If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it, if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it, don't be mad once you see that he want it, yada yada, blah blah da da da. Oh oh oh, whoa oh oh oh oh oh, whoa oh oh.
---------------------------------------------------------
"What is this place?" asked Alex as John led him and Tyler into what he said was one of the best clubs in town.
"Layla's Bluegrass Inn," John sighed. "Sam loved coming here when we toured the area in the beginning months and... It's just a pretty cool place for live music."
They walked through the doors and saw that he wasn't kidding. A live band was already playing a song on a stage for people who were either dancing or sitting around tables eating and drinking. There was a bar across the room from the stage and Alex said, "There's alcohol and country music. I already love it."
He walked to the bar and took a seat, already talking to the bartender and flirting his way to a drink. Tyler laughed and hit the dance floor for the ladies, while John just sat down at a table and listened to the music, taking a moment from the craziness of the tour to just relax.
***
Travis was sitting in his rented Lima apartment flipping through the channels of his television when the front door opened and he nearly hid behind the couch. It was just Sebastian, however, a serious look on his face.
"Don't you knock?" Travis asked, turning his attention back to the television screen.
"I called you several times," Sebastian responded. "You didn't answer any of them. No date tonight? I figured you must be with your girlfriend since you didn't take my messages either."
"I'm busy."
"Busy doing what? Watching a rerun of Grey's Anatomy? Because you sure as hell aren't writing like you should be doing."
"What does it even matter to you?" Travis asked. "It's my album."
"Which I'm responsible for you finishing on time," Sebastian said. "You're one of my biggest acts. And you just finished a tour that was bigger for Santana than it was for you. You need to get out of town and go—"
"Oh, I see what this is," Travis said, turning off the TV. "You want me on the road again, by myself, so that I won't have time to have a boyfriend. Is that it?"
Sebastian scoffed, "Seriously? You think I care about that? Between your beard lawyer and your mystery guy, all I know is you're putting yourself at risk."
"At risk of what?"
"Of someone exposing you. These days it's not a very big deal for you to be a gay artist but you've made yourself out to be this sex symbol and I get why you don't want that to change. You're a ladies man, you're a heartthrob. Fine. I'm not telling anyone. Julie isn't telling anyone. Santana isn't telling anyone. But who else have you gone around telling? Which hook-ups and boyfriends do you know wouldn't sell this information about you to the press? You're getting more famous every day, Travis. And with that fame, comes a loss of privacy. I do care that you're seeing someone but not because I'm jealous. I'm looking out for you..." He walked towards the door but then stopped and turned back around. "Write something. Please." Then he left for good.
***
"So you're thinking of sticking around for a while?" Stefan asked Shea as they finished their desserts.
"Yeah," Shea said with a smile. "I mean, if that's what you want. I wouldn't stay here if I wasn't wanted."
"Of course you're wanted," he said immediately.
"Good!" she chirped before he had a chance to tell her the rest of what he wanted to say. How would he tell her now?
I know, he thought. Compliment sandwich. I'll tell her something nice, then I'll tell her I'm with Bree, and then I'll—
Before he could finish that thought, Shea said, "Oh look. Your friends are here."
Stefan turned around and saw Julie and Ryder sitting together, talking and eating. He nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess they're on a special date or something."
"Looks like a double date," Shea said. "Wait, is Jake there with Marley or..?"
Stefan turned to her, confused. Then he followed her gaze and saw that Bree was there with his friend Max, Jake, and Marley. It was just as they had planned except they'd actually gone through with the date without him.
"Crap!" Stefan exclaimed, thinking of hiding behind his napkin or doing something to avoid being seen. "I wonder how long they've been here..."
"Should we say hi to them?" asked Shea. "I think I see another one of your friends over there, too. Must be Thursday date night."
"Maybe we should let them be, then," he said. "Actually, let's be real quiet about getting the check. Yeah." He silently signaled for a waiter, who made his way towards them. "Let's leave and not be seen so we don't interrupt their dates."
"If you say so," Shea said.
As Stefan got the check, Bree sat across the room with her friends, being as quiet as she'd ever been, and listened to Max talk about his life. Marley listened well but she was a terrible flirt. As Jake and Bree did their best to throw her a bone every now and then after she failed to notice when Max was hitting on her, Bree became distracted enough to not notice when Stefan and Shea left.
Meanwhile, Julie was buzzed enough that Ryder had gotten her talking and now couldn't stop her. "There's actually no way that Congress can get through the president's inevitable veto but that bill would really help a lot of people. And it sucks so much having a Republican president and Senate. I blame Kitty. If she hadn't stayed here and instead had stayed in Washington working for the White House, maybe she could've kept helping the Democrats win but I always knew she was secretly still Republican. Conservative Democrat my ass. She's totally a Moderate Republican and we know it. Lima is much more liberal now than it was, say, ten years ago, and she did such a good job on her abortion stance that she managed to convince the city that she was liberal, too.
"Oh god, was that insensitive? It was, right? I'm so sorry. I know I'm not in the place to judge her or her pregnancy. She was always so touchy about the subject with me and to this day doesn't like talking to me about it so she always goes to Bree or Dan when it's on her mind. I guess she feels guilty that I was dating Jake when it happened but I'm the one that feels guilty. If I hadn't been so wrapped up in my little bubble with him maybe they would've made a different choice. Maybe Jake and I harmed way more people than we meant to when we... Oh, no, Ryder, sorry for talking about this tonight. Considering what you were going through at that time, too. The election, me, Stefan and football and... Wow, ok, I really need to take this edge off."
Ryder stared at her, amused, and she lifted her glass for another drink of her wine. He pulled it away from her gently and said, "Why don't we take away the thing that's giving you the edge right now? Maybe the chicken was a little much..."
She nodded and went for her glass of water instead. It tasted bland but refreshing after all the alcohol she had consumed, and her face felt so hot and sweaty that she really needed the refreshment. "I'm so glad for the tip on waterproof makeup," she told him. "It's not tears but my perspiration is doing the trick."
She wiped under her eyes, were she felt the most humidity, and then smiled. Ryder couldn't help but laugh. "So what else is on your mind?" he asked, not realizing that perhaps he didn't want to know everything she was thinking.
But he had asked the question and as soon as she was done hydrating, she said, "A lot of things. We're not even engaged and I'm already thinking about the wedding. When will it be, where. How big? Will we invite everyone or just close family and friends? We have to keep in mind that I'm a public figure. I'd be marrying the old band mate of a guy who I just very publicly had kids with... And then I'm going to work on a new album and put out the leading single. After that I'll be on the road traveling. What will happen with us? And most importantly, with my girls? Who's going to care for them? I know Sam will be off his tour by then but he's working on an album, too. And he'll probably get more tour dates and other events. The band shouldn't have to go on some hiatus for us. And I shouldn't have to stay in hiatus either."
She let out a deep breath and put her elbow on the table, propping herself up on her palm. "I guess it's something we'll have to discuss with Sam and Marley and the band... But we'll talk to them about it if it's really a big concern."
"Thanks," she said, feeling at ease now that she had expressed those concerns. She had talked about it before but saying it like that, all at once in a hurried rant, had actually made her feel a lot better.
***
"You don't live too far from the cool places in the area," Shea said when she and Stefan made it to his house. "I like it here."
"Yeah," he nodded, setting his keys by the entrance and removing his coat.
Shea took off her coat, too, revealing the beautiful dress she had worn to their dinner, and Stefan figured that was his chance to try the compliment sandwich.
"You looked amazing tonight," he began.
Shea walked towards him, a smile on her face, and put her arms around him. She rubbed the back of his neck and for a second he forgot what he was going to say next. "Oh yeah?" she said in a mere whisper.
Stefan nodded slowly, dumbfounded, and wondered how he could've ever broken up with her. She was perfect—beautiful, smart, kind, talented. Everything he could ask for in a woman.
"Yeah," he said, attempting to snap out of his trance. "The dress is really good."
"It's my favorite dress," she told him. "I wear it for special occasions and tonight was our first night back together so I figured I'd wear it."
He remembered then that he shouldn't let her think they were back together, but before he could correct her she leaned in close and gave his cheek a kiss.
"Shea," he said.
"Shh," she responded, giving him another kiss closer to his neck. Stefan closed his eyes and once again forgot all about the compliment sandwich.
Shea smiled as she backed away from him slowly.
["Good For You" by Selena Gomez.]
Shea: I'm on my 14 carats. I'm 14 carat. Doing it up like Midas, mhm... Now you say I gotta touch, so good, so good. Make you never wanna leave. So don't, so don't...
Stefan nodded and walked towards her. How could he ever leave this?
Shea: Gonna wear that dress you like, skin-tight. Do my hair up real, real nice. And syncopate my skin to your heart beating. 'Cause I just wanna look good for you, good for you, uh-huh. I just wanna look good for you, good for you, uh-huh.
But he had to resist. Think of Bree, he told himself, trying to gather up the strength to stop Shea and tell him he had to be with someone else. Just think of Bree.
Shea: Let me show you how proud I am to be yours. Leave this dress, a mess on the floor. And still look good for you, good for you, uh-huh.
The thoughts worked so well that instead of seeing Shea there in front of him, he began to fantasize the moment with Bree. And once it was Bree singing to him and surrounding him in the sexiest way possible, there was no way he would be able to stop.
Bree: I'm in my marquise diamonds. I'm a marquise diamond. Could even make that Tiffany jealous, mhm... You say I give it to you hard. So bad, so bad. Make you never wanna leave. I won't, I won't.
He put his arms around her waist and swayed with her. Bree wasn't perfect. But she was the only one he wanted.
Bree: Gonna wear that dress you like, skin-tight. Do my hair up real, real nice. And syncopate my skin to how you're breathing. 'Cause I just wanna look good for you, good for you, uh-huh. I just wanna look good for you, good for you, uh-huh.
As she pushed him onto the couch, he smiled up at her and held onto one of her hands, pulling her onto him.
Bree: Let me show you how proud I am to be yours. Leave this dress a mess on the floor. And still look good for you, good for you.
She sat there with her legs wrapped around his waist and as she lifted her hair from her face, Stefan saw that it was Shea he was doing this with, not Bree. And it was wrong.
Shea: Uh-huh, uh-huh, ah... Uh-huh, uh-huh, ah, mhm...
But she started kissing his neck again and he thought of Bree—Bree liked to kiss his neck, too.
Bree: Trust me, I can take you there. Trust me, I can take you there. Trust me, I, trust me, I, trust me, I...
He sang to her and caressed her face. Stefan had been wanting Bree since he was sixteen. Now it was finally happening and he couldn't make himself stop.
Stefan: Hold on, take a minute, love. 'Cause I ain't trying to mess your image up. Like we mess around in triple cuffs. Stumble 'round town, pull your zipper up. Pants sag like I don't give a. I ain't trying to mess your fitness up.. And I ain't trying to get you into stuff. But the way you touchin' on me in the club. You look good, girl, you know you did good, don't you? You look good, girl, bet it feel good, don't it?
When he remembered who he was actually with, he pulled away and got off the couch. She stayed on there, her legs glistening from the moonlight coming in through the window to light her up in the darkness and the zipper of her dress falling undone just slightly enough to make it noticeable.
Shea: I just wanna look good for you, good for you, uh-huh. Baby let me be good to you, good to you, uh-huh. Let me show you how proud I am to be yours. Leave this dress a mess on the floor.
But as attracted as Stefan was to Shea, his mind kept going back to Bree.
Bree: And still look good for you, good for you, uh-huh, uh-huh, ah... Uh-huh, uh-huh...
So he knew what he had to do.
Shea: Trust me, I, trust me, I, trust me, I...
"Um," Stefan said, picking her coat off of the floor and handing it to her so that she could cover up. "We have to talk, Shea..."
"What is it?" she asked. "Is something wrong? Are we moving too fast? I just thought because we'd been apart for so long that maybe you'd want—"
"It's not that," Stefan shook his head. He thought about sitting next to her but he knew the temptation would be too much if he got any closer, so he took a deep breath and said, "Shea, you're great. I really like you and last Fall we connected instantly. But... It's been some time since then. And I'm sorry that it took me so long to tell you this but... My heart belongs to someone else now. I've fallen in love and I really think I need to go be with her."
Shea took a moment to process what he had just said. "So..." she began. "Yesterday when I got here and Bree was here with you..?"
"It's her," he admitted immediately. "And right now she's probably thinking that I don't care about her so I'm really sorry but I'm going to have to go after her now."
"Wow," Shea said. She strapped her coat back on and said, "You know, Stefan. I can accept that you moved on but... What sucks is that it took all of this for you to tell me about it. I would've appreciated it if you saved me the humiliation but you couldn't even do that."
As she stormed out of the house, he wanted so badly to stop her and give her the apology she deserved but he couldn't. He had to use whatever time he had left in the night to get to Bree and find a way to get her to forgive him for not telling Shea about her as soon as she had shown up at his door.
***
"And then I would probably end up having to do a tour as soon as my album comes out," sighed Julie. "Or worse—they'll end up having me do a tour first and then I'll have to put out an album either in the middle of it or right after and... I just want to make music and play it for the world. I really don't want to be on the road and to do the interviews and the parties, you know?"
Ryder nodded. He had just given Julie a chance to pour out anything that was stressing her out and since she had a lot of wine in her, she had spilled everything from the difficulty that Sam being on the road had brought along to how much worse it would get if she went on tour.
When she finished talking about that, she said, "But enough about that. This night is about the two of us."
"That's right," he said with a smile, giving the waiter the signal for him to bring over their next bottle of wine. "That's why I think it's time I finally did what we've been waiting all night for."
Julie grinned as Ryder reached into his pocket for the ring box. He was just about to pull it out when Stefan walked right past them and stopped at Bree's table. Everyone, from Harmony and Shawn, to Marley and Max, turned their attentions to him.
"What?" Bree asked, annoyed by his return. "Didn't you already leave with your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend," Stefan declared.
Bree rolled her eyes. "You were on a date with her. Just like Harmony is on a date with blue eyes over there, Marley is on a date that you wanted to set up, Jyder are on a date, and I'm here with Jake. So you can go back now."
Stefan glanced at the rest of his friends, who were all staring at him and wondering what he would do. He tried to ignore them as he knelt down beside Bree and leaned against the table for support.
"Just hear me out," he whispered, his face looking up right by her face. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell Shea you and I had something as soon as she showed up. I didn't know how. And I'm even more sorry that I let her make all these plans for us without telling her about you and stopping her. I guess I got a little carried away. And yeah, I liked her, but she's not you, Bree. I'm pretty sure everyone here knows that I would've given up my shot with any girl at any point to be with you but you always seemed to have someone of your own. That doesn't mean what I did this yesterday and today was right at all but... I just want you to know that you're the one I care about most. I'd hate for you to think that I don't care about you."
Bree stared at him for a few long seconds, feeling the eyes of her friends on her. Though Stefan seemed sincere, she was still so angry about how long it had taken him to come back to her that she just couldn't say anything else to him now, so she pushed back on her chair and stood up.
As she began to walk away, Stefan called out, "Wait stop!" He followed after her and stood in her way. "I wasn't done, Bree. I kept thinking on my way here that I had to do something to make it up to you and to let you know that I mean business when it comes to you. That I'm serious like you wanted me to be. And I can't think of any other way to let you know other than to ask you to marry me."
Julie and Ryder exchanged looks. The others had mixed reactions ranging from shock to trepidation. But Bree laughed. "You're not serious," she said.
Stefan seemed confused. "I'm totally serious."
"Ok, just because that line worked for John to get Leila and for Ryder to get Julie and we even witnessed it happening for Rachel and Finn all those years ago... It's just not going to work for me, Stefan."
"But why not? I... I love you, Bree. I always have."
"And I appreciate that, Stefan, I do. But you don't truly want to marry me. You're a bachelor at heart. A lady's man. And you're immature. You're not ready for marriage. I want to get engaged to someone I can trust to be a good husband and a good father. I'm ready for that. You're not."
Bree began to walk away again. Ryder stared at Julie, who bit her lip, and put his ring back into his pocket, sensing from the way that she slowly shook her head that the moment was totally wrong now.
As Bree passed around their table and towards the bathrooms, Stefan continued to follow, relentless in his pursuit. He went so far as to march right behind her into the ladies' room without any warning at all.
"Are you serious?" Bree asked when she saw him through the mirror, closing the door. She ensured that the restroom was otherwise empty. "You can't be in here!"
"We've done this before," he rolled his eyes. "Public restrooms are great points of romance for you." She scoffed and tried to walk right past him back out again, but he took her arm and pulled her back. Holding her so close that she couldn't move without pressing onto him, he looked her in the eyes and said, "I don't know what else I have to do to show you that I'm serious. But I really do love you, Bree. You're brave and strong and loyal and passionate. And you're so freaking hot. I'm not afraid to marry you, not one bit."
He got down on one knee. "Eww," Bree told him. "That's really dirty."
"And these are new pants," he nodded. "But I don't care... Bree, I promise you that I'm not fooling around. I know that this is real. We're like Rachel and Joey—"
"They were together for just a few episodes," Bree pointed out.
"Robin and Barney?"
"Divorced."
"Ok ok, ok. Forget the comparisons then. And just think about us. We have chemistry. We have history. We've totally got the physics down, too. We're good together. It's crazy but maybe we are the ones who can have this whole thing figured out."
Bree hesitated. "Well... You are one of my best friends. And it would be nice to just get the whole marriage thing over."
"YOLO!" Stefan exclaimed, a smile plastered on his face.
"But..."
"Oh what is it now?" he rolled his eyes.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "I just never thought of myself as the type of woman who would just elope impulsively and not think of the consequences."
Stefan grabbed her hand and said, "I promise I will give you a divorce if this doesn't work out."
"That's reassuring," Bree responded.
He laughed. "I'm serious. It's marriage. Neither of us is super religious or anything so it's just a civil thing. We'll do this big or we go home, right? What do you say?"
***
"They're taking a really long time," Marley sighed as she, her date and Jake finished their dinners. Bree and Stefan were still discussing the possibility of a quickie wedding and Jake was growing very impatient.
"I hope they didn't leave," he said. "Because that makes me the third wheel here and—"
"They're coming," Max told them, pointing to Bree and Stefan as they emerged from the restroom area.
At the next table, Ryder was looking at Julie with a frown on his face. "I guess getting engaged tonight would be a little messed up," he said.
"If she tells him yes," she nodded, "then we don't get to have the night be special, just for us. If she tells him no, it'd be really mean for us to get engaged so... Yeah, I guess tonight was just a waste."
"Don't say that... We got to spend the night together. What more could you want?"
As Bree and Stefan passed their tables, Harmony leaned forward, smiled at Shawn, and said, "Ok, I think I finally have made up my mind about your proposal."
"Oh yeah?" Shawn responded, his mind elsewhere. He kept thinking about what Julie had told him earlier in the evening, her accusations bugging him.
"Yeah," Harmony nodded. "And I've decided that—"
"Ok, everybody," Bree said, getting their attention. "I know you were all being nosy and it's not like we were quiet. So I'm sure that you're all wondering what Stefan and I agreed on while we were gone. And I already got, like, five texts from Kitty asking for details so one of you told her what happened."
"It was in a group chat," Julie said apologetically. "So pretty much everyone knows."
Bree gave her a look before addressing the group as a whole again. "Clearly, it would be very stupid for us to get married. We're not a very good couple, we've actually never dated before, and I am focusing on my career while Stefan is just... Well, he's Stefan. And both of our jobs would keep us away from each other a lot. So..." She looked from Julie to Marley, to Jake, to Ryder, and then up at Stefan. Then she said, "We're getting married."
Marley's jaw dropped and Jake laughed involuntarily. When Bree turned to him, he said, "Wait, you mean it?"
Bree nodded. "I'm tired of playing it safe. And he's promised to play it more safe. So we're getting married."
"When?" Julie asked, beginning to stand up to give her a congratulatory hug.
"Soon," Bree assured her. "I'll be working on my dress and as soon as that's finished we can do this thing."
"This thing..." mumbled Marley as they all gave them hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back. She sat back down, her attention on her napkin as she tried not to judge Bree's actions. It was hard, however, as she herself would never do anything this careless.
Ryder called the waiter over and he arrived with the bottle of wine Ryder had ordered in preparation for his own engagement. "Here," he said, handing it to Stefan. "For you guys. We should celebrate this."
Bree took a look at the bottle. "Ooh. This is fancy. Not even I would get something so expensive."
"That's what I said," Julie said.
"Thank you, though," Bree said, giving Ryder a kiss on the cheek before reaching for one of the glasses a different waitress had just brought over.
They were all crowded around Bree's table, breaking out the wine and not caring that they were the loudest and most scandalous people in the room.
Meanwhile, Harmony turned back to Shawn and said, "So, uh, about New York."
"I don't think you should come with me," Shawn said.
Her mouth slightly ajar, Harmony struggled to come up with a response. She had not been expecting that. "I'm sorry... What?"
"I've been thinking about it all night," Shawn told her. "And the truth is that you're better off here. With your friends. And you should be here for moments like these when they get engaged. And when they get married. And have families. And you should get the chance to start your own here in this town that you love so much."
"No, no, no," Harmony shook her head. "Forget about everything I've said before about this being my home. Lima sucks. Ask anyone. We all hate it here. We just get stuck here by each other. It's a—"
"Harmony, you don't have to lie," Shawn laughed. "I know this place grows on you. So just... Stay."
She looked at him, trying to figure out why he had changed his mind. Then, she looked over at the others and saw Julie exchange a look with him.
She gasped. "Oh my gosh. She said something to you, didn't she?"
"Who?"
"Julie," Harmony said. "She did, oh my god! She totally did! I can tell! So what was it, huh? Did she promise you something? Make you think you still had a chance with her or—"
"No, nothing like that," Shawn shook his head. "Harmony... The thing is that... We don't really know each other. You know me as a writer and as a character in a book. I know you as an actress playing a character that I just... That I loved. So... Maybe it's not what we think it is."
Harmony shook her head very slowly, her eyes squinted at him and gleaming with disappointment. "I can't believe she got to you," she said, standing up. "I can't believe she did to you what she does to all of them." She pointed at Ryder. "She's done it to him." She pointed at Jake. "She's done it to him." She pointed at Stefan. "And she came pretty close to doing it to him, too. And now she's gotten to you and I... You know what? Forget it. Have fun in New York."
She slapped her lap napkin down on the table and then stormed away. He was going to call out to her—to remind her that she was the one who had driven him there—but as her name was about to slip out of his mouth, he realized there was really no point. It'd be better to just let her go on without him.
***
"I can't believe you're engaged," Julie said as she and Bree walked towards the restaurant's parking lot together. Stefan and Ryder were walking a few feet ahead of them, having a 'guy talk' that the girls knew was Ryder giving serious advice and warnings and Stefan shrugging them off jokingly.
"And to Stefan," Bree agreed with a laugh. "But it feels right. When you know, you know."
"I wish I knew what I wanted that easily," Julie sighed.
"You're far more indecisive than most people I know though," Bree responded. "But you'll get to this point eventually."
Julie considered reminding her friend that tonight was supposed to be that night, but she didn't. Bree was on an engagement high that nobody would dare take her off of.
As they said goodbye and walked their separate ways towards their cars, Ryder put an arm around Julie and said, "So it didn't happen tonight."
"Nope," Julie responded. "But it happened to two people we care about so it was still a special, memorable night like you wanted it to be. I just hope those two make it. I don't want to see Bree hurting."
"Same here," Ryder nodded. "And as for us... This is sort of good."
"How so?"
"Well, now I get a chance to do things differently. Instead of bombarding you with things you hate, I can try the 'things you love' approach."
Julie laughed. "That's what most people would've tried first."
"We're not most people," Ryder told her with a smile. He opened her door for her and added, "And I know how to treat a lady on a date."
She smiled back at him and got into the car, thankful that she was going to get another great night like this very soon.
***
While they headed home after a long night, Luke was in his apartment, eating cereal and watching late night cartoons on Adult Swim. There were talking french fries on his screen when Albany emerged from her bedroom, tired and practically sleepwalking.
"What are you doing?" she asked him as she headed into the kitchen for a glass of water. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
"Not tired," he shrugged. "And I'm expecting someone."
"At this time?" Albany asked, looking at her wrist as if she were wearing a watch and discovering that she wasn't. "Who?"
Luke didn't answer that question, instead just said, "I don't know why. Just said we needed to talk."
Knowing she was too sleepy to ask any other questions, Luke waited for Albany to drink water and then watched her head back into her bedroom. His phone vibrated and as soon as he read the incoming message, he turned the television up a little more and put the cereal on the kitchen table before opening the door.
Travis was there, his hands on his hips as he waited to be let inside but instead Luke stepped out and closed the front door almost all the way. "What's up?" Luke asked. "Why'd you have to talk to right away?"
"Because," Travis said, "I think it's time we tell... Sebastian..."
Luke laughed. "That's funny dude. I appreciate a good joke but you could've saved that one for tomorrow."
Travis shook his head and stopped him from opening the door again. "It's not a joke, Travis. I told him I was seeing someone. Not the lawyer I've been uploading those selfies to my Instagram with but someone else. A guy. And knowing him, he'll find out soon anyway. I'd rather we tell him we're seeing each other so that we can avoid any retaliation."
"Retaliation?" asked Luke, an amused smile on his face. "Dude, this isn't Game of Thrones. He's not going to send you someone's genitals in a box. He'll probably just make a rude comment and then try to tell you that I'm the guy he cheated on you with. Which of course you already know so he'll be shocked or whatever and then move on. Probably."
"Probably," Travis nodded. "Which is a chance too high for me to take. This is my career, my public image on the line, Luke. I know you don't want him to know about us because you think he'll interfere but... He's my label head. If he doesn't hear it from me, he'll be really mad and he'll try to hurt my career in some way. I just know it. So please. For me. Let's tell him."
Luke rolled his eyes. "I hate this," he said. "But fine. For you I guess we can tell Sebastard. But only him, ok? If anyone else finds out about us, they're just going to run their big mouths and get in the way. It's how relationships get ruined around here. By talking about them."
***
"I'll call my parents and let them know tomorrow morning," Bree said as she sat in the passenger seat of Stefan's car on the way to his place. "And you'll call your parents. And then we can post some sort of announcement on Facebook for everybody else to find out. Aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, Sue Sylvester. And after that it's wedding planning time."
"So you're sure you don't mind doing this so soon?" Stefan asked.
"We'd better do it soon before I decide to back out," she said. He turned briefly to give her a look. "Kidding! Well, half-kidding. Ok, I have a meeting with some investors in the afternoon but if you're free at around six-ish we can go pick out a ring because I have to have something to show off, right? Oh and Stefan?"
"Yeah?" he asked, barely taking all of that information in.
"I love you," she said, a smile forming across her face.
Stefan smiled and glanced at her before turning his attention back to the road. "I love you, too," he said.
She sighed and leaned her head back. "You know what the best part of tonight is?"
"What?" he asked.
"The early honeymoon we're about to have when we get to your house," she responded coyly.
He laughed. "Man, I should've asked you to marry me years ago," he told her. And though that was part of a joke, he really did wish he had gotten to this point with her so much sooner than he had. Maybe they would've gotten to their happily ever after long ago.