Honey? It was clear that Ruby was enjoying playing wife far too much. But two could play at that game.

Yvonne gave Ruby her best longing gaze. “It was. But perhaps one day we can have a do-over. A real wedding.”

Ruby beamed. “Really?”

“Why not? Whatever you want, it’s yours. How about on our anniversary? A year, or two, from now, perhaps?”

Ruby leaned over and planted a kiss on Yvonne’s cheek. “I’d love that.”

As the conversation moved on, Yvonne noticed Madison staring at them both, a slight frown on her face. Yvonne had thought Madison had gotten over her disapproval of Yvonne and Ruby’s arrangement. She let go of Ruby’s hand. Perhaps it was a sign they were laying it on too thick.

But Ruby didn’t notice. She was happily recounting the story of how they’d ‘met’ to Lydia. Somehow, it had gotten even longer and more elaborate than before.

When the conversation finally lulled, Madison glanced toward the other side of the room, then grimaced. “Christ, my uncle is showing Blair photos on his phone again. I need to go rescue her.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Yvonne said.

“Yvonne, you’ve been putting out fires all evening. I can handle this. Just relax and enjoy the party.” Before Yvonne could protest, Madison turned to Ruby. “Thank you for coming, Ruby. Enjoy the rest of the night. And make sure your wife here has some fun, will you?”

Ruby grinned. “I’ll try my best.”

Madison shot Yvonne a knowing look before walking away.

Lydia took the cue to head to the bar, leaving Yvonne and Ruby alone. Yvonne turned to her ‘wife.’

“So,” she said. “You wish we had a real wedding, do you?”

Ruby gave an innocent shrug. “If I’m going to get married, I want to do it properly. What happened in Vegas wasn’t exactly my idea of a dream wedding.”

Yvonne raised an eyebrow. “So you were one of those girls with the scrapbook full of cutouts from wedding magazines?”

“Not really. I was never much of a romantic, and when I went into my line of work, I threw the idea of getting married any time soon out the window. But I don’t plan to be an escort forever. And I hope that one day I’ll find that special someone, and we’ll get to share a special day.”

“Tell me. What would that special day look like?”

Ruby thought for a moment. “It would be small, for starters. Nothing like this. Just family and friends. Maybe in the countryside, or on the beach. Somewhere quiet, where we’d be surrounded by nature and the people we love.”

That actually sounded… nice. Yvonne had never been interested in weddings, but now, she was starting to understand the appeal. There was a certain magic about them.

“And I know it’s cliché, but I like the idea of becoming a princess for a day.” Ruby’s cheeks flushed, a dreamy look in her eyes. “I want to dress up in a beautiful dress. I want to walk down the aisle. I want my bride to lift up my veil and look at me like I’m her whole world. I want us to read our vows and exchange rings, and I want her to kiss me, and it would be this magical moment where the rest of the world would fade away and it would just be you and me-”