Chapter 34
“I meant what I said.” Monty approached Tyler at the after-party, mixed drink in hand.
“I appreciate that.” Tyler shook his hand. “Congratulations. It was a spectacular film.”
“It was.” Monty nodded.
“Hi,” Lauren join them, extending her hand to Monty. “I’m Lauren.”
“Monty Goldbloom.” Monty shook Lauren’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled. “Thank you for all you’ve done for Tyler, for Into the Jungle, and now Once Lost.”
Monty nodded, stone-faced.
“I need you.” Karen linked arms with Lauren. “I’ll bring your fiancée back soon,” she told Tyler. “Promise.”
“Sure.” Tyler searched his mind for something to talk to Monty about. I guess there’s the weather—
“You know, I haven’t always hated God.”
Tyler’s eyebrows raised at his honesty. “No?”
“Used to be pretty neutral about the topic until my wife ran off with another executive producer, who happened to be my best friend. I was young when we married and in love, so I didn’t get a pre-nup.” He nodded toward Lauren. “Make sure you get one.”
“She’s actually worth more than I am.” Tyler’s eyes followed her before shifting back to Monty. “I’m sorry about your marriage.”
Monty took a swig of his drink. “The worst part is she pitted my daughters against me. My oldest didn’t invite me to her wedding. I heard my youngest is a lesbian and living in San Francisco. Probably wouldn’t know them if I passed them on the street. Been eight years since I’ve seen them.”
“I’m sorry.” Making eye contact with him, Tyler lifted a quick prayer for wisdom. “But you know God didn’t do that. Your ex-wife did. Your kids chose to cut you out of their lives. God can make things better, if you trust in Him.”
Monty rolled his eyes as he crunched his ice. “I’ve sent money, thoughtful gifts, called. They won’t talk to me. I gave up two years ago. How can God fix it when they aren’t willing?”
“I didn’t talk to my dad for years. He couldn’t stand me. Called me a pompous—” Tyler paused. “Which I was. He undoubtedly had less faith in me than you did. After I came to Christ, I started praying for him and our relationship.” Catching his father’s eye from across the room, Tyler motioned to him. “Dad, I’d like you to meet Monty Goldbloom,” he said once his father joined them.
“It’s a pleasure.” He shook Monty’s hand. “Thank you for giving my boy a chance.” Tyler’s dad slapped his back. “I’m pretty proud of him and the phenomenal job he did on this film. Glad we came all the way from Florida to be here tonight.” He faced Tyler. “I’m going to find your mother. Think she’s talking to that Raphael guy. Man, is he a kick.”
Monty watched him walk away. “He hated you?”
“Absolutely.” Tyler leaned forward. “Imagine your wildest dream. God can do even better than that.” He smiled as Lauren approached. “I know He has for me. And He loves us all the same.”
Lauren slipped her hand around Tyler’s waist. “Sorry about that. What were we talking about?”
“Your wedding,” Monty said. “When is it?”
“May 31st.” Lauren grinned at Tyler.
“She’s determined to outdo my birthday last year, which was pretty spectacular,” he said to Monty. “Start coming to church on Sundays. There are two services, nine and ten thirty. I’ll save you a seat.”
Monty nodded. “I might do that.”
“We’ll even take you to lunch after,” Tyler said. “There’s this great Mexican place we go to.”
“I invited Karen to our engagement party tomorrow.” Feet throbbing, Lauren kicked off her heels as soon as they climbed into the limo.
“You did?” Tyler loosened his bow tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons.
“Yeah.” She reclined against his chest. “She needs to be around believers right now.”
“So, you have a new best friend?”
Lauren chuckled. “I might.” She ran her hand over his chest. “Are you jealous?”
“Maybe.” His fingers slid down her arm to her waist. “You said yes.” He kissed her neck. “We’re on our way to being more than best friends.”
“We are.” Lifting her head, Lauren kissed his lips. First softly, then passionately. It was Tyler who backed away.
She reclined on his chest again. “I could totally make out with you the rest of the night.”
“Um, morning, and no, you can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll drive me crazy.” He kissed the top of her head. “Just like you need to control your thoughts, I need to control mine. In a different way.”
“We’re getting married.” She wiggled her ring in his face.
“Getting.” He intertwined his fingers with hers. “Not there yet.”
“Then let’s do it.” She sat up. “Tomorrow. We don’t need to wait. Everyone we love is in town. It’s the perfect time.”
“We do need time, oh manic one.” Tyler shook his head slightly. “We need to decide where we’re going to live, sell a house or two, start premarital counseling with Pastor—”
“Premarital counseling?” Lauren raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve already been married.”
“But I haven’t. And you haven’t been married to me. Adam was perfect.”
“He wasn’t.” Lauren leaned back against the seat.
Tyler chuckled. “Right. He left his socks on the counter.”
“He told you?”
“Yeah, I mean it was like your first fight, right? He laughed, saying if all you had to fight about were stinky socks, then you guys would do okay.” Tyler set his other hand atop hers. “I’m not that perfect. I’m trying to be more like Christ daily and I love you with everything that is within me, but I can’t pretend to understand how to make this lifelong commitment in my own strength.”
Lauren squeezed his hand. “I don’t have anything against meeting with Pastor. We’ll be fine. I mean, if you just do what I say—”
“Oh yeah?” Tyler started tickling her. “Is that the key?”
Lauren laughed hysterically. “And flowers,” she gasped. “Lots of flowers. And ice cream.”
“Ice cream?” Tyler ceased the tickling. “You need ice cream?”
“Well, probably don’t need it, but it makes me happy.”
“Then it’s a good thing I requested some.”
“You did?” Lauren opened the fridge.
Tyler laughed. “The driver has it, silly. On dry ice. We’ll be at our next stop in a bit.”
“Next stop?” Lauren checked the time on her phone. “It’s past two in the morning.”
Tyler squinted. “Are you too tired?”
Lauren pursed her lips. “Well, I may have had a soda.”
“I noticed. Allow me one more stop so we can properly celebrate our engagement. Besides, we’ve made it this long. I don’t see the point of sleeping since I have to be at the studio by six a.m. for the interview.”
“We have to be at the studio,” she corrected him.
He smiled. “Yes, we do.”
“I might need more caffeine.”
Tyler kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”
Though it was dark, Lauren could hear the waves crashing below when she stepped out of the limo. Inhaling the salty air, she followed him to the hood. Nine years before he brought her to these cliffs. He treated her to dinner the day she lost a full-time teaching job because of their picture on social media then drove to the cliffs, producing her favorite ice cream for dessert.
After he spread his jacket on the hood for her, she sat on it. Climbing beside her, he removed a carton of cheesecake brownie ice cream and two spoons. “You don’t mind sharing, do you?”
“Of course not.” She took the container once he removed the lid.
“You remember the night?”
“How could I forget?” Lauren moved her spoon in a circular motion to skim ice cream off the top. “We talked about teachers, God.” She handed him the carton. “I was encouraged that you said you didn’t believe in evolution.”
Tyler chuckled, scooping out of the center. “There was that.” His eyes met hers. “I wanted you. It frustrated me when we were making out and you pulled away.”
“I know.” Lauren stared into the ice cream as she dug out her next bite.
“A part of me wanted to walk away, but I didn’t.”
She slowly lifted her eyes to his. Tyler rested his hand on her cheek.
“I chose you, your friendship, over sex. I look at that night now as the night the Lord began to change me.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, Lauren. I want you to know I choose you for the rest of my life.”
She closed her eyes as the weight of his words came over her. The road had been long, filled with laughter and tears. A year ago she believed her life was falling apart.
“Allow the Lord to put it back together,” he had told her. “Then it will truly be His, for His glory.”
Thank You, Lord, Lauren silently prayed, for putting my life back together. Thank You for Tyler.