I wrapped my arms around her. “About that . . .” I said. “We may be booked for a private event tonight.”
Ella looked up at me, confusion and adoration warring each other in her blue eyes. “I didn’t hear anything about that,” she said.
I faked contrition. “I guess it must have slipped my mind,” I said. “Forgive me?”
Ella lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss me. “Always,” she said, smiling.
I took her by the hand. “Well then,” I said. “Let’s go see what this private event is all about.” I led her down the hall to one of the private playrooms.
“Is this . . .?” Ella asked, and I nodded.
“The playroom where we met,” I confirmed. “It seemed appropriate.” I swung the door wide, and was rewarded by Ella’s delighted gasp.
Inside, the lights were dim, replaced by a countless number of candles, their softly flickering light illuminating the faces of my bandmates. Our bandmates. A little speaker in the corner played a song Saul and I had written just for the occasion, obsessing over every lyric. Jason and Darren had sprinkled rose petals over the bed and floor. Ella turned in circles, taking it all in.
“What is this?” she asked, her voice distant and dreamy.
Saul approached her, taking her hand in his. “We wanted to surprise you,” he said.
Ella laughed her tinkling little laugh that I loved so much. “Well, you succeeded,” she said.
I took hold of her other hand. “Ella,” I said. My voice was already trembling. “Words can’t describe how much we all love you, how lucky we are to have found you, not once, but twice. You make us all better men.”
“Especially him,” Howie piped in. “The rest of us were already pretty good.”
Ella gave a watery laugh. “You hush,” she admonished. “You’re all perfect.”
I shook my head. “We’re not,” I said. “But you make us feel like we could be. Nothing would make us happier than being with you, forever. We want to spend the rest of our lives making you happy.”
Ella was crying now. “You already do that,” she said. “I’ve never been happier.”
Pulling the little velvet box out of my pocket, I carefully lowered myself to one knee, grateful that the beating I’d suffered at the hands of Heath and Cole had left no lasting damage. Around us, the rest of my bandmates followed suit, dropping to one knee and presenting Ella with matching boxes. “Ella,” I said, trying and failing to keep my voice steady. “Will you marry us? All of us?”
Tears ran freely down Ella’s face as she turned in circles, taking in the sight of all of us around her, on our knees, matching diamond rings gleaming in our hands. “Yes,” she said, nodding frantically. “Of course.”
In a flash, we were all around her, touching her, kissing her. She laughed through her tears. “I can’t believe you,” she said. “How long have you been planning this?”
“A while,” Darren admitted. “It was Grant’s idea.”
“I can’t even wear this many rings,” she said wonderingly.
“One for each day of the week,” Chris said. “Or, hell, just wear one and have the rest made into a necklace. Whatever makes you happy.”
Ella looked around at us, eyes shining. “I already have that,” she said. A new thought occurred to her. “Oh! But how will this work? I mean . . .” she trailed off uncertainly.
“Obviously it won’t be a marriage in the legal sense,” Saul said, and Ella nodded. “But we can have a ceremony, and make vows to each other, and then have a big party and invite all our friends.”
“I know it’s probably not exactly what you always imagined for yourself . . .” I said, a hint of misgiving creeping into my voice. Ella had been raised in the church. What if she decided that, actually, she wanted a more conventional life for herself?
But I needn’t have worried. Ella shook her head forcefully. “It’s exactly what I imagined,” she said. “I wanted to marry for love, and I am.” She put her arms around me. “I love you so much. All of you.”
“We love you too,” I said, and the others echoed me, putting their arms around Ella until we all huddled together.
“We do have the club booked for the rest of the night . . .” Lester said, a hint of mischief in his voice.
Ella laughed. “I’m sure we can think of something to do to fill the time,” she said.
“I have one or two ideas,” I said, leaning down to claim her lips with mine. Ella’s hands ran up my chest, leaving sparks of sensation in their wake. Behind her, Jason kissed his way up the side of her neck, and I revelled in the little shiver that ran up her spine with each touch of Jason’s lips.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lester pull Chris to him for a deep kiss before they both joined us, their hands running down Ella’s sides, lifting the hem of her dress. I broke our kiss long enough to allow them to lift the dress up and over Ella’s head, leaving her in her bra and panties.