“With the peanuts,” Larry said, like it was obvious.
“Great,” Paul said. “Now he’s going to freak out for the rest of the day. Thanks, Dad.”
“Darren,” Octavius said, trying to curl up against him again. “What say we get out of here and go look at my portfolio? I have black-and-white nudes in dramatic lighting because the photographer said my body was a wonderland.”
“Yes,” I said. “Because quoting John Mayer seems like something you would do.”
“Why did you throw the money back in my face last night?” Darren asked me unexpectedly.
I sneered at him. “I didn’t need your fucking charity. I know that for what it was. You homo jocks think you’re so fucking superior.”
“Uh, Sandy?” Brian asked. “I would really like my hand back now. I think you’re splintering my bones.”
“It has been lovely indeed,” Corey said. “We should do this again more often. Next time, we should all bring a new friend.”
“I don’t know if I want my one-night stands here,” Nana said. “As the lovely Usher put it, I’m a lady in the streets but a freak in the bed.”
Darren furrowed his brow at me. “Charity? What the fuck are you talking about? This has never been about charity. I wanted to—”
And I never got to hear what Darren wanted to do, because right at that exact moment, Vince Taylor said, “Marry me.”
And all the noise.
Just.
Stopped.
It was like the air had been sucked from the room and we were stuck in a vacuum. My heart tripped all over itself in my chest and Paul’s hands were shaking, and I might have said something, I might have tried to play it off like a joke, but Vince’s jaw was set and his eyes were only on Paul. He reached out and took Paul’s hands in his own, thumb rubbing over his fingers.
Matty clutched her hands to her chest, eyes suspiciously shiny.
Larry looked back and forth between Vince and Paul, a grin on his face, probably already counting the amount of grandchildren he would get from this.
Nana wiped her eyes.
Corey held a hand over his mouth.
Brian ate more bacon.
Wheels yawned from his spot on the couch.
Darren stared at Vince, eyes wide.
Octavius looked really fucking bored.
And Paul Auster said, “What?”
“Marry me,” Vince said again.
“Are you being serious?” Paul demanded.
“Uhh,” Vince said.
“Because I swear to god, Vince.”
“Uhh,” Vince said. “Yes.”
“This is so amazing,” I said to Brian.