Couple for Hire [Shourtney]

20. The One Where the Game Ends

Hey, guys! How are you doing?

Woah, last chapter. As always, I'm not ready to let this story go, and I'll look back on it a lot. The process of writing this was just incredible, and I'm glad you were all with me on this ride. Not just this book, but also for my other Shourtney books, my other stories, and this one heck of a year.

But enough sentimentalities! There's an author's note and epilogue after this, so you better check that out. Thanks for RSVP-ing by the way!

Anyway, let's start this final chapter with Courtney's POV and see ya!

-/-/-

Winning the game, huh?

"Hey, you okay?" Marissa asks me as she walks towards me, handing me a drink. "I got you a mocktail, it's called Wonder Woman."

"Thanks a bunch," I tell her, taking a sip of the juice. "Hmm, not bad. This should be called Harry Styles though, because it has cherries, strawberries, and watermelons."

"Being an events enthusiast got you smart on that kinda stuff. Maybe we should run a bar."

"Honestly, yeah," I reply, chuckling. "I mean, for the record, I didn't drink a lot, because we had a lot of work to do and I didn't want to get a hangover. Not gonna lie, I miss it."

The fresh April breeze washes over us as Marissa and I clink our glasses together in this Pasadena wedding. One of our friends back in high school, Faith, was finally getting married to our other friend in high school, Brandon. It was a funny story, because for most of high school days, Faith and Brandon were straight out of a will-they-won't-they romantic comedy. Everyone guessed that this would happen, that the play between the snarky, genius jester that is Brandon and the outgoing, cheeky workaholic that is Faith would end up together, even if there were several uncertainties along the way.

That was how rom-coms ended anyway. Happy endings for everyone! And I was jealous of it all.

"Hey, hey, if it isn't Courtney Miller!" Geoff, a classmate from 10th grade, greets me. "How you doin'? Where's your sensational boyfriend?"

"He's at work," I answer, shaking his hand. "He's doing alright, thanks for asking!"

"Cool, cool," he mumbles, chuckling. "Any tips for stardom? My daughter's going through auditions of all these child shows, I have no idea how to be a stage dad. The wife's an accountant, so I do all the documentation."

"Really funny, Geoff," I remark, laughing a bit. "We weren't that famous, come on. But I do have a bit of a tip for auditions: give your best. Go from one after another, but take it easy. Don't be over the top too! You might fall on a producer's blacklist after all. And... just enjoy it."

"Love that," Marissa tells me, nudging me and grinning. "Hope your daughter lands a shoot, Geoff! Keep us posted, alright?"

"Definitely," he assures us. "Nice to see you two again, by the way! Courtney, thanks a bunch. Marissa, stay cool."

"Am I not cool?" I ask him, laughing as he walks off to another table, waving at us with a chuckle. "Goddamn it. Well, you can't spell uncool without several letters from my name."

Marissa grins at me, and it's that type of grin that you know she's up to something, "He's right... where is your sensational boyfriend?"

I reply, rolling my eyes at her, "You know he's not my boyfriend."

"Well..."

"Nope."

"Why not?" she asks me. "You like him, he likes you, you've been on hundreds of events together as a couple, everyone else knows you're a couple. It's like... how do I say this? You are playing a game, the path to the finish line is cleared for you, and you're refusing to end the game."