh, goof around, and smile kind of couple. Fun love.
Alessandra was escorted by her father out of the three-wheeler and she walked down the aisle, a vision in off-white.
Couldn’t lie with color and say she was a virgin. That ship sailed a long time ago.
Her hair was curled in that classic pinup wave I liked, with red lips that were ready for some kissing.
Every curve of her body was covered in lace and tulle, with off-the-shoulder straps so I could bite her shoulders with ease tonight, and a high slit that gave easy access up her dress.
She smiled at me like she knew what I was thinking. I was thinking about how I was going to call her my wife over and over tonight, just before making her come on my cock.
Her dad kissed her cheek and handed her over to me. Jenson stood beside me, looking at his mom with a goofy,teenaged grin.
I didn’t pull her in for a kiss like my best friend did with his bride; I had a better plan.
Lucas was informed of my plan and started the ceremony like any other, saying why we were all gathered here today, and then handed the mic over to me.
Alessandra looked at me like why the hell was I deviating from what we practiced, but this wasn’t at the rehearsal last night.
“Thanks, guys, for coming out for our crazy wedding. It means so much to me that you are here today. Not only do I get to marry this crazy bitch, but you will also get to witness a very key start to our new life.” I smiled and let go of Alessandra’s hands before turning to Jenson.
“You’re the coolest kid I know, and I know I’m about to marry your mom, but I needed to ask you a question first. Okay?” He was looking around like he didn’t know what he was supposed to do, so he just nodded.
“I don’t wanna be your stepdad, Jenson.” I told him and his eyes got wide and his face fell a little.
“I wanna be your real dad. Will you let me adopt you as mine, and be a crazy Kline, too?” The smile on his face was so wide I thought it was going to split in two.
“Fuck yeah!” he answered and then I pulled him in for a hug.
“I love you, kid,” I told him, and he started crying. When I turned back around to truly make my family complete, tear
s were falling down Alessandra’s cheeks, coasting over her bright smile, and falling onto the ground.
Lucas continued the vows, and when it was time to kiss my girl, I grabbed her by the hand and spun her out then back in, and dipped her down, kissing her movie-star style.
She started laughing when “The Man” by Aloe Blacc started playing from speakers that had been set up behind the crowd and shook her head.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.” I Spartan-kicked my girl into love and then I tamed her lioness soul. I was the fucking man.
I pulled her back up to a standing position and then grabbed the bag that Killian gave me.
“Okay, people. We have ten minutes to get from this location to the reception. Zombies are coming, and you have two minutes to get your gun and prepare yourselves. When they come, we shoot and run to the safety of the pavilion.” I grabbed a Nerf gun from the bag and cocked it.
Alessandra looked at me like I lost my damn mind, but then reached down and grabbed a gun.
Jenson grabbed his gun, and together as a family we battled the zombies and made it to safety, where I kissed my wife through the night and took my sweet time giving her fun love back at our hotel suite.
Our love was crazy.
But that’s how I got the girl.
The End
*Keep reading for the first chapter of Long Drive.
Killian and Livia’s story.
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Playlist
Cowboy Casanova- Carrie Underwood
Maneater- Nelly Furtado
Classic-MKTO
On My Mind- Ellie Goulding
Teenage Dream- Katy Perry
Shape Of You- Ed Sheeran
It’s Gonna Be meme - ‘NSYNC
Dangerous Woman- Ariana Grande
Makin’Good Love-Avant
The Man- Aloe Blacc
Can’t Help Falling In Love- Elvis Presley
Dive- Ed Sheeran
Bad Things- Machine Gun Kelly ft. Camila Cabello
Take a Bow- Rihanna ft. Ne-Yo
Say You Won’t Let Go- James Arthur
Perfect- Ed Sheeran
Love on the Brain- Rihanna
How You Get The Girl- Taylor swift
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You- 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack
Chapter One
Livia
“I’ll give you ten thousand dollars to let me ride around with you for a month.” The man with the hood over his head froze while drinking his coffee, and turned slowly to look at me.
Holy hell, he was more attractive than I thought. He had blue eyes mixed with gray, kind of like the ocean after a storm. Murky, but calm. It was my favorite time to sit by the water, as it smoothed out to look like glass. Well, used to be my favorite time.
“I think you have the wrong guy.” His voice was deep, and matched the after-storm effect of his eyes. He pushed his medium-length golden blond hair away from his eyes, which was a failed attempt, since it went right back to where it was.
“The other drivers said you were the only one that is driving out of state. I need to get out of Florida.” His eyebrows drew in together, and looked at the group of men sitting at a table. They were the ones I’d talked to. Some people would think I was crazy, and right now I was probably a little loony, but who was I trying to impress? No one. Not even this attractive truck driver. His eyes took me in and then got stuck on my eyes. Yeah, I know, freak show eyes. I was always picked on as a kid for having different color eyes. My right one was blue, and my left one was light green with brown splashed in it. I’ve heard all the jokes before. His eyes held mine briefly before answering.
“No.” He turned to finish drinking his coffee. No? NO? That just wasn’t going to work for me. My car had just broken down, and it would be a few more days before it was fixed. I didn’t want to wait. I needed to get out and do something. My life was in ruins, and I couldn’t stay still. I needed to be on the road. What better way to do that, than with someone who was on the road all the time?
“Fifteen thousand. I’ll give you half now, and at the end of the month I’ll give you the other half. As long as I’m not lying in a ditch somewhere. So no killing or raping me,” I somewhat joked with him. I really didn’t need any more horrible experiences. I’d gone through enough in the past couple months to last me for a while. He turned back towards me and just stared at my face, trying to figure me out.
“I know this all seems crazy, but I just need to get away. I feel like this is what I need. I swear I’m not a loon. Please don’t say no,” I begged, hoping my pure desperation would come through, and he would say yes to my outlandish proposal. His head turned slightly to the side, and that long piece of hair blocked part of his right eye, blocking me from seeing any emotion that it held. Unsure if he believed me or not, he simply turned back towards his coffee. Then he huffed.
“Sure.”
That was a yes! Holy shit, this plan worked! I was going on a month-long road trip with a strange, attractive, trucker! This was exactly what I needed.
“Great! I’ll go grab my small suitcase and get rid of my car real quick. I’ll be right back.” I turned and walked away quickly before he could change his mind. As soon as I opened the door, the Florida air hit me. It was nice out, being January, but I was ready for a change. The little mechanic’s shop was attached to the truck stop I was just inside, which was convenient.
“Hello!” I called out to the mechanic that was working on my car.
“Hey! I just got off the phone; your transmission will be here in two days.” He smiled at me while wiping a big glob of grease on his forehead in an attempt to wipe the sweat off his face. I shook my head.
“That’s okay. I actually have a different plan of action now. Wanna buy my car?” The guy just laughed and went to work back on my car. What was with people not believing me today?
“I’m serious. I don’t want it anymore.” I walked over to him and stood close. Crossing my arms across my chest.
“Uh, this is a really nice car. Don’t think you want to just get rid of it.” This was starting to get frustrating.
“I know. I’m just moving on with my life, and this was the car my ex-fiancé gave me as a Christmas gift. I don’t even really like it. Not my style.” And that was the truth. I didn’t care for flashy or expensive cars. When Lane surprised me with this new BMW SUV, I faked enthusiasm as best as I could. And sadly, he thought it was real. I was raised in the country; my dad had a beat-up old truck, and Mom drove a Jeep. I figured he had known I wouldn’t have cared for it, but he got it for me anyways.
“Oh, uh. What do you want for it?” He rubbed more grease on his head. I felt compelled to tell him he was doing that, and opened my mouth right when a little kid ran through the garage.
“Daddy!” The kid was probably around five. He looked like his dad, with curly brown hair, and tan skin. He even had a little grease on his hands, as if he was trying to be like his dad. The mechanic, whose coverall said Joe, picked up the kid for a hug then set him back down.
My chest began to ache, seeing them together. You could tell they really loved each other. I felt the stinging of tears threaten my eyes, and I made a quick decision. I opened the door and climbed in to grab the papers out of the glove box. I wasn’t sure why I had grabbed them in the first place for this trip, but now I was glad I did. After finding a pen in there, too, I signed the paper, and climbed back out of the SUV.
“Here, it’s yours.” I handed him the title to the car. I didn’t need the money, and I didn’t want to deal with the car anymore. Joe’s mouth dropped open, and he held out his hands.
“Are you serious?” He was in shock. His son was just looking at me with an uncertain grin on his face. Yeah, this was totally worth it. They would have a nice family car to drive around in.
&n
bsp; “Yep. Have fun!” I grabbed my suitcase out of the back seat and walked back towards the little diner on the other end of the truck stop. The man I made a deal with was standing next to a big, blue semi-trailer truck, stretching. He was taller than I had thought, and bigger, too. As I neared the truck, I finally took him in. The low-lit diner hadn’t done him justice. He wasn’t attractive; he was beautiful. His hair was hanging down as he bent to touch his toes. When he lifted up and stretched his arms over his head, his blue thermal shirt rode up, and I could see tan skin—muscular tan skin. His jeans rode low and covered brown boots.
The clicking of my own girly version of trucker boots alerted him to my approach.
“Hiya!” I waved with my free hand. He dropped his hands and waited for me to get closer.
“We’re driving by my rules, none of that peeing-every-hour shit, okay?” I just nodded. I had peed before I talked to him; I would be good for a little while.
“Where are we heading?” My excitement for this trip was hard to contain, but I didn’t wanna weird him out with my exuberance.
“Orlando,” he huffed. He was certainly not a big talker. That’s all right. I could be quiet for a little while. Then I could probably talk for the both of us.
“Then where?”
“California.” Heck, yeah!
“All right! Shall we get this show on the road?” I was so ready to get started. This was a new chapter in my life. I had no clue where my storyline was going to head, but I was willing to turn the pages one by one to find out.
He didn’t answer me, but opened his door and climbed in. So, not the gentleman type. That’s okay. I was a big girl. I looked back at the truck stop one last time. Was I really going to do this? Take off with a stranger and travel across the country with him?
“Yes. Yes, you are, Livia,” I told myself, and strode off towards my new home for the next month. This was going to be something—whether it was a good something or a bad something remained to be seen.
How You Get The Girl (Theme Song Book 2) Page 15
