The Muse

  They stated their vows before us all, professing their love and honor and commitment for a lifetime. His ex-wife looked on with love in her eyes, wiping her tears through a smile, appearing honored to be a part of her best friend’s special day.

  Later at the cocktail hour at The Boat House, Larry stood up and said to his family and friends, “I realized I loved him when he first pulled up in a 10-year-old car with a broken door lock, and he smiled and said he drove it because his dad gave it to him.” Everyone laughed, raised their glasses, and cheered them on. Tim mirrored with, “I knew I first loved Larry the moment he offered me a slice of strawberry cheesecake. I knew I had met the man of my dreams.” He leaned over and they kissed and everyone cheered again.

  My heart swelled in joy at the open display of affection. Smiles spread on everyone’s faces. As we sat down to enjoy our meal, Travis leaned over and raised his glass to us. “Here’s to exciting times ahead with the launch of our movie.”

  “Here. Here,” Eva said. The three of us clanked glasses.

  I soaked up the scene. Gone were the days of standing idle. There were way too many people who needed a voice, who needed someone to stand up for them and give them that voice. Through the movie deal we received, Eva, Travis and I would be able to rise together and make a real difference in lives of would-be bullies and victims. We had a long way to go, but together we were stronger; the community was stronger; Eva and I were stronger.

  Eva turned to me and kissed me openly. I stared into her eyes and soared with her, past the champagne, past the smiles, past the chatter and laughter, past the clanking glasses, past it all, as two gals free to fly as high as the wind wanted to take us. She continued to gaze back at me, Jane Knoll, her girlfriend, her partner, her breath. She winked.

  “I love your winks,” I said. “Mwah.”

  “I love mwahs.”

  “Just any mwahs? Not mine?” I teased.

  She cupped her hands around my face. “Always been yours, honey.”

  We danced the night away under a blanket of stars and good vibes. We wept alongside Larry and Tim as we watched their love unfold in a slideshow played to the music of Brandi Carlile and Rascall Flatts. We sang “Piano Man” with them on the dance floor as we spun each other in wide circles. We giggled as they smashed cake in each other’s faces and Larry squealed. And we fell in love even more that night, as we walked away from the most beautiful wedding we’d ever been to. As we strolled to our car in the dim-lit parking lot, we huddled against each other enjoying the sea breeze, the faint mist of an upcoming thunder storm, and the flashes of lightning in the distant sky. I savored every second of this walk, reflecting on how far I’d come since meeting this beautiful woman, my muse—in writing, in life, and in love.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  As with all of my books, I enjoy giving a portion of proceeds back to the community by donating to the NOH8 Campaign www.noh8campaign.com and Hearts United for Animals: www.hua.org. Thank you for being a part of this special contribution.

  A SPECIAL REQUEST

  If you enjoyed reading this story, I’d be so grateful for your favorable review of it. Just a sentence or two saying what you liked about The Muse will help others discover it and help me to serve you better with future books!

  (www.amazon.com/author/suziecarr)