Happily Ever After? (Sleeping Handsome Sequel)

By Jean Haus

Paige and Zach have the perfect relationship. Too bad the world can’t revolve around them. Responsibilities suck. Paige’s acting career is starting. Unfortunately, half across the world. Thirty days apart. All while Zach has commitments to college and a new job. But they refuse to let time, distance, or obligations come between them.

Yet their biggest challenge may not be time apart. It just might be their belief in each other.

*A warning for those sensitive to profanity, this story contains some.
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Jean Haus
• Release date: Jul 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476256139

Jean Haus

Jean Haus is the author of the Luminescent Juliet series, which revolves around a sexy, talented indie band in a small college town. She lives in Michigan with her husband and son, where she spends almost as much time teaching, cooking, and golfing as she does thinking about the tough but vulnerable rockers featured in her books. Visit Jean online at http://www.jeanhaus.com.

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Happily Ever After?

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Jean Haus

All right reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

~1~

Paige

Before Zach I would have imagined my senior prom totally different. The label on my dress and shoes would have been important. The number of guys checking me out and the jealous looks from other girls would have decided how well the night was going. I would have shared snide comments and giggles with my former best friend, Amanda, about ugly dresses and lanky boys whose tuxedos didn’t fit. I have to admit my immature past is somewhat embarrassing. Okay, maybe really embarrassing. Yet when I’m with Zach, nothing matters but us.

Right now, we’re dancing and he’s holding me so tight it’s kind of hard to breathe. I don’t care about breathing. I’m always happy on cloud ten or eleven or twelve or whatever number in his arms. As usual, he smells divine. Like the woods after a long, clean rain. Ode la essence of Zach. Bottle that puppy, make candles, air freshener, scratch and sniff stickers, or anything. I’d be the number uno customer.

The slow, sweet song comes to an end and I feel the warm brush of his lips against my temple. A melancholy sigh escapes me. My fingers tighten on his shoulders. It’s moments like these when I don’t want to go.

Paige, he says with exasperation and gently pushes me back by the shoulders. The flashing lights above make shadows on his sculpted face and catch the blue of his narrowed eyes.

My fingers grip the lapels of his tux. The back of my hand crushes his boutonniere. I know. I know. I have to go. I want to go. I’m just going to miss you so much.

A fast song starts but he doesn’t move. He stoops and presses his forehead to mine. I thought we weren’t going to talk about this tonight.

I frown. You’re right. I’m sorry, just thinking aloud I suppose.

My fellow students move around, jostle, and bump into us.

He shakes his head and smiles crookedly. I love his smile. One day that thinking with your mouth is going to get you in trouble.

My frown curls into a grin. It got me you didn’t it?

He lets out a laugh. Well I don’t count. To me you’re irresistible. He grabs my hand and spins me around in a circle. We clap like Spanish dancers around each other. Laughing, we change course plug our noses and shimmy down like sixty hippies. The end of the song gets finished with the running man. We’d never win a dance competition. And we are such dorks sometimes. I used to be terrified of being anything less than cool. With Zach, I’m always just me. The real person he inspired me to find deep within. Usually that person is upbeat but the present moment is a bit bittersweet. We laugh and have fun and pretend I’m not leaving for Finland for four weeks in two days.

The next song, another slow one and the last of the evening, has Zach’s arms around me again. I bury my face in his shirt and fight the urge to cry. What a mental case I’ve become laughing one minute then on the verge of tears the next. My fingers dig into the muscles of his back. Get a grip, Paige. It’s only four weeks. Twenty-eight days. 624 hours. 40,320 minutes. I haven’t figured out the seconds yet. I’m sure while in Finland I will. We’ve been going out for a little over three months. One month is over a third of that time.

Pulled in from a goofy roll away from him, I stifle a groan into his chest. I’ve suddenly become good at math. Who knew?

I’ve been given the chance of a lifetime. Though a minor role, Valkyrie is a major film. I’ll be working with several big actors. And the movie will be seen by millions of people. This could be my break out role. Even if it isn’t, I’m pretty sure it will lead to more jobs. A real career. Something I thought would take years to build. But going on location and leaving Zach has my insides twisting.

We haven’t been apart for more than a week since our first date. And that week? It was when I went with my family to visit my grandparents in Arizona. It’s not like I had a choice because if I did, I wouldn’t have gone.

The song comes to an end and I lift my head from his chest. Beyond his shoulder I catch a glimpse of someone watching us with narrowed eyes. I rear back and Amanda spins away. My heart beats as her glittery form slips through a crowd of people. Ever since I threatened exposing her many ugly secrets, she’s left me alone. The look I just caught in her eye—the evil eye I remember—bodes more than revenge. It’s bodes annihilation. I swallow the dry lump in my throat. Perhaps it’s a good thing I’m leaving in two days.

Hey, Zach says with a palm to my cheek. He gently turns my head. You okay?

The worry in his eyes forces a smile to my lips. I’m good. I grab his hand. Let’s go.

The concern doesn’t leave his handsome face, but he allows me to pull him into the throng of departing students.

Hey Paige, you guys going to Shane’s after party? Ally Parker, one of my fellow drama geeks, asks as we pass.

Not tonight. We have other plans. Just us. Usually I drag Zach to all my drama buddy’s parties. With games and food and the occasional karaoke song, they’re actually fun. So different than the parties I attended for most of high school. With my departure looming, I just want some alone time with Zach. But tell everyone we said hi.

Alright. You two have a great night, she says with a grin and a wink before taking off to join her boyfriend waiting ahead.

Zach and I look at each other then burst out laughing. Almost everyone we’ve talked to when hearing we plan on being alone has gotten kind of weird. Like it’s obvious we’re going to have sex because it’s prom. We’re not. We talk about it. I’m beyond in love with him. I’m just not ready. We agreed to take it slow and build our relationship on more than just the physical. Boyfriend less for most of high school I’m not the most experienced girl. Well, sometimes I feel ready. Like at the sight of his muscled body dripping with pool water or when he kisses that spot behind my ear as his fingertips create hot trails across my skin. Um yeah, just thinking about that has me pulling him faster through the throng of students.

Outside, the door creaks as he opens the passenger side of his car for me. Though old and dented, he refuses to drive mine—an almost new shiny convertible. And I could care less. I love his car. It reminds me of him with its hula girl stuck to the dashboard, the ever-present pile of library books piled in the backseat, and the mounds of notebooks everywhere filled with his writing.

Zach drives to our favorite place, one of those spots looking out over the twinkling city from above, while I pull off my heels and slip into a pair of flip-flops. After pulling onto a dusty road, we park feet from the ledge. Zach sheds his jacket and tie then spreads a blanket on the hood. I find the list of music I made especially for tonight and set my iPhone next to a wiper. We open two glass bottled Cokes and crawl on the car. Lying back on the windshield, Zach wraps an arm around me and pulls me to him. He lifts his Coke. Shall we make a date in four weeks? Same place?

Resisting the melancholy that tries to overwhelm me, I clink my bottle with his. I can’t wait.

We both take a sip. A slow love song plays as we gaze at the lights below. The breeze in the air ruffles the sheer gauze of my dress. He catches