Page 75 of I Saw You First

“There you are!” Cesar says in a conspiratorial tone, shifting his eyes from me to Crystal and back again. “Where have you been? I made a bet with Crystal that you were in some dark corner backstage making out with Wil. Am I right?”

I nearly spit out the sip of water still in my mouth. “A bet?”

“Yes, and I take from your reaction that I’ve won. It’s about damn time!”

“What? No!”

“Pfft. You can run but you cannot hide, Abbey Rhodes.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Maybe not, but do you know what does? You and that hunk of a man Wil Wilshire. I knew that first night when you asked me about him that you two would end up bumping uglies.”

“Cesar! We are not bumping uglies!” I hiss under my breath. “Oh my god, who says that?”

“Will you two shut up?” Crystal says from across the table. Hopefully she hasn’t been able to hear any of this conversation.

“You owe me fifty bucks, Crystal,” Cesar says.

Wil and his family walk onstage while Ducky and his band hover in the background. Wil looks anxious and annoyed, and he searches the crowd until he sees me. One corner of his mouth turns up.

He’s smiling at me. Me. He likes me.

Mr. Wilshire steps up to the microphone and thanks the crowd. “Unfortunately, Bob Kaplan, the Hometown League’s chair, is unable to be with us tonight, but he sends his thanks to you as well and wishes you all a very happy new year. Cheers to 1997!”

The audience claps politely. Then, a woman dressed in a voluminous red gown steps forward and takes the microphone from Mr. Wilshire. He kisses her on the cheek. She holds up a postcard and reads from it, stilted and awkward. “I’m so pleased to share the lineup of incredibly talented musicians for next summer’s Hometown League Music Festival,” she says. “We’re thrilled to announce performances by two of Minnesota’s finest, The Jayhawks and HollowPoint, as well as alt-rock singer/songwriter Matthew Sweet and blues legend J.R. Watkins!”

It’s Junior Watkins, not J.R. Good lord.

When Ducky Donahue finally gets the microphone back from Mrs. Wilshire and he announces that the countdown is about to begin, Wil turns and walks off the stage. He’s leaving before the countdown! I wonder if I can get to the coat check before midnight.

I stand and lean over to kiss Cesar’s cheek. “Gotta go. Happy New Year.”

Somehow, Wil’s already in the lobby, and he has my faux-fur stole. He drapes it over my shoulders.

“How did you get this?” I ask. “I have the claim ticket in my purse.”

“I busted my ass to get off that stage so I could get to you before midnight, and that’s what you’re worried about? Come here.”

He takes my hand and tugs me forward and as we approach the front door, I hear Ducky begin the countdown. Ten.

“Wait,” Wil says. “I can’t wait.” He pushes me up against the wall next to the door. Nine.

“Mmhmm,” I agree. Eight.

“This is happening,” he repeats. Seven.

“So you said.” Six.

“You feel it, too, right?” he asks. Five.

“Yes, since the very first night.” Four. I slide my arms around his neck. Three. “What changed?” Two.

“I stopped being an idiot.” One.

He kisses me dizzy and swizzly.

The ballroom fills with cheers and new year’s wishes.