Page 213 of Charming Like Us

“Okay,” he nods to me. “Shoot your best shot, Oscar.”

I grin at the words I’ve told him. “Charlie said that the personal videography project is still on the table. And before you say anything, I know why it wouldn’t be appealing. You want to create a show, and it doesn’t make sense to take on a personal project during off-seasons ofWe Are Calloway.”

“Would I be traveling the world with you?” he asks with a growing smile.

It chokes me up. “Yeah, you would.”

“Then okay. I’ll take on some videography projects. It’ll be fun.”

“There’s more.”

He frowns, his lips falling. “What do you mean,more?”

“That wasn’t my best shot, Long Beach. I’m shooting again.” I hold his shoulders. “I want to be on camera.”

“Os—”

“Let me pitch it to you,” I say. “Our lives, our love. You’re the creator of a documentary mini-series starring you and me, Oscar and Jack—the hottest bodyguard and flirtiest filmmaker. How we came to be suddenly famous.”

His hand is on his head, shocked. “You’d want to be on camera? Why?”

There is only one phrase that makes sense.

Only one that comes to mind.

“Basta ikaw,” I use his words now and translate, “as long as it’s with you, because it’s you.”

He pulls me closer, our arms over each other’s shoulders. “I’d have to pitch it to a network. We might have to film a pilot first…they might not want it.”

“But you’d do it?”

“Yeah.” His eyes glitter. “No question.” He adds with that charming smile, “It was a perfect pitch, Oscar. I’d buy the show.”

“Yeah, the network thought so too. We’re straight to TV.”

His breath catches, face drops. “What…? You pitched the show? How did you even get a meeting with the network?”

“Charlie. Benefits of being friends with an American god. He has more sway than a bodyguard.”

Jack processes, his smile overwhelmed and rising and rising. “What are you going to say when I turn the camera on you now?”

“I’m your subject, Highland. And I can live the mostjoyouslife knowing that.”

We draw into a lively kiss. Hands on faces, chest pressed to chest. And the sun descends a little more. Glowing over our embrace, and we break to continue our trek across the rooftop.

As we move closer to the edge, Jack playfully hangs his arms over my shoulders from behind. I reach back and clasp his neck. We kiss again, and he smacks my ass before he comes next to me.

We’re laughing. Smiling, and then we reach the brick side.

We look out at the sun again. At the Philly skyline. Our arms hooked around each other.

I’ve watched the sun set and rise in different cities, different countries, different continents with Jack. And each time, I feel like we’ve been chasing the day, catching up to the night. But right now, the world feels like ours. Like one enormous celebration of love.

Happiness. We hear the laughter of our families and friends, and our eyes return to each other. Rays brighten our joy as we lean in and kiss.

Epilogue

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