Camden

I slogged through another two hours of press interviews, rotating through tables of second-tier journalists, seven at a time, as they jockeyed to ask a question in the short twenty minutes that they had amongst them. It was my least favorite type of interview and sometimes felt like being in front of a firing squad, but all I could think about was seeing Kate in whichever gorgeous gown she had selected. I couldn’t wait to have her on my arm, to tell the world that I had found someone so special—someone, who in almost no time at all had changed everything for me.

When I made it back to my room, I noticed that the adjoining room door was closed and had a sign on it that read “Glam Squad at Work. Do Not Enter” in Evander’s dramatic scrawl. I grinned, feeling more excited by the minute to see if there was even any possible way for Evander to make Kate more beautiful than she already was, and was secretly thrilled not to have him fussing over me as he usually did on nights like this.

Putting on a suit and throwing a little product in my hair was a massive production when Evander was here, but with Kate to look after, I dressed at my leisure, poured myself a whiskey neat, and watched a re-run episode of Broadchurch on the television as I waited impatiently.

We were meant to be on the carpet by 7:00 pm so when 6:45 hit, I decided it was time to speed things along and went to knock on Kate’s door.

“Love? Are you almost ready?” I called out to her. “We should really get moving.” For a long moment, I didn’t hear a sound and knocked again.

“Kate? Are you ready?” I asked again.

I could hear whispering on the other side, building my anticipation by the second, and then in an instant, the door opened dramatically.

“Surprise!” screamed Kate, Lizzy, Evander, and to my great surprise…Mum.

As my eyes tried to make sense of what was happening around me, I suddenly took in my mum, who was dressed in a beautiful royal blue gown, looking incredibly elegant with a radiant smile on her face as she rushed in to hug me. The swift maneuver gave me just enough time to see Kate wearing an unremarkable black dress and a decidedly tentative smile.

“I thought it would be fun if your mom came as your date tonight,” Kate said with forced enthusiasm. “The press always loves when the stars come with their mothers.”

I was stunned silent, suddenly dizzied by the excitement around me and the stench of my own disappointment.

“I can’t believe it! When Kate called me, I was so thrilled! Look at me! I feel like the belle of the ball,” my mum effused as she spun around displaying her new finery. I couldn’t help but smile at her excitement, almost making me wish that I had asked my mum to be my date in the first place. I glanced at Lizzy, who was also decked out in a beautiful pale blue slip dress and had apparently gotten the Evander Glam treatment, as well. She now started at me intently, clearly trying to gauge my reaction.

“This is a wonderful surprise, Mum! I only wish I had thought of it myself,” I said, mustering up all of the excitement I could, not wanting her to feel an ounce of the disappointment that I was feeling at that moment.

“Thank God we have Kate looking out for us,” my mum said, wrapping her arm around her waist to give her a squeeze. “Ooohh, let’s have a photo, shall we?” she said, pulling Kate and me into a pose with her after insisting I give Evander my mobile to take a few photos. I, of course, humored her, not wanting to create unnecessary drama. Evander shot a picture of the three of us and then added in Lizzy and then, of course, pushed Kate and me together to take one of just the two of us, which thrilled my mum to no end.

“I’m so thrilled to hear that you two have gotten things sorted,” she said with a cheeky wink. “I think you’ll be beautiful together. I couldn’t be happier that my son has found someone so lovely and kind.”

I smiled feebly. “I am incredibly lucky,” I said as I approached Kate and pulled her into me as I have done a million times in the last several days, but this time kissing only her cheek and whispering softly in her ear, “You’re a fucking coward.”

I could feel her lashes bite down against my cheek and heard her swallow hard as though forcing back tears, and I was glad of it. “Shall we go then, Mum?” I said with a smile, proffering my arm to her.

“Let’s paint the town!”

I smiled as I whisked my mother out the door, not taking another look at Kate.